《Dungeon of Knowledge》


 Chapter 1: A Meeting at the Grand Library Arcana

    Chapter 1: A Meeting at the Grand Library ArcanaAliandraAli charged the length of her apartment at breakneck speed, snatching up the few essentials by the door: the letter, her enchanted communication panel, and most importantly, her library card. She paused just long enough to mist her hanging orchid with a little revitalizing boost of nature mana before she stuffed one arm into the sleeve of her warm coat, yanked the door open, and rushed out. She shoved the door shut with a foot, but it got away from her and slammed with a loud bang that would most certainly earn her a nasty message from the nosy Humans living downstairs.


    She took the narrow stairs two at a time and leapt onto the patiently waiting disk hovering above the pavement at the bottom. She slipped and landed sideways, the panel and her library card slipping from her hands and clattering across the hard surface, but fortunately this transport platform was made to accommodate the larger races, and she was able to catch her things before they spilled out into the street.


    ¡°Go!¡± she said.


    Purple runes lit up around the edge of the platform, making it hum and rise higher above the ground as the warm rush of nearby active mana washed over her skin. The disk turned, accelerating smoothly as it shot out to merge with the traffic.


    Ali took a breath.


    It was a good thing she had scheduled the transport yesterday. Getting lost in a good book and missing her appointment with the Head of Magical Research at the Grand Library Arcana was not the recommended way to make a good first impression.


    Her faculty t-shirt was doing nothing to break the chill of the wind rushing past as her transport banked into the main arterial boulevard and the traffic of thousands of commuters rushing back and forth. But as she wrestled with her coat, she caught her stunted wings on the edge of the wing-slots, wrenching them painfully. She winced. She should have known better ¨C she always managed to catch the useless things on nearly everything, especially when she was rushing. She twisted, finally getting them to slip through and pulled the coat closed against the cold.


    She turned the rectangular communication panel on, verifying that the enchantments were still charged with mana and shoved it into her coat pocket. She straightened the cover letter from the dean of the university and stuffed it in the same pocket, and then picked up the shiny platinum card embossed with the library insignia on one side, and several enchanted runes on the other. Without her library card, she would not be able to even enter. At the touch of her fingers, the runes on the card activated, projecting a few glowing silvery lines of text and an image of herself into the air above it.


    She didn¡¯t love the image they had recorded of her, but she was going to need to replace the card when she affixed her Class anyway.


    Finally, her heart slowed to a more normal pace, and her breathing eased up. she thought. It would be close, but she would be on time. Elegantly crafted buildings whipped by on either side ¨C Dal¡¯mohra boasted some of the best stone- and metal-mages on the continent, and the sheer wealth and power of the grand city was on display in every artifice and construction. Thousands of magical vehicles and platforms flowed through the spotless streets like lifeblood through arteries, invigorating all reaches of the city. Overhead, the blazing solar orbs hovered, powered by the giant mana condensers a level below, radiating soft yellow light and warmth down upon the bustling city nestled in its deep underground cavern.


    The backdrop of chaotic busyness blended into a familiar symphony of order ¨C that emergent sense of purpose woven from the fabric of the city. It was that pervasive and exhilarating heartbeat, the very essence of Dal¡¯mohra, which had always resonated so deeply with her.


    Mana Sense prickled just a fraction of a second before her communication panel vibrated in her pocket. She reached in and pulled it out.


    ¡°


    she sent.


    ¡°


    Ali had been hoping for a quiet dinner with her mom and dad, a chance to catch up and maybe some private discussion about her options, but her mother was always trying to ¡®look out for her future¡¯ with plans and engagements. Contacts and networking. She probably shouldn¡¯t have been all that surprised. But it was a problem for later.


    Her transport disk slowed and eventually slid to a halt at the entrance to the grand plaza, depositing her at the feet of the three kings ¨C Artur Dragonsworn wielding his flaming legendary sword, Bragni Doomhammer with his massive mithril Hammer of Justice, and Thaldorien Stormshaper with his piercing eyes focused on the distance, casting lightning from his outstretched fingers. All three were legends in their own time, and the kings of Dal¡¯mohra, rendered far larger than life in gorgeous marble embellished with expensive enchantments to depict their magical affinities. The three faced outward, watching over the residential district of Dal¡¯mohra, and the artist had contrived to grant them that far-off stare of heroes.


    Ali¡¯s eyes lingered a little longer on the Elf-king, Thaldorien Stormshaper. A phenomenal archmage of incredible wisdom and knowledge. A man who, in his youth, had added the creation of the Grand Library Arcana to his impressive list of achievements. She remembered him as a kindly Elf who had encouraged an eight-year-old Ali to follow her dreams to study magic. It had not occurred to her till many years later that one of the kings visiting your mother was something remarkable.


    She stepped off her transport, releasing it back into the traffic. A sudden chill caught her, sending goosebumps running down the back of her arms. Quickly, she buttoned her coat and set off to negotiate her way through the throngs of people gathered on the plaza, trying to ignore the delightful medley of aromas arising from the vendors with their colorful food carts.


    She struggled a little through the press of Dwarves, Elves, and Humans, all towering over her. Students, researchers, and visitors dressed in outfits she could not even place. But most of them moved when she called out, and she didn¡¯t get stepped on, or tripped over this time. And when she finally emerged from the crowds, she beheld the magnificent edifice rising before her.


    It was the world¡¯s preeminent library, easily surpassing even the Sun Elves¡¯ storied Library of Light at Aalion. There were more books here than anywhere in the entire realm, including an unmatched collection of the most advanced magical works and knowledge. More importantly, scholars and sages journeyed from far and wide to study in these vaunted halls. The very air crackled with possibility, creativity, and the heady rush of inspiration as researchers fervently toiled to unveil the secrets of the universe and the very nature of magic itself.


    This, more than anywhere in the vast and infinite expanse of the realms, was where she belonged.


    The towering cylindrical edifice of enchanted stone rose up from the ground, vanishing into the darkness ¨C far above even the floating solar orbs. She knew it spanned the full extent of Dal¡¯mohra, from the bedrock three city levels below all the way up to the surface far above. Glowing runes circled the outside of the building, illuminating the relief sculpted murals upon the walls, and the immense doors of black stone stood open, inviting her to enter.


    Ever since she had begged her parents for a library card as a child, she had visited every chance she got. Every time, it took her breath away.


    She took a step forward, approaching the hallowed chambers she knew to be filled with hushed patrons seeking information, soft illumination, and the indefinable scent of parchment, ink, and the weight of knowledge.


    Suddenly something huge and gleaming slithered out in front of her, blocking her way. Looped in heavy muscular coils, his bronze-scaled serpent body shone in the magical light. Four powerful arms folded across his broad chest and a surprisingly human-like face looked down at her from more than three meters above. Minus the scales, of course. Double membranes blinked across his vertically slit reptilian eyes and a forked tongue flickered between razor-sharp fangs.


    ¡°What is thisss? A Fae creature? Are you to be my sssnack?¡± His powerful voice resonated with an exaggerated sibilant hissing undertone. Four matching scimitars were worn across his back, their leather-bound grips poking out above his shoulders.


    ¡°I have this,¡± she declared, brandishing her library card. ¡°And I¡¯m not afraid to use it!¡±


    ¡°Oh no! The dreaded library card of legends!¡± he exclaimed. And then his mock-serious face cracked into a broad grin. ¡°Hi Ali.¡±


    ¡°Hi Armand, how¡¯s the guard gig treating you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s awesome! I hit level seven yesterday!¡±


    ¡°What? In only a month?¡± Ali trickled just a little mana into her Identify skill and directed it at the giant before her. A soft chime sounded in her mind and a short notification appeared.


    she thought, but she hid her frown, not wanting to take away from Armand¡¯s excitement. Either she needed to practice her skill more, or¡­


    ¡°Yup, my mentor said I¡¯m progressing really fast. Soon I¡¯ll hit level ten and then you¡¯ll see two marks instead of one!¡±


    ¡°Is that when my all-powerful library card will stop working?¡± she asked.


    He chuckled happily. But then his voice grew serious, ¡°She said she will take me on a dungeon run when I hit ten to level up faster.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ uh, great?¡± Ali said. Obviously, a combat class like his would need to go delving or monster hunting, she knew that, but the very idea still made her heart jump against her ribs and her breath hitch in her chest. ¡°Be careful, please?¡± She was just glad she would never have to deal with something as scary as a dungeon.


    ¡°I know, Ali. I will. And she said she will come with me and keep me safe,¡± Armand said, but then his smile returned. ¡°When are you getting your Class?¡±


    ¡°I just unlocked my primary class slot yesterday!¡± she said. She had been expecting it for a couple of months now but waking up to see that notification had filled her with such excitement. Probably she had annoyed her family with all the messages, but they had let her enjoy it. ¡°Dad said he¡¯ll unlock me as soon as I settle on a trial. A week. Two at the most.¡±


    ¡°You going to unlock at your dad¡¯s shrine? It¡¯s so cool he has that. Much respect to your family for offering its services for free.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and thank you,¡± Ali said. She dearly loved the Grove with the shrine, and she had spent so much of her youth playing in her father¡¯s forest, or lying under the trees with a good book until the sun set and it grew too cold. But lately she had been so busy with studying to earn the Class she wanted that she hadn¡¯t had any time to go topside and visit him.


    ¡°Well, good luck Ali. Professor Maeria Runeweaver arrived just a few minutes ago, and she¡¯s probably waiting for you inside.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Ali¡¯s eyes widened suddenly as Armand reminded her this wasn¡¯t a social visit. ¡°Chat later!¡±


    ¡°Seize the future, Ali,¡± Armand said, pressing his lower pair of hands together just below his heart and bowing his head as she rushed towards the yawning darkness of the giant arched doors and the dim light of the legendary library beyond.


    Despite the urgency driving her haste, she paused upon the threshold and took a deep breath.


    Some things should not be rushed.


    Warm and dry air filled her lungs, teasing her nostrils with the scent of parchment, ancient books, and the anticipation that had never diminished as she stood staring into the library. At her feet, thousands of purple runes glowed, a tiny segment of the ancient runic circle that wreathed the entire library in its profound enchantment. She recognized a rune here and there ¨C the simpler ones ¨C from her studies. But the vast majority lay far beyond her current abilities.


    For an instant, a chill breeze caught her, sending cold shivers and goosebumps down her neck and back, but her coat was tightly buttoned and the actual air emanating from the library was warm as usual.


    But the sensation vanished, leaving her puzzled ¨C and blocking the doorway. And she would still be late if she stood here woolgathering.


    The feeling as she stepped across the runes and into the library was just as incredible as always. An electrifying power rippled across her skin as if she had walked through a veil of pure energy. Her heart suddenly beat a little faster, the library grew lighter, colors deepened, and the familiar scent of ancient books filled her nostrils as she breathed deeply.


    She could never get tired of this feeling. Her Mana Sense did not react so strongly to ordinary magic, but the library¡¯s runic circle was legendary grade magic, powered by the full output of two of the giant mana condensers, and inscribed into the stone foundations using the most advanced rune magic known to the foremost scholars and archmages. She had heard many of the professors at the university ¨C and the visiting scholars too ¨C describe it as one of the wonders of the modern world. Researchers and mages traveled across continents just to study in these halls.


    It was the promise she made to herself every time she stepped through this doorway. In the back of her mind, two soft chimes sounded, and two notifications appeared.


    All the tension from the last half hour of frantic rushing drained away. Her head tilted back as she stared up at the soaring bookcases that lined the walls. Great circular shelves laden with uncountable tomes lined the inner walls of the library, rising layer after layer until all she could see was the flickering light of the hundreds of clerks, librarians, assistants, and researchers darting about like fireflies in the air above.


    In the center lay the huge atrium, a yawning opening that led down to the lower library levels where the advanced magic texts were stored. Her eyes lingered longingly on the landing and the long spiral staircase clinging to the edge of the atrium, teasing at the extraordinary knowledge that awaited mages who had achieved sufficiently high class levels.


    Ali had never been down there ¨C for an unclassed person like her, just being near many of those enchanted books would pose a mortal danger.


    She sighed, reiterating her thought like a mantra. She was so close. Only a week or two more.


    ¡°Aliandra Amariel?¡±


    The voice carried the formal, cultured overtones of someone more familiar with the high Elven speech favored in many academic circles. One with which Ali was rather familiar. She turned to find a tall blonde Sun-Elf woman sitting at a long table frowning at her over expensive-looking platinum-rimmed glasses. Even at this distance, she could feel the enchantments and mana emanating from her. Holding back a little smile, she turned and answered in Elvish instead of the common language of Dal¡¯mohra. ¡°Yes, teacher.¡±


    Remembering to practice her Identify skill on high-level people, she used it as she stepped forward to hand her the dean¡¯s letter.


    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± the Elven woman said, conspicuously retaining the common language, rather than answering her in Elvish. ¡°Come join the others and we will get started.¡±


    Ali felt the flush rising all the way to the points of her ears, but she rushed over and took a seat at the table ¨C one of the taller chairs beside the Gnome who was glaring judgment daggers at her. Ali glanced around the table finding two Human women, one of which smiled at her and gave her a little wave, a male Dwarf, and a pair of Wood Elves that looked like twins: brother and sister. Everyone was dressed in expensive-looking robes, and she was suddenly grateful that her coat covered her far too casual t-shirt and shorts.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯re all here, my name is Maeria Runeweaver. Professor of Runic Magic at the University of Dal¡¯mohra, and Head of Magical Research at the Grand Library Arcana. Thank you for your interest in the academic and scholar path, both the library and the university are always in need of magical researchers, assistants, librarians, and non-combat mages. So, if you unlock any class in one of these domains, you will be in good hands. I will be responsible for your Class Trials. In order to create the proper challenges so that you can earn the correct experience traits, I will need to know what sorts of classes you¡¯re each studying for or hoping to unlock.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we begin with you, Dimble?¡± Maeria asked, gesturing toward the Gnome Ali was sitting beside.


    ¡°Sure, Professor Runeweaver,¡± he said, bobbing his head. ¡°I¡¯m Dimble Bollywoggle, and I¡¯m hoping for an engineering class. I wish to specialize in magical power couplings and my dream job is to work on improving the formations for the mana converters.¡± Dimble stuck his chin out and glanced askance at Ali.


    she thought, deciding she didn¡¯t like him much.


    Maeria raised an eyebrow. ¡°I assume that you¡¯re here instead of the engineering guild because you want to focus more on research than practical applications?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered, his head bobbing up and down so quickly Ali worried it might come loose.


    ¡°Very well,¡± she said, jotting something down. ¡°I will need to talk with the engineering guild regardless, I¡¯m not as familiar with what would constitute a good trial for you.¡±


    ¡°What about you, Ilorna?¡± Maeria asked, looking at the Wood Elf twin sister.


    ¡°Librarian, miss,¡± she said, bowing her head.


    ¡°Very good.¡±


    ¡°And you, Celkor?¡±


    ¡°Archivist,¡± her brother answered. ¡°Or Librarian would do, too. I want to study Elven social and cultural anthropology.¡±


    ¡°How about we try for both of those, and add Historian to your list? That way when you use Mr. Amariel¡¯s shrine you¡¯re certain to get at least one of them. If you unlock all of them, you can just pick your favorite?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Professor Runeweaver,¡± Celkor said, his tone formal but his face betrayed substantial excitement.


    Ali got a couple of surprised looks from around the table as the more observant students put two-and-two together connecting her family name to her father¡¯s shrine.


    ¡°Aliandra?¡± Maeria asked, still finishing up her notetaking.


    ¡°Rune Sage,¡± she said, the words just spilling out of her mouth before she could catch them.


    ¡°You¡¯re aware that¡¯s a rare class?¡± Maeria said, looking at her over the tops of her glasses.


    ¡°Yes, Professor,¡± she answered. Whatever had possessed her to just blurt that out like that? ¡°I meant to say, I¡¯m interested in magical research, particularly runic magic and formations. Rune Sage is my dream class, but I would be happy with Arcane or Runic Scholar or some similar common class to start with.¡±


    ¡°That seems more appropriate,¡± Maeria said. ¡°What makes you think you could get a rare class like that right at the start? People must work to grow their skills and evolve their classes.¡±


    That was the proper official position. Rare classes were just that ¨C rare. Very rare. Starting with a rare class was nigh impossible, and Ali knew that. It had been drilled into her from the start by every single teacher, instructor, and professor. Hard work was what paid off and grew a Class into something more. But¡­


    ¡°I have a nature and arcane affinity already, and two cantrip spells as general skills. I can create all the foundational arcane runes, and most of the nature ones. Obviously, I can¡¯t imbue them with mana yet¡­¡± her words trailed off as she realized everyone was staring at her.


    ¡°So unfair,¡± Dimble muttered. ¡°How does she have an affinity already?¡±


    ¡°Be nice, Dimble,¡± Maeria said. ¡°The Fae are a magical race, they sometimes unlock affinities and spells before their Class. They have real disadvantages that you don¡¯t have to worry about too.¡± And then Maeria turned to regard Ali for a long moment. ¡°So, you  Elowynn Amariel¡¯s daughter?¡±


    Ali nodded.


    ¡°Would you mind showing me your magic?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ ok,¡± she answered. She hadn¡¯t expected to have to do a demonstration, but she didn¡¯t mind. She never minded using her magic ¨C even as weak as it was. She frowned a little as she saw Dimble staring, but she trickled a little of her mana into her Arcane Cantrip skill. Warmth surged from her heart, flowing smoothly through her chest and down her arm to emerge before her outstretched fingers as a growing spark of shining golden energy. She ignored the sharp intake of breath from across the table and just focused on directing her magic, sculpting it in the air with her mind until she had formed the first rune her mother had taught her: the foundational arcane power rune.


    ¡°It¡¯s gold¡­¡± someone whispered.


    It hung there, floating in the air, a construct of pure mana. It sparkled. It was a silly thing, a childish vanity perhaps, but she had always loved that her arcane mana matched her amber eyes, while her nature mana matched her hair.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Maeria said. ¡°You said you have two spells?¡± S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The other one is a nature affinity cantrip that lets me influence the growth of plants,¡± she said. Almost certainly she had inherited that affinity from her father. However, it had been Aunt Lira and the Dryadic insight of her tree that had inspired Ali to take her first steps along the path of nature magic. She mostly just used it to encourage the wildflowers in the Grove to bloom, but lately she had been limited to using it on the potted plants in her apartment.


    ¡°We can take a look at that one later. Perhaps aiming for an advanced rune magic class is not such a bad idea for you,¡± Maeria said, pausing momentarily in thought, and then making some rapid notes. ¡°My book, Advanced Classes for the Runic Scholar, is up on the third row, four across. You¡¯re a Fae, why don¡¯t you zip up there and get it quickly? Look for the white book with purple runes on the spine.¡±


    Maeria¡¯s words hit like a sudden gut-punch. Blood drained from Ali¡¯s face while the voices and lights faded to a dull background roar. She gasped as everyone stared at her, curling up inside herself, desperately wishing the ground would open up and swallow her whole.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Maeria, asked, suddenly looking up. ¡°It¡¯s just up there.¡± She pointed to the bookshelf that hung more than fifteen meters above them.


    It might as well have been on another planet.


    ¡°I can¡¯t fly,¡± Ali whispered, the words barely leaving her lips before she tried to swallow them back. But the tiny sound of her voice was a clarion bell alerting everyone to her shame. Her stubby golden wings had never developed properly. Now they jutted out from the back of her coat, a painful reminder that what should have been a beautiful hallmark of her race was instead a beacon for childhood bullies and later, adult pity.


    Maeria Runeweaver gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as her eyes widened in shock. ¡°I¡­ I am so sorry,¡± she said. ¡°Aliandra, please, I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡±


    She seemed to be in such distress that it shocked Ali right out of her own dark emotional pit. ¡°It¡¯s ok¡­ you didn¡¯t know,¡± she managed.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Aliandra,¡± Maeria said, clearly trying to collect herself. ¡°Here, let me get it for you. I still want you to read it.¡±


    Ali¡¯s Mana Sense prickled with an invigorating energy that suddenly rushed through her like a fresh warm breeze. Purple runes flickered into existence around Maeria¡¯s hand and something barely visible shot out toward the shelf far above. A white book with purple runic inscriptions extracted itself from among its peers and flew back down to alight upon the table before Ali.


    Ali blinked in astonishment at the casual use of runic magic.


    ¡°Telekinesis via runic casting,¡± Maeria said, a peace offering of a sort. ¡°One of the benefits of the Class you so desire.¡±


    ¡°That was beautiful,¡± Ali said, her body still trembling from her slowly fading emotional overload. She glanced down at the white book before her, bearing Maeria Runeweaver¡¯s name.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you start reading that while I finish with everyone else?¡±


    Ali nodded, grateful for the distraction, and opened the cover while Maeria worked her way through the rest of the hopefuls sitting around the table. Each chapter covered a class, including expected class skills, directions for growth, known requirements for unlocking it, and generally everything someone like Maeria may need in order to help her with her pre-class trial. Common classes such as Runic Scholar near the front of the book had detailed information, drawn from the research of thousands of people, but as she approached the less common classes near the end of the book, the content grew progressively more speculative.


    She turned the page and froze as her eyes drank in the words that leapt from the page.


    All her life Ali had been aware that her mother and father were quite well regarded in Dal¡¯mohra, but it was only when she had started at the university that she had truly begun to appreciate the sheer importance of her mother¡¯s research. While she would be unable to aspire to her mother¡¯s unique Class, Rune Sage would at least allow her to take her first steps down that path.


    Before diving into the details laid out before her, Ali flickered a little mana into her Arcane Cantrip. One golden rune appeared hovering around her hand as she clung fervently to the intricate image of Maeria Runeweaver¡¯s telekinesis spell. More mana, and a second rune appeared. She bit her lip, her brow furrowed in concentration, and forced a little more mana into her skill. A golden blob appeared. She willed it into shape, but it wobbled precariously in the air, refusing to comply. She focused all her will on it, forcing it into shape, but as she did, the other two runes popped, falling to the table as golden glitter.


    With the crazy emotional rollercoaster her day had become, what should have been a minor setback caused her throat to close up, and she blinked away sudden moisture in her eyes.


    ¡°That was a pretty good effort, Aliandra,¡± Maeria said. ¡°Don¡¯t give up, that¡¯s a fantastic way to work toward your class.¡±


    She was about to answer, but at that very moment, a deathly chill washed over her. Her body froze, and it was as if she stood on the precipice of her own suddenly opened grave. She gasped at the sudden ominous premonition.


    ¡°Did¡­ you feel¡­ that?¡± she managed.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Suddenly a heavy thump echoed up from the bottom of the atrium and the entire building shuddered.


    Gasps sounded from the table, and a distant scream rose from a level below. Wide eyes stared at each other uncomprehendingly.


    And then the lights went out.


    Another scream. This one, far closer.


    Glowing red orbs popped into existence floating all through the library, casting it in a strangely terrifying light. And then a siren began wailing and an enchanted voice echoed through the library.


    ¡°


    Another thump shook the library, jarring the stone underfoot and knocking books from their high shelves.


    ¡°Let¡¯s all not panic,¡± Maeria said. But her wide eyes and shallow breathing were anything but reassuring.


    And then the cold sepulchral pressure suddenly spiked as the air behind the Professor ripped like an invisible knife had slashed downward through the fabric of reality.


    Before Ali could even move, a half a meter of darkly gleaming steel suddenly burst out from the front of Maeria Runeweaver¡¯s chest. The front of her robe suddenly turned red as her eyes widened in shock. Her throat worked once, then twice, but the only sound that emerged was a sucking gurgle. Blood spilled from her lips, and her eyes rolled back in her head as she slowly slid forward, slumping to the ground.


    The skeleton behind her stepped on her back, and drew the sword out, and then turned the glowing red pinpricks of mana burning in its eye sockets upon her.


    Ali screamed.

 Chapter 2: Dal’mohra, City of Learning

    Chapter 2: Dal¡¯mohra, City of LearningAliandraThe body that had once been Maeria Runeweaver squelched in a pool of blood as the heavy-set, creaking skeleton stepped off of her, advancing toward the table. The longsword hung loose from bony fingers, the tip screeching as it was dragged along the bloody flagstones. Mismatched pieces of armor hung from the bones, clanking discordantly with each step.


    Ali jerked back, her stomach heaving as everyone fled, their screaming unable to drown out the hammering of her heart. Her chair toppled backward, spilling her onto the floor with a bruising thump. Splinters of wood pelted her as the skeleton¡¯s blade bit deep into the wooden table right where she had been sitting. Flickers of light rippled throughout the library as those who could evacuated using personal teleportation skills, talismans, or artifacts.


    ¡­


    Ali scrambled backward on her butt, unable to tear her eyes away from the creaking bones, the dripping sword, and the sheer malevolence as it transfixed her with its horrifying, glowing gaze. A loud muffled thump shook the library, and the skeleton stumbled drunkenly to the side. With a burst of adrenaline lending her arms and legs sudden strength, she scrambled to her feet and fled, heart racing as she gasped for breath.


    Ali had seen death only a couple of times before, but never with such sudden brutality. And never a person dying at the hands of a monster.


    The undead were horrors for the combat classes. It was terrifying to even read about them in books. That one had appeared in the library¡­ she simply couldn¡¯t believe it. And yet she was fleeing for her life.


    She shot out of the library, desperately trying to outrun the clanking footsteps that chased her. It grew louder and louder as the urge to look became unbearable, but then she suddenly caught sight of a flash of slithering bronze scales. A burst of wind buffeted her as it flew past, and suddenly a loud crash echoed off the walls behind her. She tripped, rolling head-over-heels, landing in a pile of something hard and pointy, but her eyes were glued upon the terrible battle.


    Outlined in the gigantic doorway, a gleaming Desert Naga unleashed a dizzying flurry of attacks with four saber-wielding arms as thick as Ali¡¯s torso. He hissed as the skeleton¡¯s blade sliced a long gash across his ribs, but his double-overhanded strike cleaved the monster¡¯s bony arm clean off its body.


    ¡°Armand,¡± she whispered, her body suddenly weak with relief. But still, she held up her library book like an improbable shield.


    But to Ali¡¯s horror, the loss of its arm did not even slow the skeleton down. It returned with another devastating jab which Armand barely parried. Furious battle ensued, with a dizzying blur of attacks and counterattacks, Armand hissing and the skeleton clacking its jaws while the ring of steel echoed through the plaza.


    A moment later, Armand lashed out with his enormous tail, knocking the skeleton down, crushing a femur, and the flurry of swords rained down, decapitating the monster. Still, it twitched upon the pavement clawing toward her with its one remaining arm.


    Armand hit it again and again, until he had separated every bone from the monster, beating the unholy unlife from its bones with sheer brute force. Ali stared at the remains for a long time, ready to scream, run, or something. But it failed to move.


    ¡°Ali? Are you hurt?¡± Armand asked, slithering up to her.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± she said, checking herself. ¡°But¡­Maeria¡­ she¡­¡± She choked up as the gruesome memory proved too much for her.


    ¡°The others fled already,¡± Armand said. ¡°But you didn¡¯t come out. And then there were the skeletons¡­ What is going on?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± Ali glanced around, registering for the first time that the previously bustling plaza was deserted, abandoned carts and possessions dotting the open space like so much discarded trash, under the pulsing red of the emergency lights. Smoke billowed from a few burning carts, shrouding the plaza in a haze. But when her eyes fell to her surroundings, she found herself sitting among a pile of dark gray shattered bones. She yelped, springing to her feet and launched herself toward Armand and safety.


    ¡°We need to go,¡± Ali said. It was the one clear thought in her mind. The alarm had said to go home and wait for the guard, so that was what she was going to do. Safe. Inside the barriers. They were already up, giant domes of purple magic, beckoning to her with the promise of safety through the apocalyptic red haze.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Armand said. ¡°I can take you home.¡±


    Ali could have hugged him right then.


    ¡°Can you call us a transport?¡± Armand asked. ¡°My communication panel broke in the fight.¡± He carefully sheathed two of his blades, keeping two scimitars at the ready, slithering slowly beside her, slow enough to accommodate her small stride, but still with a sense of urgency.


    Ali hurried along, reaching into her pocket, but found her communicator was offline. ¡°It¡¯s not working,¡± she said, shaking the thing and checking again. Another explosion shook the ground and she caught herself against Armand. But instead of hard, smooth scales, her fingers encountered something warm and sticky. Pulling her hand back she gasped at the sight of blood. ¡°Armand! You¡¯re bleeding!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be ok,¡± he said lightly, but his grim expression told a different story. ¡°Why are the undead here?¡± he asked, changing the subject.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ali answered, shivering. It would be a long walk to get home, but the further from those horrible skeletons and that terrible tear in the fabric of reality, the better. They walked ¨C or slithered ¨C side by side for a while in silence until they reached the feet of the three kings.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the guard?¡± Ali asked, looking about. Where, for that matter, was anyone? The deserted plaza had been one thing, but staring out at the main boulevard, now empty of all traffic, sent a fresh chill down her spine.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anyone,¡± Armand said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I like this.¡±


    ¡°We have to remain positive,¡± Ali said. At least that¡¯s what she had always been told. ¡°We just need to reach the barriers and then we¡¯ll be safe.¡± But her own words sounded hollow. There should have been a barrier around the library. And there should be guards swarming the area. High level combat classes.


    She pressed on, following Armand, leaving her worries to fester in the background of her mind. It was not like there was anything she could do about them. They walked for almost half an hour, past the administration buildings and community centers ringing the plaza, and Ali¡¯s legs were getting tired. It was when they approached the first terrace that Armand suddenly stiffened up, stopping in the middle of the street.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I hear something,¡± he said. His head swiveled quickly from side to side scanning the area, and then he gestured with one of his lower arms. ¡°Stay behind me.¡±


    There was a soft  as he drew his other two swords and he slithered forward, pausing to listen carefully before turning onto the next street. Ali could hear nothing but when she followed him around the corner she immediately froze at the sight of the gruesome scene. It wasn¡¯t so much what was there, but what was not. Right in the middle of the street, garishly red upon the dark stone pavement, were several large pools of blood. And leading away from each was a trail painted across the street, where something ¨C or someone ¨C had been dragged away.


    ¡°Armand¡­¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I know,¡± he said, his voice just as low as hers.


    But he slithered forward, his muscular body rippling across the stained pavement without so much as a sound. Up ahead, Ali heard a clang, the rattle of steel touching steel, and her head snapped up to see a skeleton emerging from a side street. Her heart began to race, and her throat spasmed involuntarily as she suddenly noticed that half of the skeleton¡¯s body had been bathed in something crimson.


    Armand did not hesitate. His form blurred as he shot across the street, trash and dust bursting into the air in the vacuum of his wake. Swords clanged against plates of armor and cracked against bone.


    Ali hid, pressing herself up against a wall, trying to make herself as small as possible behind a set of stone stairs. She was not a combat class like Armand ¨C worse, she didn¡¯t even have a Class yet. All she could do was stay hidden and be grateful for Armand ¨C she would never have made it out of the plaza without him.


    She poked her head up when the banging and crashing stopped and the street grew suddenly silent, finding Armand standing over a pile of bones, looking cautiously around. Ali stepped out and joined him. she thought, spying several fresh cuts dripping blood down his arms.


    ¡°I leveled up again,¡± Armand said, grinning. ¡°I had no idea it could be this fast.¡±


    Ali blinked at the incongruity of his happiness. But upon a moment¡¯s reflection, she realized what it meant ¨C a stronger Armand would make both of them safer. ¡°That¡¯s awesome, Armand,¡± she said, quietly. And truly it was, but her thoughts, and eyes, returned to the blood stains in the street, and the pile of crushed and chopped bones at their feet.


    In the middle of the residential area. Without a barrier protecting it.


    And still, no sign of the city guards.


    Another muffled thump shook the city, and in the distance, one of the great purple barrier domes flickered once. Twice. And then suddenly it shattered into a cloud of purple smoke and glittering sparks that drifted upward toward the floating solar orbs, still pulsing with the red of the alarm.


    ¡°Hey, Armand,¡± she said, suddenly making a decision. ¡°I¡¯m worried about my mom. Do you mind if we go there first? I know it¡¯s a little further...¡± In truth, the worry was clawing at her heart with the cold fingers of dread. Something was very wrong. There shouldn¡¯t be skeletons this far into the residential district. There shouldn¡¯t be skeletons in the city at all. But they hadn¡¯t seen a single person since leaving the library, no guards, no fleeing people, nobody riding on a late transport. Nothing.


    And one of the barriers had just gone down.


    She didn¡¯t want to go hide at home behind a barrier that might break, hoping for guards that wouldn¡¯t show up. She needed to leave the city entirely. And there was no way she was leaving her mom down here with the skeletons. At least, with Armand¡¯s help, she could get her mom to safety.


    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s a good idea, Ali,¡± Armand said, inclining his head. ¡°That way, right? The Eastern Quarter?¡±


    ¡°Yes, inner ring, so it¡¯s not too far,¡± Ali added, previously unnoticed tension suddenly easing from her shoulders as Armand agreed to her plan. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Your mom is well connected, she should be able to tell us what¡¯s going on,¡± Armand said, his voice oozing calm and confidence. But he kept close by, setting an urgent pace, and Ali rushed to keep up.


    As they drew closer to the glowing purple wall of the barrier, muscles Ali didn¡¯t even know she was clenching began to ease. ¡°It¡¯s just over here,¡± she called out to Armand. He was slowing down now, and his breathing was labored, but at least most of his bleeding seemed to have stopped. She led the way confidently. Even though her communicator panel wasn¡¯t working, just the fact that she had it in her pocket should allow them both access through the protective magic promising safety just up ahead.


    And her mom lived just a few streets up from here.


    ¡°Ali, wait up,¡± Armand said.


    She turned, finding him breathing heavily, struggling now to keep pace with her urgent rush. Behind him, the bakery she had promised to stop by at on the way to dinner loomed shuttered and deserted. She stopped, giving him the chance to catch up, smiling encouragement. ¡°Mom keeps emergency healing potions at her house,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ll get you fixed up in a minute.¡±


    But his eyes suddenly widened, staring past her, and his fists clenched around his swords. ¡°Ali!¡± he shouted, his body suddenly blurring with speed.


    Ali turned her head to look back at whatever was lurking behind her, but her body moved too slowly. Everything happened so quickly. Armand¡¯s enormous body slammed into her. She flew across the street as something drew a line of burning pain down her arm, and she bounced off the purple barrier with enough force to knock the wind out of her. Her body hit the pavement, head cracking painfully against the stone, but she scrambled to her feet, struggling to move her right arm as her amber blood spilled from her fingers onto the ground.


    She gasped, struggling for breath that wouldn¡¯t come. But her heart froze at the sight of the gleaming sword protruding from Armand¡¯s back.


    she reached with her dripping hand, stumbling toward him.


    The giant skeleton stood a head taller than even Armand¡¯s enormous height. In the frozen moment of silence, her mind registered the heavy armor and the shining greatsword. Before she could utter a single sound, the skeleton wrenched the sword sideways out of Armand¡¯s body. It blurred in the air and came down in a vicious overhand chop that tore through Armand¡¯s scaled torso from his shoulder, winding up lodged in his sternum.


    Crimson sprayed up into the air splashing against her face and neck, drenching her coat. Four sabers clattered loudly as they hit the ground.


    ¡°Armand¡­¡± she said, her voice weak and tiny.


    ¡°¡­ Ali¡­ run¡­¡± he whispered, blood gurgling out of his mouth. And then he hit the ground with a heavy thump.


    Whether she screamed or not, she did not know, all she knew was she found herself scrambling toward the barrier in a frantic state of sheer panic. She hammered her hands against the unyielding magic before her mind caught up.


    Clanking footsteps echoed behind her.


    She reached into her pocket and fumbled the communicator panel with blood-slick hands. It fell to the ground and bounced, skittering away from her grasping fingers.


    Metal scraped against stone as she frantically chased the panel. Wind whipped past her ears as she ducked to pick it up. The clang of steel rang out loudly as the heavy sword hit the impervious barrier. Grabbing with all her might, she slammed the panel against the barrier, and suddenly it gave, pitching her through the wall of magic to land sprawled and bruised on the stone beyond.


    She leapt to her feet and flinched as the sword hit the barrier again, right in front of her face, but it bounced off as the skeleton glared at her through the transparent magic. It took another strike before Ali breathed, realizing she was finally safe.


    Her eyes found Armand¡¯s crumpled, unmoving body, and her heart sank, weighed down by a sudden flood of guilt.


    Tears spilling from her eyes, and blood dripping from her fingers, she turned and fled. Familiar streets flew by in a blur, but all she could see was the horrific spray of crimson blood and hear the terrible whisper of his last words. Even as he died, his thoughts were for her safety.


    Her hand left bloody amber prints upon the door as she hammered on it.


    The door suddenly opened, and she pitched forward into her mother¡¯s surprised arms.


    ¡°Ali! Oh my goodness, what happened? You¡¯re bleeding!¡±


    Ali struggled to form the words, but her mother did not wait, pulling her inside and slamming the door shut. She yanked the first-aid kit from the hallway cupboard, reached in and grabbed a red vial and upended the contents into Ali¡¯s mouth.


    Ali spluttered and choked, but she managed to swallow it down. Warmth blossomed from her stomach, rapidly spreading as it infused her shaking limbs and trembling body with its magic. Pain receded, and her arm stopped bleeding as the gash from the skeleton¡¯s sword knit itself closed.


    ¡°Aliandra, what happened? I heard the alarm and the evacuation warnings, but the communication panel isn¡¯t working. I have been trying to get hold of you for ages.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ they¡¯re¡­ he¡¯s dead,¡± Ali gasped.


    ¡°Easy, breathe first.¡±


    Ali took a deep breath. The potion pulsed again, filling her with healing magic. Her headache faded and her mind steadied.


    ¡°Now, why don¡¯t you start at the beginning? You were supposed to be meeting Professor Maeria Runeweaver in the library¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s dead,¡± Ali said, the words simply blurted out. Her mom gasped, but she continued. ¡°It was a skeleton, it stepped out of something¡­ a tear in the fabric of reality? A portal?¡± And as soon as she started, the entire story tumbled out of her, words spilling over each other like a river breaking its banks.


    ¡°But that¡¯s impossible,¡± her mom said. ¡°Where was the guard? And the barriers?¡±


    ¡°There was nobody, mom,¡± she said. ¡°Not just the guards, it was just me and Armand. And we had to walk from the library. There was no barrier around the plaza, nor anything around the first terrace.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ that shouldn¡¯t be possible,¡± her mom said. ¡°But you¡¯re safe now, the barrier will keep them out.¡±


    ¡°Mom, I saw one of the barriers fail. I really think we need to get out of the city.¡±


    ¡°Look, Ali, I know you¡¯ve had a horrible day. You said you ran all the way from the library with skeletons chasing you, you were injured, and Armand¡­¡± Her mom trailed off for a moment staring intently at her. ¡°All I¡¯m saying is, maybe you were mistaken? The barriers are indestructible. If we stay here, we will be safe ¨C if we go outside, we might run into monsters.¡±


    ¡°It really broke,¡± Ali said. Somehow, she needed to convince her mother. If they stayed here, she knew they would die, just like Maeria. Just like Armand. ¡°The entire western residential district barrier shattered with one of the explosions. Please believe me, we need to hurry.¡±


    Her mom held her gaze for a few moments in silence.


    ¡°Please, mom¡­¡±


    ¡°I believe you Ali. Let me get a few things, we can leave by the southern gate and meet up with your father in the Grove. His domain and elementals should be able to protect us.¡±


    Knots of tension dissolved from her neck and back and she reached out a hand. Her mother took it and gave her a reassuring squeeze before she began collecting a few important items.


    Ali shrugged out of her blood-soaked coat, dumping it with a wet splat in the bathroom for now. She slipped her library card between the pages of her library book, closed it, and tucked it under her arm. By the time she was done, her mother was ready. They stepped out of her mom¡¯s studio apartment and walked cautiously down the deserted street. Even though her mother¡¯s wings worked just fine, she chose to walk beside Ali, and for that she was incredibly grateful.


    It took a few minutes to reach the purple barrier ¨C a soaring dome wall of magic that arched high overhead, protecting the entire district. But Ali¡¯s eyes were glued on the street beyond, and the bloodstains that were all that remained of Armand.


    ¡°Where¡­ where is he?¡±


    ¡°Ali, that is an undead skeleton,¡± her mom said, and following her gaze past the stained pavement Ali caught sight of the huge skeleton that had slain Armand. ¡°And where there are skeletons, you can be sure there is a necromancer. And I have a feeling I know who it is.¡± Her fists were clenched tight at her sides, and her eyes were narrowed frowning at the monster as if she could unmake it with the force of her glare.


    her eyes fell upon the terrifying armored skeleton given ghastly unlife by the necromancer¡¯s magic.


    A loud thump shook the ground and suddenly all the lights went out, leaving just the glowing purple dome. Ali yelped as she hit the ground, but a second more powerful blast detonated right in her face as the entire dome shattered, filling the air with sparks and shards that slowly faded, leaving them in utter darkness.


    Ali sat up in a daze. Mana prickled along her skin and suddenly a golden wall appeared right before them, and the giant skeleton clattered loudly as it slammed into the barrier magic and bounced off.


    Ali caught her mother¡¯s eyes and saw both fear and determination in her. All her life she had been taught that the barriers were invulnerable. No matter what, she could shelter under their magical protection and be safe. She knew her mom had believed it too.


    Not anymore.


    Ali scrambled to her feet, reaching for her mother¡¯s free arm. Mana surged again and a second golden wall appeared, trapping the skeleton in a side alley, and they fled.


    On and on they ran through the pitch-dark deserted city, navigating by the light of her mother¡¯s golden barrier magic. But the city was far from silent. The muffled clanks and scraping of steel, or the clacking of bone footsteps announced each new skeleton. Her mother was no combat class, but her barriers blocked each monster, leaving them time to escape.


    Distant ethereal screams floated through the air, punctuated by explosions. And still they ran, pausing for breath only when Ali ran out of stamina ¨C and then only long enough for Ali to drink a stamina potion. At least her mom had had the foresight to pack potions.


    The southern entrance into Dal¡¯mohra was an enormous chamber hewn from the bedrock of the mountains themselves. The city¡¯s largest radial boulevard emerged from the entrance hall, normally teeming with traffic of all kinds. Carts pulled by tamed beasts, flying people or mounts, magically engineered transports of infinite variety. Now, however, it lay silent in the darkness.


    Ali hugged herself, rubbing her bare arms against the sudden icy breeze. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Nearly there,¡± her mom said, trying to be cheerful. Outside the gate they would simply follow the short passageway upward, and then they would find themselves above ground in the Grove.


    Ali followed her mom inside.


    What she found was a scene of utter destruction. The giant stone doors that protected the city from the outside world lay shattered, strewn across the chamber as giant boulders and rubble. Among the jagged stone lay the bodies of the missing defenders, crushed and mutilated.


    Ali¡¯s gut tightened, clenching painfully as her eyes recoiled from the terrible carnage. Over by the far entrance, two dozen defenders stood; their expressions frozen in abject terror by the enormous blocks of ice that entombed them.


    An unnatural, bone-chilling wave of cold rippled through the room. Frost coated her eyelashes, and her hair as visibly growing ice crackled and crept across the floor.


    Ali shivered as the aura hit her, dragging her mind into a frozen pit of terror and despair.


    She struggled, her body shaking from fear and icy cold as the blood drained from her face. Something moved. A crunch of a heavy footstep on ice. Shuddering, and unable to flee, or even to scream, she slowly turned.


    The dark figure emerged from the shadows; its huge bulk shrouded by a black, hooded cloak. Leather creaked as it moved. Metallic clanking echoed from the chamber walls, the sound of heavy plate armor. Another heavy footstep as dark steel crunched against the ice.


    A frigid blue glow emanated from under the black cloak, illuminating the splintering ice growing around its feet. And when that shrouded head turned toward her, she was transfixed by two piercing pinpoints of blue and the sudden wave of intense cold crawling across her skin. Ali¡¯s heavy breathing echoed loudly in her ears.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± her mom whispered. A warm hand grabbed Ali¡¯s frozen one and a rush of sparkling mana filled her, banishing the fear instantly.


    Ali reeled at the sudden whiplash of her emotions.


    ¡°¡± When it spoke, it set the very chamber to trembling. Shards of ice cracked, coming away from the walls and falling to the ground in loud splintering crashes. It resonated from everywhere and nowhere, like an echo from the underworld lingering unnaturally long in the ice-laden air.


    Ali gripped her mother¡¯s hand with the force of desperation; grabbing onto a tiny lifeline in a world turned suddenly incomprehensible and terrifying.


    ¡°Tell your master he will get nothing from me,¡± her mother said. She spoke with defiance, her chin raised as she locked eyes with the horrifying apparition.


    In response, the blue eyes blazed with intensity, and a vast towering presence unleashed from the monster, a wave of palpable cold that Ali knew without a doubt would annihilate her. Ice crystallized in the air, large lances hovering, humming with power.


    But an equally potent force blossomed from beside her. The familiar sparkling prickle of her mother¡¯s magic, only thousands of times more potent than she had ever felt. And suddenly a large sphere of golden barrier magic snapped into place around the shrouded ice knight.


    Ali suddenly grabbed at her hand as her mother stumbled, catching her before she hit the ground.


    ¡°Thanks, Ali,¡± she gasped. ¡°We need to leave, that won¡¯t hold him for long.¡± Her chest was heaving as she struggled with ragged breaths. Whatever she had just done had clearly taken a huge toll on her and Ali supported her mother as they scrambled across the rubble and treacherous ice and fled out through the shattered gates.

 Chapter 3: An Instant, Frozen in Time

    Chapter 3: An Instant, Frozen in TimeAliandraAli welcomed the feel of earth and grass beneath her feet as they burst out into the forest and left the terror, ice, and carnage behind. The soft embrace of her father¡¯s nature mana domain washed over her, soothing in its touch. The giant mystical oak trees towered overhead, boughs joining high above into a dense canopy, beyond which she could see the stars twinkling in a clear night sky.


    She inhaled freshness and life and exhaled her fear and worries. A sense of calm familiarity descended upon her, displacing the assault of chaotic violence, and the terror that had been her constant companion since she had fled the library.


    But all was not well. Roars and heavy thumping echoed through the trees; distant battles fought out of sight in the darkness of the night-shrouded forest. Among the undergrowth Ali spied a dark skull, the rest of the bones already overgrown with moss and vines as the magical forest rapidly consumed the remains.


    ¡°Elowynn? Aliandra?¡±


    At the sound of her father¡¯s voice, Ali¡¯s head snapped about to find him swooping down from among the branches, his blurred wings leaving a trail of viridian green glowing sparkles drifting in the air. ¡°Dad!¡± she shouted, sprinting across the mossy ground to catch him in a big hug.


    ¡°Hey, little bug,¡± he said affectionately, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her off the ground for a moment.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not little anymore,¡± she said, pouting as had been their tradition since she was around five years old.


    ¡°You¡¯ll always be little to me,¡± he said. But then his smile faded, and he looked over at her mother. ¡°Elowynn, what is happening? The Grove is under attack by skeletons and other foul undead.¡±


    ¡°Oh Orian, I fear the worst. Dal¡¯mohra has come under attack and is now lost.¡±


    ¡°The worst? The Lich? Are you certain?¡±


    ¡°As certain as I can be. There was a Death Knight.¡±


    Ali felt the muscles in his body clenched at the news and she looked up to find him frowning. There was a look on his gentle face she had never seen before. A look that made her heart stop for just a moment.


    ¡°You must take Ali and flee,¡± he said, his voice low and grim. ¡°Go south and seek shelter with Lirasia, she will know what to do.¡±


    Ali thought. It was true her aunt was wise and far more ancient than she let on, but Ali wouldn¡¯t have considered the dryad¡¯s forest a safe haven. Aalion perhaps, or one of the other major cities. ¡°You¡¯re coming with us, right?¡±


    ¡°You know I cannot leave my domain and the Grove for long, Ali. I am tied to this place by the bonds of mana ¨C the Grove is what gives me strength. I will stay and fight, it is what my Class is for. I will send word when it is safe to return.¡±


    ¡°I will take her Orian, I will make sure Ali is safe,¡± her mom said, stepping closer and giving him a kiss.


    Her dad suddenly looked off into the distance. ¡°They come, Elowynn. You must leave. I love you both,¡± he said and turned away. The ground shook and the forest began to move as towering beast-like elementals of wood and bark the size of small houses emerged from among the trees ¨C her father¡¯s Forest Guardians.


    ¡°Dad¡­¡± she whispered, as her heart dropped like an anchor into a stormy sea, unable to shake the premonition that he was saying goodbye.


    ¡°Be brave, little bug,¡± he said, turning and smiling at her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± she said, speaking around the heavy lump in her throat.


    And then he flew off.


    The thunderous roar of the crash of elementals shook the enormous oaks to their very roots. Ali found herself still staring at the green sparkles fading between the dark trunks when her mother tugged insistently at her hand.


    ¡°Come Ali, we must go.¡±


    On and on through the dark forest they ran, her mother¡¯s golden wings buzzing to help them over fallen branches and gnarled roots. Three tiny orbs followed along bobbing among the branches above shedding their sparkling light to illuminate the path.


    The relentless urgency from the hand that guided her vanished, and Ali stumbled to a stop, bent over with her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath. Her trembling legs had become liquid fire ever since her mom had run out of potions. She was not made for running. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She raised her head, finding herself in a familiar clearing. Oak trees towered around the perimeter like battlements protecting a town. Stars twinkled overhead in the perfectly clear night sky. And right beside her stood a massive obelisk of smooth polished black stone, silent and steady, an ancient sentinel watching over the Grove. Vibrant green runes glowed, etched all over the stone surface, sending waves of familiar soothing energy billowing from it to wash over Ali and fill the Grove.


    It was here that she would unlock her experience, and here that she would finally choose her Class.


    ¡°Something is here,¡± her mother whispered, making a silencing gesture with a finger to her lips. The golden orbs flickered out, dismissed.


    Ali huddled closer, taking what little comfort and security she could from her mother¡¯s presence and the massive stone artifact and held her breath. An ominous silence fell across the Grove, and Ali realized she could no longer hear the distant rumble of her father¡¯s Forest Guardians. The Nightlarks were silent. She could hear neither the bubbling water from the nearby flowing stream, nor the breeze rustling through the trees even though the leaves still moved.


    Over at the far side of the Grove, the darkness shifted. A tall, gaunt figure emerged, sliding eerily across the ground. Crimson enchanted robes billowed, spilling a roiling black miasma upon which it floated. Dark hands from heavy sleeves clasped together just below the sternum, withered index fingers pointing upward in a strangely mystical gesture. A crimson blindfold covered with silvery runes wrapped around a withered decaying face so dark it seemed to devour even the starlight.


    As it approached, a wall of dread and fear smashed into Ali¡¯s mind, far more potent than the Death Knight. Her entire being quivered, rooted to the spot. The barriers her mother had installed within her mind creaked and groaned under the sheer weight of the monster¡¯s presence, shooting jagged cracks and sparks of pain through her mind. Her breathing raced, faster and faster. Her mind screamed. But her feet betrayed her. Her legs refused to answer her call.


    A hissing spectral voice echoed across the Grove, an insidious resonance that crawled its way through her soul and mind. ¡°Aah, Elowynn, so delightful to see you again.¡±


    In the terror and quaking of her mind, a single coherent thought blared out.


    ¡°Nevyn Eld.¡± Her mother stepped forward and spoke with an incomprehensible calm. ¡°So, it  you.¡±


    Her mother¡¯s hand found hers again, and a prickle of energy surged through her skin. The creaking fragile wards within her mind suddenly thickened, firmed, and the awful weight of the monster¡¯s presence was forced back just a little.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said. ¡°I am not one to abandon those who helped me ascend. I need you Elowynn, your mind, and your magic. Think of the mysteries we could unravel together. With my power and your unique golden arcane magic, the secrets of the very foundation of the realms should be ours to wield.¡±


    ¡°I will not submit myself to the will of your dark gods. You are a Lich, Nevyn.¡±


    ¡°I am a Guardian of the Realm, just like you. We should stand together, Elowynn.¡±


    ¡°You have destroyed Dal¡¯mohra. I will forever regret assisting you with that title. If I had known your intentions, the misery and suffering you have caused, I would never have agreed. You were always far too enamored with the pursuit of personal power, and now you have let it corrupt you. You ignored Artur¡¯s ruling and the will of the Council of Kings, and you have trampled the ethics of scholarly pursuit required by the Council of Archmages. You have become a monster. Come with me, submit willingly to the judgment of the Council of Kings. Even now it is not too late to atone, to find redemption.¡±


    Elowynn stood staring down the Lich with fire in her eyes.


    ¡°Aah, the beloved rulers of Dal¡¯mohra. Paragons of wisdom, and heroes in their own time,¡± Nevyn said. Ali couldn¡¯t make out the expression on his face, but she could clearly hear the sneer in his voice. ¡°What a bunch of incompetent and narrow-minded fools. They could have had everything, and they chose to turn their backs on progress. Artur and his friends were just playing at being kings and emperors. They had no idea what they were doing. And the Council of Archmages ¨C they¡¯re even worse ¨C continually bickering about inconsequentialities, banal rules and limits. They merely get in the way.¡±


    ¡°Had?¡±


    Her mother¡¯s question sent a sudden chill of premonition racing down Ali¡¯s spine.


    The Blind Lich simply raised a bony hand above a shoulder making the rings on his finger glitter in the starlight as he beckoned. And at his call, three figures emerged from the forest. And as they passed into the open Grove, Ali gasped, recognizing them.


    But not. In the middle stood a human warrior dressed in heavy dragonscale armor. Flame flickered from his fingertips and danced upon his sheathed sword. But Artur Dragonsworn was no longer human. The skin on his face and arms had darkened and withered. His eyes were rotted away, replaced by dancing flame. And by his side stood Bragni Doomhammer, similarly dead, and yet walking, the heavy hammer of the dwarven heroes hanging easily in his undead grasp. Hovering behind them, his body rendered translucent by his transformation, was the wraith of Thaldorien Stormshaper.


    ¡°They refused to see reason, so now they serve me in death,¡± Nevyn said.


    ¡°You¡¯re a monster, Nevyn,¡± her mother said.


    ¡°You have no idea what lies out there, Elowynn, beyond this realm. There are beings through the rifts that beggar the imagination. Power to consume this realm in an instant.¡±


    ¡°Rifts that you tore through the veil in your selfish pursuit of power.¡±


    ¡°This realm needs a true Guardian worthy to take on the mantle of the title.¡±


    ¡°And you would trample anyone to get it.¡±


    ¡°So what if it costs the lives of thousands of worthless lower beings ¨C they could never matter anyway. Not for any conflict of significance. With your magic I can become more powerful than even the gods, and then this realm will have its guardian.¡±


    ¡°I refuse.¡±


    ¡°I do not offer a choice, Elowynn. I do not require your consent. You join me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean that,¡± her mother said, stepping back with widening eyes.


    ¡°Oh, if you had chosen, I would have entertained the farce for a decade or two, but you will serve me, like them.¡± At that Nevyn Eld gestured to the three undead kings beside him. ¡°Playing at consensus is wearisome, and my undead cannot question my will. Alive or dead, it matters not. I will have your magic.¡±


    Ali reached for her mother¡¯s hand, finding her fist clenched and trembling. But she responded with a surge of power, and a dense golden barrier snapped into place between them and the Blind Lich and his undead underlings, lighting the entire Grove.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Nevyn¡¯s sepulchral voice sneered, suddenly devoid of any remnants of its previous fake civility and politeness, leaving chilling echoes in Ali¡¯s mind. ¡°You are just as short-sighted and narrow-minded as they were.¡±


    He thrust a gaunt, withered hand toward the golden barrier, and a dense ball of black energy sprang up over the outstretched palm. The energy sucked at the surroundings, drawing in the light, spinning as it grew. The grass around the hem of his ornate robes began to wither and blacken as the energy pulsed like an undead heartbeat. And then it shot forward, striking the barrier in the center with a deafening detonation.


    To Ali¡¯s horror, she saw a spiderweb of cracks burst outward through the golden wall from the force of the impact.


    A chilling hissing filled the Grove. ¡°How long do you think you can last with just a barrier? We both know your class is not suited for combat.¡±


    As the broken shards of the golden barrier fell tinkling to the ground, Ali realized he was laughing.


    Ali¡¯s mother stumbled, pain and intense effort written plainly on her face. ¡°You will not get what you want this day,¡± she managed between clenched teeth.


    Ali stared, horrified as the powerful energy began to form above his hand once more. Her mother had spent so much saving her from the Death Knight ¨C she had nothing left to give.


    Without thought Ali leapt forward, putting herself between the Blind Lich and her exhausted mother. Her mana came easy to her, manifesting itself as a small sliver of golden glowing arcane energy. With a thought, she crystallized it and launched it at the Lich¡¯s face.


    ¡°Ali! No!¡± her mother screamed.


    His dark energy vanished as his hand snapped up and caught the golden sliver. He raised it, grasped between two bony fingers, as if examining it through the crimson blindfold. And then he crushed her Arcane Cantrip, the brittle construct shattering into tiny motes of mana that drifted away dissolving into the air.


    Ali stared at the motes, a mute hollowness filling her. What was she thinking? He had shattered her mother¡¯s barrier; her magic was nothing to a monster like this.


    The Lich¡¯s head slowly turned, and his blind gaze fixed on her with an intensity that set her mind reeling. ¡°Elowynn, you never told me your daughter inherited your magic.¡±


    ¡°You will not lay a hand on her.¡± Her mother¡¯s low voice carried powerful determination and resolve, but her face had blanched to the color of Ali¡¯s white t-shirt, and she suddenly realized she had made a terrible mistake revealing her magic.


    Another golden barrier appeared, but this one was far smaller. And seemed to hang in the air with a strange fragility.


    The Lich released dark energy from his hand and the golden barrier exploded into a shower of shards. His chilling laughter hung in the air. ¡°And you will stop me, how? Look how powerless you are kneeling on the ground in front of me. Your magic is defeated.¡±


    ¡°I will come with you, Nevyn. Just promise you will not harm Ali,¡± her mother said. All signs of fight had left her eyes as she sat sprawled on the ground at his feet.


    ¡°I no longer need you. She will prove far more¡­ amenable to my¡­ teaching,¡± Nevyn said. And another ball of dark energy shot out towards her unprotected body.


    ¡°No!¡± Ali launched herself desperately toward her mother. Her precious library book, forgotten in her panic, flipped end over end flying through the air. But she was far slower than the Blind Lich¡¯s death magic.


    Suddenly, everything stopped ¨C an instant, frozen in time.


    Even the color leached from the world as Ali tried to blink. But she couldn¡¯t move, her mind filled with the whispers of powerful magic. Her body was frozen in place, stretched towards her mother. The Lich was unmoving. The ball of intense energy was pinned in place, not moving at all. Behind the Lich, a leaf hovered mid-fall.


    Her library book, runes now faded to gray, hung frozen in place a few centimeters above the ground.


    ¡°Aliandra,¡± her mother spoke, slowly rising to her feet, exhaustion etched upon her face. She alone had color. ¡°I know you can hear me, but you will be unable to speak. It is ok, just listen. Nevyn Eld has exchanged his humanity to gain immortality and power in service to his Dark Gods. He must never have you. I¡¯m sorry, he is too powerful for me to fight off. This is the only way I can protect you. Please do not hate me.¡±


    The gray world around them flickered, and the Lich vanished, replaced by a scene with ghostly people standing frozen in the Grove while a gray sun shone in the sky above. Several birds hovered in the air; their wings frozen in mid-flight.


    Ali¡¯s mother walked up to her ¨C the only thing moving in this strange frozen world ¨C and reached out to cradle Ali¡¯s face with gentle, warm hands.


    ¡°I wish this moment could last forever.¡±


    Ali struggled to speak, to return her mother¡¯s touch, anything. But her efforts were in vain.


    The hands touching Ali grew translucent. Tiny motes of golden light floated up out of them, drifting slowly towards Ali. A sphere of golden energy began forming around her, encasing her entire body. More and more of her mother¡¯s body grew transparent as her energy drifted out and merged with the powerful magical construct. And within the sphere, the magic grew inward, crystallizing the entire space. She could feel the powerful mana slowly seeping into her body and crystallizing within her.


    Around her the gray world flickered again, restoring the night sky and the frozen forms of the Lich and his undead servants. The only color in this bizarre world was her mother, and the golden energy drifting from her, slowly forming the sphere around her.


    She couldn¡¯t blink. She couldn¡¯t cry. All she could do was watch as her mother slowly faded.


    ¡°Always remember that I love you,¡± her mother said, as she finally dispersed into golden mana and the spell snapped into completion.


    Ali¡¯s heart screamed her pain as her mother faded into nothingness, and the last remnants of her magic solidified, the last sounds of her voice faded into silence.


    A sudden, shatteringly loud gong sounded, its reverberation felt through the crystalline magic that held her. And then it sounded a second time.


    Everything restarted. The leaf fell. The book clattered to the stone path. The black energy smashed into the golden sphere protecting her body and dissipated harmlessly into the air.


    Nevyn Eld roared silently in fury, in the gray world outside her sphere.


    The only thing that didn¡¯t restart was Ali. She couldn¡¯t move. She couldn¡¯t hear. She could only see what was directly in front of her through the golden barrier. Her entire being crystallized within the glowing magical construct, held apart from the strange gray world, and the monster intent on her destruction, by the magic her mother had conjured.


    Lightning flickered across the sky, and rain fell on her barrier. Nevyn Eld and his Death Knight minions silently raged and vented their fury against the unyielding magic for what seemed like an eternity. But all Ali could see was the memory of her mother¡¯s face, and all she could hear was her last words.


    The world shifted in flickers. The sun appeared suddenly in the sky. The Lich and his minions disappeared. The sun jumped forward across the sky while birds and animals vanished.


    Ali struggled to grasp what was happening, her heart empty and desolate with grief. With all her being she desperately wished for her mother¡¯s touch, or the sound of her voice.


    The flickers came quicker and quicker, the sun crossing the sky in sudden discontinuous jumps. Night fell and passed in several snapshots and suddenly the sun was high in the sky again. The entire mountainside before her suddenly exploded, crashing down on the forest and covering the vast canopy with tons of rock and earth, blocking the sky and leaving her alone in a vast cavern of darkness.


    As her consciousness faded, she wished only that she could cry.

 Chapter 4: Ancient Shrine

    Chapter 4: Ancient Shrine- Nathaniel Sunstrider, Archmage, Scholar, and Guildmaster of the Elven Pathfinder Guild.


    Aliandra


    The sudden sound shattered the blissful blackness of her drifting awareness like a rock striking a pane of glass.


    Her mind recoiled at the sudden jagged sharpness stabbing into her.


    The word drifted across the haze of her mind. She grappled with it for a while, certain she should know it, but the distant, vague recollections that lurked in her awareness appeared and vanished like apparitions in the mist.


    She had not felt pain¡­ anything¡­ in such a long time.


    She knew only that she did not like this sensation, this interruption breaking the long dream.


    She struggled fitfully against the pain, but nothing in her world changed. She remained there, standing where she had always been, frozen in place, encased by the glowing crystalline magic of her prison. The radiant golden light illuminated the stone path before her, but everything beyond was gray, fading to impenetrable darkness. The scene flickered in the grayness, but that too was unchanging, a cycle of a few dozen flickering pictures as fleeting as her own intangible memories.


    Her mind seemed sluggish. As it had always been. But somehow, this time, something was definitely wrong. She didn¡¯t know what it should feel like, just that this wasn¡¯t right. She struggled again, finding herself unable to move, to escape the pain.


    Another bolt of jagged sharpness stabbed deeply into her mind. This time, a tiny, jagged line appeared, splitting the golden glow, and spilling a fracture of color out into the gray world beyond. A tiny mote of golden light separated, escaping through the jagged crack, and slowly drifted upward. She watched it, unable to look away, feeling an inexplicable and infinitely deep upwelling of sadness within her heart. Unbidden, a memory surfaced; a warm, kind hand touching her face, offering comfort. Another tiny golden mote escaped, drifting upward, and her memories came crashing back.


    Gentle eyes gazing upon her. Golden motes of mana spilling from the hand that reached out to comfort her. And then she faded away, leaving only¡­


    Suddenly, the specter of death loomed large in her mind. A dark, withered figure wearing spelled robes and a crimson blindfold, wielding death from gaunt, skeletal fingers as his mocking laughter sent shivers running through her soul.


    Her mother had given her life to save her from him. And now she was gone.


    Unable to wince or cry out, she endured another jolt of pain. Another fractured line of jagged color spilled out into the world ¨C a crack in the impervious magic that held her fast.


    Her memories came faster now, crashing through her, a rapid cascade of painful images. The frantic flight from the library. Maeria Runeweaver sliding off a sword. Armand. Her father asking her to be brave. The Death Knight at the gates to Dal¡¯mohra.


    The motes of mana drifted upwards, more and more of them joining to create a pillar of floating lights as the magical shell around her slowly cracked and splintered, pieces dissolving into the air. But Ali¡¯s heart ached, left with only the profound weight of loneliness, and the powerful need for her mother¡¯s touch, and the crinkle of a smile in her father¡¯s eyes.


    She cried out in pain as the crystalline magic ¨C the legendary spell, bought by her mother¡¯s sacrifice ¨C suddenly exploded in an enormous burst of golden energy and shattered shards. She fell, hitting the stone path below with a bruising crash. The gray world flickered rapidly as color and vibrance flooded outward.


    Helpless, she lay on her back amid the still-glowing shards of her mother¡¯s magic, staring upward as the pillar of golden motes slowly drifted away, fading into the darkness beyond. Her body did not move, could not move. She lay there for ages, her heart frozen with grief and sadness, her body limp and unresponsive.


    Slowly her mind cleared. There were no stars in the darkness overhead, and she suddenly remembered the vision of an exploding mountain and the landslide that had buried her.


    She shuddered, struggling with a sudden bout of claustrophobia at the memory of uncountable tons of rock bearing down upon her. What if she had awakened entombed in stone?


    She struggled, fear coursing through her in waves as she lay helpless on the cold, uncaring stone, unable to even turn her head to look for danger.


    She willed her hand to move. Nothing happened.  she thought as a wave of exhaustion washed over her.


    She breathed.


    After a time, she decided she must be and she resumed her efforts, bending will into moving just her finger, and after a few minutes, she felt a twitch. Exhaustion surged through her body and for a moment she just lay prone.


    Droplets of golden liquid mana pooled on her skin and trickled down like glowing sweat as her body slowly expelled the remnants of her mother¡¯s potent spell, staining the ground around her with a sparkling light that soaked into the earth.


    She was obviously in mortal danger, exposed to any monsters that still lurked nearby. She was weak, and far too exhausted to even move. She did not have Armand¡¯s strength or scales, or her father¡¯s summoned monsters.


    Her mom had always told her that any problem could be solved with applied reason, but the little voice in the back of her mind reminded her that her mother had probably never woken up helpless in the dark, fearing that, at any moment, an undead monster would run her through with a rusty blade and raise her corpse as one of the walking dead. Just like poor Armand. But she clung to the remembered wisdom for dear life. There was no other choice.


    She still wore her white cotton t-shirt and shorts, and her arms and legs were already tingling with goosebumps in the chill dank air. Her library card and Maeria Runeweaver¡¯s book should be somewhere nearby.


    With a thought, she opened her status ¨C a task that thankfully did not require her body to move.


    The image of the intangible book appeared in her mind; vibrant green leaves etched into the cover like living plants. It hovered there, clearly visible, and yet it had never interfered with her vision.


    But something was different this time. The leaves seemed denser as if the plants depicted on the cover had somehow grown. When it snapped open to her status, the parchment seemed darker, aged somehow, and she caught the faint musty scent of books that had languished in some forgotten storage for far too long.


    Still, the glowing golden script was as clear as ever.


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    For the first time in her life, she found no joy or pride in her Scholar, Reading, or Linguist skills as she scoured her abilities for something, anything, that might be of use against a skeleton like the one that had killed Armand. If one of the Death Knights, or worse, the Blind Lich was still around, she knew that, on her own, she would be blown to bits, vaporized before she even had the chance to blink.


    But her skills were all suited to her dream of magical research, and everything she had learned would be of far more use in the library than out here in the dark. Her passion had always been for books and learning. Fighting, she had always said, was something for the bigger races.


    She focused on her Arcane Cantrip skill, still hunting for inspiration, and the book still hovering in her mind obliged by turning the page, revealing the details of her general skill.


    Arcane Cantrip ¨C level 4


    Mana: Create a small solid magical construct out of Arcane mana.


    Arcane, Intelligence


    She channeled a small amount of mana into the skill, a little surprised to find that it flowed comfortably and easily considering her state. Her mana coalesced into a small golden blob hovering above her face. She shaped it, applying her will, and the proficiency of many long hours of study and practice, clutching at the one thing she could actually . The blob morphed into a tiny golden butterfly hovering in the air, slowly flapping its wings before she tired and released the mana sculpture to flitter away into the darkness.


    But while her skill allowed her to act, the Arcane Cantrip was a simple spell taught to Fae children gifted with early affinities to help them learn to control their mana. And, as she had discovered, it was woefully ineffective against a Lich.


    At least her sarcasm still worked.


    She turned to the description of her next skill.


    Identify ¨C level 5


    Mana: Discern information about a creature or item up to level 5 . Synergizes with any relevant Perception, Knowledge, or Information skills.


    Knowledge, Perception


    For all its vaunted worth, Identify would simply tell how badly she was going to die before it happened. She moved on quickly, finding nothing suitable for her predicament.


    Plant Growth ¨C level 4


    Mana: Sense and influence the growth of nearby plants.


    Nature, Wisdom


    Aunt Lira had taught her Plant Growth in her first melding with her dryadic tree. The skill had been a constant source of joy, and Ali had spent many happy hours with her father growing plants in the Grove. The sensation of plants responding to her mana, the experience of growing with them was so soothing, she had always likened it to meditation. Or the quiet repose of listening to beautiful music.


    Considering how she might twist her magic to violence made her suddenly shudder in disgust, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.


    She tried to move her finger again. This time, it responded almost immediately. Encouraged by the lack of instant exhaustion, she set her mind to moving the others.


    she thought, her mind returning to her skills. Or lack thereof. She had been so close to unlocking her class before everything had exploded in her face.


    She had been set on earning a scholarly- or research-oriented class. There was no way her dream class would have had an answer to the undead skeletons.


    She slowly closed and opened her hand and began to work on her left.


    Her eyes were curiously drawn to her Aptitudes, noticing that the section seemed different than she remembered. They changed so rarely that she seldom looked anymore.  And there was a new Title called ¡®Ancient¡¯ which seemed vague and ominous.


    Her memories of her time frozen in the spell felt vague and elusive ¨C it might just as easily have been centuries or just a day. The unchanging golden glow and the strangely flickering gray cast to the world had fallen away, leaving her ¡­ here.


    She was certain she hadn¡¯t moved an inch, however long it might have been. She could even see the shrine from where she lay. But everything else was gone. The beautiful Grove her father tended with its giant oaks and pretty wildflowers had vanished, leaving only looming dark shadows and what felt like damp moss carpeting the ground. The air smelled musty and dank, an ancient decay instead of the vibrant sense of growth and nature she loved so much. Even the stars were gone, blotted out by the mountain that had crashed down upon her somehow forming a cavern. She was just grateful for whatever force was keeping the stone and rock up there, and that her mother¡¯s magic hadn¡¯t released her into the crushing embrace of a rocky prison.


    She continued working on her body, and slowly her feeling and control returned. She sat up slowly in the dark cavern. There was some faint, dim illumination in some directions, but the only sources of light she could actually make out were the glowing runes etched into the stone obelisk of the shrine and the still-glowing remnants of the explosive destruction of the barrier that had protected her body.


    Carefully she summoned a small disk of golden light ¨C light that matched the shards of magic embedded into the stone beside her. She had been so proud the first time she had cast this spell ¨C realizing that her magic matched her mother¡¯s distinctive golden mana. But the light showed little of anything ¨C the cavern had to be large, she couldn¡¯t find any sign of a roof or even walls from the dim conjured illumination.


    But beside her, lying on the pristine circle of stone left by the evaporated magic of her mother¡¯s spell was her library book, dropped in the terrifying altercation with the Lich. Her library card was still inside. She reached out to grab it, but to her horror, it crumbled to dust at her touch.


    Ali slowly struggled to her feet and shuffled towards the only other thing she could see ¨C the shrine. The glow of her golden disk illuminated ancient, blackened stumps and trunks of long-dead trees. Tiny mushrooms, some of which glowed faintly, pushed up their caps amid the damp moss growing upon the dead wood.


    Placing her hand against the shrine, mostly to steady herself, she used her Identify skill on it.


    Shrine of the Ancient Grove


    Owner: Aliandra Amariel


    Mana Siphon (Active)


    Mana: Unlock class experience


    Mana: Unlock or enhance latent magical affinities


    Mana: Unlock alternate classes


    Owner¡¯s Mana: Recharge the shrine¡¯s mana reserve. 358,045/1,250,000


    Quality: Unique


    Shrine ¨C Artifact


    The word struck like a dagger to her heart. With an agonized groan, she slumped against the obelisk, her weakened body struggling to hold her up. This had been the center of her father¡¯s domain, and the shrine was his offering to the entire city of Dal¡¯mohra. She remembered his pride and sense of duty towards the youth of the city, conducting the Class ceremonies that were effectively their final induction into adulthood. She had been looking forward to her father performing her ceremony ever since she had been old enough to understand, and now the little detail of her name instead of his told her that her dream had been ripped away, just as surely as his life. Her forehead pressed against the cold stone, deriving some small comfort from the connection.


    While her grief remained, her sense of shock and helplessness eventually ebbed enough for her to examine the shrine once more. The last line caught her attention ¨C it had never been visible to her before ¨C and likely meant it was only available to her as the soulbound owner.


    Ali¡¯s mind simply couldn¡¯t comprehend the sheer enormity of the mana storage the shrine possessed. Even at less than a third of its capacity, it still held more than three hundred and fifty thousand mana.


    Ali looked at her status sheet again. She had two hundred and ten mana, and she had been called gifted by everyone who knew. She was blessed with an unusually high wisdom attribute, and her racial aptitude enhanced her mana by fifty percent. She did a few quick calculations in her mind. If she did nothing else, it would take her more than a year to refill the shrine.


    Carefully she channeled her mana into the shrine watching the counter increase quickly. Half her mana brought the total up to 358,150. She stopped.


    Yet, it felt so wrong to leave it so empty like this.


    she realized. Indeed, as the owner of the shrine, she could activate each of the abilities, and then simply use them on herself. She caught herself looking around as if she expected someone was going to catch her in the act.


    The only problem was, there was nobody around to help her with her trial. While not strictly necessary, the purpose of the trial was to guide experience gain toward the traits needed to unlock a preferred class. On the other hand, her choice might very well be between dying unclassed versus surviving with some class, regardless of what she unlocked. And if that was the case, the sooner she unlocked the ability to earn experience, the sooner she could earn a useful class.


    She agonized over it for a while but, in the end, there was not much of a decision to make. Any class was better than no class if she came face-to-face with a skeleton in the darkness.


    Carefully she channeled a little of her mana into the shrine, choosing the feature that would unlock her own class experience. The stone artifact hummed softly, and the runes on its surface briefly brightened. Runes she suddenly noticed were now gold and green, matching her affinities.


    Ali lingered over the surprising messages. She recognized the initial message as a normal one, but the second message had come directly from the shrine itself. She checked the shrine again, finding that the mana total had decreased by one hundred.


    she thought, looking curiously again at the enormous total. No answer seemed forthcoming, so instead, she checked her status, finding that the class line had updated to reflect the change.


    , she thought, studying the shrine and the enticing option that offered to enhance or unlock mana affinities.  Ali already had two mana affinities: Nature and Arcane. Enhancing them seemed like something she might need. She channeled mana to activate the shrine¡¯s latent affinity function.


    The shrine began to glow and hum as she gave it her mana, but it rapidly grew brighter and more powerful, sending a thrum of power deep through the ground under her feet. Her skin began to prickle as if an unseen energy were flowing through her body, and all around her, an intense green aura began to shine, blasting back the darkness. Shot through the green light, she could see streamers and symbols of intense golden energy slowly drifting around, looking very much like the runes inscribed on the shrine itself. Ali held back a scream as the rush of power tore through her body and mind until it suddenly ceased, dropping her to the ground for the second time today, leaving the startling echo of several chimes in her mind.


    Slowly she got back to her feet, stunned at the unexpected display of power. But, to her surprise, she actually felt a little more alert and energized than before. Ali placed her hand on the shrine once more.


    Owner¡¯s Mana: Recharge the shrine¡¯s mana reserve. 308,050/1,250,000


    Ali gulped. She had decided to use the shrine on a whim, and it had burned fifty thousand mana in an instant. , she thought, feeling somewhat guilty at having used so much of the shrine¡¯s precious mana reserve. But the guilt faded quickly; it wasn¡¯t much, but it seemed to be a useful step forward, even if she didn¡¯t know what she had accomplished. Far better than helplessly cowering in fear from the Lich or fleeing from the skeletons.


    As the auras of the lingering magic faded, darkness returned to the Grove and the shrine within it. Loath to linger alone in the darkness, Ali summoned her arcane magic light once more. This time, however, the magic manifested with a snap and shone brightly in the darkness ¨C significantly brighter than she had ever seen it.


    It seemed logical, but Ali had not expected such a dramatic change.


    Her considerations of her magic were suddenly interrupted by a shuffling and scratching in the darkness beyond the circle of light cast by her spell. Something moved; something large and ominous, hiding in the shadows. Ali¡¯s overworked fear returned in a rush, and, with a trembling hand, she raised her small glowing spell to shine more light around her.


    Reflected back at her from the darkness she saw two shining black beady eyes staring at her, full of hunger and malevolence.


    Scarcely breathing, she cast Identify at the shape lurking in the darkness.

 Chapter 5: The Street Rat and the Mana Butterfly

    Chapter 5: The Street Rat and the Mana ButterflyMalikaMalika shot bolt upright, awakened by a powerful pulse of energy coursing through her body, leaving golden glitter-like sparkles dancing along the wooden beams of the carpenter¡¯s trash pile she had been sleeping under, and all along the walls of the dingy alleyway.


    Bursts of visible golden magic shot up from below, shards and flames that passed clean through the pavement and on up through the buildings like they simply weren¡¯t there. It was as if someone had detonated a vast magical explosion far underground, but Malika knew for certain that no mage in this godforsaken town was even nearly that powerful. Myrin¡¯s Keep was far too miserable a place for that. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Heart racing, she huddled in the corner among the broken boxes and discarded offcuts as the enormous energy of the blast, which had somehow failed to hurt her, began to fade to golden motes of light that drifted upward into the sky like a cloud of fireflies.


    She was certainly no expert, but she had never heard of golden magic like this. Nor could she even fathom a spell of such power and energy that had yet passed through the pavement and whatever rock lay below, buildings, and even herself without effect.


    A loud crash followed by swearing startled her, suddenly snatching her attention from the lights.


    She instantly recognized the voices of the twin enforcers of the Town Watch and instinctively knew that they were looking for her. Distracted by the bizarre phenomenon, she had not even noticed them approaching.


    Her mind and heart raced as her body flooded with a surge of adrenaline. She ducked and rolled out of the wood pile and made a break for the end of the alley, sprinting as fast as she could. There was a rush, a crash, and a burst of pain as a heavy weight slammed her into the side of the building. Her head cracked painfully against the brick, and she blacked out briefly.


    When she came to, she found herself choking, barely able to breathe, hoisted off her feet by a powerful hand gripping her throat.  She could always tell them apart. Edrik was the one who enjoyed inflicting pain, at least more directly than his brother.


    The golden explosion had seemed so real, and yet both brothers seemed entirely oblivious to it.


    She saw stars across her vision as she struggled for breath, but all she managed was the ineffectual scrabbling of her heels searching for purchase against the wall.


    ¡°Got you, little rat!¡± he gloated, never missing an opportunity to shove the Street Rat title they had forced on her in her face. ¡°Where¡¯d you think you were going?¡±


    She screamed. Malika had long since abandoned her dignity in these shakedowns. If there were guards nearby and they heard her, there was a chance she would escape with fewer bruises and broken bones. Unfortunately, with his hand clamped around her windpipe, it came out more like a croak.


    He casually slapped her across the face, making her head slam painfully into the wall again.


    ¡°That¡¯s for trying to run,¡± he said with a vicious sneer. ¡°You know you bring this on yourself.¡± He punched her in the stomach, winding her. ¡°And that¡¯s for trying to scream again. I told you last time to take your punishment quietly.¡±


    His grip released just a little and Malika took a ragged breath, struggling for air.


    ¡°Mr. Hawkhurst runs a respectable business,¡± he said, drawing in close and subjecting her to the rank caress of his breath along the side of her face. ¡°That means you lift items and money for us so we can pay off the debt he so generously lent you. Hand it over. Now!¡± His voice grew progressively angrier and louder as he spoke, ending with him yelling in her face with spit flying.


    While most of the town believed Jax Hawkhurst to be a savvy businessman, owner of the Hawkhurst Trading Company, and an upstanding member of the Town Council, Malika knew the uglier truth from personal experience. The Town Watch ¨C and several other organizations ¨C in Myrin¡¯s Keep, were secretly under his control, used to keep his name and reputation pristine even while carrying out the shadier, and sometimes downright illegal, parts of his business dealings.


    If Jax caught wind of Edrik invoking his name in public like this, he would certainly have words with Kieran Mori. And then Kieran would have Edrik flayed. Of course, the only time she had ever tried to report the twins, she had woken up a week later with a hefty new chunk of debt from the healers. Adrik and Edrik were awful, but Kieran Mori was truly evil.


    Malika retrieved a small pouch of coins from inside her shirt and handed it to Edrik. She knew from painful experience that if she didn¡¯t give him something he would start breaking things until she did. He snatched it from her and tossed it to his brother.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the rest?¡± he said, shaking her hard enough to make her teeth rattle.


    She had hidden the rest in the wood pile, but she wasn¡¯t about to give that up. Without some money, she wouldn¡¯t be able to afford the donations at the Temple of Lunar¨¦ to get herself patched up.


    ¡°That¡¯s all,¡± she managed, her voice not working quite right.


    There was a flicker of red light as he activated a skill and a surge of pain shot through her side as he punched her. Two or three of her ribs cracked audibly and she gasped at the sudden shock of pain.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t kill her,¡± Adrik said. ¡°Besides leaving a mess, Mr. Mori won¡¯t be happy.¡±


    ¡°You always interrupt my fun,¡± Edrik complained.


    Through the haze of pain, Malika saw a most improbable sight ¨C a glowing golden butterfly flitted between her and the thug while he was looking away, coming briefly to rest on her cheek before flying off once again. She blinked in confusion, wondering if she had been hit too hard in the head again.


    She stared after the exquisitely detailed butterfly as she struggled to reconcile the delicate beauty with the violence of the explosion earlier.


    Seeing that Edrik was still distracted with his brother, Malika took aim and punched him in the side of the head with her left hand, channeling every ounce of the martial arts training she had received in her youth.


    He rounded on her with a glare of pure fury. ¡°Did you forget I have a Class, you moron?¡± His backhanded slap across her face left her ears ringing. ¡°You can¡¯t even scratch me, what the fuck are you thinking?¡± The return strike slammed into the side of her head. ¡°Or did you think your daddy¡¯s precious martial arts are actually worth anything?¡± His straight punch snapped her head backward, cracking her nose. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, he¡¯s dead,¡± he continued with a cruel laugh.


    A warm rush of blood streamed down her face and her vision blackened before returning in a rush of light.


    A soft chime filled her mind and two lines of glowing blue-white script appeared floating in her field of view.


    Malika groaned and blinked as her mind reeled from the impact, the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth ¨C she had bitten through the side of her tongue. But the notifications lingered, glowing words in her mind that beckoned for her attention, visible even when she blinked.


    ¡°Stop playing with her,¡± Adrik said. ¡°I found her stash.¡±


    Without a word, Edrik flung her to the ground and spat on her, glaring down with a look of undisguised contempt. The twin thugs sauntered off without a backward glance, Adrik tossing and catching the small pouch of her hard-earned money in his hand while they chuckled among themselves, leaving Malika lying in a heap in the dirty alley. She stared in disbelief at the blue-white glowing words floating within her mind, but the tiny sliver of hope kindled by the notification flickered defiantly within her, refusing to die.


    She dreaded the thought of being beholden to these parasites for the rest of her life. They had already taken so much from her. First forcing her to evolve Identify into Appraise so that she could gauge the value of items in the marketplace. Then training under the gentle ministrations of Edrik¡¯s whip to unlock the Lockpicking and Pickpocket general skills she so despised. And then the Street Rat title that forever branded her as untrustworthy to anyone who used Identify¡­


    She stared longingly at the notification once more.  She hesitated as if the very thought would cause the twins to return.  Her thoughts drifted back to her previous life. Her parents¡¯ dojo, and her childhood dreams of earning a martial arts class. Of making her parents proud. Of being respectable. If only they were still alive.


    Blinking back sudden tears of years-old grief, she shoved the memories and dreams back into the box they had escaped from with the proficiency of years of practice.


    There had been talk in the market earlier today of a class initiation ceremony ¨C to be held in the Town Hall, as usual. If she wanted even the remotest chance to avoid her fate, she needed to be there. She crawled over to the wood pile and levered herself to her feet, spitting the blood out of her mouth and wincing at the pain radiating from her side. She wiped the blood from her face and pushed back her unruly black curls.


    Then she chided herself.  If it hadn¡¯t been for Adrik and Edrik¡¯s shakedown, she would actually have had enough.


    There were countless rituals to influence the natural path of class acquisition among the ordinary folk; prayers and incense offered to the ancestors, or the gods of the local people of this kingdom, rites of cleansing, special food, the list was endless. However, Malika knew them all to be no better than superstition. And besides, she had prayed to the ancestors as a child, and they had forsaken her to this miserable life. No, if she wanted a good class, and a better shot at life, she would definitely have to take it for herself. The only thing that worked was a Class Shrine, and that was not available to the riffraff, refugees, the poor ¨C a Street Rat like her.


    Gingerly she bent over and began rummaging through the trash, eventually finding a rag that was not completely soiled. Taking her treasure to a puddle, she dipped it in the water and dabbed the blood still leaking from her nose. She flinched at the painful touch, but her nose didn¡¯t actually move, so it probably wasn¡¯t completely broken. With her beauty regimen taken care of, she stopped to consider her options.


    She needed to get to the shrine in the Town Hall and find money to pay for it ¨C and that was if she could even convince them to let a bruised and bleeding Street Rat in. All of that and she still needed to avoid Adrik and Edrik, and whatever terrifying sorcerer or monster was lurking in the sewers below the town, spewing powerful magical discharges and mana butterflies.


    she thought, chiding herself. Although she had heard rumors of a Kobold or two. Dangerous, yes, but nothing like what her overactive imagination had conjured.


    She limped down the alleyway and out onto the main street that ran adjacent to the poorer slum districts of Myrin¡¯s Keep. She received a few worried and scared glances, but most people seemed to be scurrying away, fleeing, no doubt, from the sounds of fighting ¨C or perhaps the crazy magical explosion from earlier, if they had even heard it. She still couldn¡¯t quite tell if she had imagined the whole thing.


    At least her skin was naturally dark enough that the blood and bruises wouldn¡¯t be too obvious at a distance. The cuts and bruises didn¡¯t worry her too much, but Edrik¡¯s last punch left a lingering dizziness, and she could tell he had broken her ribs again by the way they shifted painfully as she walked.


    Malika hurried along the street, making her way towards the Town Hall, hoping against hope that Adrik and Edrik hadn¡¯t made her miss it.  As she drew closer, the worries ever lurking below the surface of her mind bubbled over again.


    She had been forced to do a lot of petty thievery for the Town Watch and their crooked thugs.  She practiced her martial arts diligently every day.  But what if that wasn¡¯t enough to offset the skills that had been forced upon her? The title? She just had to believe her bloodline and her persistent practice would be enough to give her at least one good class choice.


    she sent the thought out. She didn¡¯t believe the ancestors actually listened, but for this, she was willing to try anything.


    Malika reached the Town Hall without further incident. It was one of the few original buildings that remained ¨C most of the rest had been torn down, burnt, and rebuilt many times over the years. You could tell by the superior craftsmanship; the way the heavy granite blocks had been seamlessly fused into a structure that had weathered the worst this town could throw at it emerging unblemished.


    Malika approached the doors and was stopped by the guard with a gruff, ¡°You can¡¯t go in, Street Rat. They¡¯re busy.¡±


    If she couldn¡¯t choose her class today, she was certain Adrik and Edrik would figure it out and choose for her. Heart in her throat, she forced herself to speak, to sound confident despite the blood in her mouth and her swollen tongue.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for the class initiation?¡± She grimaced at the rising inflection at the end that turned her confidence into a question.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re a little late, they started already,¡± he said, throwing her a concerned look. ¡°Are you ok?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Malika said, averting her broken face. ¡°I¡­ tripped.¡± She trailed off as her voice quietened. The lie twisted in her gut.


    ¡°Uh, right,¡± the guard said and opened the door. ¡°Well, go in quickly, the mayor usually takes a while with his speech.¡±


    Malika blinked and looked up at him. Her heart jumped. His small kindness was so unexpected that she stumbled on her words. ¡°Th¡­ thanks,¡± she managed and rushed in.


    Malika had never seen the inside of the Town Hall before. It was enormous, easily able to hold over two hundred people, but with all the milling about and the gear stashed on the floor, it felt crowded. The early morning sun streamed in through large windows and lit up the polished wooden floor. Most people ¨C the Humans, at least ¨C became eligible for class advancement a little before the age of twenty, so it was quite easy to pick out the applicants from among the family members and friends who had come to support them. Standing in front of the crowd, Malika recognized the mayor, William Turner. He was a portly middle-aged man with a reddish flush to his face, but he still looked quite imposing dressed in his impressive official robes of office. Next to him were several official-looking people she assumed to be the various Guildmasters presumably looking to recruit.


    Malika quickly found a spot to one side and tried to ignore the disapproving glances of some of the nearby people. Surreptitiously she wiped the blood that was still slowly leaking from her nose on her ragged sleeve and tried to pass it off as a sneeze. And then she saw it. On display upon the table behind William Turner stood a two-foot-tall obelisk of polished stone. An artifact of obvious magical power. Its surface was polished to a gleaming smoothness and elegantly etched with runes. Malika surreptitiously used her Appraise skill on the artifact.


    Shrine of the Second Path


    Owner: William Turner


    Mana: Unlock class experience


    Mana: Unlock an alternate class


    Owner¡¯s Mana: Recharge the shrine¡¯s mana reserve. 5000/5000


    Quality: Rare


    Value: Soulbound


    Shrine ¨C Artifact


    That was a surprise ¨C assessing value was the point of Appraise. But perhaps her skill wasn¡¯t leveled high enough to tell, or perhaps it was because this was the first soulbound artifact she had ever seen.


    Malika turned to focus on what the mayor was saying.


    ¡°I am glad to see so many of you taking your civic responsibilities seriously and stepping up to acquire a class. This is your first step to becoming a productive member of our town. I am aware of how much work it will take to complete your trial once I unlock your classes, so I want to thank you for your commitment and wish you all good luck in unlocking the best classes.¡±


    The guard at the door, it seemed, was spot on; the mayor liked the sound of his own voice. Malika tuned him out again and, while he continued his speech, she scanned the crowd, quickly picking out her mark. Her information told her she would need two large silver pieces to pay for the use of the shrine. It was an unreasonably cheap price for a class initiation. She had heard that most towns and cities with access to a shrine charged more than a gold piece for the service ¨C sometimes, far more. The underground rumor mill held that the mayor had defied the nobility to keep the prices down, but even with such a gesture, the price was still way out of reach for most of the poorer townsfolk ¨C many of whom would be forced to accept whichever common class that fell to them by chance instead of having a choice.


    Malika could not afford to leave this to chance.


    Quickly, she slipped through the crowd, bumping into the elegantly dressed merchant who seemed to be the father of one of the applicants.


    ¡°Watch it!¡± he snapped at her.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she mumbled, using her Pickpocket skill to deftly lift a small money pouch that he had tied to his belt, her Street Rat title making her actions just a little less obvious to those standing nearby. She had picked him because he seemed wealthy enough to have some money, but not rich or smart enough to secure his coins inside a magical storage item. Her gut wrenched at the necessary theft, and the irony of using her despised Pickpocket skill to try to avoid a Thief class was not lost on her. Retreating to the edge of the crowd with her loot, she worried once again that her actions may have tipped the balance of class selection irretrievably into the realm of thievery and a life of crime.


    ¡°If you are here seeking a crafter or merchant class, please step forward one at a time. Once I enable the shrine for you, simply channel your mana to unlock class experience. Then you may find your guild master or mentor,¡± the mayor said, indicating the masters standing behind him, ¡°and you will be given the details for your respective experience trials.¡±


    As the crowd milled about, trying to organize, Malika appraised her pilfered money pouch. By the weight and her skill, she could tell she would just barely be able to cover the price. But the heavy tension bearing down on her shoulders eased up a bit. As each non-combat candidate stepped up and placed their hand on the shrine, a brief flash of light illuminated the runes on the granite surface. One by one, they gathered into groups behind each guild master.


    she observed, wondering how hard their trials might be. But such was not the path for her.


    Once the guild masters had their new charges organized, the mayor wished them good luck, and they all filed out of the Town Hall.


    Returning his attention to the now much-reduced crowd, the mayor¡¯s expression grew far more serious. ¡°For the rest of you, acquiring a combat class carries an enormous risk. You must survive several fights against real monsters before you earn enough experience to gain your class. Most likely, some of you will not survive this trial.¡±


    In the silence as he paused, Malika could easily hear the soft sounds of people breathing nearby.


    ¡°On the other hand, as you¡¯re well aware, the benefits of a good combat class are exceptional. You will become strong, and Myrin¡¯s Keep will grow with your strength. I will remain here for the rest of today; once you are notified that you have unlocked class choices, return and I will make the shrine available for you to select your class. I¡¯m sure I do not need to remind you what a privilege and advantage it is to be able to choose your own class. The garrison is offering immediate positions for anyone choosing a military class, and Commander Gerald Brand will be present to advise you. Also, I should let you know that the newly formed Adventurers Guild is now accepting members under Guildmaster Vivian Ross. She will also be present at your class selection later, should you be interested.¡±


    ¡°Because of the necessary danger, I will only permit groups of at least five candidates to undertake the combat trial. If you do not have a pre-arranged group, please find others to group with now. You will need to rely on teamwork to ensure your mutual survival ¨C even facing a level one monster unclassed is extremely dangerous.¡±


    Immediately there was a hubbub and lots of shuffling around as people grouped up.


    Here, then, was Malika¡¯s greatest problem. What law-abiding citizen would willingly group up with a Street Rat? Her stomach churned as her eyes darted across the crowd, seeking people foolish or desperate enough to consider teaming up with a lowlife like her.


    Most of the candidates already had friends and groups planned so the noise quietened down quickly before she could even take the initiative. Malika found herself ignored as usual ¨C clearly, nobody wanted to associate with the obviously foreign refugee from the wrong side of the border. Just as she was mustering up the courage to step forward, two boys walked over.


    she thought. The non-humans were probably being avoided just like she was. She no longer had Identify, but their races were plain for anyone with eyeballs to see.


    The Beastkin boy was broadly built, sporting a shock of reddish-brown hair and tannish skin. He was dressed in well-used leather armor and carried a short mace at his belt and moved with a confident power.


    The word ¡®hirsute¡¯ seemed to have been made to describe him. Whatever his heritage, it was large, hairy, and very strong.


    The Half-elf, on the other hand, had a lithe athletic build and carried a longbow. His unkempt white hair was worn long and loose, seemingly intended to disguise his characteristic pointed ears.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m Mato, and this is Calen,¡± the large boy said. ¡°How about we group up?¡± His direct and familiar manner put Malika immediately on guard, but she couldn¡¯t afford to pass up this approach, she wasn¡¯t exactly swimming in offers.


    ¡°Sure,¡± she answered, trying to keep her tone neutral. She was not particularly good at ¡®friendly¡¯ after all this time spent surviving in the dark alleys and criminal underworld of the town. But it didn¡¯t look like the two of them had many people clamoring to take the trial with them either. Necessity really did make the oddest allies after all.


    ¡°Great,¡± he said, scanning the crowd. ¡°Now we just need to find two more.¡±


    ¡°How about him?¡± Malika pointed to a tall boy with a sword and brand-new armor standing by himself, apparently not interested in finding a group. By his stance and posture, she could tell he had been trained. And his gear, well, it radiated quality and extreme value, making her Appraise skill quiver when she used it. Everything was enchanted. Malika thought, doing a double-take.


    Mato grimaced. ¡°Ugh, Donavan Asterford. Self-important jerk and bully. Anyone but him.¡± Malika was certain the two boys had had some rather turbulent history to warrant such a negative reaction. However, even she recognized the noble family name. She was not usually allowed into the noble district, but the name Asterford was synonymous with wealth and power in Myrin¡¯s Keep.


    From behind her, she heard a soft female voice say, ¡°Can I join you guys?¡±


    Malika turned and her heart jumped as she immediately recognized the Town Watch badge the girl displayed on her plain black cloak. She wore her brown hair cropped short and wore dark brown leather armor and two sheathed daggers at her waist. A pair of furry ears poked up out of her hair, and her catlike green eyes gleamed as she stalked over with a lithe feline grace.


    Malika tried to quiet her racing heart.


    ¡°I¡¯m Tala,¡± she said when Mato introduced the rest of them.


    Malika fervently hoped she was just trying to get a class like herself and wasn¡¯t here to hunt her down on behalf of Adrik and Edrik. she thought, trying to reassure herself.


    Mayor Turner looked across the room. ¡°Donavan? Why don¡¯t you join that group, and we can get started?¡± he said, pointing over at their group.


    Donavan¡¯s thin, angular face took on a haughty expression, which seemed like one he practiced. In front of a mirror. In a strident voice, he complained, ¡°I won¡¯t go with the Beastkin, he¡¯s uncouth and boorish, I refuse. I¡¯m fully capable of killing a few monsters on my own.¡±


    With a sigh, the mayor responded, ¡°You either group with them, or you can wait for the next class initiation. The council agreed to these rules, and I won¡¯t break them. Not even for you.¡±


    With a sneer, Donavan retorted, ¡°Fine, but my father will hear of this.¡±


    His arrogance was shocking, leaving a ripple of whispers through the crowd. He was speaking to the mayor after all, noble father notwithstanding.


    But Donavan turned and stalked over to the group. ¡°I guess you guys can join me,¡± he said. Glancing at Malika, he wrinkled his nose, ¡°Who invited this beggar? Street Rat? She¡¯s not even wearing any gear.¡±


    Bristling, Mato interposed his bulky body between them, growling, ¡°Are you looking for another fight, Donavan?¡±


    Donavan just rolled his eyes and snapped, ¡°Of course, Mato¡¯s standing up for the strays again.¡±


    Malika¡¯s anger flared instantly. ¡°I don¡¯t need your pity. And I don¡¯t need your protection!¡± she snapped at the two boys.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Donavan retorted, ¡°I¡¯m the leader of this group, let¡¯s go.¡± He strode off toward the mayor and the shrine without even a backward glance.


    Malika swallowed her anger.  she chided herself, annoyed she had lost her temper. But Donavan was really creating a horrible first impression, his contempt rankled ¨C and she certainly did  need a boy to fight her battles for her. After all, her experience in the alleyway this morning showed she could get beaten up just fine on her own. Great. What a perfect day.


    Sharing wary glances with one another, the rest of the party followed Donavan, and Malika found herself walking beside Calen.


    ¡°Sorry about that.¡± His voice was both soft and gentle. ¡°Mato used to stick up for me against Donavan¡¯s bullying when we were younger, so there¡¯s no love lost between them.¡±


    To Malika¡¯s surprise, she found only genuine sincerity and concern in his expression.


    ¡°Hopefully we can work well enough together today, and all get our classes,¡± he added.


    Somehow, as if by magic, she felt all the shame, embarrassment, and anger dissolve in his straightforward honest gaze.


    ¡°Uh, sure ¡­ ok,¡± she managed.  she thought.


    Malika stood alongside her new companions while each of them used the shrine. Once it was her turn, she dropped her stolen silver pieces on the table. Putting her hand on the cool granite surface, she sensed a resistance to her mana. The mayor did something, and suddenly the shrine accepted a small infusion of her mana, and she heard a chime sounding in her mind.


    With a sudden rush of excitement, she checked her status.


    The blue-white glowing text appeared instantly, hovering there ¨C a personal illusion conjured within her mind. It was, as always, invisible to everyone else unless she chose to share it, but she only ever did that when Adrik or Edrik threatened to kill her.


    Everything was written there in those softly glowing words. Her commitment to her meditation and martial arts, and the thieving skills she had been forced to learn. Even her title, Street Rat.


    There was one change, though, and her eyes were immediately drawn to the new ¡®Class¡¯ line ¨C new since the alleyway ¨C now unlocked and ready for her to earn experience.


    Obviously, this was what she had wanted, but she had been suppressing her excitement, as if certain that at any moment someone would leap out and stop her. But the change to her status was undeniable, and her rush of excitement threatened to bubble over.


    The mayor spoke once more, ¡°Now that everyone has unlocked their experience, Commander Brand has assigned a garrison guard to guide each group to a suitable area for your trial. Good luck, and please be careful out there. The danger is real, and we do not want any of you to die.¡±


    In the gap of silence that followed his pronouncement, the mayor¡¯s eyes surveyed the hopefuls, hesitating briefly when they met hers. Malika quickly diverted her eyes, a habit drilled into her over years of needing to be inconspicuous.


    On that somber note, all the candidates began collecting their packs and weapons and saying their goodbyes to their family and friends. Malika took comfort in the fact that their assigned guard was the same one who had shown her kindness at the door.


    ¡°Sewers or Forest?¡± the guard asked them. ¡°Rats and spiders, or wolves and bears?¡±


    ¡°Which is more popular?¡± Donavan asked.


    ¡°The forest for sure,¡± the guard answered.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take the sewers, then,¡± Donavan decided.


    Malika raised her opinion of Donavan a little. It was a smart decision, in the less popular area they wouldn¡¯t need to compete with the other groups, and they would be able to finish quickly. She firmly dismissed her worries about improbable cults of rogue sorcerers lurking in the sewers.


    ¡°We already have a rat, after all,¡± Donnavan added.


    Malika frowned, but she held her tongue.


    As they followed the guard, Mato muttered, ¡°He thinks he can just take over, I really want to rearrange his face.¡±


    Calen, looking a bit concerned, placed his hand on the bigger boy¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Not a good time Mato, just let it go.¡±


    As they left the Town Hall following the guard through the city, Malika felt her mood begin to improve, the potentially volatile group dynamic notwithstanding. She had actually done it. She was on her way to her trial. Feeling cautiously optimistic, she followed her new teammates.


    Leading them to an alleyway, not unlike the one she had slept in last night, the guard unlocked and removed a heavy iron grate covering a hole in the ground. The vertical shaft of aged brick descended into the darkness, and the damp stench of the sewers slammed into her face like a wall of filth, making her gag.


    she thought.


    ¡°Ready?¡± asked the guard, offering a few lit torches.


    Glancing at each other briefly, they nodded to him. Malika took one of the torches, tucking it carefully under one arm, and began to climb down into the sewer using the rusted iron hoops stapled into the ancient and crumbling brickwork.


    When she reached the bottom of the ladder, Malika found herself in a small damp chamber, the sound of dripping unnaturally loud in the dim torchlight. Moss lined most of the crumbling, water-stained brick walls and floor, making everything somewhat treacherously slippery, while trickles of water ran out through the one open archway.


    Donavan immediately strode toward the open passage.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we have a plan?¡± Malika asked, her voice echoing a little in the dark chamber.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your plan, you didn¡¯t even bring a weapon,¡± Donavan shot back, ¡°Just follow me and kill the monsters and we can all get out of here.¡±


    Biting back her retort, she followed the group, irritated with their self-imposed leader¡¯s disregard for her or any kind of prudence. But she was an outsider in this group, and she only had to put up with them until she earned her class.


    Suddenly she jumped, startled as a large hand gently settled on her shoulder, wincing in pain as her movement displaced one of her snapped ribs.


    ¡°It¡¯s not very powerful, but you look like you need it,¡± Mato said.


    She stared at him in confusion for a second before she saw the small vial in his enormous hand, stretched out and offered to her. The clear glass container was stopped with a simple cork, and the red liquid sloshed a little inside.


    Minor Health Potion ¨C level 1


    Consume: Gain 50 health over 3 minutes


    Quality: Normal


    Value: 1 silver


    Potion


    She hated that he was right ¨C and worse, that she would owe him ¨C but she wasn¡¯t going to be a whole lot of use in combat if she was doubled over in pain every time she moved.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said quietly, and downed the expensive potion, feeling the warmth flooding her body as its potent magic began to work on her injuries.

 Chapter 6: Spiders and Rats

    Chapter 6: Spiders and RatsMalikaMalika wrinkled her aching nose in vain against the overpowering stench of the sewer, but the soft soothing pulse of the healing potion¡¯s magic was rapidly erasing her scrapes and bruises. She followed the group, hanging back and letting the more adventurous ¨C and better-equipped ¨C members take the lead. The flicker of their torches brought a dim, dancing warmth and light to the crumbling damp brick walls. The dank tunnel reeked of decay and filth and the slippery floor underfoot was covered in moss and decades of accumulated grime. Sluggish, fetid water sloshed quietly as it ran down the middle of the tunnel and off into the darkness, barely contained within its channel banks, but, by the chest-high stains on the walls, it seemed clear that flooding was a rather common occurrence. No surprise here, half the town used the sewer tunnels as a dump, and even the storm drains ¨C and the river overflow ¨C emptied into these tunnels.


    The anxious silence immediately pressed in on the group, clearly evident in the lines of tension and hypervigilance of her companions. Some tried to play it off as nothing, bravado perhaps, but this was a combat trial, and they were all jumping at shadows. Malika tried to distract herself by studying her companions. The mayor had made a point of stressing teamwork and cooperation as the way to survive their combat trial, but Malika was skeptical. Perhaps the pre-organized teams would have had a better time, but she had never met any of her companions before today and it was highly improbable that teamwork would be their strength.


    she thought Blunt and direct insults followed subtle and sophisticated barbs as Mato and Donavan¡¯s bickering echoed from up front. Malika would not be entirely surprised if the two boys started a brawl, heedless of the dangers sure to be lurking down here. Donavan was an entitled noble, but Mato seemed particularly aggressive, and the two of them got along like oil and fire. She reflected on what little she knew of her companions. The Beastkin boy confused her. On one hand, she didn¡¯t trust his aggressive behavior or his overly familiar manner. On the other hand, he was the only one who had noticed her injuries and the refreshing magic of his healing potion was still working to heal her much-abused body ¨C an unexpected kindness and generosity.


    Malika had a wealth of experience with injuries and being beaten up. Under normal circumstances, it might take about an hour to regenerate her mana and stamina, but health required rest. Serious injuries such as bleeding wounds and broken bones require proper healing. As if on cue, she winced at the pain of one of her ribs snapping back into place under the influence of the healing magic from the potion but tried to pass off her reaction as a stumble.


    Tala seemed to be on edge, constantly looking around furtively and always touching her daggers. Malika made sure to stay far from the cat-girl. Of all her companions, she trusted Tala the least. She knew it was the association with the Town Watch, but still, she kept a sharp eye on her. And something about her felt¡­ . It was nothing overt, or even something she could explain, but her hard-won experience had taught her it was far better to trust her instincts.


    The Half-elf archer, Calen, was the only party member she allowed behind her. He brought up the rear, and apart from the few brief words in the Town Hall, she hadn¡¯t heard him speak. Malika had already identified him as too nice and too shy to be a problem.


    Tala¡¯s daggers were of exceptional quality, and every item Donavan owned was masterwork quality or better. He must be wearing at least a hundred gold worth of gear, and none of it was the overly ostentatious bejeweled crap nobles tended to prefer. Nearly every item on him glittered and sparkled as Appraise lit them up, drawing her attention to the magical enchantments.


    Malika glanced at her stained and torn brown cotton shirt. She knew she was woefully unprepared for this adventure, but armor and weapons cost money. And any money she earned quickly found its way into the greedy hands of Adrik and Edrik, no matter how hard she tried to hide it.


    Her heart kicked into high gear, racing at the sudden sharp, irregular skittering noises from the darkness up ahead. Donavan raised a hand in the flickering light, both he and Mato falling instantly silent, their bickering forgotten, as everyone froze.


    Malika crouched, silently propping her torch up against the wall where it could shed some light into the tunnel, freeing up her hands for fighting. She quietened her breathing and strained her eyes to make out anything in the gloomy darkness up ahead. Slowly, a dark shape emerged, somehow crawling along the curved brick of the tunnel roof despite its weight. It had a rounded bulbous body with eight slender black shiny legs ending in blade-like talons that clicked against the brick as it crawled towards them. Eight shiny eyes fixated on their group as it paused.


    ¡°Level two Giant Spider,¡± Calen said quietly from the back.


    ¡°We all have Identify, idiot,¡± Donavan said.


    Malika thought, grateful for Calen¡¯s information, but she remained quiet knowing that Donavan already saw her as a liability.


    The spider¡¯s body was about the size of a large dog, and with the broad span of its legs, it appeared quite a bit larger. Mato and Donavan both leaped forward at exactly the same time, jostling each other in the process.


    ¡°Watch out, you oaf!¡± Donavan shouted as he pushed Mato to the side and swung his sword upwards. His blade bit into the black carapace, raining dark ichor from the wound. The spider screeched, tucking in its legs and it dropped down directly on top of him. Donnavan let out a high-pitched squeal of pain as the spider¡¯s fangs sank into his neck, avoiding his armor entirely.


    The thought sprung into Malika¡¯s mind as she stared dumbfounded at the clumsy, botched attack. Not that she cared too much about either of them personally, but their dying here would make it infinitely harder for her to gain experience. And to gain experience, she needed to survive.


    With a sharp low swing, Mato¡¯s mace thumped against the spider¡¯s head while it was busy biting Donavan. It recoiled, releasing the noble boy as it hissed in pain. Suddenly it charged at Mato, making a clicking scramble as its many legs clattered against the stone. Mato immediately backed up against the tunnel wall, wielding his mace in short, powerful strikes.


    Malika had spent many hours watching high-level fighters drill and train in her parents¡¯ dojo, many of whom were vastly experienced at fighting monsters. Mato¡¯s deft manipulation of the spider showed her that he either had a deep understanding of the role of a melee fighter, or he simply had great instincts. With his position, back against the sewer wall, Calen would have a clean shot at the creature, and Malika could easily flank it.


    She took a deep breath, and, mindful of the slippery floor, charged in behind the spider. She lashed out with her fist, a compact strike that cracked painfully against the tough chitinous thorax of the monster. She winced, redirecting her efforts, using a couple of quick kicks to strike the back of a more vulnerable leg joint and she was rewarded with the sight of the spider stumbling briefly.


    Movement flickered to her right, and with surprising speed, Tala buried one of her daggers to the hilt in the monster¡¯s abdomen, a broad grin bordering on ecstasy appearing on her face.


    On her left, Donavan appeared, seemingly unbothered by his wound. He slashed with his sword, surprising Malika with a competent stance and an efficient strike, at odds with his first attack. The sword bit through the carapace, spraying green ichor across the side of her face and shirt. She wiped it out of her eye with the back of her hand while delivering another kick to the spider¡¯s leg, careful to leave room for Calen¡¯s arrows.


    It wasn¡¯t a pretty fight, nor was there much in the way of coherent strategy among them. She managed to break two of the spider¡¯s legs, making it sluggish and list to the side before the accumulated damage from the others finally caused the monster to collapse in a puddle of leaking gore. But the fight had taught her a lot about her companions.


    The soft chime resonated in her mind as the monster died.  she thought.


    Mato poked at the corpse as if daring it to get up and go for another round. He was bleeding from a couple of puncture marks on his shoulders and arms, but the sturdy Beastkin seemed to be able to ignore his wounds.


    ¡°How serious is that bite? Do you need a potion?¡± Calen asked him.


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t venomous,¡± Mato answered. ¡°I just need a few minutes to recover my stamina.¡±


    Donavan rummaged through the pack he had dropped and retrieved a potion, downing it quickly and discarding the vial into the sewer channel. ¡°See how easy it is?¡± he said triumphantly. ¡°Did you see how I took it down from the roof?¡±


    Tala stifling a snicker turned Donavan¡¯s expression into a scowl.


    But despite the noble¡¯s arrogance and bravado, his skill with the sword was undeniable ¨C clearly, he had been properly trained. And his armor had turned what might have been a debilitating injury into a minor scratch.


    Before Donavan could get upset, Malika asked, ¡°How many of these do we need to kill?¡±


    ¡°I heard you need enough experience to gain one level before you are offered any classes,¡± Tala said.


    ¡°Everyone knows that,¡± Donavan retorted, still glowering grumpily at Tala.


    Ignoring the emotional theatrics, Malika wiped her hands on her pants to remove the spider ichor. Her clothing was already stained with her own blood from earlier, so it wasn¡¯t like she was ruining them. She found a relatively clean and dry spot and sat down to meditate while the others collected their arrows or rested in their own way from the battle. Meditation was Malika¡¯s pride, learned early on under her father¡¯s strict tutelage. Even though she had only been able to level it to three, it still allowed her to regenerate her stamina and mana nearly twice as quickly as normal.


    Meditation ¨C level 3


    Focus: Enter a meditative state during which mana and stamina regeneration is increased by +80%  Movement or using an active skill cancels your focus.


    Wisdom


    While she meditated, Malika reflected on the battle. She had expected it to be much harder, but with the spider focused on Mato the entire fight, it hadn¡¯t really mattered that she wasn¡¯t wearing armor.


    Her only regret was that she hadn¡¯t been able to punch through the spider¡¯s armor.  She was certain that fighting the spider by herself would likely have been suicide. Or at the very least, an extremely dangerous undertaking.


    Ten minutes later, Mato stood up. ¡°I¡¯m ready, let¡¯s find some more,¡± he announced with a grin.


    ¡°About time,¡± Donavan replied, picking up where their bickering had left off.


    Grabbing their packs, torches, and equipment, they headed off down the tunnel. Donavan and Mato nearly came to blows arguing about who would take the lead. All of Malika¡¯s thoughts on teams making combat easier would come to naught if those two couldn¡¯t cooperate. But a little of the edge of the group¡¯s tension had blunted after the successful first encounter.


    After about half an hour, the tunnel they were following widened into a broad open area on the left side of the water channel. This room seemed particularly decrepit, with piles of rubble and decaying trash in the corners. Large cracks ran through the brickwork of the floor and walls and giant dusty cobwebs hung in drapes from the ceiling. Prowling the room were three oversized rats rummaging and sniffing through the piles of trash, their noses and whiskers twitching.


    she thought, glancing back at Calen in the hope that he would identify them again. Each rat stood as tall as her waist. Sharp yellowed teeth flashed in the darkness as they rooted about in the muck for food, with their mangy matted fur bearing testament to a life lived in filth.


    Donavan immediately drew his sword. ¡°I¡¯ll take the one on the left,¡± he said, and, with a loud battle cry, he charged straight into the room, drawing the attention of all three rats simultaneously.


    Malika thought, staring stupefied at the brash disregard for any sort of strategy or planning. She crouched, ready for anything.


    But much to her surprise, Donavan¡¯s efficient and straightforward sword technique drew sprays of blood and angry squeals from his chosen rat, while the claws and teeth of the others mostly scraped harmlessly against his expensive leather armor.


    Mato, despite his continual bickering with the other boy, saved him from being mobbed by the other two rats. With two controlled swipes of his mace, he split the group, dragging the remaining two rats over to the wall, just like he had done with the spider previously.


    Once the two rats were under his control, Malika chose her moment to engage, using the same flanking strategy as before. As soon as she had chosen her target, Calen¡¯s arrows began striking the same rat. Tala, on the other hand, chose to attack Donavan¡¯s rat, effectively splitting the team¡¯s damage.


    Malika bobbed and weaved, aiming her kicks at the vulnerable joints. She might not have weapons, but a kick to the knee was still effective.


    With two rats attacking him at the same time, Malika could tell that Mato was struggling, his body already bleeding from numerous bites and claw marks. He blocked one of the rats trying to bite his leg, but the second one managed to bite his exposed arm. The rat Malika was kicking lashed out in a blur, its wicked-looking claws catching Mato on the thigh and spraying crimson blood against the damp brick wall. Seeing Mato being pressured, Malika shifted her position and unleashed a rapid kick combination to her rat¡¯s neck and shoulders, hoping to distract it from Mato.


    She succeeded. A little too well. The rat twisted around and snapped at her, catching her leg. The vicious yellowed teeth sank into her calf, grating against the bone.


    She wrenched her torn leg from its jaws, trying to dodge the rat that now seemed intent on savaging her instead of Mato. A sudden sharp crack echoed through the chamber and Malika stumbled as the ground quivered. Confused, she tried to catch her balance and heard an even louder report echoing off the walls. She could not afford to fall with the rat still attacking her. Tiny cracks and fissures raced through the brickwork. With a sudden lurch that she felt in the pit of her stomach, the entire floor gave way under her feet in an explosion of dust and stone shards. Rock, rats, and people fell. Reflexively Malika leapt, ignoring the pain in her injured leg, twisting her body upwards in a desperate flip ¨C her Acrobatics skill carrying her above the rat she had been fighting. Everything landed in an enormous crash, a chaotic discordant roar of noise, rock, dust, and bodies. Something snapped and squashed sickeningly under her as her breath was punched out of her lungs by the painful impact.


    She blinked away the stars in her vision, ignoring both the notification and the pain as she focused on trying to breathe. Rapid scurrying and scrambling noises carried over the confusion and dust as the remaining two rats bolted out of sight. Wincing, Malika raised her head, searching around in the dimly lit rubble for her companions. Mato lay groaning and coughing on a nearby slab of the fallen floor, his body covered with dust and blood. Her torch was lost and extinguished.


    ¡°Everyone alright?¡± Calen¡¯s voice echoed down from above. Looking upwards, Malika saw both Calen and Tala still in the hallway above, staring down over the shattered edge of what had once been the sewer floor by the flickering light of the one remaining torch.


    Shaking her head to clear the lingering ringing in her ears, she answered, ¡°Yes.¡± Slowly she got up and went to check on Mato. Calen, she understood ¨C he had been far at the back shooting his bow, but she could have sworn Tala had been right behind Donavan when the floor fell.


    ¡°You ok?¡± Malika asked, quickly checking Mato for serious injuries.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Mato groaned, conscious, but obviously hurt. ¡°That took half my health.¡±


    Malika thought.


    A rope snaked down from the sewer above, and a few moments later both Calen and Tala shimmied down, joining them on the pile of sharp shattered brick and stone. Calen immediately retrieved one of their valuable minor healing potions and fed it to Mato. In moments his more serious wounds began to close as the magic took effect.


    Malika carefully checked herself, but aside from the bite to her leg, she seemed surprisingly unhurt, losing only a few points of health and being winded from the precipitous fall. Her eyes rested for a moment on the crushed corpse of the rat that had cushioned her, and she realized just how fortunate she had been ¨C not that the wiry bundle of filthy muscle was much of a cushion, but it had probably saved her life.


    The dust began to settle, and Malika took stock of her surroundings. They had fallen almost fifteen feet, landing on a rise near a rough wall of natural rock. Many tons of sewer brick, crumbling mortar, and foundation rock had collapsed down into what appeared to be the edge of a vast underground cavern, leaving a gaping hole in the darkness above and the giant pile of rubble on which she had landed, crushing the rat.


    Dust covered everything, turning her skin and clothes a uniform gray. The sewer channel they had been following now formed a brand-new, disgusting waterfall that cascaded down onto the back of the rock pile, its fetid smell blending uncomfortably with the thick stench of ancient decay that infused this place.


    Beyond her precarious perch, the cavern floor dropped away precipitously, opening out into a vast space filled with giant blackened and long-dead trees ¨C some of which must have been over three hundred feet tall ¨C that extended upward into the rock and stone of the roof. Meandering through the center of the cavern, Malika could make out a sluggishly moving river, complete with stagnant bends and ponds, and even though the entire space was dimly lit by bioluminescence, her eyes failed to make out the far end.


    A little beyond the river, a dimly glowing pillar of swirling golden light shone out in the darkness as if marking that particular spot.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s¡­ big,¡± Mato said, getting slowly to his feet.


    Suddenly, Tala called out from the other side of the rock pile, ¡°Well, I guess our fearless leader is gone.¡±


    With an ominous premonition filling her with certain dread, Malika quickly scrambled over to that side, finding a pair of boots sticking out from under a rather large slab of stone, a sickening dark stain on the mossy dirt of the ground.


    Malika turned away, stomach churning. While she had seen death many times, and had found Donavan to be a self-important jerk, it was still a gruesome sight. The casual, almost happy sound of Tala¡¯s voice announcing the death replayed in her mind.


    Malika shook her head trying to clear the ugly thought, but she couldn¡¯t shake that last image she had of Tala being right behind Donavan before the floor dropped out from under her.


    ¡°We should go back to town,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°No, why?¡± Tala said, ¡°We¡¯re not done yet.¡±


    Malika thought as debate sprung up around her.


    ¡°Donavan was by far the strongest fighter in our group,¡± Calen said. ¡°We¡¯re too weak without him.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t need him anyway,¡± Mato snapped, fixing Calen with a deeply pained look. But his arms were folded around his body, and he shot several uncomfortable glances at the boots poking out from under the rock. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m a better fighter.¡±


    ¡°Try being objective for once, Mato. Donavan had the best armor, a fantastic sword, he was loaded with potions, and he actually had decent training,¡± Calen said, echoing, nearly to the word, precisely what Malika had concluded.


    Mato looked away, a little sullen, but he remained quiet.


    ¡°We should at least try and get Donavan¡¯s gear then,¡± Tala said.


    ¡°How exactly are you going to move all that rock?¡± Calen asked.


    Calen¡¯s point was well made, their group would be vastly weaker, and they didn¡¯t even know what lurked down here in the darkness. But Malika had a far different worry on her mind. If she returned to town without a Class, she was certain Adrik and Edrik would finish up her trial by forcing her to rob everyone they could find and denying her access to the mayor¡¯s shrine, practically ensuring she gained the thief class.


    ¡°I think we should stay,¡± Malika said, her mind running furiously. It was clear she couldn¡¯t use her real reasons, but she had an idea that might convince them. ¡°If we return, William Turner will not let us back down here with only four people, and there are no other candidates. If we don¡¯t finish up our trial now, they won¡¯t let us, and by then it will be too late. Likely we will get a far weaker choice because we didn¡¯t finish the trial properly.¡±


    ¡°I agree with the Street Rat,¡± Tala said, a shade too quickly. ¡°I mean, Malika,¡± she said, correcting herself.


    ¡°I like that argument too,¡± Mato said, perking up just a little bit. ¡°What do you think, Calen?¡±


    Mato¡¯s manner surprised Malika yet again. Even though he had clearly been hurt by Calen judging Donavan to be the better fighter, he still wanted to ask the Half-elf¡¯s opinion. She filed that tidbit away for later.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good point,¡± Calen said, his eyes thoughtful. ¡°If the rest of you want to continue, I will come too. But I think we should camp here and rest fully.¡±


    Aliandra


    The darkness loomed huge and vast, dwarfing the tiny bastion of light shining from Ali¡¯s arcane spell. Within the golden circle, the Grove was still and quiet. Beyond it, however, a shape moved, shuffling and scratching, the sound somewhat muted and muffled, lost in the darkness, and all the more terrifying for it.


    Every instinct screamed at her to run, but her legs were weak and trembled, her body still sluggish and slow.


    A shiver shook her body as the rat emerged from the darkness, testing the light. Yellowed teeth were bared, and it hissed while fixing her with a malevolent gaze. It crept one step closer, wickedly sharp claws slicing easily through the damp moss-covered ground. And as more of it emerged into the light, Ali¡¯s breath froze in her throat. It stood taller than her at the shoulder, with matted black fur covered in dirt and muck. It had to weigh many times more than she did.


    She stood, rooted to the spot as the reek of rot and decay washed over her. The rat took another step forward, snout raised, sniffing at the air.


    she thought, panic driving her heart to racing. But the monster was not about to abandon easy prey.


    It hissed loudly and sprang toward her, jaws opening wide to bite and tear. Ali screamed and fled. And for a few brief moments, she felt a desperate hope that she might outrun it. But it was all dashed in seconds as the heavy bulk of the monstrous rat slammed into her back, smashing her body, face first, into the ground. The weight vanished as soon as it had knocked her down and the rat rolled past her, its scrambling claws tearing up clods of dirt and moss as her tiny frame entirely failed to halt the momentum of her attacker.


    Ali scrambled to her feet, struggling to make her still-sluggish body move, and took off in the opposite direction, heading for the dark outline of a downed rotting tree trunk outlined by the light of a few small glowing mushrooms. Her ragged breath rasped deafeningly in her ears. Her heart hammered so hard she feared it might burst.


    She had almost reached the dubious safety of her cover when a surge of pain drove her to the ground as the rat¡¯s jaws clamped down on her shoulder. She screamed again as her own blood splashed warmth onto her neck and face and flowed down her body. Her head rattled as the rat viciously shook her. In desperation, she reached for her mana, creating a small golden sphere with her Arcane Cantrip, and flinging it blindly at the monster. The shaking and panic conspired to make her miss, but the rat flinched reflexively, releasing its hold on her.


    Not knowing quite how, she rolled free and scrambled to her feet, taking off at a dead sprint. The rat shot past her as she slipped and stumbled on the still-glowing remnants and shards of her mother¡¯s barrier magic, and she finally reached the cover of the stone shrine.


    Looking around frantically, she found the dark mangy rat scrambling to its feet and turning toward her. Ali cast around through the magic of her Plant Growth, trying to find something, anything that might help her. Below the ground her senses found some roots, and, as the rat charged, she poured out her mana making them grow. Roots extended, bursting out of the ground, reaching, and tangling. But the magic was slow and the few roots that did grasp the rat¡¯s feet were ripped aside by its powerful charge.


    Ali summoned a small disk of her arcane magic, throwing it into the path of the oncoming monster, and she turned and fled into the darkness. While her magic was definitely much more powerful than she remembered, it was no match for the ferocious rat. With a snap of its powerful jaws, her magical construct shattered into fragments and the rat pressed its attack, closing in on her with terrifying speed.


    Despair welled up in her heart at the sight of the relentless monster bearing down on her. She was not made for fighting. She never had been.


    She just wanted to hang out in the library and lose herself in an interesting book, not this nightmare of facing terrifying monsters alone in the darkness.


    Suddenly, she saw her own mother¡¯s face, as she had last seen her, and heard her last words while her body faded into mana.


    ¡°Remember, I love you.¡±


    Her mom had not had a combat class. And she had held off a Death Knight and foiled the Lich.


    In that instant, Ali¡¯s panic and fear evaporated, replaced by a cold fury, a rage that filled her heart. Her mother had given her life to save her from that dark and terrifying Lich. Her father had left without hesitation to fight the Death Knight and buy them time to flee. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ali screamed all her frustration and rage at the charging monster, all her powerlessness and grief, her sudden and terrifying loneliness. Its bulk slammed her to the ground, knocking the wind from her lungs, while its claws raked her body, and its teeth found her soft flesh once again. Its fetid breath blew warm on her face, and its little squeals of joy as it tasted her flesh echoed out across the Grove.


    she thought, wrapping her tiny arms around the rat¡¯s body and hanging on with all the strength she could muster. She cast deep into the ground with her Plant Growth spell, coaxing the roots to grow up and tangle the rat while it was wholly focused on biting and tearing at her flesh. Ali gritted her teeth against the raging pain, furiously hanging onto consciousness while she poured her mana recklessly into her magic growth spell.


    The roots snaked up past her legs and coiled around the rat, rapidly thickening and twisting as they grew with unnatural swiftness urged on by her nature magic. Suddenly the rat released her and began to thrash and struggle. A loud crack sounded in the darkness followed by a pained squeal from the rat as its struggles grew more frantically desperate. But it was already too late, and roots, some as thick as her arms, coiled tighter and tighter around the struggling rat. There was another crack, followed by a thrashing that left bloody furrows from its claws tearing through her skin like paper. One final crack, louder than the others, a sickening crunch, and then silence as the rat slumped in the embrace of the thick and gnarled roots twisted around its body.


    A soft chime sounded within Ali¡¯s mind.


    She slumped to the ground, completely drained, her breathing ragged with pain and exertion.


    Ali stared uncomprehendingly at the numbers for a few moments, realizing just how close her reckless gambit had been. If she hadn¡¯t stopped running, her Plant Growth would never have been able to tackle the rat. But the cost had almost been her life.


    Slowly she sat up, holding a hand to her shoulder, trying to stem the flow of blood from one of the bite wounds. She looked around and immediately froze. Out in the darkness of the cavern, several pairs of glowing red eyes shone, hungrily observing the aftermath of the battle, sizing her up.


    A piercing howl split the silence.


    And then a larger shadow appeared, looming behind the wolves.


    She stared, unable to move or think, overcome by the harsh unfairness of her situation. As if to underscore her fate, her health ticked down from four to three as her amber blood continued to fall unstaunched from her many wounds.


    She didn¡¯t even have enough mana to make another light.

 Chapter 7: Wolf Pack

    Chapter 7: Wolf PackCalenIt was probably morning above ground, but such things did not have much meaning down here in this dark and dead underground forest. Calen rose to his feet from where he¡¯d been keeping watch and began making the rounds to wake his companions. They had camped for a little over two hours ¨C more than long enough to regenerate stamina and mana ¨C but some things took more than regeneration and potions to recover. His gaze lingered on the pile of rocks Mato had heaped over Donavan¡¯s exposed boots.


    Malika was awake, sitting cross-legged and meditating, and her eyes sprang open before he even reached out to touch her. Mato and Tala had fallen asleep, catching a little more rest while he kept watch. He quickly woke them, eager to be on his way ¨C if nothing else, it would take them away from the growing pool of sewage forming under the waterfall.


    he thought soberly, glancing up at the rope still dangling from the great hole in the sewer floor so far above, deciding it was safe to leave it there. It was quite a fall, and he could still vividly recall Mato¡¯s injured body lying on the shattered rubble.


    , he thought.


    Calen glanced over at his friend ¨C Mato was rapidly refilling his pack and securing his mace to his belt. He seemed fine now, but it had taken one of their precious potions to heal him. Calen¡¯s mother had insisted on buying him a few for the trial, even though he was certain she couldn¡¯t afford them. Not with her being forced to break ties with the Guild of Tailors for the crime of trying to start up her own private business in Myrin¡¯s Keep. But she was never one to take no for an answer, and now Calen was grateful for her insistence.


    Ever since they were young, he knew how impulsive Mato could be, and though he was certain his friend could hold his own against the kinds of people who used to bully them, monsters were an entirely different kind of danger.


    Calen rubbed the skin at the back of his neck. Ever since he had climbed down that rope and into this cavern, he had felt an uncomfortable prickling sensation, a little like an imagined itch right beneath his skin. It set him on edge in the same way a premonition might ¨C there was just something about the environment down here that made him uneasy.


    he thought, trying to shake the sensation.


    His gaze shifted to his other companions. Malika was stretching off to the side. He had been unsure of her at first, she had no equipment and was obviously from the shady side of town with such a painfully obvious Street Rat title.


    , he corrected. You could find corruption and crime throughout most of Myrin¡¯s Keep ¨C it was a good day when you didn¡¯t stumble across a corpse in an alleyway, or someone being mugged or robbed, often in broad daylight.


    Malika was athletic and dirty and had clearly run afoul of some thugs before she had arrived at the Town Hall. Her curious blue eyes were strikingly intense against her dark skin and black curls, features that identified her as having been born in the northern reaches of Toria ¨C the kingdom currently at war with New Daria ¨C perhaps even descended from the Ahn Khen people. He had supported her joining their group only because Mato had a knack for picking honest and trustworthy companions.


    He had to admit, though, that she had proved to be a competent fighter ¨C she had excellent situational awareness, an instinctive understanding of her companions, and a sure grasp of strategy.


    While Donavan had shown solid sword skills, he was a noble and had access to the best training money could buy. How did a Street Rat like Malika learn to fight so well? She must have had some decent unarmed combat training somewhere, but he didn¡¯t expect she was the kind of person to share her story. Still, if she had some decent gear, she could be a powerhouse. As it was, she seemed to be holding her own beside Tala and himself, with nothing more than bare fists and a ragged t-shirt.


    He wasn¡¯t so sure about Tala, though. She was clearly quite competent with her daggers, but something about her seemed off and he just couldn¡¯t place it. He had been trying to figure her out since the moment they had entered the sewers. Perhaps it was the calculating, almost cruel cast to her eyes or the edge of suppressed anxiety. He was certain there was something between her and Malika because Malika seemed wary of her and was obviously avoiding her.


    he thought. But it was especially obvious with Tala.


    As they finished breaking camp, he picked a path down the scree-strewn slope and into the vast space of the cavern.


    They kept a slow pace, given the unfamiliar terrain, and having no idea what might be lurking in the darkness just beyond sight. Calen carried the group¡¯s last remaining torch, providing light as they trudged along the damp, springy ground. The dirt underfoot was mostly overgrown with moss and the occasional bioluminescent mushroom. Everywhere he looked there were old and decaying tree trunks, with piles of bones strewn about like snowdrifts, none of which were helping him with his sense of unease. It all stank of slow decay.


    After a while, they began to encounter monsters, mainly wandering spiders and prowling rats. They fell into something of a rhythm ¨C Mato picking them up first, and then the three remaining members taking it apart from behind. But whenever he spied a group of monsters traveling together, he alerted the others to instead take cover behind a massive tree or a pile of bones. There were more than enough solo monsters to satisfy the requirements of their trial without taking unnecessary risks, in his opinion.


    Suddenly, a high-pitched scream split the darkness of the cavern.


    They all locked eyes with each other for a moment.


    ¡°It came from over there!¡± Mato said, already turning to go.


    The scream had come from up ahead, towards the far edge of the cavern, and they immediately began to run. They rushed through the darkness at a reckless pace, greatly increasing the chance of stumbling into a patrolling group of monsters. But all he could do was frantically scan the shadows, searching for danger.


    About a minute later, they heard another scream ¨C definitely a person ¨C and the ominous howl of a wolf. Rushing around the bole of a massive dead tree, he suddenly stopped.


    A rat hung in the air, dangling from thick gnarled roots, seemingly crushed to death, and not too long ago, either. Lying crumpled on the ground, covered in amber blood and dirt, was a tiny person, struggling to crawl away. She was almost three feet tall, with a petite build and slender features. Small elfin ears protruded from the long, matted and blood-soaked green hair that clung to the sides of her face. Her large golden eyes stared wide-eyed in shock and terror at an advancing pack of snarling wolves.


    without even thinking about it, he used Identify on all of them.


    Calen stared aghast at the scene playing out in front of them. The five monstrous wolves were focused on the Fae girl, fanning out to surround her. He had always heard that the Fae were supposed to be these powerhouses of magic, but even though she had the Ancient title, inexplicably she was unclassed.


    Calen knew it instantly, taking in the extensive injuries and enormous amount of blood already soaking the ground around her. It was a wonder she was even conscious at all. This ¡®real live¡¯ Fae was about to be really dead, really soon.


    And then Mato shouted, ¡°She¡¯s going to die!¡± He charged into the fray, heedless of the danger.


    Calen thought, his heart immediately beginning to race at the nightmarish prospect of tackling five monsters at once, one a level five. But there was no heat in his thoughts. He knew this was who Mato was ¨C for as long as they had been friends, Mato had never been able to leave someone who was injured, weaker, or being picked on by bullies.


    No matter the odds.


    he thought, drawing his bow, and fervently hoping it would not be today. he amended, realizing he was equally unable to let either Mato or the unknown girl die while he stood by and did nothing.


    At a glance he scanned the wolves¡¯ approach, studying their formation. Mato¡¯s loud shouting and charge had already been noticed, and some of the wolves were peeling off to deal with his intrusion, but not all. He aimed and released, firing his arrow right past Mato. It struck one of the wolves mid-leap, knocking it sideways and barely saving the helpless Fae from its snarling fangs.


    As he drew a second arrow, Malika sprinted by, diving into the fray to back Mato up. It took a moment before her solo charge toward the monstrous wolves sunk in.


    He glanced around urgently, but there was no sign of her anywhere. With a sudden sour taste in the back of his throat, he realized the truth.  And in the middle of the most dangerous fight, too.


    , he thought. He couldn¡¯t afford to worry about it now, but it continued to gnaw at him in the back of his mind.


    The Alpha howled and the entire pack rounded upon Mato, even the one Calen had hit got back up and started attacking. The wolves immediately shifted formation, allowing the Alpha to attack Mato head-on while the lesser wolves moved to flank him. Natural coordination born of instinct, perhaps. Malika arrived shortly after, and her presence took a bit of the pressure off Mato as two of the wolves turned to her instead.


    Calen kept firing steadily, but the wolves were coordinating their attacks and Mato and Malika were already bleeding from several bites.


    Calen looked around desperately, searching for anything. To the right, hidden in the shadows of the rock wall was a darker shadow indicating an opening.


    ¡°Mato!¡± he yelled. ¡°Cave on the right!¡±


    He fired a shot at the wolves attacking Malika, hitting one in the neck and burying the other arrow deep into the second wolf¡¯s flank, earning a yelp of pain. Snarling, both wolves turned to chase after him. Knowing he wouldn¡¯t be able to shoot effectively if he let them get close, he sprinted for the shadowed hole in the rock wall, trying to keep his distance while struggling to fire his bow accurately on the run.


    Even though Malika bled profusely from several nasty bite wounds, she still ran back and scooped up the injured Fae girl before sprinting for cover.


    Arriving at the entrance first, Calen squeezed through the narrow crack, spun around, and began firing off arrow after arrow to cover the others as they fled, heedless of how many he spent.


    Malika punched the wolf trying to reach Calen, knocking it sideways just enough to save him from the rending fangs, and she fell past through the entrance with the Fae.


    Mato struggled out in the open by himself, playing tag with the Alpha and the two remaining wolves. He almost tripped as they tried to hamstring him, and he scrambled back drawing them into an ugly running battle across the mossy ground. Arriving at the entryway, he somehow managed to maneuver the wolves so that they blocked each other, and he finally squeezed his large frame through the opening, despite a wolf trying to turn his foot into a chew-toy. He kicked it off with a curse.


    Mato turned, blocking the doorway with his body and his mace, while Calen fired past his shoulder. Suddenly unable to flank them or attack more than one at a time in the narrow entrance, the balance shifted markedly in their favor. He fired into the crowd of snarling wolves jostling each other as they tried to cram their way through the narrow cleft. Strange spongy roots sprang from the ground to grapple and tangle the wolves¡¯ paws. Glancing briefly down at the floor, he found the Fae girl had her hand outstretched towards the wolves, apparently casting a spell. However, she soon collapsed, spent, breathing shallowly.


    It took hectic minutes of messy fighting with both him and Malika holding off the wolves at the entrance until Mato muscled a boulder across the entrance through sheer strength, and the wolves finally retreated, howling in frustration.


    he thought. Calen finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Malika, however, was not nearly as calm, rounding on Mato, her face livid. ¡°What the hell was that? You can¡¯t just charge in, putting us all in danger!¡±


    Mato drew himself up to his full height, chin jutting forward.


    Calen thought. Mato was his closest friend, and after all this time he had gotten used to his impulsiveness, but even he was sympathetic to Malika¡¯s position. This had been an unreasonably dangerous fight and Mato really had just jumped in without thinking.


    he thought, choosing to stay out of the argument for the moment, while he rummaged through his pack for potions, handing one each to Mato and Malika.


    ¡°She would be dead if we hadn¡¯t charged in!¡± Mato¡¯s response was predictably upset and emotionally charged, but as much as Malika¡¯s anger resonated with him, Calen could see Mato¡¯s point too. The little Fae lay in a slowly growing pool of blood with glazed-over eyes and rapid shallow breathing, obviously beyond pain and only semi-conscious. It was clear she would likely have died if they had hesitated for even a few seconds.


    he thought, quickly kneeling beside her, and raising her head so he could drip the crimson potion between her pale lips.


    ¡°You¡¯d be dead if I hadn¡¯t risked my life to save you!¡± Malika wasn¡¯t letting up one bit. The potion was working quickly on her, and some of the more obvious wounds were visibly closing. Without any armor to protect her, the wolves had savaged her badly and she had been severely injured. Even her flimsy clothing was almost completely shredded ¨C Calen wasn¡¯t sure how she had even managed to run back to the cave.


    ¡°I knew I could count on you,¡± Mato said. ¡°With the four of us, I was sure we could do it.¡±


    ¡°That was not your fucking decision!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re both alive, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Much as Calen hated getting involved in arguments, this did not seem like it would resolve itself. And they were still in extreme danger. ¡°You realize Tala abandoned us, right?¡± he interjected into the pause that followed.


    Both of their heads snapped around to stare at him in shock. he thought.


    As they stared at him, he continued. ¡°We¡¯re trapped in this cave with only two health potions left, and I can still hear the wolves outside. We¡¯re going to need to work together to have any chance of surviving this.¡±


    His attention was drawn once again to the Fae lying beside him as she began to stir. Her eyes fluttered and opened, darting around in confusion.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± he asked, sensing Mato and Malika¡¯s attention shift to the Fae girl, their argument forgotten for now.


    The Fae girl looked at him for a long moment and then answered something unintelligible in a language Calen had never heard before.


    Calen shook his head and shrugged.


    The girl tried again, this time using something that sounded like an ancient Elvish dialect, and for the first time, Calen regretted disowning that side of his heritage.


    The girl frowned, trying again with the guttural speech of the Dwarves, but all Calen could do was glance helplessly at his companions, entirely unable to communicate.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she knows Common,¡± he said.


    Not only did that seem to be true, but she was growing progressively more and more frustrated.


    ¡°Calen,¡± he said, pointing to his chest. ¡°Malika,¡± he pointed to her. ¡°Mato,¡± he pointed at him. Then he pointed at the Fae and waited.


    She cocked her head to the side for a moment, ¡°Aliandra,¡± she replied in a soft, exhausted voice.


    Aliandra


    Ali slumped back against the cold rough stone of the dark cave, her mind grappling with the bewildering array of fragmented memories. She had killed the rat. And then the eyes in the darkness, the howls of wolves. Everything after that seemed to be a blur. She had definitely blacked out, at least a few times.


    This new cave was quite small, seemingly formed from a single massive slab of rock that jutted diagonally from the ground, supporting a surprisingly dry open space beneath it, behind the narrow entrance. A few glowing mushrooms grew in the corner, and lying beside her on the ground was an empty glass vial that might have been a healing potion.


    Her eyes found the Half-elf, Calen, who had clearly fed her the potion and saved her from bleeding out. And who, frustratingly, did not seem to understand Elvish. He sat nearby, chatting quietly with his companions ¨C their words so close to familiar, and yet always just far enough from her understanding as to defy comprehension.


    She had never encountered full immersion in a new language, so it was unclear what was simply familiarity with phonemes and what was her passive skill prodding her knowledge, but she began to Memorize their conversations, hoping that it might help her to learn faster.


    Linguist ¨C level 4


    You have enhanced proficiency with understanding and learning languages.


    Knowledge, Intelligence


    The unfortunate truth, though, was it would likely take a month or more. She loved languages, but her trying day, and the sheer exhaustion, had pushed her beyond the point of frustration already and her brain was struggling to keep up.


    Somehow in the time she had been encased in her mother¡¯s spell, her home language had morphed from ¡®Common¡¯ into ¡®Ancient Dal¡¯mohran¡¯, at least according to her status. That, along with the strange ¡®Ancient¡¯ title she had somehow earned, hinted at something her mind could scarcely believe. Time enough for a language to evolve. That had to be the answer.


    A sudden surge of loneliness struck like a punch to her gut.


    She forced her attention back to the conversation, listening to the big Beastkin boy, Mato, speaking in a surprisingly deep voice. She had several flashbulb memories of him charging the wolves and laying into their snarling faces with the blood-smeared mace that was now fastened to his belt. Shouting and bleeding; it had been him standing over her while the largest wolf charged.


    It, and the thousand other questions that barreled through her tired mind, had to go unanswered. She couldn¡¯t ask them. Couldn¡¯t even make herself understood.


    The dark-haired girl with the uncannily brilliant blue eyes spoke then, and another flashbulb memory popped into Ali¡¯s mind. Blood pouring from grievous bite wounds, she had still rushed back, like an angel from one of her beloved hero stories swooping down to carry her away from the ravening wolves. She had been barely conscious by then, everything rushing by in a blur. But what she remembered were the teeth gritted against pain. The determination in her eyes. And the blood.


    Her companions seemed to reach some form of consensus, and Malika rose to her feet, relocating to the blocked entryway and sitting cross-legged to face it. The other two settled down to rest.


    At last, as the conversation faded, Ali slowly slumped over, her mind and body finally succumbing to exhaustion.


    ***


    She must have fallen asleep because, next she knew, Malika gently shook her awake. Drawn by the sounds of loud grunting and groaning ¨C primarily from Mato ¨C she sat up and stared. Over at the entrance, the two boys were busy stacking some rocks.


    Puzzled, but unable to ask, she simply watched as they worked. After a lot of pushing and shoving, and generally sweaty work, they had shifted some heavy boulders to create a small wall near the still-blocked doorway.


    In the distance, beyond the cave, Ali could hear the chilling sounds of wolves howling.


    Soon, the Half-elf walked up to her and gestured for her to back away from the entrance.  She repeated his name in her mind. She limped along after him and her worst suspicion was quickly confirmed as he readied his bow and indicated a rock for her to stand behind. A chill of fear touched her spine and she suddenly shivered.


    Calen left her standing there with a few words, delivered in a kind-sounding tone, and headed over to join the others. With some obvious effort, Mato shifted the boulder blocking the entrance to the side, and Calen slipped through into the darkness beyond.


    Time seemed to crawl by in a tense silence broken only by the sounds of their breathing.


    A wolf suddenly yelped in an outburst of pain. Several howls echoed from outside.


    Ali¡¯s breath caught in her throat.


    Suddenly, Calen burst back into the cave with the howling wolfpack hot on his heels. Just as he hurdled the low wall of piled stones, Mato deftly stepped in, fearlessly interposing his bulk and his mace to block the entrance. Then Malika darted in, weaving and ducking around the boulders they had placed, jabbing and kicking at the bunched-up wolves.


    They had not been able to share their strategy with her, nor could she tell them her abilities. Not that she had any combat abilities to speak of. Ali puzzled over their strategy while her heart began to race, fueled by a growing rush of adrenaline that had nowhere to go. Nearly all her mana had regenerated while she slept, but she could only cower behind her boulder while the others risked their lives.


    It gnawed at her. She had only been able to watch while Armand had been cut down trying to protect her. And now it was happening again.


    Suddenly, Malika dove back into the cave with an agile flip, drawing one of the wolves in with her. Ali¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as, instead of blocking it, Mato let the wolf slip past him, keeping his attention on the rest. Calen drew his bow, squinting in the dark, and their plan finally became clear.


    she thought, realizing that Mato was buying Calen and Malika time to take out the isolated wolf while he blocked the rest at the narrow passage into the cave. And she found something she could do. A little thing, but it was far better than cowering in this corner.


    With a simple flash of mana, she conjured a small orb of golden arcane energy and tossed it up near the roof. And dim though it was, the light from her magic filled the cave.


    Calen said something quick and short, a quick grin lighting his face as his shots suddenly grew more rapid.


    For all the panic and frenzy of actual real combat, their strategy seemed to be working quite well. But right then, Mato¡¯s urgent yelling drew her attention to the entryway, and the terrifying sight of a wolf leaping over his head. One of Calen¡¯s arrows thumped into its chest, but it still crashed to the ground, knocking Malika sprawling, and the wolf she had been fighting wasted no time, lunging fangs first at her exposed neck.


    Reacting by pure instinct, Ali threw a disk of crystallized arcane energy at the wolf. It was a tiny thing, no larger than the saucer of a teacup, and yet it materialized right between Malika¡¯s neck and the sharp fangs. The fangs snapped shut with an audible crack and her creation shattered in the wolf¡¯s mouth with a tinkle like fine glass, making the mana dissipate into the air in a cloud of golden sparks.


    Malika¡¯s reactions were incredible, dodging out of the way in the small window of time she had created, scrambling away and bouncing back onto her feet.


    Ali released the breath she had been unconsciously holding.


    Heart still racing from the close call, she searched underground with her plant magic. She did not find any roots in the soil of this cave, but she did find moss and mushrooms. To her relief, they reacted to her nature mana all the same, mycelium thickening and bursting from the ground to tangle wolf paws. Her skill was anything but powerful, so she directed all her focus onto one of the wolves, and as soon as she had some traction, Malika backed up from the struggling monster, drawing the other wolf away.


    The wolf thrashed and bit at her delicate plant magic, but Ali doubled down on her focus, spending more and more mana to keep the moss and fungus growing, tangling the wolf¡¯s paws as quickly as it tore the growth to shreds ¨C but she was spending mana furiously and wouldn¡¯t be able to keep it up for long.


    Ali was so focused on keeping the wolf immobilized that she failed to notice when Calen and Malika killed the first one. She jerked back, startled when Malika rushed past her, and Calen¡¯s arrows began whizzing past her head as they both switched to attacking her wolf.


    With nearly two-thirds of her mana depleted, she released her control over the plants and took a break while Malika and Calen took over.


    A big crash preceded a yell ringing out from the cave entrance. The heavy Alpha wolf rammed into the makeshift wall of rock, knocking it over, before slamming into Mato with the sheer force of its bodyweight. Mato stumbled under the impact, knocked sprawling to the ground, and all the remaining wolves burst into the cave in an explosion of chaos.


    Ali could only stare, rooted to the spot as a huge snarling wolf baring large razor-sharp fangs bounded over the tangled pile coming straight for her. Desperately, she threw arcane magic into its face, but it shattered instantly, not even slowing the huge beast down. Just then, a flying kick slammed into the side of its head as Malika sprang into its path. Fletchings buzzing, an arrow buried itself deep into its flank, but the wolf had so much momentum it carried right past Malika, smashing into the ground and careening into Ali, knocking her flying into the back wall of the cave.


    The impact drove the air from her lungs making her see stars for a moment. She gasped, winded, struggling to crawl away from the ferocious snarling wolf trying to have her for a snack, but right at that moment, Malika leapt in front of it and unleashed a vicious kick to the knee of its left front leg. Once she had its full attention, she stepped back, drawing it away as a second wolf tried to circle around and attack her from behind.


    Relief welled up inside her at the sight of the ravenous wolf turning away, but it was followed instantly by guilt as Ali realized Malika had chosen to get bitten on her behalf.


    Two wolves were far too dangerous to handle without armor, but Malika simply downed a healing potion and unleashed a storm of blows while the magic visibly repaired her wounds. A few punches and arrows later, one of the two wolves dropped and lay unmoving.


    Ali levered herself up using the wall for support, her breathing still ragged and rough from being winded, but slowly recovering. Miraculously, she was alive, and nothing was trying to eat her.


    Malika and Calen were still busy with one wolf, but Mato stood with his back to the wall over at the far side, holding off two, one of which was the huge, muscular Alpha wolf. Blood streamed from several serious bite wounds and gashes on his body, and he was obviously struggling, his movements slow and stumbling.


    She didn¡¯t have a whole lot of mana left, but if she could just distract it a little, maybe that could help ¨C Mato certainly needed something, and soon! She conjured a disk of arcane magic right in the mouth of the Alpha wolf. Reaching below ground, she found the fungal mycelium again and twisted that around the paws of the lesser wolf.


    The Alpha attacked again; a savage bite aimed at Mato¡¯s face. Ali repeated her distraction, causing splinters of gold to burst from its mouth as its fangs snapped shut a hair¡¯s breadth from Mato¡¯s neck. The Alpha snarled its frustration, but Mato did not waste the opportunity. With a deft motion, he retrieved a healing potion from his belt, uncorked it with a flick of his thumb, and tossed the crimson liquid down his throat.


    And as combat resumed, ferocious as ever, his wounds began to close, his vigor returned, and soon he was trading blows with the Alpha.


    With a swish and a thump, an arrow flew past her, striking one of Mato¡¯s wolves, and suddenly Malika leapt into the fray.


    Ali was wheezing, her injuries ached, and she was very nearly out of mana. Glancing back, Ali saw three wolf corpses lying sprawled on the cave floor. With Mato hitting it with his mace and holding its attention, Calen and Malika had free rein to unleash their full power on the last of the lesser Starving Wolves and it quickly dropped to the ground, mangled and bleeding, with several arrows sticking up out of its neck and back.


    Ali thought, but it was the Alpha. And to her dismay, the dramatic healing of Mato¡¯s wounds began to slow.


    Calen yelled something, and Mato shouted a response.


    Something was wrong, and Ali didn¡¯t need to understand the language to tell what it was. The Alpha was a level five monster, and nobody was producing a healing potion.


    The giant shaggy wolf lunged forward, still agile despite the blood running from a half-dozen arrows sticking out of its flanks. As its mouth opened to bite and tear, Ali summoned her arcane magic, recklessly burning her dwindling supply of mana without hesitation. The disk shattered in the wolf¡¯s jaws, blunting the attack just enough to leave Mato with only shallow scratches.


    It howled, shaking its head in fury, and then lunged at Mato¡¯s legs. But this time Ali had her mycelium grown around its hind leg. The power of the monster tore the fungus right out of the ground, ripping it with ease, but its momentum was blunted just enough to cause its powerful jaws to snap shut on air. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With her heartbeat pounding deafeningly in her ears, she focused on the Alpha, watching for the next attack. When it came, it was fast and powerful. Ali summoned another disk of arcane energy, but this time all she got was a tiny golden sparkle that popped in the air as her mana pool ran completely dry.


    She desperately tried again, but her magic was spent, and the Alpha wolf¡¯s fangs sunk into Mato¡¯s thigh, ripping flesh and spraying crimson blood. Mato screamed, but his mace came down with a brutal crack on the back of the Alpha wolf¡¯s head. He pulled it back while Malika and Calen took advantage of his stunning attack to get in a couple of kicks and arrows, and then the mace came down a second time to the sound of bone crunching.


    As the Alpha wolf dropped, a chorus of chimes echoed within Ali¡¯s tired mind. She saw the book appear in her mind and heard the rustling as the page turned. Bright golden text shone on the page.


    Ali simply stood there, staring in disbelief at the blood and unmoving corpse of the Alpha wolf, her body trembling in shock. Mato sank to the rocky ground, holding his wound closed with a bloody hand. The other two went to check on him, but their voices seemed calm. At least calmer than she would have expected if he were dying.


    Finally, she turned her attention to the golden notifications waiting for her.


    Ali stared at the glowing words, frozen in surprise. She shut her mouth and swallowed hard. So many times she had dreamed of this moment. So many nights, waiting for sleep, she had imagined how it would feel. And suddenly, without warning, it was finally here.


    Slowly, she became aware of the excited voices of her companions.


    She studied the notifications, going over them all one more time. Her natural path Class. It was as she had expected ¨C even what she had told Maeria Runeweaver ¨C a common arcane magic research Class would be a fine starting point for her. And without the shrine, she would have been able to build it up with hard work and study.


    Although her dream of having her father conduct her Class ceremony would never come to pass, she had inherited his shrine. And that meant she could finally offer something to these strangers who had selflessly risked their lives to save her.


    Carefully, she levered her tired, bruised, and battered body up and got to her feet.


    ¡°Come,¡± she said, grabbing Malika¡¯s hand and pulling. Seeing the blank look followed by confusion, Ali repeated herself, pulling her hand again. There was a flurry of unintelligible speech among the others and eventually Malika got to her feet.


    When the others remained sitting, Ali repeated the gesture with them, too.


    she thought, pinching her lips together and digging deeper for just a little more patience ¨C being unable to talk was the worst


    At least they understood her quickly enough, and soon she led them out of the cave and towards the Grove where the shrine waited. It was not very far, and with the wolves dead back in the cave, Ali was certain they would be safe. However, her eyes never left the shadows, searching them relentlessly for danger.

 Chapter 8: Soul Monk

    Chapter 8: Soul MonkTalaTala darted down the street, hugging the walls to dodge the broad patches of moonlight. Her soft leather boots barely made a sound as her feet fell lightly on the rough stone pavement.


    She may have grown up in the slums of Myrin¡¯s Keep, but that didn¡¯t mean she could be careless. On the contrary, it merely made her far more cautious of the denizens that prowled the streets after dark.


    But while her eyes and ears were constantly searching the darkest corners and the most likely ambush spots, it was with a breathless lightness that filled her chest. A thrill that had begun when she had watched Donavan Asterford falling into that dark hole and heard the cascade of notifications that had echoed in her mind, clear despite the roaring crash of rock and stone.


    Dagger Rogue was a fantastic natural path class, but her heart was set on something a little¡­ stronger.


    She dodged out from her hiding spot and dashed across the rest of the street, through an alleyway, and then emerged onto the main thoroughfare.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she called out, keeping her voice low as she announced herself to the two armored figures standing guard at the Town Hall. ¡°Class candidate returning for the shrine.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s late to be out,¡± one of the guards said, calling attention to the obvious danger. But then he shifted his feet. ¡°Successful, I hope?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Tala said, plastering a grin on her face that did not even need to be faked.


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± the other guard said, inclining his head. ¡°Go on in, they¡¯re still in there waiting for the stragglers.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said, walking up between them and opening the doors.


    Heads snapped around as she stepped into the Town Hall, and eyes instantly glued themselves to her. Despite her best intentions of showing confidence, she froze on the spot.


    ¡°Oh, Tala!¡± the mayor, William Turner, said, rising to his feet. He let out a deep sigh and then beckoned. ¡°Come, come, we¡¯re so glad to see you. I was beginning to worry ¨C is the rest of your group¡­¡± He trailed off, his eyes flicking briefly to the still-empty doorway behind her.


    This was a question she was prepared for. Her body straightened up and she stepped forward as her habits kicked in.


    ¡°We split up when we got back to town,¡± she said, as smoothly as she could manage. ¡°They didn¡¯t want to risk the streets at night.¡± It was an obvious lie, but one they wouldn¡¯t figure out until later. And by then, it shouldn¡¯t matter.


    She nodded politely to the others sitting at the table, the idealistic Guildmaster of the nascent Adventurers Guild, and the suspicious eyes of Commander Brand¡¯s aide. But the mayor ushered her up to the table and the stone shrine prominently displayed in the center.


    She remembered just how terrified she had been when she had first met him. The sense of his presence had overwhelmed her, leaving her trembling and shaking. It was a common reaction from the unclassed toward certain high-level classes, but she had never experienced it quite so intensely before.


    But when she had pitched her proposal to him, he had agreed to take her under his wing, setting up some easy marks for her. He claimed he knew how to force an Assassin class and was confident enough to stake his offer on her getting one. If this shrine offered her the class when she touched it, she would have a mentor and a job ¨C and access to all the accelerated experience that came with it. And if she didn¡¯t¡­ well, she could make do with Dagger Rogue. It would just take longer to reach her goals.


    ¡°Ok, Tala, it¡¯s ready for you,¡± the mayor said, gesturing toward the stone artifact, inviting her to use it.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said, putting her hand on the cool stone surface. She channeled just a little mana into it as she had been instructed, and the shrine lit up with glowing purple runes.


    ***


    Tala enjoyed the crisp air on her face as she sprinted effortlessly across the slate rooftop with her Stealth and Concealment skills both active. She was effectively invisible even in the moonlit night. No longer were the footfalls of her soft leather boots merely quiet ¨C they were entirely silent. She couldn¡¯t even hear her own breathing.


    The name still caused her heart to flutter with excitement ¨C it was just about the strongest Assassin class she could have unlocked ¨C and well beyond her reasonable expectations. Beyond even what Kieran Mori had promised.


    Kieran Mori¡¯s plan had been remarkably simple ¨C a few easy assassinations before embarking upon the Class Trial as a regular combat candidate and finishing it with a few monster kills. With the experience earned from those assassinations already under her belt, she was expected to unlock her class faster than the other candidates.


    Tala hadn¡¯t fully trusted Kieran Mori¡¯s confidence, despite his sheer presence and reputation. However, his trial had clearly worked.


    she thought. Donavan had been a rather perfect stroke of luck. He had been standing right in front of her, stunned by the suddenly collapsing floor in front of them. And while he would have been fine where he had been standing, it had been so easy to push the entitled prat into the hole as the sewer disintegrated.


    All it took was quick thinking and resourcefulness, she hadn¡¯t even needed to bloody her daggers. Why dirty your hands down in sewers slaying monsters when you could simply take the experience from the people who did? The only reason she had stuck with the group from then on was that she wanted to stab that Street Rat girl in the back during a fight.


    She frowned at the memory. They had had several fights, but Malika had an uncanny awareness of her surroundings, and try as she might, she had not been able to create an opportunity. She had just resolved to switch her target to that Beastkin boy, Mato, before he went charging off into an unwinnable battle, condemning himself and his friends to death, trying to save some dying Fae.


    Dying had the unfortunate property of killing you, and then all your experience and hard work was gone, taken to feed whoever killed you. There was no way she was going to risk that for anyone ¨C certainly not a stranger in some undiscovered cavern underground. No. And now that she had her class, it was she who would be at the top of the food chain, preying on the stupid or the unprepared to fuel her own growth.


    While she was still somewhat terrified of Kieran Mori, at least he had his priorities straight. Experience and growth at all costs. Class levels meant power, and with power came the only reliable way to choose your fate. Nothing less from the man who had earned the title ¡®Sudden Death¡¯.


    Allying herself with the Town Watch and taking Kieran Mori as her personal mentor was the fastest path to growth. And with her class, she could now ensure it. The money would be good ¨C Kieran had allowed her to keep twenty percent of any loot she found on her assassinations.


    she thought. He had been wearing some expensive gear and she could always use some more coin. She hopped across to the next building, making the jump easily with her class bonuses to agility, heading further into the abandoned and rundown warehouse district where the Town Watch had set up their headquarters.


    It had been remarkably easy to fool the mayor with her fluttery-eyed excitement about choosing her ¡®Dagger Rogue¡¯ common class. And as soon as she had announced that, Commander Brand¡¯s aide had lost all interest in her. Dagger-based melee classes were not well suited to manning battlements and Tala well knew that Dagger Rogue did not even boast any scouting skills.


    The new Guildmaster, Vivian Ross, had seemed rather disappointed when she had turned down her offer of guild membership. But there was no way she was going to join any guild like that. It didn¡¯t even matter that she was one of the few three-mark people in town. Kieran was too, and he was far more dangerous than any do-gooder adventurer.


    Besides, there was a sense of brokenness that followed the woman like a faint miasma, a stark contrast to the sheer raw power that radiated from Mori.


    She shook off her thoughts, coming at last to the nondescript building that was the de facto headquarters of the Town Watch. Tala had done her research. The Town Watch was no mere local guard operation for some two-bit town. If it were, there would be no reason for someone like Kieran Mori to run it, nor would someone like him be content to remain there. It had taken a significant amount of digging, but learning that the entire outfit was secretly the tool of the Hawkhurst Trading Company had been the final detail that sealed her decision.


    Even though he had not said as much, she knew that taking Kieran Mori¡¯s offer would expose her to far more opportunities than she had initially imagined.


    She hopped down from the roof, marveling at the perfect silence of her landing, and crept forward using the cover of trash and broken walls to sneak closer, reveling in her new skills. Just as she was about to drop her concealment skills and stealth and announce herself to the guard standing before the nondescript door in the middle of a decrepit wall covered with graffiti, it swung open on well-oiled hinges.


    Tala froze.


    A man with a stocky frame, wearing a professional smile and an expensive tan business suit stepped out.


    Tala had seen Jax Hawkhurst only a few times ¨C mostly at town council formal events, but she instantly recognized him.


    He stepped into the street, not even looking at the guard now standing at attention, and then the leather-clad figure of Kieran Mori emerged, his steps speaking of restrained power and his presence radiating into the alleyways. The guard by the entrance flinched. Kieran dismissed him, and he fled inside the building.


    And then a third figure appeared, making Tala¡¯s heart jump to her throat as blood drained from her face. The elegantly dressed man walked up to Jax and shook his hand.


    ¡°Thank you, Jax,¡± Bastian said. ¡°Good doing business with you as always. Know you can count on the Asterford family¡¯s support in this matter.¡±


    Tala knew him. As did everyone in the town. He was the head of the Asterford family and one of the royal representatives on the town council. One of the most powerful nobles in Myrin¡¯s Keep.


    Obviously, she had known who Donavan Asterford was. And she had no compunctions about killing the entitled son of a noble. But she hadn¡¯t been aware that his father was Jax Hawkhurst¡¯s secret business partner. If Jax found out what Tala had done down in the sewers, not only would her job with Kieran Mori be forfeit, but likely also her life. He was not a man with a reputation for mercy or understanding ¨C it wouldn¡¯t matter one bit that she had no way of knowing their clandestine dealings ¨C if she was discovered hurting his business or allies, she would find herself, like so many others, floating down the river in many pieces. Or forced to cripple her class and be sold off to the next Kel¡¯darran caravan. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She stood rooted in the shadows, her mind racing with half-baked plans of running away, her jaw clenched to the point of cramping. A discreet unmarked carriage appeared and Bastian left. Jax spoke a few words to Kieran, who simply nodded, and then Jax vanished using some magic teleportation spell.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Kieran Mori still faced away from her, but he was clearly addressing her directly. There was nobody else in the newly deserted alley.


    She dropped her stealth immediately. ¡°Practicing my skills, sir,¡± she said quickly, hiding her relief that her voice hadn¡¯t betrayed her fear.


    ¡°Your stealth is too good for Assassin,¡± he said. There was no question in his flat and unemotional tone, and Tala knew instinctively that she was treading on treacherous ground.


    ¡°I got Silent Assassin,¡± she said, not willing to risk making up a lie. ¡°It¡¯s an uncommon class with a further stealth specialization. I get advanced stealth and concealment, dagger specialization, and ambush.¡±


    He turned slowly and fixed her with a piercing gaze while she squirmed under the pressure, trying desperately to appear calm. Taking initiative on class choice was strictly prohibited in his organization, and he brutally enforced the rule, but this was a significant upgrade, so she hadn¡¯t expected him to be angry. Nor had she even been offered the Assassin class he had told her to take.


    ¡°Good,¡± he said finally. ¡°Do not mention what you saw to anyone, not even other members of the Watch.¡± He spun on his heel and entered the building, clearly expecting her to follow.


    She scrambled into motion, racing to catch up with his long stride.


    ¡°I have your first job already,¡± he said.


    Tala¡¯s eyes widened suddenly as her heart suddenly skipped a beat. She instantly accepted the contracted Tithe Enchantment of his patronage, without even pausing to see the details. Tendrils of magic settled within her chest, a vaguely nauseating discomfort, like runes inscribed directly upon the parchment of her soul.


    Malika


    Malika lowered herself gingerly to the damp mossy ground beside the corpse of the massive shaggy Alpha wolf, caring nothing for the blood and dirt she was sitting in.


    She hurt.


    Everywhere.


    The fight had been exactly as dangerous as she had feared, and now she was covered in bite wounds, cuts, and gashes, many of which were still bleeding. In fact, the only thing she had not predicted correctly was the astonishing fact that, despite all odds, she was still breathing.


    she reflected wryly. Without that last healing potion, she would certainly have died mid-battle. She had literally used the full duration of the slow pulsing tick of its healing magic to outlast the wolves tearing at her flesh. For all that she was sitting in pain, drenched in her own slowly drying blood, she was simply glad to be alive.


    The starkly simple notifications listing what had died seemed woefully inadequate to convey just how close it had been. Even in death, the Starving Alpha seemed to exude raw strength and power. Fighting a level five monster without a class was a recipe for suicide ¨C anyone would agree ¨C even with all four of them. As she reflected on the fight, her notification chime sounded once again, surprising her with several new messages glowing blueish-white in her mind.


    While she had been expecting it sometime soon, she still recoiled from the notification as the bile rose, burning in her throat.


    Her shoulders slumped at the sight she had been dreading for so long, dragged down by a sudden heaviness that seemed to hang from her neck.


    Ten years of indentured servitude to the Town Watch mattered more than her family, her passion growing up, and her very sense of self. That single notification at once defined her by her actions, and simultaneously ignited a deep frustrated anger within her heart. While she had expected something like this, she was still terrified that when she used the shrine back at the Town Hall, her second choice would be revealed to be just as awful.


    Her natural path, the Thief class, was just about the worst possible option for her. A non-combat class focused on burglary ¨C clearly coerced by the Appraise, Lockpicking, and Pickpocket skills she had been forced to learn. Adrik and Edrik would be so happy ¨C she could already hear their gloating in her mind ¨C and that alone was plenty of reason to hate the class.


    The biggest problem was that she would identify as ¡®Thief¡¯ to anyone who bothered to use Identify on her ¨C a skill possessed by at least a third of the town ¨C which meant she would be shunned from normal society. Far more than even the distrust she was afforded from just her Street Rat title ¨C and would require the support of an organization just like Kieran Mori¡¯s Town Watch to shield her.


    No decent person picked Thief unless they had no choice. Unfortunately, that happened all too often in the slums of Myrin¡¯s Keep.


    The rest of her life¡¯s direction hinged on whatever was available at that shrine, and the sheer terror threatened to overwhelm the small spark of hope in her heart. She felt within her the powerful need to shift her fate, but it felt as hopeless as trying to push a mountain aside.


    ¡°Did you¡­¡± she began.


    ¡°I got a class¡­¡± Calen spoke quietly.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Mato announced, his excitement echoing loudly in the small cave.


    They all spoke over each other in a rush. Her stomach twisted at the sight of their grinning faces and, perhaps uncharitably, she envied their excitement, but she chose not to share her private anxiety over her class.


    she thought, realizing that they had all earned their classes at the same time. Tuning out the excited chatter of the two boys, she glanced again at the wolf corpses strewn across the cave, recalling the wild struggle of the fight and the odds stacked against them.


    she told herself, driven by a powerful need to control her anxiety.  Malika deliberately steadied her breathing. she thought, ignoring the fact that she had stopped praying to them precisely because of the unfairness of her life. If shegot any decent class, she would finally be able to work her way free of Adrik and Edrik and the rest of the despicable Town Watch, pay off her debts, and earn an honest living.


    It was with a small sense of rekindled hope that she looked up curiously at Aliandra now standing before her, speaking in her strange language.


    Of their little improbable group, she looked the worst. Amber and red blood mingled, drenching her tattered clothes, and matting her long green hair. Her eyes still held a dazed wideness as she tried to speak yet again.


    As Malika tried to make sense of her strange lyrical words, the Fae girl reached out and took her hand, tugging insistently. Malika studied the delicate frown and the huge earnest eyes peering out from behind the mask of dried blood that caked her face, trying to decipher her meaning. Her kind were rare ¨C far rarer than the stories would have you believe ¨C and Malika had never seen a Fae in person before. Her long green hair was so vibrant it almost seemed luminous with natural golden highlights that matched her eyes.


    Even the tiny golden wings that were twitching with suppressed emotion as she struggled to make herself understood were stunning, glowing a soft golden hue.


    The wings were tiny even on her frame, and if she could have just taken to the air, she would never have been trapped fighting those wolves.


    Aliandra spoke again and pulled. It was the tired pull of a tiny person almost entirely spent.


    Slowly, Malika stood up. ¡°What do you need?¡± she asked. It was clear that Aliandra wanted her to follow but was unable to tell her why.  As soon as Malika began to move, Aliandra repeated her gesture with the boys.


    ¡°I think she wants us to go with her,¡± Malika told them. Whatever she wanted, it seemed important, but not the kind of urgency that told of imminent danger.


    ¡°Can¡¯t hurt to see what she wants,¡± Mato said, grunting as he heaved himself to his feet.


    His voice was back to his usual friendly self, and Malika frowned briefly. She hadn¡¯t forgiven him for getting them all into this mess in the first place, but for now, she was willing to let it slide. And probably, once she returned to town and figured out her class, she wouldn¡¯t have to deal with him anymore.


    She limped out of the cave, careful to avoid the patches of blood-slicked stone, grimacing as she was forced to put weight on her more injured leg.  she thought. The deep lacerations inflicted by the sharp wolf canines would probably require a trip to the Temple of Lunar¨¦ if she didn¡¯t want to be permanently crippled. And that meant she would need to find money. She sighed. Another problem for later.


    She followed the tiny barefoot Fae out of the cave and on into the ancient dead forest, her thoughts, for once, not consumed with possible danger. Instead, her mind raced, running in incessant circles like a dog chasing its own tail. Hope, and the promise of deliverance from her miserable existence at the hands of Adrik and Edrik ¨C if the shrine showed her a good class. Despair at the inevitability of another class like Thief. Surely it would give her something worse. Around and around her thoughts spiraled, like muddy water circling the drain of despair.


    she thought, trying to quash the maelstrom within her through sheer power of will. she added.


    It was easy to follow Aliandra in the darkness and Malika¡¯s injuries appreciated the slower pace. Golden light shone from the tiny disk of mana that hovered above her head, and from the short, stubby wings that jutted out, protruding from the back of her torn t-shirt.


    The thought popped right into her head, along with an inexplicable pang of sadness. A sudden juxtaposition of freedom and clipped wings.


    And yet Malika could not help but marvel at the floating construct. It was rare for people to have a mana affinity, let alone before they earned their class. Even though Aliandra¡¯s magic seemed fragile and delicate, Malika owed her life to that Fae magic. Somehow, Aliandra ¨C a person of such tiny stature that Mato¡¯s biceps were probably bigger than her torso ¨C had managed to turn the tide of the battle at the most critical moment. She had courage, that was for certain.


    Their winding path took them around ancient fallen trees, thick trunks lying taller than houses, with piles of shattered bones nestled up against the dark and blackened wood. Black mushrooms and fungus grew everywhere, adding to the ominous sense of death and the stench of decay.


    Somewhere during the fight, Malika had lost her shoes. Not that they had been particularly sturdy or secure in the first place. But she felt the transition as her feet left the squishy damp earth and found purchase on a stone pathway hidden beneath a thin layer of dirt.


    Suddenly, they rounded a massive decaying blackened stump, bigger than most they had passed so far, and emerged into a large clearing. Malika stopped and stared. All about the dead grove, golden glowing shards sparkled brightly in the darkness, embedded into trees and stone in a radial pattern around the epicenter of what must have been an enormous explosion.


    Aliandra¡¯s magic faded, unneeded in the bright glow, and Malika couldn¡¯t help but notice that it had been exactly the same golden color. The same color as the explosion that had woken her up in that alleyway.


    It was clearly the aftermath of some tremendously powerful arcane event, and yet she couldn¡¯t fathom what it might have been. she wondered, glancing at Aliandra. But the profound sadness etched upon the Fae¡¯s face told her in an instant that it was something infinitely more personal. This place held a deep meaning for their strange companion.


    ¡°Look,¡± Calen said, pointing, his voice hushed.


    Raising her head, Malika found a tall obelisk of black stone looming up out of the darkness beyond the shattered golden shards. It was smooth, the surface highly polished, and it stood far taller than even Mato or Calen. With a black so dark it stood out even against the darkness of the cavern, seeming to consume every trace of light. Faintly glowing markings covered the surface, runes etched in soft green and gold.


    she thought, suddenly struck by the similarity to the artifact William Turner used back in the Town Hall. Once so impressive to her, the small artifact she had used to unlock her experience seemed but a toy beside the immense construct looming before her. Even as she stepped forward, she sensed the pressure radiating from it, a tangible force prickling against her skin.


    ¡°It looks like a class shrine,¡± Calen said, moving up to stand beside her, his eyes glued to the stone.


    Even though he echoed her own thoughts, Malika struggled to believe it. ¡°If that¡¯s a class shrine, we would still need the owner to activate it for us,¡± she said. The mayor¡¯s class shrine had remained worthless, inert until he had specifically activated it for her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that will be a problem,¡± Calen answered, ¡°Look at the owner.¡±


    She used Appraise.


    Shrine of the Ancient Grove


    Owner: Aliandra Amariel


    Mana Siphon (Active)


    Mana: Unlock class experience


    Mana: Unlock or enhance latent magical affinities


    Mana: Unlock alternate classes


    Owner¡¯s Mana: Recharge the shrine¡¯s mana reserve. 308,050/1,250,000


    Quality: Unique


    Value: Soulbound


    Shrine ¨C Artifact


    ¡°By the ancestors¡­¡± she whispered, her feet forgetting how to walk in the moment as she stared openmouthed at the monumental artifact.


    Malika glanced over at Aliandra in surprise, finding that she had turned and was watching her as if waiting for her response. As soon as she met her eyes, Aliandra made an inviting gesture towards her and pointed to the shrine.


    Malika turned back to study the shrine carefully, her heart beginning to thump within her chest as a mix of apprehension and anticipation spiked within her.  she thought. It was the second time she had ever appraised a soulbound item ¨C the first being William Turner¡¯s shrine. And the first time she had ever seen something of unique-grade quality.


    Even without language, Aliandra¡¯s intention was clear, and Malika knew she was procrastinating. Wrestling with nerves that threatened to spiral out of control, Malika stepped up and placed her hand on the cool stone surface of the shrine.


    She channeled her mana into the shrine taking the option to unlock an alternate class, and a sudden chime sounded in her mind.


    The world dropped out from under her as she stared at her options. The nightmare she had dreaded had come true ¨C all her available choices were related to her last few years of forced crime and larceny. She stared dumbfounded at the crushing reality ¨C she hadn¡¯t even realized this shrine would unlock more than one alternate class choice, but even so, every single one of her choices was equally awful.


    Clamping down on the powerful urge to cry, she lowered her head trying to hide her shame. Even if she refused the choices, the Thief class would be forced on her, and then she would be stuck, forced unfairly into a life of crime.


    she thought, trying desperately to believe it. The Assassin class would at least identify as a ¡®Rogue¡¯. But the thought of taking a class that was best used for murder filled her with a wave of nausea as her guts twisted into a knot.


    She looked at the Thug.  She tried to make it seem better, but she was absolutely certain that this was Adrik and Edrik¡¯s class.


    Just as she was about to break down, a tiny hand shook her by the shoulder, a small touch that reached through her shame insistent that she notice.  Malika tried to focus on Aliandra who was speaking quickly and showing a hand with two fingers raised in a ¡®V¡¯ and gesturing urgently to the shrine. She repeated the gesture several times, clearly frustrated with her inability to communicate.


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Malika¡¯s frustration and despair crept out into her voice.


    ¡°I think she¡¯s saying the shrine has two options we can use,¡± Calen said.


    Surprised, Malika looked again. Sure enough, there  a second option. It had been there all along, and in her focus and anxiety about class choices, she had not even seen it. Struggling to prevent an irrational surge of hope, she let a little of her mana flow into the mysteriously worded option for latent magical affinity.


    She confirmed the choice.


    The shrine hummed and a deep resonant gong sounded within her mind.


    Sudden power thrummed through her body, and she felt the hair stand up on the back of her arms and neck. The entire clearing flared into noon brightness as her body began to emit a powerful bluish-white light that seemed to burst out from within. Her ears filled with a roaring like a powerful waterfall crashing down, around, and through her. The energy coursing through her tore through her body, mind, and soul, raising her like a ragdoll several feet into the air, blasting open hidden doors within her mind, doors to places at once familiar and simultaneously entirely foreign to her.


    Suddenly the power vanished, and the shrine fell silent once again. She dropped to the ground in a heap, her legs momentarily unresponsive, as darkness returned to the clearing.


    Her hand shook with the aftereffects of the rush of power and no small amount of nervousness as she touched the shrine once again to see how her class choices might have changed.


    She clutched at her heart, holding her breath against the flutters that exploded in her belly. It had changed, but was it enough?


    It seemed she had lost the Smuggler and Assassin class offerings, and in their place, she had gained two magic combat class choices, presumably based on her newly discovered latent affinity for soul magic. In trepidation she opened the first new offering, the Soul Assassin class, but immediately discarded it as simply a more powerful version of the basic Assassin.


    With a trembling hand touching the cold stone of the shrine, she opened her final class choice.


    Soul Monk


    Requirements:


    Ahn Khen bloodline.


    Soul Magic affinity.


    Meditation skill.


    Fought multiple enemies unarmed and unarmored.


    Used martial arts and acrobatic techniques in combat.


    Saved a companion¡¯s life in combat.


    Has received extensive training in Martial Arts.


    Attributes: +10 per level.


    Traits: Soul, Bloodline, Combat, Melee, Defense, Healing, Dexterity, Wisdom, Endurance.


    Quality: Rare.


    Class ¨C Combat


    Her breath caught in her throat as she frantically reread the description looking for that detail that would show it to be a lie and destroy her hope. But she could find nothing. She was looking at a rare martial artist class with the backing of soul magic rooted in her ancestral heritage.


    She had never even seen the sacred texts, but the elders spoke sagely of the wisdom contained in their pages.


    Moments ticked away while she stared, scarcely believing what she was being offered. Memories of her childhood in the dojo flickered through her mind, practicing her forms and drills, listening to her parents¡¯ instruction, and dreaming of the future.


    The years since the destruction of her hometown and her family had been harsh, brutally crushing her dreams and grinding them to dust. In this one moment, all her hopes and dreams reignited with an intensity that made her heart race. And for the first time in ten years, she did not instantly squash them.


    Quickly, before something else changed, or the unbelievable glowing words vanished back to wherever they had come from, she confirmed the class choice.


    Malika stumbled away from the shrine, landing on the stone of the path as her new class absorbed all her hard-earned combat skills in a wave of vision-blurring dizziness that made her queasy.


    But the chimes continued, heralding the brightly shining lines of blue-white script that marched across her mind¡¯s eye, a relentless searing song of change that burned itself into her very soul.


    Martial Artist ¨C level 1


    Requires: Unarmed.


    You are proficient with unarmed and acrobatic martial arts fighting styles. Your reaction speed is enhanced.


    Stamina: Deliver a Melee Attack with any part of your body. Attack damage is increased by +42.7% .


    Physical, Melee, Attack, Mastery, Dexterity


    Soul Strike ¨C level 1


    Mana: Enhance a Melee Attack with your Soul magic, striking directly at the life energy of your opponent. A portion of this health is returned to you. Your Attack gains +54% additional Soul damage Range: Touch.


    Soul, Melee, Support, Wisdom


    Healing Mantra ¨C level 1


    Mana: The connection between your body and soul is strong. Instantly regenerate mortal wounds and restore health to anyone you touch. Range: Touch.


    Soul, Melee, Healing, Wisdom


    Perfect Body ¨C level 1


    Mana: Your Endurance, Wisdom, and Dexterity are increased by +42.3% . Reserve: 20%


    Soul, Buff, Wisdom


    Soul Armor ¨C level 1


    Requires: No body armor or shield equipped.


    Mana: Your soul reinforces your body increasing your Armor by +7 Reserve: 10%


    Soul, Melee, Defense, Endurance


    Enlightened Evasion ¨C level 1


    Requires: No body armor or shield equipped.


    Stamina: Your martial arts grants insight into avoiding physical attacks. While unencumbered by armor, your Evasion is increased by +7  Reserve: 10%


    Physical, Melee, Defense, Dexterity


    She sat in the middle of the path overcome with emotion, letting the tears of joy and relief spill unnoticed down her face. Through the haze of her vision, she could make out a concerned expression as Aliandra hovered nearby.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Malika said, giving words to the upwelling surge of gratitude in her heart, and reached out her hand, knowing she would not be understood. If it had not been for Aliandra¡¯s shrine, she knew she would be up in the Town Hall trying to decide which of her initial class choices was the least awful. As soon as her fingers touched Aliandra¡¯s hand, she used her new Healing Mantra skill. A surge of energy flowed through her, passing through her hands and into the Fae girl, and, with a flash of blueish-white light, instantly erased the scrapes and bruises she had sustained in the fight.


    She had just healed someone instantly, and all it took was a little of her mana. Even Aliandra yelped with surprise, examining her now unblemished skin.


    She channeled her mana a second time, this time healing herself. It cost significantly more mana, and she felt the burning energy searing through her own body as her wounds closed and her health recovered in a rush. The sudden lack of pain was almost shocking, her mind seeming to refuse to believe it for a moment. But when she rose to her feet, she could walk without limping.


    Quickly, she healed Calen and then Mato. For all his jovial and friendly outward attitude, the Beastkin had been severely injured and he took even more mana to heal than she had spent on herself.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said with a straightforward honest smile.


    ¡°You were hiding some serious wounds,¡± she said. ¡°You should have said something.¡± Given what she had sensed from her skill, he must have been ignoring an enormous amount of pain.


    ¡°Not much use complaining,¡± he answered with a shrug. ¡°We were out of healing potions.¡±


    Malika finally found a large flat rock and sat, landing heavily, her head spinning with all the new information and changes. ¡°I need a minute.¡± Closing her eyes, she settled herself with her Meditation skill for a few moments. With her new, calmer perspective, she reviewed all the changes, trying to get an overall sense of what she had unlocked.


    Everything Malika had dreamed of was wrapped up in her new Martial Artist attack skill. She would put her training to good use and develop her technique and style. Soul Strike seemed to be a powerful support skill that could turn any kick or punch she made with her Martial Artist skill into potent attacks enhanced with her new soul magic. But the ability to recover health on each attack was extraordinary, she couldn¡¯t think of one example of a fighting class that started with such an ability.


    She continued her cataloging, slowly forming her overall impression of what she had gained.  Malika considered the implications carefully. She didn¡¯t quite know how, but she felt that this class really resonated with who she was, almost as if it had been created  her.


    she thought soberly. Suppressing her dreams for so long might just be the reason she had been offered classes that were so antithetical to her view of herself. Those classes had been offered to the person she had allowed herself to become.


    It had to have been her actions in that last fight that finally resulted in a class that matched her heart¡¯s desire. The Street Rat would have run, cementing her path forever. But she had thrown herself into an impossible fight against a wolf pack to save Aliandra, and somehow, she had reconnected to the core of herself: her hopes, dreams, her identity, and her life before Myrin¡¯s Keep, all rolled up into one. It was the first time she had put her life on the line and used her martial arts training to save someone.


    She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.


    Considering her rough day, and the advice her parents had always given, she spent two of her ten attribute points on vitality. Then she put four into dexterity and two each into wisdom and endurance.


    She smiled as she looked over her status, finding the familiar blue-white floating text to have dramatically updated.


    she thought.


    She had a lot to think about.


    Her class had given her quite the extraordinary Aptitude ¨C enhanced stamina regeneration and the ability to substitute stamina for mana would mean quite a lot of flexibility in using her skills.


    She continued down the sheet, examining each detail. One of the primary traits for her Soul Monk class was defense, and it seemed this manifested in her Soul Armor and Enlightened Evasion skills ¨C both of which were passive defense skills.  she thought, her eyes drawn to the mana and stamina reserve cost for each respectively.


    She recalled the description for her Soul Armor to her mind, prodding the glowing blue-white words that appeared, trying to dislodge a hint or two, but nothing was forthcoming.


    The skill clearly indicated that it needed mana, but the entire ¡®reserve¡¯ concept was new to her. Both of those had taken mana to power them.


    She cleared her mind and focused on the glowing text of the description and tried to shove a little mana at it. Nothing happened, but¡­ It wasn¡¯t the text, but she had felt something hidden seemingly beyond it. She refocused on whatever that was and fed it a little mana.


    In a sudden surge that filled her body, that  shifted, and a sizeable chunk of her mana vanished, diverted and drawn into whatever it was in an instant.


    Pale blue-white runes shimmered across her skin, soaking in, and quickly fading away, leaving her feeling somewhat¡­ denser? She flexed her arms, but her movement felt the same as normal. She poked herself with a finger. Instead of giving like normal, her skin and muscle seemed to resist the pressure of her finger, refusing to bend.


    Excitement mounting, she tried Enlightened Evasion. Instead of mana, she fed it stamina, but besides that, she found the skill quickly, and just like Soul Armor, it consumed a big chunk.


    she thought. Only the Ancestors, or perhaps some of the Elders, could credibly claim enlightenment. But her thought vanished at the sensation of the runes once again alighting on her skin and imbuing her body with their power. This time, as they faded into her, she sensed responsiveness rather than denseness. She waved her arm back and forth, trying to capture the feeling of what had changed. She wasn¡¯t exactly faster, but the movements definitely seemed to come easier.


    As her skills turned on, her mana and stamina available for other skills decreased by the amount reserved.  she thought, confirming her understanding of how the cost worked. Turning the skills on and off seemed intuitive enough, now that she had figured it out, but then an idea occurred to her.


    She found it surprisingly straightforward to switch her Soul Armor from using mana to using stamina instead.


    She switched it back to mana.  she thought, considering that she would likely always be using her Martial Artist skill, spending stamina to empower her training.


    Satisfied that she understood her defense skills, at least in principle, she moved on to her Perfect Body skill.  She remembered her lessons stressing the importance of increasing your skills by investing in the appropriate attributes. This skill would increase all her attributes and it would grow as she leveled. Curious, she activated the skill. Her skin flickered briefly with the glowing runes that gently faded away after a few moments. Her body immediately felt lighter and faster.


    She opened her status once again to see the effects. The first thing she noticed was a new line that had appeared right below her Street Rat title.


    she thought. Her eyes strayed down the much longer list of text to find her attributes.


    No wonder she felt lighter and faster. Her endurance, dexterity, and wisdom were indeed significantly higher with the skill activated, just as the skill description indicated. As a result of the attribute increases to endurance and wisdom, her maximum stamina and mana had risen to one hundred and ninety and one hundred and eighty respectively, although the available totals were shown as lower because of the cost of running her Perfect Body, Enlightened Evasion, and Soul Armor simultaneously. The reservation costs for her defense skills had risen proportionally too. Additionally, every single skill that was tagged with one of the boosted attributes had presumably improved because of it.  But she felt it made sense that the skill wouldn¡¯t boost itself.


    Her status sheet had been updated to reflect the effects of her two defense skills now that she was using them. From her training, she knew that her Dodge and Damage Reduction percentages represented her abilities versus an attacker of the same level. The effectiveness would decline against higher-level monsters or against skills that were designed to oppose her defenses. However, ¡®always on¡¯ skills like hers had substantial advantages over crafted armor. It would not be possible to avoid her armor with accuracy, for example, unlike the leather armor Mato was wearing which necessarily left some portions of the body exposed to attacks, and hence vulnerable to precision strikes or area damage.


    It felt a little like being in math class all over again, but this time the numbers would mean the difference between life and death. Soul Monk was far better than anything she could have hoped for. Feeling uncharacteristically whimsical, she gave herself a good, hard pinch just to check she wasn¡¯t still asleep on that wood pile. One day she might even have a chance to settle the score with Adrik and Edrik.


    she summarized for herself. The big picture made more sense to her than the details, but she was happy she had made herself understand the specifics too ¨C who knew when she would need to change something in an emergency?


    she thought, deciding that the seemingly expensive total reservation costs were easily worth it for what her skills gave her. She got up and moved through several kicking and punching drills to get a sense of the enhanced speed and how it would affect her. Her grin grew as she flew through the drills faster than she had ever moved, and with more precision than she believed possible.


    The remainder of her abilities would have to wait for an enemy before she could test them properly, so she sat and watched her companions using the shrine, resonating with the excitement on Calen¡¯s face as he lit up the entire clearing with an intense pure white light, and Mato¡¯s joyous exclamation as his latent mana affinity turned the space into a green glowing aura with ethereal floating leaves.

 Chapter 9: Grove Warden

    Chapter 9: Grove Warden- Excerpt from . Journal of Magic, Rizlet, et. al.


    Aliandra


    Even though she couldn¡¯t understand what they were saying, the excitement each of her companions showed as they took their turn at the shrine was palpable and contagious. Even Malika, who had obviously seen something personally horrifying the first time she used the shrine, was now so clearly happy that Ali¡¯s heart soared just to see her transformation.


    This ancient shrine was her only remaining connection to her family, ownership having somehow passed from her father to herself upon his death. It stood as an anchor of stability amid the unfamiliar, warped, and terrifying world she had found herself in upon waking. Even the glowing shards ¨C remnants of her mother¡¯s magic explosively embedded in the stone of the shrine ¨C served only to remind her of how she had been saved.


    Offering this shrine to these three who had put their very lives in danger to rescue her felt right, a way for her to give back, and at the same time to grasp a little control of the headlong rush of danger her life had become since that fateful meeting in the library.


    After activating the shrine for each of them in turn, she finally turned to her own class choice, curious to see what she might choose to become. The Shrine of the Ancient Grove was running very low on mana, but she had already used the affinity enhancement option, and she was confident there would be enough mana remaining for her to choose her class. If she were honest with herself, she had felt a pang of worry when Malika had needed to activate the shrine twice to get her class choices, but the second activation had used substantially less mana, leaving Ali with just enough to get her own class.


    The bewildering array of choices offered by the shrine left her stunned and somewhat confused ¨C she had expected she would be offered only non-combat classes. Having spent so much of her earlier years studying and preparing for her class choice, she already knew all the non-combat class offerings without even needing to look.


    However, she had never seen herself even being offered a combat class ¨C Ali had definitely not expected that her clumsy and terrifying battle with the rat, and helping her rescuers against the wolves, would earn her an entirely different set of directions.


    She shook off her surprise, resolving to study each option, no matter how unlikely she was to pick it. Arcane Scholar and Librarian were both classes she was quite familiar with ¨C Arcane Scholar in particular would help her with her job hunt.


    she reminded herself somberly.


    Arcane Analyst, an uncommon class, was one of the typical paths to the scholarly archmage ¨C and one of her favorite backup choices. But that was before she had lost¡­ everyone. Everything was different now.


    Her eyes came to rest on the Runic Sage, and her hand pressing against the cool surface of the shrine trembled slightly. Maeria Runeweaver had told her not to expect the rare class of her dreams, and yet she had still offered to train her for it. But even without the trial, Ali had still unlocked it.


    Unable to keep hold of her emotions, she opened the class amid the crescendo of her own anticipation, anxiety, and hope.


    Runic Sage


    Requirements:


    Arcane Magic affinity.


    Any second magical affinity.


    Unlocked a magic general skill.


    Extensively studied the theory of magic.


    Experienced a rare magic.


    Proficient in multiple languages.


    Scholar skill.


    Reading skill.


    Memorize skill.


    Able to accurately reproduce ten or more runes.


    Attributes: +10 per level.


    Traits: Arcane, Knowledge, Runic Magic, Inscription, Analysis, Crafting, Intelligence.


    Quality: Rare.


    Class ¨C Non-combat


    Ali¡¯s heart soared as she read the description ¨C this class was everything she had ever wanted and more. With it, she would become one of the most prominent researchers of magic in all of Dal¡¯mohra. She imagined how her colleagues would react when she shared her class with them, how she would spend all her time in the library advancing the understanding of magic.


    And then, the dark cloud of reality suddenly crushed her joyous fantasy.


    She didn¡¯t even know if the library still stood, but the massive landslide of the mountain falling down and burying this entire place must have left an irreparable wake of destruction. The events of that fateful night replayed in all their horror, still terrifyingly fresh within her mind. Her home and family had been brutally ripped from her, and at the hands of a self-professed magical research genius.


    Even though she would not, could not, choose a path like his, his actions still cast a pall over her pristine dream of magical research.


    ? Even if she chose her dream class, what good would it do without the library, and all her research colleagues to support her?


    Instead, her own powerlessness replayed relentlessly within her mind. The precious little she was able to do against the wolves. The terror and rage of facing the rat. The sight of Maeria Runeweaver sliding off the blood-drenched blade. Armand and the gruesome spray of blood. And the truth of her inability to protect her mother against the power of the Lich.


    The anger and rage she had experienced facing the rat slowly mingled with the sense of powerlessness and grief she had been subjected to in Nevyn Eld¡¯s presence, and it crystallized into something resembling resolve. She wasn¡¯t certain what exactly, but she didn¡¯t want to be powerless anymore. Her mind shuddered at the thought of facing Nevyn Eld again, this time without her mother to protect her. With her new sense of purpose, and no small amount of trepidation, she began studying the combat class offerings carefully. She would not rush in until she had read and understood everything she was being offered.


    Arcane Mage was a common mage class, with a somewhat uncommon affinity. She would have access to a balanced set of offensive and defensive arcane magic.  Phytomancer focused on her affinity with nature magic. It seemed to be a clear extension of how she had used Plant Growth in combat to defeat the rat ¨C a mage class focused heavily on offensive plant magic.  she thought. Perhaps a little like Aunt Lira, or her dad¡¯s magic.


    Both of the classes looked quite practical, and the uncommon Phytomancer even looked like it would be extraordinarily powerful, but Ali was saddened reading each of them. If she had to choose one of them, she would be giving up everything she was passionate about, other than the ability to actually wield one of her mana affinities to defend herself.


    Finally, she examined the last class. Ali had never heard of a hybrid class before, so she opened it with some curiosity and surprise.


    Requirements:


    Defeated a higher-level enemy in solo combat.


    Defeated multiple enemies without combat skills or spells.


    Remained committed to the same area for over 3000 years.


    Arcane Magic affinity.


    Nature Magic affinity.


    Used magic in combat without a class.


    Defended the sacred shrine within your family¡¯s ancestral grove from monsters.


    Wielded magic against an overwhelming foe in defense of family and companions and survived. Strong commitment to study and understanding magic.


    Attributes: +10 per level.


    Traits: Arcane, Nature, Knowledge, Defense, Domain, Intelligence


    Quality: Unique.


    Class ¨C Hybrid


    Tears spilled down her face as she read the class and the requirements that she had met in order to unlock it. Everything was there, her struggles, her heartache, her grief, and her passion. She knew in an instant ¨C deep in her heart ¨C that this was her class. But she still forced herself to reread it carefully.


    It was the first thing that leapt out to the analytical part of her mind after wiping her tears from her cheeks. She glanced at the dead, blackened trees, realizing just how immense their magical energy must have been for them to have been preserved for so long. On a sudden hunch, she pulled up the strange, mysterious Ancient title she had been somehow awarded in her long slumber and focused on it to see more details.


    Ancient


    You are more noticeable to perceptive people. This effect increases with age.


    Title


    It seemed a little worrisome, especially as she wouldn¡¯t be able to dismiss the effect or discard the title, and until she earned a new one, it would even show whenever someone Identified her. But her title and age worries faded in the face of larger problems.


    It was her first thought after fully grasping just how long she had been sequestered by her mother¡¯s magic. She shivered, realizing just how scared she was of him ¨C how much he had hurt her.


    Gathering her thoughts, she considered the class carefully. Her father had used a domain-bound class, tied to this very forest that now stood in ruin and decay. Aunt Lira too, as a dryad, had been domain-bound to her enormous forest that lay to the south of the city. Lira had often visited but had to return after a few days. Ali assumed that this class would be similar, bound to an area, but not entirely limited in travel.


    Examining her feelings, Ali found she had no strong desire to leave. In fact, her desire was to restore this forest and find the remains of the grand library. The class reminded her a lot of her father, especially with the references to the shrine and the ancestral grove that had been his responsibilities until they passed to her. The memories of her father brought back the crushing sadness and she teared up for a while. But the sadness and the aching of her heart seemed to crystallize her resolve. She would restore the forest and Grove to its former glory. She wouldn¡¯t let her home remain decayed and ugly, trampled on by monsters. She would get stronger, and when Nevyn Eld returned, she  be supreme within her home, just as her class said.


    She just hoped it would be a while because he had been stronger than everyone she had ever known. She would need to grow before she could ever think of facing him. And that journey would take ages.


    she thought. Every journey needed a first step.


    She accepted the Class.


    Ali reeled at the sudden headache caused by the skill losses, but the flurry of notifications did not abate. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grasping Roots


    Mana: Summon tough roots to hold, impede or crush your target. Range: 25 meters.


    Nature, Ranged, Intelligence


    Arcane Bolt


    Mana: Fire a small arcane bolt that accelerates and curves towards your mentally chosen target. Duration: 120 seconds.


    Arcane, Ranged, Channeled, Intelligence


    Barrier


    Mana: Summon a small arcane barrier shield. The barrier is a freeform arcane magic surface that resists physical and magic damage.


    Arcane, Defense, Intelligence


    Deconstruction


    Mana: Release the mana from an unresisting or inanimate target, learning about its structure, and retaining some in your own mana pool. Requires continuous uninterrupted focus and the target is destroyed. Range: Touch.


    Arcane, Knowledge, Intelligence


    Runic Script


    You are proficient with runic magic.


    Languages: Ancient Dal¡¯mohran, Elvish, Dwarven.


    Mana: Inscribe a runic circle with your mana. Reserve: by level.


    Arcane, Knowledge, Intelligence


    Sage of Learning


    Your ability to learn languages, history, and similar academic knowledge is significantly enhanced. You have enhanced memory for the content you have studied.


    Arcane, Knowledge, Perception, Intelligence


    She considered the long list of complicated skills she had just been subjected to.  she realized on a quick scan.  She decided to split her points between wisdom and intelligence.


    Ali had read many books and papers and sat through both boring and fascinating lectures on the theories of how class skills were assigned as part of her research work at the library. It was, in fact, one of the most actively researched subjects in magic. Most of the scholarly arguments disagreed ¨C sometimes violently ¨C over whether the factors influencing skills were experience, actions, need, or even genetics, or some combination thereof.


    Her own research led her to the conclusion that all of these were contributing factors, which was why so many of the experiments were not reproducible, even though there were tantalizing correlations. True or not, it seemed way too much of a coincidence that her first three skills represented significant improvements over the ways she had used her magic in combat prior to unlocking her class. Grasping Roots appeared to be a powerful way to crush enemies with roots using plant magic. Her memory helpfully supplied the gruesome image of the rat she had crushed by expending her entire mana pool. Arcane Bolt seemed to be the answer to her throwing arcane magic at enemies. Only now, it would actually do damage. And Barrier definitely matched her powerful desire to block enemies with her arcane magic.


    With her first three spells, she was satisfied that she was on her way to becoming a real combat mage ¨C albeit a level one mage. However, she would no longer be powerless in combat and these skills would only grow with experience. On a whim, Ali spent some of her mana on her new Barrier skill, and a small thirty-centimeter disk of transparent golden energy snapped into existence in front of her. All at once nostalgia, pride, and grief slammed into her heart.  Her magical abilities were tiny by comparison, but this construct was clearly identical to her mother¡¯s powerful arcane barrier magic.


    She let the barrier dissipate, overcome with emotions and exhaustion. The enormity of the day finally crashed down on her. She had woken up in a world completely unfamiliar to her, unable to communicate with anyone, learning that everyone she had ever loved was gone. She had been in two fights with actual monsters, almost dying a couple of times and now she had nothing left to give. She dragged herself over to where the others sat and, curling up next to Malika, she simply passed out from sheer exhaustion.


    Malika


    Malika sat on the dirty ground near the now dark and depleted shrine, listening to Calen and Mato excitedly exchanging details of their new classes.


    Curious, she examined the shrine one more time, using her Appraise skill to check on the mana reserves ¨C a detail she deduced was normally only visible to the owner.


    Shrine of the Ancient Grove


    Owner: Aliandra Amariel


    Mana Siphon (Active)


    Mana: Unlock class experience


    Mana: Unlock or enhance latent magical affinities.


    Mana: Unlock alternate classes.


    Owner¡¯s Mana: Recharge the shrine¡¯s mana reserve. 8,550/1,250,000


    Quality: Unique


    Value: Soulbound


    Shrine ¨C Artifact


    she thought, wondering if Aliandra had anticipated how close it would be when she had allowed all of them to go first. Feeling a small twinge of guilt at the depleted state of the shrine, she tried to feed some of her mana into the reserve, but it wouldn¡¯t accept her offering.


    Malika had been careful to not share too much about her new class with the others, admitting only that she had earned an unarmed combat class ¨C which they could easily deduce now that she must appear as a Monk to their Identify skill. She also admitted to having a Soul Magic mana affinity ¨C Calen had been sharp enough to guess it from the display at the shrine. It was already more detail than she felt comfortable sharing.


    On the other hand, she had learned quite a lot about their classes ¨C information freely flowing between the two friends ¨C seemingly not minding that she could overhear their discussion. Calen had unlocked an archer class with a light magic affinity, and he demonstrated one of his skills by summoning a bright floating light that he could move about simply by focusing his mind. For such a small mote, it gave off an unreasonable amount of light, but it was certainly nice to be able to see clearly for a change. He also claimed it had the ability to dispel some stealth effects, which seemed quite useful.


    Mato had unlocked a druidic class with access to shapeshifting nature magic, which he excitedly demonstrated by turning himself into a bear ¨C a form that amused Malika no end. Once she had seen his shapeshift, she couldn¡¯t unsee the resemblance to the bear even in his normal form. He really was just broad and furry, regardless of which shape he was using. The affinity for shapeshifting certainly seemed a natural extension to his Beastkin nature, and he was obviously excited about the possibilities.


    His class seemed quite broad, and Druids were widely known for efficient nature affinity healing spells.


    Suddenly, she felt movement within her space and saw Aliandra right next to her. Her heart raced as she snapped her guard up, but in that instant, she heard Aliandra¡¯s soft regular breathing.


    Aliandra had literally just curled up against her leg and fallen asleep on the spot.


    That kind of inattention could have been fatal on the streets. And not just for Aliandra, for herself too ¨C how had she let herself get so tired that she had missed the Fae approaching?


    She struggled briefly within herself, the discomfort of allowing someone to be so close warring with the unfamiliar sense of being so trusted that the little Fae would let down her guard and sleep beside her.


    she thought, finally deciding to allow the girl to sleep undisturbed. The warmth of her back pressed up against Malika¡¯s leg and the soft rise and fall of her breathing were strangely comforting. Besides, failing to show kindness to Aliandra after the priceless gift she had just given would place her among the dregs of the Town Watch thugs, and she would rather die.


    she thought, frowning as she slowly returned her attention to the conversation.


    ¡°We should test our skills on something,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been down here for quite a while,¡± Calen said, shaking his head. ¡°My mother is going to be worried when everyone but us has returned. We¡¯re almost out of food and we also used the last of the potions in that battle.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right,¡± Mato grumbled. ¡°We should return to town; my parents will be worried too. Perhaps we can come back and fight stuff in a day or two? Get some levels? But what are we going to do with her? Bring her to town with us?¡± He gestured toward Aliandra, peacefully curled up against Malika¡¯s side.


    Malika¡¯s eyes drifted down to her sleeping companion as she considered her options. ¡°I¡¯m going to stay here,¡± she said, gaining glances of surprise from the two boys. ¡°I don¡¯t have family in town, nobody will miss me.¡±


    In truth, she was afraid of running into the Town Watch and their army of thugs. She had a class now and she wouldn¡¯t be able to conceal the fact that she had chosen differently than they would have insisted upon. While choosing a class did mean she was significantly stronger, she was still level one and as far as the rumors went, Adrik and Edrik had both passed level twenty. They would easily kill her once they discovered she had abandoned her life as a thief. She was in more danger now than before she had unlocked her class ¨C at least whenever she was in town.


    ¡°Is that safe?¡± Mato asked her.


    ¡°The rats and wolves are safer than the people waiting for me up there,¡± she said, deliberately vague about her associations. Surprisingly, Mato did not pry, simply taking her statement at face value. Calen glanced at her curiously but didn¡¯t seem particularly surprised, and he let it go without comment.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Mato said. ¡°And you¡¯ll look after our little sleeping friend here?¡±


    Malika nodded. ¡°I can move her to the cave, it will be a little safer there.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Calen said, pulling out a couple of apples ¨C all that remained of the food from his pack. Handing it to her, he said, ¡°We¡¯ll see you at the cave in a day or two.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too far ahead,¡± Mato said with a wave as the two of them headed out into the darkness, the Half-elf with a hovering mote of light following him, and the Beastkin shifting into the form of a large, reddish-brown wolf.


    Malika got to her feet, and carefully picked up Aliandra, trying not to disturb her slumber as she walked slowly back to the cave. She hadn¡¯t asked them to come back, and she still didn¡¯t entirely trust them, but it would be helpful to have proven allies ¨C at least, until she gained a few levels and learned how to use her own class. Once she was stronger, she could decide.

 Chapter 10: Sage

    Chapter 10: SageCalenCalen ranged out with his skills active, Mato loping almost silently beside him in the form of a disconcertingly large wolf. He was as tall at the shoulder as that Starving Alpha wolf, but there was far more bulk to his frame and his reddish-brown fur wasn¡¯t matted and dirty like the monsters¡¯. It was rather bizarre to see his friend in this form, but it served only to emphasize the undercurrent of excitement he felt. He had finally earned his Class, and it was a powerful one. He was an archer, of course, with two of his class skills focused on ranged damage and archery. Thanks to Aliandra¡¯s shrine, he had unlocked a powerful affinity for Light magic, and a class that seemed ideal for him, taking full advantage of his higher-than-normal intelligence attribute and augmenting his archery with magical damage. Two skills were primarily scouting skills, and his new repertoire was rounded out with a decent stealth skill and a blessing that improved his attributes.


    Bobbing overhead was a small Mote of Light ¨C one of his new skills ¨C which cast a clear and pure light all around him. According to the description, the light he was casting had anti-stealth properties, which would, no doubt, require some extensive testing.


    The cavern, with the ancient dead forest through which they walked, was so huge that the light was lost in it, gobbled up by the brooding darkness. But where he stepped, and within their immediate surroundings, it was clear as day. He could easily make out the damp mossy ground, the huge decaying tree trunks, and the abnormally abundant piles of bones that seemed to fill the endless expanse of the cavern. He was a little worried that the light would attract monsters, but the combination of being able to see clearly and their new attributes and skills allowed them to speed through the treacherous terrain, leaping piles of crumbling bone or moldering wood, and skirting the slippery damp patches of moss with ease.


    Just how long had this enormous cavern lain sealed and undiscovered right below Myrin¡¯s Keep? A musty odor of age and slow decay filled his nostrils. Just the size of the gigantic dead trees implied it must have been hundreds of years, if not far more.


    An overturned rock the size of his fist caught his eye and he stopped.


    ¡°Hold up, Mato,¡± he said, crouching down to examine it.  Other than the monsters, the only people who had disturbed this cavern were their own group. And this did not look like a rat or a wolf. He cast around carefully, finding a freshly snapped bone a little way ahead.


    With a thought, he brought up the description of one of his new class skills ¨C one which he was particularly excited about. The neat white lines of text appeared in his mind, the same way they always did. One thing which had surprised him was that his newly unlocked light affinity matched the color of his interface ¨C as if the system had always known.


    It would be hard to figure out, but Mato had always said his status was green, adorned with some sort of floating leaves ¨C and he had unlocked a nature affinity, so it wasn¡¯t just him.


    Explorer ¨C level 1


    You have enhanced spatial perception and perfect recall for places you have explored. You can discern important details about the places you are exploring and the creatures that inhabit them.


    Stamina: Use your enhanced perception to track your prey.


    Knowledge, Identify, Scouting, Tracking, Perception


    Explorer was a powerful perception skill that most certainly cemented his role as a scout. When he had unlocked it, his class had consumed his Identify general skill, producing a tracking skill that also served as an Advanced Identify for places and enemies. As with all advanced Identification magic, there were some drawbacks, however. He had already verified that he could no longer identify the properties of his own bow.


    he thought, turning his attention back to the scrapes on the ground and the overturned rock. He channeled a little stamina to activate his Explorer skill, and instantly the outline of a small light footprint stood out against the ground, enhanced by the magic of the perception skill.


    He sucked in his lips.


    It had to be her, there was no other possibility, and the tracks were leading back up to the sewer, light and far apart suggesting the Catkin girl had been sprinting at the time. The flood of information into his mind felt a little strange, like an enhanced intuition that instantly connected his memories of Tala with the tracks. His mind, presumably augmented by the magic of his skill, built a clear scenario of the speed, direction, and even the image of Tala rushing across the damp ground.


    he thought, examining a few more scrapes on the ground a little further on.


    ¡°Mato,¡± he said quietly. ¡°These are Tala¡¯s tracks.¡±


    His friend instantly ceased his prowling circuit, searching for monsters, and turned his large furry head toward him, holding his gaze for a moment with green eyes that seemed to glow softly in the darkness, reflecting his light magic. On silent paws, the wolf loped over to join him, his form rippling and twisting disconcertingly as he switched back to Beastkin with his shapeshifting magic.


    ¡°We should find her and have a nice little discussion,¡± Mato said, his voice low and gravelly like the beast whose form he had just shed still lurked, growling within him. ¡°I¡¯ll help track her,¡± he said, and Calen watched the somewhat disturbing transformation reverse as Mato¡¯s body lengthened and twisted, shapeshifting back into the form of the wolf. In his new form, he was unable to talk, but Calen had known him long enough to guess his thoughts. Mato sniffed at the tracks for a moment and then took off in a loping run.


    Calen followed, easily keeping up now that his class skills boosted his dexterity. He continued trickling his stamina into his Explorer skill to keep the tracking magic active, still able to pick out the footprints in the mud and mossy ground, enhanced as they were by his perception skill. But the longer he kept his skill active, the more a strange, uncomfortable feeling stirred in the back of his mind.


    He had felt it before, the moment he had climbed down the rope from the sewers into this cavern ¨C a strange prickle that made the hairs stand up on the back of his neck.


    After running for quite a while, the light of his floating magical mote finally illuminated the great pile of rock that had avalanched into the cavern from the sewer above, and the nasty waterfall of sewage that had been created in the process. He wrinkled his nose at the stench. The rope that had been hanging from the sewer above was gone ¨C of course ¨C and the tracks led right up to the stone slab that had crushed their former group leader, Donavan Asterford. Calen carefully checked the surroundings, but he found no signs of life. Tala had clearly left, taking the rope with her.


    ¡°Over here, Mato,¡± he said, crouching down to examine the tracks in the dirt. There were finger-sized furrows in the dirt under the stone and a deeper set of footprints.


    The cairn Mato had built to cover Donavan¡¯s protruding feet had been disturbed, and some monster had clearly stopped by to snack on him. There were no signs of his expensive, enchanted boots.


    At the sound of the chime, the prickle in the back of his mind suddenly intensified. Like the insistent knocking upon a door within his mind. A door he was unable to find. The tracks sharpened, growing far clearer, suddenly showing him the story of how Tala had tried several times to move the heavy boulder.


    ¡°Was she trying to steal his stuff?¡± Mato asked, back in his normal Beastkin form as he leaned over to see what he was examining.


    ¡°I think so, but I don¡¯t think she was strong enough to move this. She took his boots, though.¡±


    ¡°Well, whatever else he had is probably crushed.¡±


    ¡°Mato, I know you despised him, but I don¡¯t feel good about just leaving him here to rot. Are you strong enough to lift this?¡± Mato had shared that his class focused on the strength attribute, and that he had already spent more points to make himself stronger.


    ¡°I can try,¡± he said, in his typical direct manner. He strained and struggled against the weight but to no avail. In Mato¡¯s defense, there was an enormous stack of stone resting on top of Donavan¡¯s corpse. With a last herculean effort, Mato managed to shift the slab just a little, and with a crack and rumble, some stone from higher up the pile began to shift and slide.


    Calen darted in and snatched up the exposed pieces of Donavan¡¯s sword and dodged sideways before the rock crashed down, burying the corpse once more.


    He coughed several times, waving the dust cloud out of his face, and examined the sword he had recovered. It wasn¡¯t Donavan¡¯s body, but the sword was distinctive and recognizable, even in three pieces.


    ¡°I¡¯ll drop this off with the mayor,¡± he said. ¡°He¡¯ll know how to contact Donavan¡¯s family and maybe they will want to retrieve the body.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Calen,¡± Mato said, ¡°perhaps don¡¯t mention the shrine to anyone? I¡¯m worried that when word gets out, someone will want to take it from Aliandra.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a good point,¡± Calen said, suppressing a shiver. Left unsaid was the obvious fact that the shrine was a soulbound artifact, and the only practical way of transferring one would be to first kill the current owner. It was going to be hard to conceal the fact that he had somehow earned a class without using the official shrine or waiting the week for the natural path to force his class selection.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Mato answered, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Calen pulled out another rope from his pack and knotted it to a fist-sized rock before lobbing it up into the dark sewer to wrap around the boulder he had used to anchor the first line. To his surprise, he managed to snag it on the first try, and soon he and Mato were shimmying up into the sewers where, strangely, the uneasy prickling in the back of his mind vanished.


    Calen dismissed his Mote of Light when the two of them emerged from the sewer tunnel into the dirty, run-down alleyway where they had originally entered. A once-profitable merchant district that had grown progressively more dilapidated and abandoned over the years. Overrun with crime, many businesses in the area had been forced into bankruptcy by the prohibitive protection taxes demanded by the local militia organizations or had been gutted and looted by the criminal syndicates. In a way, Calen felt even more wary now that he was in the town after dark, than he had been down in the cavern and sewers where he just had to worry about monsters.


    Disappointingly, Tala¡¯s trail had petered out in the alleyway, but there wasn¡¯t much he could do about it. Tracking someone over a hard stone pavement that was regularly used by the denizens of the town wasn¡¯t easy, even with the aid of magical tracking skills. he reminded himself.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get some food and potions for supplies,¡± Mato offered, as they began walking down the alley towards the better-lit main street, while Calen kept a sharp eye glued to the shadows for any signs of movement.


    ¡°Remember, now that Malika has a heal, potions aren¡¯t as critical anymore. Get a few if you can find a good deal, they¡¯re good for emergencies. I¡¯ll see if I can get my mom to make some clothes for her and Aliandra ¨C they¡¯re both wearing rags.¡±


    ¡°Good point,¡± Mato answered as they reached the dubious safety of the larger main street. ¡°I think Aliandra¡¯s wearing more blood than cloth. How about we meet back here tomorrow to go back down? Dawn?¡±


    Calen nodded.  he thought, glancing at the shards of Donavan¡¯s sword. With so many ongoing class trials in progress, the mayor would undoubtedly still be waiting, and it would be a simple matter to stop by the Town Hall and drop it off. With a quick farewell to Mato, he set off at a brisk pace towards his mother¡¯s house. She would be so relieved to see him alive.


    Tala


    Tala sat quietly in the shadow of the stone chimney on top of the gutted shell of an old, abandoned building. She shifted her weight carefully to let a little blood flow to the leg that was growing numb. It was cold, and she was tired from keeping her stealth and concealment skills fueled with her stamina while she kept watch over the sewer entrance in the alleyway.


    It had been a great day, by any reasonable account. Kieran Mori had worked her hard, expecting immediate results ¨C and she had delivered. Her class, in conjunction with her general skills, meant she was ideally suited for covert assassination, but she had also learned that her skills worked just as well for secondary jobs in intelligence and espionage. Stealth, after all, was great for getting in and out of places without being seen.


    Although the information-gathering burglary had paid well, assassination was what she really excelled at ¨C every mark Mori had provided had died in a single strike from the shadows.


    As happy as she was with her amazing class, Tala simply couldn¡¯t get the image of Jax and Bastian meeting in that alleyway out of her mind. It haunted her, leaving her with a pall of darkness and a sense of impending disaster that had loomed over her all day. She could not allow word of her killing Donavan to reach the ears of Kieran Mori or Jax Hawkhurst. While she had been certain her previous teammates had been running headlong to their deaths trying to save that pathetic dying creature, especially without her help, now that the stakes were her own life and future, she could no longer afford to rely on assumptions. She couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that they may have survived somehow and would return to the Town Hall to choose their classes. Then her secret would come crashing down on her.


    She remembered the look Malika had given her right after the rockfall. She shook her head softly, so as not to interfere with her stealth skill and give her position away while trying to put it out of her mind she thought. But her mind refused to let it go.


    she thought, firmly taking control of her errant thoughts. At level two, her Silent Assassin should be more than a match for her unclassed former companions. Which was why she was up here freezing her ass off while watching the sewer entrance all night. If they had survived, they would return to choose their classes, and then she would ambush them, and her secret would be safe.


    Her head snapped to the side at the clear ring of metal against stone, taking in the sight of the sewer grate shifting and moving as it suddenly lifted. Two forms emerged from below ¨C two forms that she recognized instantly.


    She waited in silence for Malika, but nobody else emerged. The Beastkin carefully lowered the grate back into place, with much more care and silence than she would have expected.


    It was when the two of them started talking and Calen turned that she suddenly saw it.


    Tucked into the Half-elf¡¯s belt were the shards of Donavan¡¯s expensive sword. She felt the icy chill of fear as her worst nightmare began unfolding in front of her. It was the only possible reason they had his sword. They would return it to the Town Hall as evidence and then the mayor would ask questions.


    Questions she couldn¡¯t afford to have answered.


    It was all she needed. She rose from her hiding position and crept forward. She carefully slipped two daggers from their sheaths on her belt. If she used her twin-dagger Mutilate from stealth and triggered Ambush she should be able to instantly kill the Beastkin, and then the Half-elf would be easy to overcome one-on-one ¨C his skills were all in archery, and archers were vulnerable to melee classes like hers.


    As she was about to leap down, a snippet of their conversation reached her ears, causing her to freeze instantly.


    ¡°Remember, now that Malika has a heal, potions aren¡¯t as critical anymore.¡±


    With mounting dread rising within her, she identified the two boys in the alleyway below ¨C something she should have done right at the start.


    With classes came defensive skills, and while she was still a higher level than either of them, there was no way she could be certain of killing them both.


    She crouched on the rooftop, racked with indecision, until eventually the two of them left, quickly heading toward the main road.


    The only thing she had was the knowledge that they would be meeting here tomorrow and heading back down.


    Aliandra


    Ali woke to the sounds of a strange, dull thumping in the background. She sat up with a start looking around at the unfamiliar environment for a few moments before she realized she had been moved back to the cave where they had fought the wolves. The corpses were gone, leaving only bloodstains and drag marks to tell the gruesome story of the battle.


    Her eyes scanned the dimly lit cave, searching for whatever was making the noises, but she didn¡¯t have to look far to find Malika practicing her kicks against one of the walls of the cave.


    Surprisingly, the rock and hard-packed dirt seemed to be worse off. Her eyebrows furrowed briefly as she considered the scene before Ali settled down, reassured that she was not in any immediate danger.


    While she sat there, she pulled up the skill descriptions again and scanned through the first three quickly. Her fourth skill, Deconstruction, seemed rather unusual. Ali couldn¡¯t figure out what it was really useful for. If it was a combat skill, it looked like a poor one.


    Deconstruction ¨C level 1


    Mana: Release the mana from an unresisting or inanimate target, learning about its structure, and retaining some in your own mana pool. Requires continuous uninterrupted focus and the target is destroyed. Range: Touch.


    Arcane, Knowledge, Intelligence


    The skill seemed strangely restrictive. Ali was particularly curious about the phrase about gaining knowledge about magical structure ¨C the skill was even tagged with the Knowledge trait.  Her class was an anomalous ¡®hybrid¡¯ class ¨C a unique-ranked class like her mother¡¯s ¨C with one of its main traits listed as Knowledge. That had been one of the most important factors that had drawn her to the class in the first place ¨C a combat class that didn¡¯t require her to entirely give up on magical knowledge and study.


    She moved on to her next skill.


    Runic Script ¨C level 1


    You are proficient with runic magic.


    Languages: Ancient Dal¡¯mohran, Elvish, Dwarven.


    Mana: Inscribe a runic circle with your mana. Reserve: by level.


    Arcane, Knowledge, Intelligence


    It made her immensely happy to see the Runic Script skill as one of her class skills. Ali had always been fascinated by the language and script of written magic. It was so versatile and beautiful. A well-documented, but rare skill typically used only by archmages and scholars, it was clearly not a combat spell. Finding this skill as part of her initial set took much of the sting out of her decision to pass on the Runic Sage class. Runic Script provided an avenue to pursue her passion, provided of course she could find a library and some magical books to study.


    Her final skill, Sage of Learning, appeared also to arise from her years of study and her passion for research. It seemed exceptionally timely that she would learn a skill that might even help with her language issues. Sage of Learning was essentially a combination of her Scholar and Linguist skills, evolved and fueled by both her class and magical aptitudes. She couldn¡¯t wait to see how it worked.


    Sage of Learning ¨C level 1


    Your ability to learn languages, history, and similar academic knowledge is significantly enhanced. You have enhanced memory for the content you have studied.


    Arcane, Knowledge, Perception, Intelligence


    Given the profound frustration of being unable to understand her rescuers, she decided to try the skill immediately. Her first problem though, was that the skill lacked an activation cost.  The Scholar and Linguist skills that had been absorbed to make this one had similarly lacked activation and were simply always on ¨C but that didn¡¯t help her figure out how to use it.


    For a few minutes, she tried mentally shoving yesterday¡¯s memorized conversations at the skill. It felt like bumbling around in the dark, but something shifted within her memories.  She tried several other ideas, but nothing she could think of had any obvious effect.


    Shaking her head and frowning, she finally gave up, getting up and walking over to where Malika was still kicking the wall. Ali admired her remarkable persistence and patience, and the grace of her movement, watching in silence, not wanting to interrupt her intense focus. After a few minutes, Malika noticed her watching and turned to say something in a relaxed voice.


    This time, the twist in her mind was real. Something connected the sounds of Malika¡¯s voice to the memorized conversations and the previously frustratingly familiar syllables actually conveyed some vague meaning.


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    Mana drained from her mana pool in a rush, and her mind was filled with a brief disorienting feeling as if several important things had simply been rearranged in an instant. Her supposedly passive skill was consuming a disturbingly large amount of mana without her control.


    The sense of meaning had to be from the Knowledge trait of the skill, and it seemed to be attaching the meaning to the memorized conversations as she heard Malika speak. It was a thoroughly disconcerting sensation, a little like the skill was rifling through her memories and rearranging the library card catalog of her mind on her behalf.


    Malika looked at her curiously and said some more words. Ali¡¯s mana drained again, and a fresh sensation of meaning emerged, connected to what she heard.


    . Guessing that perhaps she was being asked if she was hungry, Ali cautiously nodded.


    Malika walked over to a pack one of the boys had left behind and produced an apple.


    Ali happily accepted a few slices from her and sat down. Not only was she excited that she had guessed correctly, but she found she was also ravenous after all the strenuous activity from the day before. Her stomach produced a ferocious growl that made the dark-haired woman beside her chuckle. Ali met her sparkling blue eyes and then burst out laughing too. Then, Malika began talking to her. Ali wasn¡¯t sure why she was talking, knowing Ali couldn¡¯t understand, but perhaps she just wanted some company. At once, the magic kicked into action, providing a difficult-to-follow flurry of meaning, all the while her mana drained into the voracious skill.


    After about twenty minutes and about a hundred mana consumed, she noticed she was even burning a few stamina points. Ali wondered curiously if perhaps there was something to the idea that mental activity made a person physically tired. Her skill reaching level three seemed to create a sharper sense of clarity in her mind, and the flow of meaning became immediately fuller, somehow richer. Malika seemed to be talking about something to do with skills and classes, but the abstract meaning derived from the Knowledge-based skill was still exceptionally difficult to understand, certainly at the speed of normal conversation.


    Malika said something else, and the disconcerting magic connected it with a memory of Mato shouting something during the wolf fight. As if a key piece of the puzzle had been unlocked, the connection set off a cascade of memorized snippets of conversation shuffling and interconnecting within her mind as all the memorized conversations, and Malika¡¯s one-sided monologue, condensed into some vague semblance of order. A clear soft tone sounded within her mind as two new notifications appeared.


    The greedy Sage of Learning skill eased up, slowing the magical restructuring to a much more comfortable level. The torrent of mana consumption died down to a small trickle as she suddenly heard Malika¡¯s previously unintelligible words snap into clarity as her new language Aptitude activated.


    ¡°... all these skills. So, what do you think?¡± Malika said. Then she sighed, ¡°I wish you could understand me.¡±


    Ali¡¯s rudimentary command of the common language wasn¡¯t quite good enough yet to pick up the words as clearly as she seemed able to, however, her Sage of Knowledge was still burning some of her mana, so it was presumably still filling in the many gaps in understanding.


    Ali tried.


    Holding up the slice of apple, she spoke carefully, ¡°Thank. You.¡±


    Malika whipped her head around and she fixed her with a look of incredulity. ¡°You can talk?¡±


    Ali answered, ¡°I learn.¡± Her Sage of Learning skill bent her memories again. This was the only description of the feeling that made any sense. She tried again, ¡°I learn common language.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s incredible!¡±


    Her command of the new language was atrocious, but she had to marvel at the power of her new skill. Sage of Learning had, for the mere cost of almost her entire mana pool and a handful of points of stamina, done what would previously have taken her about a month of studying to achieve. Basic ¨C very basic ¨C proficiency in a new language! While she couldn¡¯t see any combat use for Sage of Learning, Ali was nevertheless enormously pleased with her powerful new skill.


    Excited to have overcome the frustration of not being able to communicate, she looked at Malika¡¯s surprised face. ¡°Thank you ¡­ save ¡­ me.¡± Her speech was still broken, but she was nonetheless convinced she was being understood.


    The other girl smiled at her, ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Thank you for sharing your shrine.¡±


    Ali smiled back at her, a soft warmth filling her heart at her first real conversation since waking up.

 Chapter 11: Rat Redux

    Chapter 11: Rat ReduxAliandraAli sat chatting with Malika for quite a long while, initially just happy with her new ability to communicate. Sage of Learning still took a point of mana here or there to fill in some missed meaning while she was listening, but it proved significantly harder to speak. Stumbling frequently with her language proficiency, she began to tell Malika a little about her life and how she had grown up in the great city of Dal¡¯mohra, but before long she found herself circling the great well of sadness and fresh grief at the center of her heart. Whenever she approached the subject of the last day, she found herself diving into a tangent.


    For her part, Malika proved to be a great listener, sitting patiently, asking occasional questions, and simply letting her find her own way. When she finally found herself describing her and her mother¡¯s escape from the city under attack, it was like a dam burst deep within and she could only watch from the dark recesses of her mind, powerless to stop the words as her story burst forth. It just came out, words falling over each other as she relived her terror and weakness, the horror of facing the Nevyn Eld and his Death Knights, and the heart-wrenching grief of her father and then mother sacrificing their lives for her to survive. When she came to her mother¡¯s final words, Ali choked up, unable to continue.


    Surprisingly, Malika did not tell her how it would all be ok or offer any other platitudes. She simply sat a little closer, and, staring off into the distance, she began to fill the silence with her own story. Unable to speak, Ali simply listened, shocked at both the horror of the story and the unemotional delivery in which it was shared.


    ¡°It was a rogue dungeon,¡± Malika began. ¡°When the dungeon-break happened, hundreds of fire salamanders were ejected into the surrounding area. There was nothing anyone could do; my entire home town was burned to the ground.¡± She continued in a flat clear voice, describing waking up in the heat and flames and fleeing in terror while choking in the billowing smoke as if she was discussing a trip to the bakery. When she described how her parents had died, her voice did not change in the slightest, but Ali¡¯s heart broke in sympathy with the tears that spilled unnoticed down Malika¡¯s face.


    ¡°I barely escaped with my life, hiding in a fleeing merchant wagon, and that¡¯s how I ended up across the border here in Myrin¡¯s Keep.¡±


    ¡°The pain has never really gone away,¡± Malika continued. ¡°I¡¯ve spent the last ten years indebted to the Hawkhurst Trading Company¡¯s loan sharks, being forced into a life of crime with the Town Watch. But with your help and the shrine, I have a new purpose. I want to become someone they would have been proud of, you know? A strong martial artist, able to do some good in this world. I think they would have liked that.¡± She finally noticed the tears and wiped them with the back of her hand, turning her face away, as if she were trying to hide her embarrassment.


    They both fell silent, sitting side-by-side for a long while, each with their own memories.


    ¡°For me, it was yesterday,¡± Ali said miserably. ¡°I miss them so much.¡±


    While it did nothing to diminish her emotions, Ali felt somewhat better for having shared with Malika. If nothing else, she felt there was one person in this horrible world who understood what she felt.


    Slowly her heart quieted, and her mind began to return to the present and the situation she found herself in. Her home was gone. In its place was this monster-filled dark underground mockery that smelt of death and decay ¨C here, where she had taken the almost unthinkable step into the unknown by choosing her class, a hybrid class with combat abilities.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to fight,¡± Ali said, finally admitting to Malika, and herself, that she felt woefully out of her depth. People studied for years to prepare for a life with a combat class ¨C there were entire schools devoted to training the tools needed to survive and succeed ¨C and she had none of it. A little overwhelmed, she wished for a return to her previous life, a now unreachable life of safety and study.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Malika looked a little surprised. ¡°Calen and Mato said you identify as a mage now?¡±


    ¡°I spent my entire life preparing to be a scholar and researcher,¡± Ali answered. ¡°My mom was one of the preeminent researchers on the nature of magic itself. And she always said I might surpass her someday.¡± In truth, she had been beyond excited to embark upon that journey, learning from her mother, and the other prominent researchers and sages. All of that must lie buried in the sands of time or long relegated to the pages of history by now.


    ¡°Well, now my home is gone, overrun with monsters, and I have combat spells, but I have no idea how to use them. I know my way around a library, but out here, I¡¯m just scared,¡± she finished awkwardly.


    ¡°You were going for a non-combat class?¡± Malika asked, an incredulous expression on her face. ¡°You had no combat skills to speak of earlier and you killed that rat by yourself?¡±


    Ali nodded. She knew it was perhaps an unbelievable thing, but it had happened. Through fortune, good luck, or sheer willpower, she had won against a monster.


    ¡°Do you think you can teach me?¡± Ali asked. Malika was so confident in battle. She always seemed to know what to do. Ali just remembered feeling lost and confused, or terrified most of the time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about mage classes,¡± Malika answered. ¡°And I just got my own class, so I¡¯m hardly an expert.¡±


    Ali¡¯s disappointment must have shown on her face because Malika quickly continued. ¡°I don¡¯t mind helping you test your skills, and we can discuss some strategy ideas. How about you share your combat skills with me? I mean ¡­ if you feel comfortable sharing.¡±


    Ali got the distinct impression that it was Malika who would feel more uncomfortable sharing, but she didn¡¯t mind. She smiled and brought up her status book in her mind, opening it to her class skills, and then chose her first four skills and sent the descriptions of each to Malika. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the last one is for,¡± she said, referring to her Deconstruction skill. ¡°My two remaining skills are non-combat skills for study and magic. They¡¯re how I was able to learn to speak so fast.¡±


    Malika studied the skills for a moment. ¡°It looks like you have all the bases covered with the first three. You have a damage skill, a defense skill, and a control skill.¡± Malika¡¯s demeanor had changed instantly, the vulnerability replaced with a certain confidence and the reappearance of the self-assurance Ali had observed earlier.


    Ali was truly out of her depth. The defense category was easy. . ¡°What is control?¡± she asked, ¡°Don¡¯t both of my other skills do damage?¡±


    ¡°Your Grasping Roots is a control spell,¡± Malika said. ¡°It does do damage, but the most useful effect will be preventing the monster from moving. That way it can¡¯t get to you. Think of it this way, you can use your roots to bind the monster and then you, or your team, whittle it down until it dies. You have your Barrier as a backup in case it breaks free.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ok,¡± Ali said, nodding.


    Ali hadn¡¯t been bothered by the disorienting shuffle of memories in her mind for a while, but it seemed her Sage of Learning was still ticking away in the background, improving her understanding of the language as she practiced more.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Malika said, getting up. ¡°Let¡¯s test your skills.¡±


    Ali stood up, uncertain what to expect. ¡°What should I do?¡±


    ¡°First, let¡¯s see your Barrier,¡± Malika said.


    Feeding a little mana into the skill, her disk of golden magic materialized right in front of her, hovering in the air about the size of a dinner plate. A human-sized dinner plate. The beautiful transparent construct shone with the golden radiance and tugged at her heart once more.


    Malika poked at it. Then she pushed it with increasing power, but the magical construct refused to budge. ¡°Can you move it?¡± she asked after a few moments.


    Ali tried moving it with her will, and with her hands, but nothing worked. To the best of her admittedly meager power, the barrier seemed fixed in space, anchored right where she had created it.


    ¡°Ok, let me hit it.¡± Malika drew back a fist and threw a powerful punch connecting with the magical barrier with a loud thwack. ¡°Not bad,¡± she said, shaking her probably bruised hand for a moment to ease the pain. Malika¡¯s skin suddenly flared with white glowing magical runes that quickly faded. ¡°I have a skill that increases my attributes,¡± she grinned. She threw another punch and a crack appeared in the barrier disk. Her third punch flashed with the light of a magical skill as her fist slammed through the barrier, shattering it with a tinkling sound. The barrier shards dissolved into the air as the mana powering it dissipated.


    Ali looked forlornly at the shards.


    ¡°How fast can you make another one?¡± Malika asked her.


    Instantly a second barrier appeared, taking only the time needed for her to will it into being.  Now she felt silly and small. She really knew nothing, didn¡¯t she?


    ¡°That looks like a really good defensive spell,¡± Malika said approvingly. ¡°It took my full power and three skills simultaneously to break it. It¡¯s much better than the spell you used on the wolves yesterday.¡±


    ¡°The class change consumed that skill to give me this, I think,¡± Ali said. She pictured her mother¡¯s kind face and sent a quick thought of gratitude for the powerful magic she had inherited.


    ¡°Now why don¡¯t you try out your damage spell?¡± Malika suggested. ¡°Shoot me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ali exclaimed in shock.


    ¡°How are we going to figure out how much damage it does?¡± Malika asked. ¡°Besides, I have a healing spell. It will be ok, just stop if I ask.¡±


    Confirming twice that Malika was ready, Ali tried her Arcane Bolt spell. She had seen mages casting firebolts and ice lances and similar combat spells a few times, so she set her feet wide on the ground, tentatively thrust a hand forward pointing at Malika, and tried to push mana into her skill. Obviously, she didn¡¯t want to really hurt her new friend.


    Nothing happened.


    She pointed her finger instead, but, once again, her magic failed to materialize.


    ¡°Shoot!¡± she declared. She cleared her throat uncomfortably and tried again. ¡°Fire! Cast! Summon Arcane Bolts!¡±


    A flush crept up to her cheeks as she realized she was prancing around like a child playing ¡®Mages and Sorcerers¡¯. It didn¡¯t help one bit to see Malika grinning at her.


    The instant she turned her focus to Malika, the mana she had been failing to shove into Arcane Bolt suddenly rushed out, like water draining from a bathtub the instant the plug was removed.


    A tiny golden orb of energy a little larger than a marble appeared in front of her hand and shot off with a soft  and a whoosh, accelerating rapidly as it curved toward Malika. Her mana flowed, channeled continuously into the Arcane Bolt spell. Another orb materialized, and then another, firing off two more bolts in rapid succession.


    ¡°Eep!¡± she squeaked, fumbling with her skill in a desperate attempt to cancel it while the bolts struck Malika in the chest with a staccato With a wrench, she stifled the flow of her mana and the spell stopped, but she stared in abject horror at the thin wisps of smoke rising from three small, cauterized holes punched through Malika¡¯s tattered shirt and skin.


    She had just shot her new friend three times in half as many seconds.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± she gasped, running over to her.


    ¡°Looks like fifteen damage,¡± Malika said. ¡°So, about five per bolt? That¡¯s not too bad.¡± Malika¡¯s body flashed with a sudden blueish-white light and the holes in her flesh vanished.


    Ali thought, still struggling a little to move past the fact she had just shot her friend.. While Malika had not chosen to explicitly share her skills, Ali¡¯s curious mind and fascination for magic were rapidly forming a detailed picture of her friend¡¯s skillset. She had already seen the healing magic when Malika had used it on her.


    ¡°I would die in less than five seconds,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Ooh!¡± Malika exclaimed, eyes suddenly widening in surprise. ¡°Is your health really that low?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s twenty-five,¡± Ali answered, suddenly worried that she might have messed up something important.


    ¡°You need to invest in vitality,¡± Malika answered. ¡°I have a hundred health ¨C you¡¯re definitely going to need more.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ali asked. ¡°I get only five health per point because of my race ¨C I get a penalty because I¡¯m ¡­ small.¡± She frowned. It had bothered her since she was old enough to read it ¨C the aptitude was even called ¡®Tiny¡¯. ¡°I get fifteen mana per wisdom instead.¡± She had spent all her attribute points on intelligence and wisdom already, trying to make the best of her racial aptitudes and her class skill traits.


    ¡°Yes, definitely,¡± Malika answered without hesitation. ¡°Adventurers get hit; you can¡¯t always block everything. If your health goes to zero, you¡¯re dead and none of your other attributes or skills matter. If you have enough health to survive, you earn more time to escape or cast your barrier. Otherwise, you will die from the first surprise attack.¡± She smiled grimly. ¡°Dying tends not to be recommended.¡±


    Ali grimaced. ¡°I see.¡± . She had simply chosen her attributes based on what had the largest effect. However, Malika¡¯s point showed the glaring flaw in her logic as clear as day.


    What she had thought of as a simple task ¨C assigning attributes ¨C had suddenly become a complex balancing act where her life was at stake.


    ¡°Ok, shoot me some more,¡± Malika insisted. Ali was still extremely uncomfortable with this approach, but she did as Malika requested, firing her magic in short, controlled bursts, and eventually found she was glad she did. Testing her skills was much like practical research ¨C she learned a lot about how the skill worked. It turned out that her skill let her fire the arcane bolts in almost any direction, and, provided she kept Malika fixed in her mind as the target, the bolts would arc around in the air and home in on her position.


    ¡°Guided missiles have a lot of tactical potential; you have a great attack spell!¡± Malika seemed quite excited about her magic. ¡°Ok, now let¡¯s try your roots.¡±


    Ali used her plant magic on Malika. Thick, gnarled brown roots sprung up from the ground, tangling Malika¡¯s legs rapidly. The air filled with grinding and the scent of fresh wood and sap. Ali quickly realized that there was no comparison between her new spell and the Plant Growth skill her class had absorbed. For one thing, she didn¡¯t have to find roots in the ground and encourage them to grow with her mana ¨C the spell created the roots. The second difference was the sheer power and durability of the constructs. There was no contest between this combat-grade magic and her previous cantrip.


    Malika seemed to be struggling against the roots, trying to break out by punching them with her magic, and still, it took her some time.


    Her thoughts returned to her first traumatic experience fighting the Sewer Rat, wondering just how different it might be now that she had Grasping Roots. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t do a lot of damage compared to your arcane bolts, but it¡¯s strong,¡± Malika pronounced after she finally freed herself from the grasp of Ali¡¯s plants. ¡°You could definitely do some damage while your enemy¡¯s trying to escape if you use both your skills.¡±


    Ali smiled, happy that her combat toolbox was coming together.  she thought, appreciating Malika¡¯s help more and more. And she was having a lot of fun with her magic.


    ¡°Ok, what was your last one?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Deconstruction,¡± Ali answered, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what this is for, it destroys stuff but requires focus...¡± she trailed off. It really was a confusing skill, and for the life of her, she couldn¡¯t figure out how to use it.


    ¡°Show me?¡± Malika asked. ¡°It says destroy, right? How about we test it on that patch of moss first?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how.¡±


    ¡°How about you try prancing around like before?¡± Malika asked with a grin.


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Ali imbued her glare with the full weight of just how unimpressed she was with that idea ¨C which only made Malika grin more.


    ¡°It says it has a range of ¡®touch,¡¯¡± she mused, reviewing the skill¡¯s description. Ali reached out toward the moss, resting her fingertips on the springy surface while she focused her mind on it just as she had when she had figured out her other skill. Deconstruction instantly activated, taking a surprisingly tiny amount of mana. A ring of glowing golden runes appeared, settling onto the patch of moss around her fingertips. Slowly, the moss began to glow with a softly pulsing radiance, emitting tiny golden motes that floated upwards. Many of them evaporated in the air, but those few that touched her skin were absorbed.


    It was incredibly rare for mana to manifest visibly, and Ali¡¯s eyes widened at the sensation of it being absorbed through her skin with every soft touch. At the same time, her mind filled with an enormous influx of information that was somehow shuttled off somewhere unseen.


    This effect lasted a little more than ten seconds and when the spell finished, the moss had completely dissolved into light and dispersed.


    she realized, still trying to puzzle out what it had actually done.


    ¡°Yeah, I see,¡± said Malika, ¡°Let''s skip that one for combat, for now, I think whatever is attacking you won¡¯t wait patiently for you to do that. Not sure what you¡¯re going to use it for, but it seems really good for cleaning stuff,¡± she said, pointing to where the moss had been. The stone looked pristine and entirely undamaged, with only the moss completely removed.


    ¡°It restored almost twenty mana,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°That could be useful,¡± Malika said. ¡°Ok, let''s talk strategy a bit, and then go find a rat to test your skills on.¡±


    Ali glanced at her nervously. She still felt rather traumatized by her first encounter with the giant sewer rat.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be ok, I¡¯ll help you if you get in over your head,¡± Malika reassured her. ¡°Plus, I need to try out my skills too, and I need to earn some experience.¡±


    Before Ali knew it, and, in her opinion, entirely too soon, she found herself standing next to Malika outside in the dark cavern staring at another huge mangy rat, her legs a little wobbly with remembered fear. Being an adventurer was such a terrible idea ¨C but, if it made her stronger¡­


    It hadn¡¯t seen them yet, but she could almost hear the hiss and screech that it would make and smell the reek of decay on its breath. Her last time facing a rat had almost killed her.


    ¡°You can do this,¡± Malika encouraged her. ¡°There¡¯s a world of difference between having no class and being level one.¡±


    she thought, but her fear didn¡¯t much care for the distinction. Especially considering neither of them had tried their new classes in combat before. For all Malika¡¯s confidence, Ali was acutely aware that they were both equally inexperienced with their skills and classes.


    The gray Sewer Rat scrabbled and scraped around in the dirt and among the piles of old bones with its sharp claws, presumably searching for something to eat. The sharp yellowed teeth and beady eyes gleamed in the dim light, reminding her all too clearly of her first encounter. Ali glanced nervously at Malika who smiled back at her. She was beginning to understand Malika¡¯s insistence on vitality. Twenty-five health points felt far too little facing a monstrous rat bigger than she was.


    Suddenly, the rat looked up, nose sniffing the air and it turned its head sharply, fixing its eyes on Ali. With a screech, it charged. Ali stiffened up in panic as her heart hammered in her chest.


    ¡°First use roots, then shoot,¡± Malika¡¯s calm voice cut through her fear. Hanging onto the calmness in Malika¡¯s voice as if it could save her life, Ali cast her Grasping Roots. Her mana poured into her skill and an explosion of thick, gnarled brown roots erupted from the ground, winding themselves around the rat¡¯s legs, bringing its charge to an abrupt halt.


    It hissed loudly, shaking its head as it tried to bite the roots binding it.


    She sucked in a deep breath and reminded herself why she was doing this. She was going to get stronger, strong enough to recover her home and never feel helpless again. Even facing Nevyn Eld. She was taking her first step forward.  she urged herself. Her determination returned. Carefully fixing the rat in her mind as her target, just like in their practice, she used her Arcane Bolt skill. The tiny golden bolt of energy catapulted away from her, accelerating to the rat even as another formed, and then another. The rat let out a loud pained squeal, almost breaking her concentration, but she held onto her stream of conjured flying bolts.


    After several seconds of rapid bolts slamming into the rat, it broke free and charged, leaping straight for her.  Before panic overwhelmed her, Ali summoned her backup magic. The barrier disk snapped into existence right in front of her face, golden light pouring out over the mossy ground. With a heavy crash, the rat slammed into the barrier, its teeth screeching across the surface as it slid to the ground, dazed. Following Malika¡¯s suggestion, she recast her Grasping Roots on the momentarily stunned rat, and it immediately started thrashing frantically.


    Ali jerked backward, desperately dodging flailing claws and snapping jaws, and tripped over a rock, landing with a bone-jarring thump on her behind. Breathing heavily, she scrambled to her feet and fled the furious monster she had just trapped.


    Once she reached a safer distance, she created a new barrier in front of her. Angling her spell above the barrier, the golden bolts flew skyward, accelerating as they arced back down to slam into the rat¡¯s back. She kept firing for a few seconds until the rat once again broke free and charged her. Her bolts simply readjusted their direction to track the rat as it came on like a mangy juggernaut full of pain and fury.


    She saw its face looming through the transparent magical barrier, jaws agape and ready to attack, when suddenly it collapsed to the ground right at her feet, followed immediately by the sound of a soft chime in her mind.


    She just stared uncomprehendingly at the corpse on the ground and the notifications for a while, breathing hard.


    ¡°Well done, you did great!¡± The excitement and happiness in Malika¡¯s voice clashed with the remnants of panic and fear still gripping her.


    ¡°I was scared,¡± she told Malika with a frown, ¡°I panicked. If you hadn¡¯t said something at the start... I mean, that was terrible!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Malika interrupted as she trailed off. ¡°Being scared is ok, this is your first time doing this on purpose, right? Besides, you stood your ground, and you killed the rat without letting it get to you.¡±


    Ali looked up, her face relaxing into a little smile, some of her confidence trickling back at Malika¡¯s encouraging words.  Ali decided ¨C her last encounter with a similar rat had almost killed her, but this time ¨C even though terrifying ¨C she hadn¡¯t even been hit.


    she thought. It may not be the class she had dreamed of, but the golden magic was most certainly hers. And as she stared at the rat she had just killed and the friend that had helped her, a little of the fear in her heart faded.


    Malika


    Malika had never told anyone her story. She had only done so because Aliandra sounded so lost and alone. It had been almost ten years since that day, and she had had to bury her feelings deep inside to survive the harsh life on the streets of Myrin¡¯s Keep. The only time she had cried in front of Edrik had earned her a swift concussion and a few broken ribs ¨C and an expensive trip to the healer. She had been woefully unprepared for the surge of unleashed emotions that hit her like an avalanche when she had opened up to Aliandra, and even now she still felt like her heart was trembling within her. She disliked the feeling ¨C the feeling of weakness and vulnerability. A feeling that would get her hurt, beaten, or worse ¨C but the feeling refused to go back into the room she had banished it to all those long years ago.


    She sat and waited while Aliandra recovered her breath from the fight. The Fae clearly came from a soft life and was woefully unprepared for even the rats and wolves down here, to say nothing of the monsters in her story. And yet, Malika saw something within her that refused to give up. It was that tiny spark of unbroken will that spoke to Malika. As different as they were, the spark that refused to be snuffed out resonated so powerfully with her that her heart clenched within her chest. A connection with a person that she hadn¡¯t felt in forever.


    She shook her head, dismissing it all as sentimentality.  she thought. At least working with Aliandra on her skills and teaching her the basics of strategy felt productive and satisfying, even if she wasn¡¯t nearly qualified to help. Seeing Aliandra¡¯s quick grasp of her magic and how to use it under pressure was almost as exciting as her anticipation of trying her own class out. But connections with people? That was a vulnerability a Street Rat couldn¡¯t afford.


    She was still shocked that Aliandra had faced down and killed a level three monster with nothing but cantrips. The way she described her previous two spells, they sounded like the kind of skills you would use as a teaching aid ¨C something safe for children to play with.


    Eventually, her little companion looked up. ¡°I used up almost all my mana in that fight. It¡¯ll take me an hour to fully regenerate.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you use your trash disposal skill?¡± Malika asked with a grin, teasing her to try and lighten the somber mood. ¡°You said it recovers mana.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not trash disposal!¡± Aliandra retorted. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ just not really sure what it¡¯s for.¡±


    Her pout looked way cuter than Aliandra had probably intended. Tactfully, Malika declined to point it out. Instead, she said, ¡°Whatever it is, it restores mana, right? Why not use it on the rat and see how much you get? It can¡¯t resist anymore, so it should be a valid target.¡±


    Malika looked on curiously as Aliandra used her unusual spell on the corpse of the rat slowly turning it into particles of light and it dissipated into the air. It was a rather strange magic, and she didn¡¯t have the faintest idea of how to help Aliandra figure it out.


    ¡°That got me a lot of mana,¡± Aliandra said, openly startled. ¡°I¡¯m ready to continue.¡±


    ¡°Did you get any skill increases from the fight?¡±


    ¡°Yes, three!¡± Aliandra said, grinning brightly. ¡°Wait, you didn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t do anything in the fight, so I probably didn¡¯t even earn any class experience,¡± Malika answered.


    Technically, she might have been a contributor ¨C she was actually reducing the risk simply by being there and acting as the lookout. If she had earned some small amount of experience, she had no way of knowing.


    ¡°Oh, did you want to find a rat, too?¡± Aliandra asked.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like a chance to use my skills,¡± Malika said. ¡°This time, can you stand to the side and jump in if I get in trouble?¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Aliandra answered. She sounded more than a little uncertain, but her eyes and the set of her mouth conveyed an inner determination that somehow Malika found easy to trust. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ¡°You know, with your skill, you could probably get a job in Myrin¡¯s Keep as the town cleaner. Or maybe Chief Rat Disposer.¡±


    Aliandra pouted again. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about this skill anymore¡­¡±


    Malika led the way through the darkened cavern, careful to avoid any groups of monsters that may be beyond their abilities. It didn¡¯t take long before their patience paid off.


    The rat looked like the one Aliandra had defeated, just a little scabbier around the muzzle, and she felt a surge of anticipation as she studied her foe.


    ¡°What level is it?¡± Malika whispered.


    ¡°Level two,¡± Aliandra said. ¡°Why, don¡¯t you have Identify?¡±


    ¡°No, I have Appraise,¡± Malika said, keeping her reply simple and to the point. There had been enough sharing for one day.


    Quietly, she gestured to Aliandra to wait and keep watch as she approached the rat. She turned on her skills in preparation for the fight: Perfect Body which enhanced her attributes, and her defensive skills; Enlightened Evasion and Soul Armor which would hopefully protect her from excessive damage. Her body reacted to the surge of magic, becoming faster, nimbler, and yet significantly tougher. It was an exhilarating feeling.


    With all her enhancement skills enabled, she was reserving a substantial amount of her mana and stamina, but she had already decided she would simply have to learn how to manage her resources efficiently ¨C turning off any of her defensive skills at this stage seemed a terrible idea. At least her Relentless aptitude gave her the flexibility to pay the reservation for Soul Armor and Perfect Body with stamina instead of mana if she chose. For now, though, her experiments suggested that reserving mana would be better ¨C the bulk of her attacks would come from Martial Artist and that could only be fueled with stamina, so she decided to prioritize that.


    The rat caught her scent and whirled, charging at her with a shrill, grating screech. As she stepped up to meet it, the rat reared up and hissed at her furiously, swiping with its sharp claws. Malika¡¯s faster and more agile body easily dodged the first swipe, but she took the second on her right thigh.


    A small trickle of blood ran down her leg from the shallow wound.


    she thought. Her skin seemed unnaturally tough, and the claws had simply not penetrated nearly as deeply as she had expected. Not only that, dodging the first attack had felt natural and easy, but she knew it had been faster than she would have been able to dodge yesterday.


    As the rat recovered from its initial attack, Malika unleashed a punch she had practiced since she was old enough to stand in the dojo, but this time she empowered it by feeding a bit of stamina to her Martial Arts skill. Even from the initial twisting in her torso and the flexing through her feet, she could tell it was the most powerful punch she had ever thrown. As her fist flew, she found that the knowledge of how to use her Soul Strike support skill came to her intuitively. She linked Soul Strike to her Martial Artist attack with a brief pulse of mana, and a bright aura of blue-white energy sheathed her fist as she connected solidly with the side of the rat¡¯s neck. The power of her blow knocked the rat back several feet, skidding onto its haunches, and she immediately felt the warmth of her magic returning a few points of health, about half of what she had lost to the rat¡¯s claws.


    She would gain a constant trickle of health so long as she had the resources to use her Soul Strike. She was beginning to understand the other half of her Relentless aptitude. More stamina regeneration meant she could keep going for a lot longer.


    Shaking its head, the rat scrambled to its feet. Malika immediately pressed her attack. Charging forward, she traded blows with the creature. She dodged one claw swipe with an uncanny precision that must have been the result of her Enlightened Evasion, taking the second hit on her shoulder, feeling the force of the attack again being blunted by her reinforced body. Her punch connected flush with its ribs, and again she felt the small but welcome trickle of regained health from her Soul Strike. The tough rat whirled, grappling her with its claws and tearing into her side and shoulder with unrestrained ferocity. Malika went to the ground with it, her left arm wrapped around its neck while punching it repeatedly with her right fist, causing flickers and flashes as her Soul Strike lit the dirt and rocks nearby every time she struck. Unable to escape from her headlock or defend against the relentless tide of her fists pounding its head, the rat quickly expired, dropping limp in Malika¡¯s choke hold.


    She checked the bite wounds on her shoulder and side, but they weren¡¯t nearly as deep as she had feared. Most of her injuries had already healed over from her repeated use of Soul Strike, and with just a small flash of her Healing Mantra, the remaining cuts closed over, returning to unblemished healthy skin.  She watched the glow of the floating blue-white notifications hovering in her vision slowly fade, leaving a heady sense of achievement.


    Aliandra came running over, gasping and wide-eyed.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she reassured her. ¡°I just healed the damage, and I should be ready to go after a few minutes of Meditation to restore my stamina.¡±


    , she thought happily.


    Suddenly, her worries about the Town Watch thugs and a life of crime in the alleys began to fade. Her stubborn insistence on maintaining the daily discipline of the dojo, secretly training her martial arts no matter how many times she was beaten, seemed to have finally paid off. Even though her opponent was just a level two Sewer Rat, the contrast between her power yesterday and today was like night and day.


    She sat to Meditate and recover her mana and energy while Aliandra deconstructed the corpse of the rat she had just killed.

 Chapter 12: Wolves Revisited

    Chapter 12: Wolves Revisited- Excerpt from The Adventurer¡¯s Guide, Third Edition


    Aliandra


    Ali watched Malika¡¯s fight closely, admiring the other girl¡¯s efficient and graceful movements. She had to admit she found the fluid way she moved and the obvious power in her attacks to be fascinating. Finding beauty in a fight seemed unnatural to Ali¡¯s entire life experience, and yet, it felt like she was watching a performance ¨C a ballet of punches, dodging, and kicks. Only the stakes were much higher than the theater.


    Malika was currently beating up a level three rat they had found rummaging through a giant pile of ancient bones. Ali felt her assessment was on point, both of them had been somewhat cautious and uncertain in their first fights, but with experience came a certain confidence. Malika dominated this fight and even Ali could tell the rat had no chance despite its violent counterattacks and sheer physical size.


    It wasn¡¯t just Malika.  she thought, reflecting on the battle in front of her, and all the changes that she had experienced over the hectic couple of days since she had woken up.  While her class was somewhat complicated and confusing, Ali was growing to really like what she could do ¨C the fear that had felt so debilitating was receding in the face of her new experience.


    Ali glanced about, taking her assigned role as lookout seriously, as she continued taking stock of her current situation. Her turns as lookout gave her some mental downtime to think. Malika seemed to be overly cautious, trusting others only when there was no other choice. , Ali thought, considering the small snippet of her harsh life story that she had shared. Ali didn¡¯t mind though, she already considered Malika to be a friend, and she was happy to be patient and let Malika figure things out on her own.  she thought, wondering how she would have fared on her own, even if she had been able to survive the wolves.


    The simple strategy Malika had suggested for her with her skills worked incredibly well. She found that rooting the rats in place and shooting them from a distance suited her way more than having the monsters bite and claw her face. And she was noticeably stronger now ¨C her Grasping Roots and Arcane Bolt spells had both leveled up, and even just one skill level made an enormous difference to their effectiveness in battle. The rats took noticeably longer to break free, and her pretty but deadly arcane bolts were killing the monsters significantly faster.


    She looked down at her tattered and bloodstained t-shirt ¨C now almost unrecognizable as clothing given the great gashes and rips torn by the monsters she had faced. She was still running around fighting monsters barefoot.


    Her gaze returned to Malika¡¯s elegant punches as she fought her rat. They discussed skills and strategy between battles and now Ali was beginning to be able to follow Malika¡¯s strategy.


    While Malika had been the one to personally rescue her, Ali had noticed she kept her distance from the boys within the group of rescuers, too.  Initially, Ali assumed that she was the most unapproachable of the group, but as soon as she started talking with her, she found Malika to be eager to help. Particularly with combat and training, she seemed to thrive on finding the perfect angle for a punch, or exactly how to place one¡¯s feet for maximum power. Ali didn¡¯t understand physical combat very well, but Malika seemed super passionate about it, her eyes lighting up with excitement every time Ali showed interest.


    Suddenly, Ali¡¯s reverie was disrupted by a rustling behind a nearby fallen trunk and three gaunt, dirty-brown furred forms slunk out of the shadows, eyes intently focused on Malika, not noticing her in her hiding spot as the lookout.


    ¡°Malika! Wolves!¡± Ali shouted and simultaneously cast her Grasping Roots on the weakest of the three. In their downtime strategy discussions, Malika had stressed the importance of picking a good target. The lowest level monster would take the longest to break out of the roots, giving them more time to deal with the others. A little surprised that she was able to recall the strategy in the heat of battle, Ali focused on the chaos, trying to figure out her next move.


    Immediately, the other two wolves swung towards her, while the bound one struggled and thrashed in a vain attempt to free itself from Ali¡¯s binding plant magic.


    Malika spun on her heel, ignoring the rat she had been fighting, and charged toward the group of wolves. Her magic flickered and flashed as punches lashed out at the Alpha and unbound wolf. For a few seconds that old terror at the sight of the two huge snarling wolves coming for her froze her in place, but she breathed her relief as they reacted to the more immediate threat of Malika¡¯s punches. Then, the forgotten Sewer Rat rushed in and slammed into Malika¡¯s back while she was focused on the two wolves.


    Ali could only watch while Malika stumbled from the impact, desperately trying to block and dodge three monsters simultaneously. Distracted by the rat, Malika failed to block the Alpha and it sunk its teeth into her shoulder, staggering her as it tried to drag her off her feet. Her crimson blood sprayed into the air, staining the moss and bones on the ground.


    Judging by the frenetic pace of Malika¡¯s punches and the rapid flickering of her magic, Ali knew she was burning through her stamina and mana at an enormous pace.


    Quickly, Ali focused on the biggest threat; the level five Alpha wolf. Just as she was about to fire her bolts, she recalled Malika¡¯s strategy advice.  Switching her focus, Ali targeted the most injured monster ¨C the rat.


    Her high-speed stream of arcane bolts lit up the area as they raced across the battlefield, smashing into the rat in a flurry of thuds and scorched flesh. It screeched in pain. Malika had stressed the importance of focusing on the weakest enemy ¨C eliminating an attacker quickly, she had said, was the most reliable way to turn the tide in a battle. At the time, Ali had thought Malika was being overly cautious in trying to plan for every eventuality, but now, in the middle of the fight with her heart pounding and her breathing ragged, with the monsters snarling and screeching all around her, Ali reached for the security of that plan and clung to it for dear life.


    Her heart pounded while her adrenaline coursed through her veins. Everything faded except for her focus, channeling her arcane magic to kill the rat and ease the pressure on Malika.


    Lost in the intensity of her purpose, Ali missed the wolf breaking out of the magic binding of her Grasping Roots. A sudden snarl, and the wide-open jaws baring wickedly sharp fangs, startled her out of her casting and her magic failed as she tripped and fell to the ground. Acting out of panicked reflex, she threw up a barrier and the wolf¡¯s face made a sickening thud as it collided with the impervious disk of magic. Snarling savagely, it attacked the unexpected obstacle at once. Desperately scrambling away, Ali tried to cast her Grasping Roots again as the wolf sidestepped the barrier and charged. Her magical conjured roots exploded from the ground, trapping the wolf a little less than a meter out of reach. She tried to calm her breathing as she scrambled away from the snapping jaws.


    Determined to do her job properly, she refocused on the rat. Only, this time, she created a barrier nearby between her and the trapped wolf, just in case. She poured her mana back into her Arcane Bolt and resumed her attack on the rat on the other side of the battlefield. This time, she kept glancing anxiously at the struggling wolf, trying to gauge when it might break free. Splitting her focus between her target, casting her bolts, and checking on the wolf was challenging, but Ali was not going to be surprised like that again. Fortunately, the chime soon sounded, and the rat dropped to the ground.


    Ali took the opportunity to recast her root spell and to open a little more distance between her and the wolf. Resummoning her barrier to her new position, she focused back on the battle. Malika¡¯s magic was coming slower and slower.  Ali had been spending her mana furiously to keep up the sheer number of spells she needed to survive, and she was also beginning to run low on mana.


    Ali focused her magic on the weaker of the two remaining wolves that were still attacking Malika. Her bolt stream made a graceful arc through the air as her mana drained to fuel it. She kept an anxious eye on her mana but continued to channel her attack spell. Remembering the trapped wolf, she paused to refresh the roots.  sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As her attention returned to the wolves, Malika finished off the weaker one, leaving only the Alpha and the wolf trapped in her root spell.


    Ali shot her bolts at the Alpha continuously until she had to refresh the roots once more. She let her barrier drop to conserve mana.  Suddenly, the Alpha knocked Malika to the ground as her magic faded. Her punches were no longer powered by her skills and her wounds were no longer closing to the light of her magic.


    Without thought for the cost, Ali emptied her remaining mana into her Arcane Bolt spell, sending the golden magic hurtling toward the snarling and biting wolf that was tearing at Malika as she struggled on the ground.  The bolts flew in a continuous stream until, without warning, she ran out and the spell sputtered and died. The three remaining bolts flew through the air, striking the wolf in the chest.  As the second-last one struck, the Alpha collapsed, landing heavily on top of Malika. The final bolt smacked into the dead Alpha and Ali ran toward Malika.


    ¡°Help, I¡¯m out of mana!¡± she shouted. The roots would break any second, releasing the final wolf. A wolf which was certainly very upset with her.


    Malika struggled out from under the heavy Alpha corpse. ¡°I need stamina,¡± she said simply, and sat facing the last struggling wolf. Ali cast around for something she could do. Her eyes lit on the corpse of the rat and suddenly she remembered her Deconstruction.


    Trying the skill, she found she had regenerated barely enough mana to fuel the tiny cost to start her strange mana recovery spell. Focusing on her magic, she cast Deconstruction on the rat. The spell took focus and about ten to fifteen seconds, and she was highly aware that the wolf would break free at any moment.


    As her magic took hold, the corpse of the rat glowed for a few seconds. With a loud snarl, the wolf tore itself free and charged. Ali¡¯s panic rose, threatening to break her focus.


    Malika was empty, sitting with her head down, and the enormous wolf was bounding toward them. Ali could cancel her magic and run, but she would be unable to fight.


    ¡°Malika! Watch out!¡± she called out. At the last possible moment, Malika powered her body into a rising punch. She shouted as her bright magic rekindled and her punch connected under the angry wolf¡¯s jaw. With a flash and a crack, the wolf tumbled to the ground, thrashing and yelping. Malika¡¯s magic faded and the wolf got to its feet, snarling, approaching with more caution. Shifting her stance, Malika moved to block the wolf from bypassing her and attacking Ali.  Whatever brief flash of magic she had used was gone now, but the wolf still circled cautiously, growling deep in its throat.


    Ali¡¯s Deconstruction spell finished in a flash of dissipating motes of energy and a rush as mana flooded into her mana pool. Instantly, Ali cast her Arcane Bolt and emptied all her mana into it while Malika acted as her personal barrier until the wolf finally dropped under a relentless barrage of strikes.


    Ali¡¯s knees grew weak, and she slumped sitting on the ground, heedless of the damp and dirty moss. Relief welled up in her as the reality of the outcome slowly worked its way through her mind.


    The bright sound of chimes rang in her mind.


    Ali stared at the notifications; her close call quickly forgotten. ¡°I leveled up!¡± she exclaimed excitedly. ¡°Malika, I leveled up to two.¡± Ali looked at her friend sitting exhausted on the ground in a pose of quiet Meditation.


    ¡°I did, too,¡± Malika said with a smile.


    ***


    In the aftermath of the battle, Ali deconstructed all the monsters and then walked beside Malika in sober silence as they returned to the relative safety of the Grove and the stone shrine. Ali felt completely spent, and by the looks of things, Malika wasn¡¯t far off herself. She had healed herself while Ali was busy with the monster corpses, but something about expending all her mana in a battle to the death was exhausting on another level, and Ali was sure Malika was feeling that too.


    Sitting down with Malika next to the dark and depleted shrine, Ali asked, ¡°That was pretty close, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Malika responded thoughtfully. ¡°I ran out of stamina and mana. I had to heal myself a lot at the start when there were three of them attacking me. Your roots at the end gave me just enough time to Meditate. I recovered barely enough stamina for one Soul Strike and then you finished it off.¡±


    ¡°I ran out of mana, too. I needed those few seconds to finish my Deconstruction, otherwise I would have been helpless.¡± She reflected on the battle and how close it had been. If Malika had not been willing to put herself in the wolf¡¯s path, Ali would have been unable to help. Suddenly, she realized just how much Malika must have trusted her in that moment.


    ¡°Thank you for having my back out there,¡± Malika said, smiling at her. ¡°I know you¡¯re new at this combat stuff, but you really stuck to the plan. In the heat of battle, that can be very hard.¡±


    Ali looked down, her mistake gnawing at her while Malika offered praise that she felt she didn¡¯t deserve. ¡°I forgot about my rooted wolf. It nearly got me.¡± The mistake was so obvious now, in hindsight when she was safe, but it could have so easily gotten them both killed.


    Malika smiled. ¡°It¡¯s ok to make mistakes; you pulled through, and that¡¯s what counts. I made mistakes too. I could have managed my stamina better, and we wouldn¡¯t have had such a close call at the end.¡±


    Ali glanced over, surprised by her calm and level assessment of even her own mistakes. ¡°It¡¯s hard to keep track of more than one spell at the same time,¡± Ali admitted. ¡°There were a few times I felt I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep my barrier and shoot accurately at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps invest a few more points in intelligence soon? It¡¯s not just for making your spells hit harder, many battle mages say it helps with splitting your focus among several things simultaneously. I¡¯m not that familiar with mages, but it could be worth a try. Also, practice should help a lot,¡± suggested Malika.


    Ali felt a little better about her performance in the battle after Malika shared her opinion and advice. Turning her attention inward, she decided to assign four attribute points to each of vitality and wisdom, leaving two points to try out Malika¡¯s intelligence recommendation.


    As soon as she had assigned her points, she felt something shifting within her. She definitely felt the increase in her mana, but there was something else. Her mind felt just a little sharper and a thrilling vigor coursed through her body. Curious, she flipped open the status book in her mind, focusing on the bottom.


    Stamina remained unchanged, but her health was no longer a meager twenty-five. The four points of vitality had bought her almost double her health. It just seemed a little frustrating that a human, like Malika, would have gained twice that much for the same investment.


    On the other hand, she had the advantage when it came to mana ¨C four points of wisdom had increased her mana capacity by sixty points! She grinned inwardly, watching for a bit as her mana began to slowly tick up.


    She and Malika sat together in silence for a while, Ali focused on what she had learned from the fight, trying to turn the battle over in her mind for how she could do better. After Malika¡¯s kind words, her attention shifted from worrying about what she had done wrong, to more productive thoughts on how she could improve next time.


    Beside her, Malika¡¯s hand reached out to rest on the shrine for a few moments before she spoke, but to Ali¡¯s surprise, it was not about fighting.


    ¡°Aliandra Amariel,¡± Malika said, softly. ¡°You have an unusual name.¡±


    Ali looked up in surprise but immediately relaxed seeing Malika¡¯s thoughtful expression. ¡°It¡¯s Dal¡¯mohran,¡± Ali answered, ¡°from my home city.¡± She fell silent for a few moments, dwelling on her thoughts of home, before adding, ¡°Ancient Dal¡¯mohran now, I guess. My family pronounced it a-MA-ri-el. But it¡¯s more than three thousand years ago now, and even the language has changed. I¡¯m not surprised it sounds strange.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty,¡± Malika said, falling silent again.


    Ali could tell there was something on her mind, so she simply sat quietly and waited, giving her friend some space with her thoughts.


    ¡°The Ahn Khen ¨C my people ¨C do not use family names,¡± Malika finally broke the silence. ¡°I¡¯m just Malika until I awaken my bloodline.¡± She stopped again; brow furrowed as she stared off into the darkness.


    Ali simply waited for her.


    ¡°Usually, people awaken their bloodline shortly after earning their class, and then their parents pick an awakened name. There¡¯s a small set of awakened names that represent the most powerful ancestors, and your awakened name is chosen to be a guide or an anchor to help connect you with the Ancestor most suited to your personality. It¡¯s considered a very personal thing, shared only with close friends and family, or sometimes with a foe you recognize as honorable.¡±


    ¡°Are you worried that you¡¯ll have nobody to give you a suitable name when your bloodline awakens?¡± Ali asked, realizing that while this issue seemed important to Malika, it felt more like the other girl simply needed to connect, and share, and she hadn¡¯t done it for so long that she felt awkward.


    Malika paused, again seeming to be preoccupied, before answering somewhat obliquely. ¡°I haven¡¯t paid my respects to the ancestors since they took my life away from me. I¡¯m not sure they would be happy to share one of their names with me.¡±


    Ali thought, watching Malika for a while as she struggled with her inner thoughts.


    ¡°You can call me Ali,¡± she said, breaking the silence, ¡°if you like. It¡¯s the name my friends and family used most often.¡±


    Malika looked over toward her, a little more present, perhaps a little surprised. ¡°Ali¡­¡± She said, trying it out. ¡°I¡­ thank you.¡±


    Ali smiled at her. That last fight had been scary, but even when they had come close to dying, Malika hadn¡¯t abandoned her for even a second.


    ¡°Ali, do you think the ancestors really are looking out for us?¡±


    Ali considered the question, wondering what she was getting at. ¡°I¡¯ve never followed the ancestors or the gods of the other races myself, there don¡¯t seem to be any Fae-specific deities that I remember. The human and elf gods always seemed to care most for their own races, or at least their temples and churches were not that welcoming. And most of the dwarves seemed to worship a sentient rock. The only people I knew who followed their ancestors as patrons were the troll races. And they¡¯re even more unwelcoming of other races, considering everyone else to be inferior. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°My class feels like it was made for me. It specifically requires the Ahn Khen bloodline. I unlocked a soul magic affinity ¨C just like my mother¡¯s ¨C and my class requires that too. It provides defense and attack skills based on martial arts knowledge¡­ I just can¡¯t see how anyone other than me could satisfy the requirements. How can that be unless the ancestors created it?¡±


    Ali thought as Malika began sharing some of the details of her class. Her question, though, had been the subject of many lectures at the Dal¡¯mohran University of Magic, and Ali had personally spent many long hours researching it in the library.


    ¡°My class seems just as specific,¡± Ali said eventually. ¡°I got a unique hybrid class ¨C half my skills are combat skills, and the other half are research or knowledge skills suitable for a scholar class.¡± Malika inhaled sharply. ¡°Yes. My class is domain-bound just like my father¡¯s, it mentions the shrine and even requires that I have remained here for more than three thousand years. It¡¯s how I even know roughly how long it¡¯s been.¡±


    ¡°Three  No wonder¡­¡±


    Ali opted to shrug. ¡°The Title says Ancient. I¡¯m an antique.¡±


    They shared a chuckle.


    ¡°So, the university had a lot of research on this subject. My favorite theory is that any time we are faced with a turning point; a risk that needs to be taken, a crucial decision, a battle, a discovery, or something created, we gain experience. Even when we don¡¯t have a class. And experience comes with traits similar to the traits listed in your class and skills. Traits like melee, magic, creation, helpful, physical, harmful, defensive, aggressive, arcane, et cetera. When the system assigns classes, it matches your experience and the most prominent traits to whatever classes are present. But sometimes it creates a new class based on your balance of experience and traits. That¡¯s most likely what happened to both of us.¡±


    ¡°You seem to know a lot about this,¡± Malika answered.


    ¡°Researcher,¡± Ali replied. The class decision was one of the most important decisions in anyone¡¯s life, and she had had access to the best library in the world. Of course, she had researched the heck out of it.


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad I don¡¯t need to go and apologize to the ancestors.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about belief, and the ancestors,¡± Ali said, ¡°but I¡¯m happy to be a friend and listen if you need someone to talk it over with.¡±


    Malika gave a small snicker, shifting her mood. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I even remember how to be a friend. I¡¯m sure you could do a lot better than a Street Rat.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my only friend,¡± Ali whispered awkwardly. After a moment, she added, ¡°I was kinda hoping that the boys wanted to be friends, too. What happened to them?¡±


    ¡°Calen wanted to check in with his mother and let her know he survived. They said they wanted to come back and level up with us, so you could probably try when they get back.¡±


    ¡°You could try too, they seem nice enough,¡± Ali answered.


    ¡°Ugh, that Beastkin is frustrating and annoying,¡± Malika said, wrinkling her nose as if smelling something nasty.


    ¡°He has a good heart,¡± Ali countered.


    ¡°You¡¯re just saying that because he saved your life.¡±


    ¡°True, so I like my life. What about the Half-elf then?¡±


    ¡°Calen? I¡¯m not sure I trust a boy who is prettier than me,¡± Malika answered with a quirky smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty,¡± Ali noted.


    ¡°Are you kidding, have you seen us?¡± Malika said, with mock incredulity, indicating her own ruined, bloodstained clothing.


    ¡°Not quite ready for the ballroom party and fine dining?¡± Ali asked, setting both of them to gales of laughter.


    ***

 Chapter 13: Grimoire

    Chapter 13: GrimoireCalenCalen sprinted down the moonlit street, cloaking his form with his new Eclipse skill. The street was deserted, all the normal merchants, crafters, and townsfolk having retreated to the relative safety of their locked doors and barred windows. All that remained was the litter and trash strewn about from the day¡¯s busy activities. Under normal circumstances, he would not have attempted to cut across town in the dead of night, but with the stealth provided by his class skill, he should be safe enough.


    As he rounded the corner onto Artisan¡¯s Row, he froze at the sight of a figure robed in white suddenly looking up sharply and glancing around suspiciously, before vanishing into the dark alleyway. Whoever it was moved very rapidly, but Calen¡¯s sharp eyes did not miss the sigil of the Town Watch emblazoned on the ornate robe.


    He ducked into a shadowed doorway and waited, not daring to move a muscle. His stealth skill was powerful, but it obviously hadn¡¯t protected him from being heard. His instincts screamed at him to flee, but he forced himself to remain still. This might not be the most dangerous part of town, by any stretch of the imagination, but at night, anything had been known to happen ¨C and this area was certainly not patrolled by the guards with nearly the frequency of the noble quarters.


    After several tense, drawn-out minutes hiding in silence waiting for whoever it was to return, he finally decided it was safe to approach, but when he did, he wished he hadn¡¯t. In the dark alley, he found a shattered bottle and the overpowering odor of strong alcohol. Two long trails of blood were smeared across the pavement. Lying at the end of the trails was a body. Dressed like a lower-class merchant, the man had been impaled by several long lances of white ice, one piercing the thigh, and the other through the back of the knee, emerging grotesquely from the front, still leaking blood. He had obviously turned over to face his assailant because the third ice lance had punched clean through his hand and embedded itself deep into the center of his chest.


    He grimaced. It was not the first dead body he had run across in this street, and probably it wouldn¡¯t be the last. But this unknown and unfortunate man had not been mugged for whatever meager possessions he might have had. He had been murdered, and for what reason, Calen couldn¡¯t discern from the slowly forming puddle of water and blood and the crumpled form of the body.


    Returning to the shadows, he continued onward with redoubled caution, leaving the body to the authorities.  he thought for the hundredth time. But he knew that she couldn¡¯t afford anything better, now that she was no longer affiliated with the Guild of Tailors. Nor was there anywhere in the town that would have been much safer, even if she could afford it. If the white-robed assailant had really been with the Town Watch, they would be immune to any prosecution or investigation the town authorities might muster.


    He finally arrived at his mother¡¯s new store and apartment. The building had been gutted when his mom had first moved in, and the previous owner had vanished. The rumor on the street was that the prior merchant had skipped out on their loan payments, or perhaps hadn¡¯t paid the Watch. Calen didn¡¯t know, he just knew he could still see the burn marks on the outside of the building from the fire, extending all the way up to the apartment that was on the second floor.


    He stopped right before the door.  he thought, looking at a freshly painted sign that read ¡°Lydia¡¯s Allure: Boutique Clothing¡±. He smiled at the sight. If nothing else, his mother definitely had an eye for style ¨C the sign looked like it belonged hanging outside a store frequented by the nobility.


    Carefully, he unlocked the door and disabled the magical alarm before slipping inside and locking everything behind him.


    ¡°Calen?¡±


    He jumped, startled by the sudden voice in the dark. But it was just his mother, sounding tired and a little stressed, sitting in the guest chair in the waiting room of the storefront.


    ¡°I told you not to wait up for me,¡± he said with a sigh.


    ¡°I was worried about you,¡± she said, getting up and stumbling in the darkness.


    With a thought, Calen dropped his stealth skill and instead summoned his Mote of Light, turning the inside of the small tailor shop that took up the entire ground floor into something akin to daylight.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said simply, and then hugged him. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe. Why don¡¯t you sit and tell me what happened?¡±


    He had long ago given up on understanding why his mother insisted on waiting up for him like this. His having reached adulthood had never seemed to factor in at all. He sat calmly beside her as she activated the runes to warm up some tea.


    ¡°I unlocked an affinity for Light magic, and a class called Archer of Light,¡± he began, and then proceeded to tell his mother everything that had happened, from the Town Hall to saving Aliandra and using the shrine in the cavern deep under the town.


    ¡°You left the girls in that dark cavern with the monsters? Tsk.¡±


    No excitement about his class, or questions about his magic. It was not that surprising though; his mother had a strong sense of propriety. It probably wouldn¡¯t matter to her that Malika could probably take him in a fight with her street experience and martial arts training ¨C especially now that she had her monk class. But he had to try.


    ¡°Mom, Malika is very strong. And she grew up on the streets. I¡¯m pretty sure I couldn¡¯t have made her come, even if I wanted to.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, it¡¯s still not right. Besides, you¡¯ll never get a girlfriend if you leave girls in dark and dangerous caverns underground.¡±


    ¡°Mother! I wasn¡¯t looking for a date, we were fighting monsters to earn a class.¡± She always found the most inappropriate ways to remind him he was still single.


    ¡°Why not? Both of those girls sound strong and capable. They could maybe keep you on a better path than I apparently can. Maybe even get you to come home at a reasonable hour.¡±


    He almost missed the little twitch at the corner of her mouth that marred her near-perfect deadpan. He sighed. She always knew exactly how to tease him and make him feel the most awkward.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you too, Mom,¡± he answered, getting a chuckle from her as she released her stern fa?ade.


    ¡°Here, why don¡¯t you have some tea?¡± she responded.


    He took the heated cup gratefully and then used his prepared distraction. ¡°Aliandra was still wearing a torn cotton t-shirt when I left, and Malika¡¯s clothes were mostly rags, even before we started.¡±


    ¡°Your distraction won¡¯t work on me,¡± his mother answered quickly. ¡°You should have brought them with you if you wanted me to help them out. They would have been safer here.¡±


    ¡°I found another body outside,¡± Calen answered, getting a grimace from his mother. ¡°Murdered by ice magic. I¡¯m not so sure it¡¯s safer up here than down there.¡±


    ¡°True enough,¡± she said. ¡°Very well, what are their measurements? You did get their measurements, right?¡±


    ¡°Uh, Malika is about here, and Aliandra about here,¡± he said, holding his hands to indicate their approximate heights.


    ¡°So, this tall and this wide?¡± she asked, spreading her arms.


    ¡°No, normal,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Normal¡­ nice?¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± He could already feel the flush rising to his cheeks. ¡°Malika¡¯s not a boulder, she¡¯s a little shorter than you and skinny. And Aliandra is a Fae, she¡¯s smaller than a Gnome.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re hopeless,¡± she sighed. ¡°You know, you need to actually look at the girls if you want a girlfriend one day.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know,¡± he answered, rolling his eyes. It certainly wouldn¡¯t be the last time she teased him about this topic.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make something, just please apologize on my behalf for the fit not being right.¡± She then looked at him thoughtfully. ¡°You said Malika seemed to be from the rougher parts of town?¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°Tell her it¡¯s a thank-you gift from me in exchange for saving your life,¡± she said.


    He was puzzled, they had all saved each other¡¯s lives down there, but he knew his mother wouldn¡¯t explain her thinking. He also knew that she was almost always right about stuff like this, with some kind of uncanny sense for people, so he simply filed the particularly specific request away for when the time came.


    Aliandra


    Ali sat beside Malika on the stone path where she had first awakened into this dark future world. With the shrine depleted, the only real source of light was the soft golden glow of several small circles of mushrooms growing nearby and the fading remnants of her mother¡¯s shattered spell. Ali was getting used to keeping her barrier nearby to create a little extra light to see, but the golden magic still tugged at her heart every time she used it.


    She had mostly been ignoring the sadness, covering it up with the all-consuming focus that only lots of adrenaline-fueled, life-threatening combat could demand. But now, in the moment of quiet, with no immediate threats apparent, the infinitely deep well of pain and sorrow bubbled over into her heart. The loss of her family and the shock of uprooting her entire life ¨C and even her era ¨C loomed sudden and enormous, threatening to consume her entirely. She hovered there in numb contemplation of the giant void gripping her heart, desperately waiting for the tears that wouldn¡¯t come. The strain left her feeling stretched out: thin and brittle inside. Her parents, her old life, her friends, and her dreams were all long gone ¨C thousands of years ago ¨C but her brain insisted that she had experienced it just yesterday, feeling all too immediate and utterly raw.


    Her thoughts turned to her nascent resolve to reclaim her home and the strangely defiant rage she had somehow kindled by standing up to the rat ¨C a monster that still hung suspended in the roots she had created off to the side of the shrine.


    Her thoughts spiraled uncontrollably, her resolve shrinking down to a tiny flickering candle over the abyss of darkness that threatened to swallow her whole.


    Almost everything she wanted was impossible.


    More than anything, she felt lost. Her beautiful world had turned dark, damp, and filled with monsters trying to kill her. This was a horrible mockery of the peaceful forest that her father had tended so lovingly outside the glorious underground city of Dal¡¯mohra.


    All destroyed by the rampaging undead for some inscrutable purpose of the power-hungry Blind Lich.


    The only people she had met so far were strangers. Malika seemed nice, but she barely knew her. She never would have imagined choosing a hybrid class ¨C with combat skills of all things. But she had. And though she didn¡¯t exactly regret it ¨C a necessity of circumstance ¨C she hardly knew how to use it. Three of her skills were directly related to combat, an activity she had no experience or understanding in, and deep inside she mourned the loss of Runic Sage, and the dreams of her youth. If only she could leave the nasty rats to the Dwarves or Elven guards as she had her entire life before this. Two of her skills seemed exciting, relating to the world of magic and study she loved, but how would she ever learn to use Runic Script if she couldn¡¯t find a library? After three thousand years, did the Grand Library Arcana even stand? Or was it long gone and decayed, crumbled into dust like Maeria Runeweaver¡¯s book when she had awoken from her mother¡¯s spell and touched it?


    She frowned.


    ¡°You seem deep in thought,¡± Malika¡¯s voice intruded on her downward spiral.


    Ali considered her state for a moment, trying to get a handle on what it all meant. ¡°I don¡¯t really know what to do. I want to put things back to the way they were, and now I have a class, but¡­¡± She trailed off, staring down at her hands, clasped together, white-knuckled in her lap.


    ¡°Hard to figure out where to start?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ali looked up at Malika sitting beside her, radiating a strangely quiet calm. This girl had lost everything, also. Even though many years had passed for her, she still struggled against the world, reaching for her dream.


    Malika gazed off into the darkness for a moment. ¡°I want to be a powerful warrior and do some good in the world. Maybe I can become an adventurer and help people with monsters, or clear out dungeons to make the world safer,¡± she said. ¡°But I can¡¯t be that tomorrow, I need to train. So, I plan to kill more rats and level up. Your situation is more complex, but I think you can start with the simple stuff and figure out the rest as you go.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Malika¡¯s way of looking at the world seemed curiously clear and straightforward. A strong contrast to the uncertainty and confusion that bubbled up within Ali, threatening to overwhelm her.


    ¡°Well,¡± Malika said, ¡°You can¡¯t restore anything if rats are roaming around in it.¡± She gestured out to the large dark cavern. ¡°And we can¡¯t do much at level two. So how about we work on that first? This is a great training ground; we can both get stronger. Getting stronger will help¡­ everything.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll help me?¡± Her surprise at Malika¡¯s unexpected implication diminished some of the loneliness eating away inside.


    ¡°Of course. I mean if you want?¡± Malika seemed happy ¨C such an incongruous emotion down here in this monster-infested cavern. ¡°I think we make a good team. It will be good for both of us. Let¡¯s ask the boys to join when they get back, too ¨C it will be much safer to tackle the wolf packs with four of us.¡±


    Slowly, Ali unclasped her hands, massaging her fingers to restore the color and blood flow.


    ¡°Also, another thing you can start on,¡± Malika said. ¡°Look at the mess this shrine is in, and you happen to have a trash disposal skill.¡± Her deadpan delivery was marred by an evil grin that snuck in at the end.


    Ali frowned at her teasing.


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll help,¡± Malika said, leaping to her feet energetically. ¡°It will be good; you¡¯ll feel better after we do something productive. I¡¯ll gather some of the broken wood and branches. Why don¡¯t you clear the moss off the stone path and the shrine?¡±


    The shrine might be the only connection to her previous life that hadn¡¯t been warped beyond recognition by the passage of time. Even if cleaning seemed overwhelmingly mundane and trivial, it struck her as wrong to leave it in such a state.


    Malika¡¯s energy and excitement were contagious. As she began dragging broken dead wood and discarded bones off the stone path into a pile, Ali got up and focused on the shrine and all the thick green moss growing around it. Her magic required her focus, but even with concentration, she found the activity to be quite therapeutic. The golden glowing patterns of mana dispersing into the air and leaving behind pristine cleared stone gave her quite a disproportional sense of satisfaction. A sense of purpose.


    Ali worked her way around the shrine, clearing the stone in a broad circle. As the path slowly emerged from under the moss and dirt, it began to resemble her memories of the Grove more and more.


    After about twenty minutes, Ali had restored most of the stone of the shrine and the surrounding path, but she was starting to feel uncomfortable. A strange pressure built inside her head, a sensation of fullness, like the feeling of eating a little too much, but in her mind, not her stomach.


    Ali didn¡¯t know much about how the spell worked, only that it mentioned learning about ¡®mana structure¡¯.  She looked over her work so far.


    She admired the beautiful golden light display as the tiny runes dissolved the moss, emitting motes of mana that floated into the air, slowly fading. The mental pressure increased sharply along with the sense of incomprehensible knowledge being absorbed and shunted off somewhere unseen. As the magic completed and the last of the moss dissolved, Ali heard the surprising sound of her notification chime. The pressure suddenly coalesced into a dense kernel of energy somewhere behind her eyes, throbbing with the intensity of a headache from concentrating for way too long.


    Two lines of golden writing appeared on the parchment of her mind.


    Golden light and streamers of green suddenly burst from her still-outstretched hand, swirling together, and coalescing into a vaguely rectangular shape. The light slowly faded to a soft magical glow emanating from a small book that floated above her outstretched palm.


    It was a rather small book, bound in what looked like green leather with a golden trim, but was clearly entirely magical. Ali reached out, and as she touched the warm surface of the book, it sprang open. With mounting curiosity, she peered inside, turning the pages. There were just three pages. At the top of each page, she found the runic symbol for a chapter number inscribed. There was nothing else written, the entire book, what little of it there was, was otherwise blank.


    Ali blinked in confusion. .


    There was a rough clatter of wood as Malika dropped what she was carrying and rushed over. ¡°Are you ok?¡±


    ¡°I think so¡­¡±


    Suddenly, the chime sounded again, and a flurry of golden notifications appeared in her mind.


    But the lines of golden text spilled out across the parchment page, heedless of her wishes. Faster and faster, until she found herself staring at a completely unfamiliar skill shining from the page of the class tome in her mind.


    Grimoire of Summoning ¨C level 3


    Mana: Release the mana from an unresisting or inanimate target, learning about its structure, and retaining some in your own mana pool. Requires continuous uninterrupted focus and the target is destroyed. Range: Touch.


    Mana: Manifest a magical Grimoire storing the runic imprint of any object you have fully understood. You may create or summon anything imprinted using the Grimoire as a focus.


    Arcane, Nature, Minion, Channeled, Knowledge, Intelligence


    Breathlessly, she reread the description she had skimmed through. The first part of the new skill was simply the same Deconstruction ¨C cleaning magic ¨C from before. But the second part was clearly what had made the book manifest.


    Ali examined the first chapter header in the book and the still-intense pressure behind her eyes intensified as if collecting into a point. Realizing the connection instantly, Ali willed the pressure toward the book¡¯s first chapter, hoping she knew what she was doing. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Immediately, a storm of golden and green runes exploded from her body. The pressure inside her head released as if the dam-wall of her skull holding it in had suddenly vanished, and whatever had been trapped within her suddenly began draining from every part of her skin. The runes swirled like a storm in the air, slowly drawn in by the conjured book, and finally alighting on its pages. The magical vortex rapidly began inscribing the tiny, dense runes into the book. Each time a page was filled, the book created a new one in a sparkling flash and continued filling it at a breakneck pace. Her mana rushed from her in a powerful torrent, mirroring the draining pressure in her mind as the book consumed the sudden eruption of runic magic.


    Runic Script was active, but the sheer volume and speed of the flying runes, and the dense and mind-bogglingly complex interconnected web of spells being rapidly inscribed, instantly overwhelmed her ability to understand anything. As abruptly as it had started, it all stopped, and the light dimmed leaving the glowing Grimoire floating quietly in the air before her.


    Almost half her mana had vanished into that powerful storm of magical energy.


    ¡°Ali? Ali!¡± She realized that Malika was shaking her by the shoulder. ¡°You alright?¡±


    ¡°Hold on. Let me just¡­¡±


    Barely able to breathe, Ali tentatively reached for the Grimoire, but when her fingertips brushed across the page, runic symbols and inscriptions lit up leaving slowly fading trails of magic in the wake of her touch.


    With a growing sense of awe and wonder, she paged through the densely inscribed chapter of softly glowing runes, her skin prickling as it reacted to the vibrancy of the most complex magical construction she had ever seen. she thought, excitement bubbling up within her at the prospect.


    The chapter title had been updated to read ¡®¡¯.


    ¡°What the heck is that?¡± Malika¡¯s voice echoed the surprise she had felt.


    ¡°I have a spellbook!¡± Ali exclaimed. She couldn¡¯t help it, she was excited. She didn¡¯t care, she had her very own Grimoire. She shared the details of her new evolved skill with Malika.


    ¡°That makes a little more sense, now,¡± Malika said, scrutinizing the floating tome. ¡°It¡¯s not for cleaning. It¡¯s for collecting things to put in your book.¡±


    Ali grinned, still on a high from what had just happened.


    ¡°Well, go on. Try it out!¡± Malika said.


    Grinning from ear to ear with barely contained excitement, Ali poured some of her remaining mana into the imprint in the book. The process turned out to be just as intuitive as using her other skills. As her mana flowed into the pages, the runes lit up and glowing copies of them floated off the pages, swirling and connecting in the air. In a more sedate reversal of the chaotic storm, the stream of magic runes flowed to where she had focused on the damp ground, and everything coalesced there. The entire process took several minutes before it shut off with a snap and a patch of moss the size of a small rug sprang into existence.


    Ali marveled at her creation. The moss seemed vibrant and full of life.


    Excited, she created several more patches of moss, growing the size of the original one as much as she could until she ran out of mana. Glancing around, she saw the large pile of decaying wood and bones Malika had collected. Rushing over, Ali deconstructed the pile and then returned to her moss-growing with a freshly filled pool of mana.


    ¡°You carry on,¡± Malika said, smiling. ¡°I¡¯ll be over here training my skills for a bit.¡±


    Ali continued playing with her new skill for almost an hour, creating a broad swathe of green moss carpeting the ground alongside the shrine and stone pathway. She found she could summon and dismiss her Grimoire at will, and, even after an hour, the sight of the magical book springing into existence still triggered her sense of wondrous excitement.


    Toward the end of an hour, the sense of pressure building returned, until her notification chimed again.


    Her Grimoire automatically manifested and opened to the second chapter, as if suggesting she might choose that one.  She sent the imprint towards the suggested blank chapter and the process repeated itself. This time, it didn¡¯t take quite so many pages, but Ali still froze, breathless, to marvel at the beautiful and complex magic dance once again.


    As the notification chimed, the book glowed briefly and grew slightly wider. Quickly paging through it, Ali found that a new blank chapter had been added at the end.


    ¡°This is nice,¡± Malika said, sitting down on Ali¡¯s new moss carpet. She patted the moss with her hand. ¡°It feels vibrant, almost more alive than before. How about we camp here? I can keep watch while I Meditate.¡±


    Ali sat beside her on the moss-covered ground and experimented with her new wood imprint. Every time she used the imprint, it would create a branch or stick of a random size and shape, mostly in a state of decay, like the ones she had deconstructed. Try as she might, she couldn¡¯t influence the size or shape.


    ***


    Ali woke to the soft chime of her notifications. She sat up slowly and looked around, finding everything just as she had left it. She sat on the soft bed of moss she had grown. The earthy scent of growth and nature filled her nostrils, and she was transported at once to a moment when she had sat here ¨C very nearly in this exact spot ¨C surrounded by her father¡¯s burgeoning Grove, practicing her newly-learned plant cantrip while Aunt Lira smiled on encouragingly.


    Malika sat with her legs crossed, hands resting in her lap, Meditating with her back to the large, haphazard pile of wood they had made.


    ¡°I can keep watch now,¡± she said, quietly, letting Malika know she could take her turn to sleep, and then she directed her attention to her status.


    Two notifications awaited her.


    Her mouth pursed in puzzlement.  She had been expecting something would create a domain, since she had chosen her class knowing a domain would be an important part of it. She just had no idea what had triggered it, or how it worked.


    What she wouldn¡¯t have given to speak to her father right now ¡­


    Searching for clues, she opened her status and looked up her aptitudes, finding two new entries at the bottom of the list.


    The note about domain withdrawal looked somewhat scary, but her dad¡¯s class had had the same restriction. She had always enjoyed hearing him explain his magic, so it felt familiar. Her maximum health would decrease the longer she was outside of her domain, but it would recover quickly when she returned.


    There was the cryptic reference to some kind of Domain Sense in the new Domain aptitude, but she had no idea what that was or how it might be accessed. It would be crucial for her to figure it out. As Aunt Lira and her dad had both explained, a domain was an area of magic ¨C often permanent ¨C imposing a class-specific magical structure or order over a space. Often it greatly enhanced the potential of the class skills used within it.


    she thought, trying to recall anything that might have been the trigger for her domain to suddenly appear.Quite frankly, yesterday had probably been the second craziest day of her entire life. She had gone out hunting. She had fought monsters. On purpose. She wasn¡¯t a four-armed Naga warrior like Armand, but she had survived and leveled up. She had even cleaned the shrine, evolved her skill, and earned her precious Grimoire in the process.


    She studied the mossy ground beneath her, a suspicion taking hold. Curious now, she got up, walked over to the edge of her moss carpet, and stepped out. The moment she passed about a meter beyond the edge, something subtly shifted. It felt different outside, but she couldn¡¯t immediately pinpoint the source of her disquiet.


    She crossed the strange border several times and then suddenly, insight dawned. The sense of vibrancy, of life, that she had noticed when first planting the moss; she could feel it when she entered the area. Outside, however, there seemed to be a potent sense of death and decay which grew progressively stronger the further she got from the shrine and her moss. And she had only noticed it now because it was entirely absent within her little patch of green.


    Ali brought up her status once more and examined her mana and wisdom. She had increased her wisdom to twenty-three already, and when she had gone to sleep, she had had three hundred and forty-five total mana. Her race¡¯s magical heritage gave her a fifty percent advantage over most other races; she earned fifteen mana per point of wisdom. However, her mana now showed a different number.


    As if she had one more point in wisdom. Ali¡¯s excitement grew. All her skills used mana, and she had already experienced how devastating running out in the middle of battle could be. Now, she could plant moss and her domain would help her increase her mana pool.  That would be an enormous boost. Eager now, and full of energy, she set out to expand her patch.


    Ali had more than doubled the moss-covered area by the time Malika woke.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Malika asked, looking curiously at the new area of moss.


    Ali quickly explained what she had discovered about her domain. ¡°It takes a couple of hours and I have to plant it near the existing domain, but once it connects, my mana pool grows.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ wow,¡± Malika gasped. ¡°You can literally grow more mana?¡± Ali was a little surprised at how interested Malika seemed to be in her skills, but she was excited too, and happy to have someone to discuss the details with.


    ¡°The only downside I can see is that someone could burn it, and you¡¯d lose your mana,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Ali hadn¡¯t considered that her moss could be damaged. ¡°But fortunately, the rats and wolves aren¡¯t going to burn it.¡±


    They settled down to share a light breakfast. Very light ¨C the last of their food consisted of splitting an apple between the two of them. But Ali didn¡¯t need much, and Malika claimed she was used to being hungry.


    ¡°I think we should try some team tactics today,¡± Malika suggested. ¡°We should be able to fight more monsters if we work together.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali answered. Teamwork sounded fun, but more monsters sounded scary.

 Chapter 14: Summoner

    Chapter 14: SummonerAliandraAfter breakfast, Ali followed Malika out into the darkness as they searched for monsters to test themselves against. The transition as she stepped out of her mossy domain around the shrine and into the larger cavern was jarring, going from invigorating and vibrant to death and decay in the space of just a couple of steps. Ali shivered involuntarily and summoned a small barrier for light, trying not to breathe quite so deeply through her nose.


    As her magic skill leveled up and she invested more in her intelligence attribute, she sensed her control and proficiency with her barriers improving dramatically. It was just yesterday that she required intense focus to place the barrier, and little to no control over how it appeared. Now she could summon the constructs easily, placing them one at a time for illumination, and with just a little more attention she could even limit the size of the barrier substantially to conserve her mana.


    It seemed that her and Malika¡¯s efforts yesterday had eliminated most of the nearby monsters and so it took a fair while to walk to an unexplored area. Either the monsters had territories, or they simply hadn¡¯t noticed the gaps yet.


    She took the opportunity to really look around at what had become of her home. Many of the ancient oaks still stood, trunks wider around than houses ¨C but they were blackened and dead, slowly succumbing to decay and the predations of the ever-present mushrooms and fungi. It was still astounding to her that they had survived intact for so many long centuries. The terrain too, had changed ¨C transformed beyond recognition. What had once been gentle forested hills with beautiful streams and trees, filled with birds and wildlife, was now muddy moss, boulders, decaying wood, and scattered bones. As they moved further and further from the shrine, the pretty glowing mushrooms grew progressively scarcer, replaced by pitch-black fungi that infested the dead wood and bones. The reek of decay and rot quickly became cloying. The piles of bones grew progressively more common and stacked up higher and higher till they appeared at a distance like dunes or drifts of gruesome, horrifying snow. It seemed as if the shrine itself had been standing as a beacon, the last bastion holding back the darkness and decay as the ages ravaged her father¡¯s old domain.


    The air hung heavy with an oppressive stillness, broken only by the distant howls and screeches of the monsters that lurked in the foreboding gloom steeped in the ancient lingering remnants of the Blind Lich¡¯s touch. That skin-crawling chill of his mana seemed to emanate from the very ground, just like the prickling premonitions she had felt on that awful day on the way to meet Maeria, turning the once-vibrant Grove into a crypt.


    She could only imagine what he must have done to turn the thriving city of Dal¡¯mohra, and the verdant life of her father¡¯s forest, into this.


    ¡°Over there,¡± Malika whispered, halting their advance.


    Up ahead, rooting around among the bones and dead trees, she saw three Sewer Rats. Despite all the practice from yesterday, Ali couldn¡¯t quite quell the anxiety that rose within her. This would be the first time they were going to try to tackle a group together ¨C at least on purpose.


    She called out the levels for Malika¡¯s benefit.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Malika said. ¡°You can use your roots on the level two rat. I will tank the others while you shoot from the back and act as lookout.¡±


    ¡°What is ¡®tank¡¯?¡± Ali didn¡¯t understand the unfamiliar term. She still struggled occasionally with her new proficiency in the common language of this time, but Malika¡¯s usage hinted at a more specific meaning ¨C something that eluded her.


    ¡°I keep forgetting you didn¡¯t have any combat experience or training growing up,¡± Malika said. ¡°Tank is adventurer jargon for getting hit ¨C or being the person who puts themselves in front of the monster to get hit. I will go over and annoy the rats, so they hit me instead of you, that way you are free to shoot and control the other rat.¡±


    ¡°That sounds unfair,¡± Ali frowned. ¡°I will fight too ¨C I even put points into vitality like you suggested. I don¡¯t want you to have to do all the hard work because I¡¯m weaker.¡±


    It didn¡¯t help that Ali didn¡¯t think she was all that tough herself, and Malika certainly had experience with a rather rougher life.


    Malika stopped and turned to face her, a serious expression appearing on her face. ¡°I already know you¡¯re brave,¡± she replied. ¡°But think about what each of us is good at. I have more than twice your health, I have an armor and a dodge skill, a heal, and I can only attack from close up. Your arcane magic can dish out some serious damage, but you can¡¯t use it if you¡¯re being eaten by a rat. I¡¯m not trying to be condescending; I really think this is how to get the most out of both of our classes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t think of it like that,¡± Ali said, a little chagrined at her snap judgment. She had often enjoyed optimization problems and when Malika put it like that, it really did make sense. ¡°So, you¡¯re trying to get the most out of us specializing?¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly,¡± she said smiling. ¡°You provide control, lookout, and damage. I¡¯m the tank and healer. It¡¯s called teamwork.¡±


    Smiling uncertainly at the obvious attempt at a joke, Ali asked, ¡°Is that always going to be my role?¡±


    ¡°No, it will change depending on who is in our group, and what we are fighting,¡± Malika answered. ¡°Though, you¡¯re unlikely to ever be the tank.¡±


    Surely, she could be the best tank under one meter. She was certainly cuter than any Gnome warrior she had seen.


    Malika paused for a moment and then added, ¡°Just remember, I¡¯m doing this by what I was taught. I am just as inexperienced as you. If you think of a better idea, then we can definitely try it.¡±


    ¡°Ok I¡¯m ready,¡± Ali said. She liked Malika¡¯s honest and open manner and having her share her thinking and admit her own inexperience made Ali feel a lot better. Also, having names for the roles made it sound very official. While she knew it was a trivial thing, Ali liked the sound of her roles.


    ¡°Ok, begin with the roots,¡± Malika said. ¡°I¡¯ll attack as soon as they notice us.¡±


    Shifting forward until she was close enough to use her spell, Ali cast her Grasping Roots on the weakest rat. It was like dumping a stink bomb into a crowded caf¨¦. As soon as the roots erupted from the ground trapping the rat, chaos erupted with screeches, hisses, and the mad scramble of sharp claws. The two free rats turned toward her and charged in a blur of scraggly fur and bared teeth. Fear surged through her at the sight of the monstrous rats bearing down on her with clear killing intent in their black eyes. She gritted her teeth and stood her ground through pure willpower, using a little mana to create a Barrier in front of herself just in case.


    As if summoned by her terrified plea, Malika dashed in from the side, intercepting both rats. Her magic flickered, bright blue-white coronas of energy that flashed with every impact as she danced among the monsters, delivering kicks and punches with grace and precision.


    Reminding herself of Malika¡¯s careful plan, Ali held her position with a calmness she felt in no bone of her body, waiting until both rats were fully focused on her friend. It was far harder than she had thought. Gleaming claws slashed at Malika¡¯s ribs. Yellowed teeth snapped at her face, as a snarling brawl erupted. Through it all, Ali had to stand there and watch the blood fly.


    ¡°Ok, now!¡± Malika yelled.


    Ali picked the closer rat and fired. Her arcane bolts arced over her barrier and lanced into the rat¡¯s back and shoulders, landing with a sequence of quick thumps eliciting pained screeches and leaving thin wisps of smoke rising from the points of impact.


    Ali took her roles seriously.


    Trusting the bolts to do their work, she made sure to scan the surroundings for any extra monsters that may have heard the ruckus, and then she double-checked her root magic just in case. Her attention swapped back to the battle, and she immediately saw why Malika had assigned her the lookout role. Malika was dodging and weaving around the rats so much that it was unlikely she had any decent awareness of the surrounding area.


    She sent another volley of bolts at the rat before she recast her root magic, keeping the frustrated third rat well out of the way. Ali¡¯s heart raced. When they had been discussing the strategy, her three roles seemed easy. Almost trivial. Now, in the face of three furious, snarling monsters, their success depended on her doing her part and she found it to be infinitely more challenging. She scanned the area again, and finding nothing, fired another volley of bolts. Much to Ali¡¯s surprise, the rat slumped to the ground in a heap.


    ¡°Good job!¡± Malika shouted, a little breathless from dodging.


    She took a second to scan the battlefield, taking stock of the fight so far. To her surprise, she realized she had been able to maintain her arcane bolts, even while taking on all her other tasks simultaneously.


    Malika¡¯s magic flashed as she healed herself, and then a kick lashed out with enough power to send the other rat sprawling. Ali immediately responded, adding her arcane magic to the fight, making sure to maintain her vigilance on the surroundings and refresh her roots.


    And she hadn¡¯t even needed her Barrier magic yet. Everything seemed to be going according to the plan. Even though her heart was racing, it didn¡¯t seem to be out of fear ¨C not anymore.  Even though she wouldn¡¯t describe her feelings as happy, Ali decided she could begin to understand the term ¡®thrill of battle¡¯.


    The second rat died to a brutal glowing kick to the side of the head and three of Ali¡¯s golden bolts slamming into its back. At once, Malika charged over to the rat Ali had been keeping trapped for the entire fight. With a withering flurry of punches and kicks, and Ali¡¯s gracefully arcing arcane magic, the final rat collapsed, and the battle was suddenly over as silence descended once more. Ali remembered to scan the area again before she ran over to check on Malika. While her clothes were mostly in tatters, she didn¡¯t have a scratch on her.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Ali asked, a little breathless.


    ¡°I healed myself, Ali,¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh, of course. It went well, don¡¯t you think?¡± Ali asked. It had felt like it went well, but she wasn¡¯t exactly certain when it came to combat.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Malika said, ¡°that was perfect. No surprises and everything went well. Let¡¯s regenerate our mana and then go find some more rats.¡±


    Ali quickly deconstructed all three rats and waited while Malika restored her stamina and mana using Meditation.


    For the remainder of the morning ¨C at least, Ali chose to think of it as morning ¨C they hunted rats. The unrelenting darkness down in the cavern was beginning to mess with her sense of time, but Ali was filled with a sense of purpose as she rapidly grew in her understanding of combat as a mage.


    Not all the fights went quite as smoothly as the first. Occasionally, her roots would break earlier than expected and she would have to react with her Barrier to regain control. Once, an extra rat had tried to ambush Ali from behind and it had been only Malika¡¯s timely warning that allowed her to save it with a Barrier. It had been chaos for a while, but she had managed to cast a second Grasping Roots, barely managing to hang on to both spells, but as soon as Malika had managed to secure three of the rats, things had stabilized.


    Ali thought, but she was making an effort to adopt the proper terms, and she understood the intent of the word clearly now after having seen Malika take the role time and again.


    As they headed back to the shrine, Ali reflected on her upbeat mood. She hadn¡¯t expected combat to require such specialization and teamwork, but in hindsight, and with the experience she had gained, it made a lot more sense. With a teammate like Malika helping her with strategy, fighting felt much less crazy and uncontrolled ¨C and when things did go poorly, Ali was becoming much more adept at reacting to the ever-changing situations with effective responses.


    Ali paused as she entered her little patch of moss around the shrine, stopping to take a deep breath and savor the sudden feeling of vitality and energy she sensed from her domain. She and Malika had been fighting all morning, with little downtime, but somehow, she wasn¡¯t nearly as tired as she expected. she reasoned.


    Sitting down on the moss near Malika, Ali scanned through the notifications from their morning of rat hunting.


    It seemed crazy that they had defeated so many rats. Even though it had taken at least three or four hours, it was still more than she ever imagined she could survive.


    ¡°I got to level three!¡± she exclaimed.


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± Malika smiled. ¡°I just got it on the last fight, too. That¡¯s decent progress, Ali.¡±


    ¡°What should I do with my points? More vitality? The intelligence has been helping a lot, and I hardly got hit today.¡±


    ¡°There were a few close calls,¡± Malika said thoughtfully. ¡°Like when we got that add.¡±


    It took Ali a second before she recalled that Malika liked using the term ¡®add¡¯ as a shorthand reference for ¡®additional monster¡¯. When they had inadvertently attracted an extra Sewer Rat mid-combat, things had become unstable really quickly. She had been quick enough to save the situation with a Barrier before Malika could grab the attention of the rat, but it could have so easily gotten so much worse. Just a small lapse in focus caused by pain or fear could have caused the entire fight to spiral into disaster.


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Ali replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s a balancing act that only you can decide. Intelligence makes your spells hit harder, making the fights shorter and safer, so it¡¯s valuable, too. But my dad always told me, this is not the legends or the stories where the gods can reach down and give you a second chance. If you must misjudge your vitality, you would much rather have too much than too little.¡±


    Ali fell silent for a while, considering the tradeoffs.  she reflected, realizing now why so few Fae had chosen combat classes, even given their powerful magical talents.


    Eventually, hoping that she was being smart, she decided on six points for vitality, splitting the remainder between Intelligence and Wisdom.  she thought, reasoning that the flip side of her racial aptitude somewhat mitigated the cost of spending fewer points on intelligence.


    Seeing that Malika had settled into her Meditation, and not wanting to disturb her, Ali got up and headed to the edge of her moss patch, intending to work on expanding it a little bit. For a few minutes, she busied herself deconstructing a pile of bones and dead wood, enjoying the sense of her mana flowing through her body, and the idea that she was slowly cleaning up the space. When she was done, she filled the newly vacated area with fresh moss and then moved off to start a new section nearby.


    Right beside her, she found her first rat, still strung up and bound by the roots she had so desperately grown to defend herself. She walked over to inspect it, and suddenly wrinkled her nose in disgust as the reek of death and decay assaulted her nostrils. A mass of something white and crawly writhed within its open mouth, and somehow the black fungi had already begun colonizing its back, sprouting up out of the fur.


    That fight had been terrifying, in a way that had left a lasting impression on her. She remembered her helplessness, the blood pouring from her wounds, and her rage at the unfairness of the world.


    she thought, considering how she had spent the entire morning hunting rats just like this one, on purpose, taking on three or sometimes even four at a time.  she thought. She had always known having a class would make an enormous difference, but it was something else to experience it so directly.


    At least this was something she could clean up. Stretching out her hand, Ali channeled her Deconstruction magic and the sight of such a terrifying foe dissolving into golden motes of mana was profoundly satisfying. Like she was simultaneously deconstructing her trauma and fear. Proof that she had stood her ground and grown from the experience. As soon as the corpse disappeared, Ali felt the familiar pressure behind her eyes.


    Ali¡¯s Grimoire popped into existence, opening itself to the first empty chapter automatically.  She had noticed that it seemed to grow an extra chapter every time the skill level increased, but it seemed plausible that she might run out of chapters if she wasn¡¯t careful. For now, though, she had space, so she committed the knowledge to the pages of her Grimoire, once again watching the light show of the inscription with rapt fascination.


    She was just about to try the new imprint when she suddenly stopped cold as she considered what it actually was.


    ¡°Malika,¡± she called out, ¡°I got a new imprint, but it¡¯s for the Sewer Rat. I want to try creating one, but I¡¯m not sure if it will attack us. What do you think?¡±


    Malika sprang to her feet. ¡°You should totally try it,¡± she said. ¡°One rat should be easy for us to handle now, even if it¡¯s hostile.¡±


    Confirming that Malika was ready, Ali sent her mana into the imprint. The light and runes were bigger than when she created moss, and eventually, it all coalesced into the familiar shape of a rat. Ali felt a pull from where she normally felt her mana draining when she used skills connecting to the rat.


    In front of her stood a huge grayish rat, just like every Sewer Rat they had fought, though a little cleaner and less smelly on account of having been freshly created. It shuffled about and sniffed the air, gazing around. It looked at Ali for a moment, and then stared at Malika, sniffing at her, too. Their tense standoff continued for a while before the rat lost interest and resumed its shuffling about.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look hostile,¡± Malika said.


    Ali was shocked to see Malika poking the creature, but the rat had no overt reaction to Malika trying to annoy it.


    Ali considered the situation.


    ¡°Can you make it do anything?¡± Malika asked, clearly coming to the same conclusion.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± Ali said. Turning to the rat she commanded, ¡°Sit!¡± The rat looked up at the sound of her voice, but quickly lost interest and continued meandering about.


    ¡°It probably it doesn¡¯t understand Common,¡± Malika mused, then added a smirk that made Ali flush.


    She tried again in each of the languages she knew, but the results were the same. She puzzled over the problem for a few moments before an idea occurred to her. Mustering her will, she visualized her intention ¨C in much the same way as she focused on a target for Arcane Bolt, but an action instead of a thing ¨C and sent it out along the mana connection she had felt when she had created the creature.


    ¡°¡±


    It promptly sat.


    ¡°Oh wow, that¡¯s cool!¡± Malika exclaimed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that to work,¡± Ali said, rather surprised. ¡°It seems to respond to mental intention and mana, somehow.¡±


    ¡°What else can you get it to do?¡± Malika asked excitedly.


    What followed was a series of rat gymnastics and track events as they experimented with various ideas. The rat could follow surprisingly sophisticated commands such as ¡°Follow Malika¡±, or ¡°Run to that rock and come back.¡± Ali quickly learned that the vocalization of the command was not even necessary, just her intent.


    ¡°I got some strange notification about reserved mana,¡± Ali said, eventually tiring of coming up with crazy ideas for the rat to do and instead recalling the unusual message she had received when she created the rat.


    Pulling up her status, she showed Malika her mana pool.


    ¡°I have a few skills that do that, too,¡± Malika said. ¡°You have four hundred mana, but fifteen is set aside for the skill.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. What happens if I take the mana back?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°For me, that just turns off my skill,¡± Malika answered.


    Ali reached for the place where she felt the mana connection and pulled. Suddenly, her mana snapped back to normal, and the rat instantly screeched and attacked Malika.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Ali yelped. Desperately, she tried to shove the mana back but quickly discovered that it was futile. The unreasonably erratic and frenzied rat tried to maul Malika, but she simply blocked and dodged most of the attacks, returning powerful, magic-enhanced punches.


    In the end, Ali was forced to fire her Arcane Bolts at the rogue rat, and soon enough, the creature died.


    Ali apologized again, but Malika just seemed amused.


    ¡°I guess your mana is what controls the creature,¡± she said. ¡°It seemed crazed when you let it go.¡±


    Ali deconstructed the corpse, recovering quite a bit less mana than the creature had cost to create.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re a summoner, Ali,¡± Malika said.


    Her mind was suddenly filled with memories of her father and his creatures of Nature magic.


    ¡°My dad was a kind of summoner too.¡± Although Ali¡¯s little rat was nothing compared to the seven- or eight-ton elementals of wood her father could make. ¡°Do you think we can try using it to fight something?¡± She had no idea if this would work or was even smart. But her father had used creatures for battle, and there was a little spark of hope within her that she might be like him someday.


    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea, Ali,¡± Malika answered, ¡°I think I saw some spiders over by the edge of the cavern. We could go try it on those.¡±


    A little surprised by Malika¡¯s enthusiasm for her experiment, especially after she had just created a monster that turned on them, Ali channeled her mana into the imprint once more.


    Ali observed that other than the level difference, the rat behaved in much the same fashion, and it was easy to get it to follow them as Malika searched for a suitable fight.


    Eventually, Malika found them a spider.


    The spider had a bulbous round body, spindly legs, and a sleek shiny black carapace. Its hissing screeches set her teeth to clenching and her skin crawling.


    Malika immediately rushed forward and punched it, and Ali tried to get her rat to attack the spider, too. It took only a few tries to realize that she could target the spider mentally, the same as when she used her Arcane Bolt spell. When she did that and visualized attacking, the rat immediately sprang into action. Ali studied it as her rat hissed and bit the spider¡¯s legs while Malika punched it from the front.


    Malika wasn¡¯t struggling, so Ali decided to experiment further. Formulating her intent carefully, she sent the instruction to ¡®defend Malika¡¯. Obviously, she had to use the image of Malika rather than her name, but the rat immediately interposed itself between Malika and the spider. Quickly, Ali rescinded the order and returned it to attacking normally.


    The battle drew out far longer than normal because Ali was not using her Arcane Bolt magic, but she learned she could position the rat to flank the spider opposite Malika, and she could even pick targets, such as attacking the left back leg, or the abdomen.


    ¡°I learned a lot,¡± Ali told Malika after the battle while she deconstructed the spider. Malika had to Meditate for longer because the battle had taken more of her resources to keep going. But as Ali explained what she had tried, Malika encouraged her to experiment more.


    ¡°The more you know, the stronger you can get,¡± Malika said. Ali found that this resonated well with her.


    ¡°I want to try targeting with my Arcane Bolt and commanding the rat simultaneously next time,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m ready,¡± Malika responded. ¡°Let¡¯s find another one.¡±


    ¡°You like this far too much.¡±


    ¡°I like staying alive.¡±


    For an hour, they fought spiders while Ali fine-tuned her new ability. Her role in the battles had just gotten a lot more complex. However, the fights became a lot more reliable and quicker as soon as she figured out how to control her rat and shoot at the same time. And Ali was thoroughly enjoying learning.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you make a second one?¡± Malika suggested while they sat between fights.


    ¡°Controlling two might be a challenge,¡± Ali said thoughtfully. But in her heart, she welcomed it. It was really a matter of focus and concentration, one of the few things in this new world that Ali felt she had a good handle on.


    Channeling her magic once more while Malika meditated, Ali created a second rat.


    Checking her status quickly, Ali confirmed she was now reserving twenty-three mana for her two summoned rats. She tried a few test commands to get familiar with using two creatures.


    They took down the first lone spider so fast that Malika began attacking groups instead of waiting for spiders that were wandering on their own.


    It was an explosion of chaos. With multiple enemies, two rats, and her own spells to contend with, Ali was nearly overwhelmed. But then she figured some things out. For one, she could hold a single target in her mind and send the same command to both rats simultaneously. And she could leave the rats with fairly simple commands, such as ¡®attack that spider¡¯ and they would figure it out on their own. It seemed their combat instincts remained intact, even though they were freshly summoned monsters.


    And then she figured out she could share the target for the rats and her Arcane Bolt, and that made a whole lot of things easier.


    But it wasn¡¯t just Ali experimenting. Malika had decided she should learn to heal the rats mid-combat, and that greatly extended their life and usefulness.


    Ali was getting a headache and mental fatigue after several hours of killing spiders while controlling her creatures, so when her notification chimes eventually went off, she suggested they stop for the day. Just like her, Malika had reached level four, but she waited till they returned to the shrine area to read the notifications.


    She added the Giant Spider imprint to her next open chapter, grimacing a little as she did. Ali wasn¡¯t particularly fond of spiders at the best of times ¨C and these were bigger than she was, with ugly snapping mandibles.  But she wasn¡¯t going to ignore a new imprint, either. Especially now that she knew she was a summoner, adding another creature, even a spider, to her Grimoire was far too good of an opportunity to squander due to squeamishness.


    Ali followed the same plan as before, dividing her attribute points between vitality, wisdom, and intelligence.  When she reviewed her status, she noticed that, curiously, the reserved mana had dropped from twenty-three to twenty-two when she had leveled up. She quickly pulled up the skill description, confirming that there was indeed a small discount for the reserve cost each time she leveled ¨C something she hadn¡¯t understood and therefore forgot when she had first gained the skill.


    This time, Malika chose to sleep first. Ali gave her two rats the command to guard them and then opened her Grimoire and began to study the complex formation of delicate runes inscribed in it. With her newfound proficiency in runic magic due to Runic Script, she even managed to puzzle out several new runes she had never seen before. But she was still far from understanding the whole structure of the magic. Especially given how tiny the runes were, and the sheer, dizzying variety of them covering the pages ¨C aside from which, at least half of them appeared to be in some language she didn¡¯t even understand.


    she thought, digging in for some serious study time.


    ***


    sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 15: Look Mom, I’m a Bear

    Chapter 15: Look Mom, I¡¯m a BearMatoMato awoke to the fluting song of a robin greeting the pre-dawn light through the open windows in his bedroom. This had been his room for as long as he could remember, even before his older brothers had moved out.


    he thought. Something out in the forest like his brothers would suit him fine, somewhere away from the ugliness of town life and a little more connected with nature. To be surrounded by the rustling leaves of the oaks, the scent of earth, the calls of birds, and the forest animals ¨C he sighed softly at the thought of such a peaceful image.


    Even though he had been considered an adult for several years now, with the unlocking of his class, his official status in the kingdom of New Daria had just taken a huge leap forward. He would be afforded significantly more respect from here on out, and the freedom to choose his own path. At least, officially.


    he reminded himself. There was not a whole lot of respect to go around in such a place ¨C and he had inherited his father¡¯s Beastkin genes, so he would likely always be viewed with some hostility or fear.


    he thought, reminding himself that he didn¡¯t care. He would forge his own path ¨C with his strength if he had to.


    Still, he wasn¡¯t about to let such things bring him down today. He dismissed the negative thoughts, returning to the reason he had woken up in such a great mood.


    He cleaned up and dressed quickly, heading downstairs to the kitchen and opened his class status again, still not tired of seeing it. The huge oak he visited in his mind when he viewed his status had grown substantially larger, burgeoning with the growth of his class and experience. The branches were thicker, reaching wider and higher, rooted in a swirling cloud of glowing translucent green leaves. As it always had, the bark on the tree¡¯s trunk rippled, drawing aside to reveal the glowing green writing within.


    Name: Mato Bahr


    Race: Beastkin


    Class: Druidic Shapeshifter ¨C level 1


    - Arboreal Sanctuary ¨C level 1


    You emit a spherical Sanctuary aura of nature magic centered on yourself. Range: 10.3 feet.


    Mana: You can redirect damage from anyone to yourself. Range: Sanctuary


    Nature, Domain, Area, Wisdom


    - Swipe ¨C level 1


    Stamina: A slashing attack with your weapon that hits all enemies directly in front of you for weapon damage +24% .


    Physical, Melee, Area, Strength


    - Brutal Restoration ¨C level 1


    Mana: Enhance a Physical, Melee attack with additional nature damage. Gain +10.1%  of the supported attack¡¯s damage as health over 30 seconds.


    Nature, Melee, Healing, Support, Wisdom


    - Bear Form ¨C level 1


    Stamina: Shapeshift into a bear.


    Bear Form: Your hide provides +49  natural Armor.


    Granted Skills: Charge.


    Nature, Shapeshift, Buff, Endurance


    - Wolf Form ¨C level 1


    Stamina: Shapeshift into a wolf.


    Wolf Form: Your perception attribute is increased by +42% .


    Granted Skills: Hamstring, Pack Tactics, Tracking.


    Nature, Shapeshift, Buff, Dexterity


    - Primal Rage ¨C level 1 S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    You embody the primal aggression of nature. The more you are hurt, the more your Primal Rage takes over to destroy everything around you. For each point of health lost, your Physical damage is increased by +1%.


    Nature, Melee, Mastery, Vitality


    Leaving the cavern with its monsters and returning to town when all he had wanted was to let loose with his new skills had been hard ¨C but Calen was right, his mother had been so relieved to see him alive.


    He stepped into the family kitchen and inhaled deeply. The air itself seemed to carry a subtle hint of comforting aromas, a delightful medley of spices, herbs, and the lingering smell of roasted coffee beans.


    The heart of the home.


    With a small injection of mana, he lit the sconces, filling the room with a soft warm glow, and then crossed the sturdy granite-tiled floor with a spring in his step and bent over to peer into the oven.


    He opened the oven, and the aroma of freshly baked bread billowed out to fill the kitchen. He disabled the timer and heating enchantments he had set last night before he went to bed, and pulled the bread out, setting it on the large oak dining table that dominated the center of the kitchen. Large enough for a family of seven, it was steeped in nostalgia and the memories of him and his brothers hanging on every word of his dad¡¯s epic stories, while his mom sat smiling happily beside him.


    His father was out visiting his brothers, and so breakfast today would be a small affair ¨C just him and his mother ¨C and she would likely be up soon. If she wasn¡¯t already stirring, the scent of the fresh bread wafting upstairs would certainly wake her.


    He opened the pantry, remembering to refill the preservation enchantments with mana, before pulling out some eggs, fruit, cheese, and coffee. The coffee he set to brewing beside the hearth, and then, with the ease of years of practice, his hands automatically set the heating runes and he began preparing some eggs. Scrambled, with a sprinkling of grated cheese on top. Just as she preferred.


    Keeping an eye on the eggs, he sliced up some fruit onto the white ceramic platter with the blue trim while his mind drifted back to his new class and the events of yesterday.


    It was thanks to her and her shrine that he had uncovered his powerful affinity with nature magic and unlocked his Druidic class ¨C but the fight to save her from the wolves had been brutal. Far worse than anything he had imagined.


    he reminded himself, echoing one of his father¡¯s favorite quotes. The fight had been insane, but they had done it. Malika had been a bit of a stick in the mud, telling him off afterward, but she was no slouch in combat situations. Mato had known it the instant he had seen her standing, recently beaten up, in the Town Hall. The way she carried her admittedly poorly fed body told him all he needed to know about her fighting skill.


    he thought, looking at the breakfast that was rapidly coming together in the family kitchen.  His mom had always kept snacks in the house in case dad got grumpy, and for a long time he had been sure his dad would fake grumpiness to get extra. She did seem half-starved, and that just wouldn¡¯t do. He resolved to pack some extra food when he headed out.


    He wasn¡¯t quite sure which form he preferred. His class had offered him two shapeshifted forms: Wolf and Bear. he thought. Perhaps a little ironic, given his heritage. The bear was huge, heavy, and slow, but it had a lot of armor and an admittedly exciting charge ability which would leverage his momentum for more damage. But the Wolf Form was sleek and powerful, and it looked like it would do a lot more damage to monsters. he thought, again recalling his father¡¯s stories and anecdotes about his old life as an adventurer.


    The status sheet and the skill descriptions had lots of numbers, and while Calen would be all over that with his notebook and calculations, Mato much preferred to ask questions with his fists, as it were. He would have his answers the first time he fought with his new skills.


    Primal Rage, though, he already knew would be his favorite skill. Following in his father¡¯s footsteps, his rage ability was a druidic version of one of the many variants of Berserker skills. And his version seemed exceptionally powerful ¨C he was certain it would turn his shapeshifted form ¨C whichever one he decided to use ¨C into a powerhouse on the battlefield. All through his youth, he had been accused of having a temper, getting into fights too easily, and having a short fuse. Now he would turn that inner rage into his personal power.


    There seemed to be a great deal of implied synergy in his class that he wanted to discuss with Calen. He assumed Arboreal Sanctuary would allow him to take damage on behalf of his friends, protecting them while at the same time fueling his Primal Rage. His personal heal ¨C Brutal Restoration ¨C was based on how much physical damage he dealt out ¨C which again would benefit greatly from Primal Rage.


    He caught the creak of footsteps on the wooden stairs, and turned off the heat, pulling out a couple of plates.


    ¡°Morning Mato, you¡¯re up early.¡± His mother greeted him warmly as she came and sat down at the table. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said as he set a plate in front of her and then joined her at the table. She pulled a ribbon from her pocket to tie back the thick red hair he had inherited as part of the Human side of his heritage.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to meet up with Calen in a bit and then we were planning to go down and do some monster hunting to gain a few levels today.¡±


    ¡°With the two girls you mentioned; Aliandra and Malika?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yup.¡± His answer was muffled by a mouthful of food, earning him the raised eyebrow of disapproval.


    ¡°Mato,¡± she said, clearly switching to a more serious mood. ¡°I want you to be careful with that rage skill of yours.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be ok, mom,¡± he answered. ¡°It¡¯s not that different from dad¡¯s skill.¡±


    ¡°You forget, I was there all those years of adventuring, healing him when he screwed up. I remember just how long it took him to learn to use it well. He loves to tell a good story, but the truth was sometimes far rougher than he seems to remember. If he remembers at all.¡±


    Mato glanced up in surprise. He had never heard her be so blunt before. Typically, she never spoke of her days as an adventurer, preferring to let his father tell the stories.


    ¡°Ok,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± she said, and her smile returned, her green eyes crinkling, full of warmth. ¡°You have a good heart, Mato. Here, I want you to have this.¡± She placed a thick green leather-bound book on the table and pushed it toward him.


    His eyes widened. Books were generally quite expensive, but ones about magic were far beyond his family¡¯s means ¨C or so he had thought.


    ¡°I earned this from a quest a long time ago, and it has helped me with my class more times than I can count. I want you to keep it with you. It might not be useful right at the start when everything is exciting and the skill levels grow fast, but as you advance your class and your abilities, it might be just what you need to help direct your growth. I know you¡¯re not one to enjoy studying like Calen, but please trust me on this, ok?¡±


    he wanted to protest, but something in her manner stilled that response. Instead, he simply nodded, picking up the book carefully. He was sure it was worth a fortune in gold. Easily worth more than everything in the house combined.


    ¡°Thanks, Mom,¡± was all he could manage in the face of her extraordinary gift.


    ¡°My pleasure,¡± she said. ¡°Now off you go and enjoy monster-slaying with your friends. And thanks for making breakfast.¡±


    Mato finished his breakfast and pushed his chair back, rising to his feet, pausing only to run the dishes through the cleansing enchantment and fill his pack with food.


    ¡°Be safe, ok?¡±


    ¡°Yes Mom,¡± he answered automatically, and gave her a goodbye kiss, before heading out the door.


    ***


    Calen was already there when he arrived at their agreed meeting spot. It was the same sewer entrance they had used the first time they went down, and Calen was leaning up against a wall reading his favorite book:


    by Lyeneru Silverleaf, Elven Pathfinders Guild.


    Mato knew it by sight, considering Calen must have read it about a hundred times. Even though Calen¡¯s unnaturally pale skin, slender build, and the pointed ears almost hidden beneath his silvery hair were all unmistakable signs of his Half-elven race, his friend relentlessly ignored everything about the Elven side of his heritage. Everything except for Lyeneru Silverleaf. Calen idolized Lyeneru, the legendary pathfinder and Elven archer, and he voraciously consumed everything he could find related to her adventures.


    It was said that half-breeds were universally hated by everyone, but Calen had never talked about it. His race had always been a magnet for bullies and thugs, and Mato had earned a large number of bruises standing up for his friend. Mato was not viewed much better, also being a half-breed but he was generally bigger and stronger than most; he had his father¡¯s Bear Beastkin genes to thank for that. And while Calen preferred to back down and escape, Mato approached all conflict head-on. He had come to appreciate it was simply a difference in approach between the two of them.


    ¡°Hi Calen,¡± he greeted, getting a nod from the shadows for his effort. ¡°Did you get everything done?¡±


    Calen put his book away in his pack with care and then answered. ¡°My mom said she¡¯d deliver the sword to the mayor later today.¡±


    Mato frowned. He had always despised Donavan Asterford for his self-important, entitled noble attitude, regularly getting into fights with him over his irritating habit of talking down to everyone. However, as much as he disliked him, he would never have wished for him to be crushed in a rockfall. A punch to the face was good enough. Maybe more than a few.


    He leaned down to help Calen lever the grate up so that they could descend into the dark sewer below. As soon as they reached the bottom of the rusty iron ladder, Calen summoned his light, setting something scrambling off into the shadows. Alert for a moment, both of them waited, but nothing emerged to attack, so they headed off down the smelly, damp tunnels.


    ¡°Calen,¡± Mato began. ¡°Can you help with some of my skills?¡±


    His question immediately got a curious look from his friend, so he shared the details of his Brutal Restoration, Primal Rage, and Arboreal Sanctuary skills, explaining his thoughts on how they might synergize.


    ¡°Do you think it will work that way?¡± he asked, hoping that his friend would agree. Calen preferred to downplay his intellect, but Mato knew from experience that he was extraordinarily smart.


    Calen remained silent for a while as they continued down the dark sewer passage, with just the soft plinking of dripping water breaking the silence. Eventually, he answered. ¡°Yes, it should work like you say. They should all benefit each other.¡±


    ¡°But?¡± Mato could tell that Calen had more to say, but probably wouldn¡¯t share unless prompted.


    ¡°Mato, I think your Primal Rage is a dangerous skill.¡±


    Mato sighed.


    Surprisingly, Calen stopped walking and continued. ¡°It¡¯s a passive Berserker skill, Mato. You won¡¯t be able to turn it off. I¡¯m just worried you will lose control.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m used to being angry in fights.¡± Mato pressed his lips and frowned, bristling a little inside.  So far, everyone he had shared his skill with had warned him about it. First his mother, and now Calen too. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing. Besides, it¡¯s the same as my dad¡¯s skill.¡±


    While Calen didn¡¯t seem to be happy about it, he didn¡¯t press the issue, for which Mato was grateful.


    ¡°What do you think of the bear and the wolf forms?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°Those both seem quite powerful,¡± Calen said. ¡°I think you should use the bear for now, until we have someone else to tank for you. Your wolf¡¯s Pack Tactics and Hamstring will synergize better with a bigger group.¡±


    They continued in companionable silence, their footsteps echoing through the dank tunnels as Calen¡¯s magic held back the darkness. He guessed they were probably halfway to the rockfall before Mato finally broke the silence again.


    ¡°How are you liking your class?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really strong,¡± Calen answered thoughtfully. ¡°Eclipse seems like a powerful stealth skill, but I¡¯m struggling to figure out how I will use the rest of my skills with it. Everything I have involves Light magic, which breaks stealth obviously.¡± He pointed up at the mote of light that floated up near the roof of the tunnel, silently following along with them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out,¡± Mato answered. ¡°You always do.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no help,¡± Calen responded.


    ¡°At least people will notice you with all the light magic,¡± Mato quipped. ¡°You¡¯re on your way to becoming as legendary as Lyeneru.¡±


    Calen sighed, and Mato grinned.


    Mato couldn¡¯t help teasing him, but in truth, he was happy Calen had unlocked a class that seemed very powerful. It would do him good ¨C and having a problem to focus on typically was what made him happiest in the long run.


    Mato was still chuckling to himself when he turned a corner to find a lone spider roaming the tunnel, startling both of them.


    ¡°Spider!¡± Mato called out, alerting Calen, while he triggered his shapeshift. His body twisted and warped, pulling his muscles while his limbs changed shape. It wasn¡¯t a painful experience, exactly, but having your bones twist and grow while still inside you wasn¡¯t exactly comfortable either. His body grew heavier, pressing down upon the slick brick floor as the denser muscle and thicker bone of his new form settled onto large, clawed paws. As soon as he assumed the form of his bear, he used his Charge. Heavy though he was, an exhilarating sense of unstoppable power coursed through his body, accelerating him to an unbelievable speed as he tore across the broken, crumbling brick of the sewer toward the shiny, black Giant Spider.


    It screeched as he smashed the spider into the wall using the full force of his weight and the momentum of his Charge. Pain burst through his shoulder as the spider lashed out sinking its black fangs into him, but he simply ignored it, his fur and heavy hide sufficient to blunt the damage significantly. He channeled a little stamina into his Swipe skill and lashed out with a heavy paw. Power and energy rushed through him, accelerating his claws into a horizontal sweeping attack. A satisfyingly loud crack echoed off the damp brick as his paw smashed into the spider with chitin-crushing force.


    A spray of dark ichor drenched the side of his face.


    He shook it off, grinning as he shifted a little to the side to give Calen a clearer shot and attacked again. This time, as he spent his stamina to power a second Swipe, he also spent some mana on his Brutal Restoration skill, attaching the healing support skill to the Swipe. He didn¡¯t have a better explanation for how he did it, only that it felt intuitive, like asking the second skill to enhance the first. A brief flicker of green light burst out from where his claws connected, lighting up the tunnel, and reflecting off the shiny carapace. His claws tore through the chitin armor easily, ripping through it with sheer physical force and the additional burst of nature magic. As soon as the strike landed, warm magic flowed back through his body, beginning to heal the bite.


    Hissing loudly, the Giant Spider lunged forward and sunk its sharp mandibles into his shoulder again. His thick hide and fur prevented it from penetrating far, which was a little disappointing. It felt like he could sense a little increase in power from his Primal Rage, but it wasn¡¯t particularly noticeable yet, and his restoration magic was quickly erasing the damage anyway. He frowned, looking for some way to use his Arboreal Sanctuary to power his Primal Rage. But Calen wasn¡¯t taking any damage, so there was nothing to steal.


    he thought, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of power that came from stacking his Swipe with Brutal Restoration, and how tough he felt with the additional armor and weight of his shapeshifted Bear Form.


    A blindingly bright streak of light shot down the sewer tunnel, followed rapidly by a second and a third, as Calen joined the fight, firing arrows lit with magic that punched into the side of the spider. It didn¡¯t last too long after that.


    ¡°That was much easier,¡± he said after shifting back to normal, recalling the first time he had faced one of these spiders.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Calen agreed, a hint of a smile playing across his reserved face.


    He checked quickly but found that his Brutal Restoration had continued healing him, albeit slowly, and now that it was over, he was back to full health already.  It certainly would cut down on recovery time between fights.


    Curious about the change he had seen with Identify right before the fight, he pulled up the description of his skill.


    Identify ¨C level 4


    Mana: Discern information about a creature or item up to level 5 . Synergizes with any relevant Perception, Knowledge, or Information skills.


    Synergy (Languages): Identify can display disposition for beasts.


    Knowledge, Perception


    he thought, realizing it was his new beast ¡®language¡¯ that had come with his class that was providing additional information on his Identify skill. Spiders were beasts.


    he wondered. Although, how intelligent could a level-one spider that lived in the sewer really be?


    Calen


    Calen thought, his eyes lingering on the ichor and crushed chitin of the black spider before searching the darkness up ahead for anything that might have been attracted to the noise. Quickly, he extracted his spent arrows from the corpse, wiping them clean of viscous green goop before returning the undamaged ones to his quiver. The rest he tucked into his pack for later repairs.


    The contrast between this fight and the last battle they had fought in the cave against the wolf pack stood starkly in his mind. Yesterday, he had barely survived, and today, with a new class, he hadn¡¯t even gotten winded, let alone hurt. It was really no contest.


    With Mato taking the front line and tanking, and even healing himself, all Calen had to do was make sure his skills were all properly aligned and powered ¨C and that he was using them correctly. It wasn¡¯t even tough to use both Radiant Archery and Arrows of Brilliance simultaneously. The spider had died fast ¨C faster than he had expected.


    he warned himself soberly. This had been a solo level-one spider. The true test would come later when they faced a similar challenge together. But still, Calen was excited. His class fit him; in some indefinable way he couldn¡¯t really articulate.


    Up ahead, Mato began to move on down the dark tunnel, but Calen hesitated, frowning a bit. It hadn¡¯t seemed to be a problem in the fight against the Giant Spider, so perhaps Mato did know what he was doing. Still, it didn¡¯t sit easily with him.


    He stepped forward, putting his unease away for later, and followed his friend down the sewer tunnel, tracking the path by memory. It was a marvel: Explorer¡¯s description simply said he had an enhanced spatial perception and perfect recall of the places he had explored. But the experience of it was something else. He could ¡®the sewers as if he was studying a map in his head. A perfect map, with depth and color. One he could mentally traverse in an instant. If he had his notebook and pencil, he was certain he could transcribe it in detail.


    So it was that when he turned the next corner, he knew exactly where he was. The chamber with the cracked and crumbling floor that had collapsed out from under them in the middle of the fight against the rats, dumping them into the undiscovered cavern below. With a simple application of his will, he sent his Mote of Light on ahead, diving down through the hole to illuminate the rope still dangling there, and the trickle of foul sewer water pouring down onto the rock pile below.


    As he followed Mato down the rope, that same prickling sense of unease returned, only stronger now.


    He had dismissed the sensation before as simple anxiety or unease at the dark cavern, but there was definitely something uncanny or strange in this space that had not been present in the sewer above.


    Though he didn¡¯t usually put much stock in things like that.


    His foot reached the rocks below and he released the rope. And on his next step, the sound of a chime startled him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mato asked, shifting alertly as if reacting to some unseen danger.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± he answered, ¡°I have a strange feeling down here.¡±


    ¡°Yep, it¡¯s weird alright. Nature seems screwed up in here.¡±


    Still, he saw nothing obviously out of place, so Calen dismissed it for now, instead turning on the tracking ability of his Explorer skill, happy to find their own tracks from before. Mato shifted into his Wolf Form beside him and then they headed out into the cavern with his magic lighting the way. He kept his bow at the ready, eyes searching the vast darkness beyond the light, always ready for monsters or danger.


    He gaped at the notification.


    He stopped, scanning his surroundings once more. But other than an enormous pile of bleached bones near a blackened stump, he couldn¡¯t see anything that might shed light on his conundrum. He scratched his head and studied the tracks. As expected, they had grown more detailed and clearer with his skill level rising, but other than the prickling premonition growing similarly stronger, nothing seemed to be amiss.


    Just as he was about to continue, his chime sounded again.


    He felt a sudden ice-cold chill as his premonition crystallized.


    ¡°Mato¡­ I figured out what it is. This is a dungeon.¡± His eyes darted back and forth, scanning every single dark nook and cranny he could see, searching for the monsters that surely lurked just beyond his sight.


    Mato¡¯s body warped as he shifted back to his Beastkin form. ¡°So?¡±


    Calen stared at Mato blankly. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®so¡¯? Dungeons are extremely dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. They have monsters and stuff,¡± Mato answered, standing nearby and studying their surroundings before turning back to look at him. ¡°I don¡¯t see why you¡¯re worried. We already know this place has monsters. I¡¯m not surprised it¡¯s a dungeon.¡±


    Calen pressed his lips together, keeping his thoughts to himself. There were some things Mato was simply not interested in, and when he got like that, there was no convincing him. In Mato¡¯s mind, the terrifying revelation that they were in a dungeon seemed to be a non-event, and Calen knew he would not be able to convince him otherwise.


    Calen continued, following the map in his head, and the tracks and landmarks across that dark cavern, deep in thought. He glanced at Mato, but the wolf seemed to move with a barely contained energy, almost like he was excited.  Likely this discovery explained many of the frequent monster attacks in town ¨C the Kobolds and spiders, and sometimes slimes or rats that would appear somewhere in town, or the outlying farmlands, and cause chaos and destruction until someone found a high enough level person with a combat class to exterminate them. Nobody had figured out where they were coming from yet.


    He shivered.


    ***


    They approached the small cave where they had sheltered from the wolf pack without further incident, but as they approached, Calen could clearly see that it was deserted. The dirt by the entrance was busy with a multitude of crisscrossing tracks.


    There were quite a few tracks that must have been Malika and Aliandra coming and going. Aliandra¡¯s tiny feet were quite obvious, but there were also monster tracks mixed in among them, fresh claw marks from the large Sewer Rats, and Calen couldn¡¯t figure out which was hunting which.


    ¡°Looks like the tracks head to the shrine area,¡± Calen said, letting Mato know what he had found. ¡°Keep alert, there are some rat tracks, too.¡±


    His friend nodded and shifted back to his Wolf Form, and they headed out toward the shrine.


    As soon as they entered the Grove area that contained the shrine, they were greeted with a hiss and a screech, and two monstrous Sewer Rats charged.


    Calen blinked away the additional notifications. He grabbed his bow, aiming at the nearest rat while Mato growled and rushed forward.


    ¡°Oh no! Sorry!¡± The light voice that cut through the imminent battle had a strange melodic accent and sounded familiar.


    To his astonishment, the two rats immediately stood down and retreated to flank Aliandra who stood near the shrine, her bare feet upon a new lush carpet of green moss and a chagrined expression on her face.


    Calen stood on guard for a few moments, but the rats stubbornly refused to attack anyone. Lowering his bow, he stepped forward.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± Aliandra said, allowing him to connect the source of the unusual accent.


    ¡°You can talk now, little one?¡± Mato growled, as his form changed back to Beastkin, echoing Calen¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Yes, I can.¡± The reply was accompanied by a frown. ¡°And I¡¯m not little, you¡¯re just huge.¡±


    Mato simply burst out laughing ¨C a response that was so typically him that Calen almost rolled his eyes. The loud belly laugh startled both girls, but soon they were grinning, too.


    ¡°I like you. I¡¯m Mato. Glad to finally be able to meet you properly.¡±


    Calen had lost Identify when he had affixed his class, the general skill subsumed by Explorer, but he could still identify people by using the more advanced class skill.


    he thought, studying the new notifications. There was some variation, the information his skill provided was a little different for the Sewer Rats ¨C they had a ¡®category¡¯ and a ¡®monster type¡¯.


    Calen put his pack down on the clean mossy ground and pulled out the two bundles his mother had given him when he left earlier. He handed one to Aliandra and then the other to Malika.


    ¡°What is this?¡± With a look of suspicion flickering across her face, Malika opened it to reveal the shirt and pants his mother had crafted from a dark brown rugged cotton fabric. ¡°I can¡¯t accept this,¡± she said, trying to hand it back. ¡°I have no money to pay you.¡±


    He had sort of expected something like this after his mother¡¯s strange suggestion.


    ¡°My mom is a Tailor, and she insisted on making you two something as a small thank-you gift for helping me survive the trial. She was very worried about me.¡±


    The hard expression on Malika¡¯s face immediately softened and she looked again at the clothing in her hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to apologize that I can¡¯t guess your sizes, so the fit is probably off. She wanted to invite you to stop by the store when you¡¯re in town and she can make a better set.¡±


    ¡°This is really well made,¡± Malika said, running her hands over the stitching as she admired the craftsmanship. And then in a much softer voice, perhaps not intended to carry, she added, ¡°Expensive, too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you have much choice,¡± Mato chipped in with his blunt directness. ¡°What you¡¯re wearing is about to fall off. And Aliandra¡¯s shirt is more dirt and dried blood than cloth.¡±


    The last remnants of reticence evaporated, and he and Mato turned around and sat on the moss so that the girls could change behind the shrine.


    It was while he sat talking with Mato that he realized the strange discomfort and sense of premonition he had when he had entered the cavern had somehow magically disappeared.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Aliandra and Malika to change. The fit was clearly too big, particularly on Aliandra, but they both emerged with smiles on their faces, happy to have clean clothing that wasn¡¯t hanging in tatters. Aliandra had simply put a big knot in the shirt so that it didn¡¯t hang below her knees, and Malika had turned up the hem on her pants to shorten the length a bit.


    ¡°So, what happened?¡± Calen asked, his curiosity burning inside him. At the surprised looks, he elaborated. ¡°How can you control rats? How can you talk now? Where did all this come from?¡± He pointed at the moss they were sitting on.


    ¡°And you reached level four already!¡± Mato added. He was smiling, but Calen could tell his excitement for them was tinged with just a little jealousy.


    ¡°Ali is a summoner,¡± Malika supplied, and Aliandra nodded.


    Calen glanced at Aliandra in surprise, wondering how the tiny Fae had managed to bypass Malika¡¯s impregnable defensive walls, getting on friendlier terms in such a short time.


    ¡°I summoned these two,¡± Aliandra said, patting the rat that was following her around like a puppy, albeit a giant one that was nearly taller than she was. Then she sat and began to explain a little about her class, and all that happened, filling in the details of how she had gotten here, which Calen noticed Malika seemed to already know.

 Chapter 16: First Hunt

    Chapter 16: First HuntMato Mato paced back and forth, his excitement growing by the moment, while Calen and Malika hashed out the details of their plan. He was going to test his skills in a real battle.


    ¡°So, Malika is our tank and healer, me and Mato are damage dealers, and Ali is our support mage?¡± Calen asked, confirming their final arrangement.


    ¡°Sounds right,¡± Malika answered. ¡°I¡¯ll go get us some wolves.¡± And with that, she sprinted off past a rather enormous pile of bones to where they had spotted the roaming pack.


    Mato¡¯s adrenaline surged at the piercing howl that echoed through the darkness and the sight of Malika sprinting back to where they waited with the entire pack of wolves bearing down on her. Quickly he switched forms, his body twisting and warping into the form of a wolf, pleased to find that he was larger and heavier than the oncoming Starving Wolves. Only the Alpha was bigger than him.


    With a creaking groan and a strong scent of fresh oak, thick, gnarled roots sprang from the ground, reaching for the paws of the smallest wolf bringing up the rear. As they tangled around its feet, the wolf yelped and was suddenly jerked to a painful halt.  He glanced approvingly at Ali.


    Reaching a clear patch of ground, Malika stopped running, wheeled about, and confronted the remaining wolves, lashing out with punches and kicks that flickered with short bright flashes of light as they struck.


    Rising battle fury surged, a near palpable emanation coming from Ali¡¯s pair of Sewer Rats as they rushed across the mucky ground to separate a second wolf from the pack. Their intentions popped into his mind as clear as day: a complex combination of visible body language, direction of charge, scent, tone of hissing, and a strange extra-sensory perception for their emotional state that culminated in an intuition that had to be a blend of his Pack Tactics and the Beast Language aptitude provided by his Druidic Shapeshifter class.


    Mato howled and charged. The plan called for him to pick a wolf, and Calen and Ali would help him take them down one at a time. But the wolf pack had already encircled Malika and they were darting in and out, chipping away at her whenever her back was turned, or she was flanked. They would weaken her slowly, taking advantage of their numbers and speed.


    The strategy flowed naturally through his mind ¨C an instinct like he had been born to it. His pack was stronger, and he would turn their strategy against them. Mato picked the weakest of the three right as it dodged back away from Malika and snapped at its hindquarters with his sharp teeth. Mana and stamina flowed through him in a rush as he wove Brutal Restoration into his Hamstring skill and ripped through flesh and tendons. The wolf yelped in sudden pain as warm wetness and the metallic taste of blood exploded into his mouth.


    The wolf stumbled, its movements suddenly hampered, and Mato¡¯s lip curled back in a savage grin as the rhythm of the wolf pack¡¯s attacks began to crumble. The gentle slow pulse of soft spring warmth, new growth, and shoots reaching for life-giving sunshine filled his body as Brutal Restoration infused him with continuous healing.


    But the rich flow of new senses pouring into his mind was not limited to his understanding of beasts or pack fighting. Mato¡¯s mana flowed outward across the battlefield like an extension of himself, establishing his territory, his domain. It was small, barely more than ten feet in all directions, but through it, he could sense the life energy of Malika, the two rats nearby, and most of the wolves.


    As the Alpha wolf lunged in, fangs bared, Mato knew it would strike. Malika was already forced to block the other two wolves, and their attacks had forced the opening. As the jaw snapped shut on Malika¡¯s shoulder, Mato fed a tiny pulse of mana to his skill and substituted his life for hers. Like a ghostly apparition, unseen teeth tore through Mato¡¯s shoulder, ripping through skin and muscle with ease and sending his blood fountaining outward to flow down his side and mat his fur.


    Malika, however, was entirely unharmed.


    As the pain of the stolen attack tore through Mato¡¯s mind, a simultaneous rush of power and new energy surged within him.


    He snarled, baring his fangs.


    A dim red mist swirled around his face, coloring his vision, and he lunged forward to sink his fangs into the wounded wolf before him. Magic surged within him as he instinctively unleashed his skills, and bone snapped between his teeth with a satisfying crack. His enemy wheeled about and bit him instead of Malika, finally acknowledging his power and ripping another wound in his leg.


    The soft pulse of his healing steadily knit the wounds together, slowing the flow of blood ¨C and the thick red mist began to ebb along with the diminishing of the heady rush of power coursing through his body.


    Eager for the rush, he stole the vicious bite that snapped down on Malika¡¯s wrist. Again, pain and power surged through him as he bled on her behalf. He had no idea how it worked, nor did he care. He ignored the incessant buzzing of golden bolts and the annoyingly bright arrows shooting past his head and bit down savagely, eager to unleash his power and he gloated with fierce satisfaction at the sight of the weakling collapsing at his feet.


    He growled, searching for fresh prey. He showed the rats what he wanted, and they moved, allowing him to flank the wolf they were fighting. This time, he stole an attack on the rat beside him, building his power. With a guttural snarl, he lunged in and bit using his Hamstring and Brutal Restoration combination to savage his foe. The annoying arrows and bolts followed him, slamming into the wolf struggling in his jaws.


    He snapped again, filling his mouth with the taste of blood, and took attacks from both Malika and the rat at the same time, eager to finish his enemy before the arrows stole his kill. In an intoxicating surge of power, he bit down on the wolf¡¯s throat, reveling in the crunching and tearing of flesh.


    Movement off to the side caught his attention, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw a solitary Sewer Rat wandering by, near a low pile of bones. Without a second thought, he dropped the dying wolf and bounded off, eager for more blood to satiate his need.


    ¡°Mato! Stop!¡±


    He ignored the shouted distraction, focusing his mind on the combat as the Sewer Rat appeared within the reddish haze. His mind roared with triumph as his teeth found his prey and blood spilled across his face. Bright arrows and the tiny golden bolts chased him like annoying gnats. He snapped at one.


    His jaws finished the rat far too quickly and he wheeled about, searching for more.


    The annoying girl stood alone facing the Alpha. The strongest of the pack. His rightful prey. Jealousy coursing through him like the power that spilled out as a red mist, he charged. His fangs tore into the larger wolf as he instinctively used his skills to flank it. Reveling in the rush as the wolf yelped in pain, he reached for more, transferring damage from Malika. He barely felt the pain as his power surged yet again.


    Suddenly, she attacked him. An open hand slapped him on the shoulder. He snarled, snapping at it, but an intense rush of burning power tore through his body, stitching his wounds shut and staunching the flow of blood. The red mist diminished.


    He could smell the anger emanating from her.


    As his wounds closed, his power began to wane. Desperately, he transferred another bite to himself as fury rose unbounded within him. With his power suddenly rising once again, he unleashed his attacks, tearing repeatedly at the Alpha wolf until finally it collapsed before him, vanquished by his power.


    His body twisted as he released his Wolf Form, and he stood there panting from exertion, red mist still seeping from his pores and clinging to his body.


    ¡°What the fuck were you thinking?¡± Malika yelled at him.


    His anger flared at once, and he shouted back at her, ¡°I was fighting and saving you by taking your damage.¡±


    ¡°You got another monster in the middle of the fight, that is risky and dangerous!¡± Malika stood her ground. ¡°I even had to heal you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t heal me so much!¡± Mato roared. ¡°It reduces my power! My Primal Rage needs damage.¡±


    ¡°Your skill makes you stupid,¡± Malika said quietly as she stepped up and, faster than he could react, she punched him in the stomach.


    Mato felt the same burning rush of healing magic surging through his body and suddenly, his mind snapped clear, and the redness in his vision lifted.


    ¡°You stopped healing yourself halfway through the fight,¡± she finished. ¡°You need to be more careful.¡±


    Mato blinked in surprise as the truth of what she had said hit him like a brick.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have Calen get the next group,¡± Malika suggested, her voice calm, but her eyes still hard and angry. ¡°Mato, use your bear, you said it has armor, that should help. And make sure you¡¯re always using your healing.¡±


    Shaken by her words, and yet still trembling from the aftermath of his rage and anger, Mato turned away, checking his notifications.


    Mato puffed out his cheeks. Calen¡¯s words from earlier came back to haunt him.


    Calen


    Calen sat quietly with his back to a worn, half-buried boulder, waiting for his mana to regenerate before they continued onward. With nothing better to do, he watched Ali using her strange magic on the corpses of the wolves, turning them into tiny sparkles of light and mana that drifted away as they faded. But not even that display could distract him from wrestling with the implications of what had just happened.


    It was worse than he had feared. Mato had become unreasonable and aggressive, and he had endangered himself and the entire group by attacking a passing monster in the middle of a big fight. A monster that, on its own, would likely have passed them by without getting involved. He had also forgotten to heal himself and he had even snapped at Malika.


    he thought. Calen and Mato had been close friends for years. What had just happened was not normal. Mato had never lost control or endangered his friends in all the time Calen had known him ¨C and that included many brawls. No, it was especially true when he was fighting. In fact, time and again he had witnessed Mato¡¯s fierce loyalty and commitment to his friends and family coming before even his own health and happiness.


    That was simply who Mato was.


    He glanced up at the sound of footsteps and found Malika approaching, a frown creasing her forehead and a hard glint in her eyes. This was the second time she had gotten angry with Mato, and she was definitely not happy. Honestly, though, Calen could sympathize with her feelings.


    ¡°Your friend has a Berserker skill.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He half expected Malika to yell at him too, after the scene he had witnessed, but she just sighed.


    ¡°Can you remind him to heal himself? I think he will be more likely to listen to you in the heat of battle than me.¡±


    ¡°You could heal him too, it snapped him right out of it,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°I can stay close to him during the fight and heal him if it gets out of hand, but my heal is touch range, and I¡¯m tanking,¡± Malika said. ¡°I can¡¯t be chasing after him if he decides to run off again.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Calen said. Unfortunately, she was right, there were seldom opportunities for someone tanking to run around. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on him too and remind him to be more cautious.¡±


    ¡°I hope he doesn¡¯t get us all killed.¡±


    Calen glanced over to find Mato sitting by himself staring at the ground. ¡°He¡¯s not normally like this.¡±


    ¡°You may need to get used to the new version,¡± Malika said soberly. ¡°Unless something changes, that¡¯s his skill. If he can¡¯t learn to control it, he¡¯s going to be a liability.¡±


    Calen opened his mouth, needing to defend his friend, but he shut it without saying anything. Malika¡¯s assessment was exactly what he had feared the moment Mato had shared Primal Rage with him. Berserker skills had a reputation for a reason.


    Berserker skills were extremely powerful, and for that reason, some people were drawn to them. However, they were essentially skills that surrendered will and reason to the fury and rage, the call of battle. They were notoriously difficult to control and often caused ugly situations. Many groups, guilds, and organizations outright banned berserkers for exactly that reason ¨C too many would inevitably lose control and hurt or kill their allies.


    Having grown up with his father, Mato had never learned to fear the Berserker¡¯s rage.


    ¡°When you¡¯ve recovered enough mana, could you bring the next group of wolves here?¡± Malika said, breaking his dark thoughts. ¡°This is a good open spot, and if we fight in the middle, we can probably avoid drawing any stray monster adds again.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± he answered, activating his Eclipse stealth skill. As he faded into the shadows, Malika turned and headed back to the others.


    ***


    Calen placed his feet with deliberate care, following the tracks while trying not to breathe or make even a hint of a sound. His eyes darted back and forth, searching the decaying wood, rough boulders, and shadows for even the slightest hint of movement. Mana trickled slowly into his stealth skill, Eclipse. The shifting shadows that played across his body were quite a reassurance, working hard to make his form virtually impossible to see. But he was still walking around alone in the darkness of a dungeon, tracking monsters. The advice he had read so many times upon the pages of Lyeneru Silverleaf¡¯s book lingered, never far from his mind. Stealth was not foolproof. If the wolves caught wind of his scent or heard his footsteps, his stealthy cloak of shadows would be worthless.


    The pawprints led a meandering path around the dead wood and strewn bones. They were not exactly lit up by magic, but they may as well have been, given how clearly they stood out on the ground, lit up by his powerful new perception skills.


    And they were fresh.


    He took a slow, steady breath and then held it as he snuck quickly around a big tree trunk that stank of wet rot and fungus. There, on the far side, he saw them. He shrank back quickly, cozying up to the tree trunk and the deeper shadows around it. There were five wolves in the pack, slowly stalking along a clear path, just like the group they had fought earlier. The larger Alpha walked in the center, head up and eyes alert, while the smaller Starving Wolves scouted the terrain, sniffing and searching for something.


    He studied them carefully for a while. It was easy to tell that this slowly decaying underground cavern was not normal wolf territory, and yet he still couldn¡¯t figure out if these were simply dungeon monsters, or if they had somehow found a way in and were hunting rats or something else in the darkness.


    The legendary Pathfinder¡¯s warnings about the dangers of dungeons loomed larger in his mind.


    With silent, practiced movements, he unslung his bow. He pulled an arrow from the quiver slung on his back beside his small pack and nocked it to the bowstring, drawing it all the way back to his cheek. He sighted along the shaft, aiming at the Alpha wolf ¨C the biggest target. If he drew the Alpha into chasing him, the pack was certain to follow. He channeled a tiny sliver of mana into Arrows of Brilliance, imbuing his arrow with the power of his light affinity magic.


    The arrow, still nocked on his bowstring, flared with intensely brilliant white light, a radiance that shone out, spilling across the slimy black fungus and tree trunks, and reflected off the heaps of gray-white bones.


    The wolves all froze, their heads snapping around toward him. The howl of the Alpha wolf echoed in the sudden daylight.


    Calen didn¡¯t typically like swearing. He preferred retaining his composure. But he had just dispelled his own stealth, giving away his position with his ammunition enchantment skill.


    He hastily released the arrow, sending the bright shining light hurtling out into the darkness but thankfully, his magic startling the pack hadn¡¯t wrecked his aim. His arrow lodged itself low in the Alpha wolf¡¯s left shoulder as it sprang forward to charge him. More howls broke the silence, but Calen simply turned and fled.


    Stamina bled from him as he pushed his body to its limit, suddenly immensely grateful he had decided to sacrifice the steep mana cost required to reserve Blessing of the Dawn and boost his dexterity.


    With the howls and snarling of an angry pack of wolves breathing down his neck, he turned the corner into the clearing at a dead sprint. Malika stood at the ready, bouncing on the balls of her feet with Mato already in his Bear Form beside her. He hurtled across the clearing, releasing a Mote of Light into the air above Malika and Mato as he passed between them.


    Only when he reached Aliandra, peering through her golden barrier with an expression of pure focused determination, did he stop and turn. His mote hovered above Malika tanking the Alpha and another Starving Wolf, shedding clear white radiance across the battlefield. Mato was roaring as he swiped at a third wolf. Out near the perimeter of his magical light, one wolf struggled against the thick roots binding it to the ground, while another snarled and snapped at Aliandra¡¯s two summoned rats.


    Calen took a deep breath, trying to steady his frantically pounding heart. When he had first met Ali, she had been on death¡¯s door ¨C with only a few measly scholarly skills. Struggling for their lives in that cave against that first wolf pack, he had been astonished at the outsized influence she had brought to bear on the battle with such ineffective tools. Now, with proper control skills, she was taking care of nearly half the wolf pack by herself, and still able to deal damage.


    Beside him, golden flashes burst in a rapid staccato as a stream of magical bolts launched from Aliandra¡¯s palm, arcing up and over her barrier to slam into the wolf that Mato was fighting.


    Calen drew his bow, aiming for the same wolf. He used Arrows of Brilliance again, wincing at the intense flash of light as his arrow flew out, but the sudden clench in his gut eased as he realized all the wolves were properly controlled and he could unleash his magic freely. He fired several shots into the Starving Wolf before the combination of his arrows, Aliandra¡¯s magical strikes, and Mato¡¯s claws dropped it.


    Magical affinities were supposed to be fairly rare, with estimates ranging from five to ten percent of classes having one. People blessed with an affinity typically unlocked access to powerful specialized abilities and skills, just like his Eclipse and Arrows of Brilliance. His mother did not have an affinity, but somehow all four of them had received an affinity from the shrine.


    Mato lunged forward, his paw lashing out with great power from within the red mist that was growing ominously dark and dense. The wolf peeled away from Malika, spinning about and snapped its jaws, tearing a deep bloody gash across Mato¡¯s shoulder. Calen¡¯s eyes narrowed as he suddenly realized he couldn¡¯t see the telltale green flickering energy of Mato¡¯s nature affinity.


    ¡°Mato! Use your heal!¡± he shouted.


    The angry bear roared furiously and lashed out again with a brutal strike of his heavy forepaw, but Calen¡¯s sharp eyes noted the little flicker of green as his claws struck. He breathed a sigh of palpable relief as the dense red mist began to slowly dim and he raised his bow, adding a stream of arrows to Aliandra¡¯s magic.


    Calen thought. If Mato could take guidance during the fight, then the situation with his berserker skill should be manageable.


    He did have to remind Mato to heal several times through the battle, but each time he responded by activating his healing magic and diminishing his powerful rage skill. By the time the last wolf died, much of Calen¡¯s anxiety had faded. Mato had listened, and he had not attacked anyone. Nor had he rushed off on his own again.


    As soon as the battle concluded, Calen headed out to hunt, trusting that the others would be ready by the time he returned.


    They continued hunting wolves in this part of the cavern for several hours, each of them growing more used to working with the abilities and personalities of their teammates. To his great relief, there were no more issues or squabbles ¨C and even Malika¡¯s suppressed ire seemed to have faded.


    He had to admit, though, that Mato¡¯s skill was every bit as crazy as its reputation claimed. The power with which he unleashed his claws upon the monsters was unreal. When the red mist was dense, he was a force of nature, tearing through monsters like they were made from tissue.


    Although for Mato it hadn¡¯t been a choice; it had been one of his first six class-assigned skills.


    Weary, but tentatively happy, they returned to the now moss-covered shrine area and the clearing which Aliandra had explained was part of her domain. As he sat to recover, Calen checked the results of the day¡¯s battles.


    It was a surprisingly long list of kill notifications. Calen browsed them all, studying them carefully. But then he reached the end and stared at the final set of messages.


    The gains for the day¡¯s hunt were impressive. He had gained two levels and settled into a comfortable flow with the group. His biggest limitation seemed to be running out of mana and being forced to wait for it to regenerate. His class seemed to lack an effective mana-regeneration skill like Malika¡¯s Meditation, or Ali¡¯s Deconstruction.


    he decided, hoping the increased mana pool would offset the regeneration problem and the cost of reserving so much of his mana for Blessing of the Dawn. He pulled out his pen and notebook from his pack and began calculating the new costs and damage values for all his skills, given the level increases. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Apart from his mana issues, and the conflict between his light magic and his stealth, the biggest problem he could see was his defenses. His dodge rating now that he had reached level three had dropped from thirty percent to twelve-and-a-half. Technically, it hadn¡¯t dropped ¨C he still wore the same leather armor ¨C but the effective dodge rating was relative to monsters his own level. And he was basically three times higher in level, now.


    But he still noted that replacing his armor with something higher-level was an urgent priority.


    ***


    - Radiant Archery ¨C level 3


    You are proficient with a bow and ranged combat.


    Stamina: Attack with your bow. Your damage and accuracy are increased by +80% .


    Physical, Attack, Ranged, Dexterity


    - Arrows of Brilliance ¨C level 2


    Mana: Imbue your arrow with additional Light damage.


    Light, Ranged, Intelligence


    - Motes of Light ¨C level 2


    Mana: You can summon up to 1  motes that emit clear light and can dispel stealth effects. You can freely control the motes of light anywhere within your range. Duration: 12 minutes, Range: 530 feet.


    Light, Area, Intelligence


    - Explorer ¨C level 4


    You have enhanced spatial perception and perfect recall for places you have explored. You can discern important details about the places you are exploring and the creatures that inhabit them.


    Stamina: Use your enhanced perception to track your prey.


    Knowledge, Identify, Scouting, Tracking, Perception


    - Blessing of the Dawn ¨C level 2


    Mana: Your Dexterity, Perception, and Intelligence are increased by +43.7% Reserve: 20%


    Light, Buff, Intelligence


    - Eclipse ¨C level 3


    Mana: You have stealth in shadowy or dark places.


    Light, Stealth, Illusion, Intelligence


    Even though he was struggling a little with mana and regeneration, Calen had still not turned off his Blessing of the Dawn since he had first earned his class. It was simply far too powerful to pass up the improvements to his primary attributes: dexterity, perception, and intelligence. Even though his blessing reserved a whopping twenty-four mana at this point, he knew it was far too good to ever turn off. Already he found himself regularly using the improved dexterity to outrun wolf packs and improve his accuracy with his bow.


    He grinned to himself. Still, it did so much more than that. Dexterity improved his reaction speed and his damage too. Intelligence improved the damage he did with his Arrows of Brilliance light magic enchantment, and any improvements to his perception attribute fed directly into how sensitive all his senses were ¨C and improved his Explorer skill.


    Happy with his improvements today, he carefully laid out all the arrows he had retrieved on the moss in front of him, studying them carefully for damage, and settling in to repair the ones that needed some work. His general skill, Bowcraft, looked like it might just be his most financially savvy skill investment ever ¨C certainly if he regularly needed to fire the sheer number of arrows he had today.


    Aliandra


    Ali sat on the moss with her companions at the end of a long, but surprisingly productive day hunting wolves. She had been careful to choose a relatively dry spot, hoping to avoid dirtying her awesome new brown pants and beige t-shirt. They were both clearly too large, but she didn¡¯t care. Rolling up the legs a little and tying a knot in the shirt had worked perfectly.


    Initially, fighting the monsters had been just as terrifying as always. But after so many fights, her fear had finally accepted that Malika and Mato would prevent the wolves from eating her ¨C and, for the ones they couldn¡¯t catch, she had her roots and her rats. She had barely needed her barrier the entire day, and even when she had, it was mostly precautionary; a backup in case the rest of their team¡¯s defenses proved shaky.


    With the way the others had spoken of the town of Myrin¡¯s Keep above their heads, Ali had been less than excited about visiting it, but now, as she was wearing the high-quality craftsmanship of her comfortable clothing, she had found a reason to go.


    Simple as her outfit was, the fabric felt soft and yet strong to her touch. While her combat skills were progressing well, she sorely missed having her closet and clean clothes every day. With such a skilled tailor within reach, if she could secure a few more outfits, perhaps her life might return to something a little more normal. Just the fact that such a thought might even cross her mind was still so unfamiliar, she might even call it shocking.


    When Armand had told her he had reached level seven in his warrior class, she had been impressed. And rightfully so ¨C he had earned it quickly. But her progress, by comparison, was nothing short of unbelievable. She felt so much more capable today than she had been when she had first received her class ¨C and there was no comparison to her weakness when she had been unclassed.


    Her barrier no longer cracked after a few good hits ¨C if she even needed to use it. Arcane Bolt could burn down a Starving Wolf or a Sewer Rat so fast that they could easily take on groups of five or more monsters at a time.


    She had known this notification waited for her simply by the pressure in her mind. It was with great joy and anticipation that she committed it to her Grimoire in the usual flurry of light and magic.


    ¡°Starving Wolf,¡± she said, answering the curious looks from her companions in reaction to the light show.


    Given how the fights had gone, she decided she could ease up on vitality a little, so she divided her attribute points among wisdom and intelligence. Compared to the first couple of fights, Ali felt like she was in little to no danger now. Whether this was because they had four of them now, her skills growing, or simply more familiarity with combat, she wasn¡¯t certain.


    Certainly, their teamwork seemed to be improving. Malika was every bit as strong as Ali had expected, taking a bit of a leadership role in their rag-tag band, and doing most of the tanking. It was incredible how tough she was. Despite being bitten and mauled by multiple wolves, she easily kept going.


    Calen was definitely shy, even introverted. The Half-elf didn¡¯t often speak his mind unless asked, but Ali could already tell he was remarkably smart. His magic archery was as beautiful as it was effective, and it was quite useful to not have to use her barrier magic merely for light. she thought, recalling how he would leave to track through the darkness by himself, protected by nothing more than his speed and his stealth skill in a cavern full of monsters, coming back with an entire pack every time.


    She glanced over at Mato who was sitting off by himself, looking a little subdued. Well, subdued compared to when she had first met him. He had seemed so excited about his class when they had started, but then there had been that little fight where Malika had yelled at him, and a lot of the life and energy had drained out of him.


    While she hadn¡¯t known her companions longer than a couple of days, they were the only people she knew, and she found the lingering awkwardness bothered her much more than she expected.


    ¡°So, Mato¡­¡± she began. His head snapped up at the sound of her voice as if expecting a rebuke. . Ali suppressed a grin, trying hard to keep a straight face. ¡°Where do your clothes go when you shift?¡±


    ¡°I¡­,¡± he started, trailing off as he looked surprised and confused all at the same time. ¡°I have no idea?¡±


    Suddenly, he chuckled, and as if it was a trigger, everyone started laughing at the absurdity of the question and the fact that none of them had any idea of the answer.


    ¡°Good thing you keep them, eh?¡± Malika teased.


    Mato reddened. ¡°Er, yes. Right.¡±


    Ali much preferred this mood to the prior one. ¡°Do we have any food?¡± she asked after everyone quieted down again.


    ¡°I got you,¡± Mato said, upending his pack onto the moss, his mood seemingly much more relaxed now. Several apples, wrapped bundles of what looked like packed food items, and some equipment fell out, and suddenly Ali¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Tumbling out of his pack came a thick, green-bound book.


    ¡°You have a book!¡±


    One of the things Ali truly missed, to the core of her being, was everyday access to her favorite books. Impressions and memories flitted through her mind ¨C the pure joy of sitting down to read in one of those comfy recliners large enough to almost swallow her up, the smell of the library, leather-bound books, old ink, and the soft rustling sound when she turned the pages. The flights of imagination she might embark upon, carried by the words of the story, or the new knowledge she might uncover waiting for her within the covers ¡­


    ¡°Mato? When did you get a book?¡± Calen asked, obviously surprised.


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Mato answered, ¡°My mom gave me a book on Druidic magic as a gift for earning my class.¡±


    ¡°May I see it?¡± Ali asked excitedly. Her hands yearned to touch it, and her curiosity about what it contained was almost unbearable. It didn¡¯t matter that it was a Druid book.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Mato replied easily, placing the large book on the moss in front of her.


    She opened the cover, excitedly anticipating the words that might be revealed.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she exclaimed in dismay, looking forlornly at the unintelligible script on the pages. ¡°I can¡¯t read Common yet. That is Common, right?¡± Ali hadn¡¯t had a chance to even try reading, and so her skills had not helped her learn it yet. The frustration of having a book right there in front of her and not being able to read was excruciating.


    ¡°It¡¯s Common. Why don¡¯t you read it for her, Mato?¡± Calen said, as he got up and walked over carrying another book. ¡°Here, you can read this, too.¡±


    Ali wanted to hug him, her heart immediately filled with the joy and excitement his suggestion had sparked. ¡°Would you? Please?¡± she asked, trying to convince Mato despite the dubious expression on his face.


    ¡°Ok, sure,¡± Mato answered, ¡°I¡¯m not much of a reader, though. I never unlocked a specific skill for it or anything.¡± He sat his large frame down next to her, opened the book, and began to read, pointing at the words as he did so she could follow along.


    The words on the page slowly began to resolve into meaning as her memories ¨C and her hard-working Sage of Learning skill ¨C began to connect her understanding of the Common language to its written form. More and more words popped from the page as her mana drained to feed the disconcerting sensation of Sage riffling through her mind.


    She had to ask for numerous clarifications, given the technical nature of the book, and Calen stepped in to explain usage and interpretations. However, to her surprise, Malika often had answers and further perspectives to offer. Despite being a Street Rat, she had clearly received a decent education at some point in her earlier life.


    She expected that Mato would tire of reading after just a bit, but he didn¡¯t. After what must have been nearly an hour, something within her mind seemed to click together and her notification chime sounded.


    She glanced surreptitiously at Mato, but he seemed to be enjoying reading to her. She found she quite liked the low, peaceable rumbling of his voice, too, so she simply let him continue. Even though she could now read most of the page in a glance with her Reading skill.

 Chapter 17: Respawn

    Chapter 17: RespawnTala Tala darted across the slate-tiled rooftop and leapt the alleyway, landing quietly upon the roof of the bakery on the opposite side. Nobody ever looked up ¨C even without her potent stealth skills, she would remain invisible. A chill wind blew out of the dark brooding clouds that had gathered in the short span of time she had spent reporting to Kieran Mori, biting through her leather armor with an insistence that promised a storm.


    Despite her conscious efforts to the contrary, her mind kept returning to what she had seen down there in the cavern, fretting incessantly about the implications.


    Seizing the opportunity to push Donavan to his death had undoubtedly been her break ¨C the catalyst that had unlocked her uncommon class and had suddenly made her indispensable to Kieran Mori.


    But her secret was not safe.


    Malika knew. Of this, she was absolutely certain.


    She had caught Mato and Calen meeting early in the morning and tailed them down into the sewers. The Half-elf¡¯s annoying light magic had very nearly given her away, but the two of them were not nearly as cautious as they should have been. Once she had figured out the range of his skill, she had simply followed along in the darkness. She had even overheard them discussing their skills.


    Once they had reached the cavern, though, Tala had learned that not only had Malika survived, but so had the Fae creature they had tried to rescue.


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    By some miserable stroke of luck, both Malika and the Fae had already reached level four, putting them out of reach even for her powerful class. Somehow, the three of them had successfully killed all the wolves, saved the Fae, and even leveled up far quicker than she had.


    With her plans in tatters, Tala dropped down in front of the battered doorway. A scratched and faded sign hung there blowing in the breeze, portraying a golden crown listing sideways upon a grinning skull.


    Kieran had promised more work for her within the week, but she needed levels, and she needed them fast. With all four of them together, Tala had no chance of silencing them by herself.


    She opened the door and stepped into a dimly lit bar. The stench of stale ale washed over her, and the wooden floorboards creaked underfoot as she released her stealth skills. A couple of tables seemed to be occupied with people nursing drinks, but aside from a few furtive glances, nobody paid her any mind.


    She ignored the rabble and strode up to the bar where a burly man with a thick black beard stood wiping tankards with a stained rag. A jagged scar ran up from his eyebrow across his bald head, never properly healed and clearly the result of a brawl.


    ¡°What can I do for you?¡± the bartender asked, scowling at her.


    ¡°Mr. Mori suggested I might find work here,¡± she said, repeating what he had told her.


    The bartender simply grunted and nodded to a nondescript door toward the back of the room.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said. The door revealed a set of rickety narrow stairs leading downward to another door, but this one was guarded.


    ¡°Business?¡± the guard asked.


    ¡°Looking for work,¡± she said, trying not to let her nerves show.


    The guard¡¯s eyes flicked briefly to the Town Watch insignia she had put on for exactly this purpose, and he simply nodded and stepped aside. ¡°Jobs board on the back wall,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t disturb the other patrons or I¡¯ll be forced to disturb your entrails. Nothing personal.¡±


    She nodded to him and entered.


    The secret basement bar was smaller than the one upstairs but there were far more patrons, and they all looked up as she entered. Her eyes widened a little in surprise as she caught sight of Adrik and Edrik through the haze of exotic smoke of dubious legality. Quickly, she schooled her expression and acknowledged their gaze with a respectful nod. Nobody liked the enforcers, not even within the Town Watch, but she wasn¡¯t stupid enough to provoke their infamously vicious short tempers. Not yet at least, not until she was much stronger.


    Gazes lingered on her as she crossed the floor, heading directly for the noticeboard at the back of the dingy room, but as soon as her intentions were clear, most of the patrons returned to their own conversations.


    She wrinkled her nose at the odor of the cheap Bristletusk oil some of the rogues had used to keep their leather armor supple.


    She ignored everyone, her eyes scanning the board for any job postings that might suit her skills. She didn¡¯t need assassination work, exactly. Information jobs suited her skills well, even though the experience wouldn¡¯t be as good. But it was better than nothing.


    There were lots of jobs. Everything from capture or kidnapping quests for unusual races to restricted herbs and potions with surprisingly high list prices. If she was in the market to make money, there was a lot to be made. Her gaze flickered sideways to find a tall lizard sitting at a table staring at her curiously. Gray scales covered his face, and she easily noticed the ostentatious quality of the out-of-towner¡¯s robes. On a hunch, she identified him.


    she thought. It explained the wealth of collection jobs and the substantial payouts attached to each. But she wasn¡¯t here for that. She reached for a small notice near the bottom of the board. Apparently, someone wanted a Gnome merchant killed. A romantic spat gone wrong. She skimmed over the details, not caring much for why, nor the reward, just verifying that she knew where to find the mark, and would be able to earn experience for it, and then she pocketed the notice.


    ¡°I swear she ran, Edrik.¡±


    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t, she¡¯s just hiding somewhere as usual.¡±


    Adrik and Edrik seemed to be worked up about something, but she paid them no mind. There seemed to be little else on the board that she could take, so she turned to leave.


    ¡°Mori is going to be pissed ¨C he¡¯s expecting a new thief. She had to have been close to her class unlock.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a Street Rat, where could she even go?¡±


    ¡°What if she¡­¡±


    But Tala didn¡¯t hear the rest.


    Malika was a Street Rat.


    Tala froze, but her mind raced. Adrik and Edrik were not just the enforcers responsible for collecting the Town Watch¡¯s protection money. Mr. Mori also relied on them for grooming new pickpockets and thieves. Turnover was apparently high, and so they were constantly looking for new people.


    It made so much sense.


    There was no way Malika could have afforded the shrine. She must have stolen the money to get in. Now that she was a Monk, Adrik and Edrik had no further use for her. All Tala would have to do was point them in the right direction and the twins would take care of her problem for her.


    She opened her mouth. But then she shut it again before she could speak.


    She was so focused on her own problems that she had very nearly given everything away. While she had little doubt that Adrik and Edrik would take care of her secret for her, they would certainly take credit for the job, and she would get nothing for her information.


    She glanced across the way, meeting the reptilian eyes of the Kel¡¯darran merchant for a moment. she thought.  And she hadn¡¯t seen just Malika down there in the dark cavern¡­


    She quickly left the Crooked Crown, her heart beginning to race with anticipation as she took to the rooftops again. With her information, she could offer Kieran Mori the opportunity to clean house, take Adrik and Edrik down a peg, capitalizing on their mistake to elevate her own status in the Town Watch, and simultaneously hand her boss a magical Fae while the Kel¡¯darran merchant caravan was in town.


    Aliandra


    Ali awoke to the profound silence of the Grove and the persistent darkness that shrouded the looming shrine at its center. She sat up on her soft bed of moss and looked around. She was quite used to the larger races and their need for more rest, so it didn¡¯t surprise her much to find that they still slept.


    Only Malika was up, taking her turn to keep watch. She sat with her back to the shrine in the cross-legged pose she preferred for her Meditation. Ali chose not to disturb her, getting to her feet quietly.


    Ali¡¯s two summoned rats still prowled the perimeter of her mossy carpet, apparently having no need for sleep. It seemed that her summons did not expire, nor had she needed to feed them or let them rest, even between combat ¨C presumably they were sustained entirely upon the mana she kept reserved for each of them.


    she decided. Growing some more moss was a remarkably cheap way to increase her mana pool. With a larger mana pool, she would be able to cast more magic, and she would regenerate more mana per minute. All of which would be essential to growing her class and increasing her effectiveness in combat.


    She walked quietly toward the edge of her moss before summoning her Grimoire, so that the light of her magic wouldn¡¯t wake her friends. Beginning where she had left off last time, she began to summon patches of moss along the edge of her area, pausing to deconstruct the odd boulder here, a pile of slowly rotting wood there, even some scattered bones.


    After almost an hour, Ali grew her moss through a large open space and as she began to approach the massive fallen tree trunk that lay half-decayed at the edge, she stumbled as she caught an unexpected glint out of the corner of her eye.


    At first, she assumed it might be a remnant of her mother¡¯s magic that hadn¡¯t yet faded, but as she approached, she realized the soft golden glow seeping from beneath the trunk must be something else entirely. For one thing, it seemed to be emanating from several separate sources, stealing through the gaps between the damp ground and the rotting wood.


    Her curiosity immediately piqued, Ali crouched down to try to get a closer look, wrinkling her nose at the smell of dank, rotting wood and wet compost. The steady glow did not seem dangerous, but she called one of her rats over to her just in case. Glancing back toward the shrine, she decided that her friends were close enough to jump in and help if anything unexpected emerged.


    Reaching out, Ali placed her hand upon the rotting trunk looming above her, grimacing at the wet sliminess under her fingers. She focused, channeling Deconstruction through her touch. For about twelve seconds, her golden mana rippled and spread through the still-substantial thickness of the trunk, seeping into the wood and releasing energy into her mana pool while spilling the vast bulk of the excess into the air around her. With a muted, soft implosion, the trunk suddenly vanished, dissipating into a cloud of light particles that drifted away as they faded, leaving behind a clear expanse of ground, and the answer to Ali¡¯s curiosity.


    Nestled in a hollow where the trunk had been, was a small fairy ring of mushrooms. Each mushroom had an almost flat white cap, and as she knelt to examine it, she could see the gill area on the underside of the cap glowed with a surprisingly intense golden light that illuminated the ground around each mushroom.


    The light was a little darker with the tone running more to bronze than her arcane magic, but together, the fairy ring emitted a surprising amount of light, and as she reached toward them, the glow fell like warm sunshine upon her skin.


    she thought. Now that the shrine itself was depleted, it felt dark and gloomy in the Grove unless Calen was using his light magic. She hadn¡¯t been outside or seen the solar orbs in far too long. Eagerly, she paged through her Grimoire, quickly verifying that she had a couple of empty chapters.


    Ali carefully began to deconstruct the pretty mushrooms one by one, her magic even reaching below to collect the larger underground portions of fungal growth. A pang of sadness pinched in her heart each time she destroyed a pretty mushroom, progressively snuffing out the golden glow.


    Ali watched in fascination, fully focused on her task.


    There were nine mushrooms in total, and, by the time she was done, she could feel the pressure of the imprint pressing in on her mind. However, her Grimoire did not react. Disappointed, she glanced around, but further up, among a pile of broken pieces of wood, she spied another tell-tale glow.  Quickly, she rushed over, tailed by the rat guarding her. Ali brushed off the wood pieces revealing several more mushrooms growing underneath the pile. Repeating her task, she felt the imprint continue to grow, developing weight and pressure within her mind, triggering her curiosity as usual for how it might actually be working. It was as the fifteenth mushroom evaporated that she felt the pressure peak, and her chime sounded.


    She watched with mounting excitement as her Grimoire opened, rapidly riffling pages till it sat waiting for her at the next empty chapter. Excited now, she committed the imprint to its pages gaining her sixth imprint ¨C and the first one she had intentionally chosen.


    Happily, she got up and dance-skipped across the moss to the shrine, earning a soft laugh from Malika who was still sitting in her spot, but now with her eyes open and smiling at her.


    ¡°Got something new?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a mushroom!¡±


    It sounded silly even to her ears, but the imprint of the glowing golden mushrooms had felt good in her mind. They were so pretty. Ali found a good spot on the moss near the shrine and began to create her newest imprint. The chapter itself wasn¡¯t particularly large compared to, say, the rat or the wolf imprint, and the creation of the mushrooms was substantially quicker. It didn¡¯t take long before Ali had her very own fairy ring, glowing on the moss beside the shrine.


    ¡°That¡¯s beautiful,¡± Malika said, admiring her work.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± Ali said, feeling a surprising affinity toward the tiny, glowing mushrooms. Something about them resonated with her, but it wasn¡¯t something she could explain, even to herself. Still excited, Ali spent the next half hour filling the area around the shrine with her new mushrooms until the glow softly filled the space, warming her heart and her skin with their light.


    Finally low on mana, Ali chose not to find something to deconstruct for the moment. Instead, she walked over and sat beside Malika as she continued her Meditation. Opening her Grimoire, Ali decided to spend the rest of the time till the others woke up studying her new imprint.


    she thought to herself. But rather than waking Mato or Calen to borrow one of their books and exercise her newest reading skill, she chose instead to use her Runic Script.


    Even though this imprint was one of her simpler ones, just going by the count of pages it occupied, the myriad runes wove a spell tapestry of unbelievable complexity ¨C well beyond Ali¡¯s ability to grasp. But Ali didn¡¯t mind, more than happy enough when her Sage of Learning unraveled the basic meaning of a new rune she hadn¡¯t understood before and led her to the realization that ¨C more or less ¨C her imprint was a blueprint for creation. These were not radical breakthroughs, rather things that she could have deduced on her own, but Ali was content merely to be making progress. It was important to her that she could see it in the structure, rather than just guess.


    ***


    ¡°So, what should we do today?¡± Ali asked as she bit into a slice of a crisp apple. Mato had produced an astonishing array of fruits and sandwiches for breakfast, and Ali wasn¡¯t quite sure how he had managed to fit all of it in his pack. To be fair, his pack only looked small because his back was so broad.


    ¡°I thought we might try to explore the far side of the cavern today,¡± Malika suggested. Ali was certain Malika still didn¡¯t quite see eye-to-eye with Mato, simply due to her hesitation when he offered her food. But Mato made no issue of it, making sure everything was fairly shared, and before long, Malika¡¯s hunger must have won out over her misgivings because she finished two sandwiches and an apple in the same amount of time it took for Ali to finish her couple of slices. To be fair to Malika, Ali was taking her time savoring the delicious sweetness.


    ¡°If we are going that way, I¡¯ve a favor to ask,¡± Calen said, catching Ali¡¯s attention. Whatever it was, he was looking at her.


    ¡°What favor?¡±


    ¡°When we fell into the cavern, Donavan was killed under some falling rock. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to leave him to rot. Mato tried to move it, but it was too heavy, and I was wondering¡­ do you think your magic might be able to dissolve some of the stone, and perhaps the body, so that we can send him off to whatever afterlife he believes in?¡±


    Calen¡¯s voice sounded heavy, and it was by far the most Ali had ever heard him speak at once.


    Thinking it over, Ali said, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. I can try ¨C I have dissolved a few rocks with my skill before so I think it should work. Was he a good friend?¡±


    ¡°No, he was a spoiled noble prat,¡± Mato interjected. ¡°But I agree with Calen, I don¡¯t think he deserved the end he got.¡±


    ¡°You know, I can¡¯t shake the feeling that Tala pushed him,¡± Malika said quietly. ¡°The way she was standing looking down, and then how cheerful she sounded when she ¡®found¡¯ his body¡­¡±


    With the suddenness that both Mato and Calen froze to stare at Malika, Ali could instantly tell neither of them had suspected foul play, but from their expressions, Malika¡¯s paranoia seemed to have hit some sort of mark. Calen seemed to bite back on a curse, uncharacteristically for him, while Mato puffed out his cheeks with a heavy sigh.


    ¡°I have a few questions of my own for her when we find her,¡± Mato said, finally breaking the silence, his demeanor and expression hard and closed. ¡°She ditched us in the middle of that fight.¡±


    On that dark note, they finished breakfast and headed out into the darkness of the cavern, with Calen leading the way to the rock fall. Ali had no frame to consider these people, but her friends clearly had some very strong feelings about them and what had happened before they had found their way down here to the Grove.


    Ali was so completely wrapped up in her thoughts that when she found herself slammed into the ground with a snarling wolf tearing at her arms, the shock and disorientation was overwhelming. The pain of sharp teeth ripping through her flesh made her vision swim and lurch as she screamed and tried to scramble away from the ferocious monster, but it gripped her left arm between its fangs and shook her like a rat.


    Suddenly, an enormous bulk of fur and muscle slammed sideways into the wolf, knocking it off her with a startled pained yelp. The bear stood protectively over her fallen body, roaring and slashing at the wolf with his paws.


    It had all happened in a blink, and her mind was still reeling in confusion. And then Malika was beside her, and a burning surge of healing magic tore through her body, knitting her flesh back together in an instant.


    Malika helped Ali to her feet, and she finally looked around, her heart still stampeding within her chest. Mato was mauling the wolf aided by Ali¡¯s two rats. Calen stood atop a pile of bone firing a stream of shining arrows at the wolf, and Malika immediately waded into the fight as soon as Ali was back on her feet.


    Against the backdrop of the dark cavern, Ali saw a cloud of dark motes bubbling out of thin air, making her skin crawl with apprehension.


    The strange lights swirled around for a second before quickly coalescing into a blob. At once, a dark gray form slunk out of the phenomenon.


    ¡°Another wolf!¡± Ali yelled, ¡°Add!¡± belatedly remembering the proper terminology. Her brain finally caught up to the situation, and she remembered she was no longer helpless.


    ¡°¡± she thought, redirecting her two rats to the wolf that had incomprehensibly materialized out of thin air, and then summoned a barrier to hide behind. She clenched her shaking hands.


    Beyond the new wolf, two new fountains of those strange dark bubbles suddenly materialized. Ali¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°More adds! Incoming.¡±


    This time, though, it seemed Calen had seen them too.


    ¡°Ali, roots on the left one when it spawns. Malika, pick up the other one.¡± Calen¡¯s voice from his higher vantage point was surprisingly calm, and in some strange way, reassuring.


    Ali left her rats fighting the wolf and readied her nature magic, trusting that Malika would get the one she had been assigned. As soon as the wolf materialized, Ali cast her spell and the roots burst from the ground, trapping the Alpha wolf that suddenly appeared. It was her first time using her Grasping Roots on the Alpha wolves, and she was extremely relieved to see that her skill was now strong enough to hold the level-five monster ¨C at least for the time being.


    she thought as she swapped her attention over to the wolf Mato was tanking. With a thought, she launched a volley of arcane bolts over his back to arc down into the monster.


    ¡°Malika, another spawn on the far side!¡± Calen called out from the top of his pile of bones.


    Ali thought, her breath catching in her throat. If the monsters didn¡¯t stop materializing, they would soon be overwhelmed. The thoughts rushed around within the confines of her mind, worrying her, but she held her focus against the deafening thumping of her heart, checking on the Alpha and recasting her Grasping Roots while maintaining her Arcane Bolt stream until the first wolf dropped.


    In the chaos of the mysteriously appearing monsters, Ali had not even had a chance to think, let alone to determine the correct priority.


    As if he had heard her, Calen called out: ¡°My target.¡± A bright stream of arrows traced across the battlefield, slamming into one of the wolves Malika was fighting, making it abundantly clear which one he meant. Mato charged the wolf Calen had picked, and Ali redirected her bolts as they slowly pieced together their teamwork. With Mato already showing signs of rage and everyone attacking the same wolf, it went down quickly, gaining them a few seconds of breathing space.


    With a quick slap, Malika healed Mato, dimming the red mist of his rage, and then they all moved on to the second wolf she was tanking.


    Ali refreshed her roots and then felt a snap recoiling through her mana as she lost the connection to one of her rats. Over by the wolf, one of her rats lay unmoving on the ground, still bleeding from where the wolf had savaged its throat.


    ¡°One rat down,¡± Ali called out.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get that wolf next,¡± Calen answered. ¡°Leave the Alpha for last.¡±


    Ali gulped. She had been hoping they would kill the Alpha next so that she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about it breaking free, but over the next few minutes, the fight stabilized dramatically with a few of the wolves killed. Fortunately, no new ones appeared.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Malika sounded annoyed and shocked, and her eyes were wide as she searched the gloom frantically for more unseen monsters.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ali answered. ¡°They just kept appearing out of these fountains of light.¡± But a darkness that had looked like bubbles that somehow glowed. ¡°Some kind of magical spell, I think.¡±


    The fact that her skin had been prickling made it almost certain that magic had been involved ¨C but what? And from where?


    ¡°Well, that confirms it,¡± Calen said, hopping down to join them. He stopped while everyone just stared at him. ¡°My Explorer skill has been incessantly telling me this is a dungeon. I just thought it was overreacting. But this was clearly a dungeon resummoning its monsters.¡±


    ¡°A respawn?¡± Mato asked as he shifted back to normal.


    Even Ali had heard of a respawn. It was an event that adventurers feared. Stories told of terrifying encounters where dungeons respawned previously killed monsters on top of delving parties while they were struggling with something else. It was a reliable way to get killed. But the stories hadn¡¯t even come close to instilling the pure terror she had experienced when she had suddenly found herself on the ground under the ravening fangs of a Starving Wolf.


    ¡°Next time your skill tells us something, please let us know,¡± Malika said evenly. Mato inclined his head. ¡°How about I¡¯ll lead, and you bring up the rear, Calen?¡±


    Calen just nodded.


    Ali wasn¡¯t quite sure how having the information in advance might have changed anything, but she still shivered at the thought that they were roaming around inside a dungeon.


    Unbidden, the horrific specter of the Blind Lich appeared in her mind. Was the dungeon a trap laid by the Lich, just waiting for her to awaken?


    Why would someone so powerful care about a tiny unclassed Fae? And yet, she couldn¡¯t shake the apprehension, nor the cold claws of ice that seized her gut.


    ***


    With their new marching arrangement, the team finally arrived at the rockfall. Fortunately, no new monsters spawned on top of them.


    Up ahead, against the edge of the vast cavern that had once been a forest, loomed an enormous pile of stone slabs, shattered rock, and brick. The pile had obviously fallen from a gaping hole in the roof of the cavern. While most of the cavern was so high Ali couldn¡¯t even see the roof, at this point, up next to the edge, the top of the rock pile and the hole in the roof was only about a five-meter drop.


    A length of rope dangled from above, narrowly missing the muddy brown stream of water sluicing through the hole and splashing down upon the rock below, giving off the foulest stench Ali¡¯s recent memory could recall.  She gagged, blocking her nose in a vain attempt to staunch the olfactory assault.


    ¡°Sorry for the smell,¡± Malika said. ¡°That¡¯s Myrin¡¯s Keep sewer up there.¡±


    ¡°Delightful,¡± Ali coughed.


    ¡°Donavan is over here,¡± Calen said, leading the way. He stopped and looked at her. ¡°If it¡¯s too much, Aliandra, it¡¯s ok.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Ali said, trying to put a brave face on it, but the gnawed feet sticking out from under a several-ton slab of stone, and the splat-shaped bloodstain all around made her stomach curdle and lurch queasily.


    ¡°Maybe start with some of the rocks on top, so they don¡¯t fall?¡± Calen said, pointing upward. He clearly meant to distract her.


    Ali nodded her agreement. It looked like half the pile was ready to come down at any moment. With Calen helping her scale the larger boulders, she climbed up to the top and began the task of deconstructing the blocks of stone. It was relatively fast, taking somewhere between ten and twelve seconds each, but it was a huge pile.


    Soon enough, Ali felt the pressure build steadily in her mind until her Grimoire appeared.


    Ali committed the new imprint to her Grimoire and continued working but, to her surprise, even after inscribing the imprint, the Grimoire would occasionally flip pages and insert a couple of runes here and there as she continued deconstructing the stone.


    At least the runic activity distracted her from the grim task.


    Finally, the last slab dissolved into light and mana. Ali instantly threw up. A completely squashed human was a gruesome sight. Bits that shouldn¡¯t be out were spread around, clearly exploded out of the body in the instant of impact, and then impressed into the ground under tons of stone. Not even his gear had survived: fragments of leather ¨C shredded under extreme pressure ¨C lay mixed in with the paste.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Calen spoke from beside her. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have asked this of you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ok,¡± Ali answered, even though she felt distinctly not ok. She reached out and touched an exposed piece of leg, squeezing her eyes shut, trying not to look. She very nearly threw up a second time. But she managed to activate her magic, and mercifully, after nearly fifteen endless seconds, the corpse evaporated into light, leaving just some stains and the imprint of the body on the ground.


    ¡°May he find his way to his ancestors,¡± Malika said quietly.


    The others simply bowed their heads for a few moments, Ali included.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Calen said. Ali was inclined to agree with his sentiment. Macabre as the task had been, it felt like they had done something right.


    ***


    Ali puzzled over her Grimoire for a while. Trying to read the imprint was not helping ¨C she simply didn¡¯t have enough knowledge or understanding of the complex script to decipher how it worked yet. All that she had developed was a headache.


    She channeled her mana into her Starving Wolf imprint. Ideally, she would have wanted to use a Starving Alpha because they were stronger, and usually level five, but she didn¡¯t have an imprint for that yet. By her count, she needed to deconstruct another eight or nine Alpha wolves before it should show up. On the other hand, her Starving Wolf imprint took significantly more space in her Grimoire than all her other imprints, and for a while, she had hoped to find the Alpha encoded somewhere within its pages. But her examination of the imprint had shed precisely no light on the question.


    Ali tried to imagine creating the Alpha, fixing the image in her mind ¨C in case that mattered ¨C and finished channeling her magic.


    she thought, looking at her new wolf, and noticing that the reservation cost for her level-two summon had decreased from fifteen to fourteen. Despite her disappointment, the level-two wolf looked strong, and she decided she liked it more than the rats.


    As soon as she was done, Malika led them off toward the distant wall of the cavern ¨C an area that seemed darker even than the already dark cavern. Ali remained alert, keeping herself close to her companions this time. Even though they had not been through this part of the cavern, the experience of having a wolf respawn on top of her was enough to make her wish she had eyes on the back of her head. It was so dark that they had decided to use Calen¡¯s light magic, even despite the risk of attracting whatever unknown monsters might dwell here.


    The crunching footsteps of her heavier companions grew louder in the dark silence of the cavern as the piles of discarded and decaying bones grew larger and more prominent, looming a stark bleached white against the surrounding blackness.


    ¡°Monster on your left. Level six.¡± Calen¡¯s whisper brought them all to a sudden halt. Ali¡¯s eyes searched the bone piles for a moment before she suddenly saw it.


    A chill swept through Ali as the memories of her panicked and terrifying escape from the invasion of Dal¡¯mohra crashed into her mind.


    She snapped her head back and forth desperately hoping that she wouldn¡¯t, but fearing that she would, find Nevyn Eld lurking in the shadows.


    The skeleton was just as awful as she remembered. Gray-aged bone, adorned with worn, decrepit scraps of armor. A rusty longsword dangled from bone fingers with the point dragging through the dirt. Malevolent red light flickered within empty eye sockets.


    ¡°Undead,¡± Mato¡¯s voice conveyed a surprising amount of disgust and something else.


    A hand touched her shoulder, startling her, but it was just Malika.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± she whispered.


    Ali collected herself, taking some measure of calm from the presence of her friend, and then nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    ¡°It has a high level, but there¡¯s just one,¡± Malika observed. ¡°I¡¯ll tank. Calen, you have the highest perception, keep watch for adds. Ali and Mato, go all out as soon as I have it secured.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡±


    She wanted nothing more than to turn and flee, to feel her mother¡¯s hand guiding her away from danger. She couldn¡¯t shake the memory of Armand dying before her very eyes, run through by a skeleton just like this one. But instead, she stood and faced the undead monster. Perhaps it was all the prior practice against wolves and rats, but Ali found some measure of strength in relying on the skills and the bravery of her friends.


    Malika stalked across the bone-strewn ground and promptly punched the skeleton in the face as it charged toward her, rusty sword raised to attack. She dodged the vicious slash with uncanny grace and speed and responded with a snap kick that flickered with her magic on impact.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Ali echoed Malika¡¯s command to her wolf and rat, and they charged forward alongside Mato to engage the skeleton. Ali scanned the surroundings out of sheer habit, before remembering it was not her job this time. Seeing that the fight was stable, and Malika was controlling the skeleton effectively, Ali fired a salvo of arcane bolts. Her magic was followed almost instantly by Calen¡¯s brilliant arrows.


    The skeleton didn¡¯t react to her magic in the slightest, focused entirely on trying to skewer Malika while the stream of bolts rained down with staccato thumps, each strike blasting dust and splinters of bone from the undead monster¡¯s skeletal torso and shoulders. Malika dodged and blocked, her body flickering with the light of a continuous stream of healing magic.


    Unbidden, her mind conjured the gruesome sight of the sword drenched in crimson bursting from Maeria¡¯s chest. Dispensing with caution, Ali channeled more mana into her Arcane Bolt spell, firing a continuous stream of bolts that didn¡¯t let up until the skeleton dropped to the floor with a crash of bone and a clatter of rusty steel.


    By now, Ali was so used to the chaos of the wolf packs they had been fighting that, for a moment, her mind simply registered surprise. It had taken a while to kill, but the fight felt almost trivial by comparison. She had not needed her roots or barrier, nor had her concentration and focus been taxed in the slightest.


    ¡°Malika! You ok?¡± she called.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Malika replied, immediately sitting down cross-legged in the dirt where the skeleton had fallen. ¡°It hit very hard.¡± She turned to look at Mato. As he finished transforming back to his Beastkin form, she added, ¡°Thanks for helping me with the damage.¡±


    To Ali, she sounded a little grudging, like she didn¡¯t want to be in the position of owing him anything. Ali was beginning to get a better sense of her new friends.


    For his part, Mato was direct, offering a simple, ¡°No problem.¡±


    Ali kept her thoughts to herself. Obviously, it would be nicer for the two of them to get along in a friendly way, but she was hopeful they would reach that point on their own. Certainly, she didn¡¯t think her opinion would change either of their minds.


    She bent down and just stared at the skeleton for a while, now significantly less terrifying lying face down in the dirt. She glanced up to find both Calen and Malika giving her worried looks.


    ¡°I lost a good friend to one of these,¡± she said. And then she reached down and deconstructed it to recover some of her mana.


    ¡°Hey Ali,¡± Mato called out. He was over by a large pile of bone examining something near the ground. ¡°Do you want these?¡±


    Curious, she walked over to see what he was meant.


    The mushrooms were growing on the decaying bones in a fairly large clump. The cap was large ¨C she wouldn¡¯t have been able to span it with both of her hands side by side. The surface was cracked and even the flesh inside was so dark it appeared to be eating the small amount of light in the area. The gills under the mushroom cap were a deep violet, and Ali couldn¡¯t help but be creeped out by it.


    ¡°You can make mushrooms, right?¡± he asked her, breaking her focus.


    It surprised her that the happy-go-lucky Beastkin had been paying attention to the minor things she had learned so far. Bringing her attention back to the nasty black mushroom, she wrinkled her nose.


    ¡°Those are pretty nasty¡­¡±


    ¡°Yup, probably highly poisonous,¡± he answered. ¡°But that¡¯s how nature is ¨C some pretty things and some ugly things. Growth and decay. Poison and healing.¡± Ali immediately recognized the quote from when he had read the Druidic magic book to her. Ruefully, she revised her simplistic opinion of Mato in her mind and then looked at the mushroom with new eyes.  she thought. She couldn¡¯t afford to pass on something that might be useful just because it was gross or nasty.


    She took her time, intending to deconstruct the entire clump of mushrooms, but something different happened. After she had finished the third mushroom, her chime sounded.


    To her surprise, her Grimoire flipped to the imprint of her Common Glowcap, adding several new pages of runic inscriptions. Against all expectations, the book had decided to combine both mushrooms into the same imprint, even though neither of them were even remotely close to the same species ¨C at least as best she could tell. Ali puzzled over it for a while, but she simply didn¡¯t have enough examples to figure out the rules for how it behaved.


    She finished deconstructing the rest of the mushrooms until the Grimoire stopped updating itself. Then she used the imprint, trying to figure out how to select the new mushroom variant. Unfortunately, it was not obvious. After several tries, she was forced to conclude that her Grimoire was randomly selecting between the Common Glowcap and the Blackened Deathcap whenever she created a mushroom.


    she thought, bothered by the lack of control. On the other hand, she now had two different mushrooms and it still cost only one chapter.

 Chapter 18: Fire in the Darkness

    Chapter 18: Fire in the DarknessAliandraAli followed along, bringing her summoned monsters prowling beside her as they picked their way through the dark, bone-littered area of the cavern. Calen had surprisingly sharp eyes, easily calling out the skeletons hidden in the darkness well before any of the others could spot them, saving them time and again from deadly surprises.


    With each skeleton that crawled, clacking and creaking out of cracks in the walls or from behind decaying trees, her terror rose anew as she struggled to shed the fear and helplessness of that night fleeing from monsters through the deserted streets of Dal¡¯mohra.


    Malika tanked with gritty determination and resilience, withstanding the onslaught of the undead monsters with her body and her healing magic while Ali strove to kill them as fast as she could manage. And each time one died; she felt the rush of pure relief once again. She hated the skeletons, but at least she was no longer fleeing them in abject terror.


    ¡°Looks like a cave entrance up ahead,¡± Calen said quietly.


    Ali stared ahead, squinting as she tried to pierce the gloom, but all she could see were shadows. It wasn¡¯t until they had walked about halfway there that she finally made out the darker outline that marked the jagged gap in the rocky wall. A cool, dry breeze wafted out from the opening, carrying the smell of stone and just a hint of something burnt.


    ¡°Shall we explore it?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go see what¡¯s in there,¡± Malika agreed. ¡°Though, if it¡¯s a bunch of skeletons together, we run. One is my limit, I think.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m game,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°Ok.¡± Ali added her vote, trying to ignore the fluttering in her belly.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s go,¡± Malika said.


    Ali crept toward the entrance, keeping behind the others, barely breathing as she tried not to make a sound. There was a tense moment as Calen¡¯s Mote of Light drifted through the jagged opening, slowly illuminating the interior of a cave that probably hadn¡¯t seen light in thousands of years.


    She gasped; her breath caught abruptly by the sudden bands of tightness that clamped across her chest.


    The cave was not particularly large, but the ground was littered with a thick layer of broken bones. Huge heaps of bone lay piled up against the walls as if blown there by some violent squall, gleaming a bleached white under the radiance of Calen¡¯s floating magic. At the back of the cave, a small stone-paved square of ground remained mysteriously clear, and in the center was a black hole leading somewhere below.


    Guarding the hole was a skeleton.


    It had no legs. Instead, its torso loomed nearly three meters above the coils of what must have been a long tail on the ground ¨C now naked vertebrae and ribs. It had an elongated skull with giant protruding fangs, and four arms held four rusty scimitars. An eerie scraping pierced the silence as the Naga skeleton shifted, dragging bone across the rough stone paving.


    ¡°Armand¡­¡± Ali gasped, choking on the sudden lump in her throat.


    Malika


    A chill settled into the pit of Malika¡¯s stomach as she stared at the monstrous skeleton looming large in the center of the small cave. It was some kind of four-armed Naga that stood nearly ten feet tall even with most of its body still draped across the ground.


    The skeletons outside this cave hit unbelievably hard, and she was immensely grateful for her Enlightened Evasion and Soul Armor skills ¨C and the fact that, so far, they had only encountered them solo. Taking on more than one skeleton simultaneously was simply out of the question, she had to heal continuously to tank just one. And annoying as he sometimes was, she had to admit that Mato¡¯s ridiculous skill that allowed him to take damage for her whenever she was in trouble, had saved her several times already.


    But this thing was enormous.


    ¡°Armand¡­¡± Ali said, with a sudden hitch in her voice that caught Malika¡¯s attention instantly, making her heart lurch.


    ¡°Ali?¡±


    But Ali was unresponsive, her eyes glued to the monster, her body trembling.


    Gently Malika placed a hand on her shoulder, and Ali startled, her head snapping around to stare at her. Malika could see the tears welling up.


    ¡°Somebody you knew?¡± Malika asked, trying to keep her voice as gentle as possible.


    ¡°Armand,¡± Ali said, swallowing hard. ¡°He¡­ he was a dear friend who saved my life.¡±


    ¡°We need to kill that,¡± Mato said, his lips curled back like a wolf or bear tasting something foul.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Ali said, her voice sounding tiny and brittle.


    ¡°That¡¯s not your friend anymore,¡± Mato said, his voice softening.


    Ali looked like she was about to shatter.


    ¡°I have to agree with Mato, Ali,¡± Malika said, crouching down to look her in the eyes. ¡°That thing in there is a monster wearing the bones of your friend. Armand is long gone. We should kill it and release your friend¡¯s remains so he can be with his ancestors in the spirit realm. Just like we did with Donavan.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said, sniffing, clearly struggling to hold back her tears.


    Malika stood, readying herself. ¡°Mato, I¡¯m going to need a lot of help with this one.¡±


    ¡°I got you covered,¡± he said.


    ¡°Hold up,¡± Calen cautioned.


    Malika glanced at the Half-elf as he stared at the monster with narrowed eyes.


    ¡°My Explorer skill is identifying it as a dungeon boss,¡± he said.


    Malika¡¯s notification sounded like a strangely hollow gong in her head as Calen shared his skill.


    A chill ran down her spine. The regular skeletons had hit hard enough.  And it was level nine.


    ¡°What¡¯s a boss?¡± Ali asked quietly in the darkness.


    ¡°A monster that is stronger than normal,¡± Malika explained. ¡°Adventurers have categories of threat. Bosses are usually found in dungeons, and usually require a group of adventurers to defeat.¡±


    ¡°How many in a group?¡±


    ¡°Four to six, depending on levels, strength, and classes,¡± Malika replied, glancing over to Calen to confirm. The truth was somewhat worse though ¨C bosses were supposed to require excellent team coordination in addition to simple numbers.


    ¡°I still think we should try to kill it,¡± Mato said. ¡°The undead are abominations against nature. They spread blight and death and nothing good will come of us leaving it here.¡±


    she thought. But she was inclined to agree with him, if it were not for the extreme danger, she would also choose to destroy it.


    ¡°Perhaps we can test it, and if it seems too dangerous, we retreat?¡± Calen said. ¡°With Ali¡¯s summoned monsters, we¡¯re quite a strong party, but if it¡¯s too strong we could level up a bit more and come back later.¡±


    ¡°I could go for the ¡®try it and run away¡¯ plan,¡± Malika answered. ¡°What about you Ali? Are you ok?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be ok,¡± Ali said. ¡°Let me summon another rat.¡±


    ¡°Ok, same plan as usual,¡± Malika said, waiting for Ali to finish her summoning before she turned and entered the cave.


    The four-armed Naga skeleton turned at the sound of her footsteps, its bones and swords clanking discordantly in the enclosed space. A whisper of wind rose from the dark hole in the ground, bringing with it the smell of dusty catacombs and a hint of acrid brimstone.


    She hadn¡¯t taken more than two steps before the monster rushed at her, crossing the bone-covered ground with an incredible burst of speed, brandishing all four swords. She dodged left. Three powerful overhead swings whipped past her face, sending chips of bone and dirt flying, and her heart racing. Malika spun, unleashing a spinning kick empowered with her Soul Strike to land her first attack on its lower ribs with a flash that briefly overpowered Calen¡¯s light.


    She dodged a fourth horizontal slash and stepped further into the cave, positioning the monster where Ali¡¯s summons and Mato could easily reach it. She punched it a second time and everyone engaged as if the brief clash had stung them into motion, unleashing a light show of magic and arrows and the sudden din of combat that rang loudly in the close confines of the small cave.


    she thought as she lined up another attack.


    In that moment, the skeleton¡¯s swords all glowed with a dull red light and suddenly she was flying across the cave to slam into the wall with a stunning impact. She coughed once, half of her health ripped away in an instant by the sword that had cleaved clean through her chest. She slid down the wall, struggling for breath with the tattered bloody remnants of her lungs, and landed with a crash in a pile of bones. Urgently she channeled her mana to heal herself as a sense of impending doom settled upon her.


    Out in the center of the cave, the swords glowed again, slashing viciously. Mato¡¯s heavy fur-covered body slammed into the wall with a thump that reverberated in the cave. A dense wave of his red mist of rage billowed out from his battered and bleeding body. An instant later, Ali¡¯s wolf flew across the cave, bisected by the sword slash, landing with a splat in two gruesome bloody pieces.


    The colossal magnitude of their mistake hit her like a gut punch of absolute certainty.


    ¡°Run!¡± she croaked, coughing up left-over blood as her brain struggled to catch up with the whiplash of having her lungs ripped out and then nearly instantly repaired.


    Over at the cave entrance, something flickered like a dark shadow crossing the sun. A deafening thunderclap reverberated off the rocky walls, and Malika blinked at the sudden afterimage of a shadowed figure blurring across the ground with a silver spear pointing forward. A silver flash heralded an explosion of bone, and the pieces of the giant Naga skeleton rained down across the entire cavern.


    She stared uncomprehendingly as rusty scimitars clanged against the stone with bone fragments clattering down beside them.


    A shrouded, hooded figure clad in black leather stood where the skeleton had been, holding a glowing steel spear casually in his left hand. A premonition of danger knotted Malika¡¯s gut at the sound of a gloating chuckle rising from a second figure entering the cave.


    ¡°No more running for you, little rat.¡± It was Edrik¡¯s voice, dripping with his sadistic glee.


    she looked back at the shrouded figure as he dropped his hood, revealing his face.


    The knot in the pit of her stomach froze in an instant.


    She instantly recognized Kieran Mori, leader of the Town Watch, and Adrik and Edrik¡¯s boss. The man known as ¡®Sudden Death¡¯.


    And lurking behind Adrik and Edrik at the entrance was another shadowed figure that Malika recognized.


    It was abundantly clear to Malika, in that moment, exactly what had happened. Tala had sold her out, betraying her to the thugs of the Town Watch, and by the contented look on her face, she was the one who stood to gain the most from her death.


    ¡°Let me show you what it means to betray us, little rat,¡± Edrik said, stepping forward with his sword already drawn.


    Malika watched her executioner limber up his arm as he strode across the bone-littered gap separating them. It would not even be a contest. She knew he was over level twenty, and he would take her choosing a Monk class as a personal insult. The sword blurred towards her.


    Before the sword strike landed, a blur of red mist and muscle slammed heavily into Edrik¡¯s side, knocking him sideways and drawing a surprised grunt, stopping him as suddenly as if he had run headlong into a wall. Mato stood there; four paws planted as his huge bulk blocked Edrik¡¯s advance. He roared his rage, spraying pink-tinged foam from his mouth.


    Malika gawped, stunned. It was a hopeless battle; all he was going to achieve was getting himself killed as well. Her eyes took in the scene, as if in slow motion; Edrik slowly getting to his feet, his face twisted in murderous anger, Mato looming between them, blood gushing from the grievous sword wound the skeleton had inflicted, his cloying mist of rage billowing from his body.


    As Edrik charged, Malika reacted. She reached out her hand and touched Mato¡¯s back, unleashing as much of her mana and stamina into her Healing Mantra as possible.


    She screamed it in her mind as her magic tore through his body in a rush of desperate healing the instant before Edrik¡¯s sword lifted him from the ground and tossed him across the room. The bear slammed into Ali¡¯s tiny body and, with a loud crash and a startled yelp, suddenly both of them were gone.


    ¡°Edrik, you¡¯re ruining the merchandise,¡± Kieran said, his voice glacially calm.


    Edrik immediately halted, as if frozen in place. ¡°Sorry, boss.¡±


    ¡°Now secure the rest before we lose any more. Without that Fae, it will be hard to turn a profit from this fiasco.¡±


    His cold eyes swiveled and settled on Malika. Her vision faded to black as an intense pain blossomed through the back of her head. She hadn¡¯t even seen when Kieran Mori had moved.


    Aliandra


    The sword flared with an angry red searing light as it arced around in a vicious empowered strike. It bit into Mato¡¯s flank with a sickening crunch, spraying crimson blood into the air, and a force so powerful that it lifted the entire mass of the bulky bear into the air, tossing him across the room flailing like a ragdoll.


    Ali stared, dumbfounded, at the sight of a bear growing rapidly larger as it hurtled through the air toward her, her mind unhelpfully reminding her of the physics of the situation, and how Mato outweighed her several times over. Too late, she tried to run, but Mato¡¯s body struck the ground right in front of her, bounced almost a meter into the air, and then collided with her tiny frame. Something crunched. The impact knocked the wind from her lungs, throwing her across the darkness of the hole to crash into the rocky wall behind it. She felt a sharp jolt of pain as her head cracked against the rock, followed by the sickening lurch of weightlessness. In her daze, she desperately tried to process the yawning expanse of empty darkness below her feet.


    Her body flailed, feeling strangely languid as the echoes of the impact pounded through her dazed mind. Panic clamped her chest.


    The smooth walls of a stone shaft whipped by in a blur as she and the dim bulky outline that was Mato plummeted into the dark unknown, and in that moment her muddled thoughts suddenly sharpened into crystal clarity.


    In desperation, Ali reached for her mana; stretching out a hand below her, she summoned a barrier. For one brief moment, it shone out with the bright golden glow of hope, banishing the darkness. Her body smacked into it with a bone-jarring stop, radiating a spiderweb of cracks through the magical surface. Her respite was fleeting; Mato¡¯s enormous bulk crashed down on top of her, shattering the barrier into tiny glowing shards and splinters of spent magic.


    She fell.


    Forcing the pain and shock of the double impact aside, Ali summoned a second barrier. But the sheer momentum of her and Mato¡¯s fall shattered the barrier instantaneously, filling the stone shaft with golden light, and drawing her terrified attention to the endless darkness below.


    She cast it again.


    Desperately, she burned her mana, casting and recasting barriers as they smashed their way through her golden magic in a precipitous descent of exploding shards and jarring pain. Somehow, Mato managed to twist his bulky form so that he was below her, taking most of the impact instead of her. She clung to his blood-soaked fur with all her pitiful strength, while she chain-cast her barriers, heedless of the cost.


    With a loud, sudden thump, Mato collided with something solid and stopped. Ali bounced off of his furry stomach and landed in a painful heap on the cold stone floor at the bottom of the shaft, stunned and dazed, watching the shards of her broken magic slowly rain down on them like fading golden snowflakes while she struggled to breathe. Something inside her had broken. Her body ached, her head was throbbing, her breathing was agony, and she had spent nearly all her mana.


    Mato groaned beside her as his form twisted and morphed back into his normal body.


    The word drifted around her stunned mind for a while before it began to make any kind of sense.  Somehow, that crazy stunt with her barriers had slowed their descent enough that the landing at the bottom had not left them as splattered bloodstains on stone.


    Although she felt like she would have preferred to be pushed down a mountain.


    Mustering her scant remaining strength, Ali willed her bruised and battered body to move. She winced at the jab of pain in her side.


    She bled freely from several cuts, and likely, her entire body was one large bruise. Slowly, she sat up and glanced around, trying to grasp what had happened, and where she was.


    By the fading light of the last remnants of her barrier magic, her eyes took in an area of dust-covered, fitted flagstones, and the unmistakable precision and artistry of Dwarven stonework in the walls of the dark chamber they had landed in. As her gaze searched across the stone room, she suddenly froze. There, staring back at her from the darkness, she found three sets of glowing red eyes.


    A flicker of flame sprang up in the darkness, its red glow lighting an outstretched taloned and scaled hand. The flames intensified, condensing into an angry orange-red ball hovering in the air. Her instincts screamed at her to flee. Dancing reddish light grew stronger, illuminating a blunt reptilian face. The scent of smoke and flame, and the sounds of crackling and sizzling filled the room.


    ¡°Mato!¡± she shouted, her voice cracking with panic and urgency. She spent the dregs of her mana to summon one last barrier between them and the high-speed ball of fire that shot out across the room.


    The fireball shattered her barrier in a deafening detonation of flame and heat. Like a ragdoll, her body was tossed by the concussion wave of force and heat and slammed into the beautiful dwarven stonework. She slid down to the ground, ears ringing and lungs burning as she struggled to breathe in the suddenly scorching air.


    Dimly, she heard Mato¡¯s yell twisting strangely into a roar as he transformed into his Bear Form. The burns and scorch marks down the side of his body were so severe in places that the white of his ribs could be seen through the burnt flesh ¨C a gruesome testament to the power of the monster¡¯s fire magic.  Smoke from the flame mingled with the red mist of his rage as Mato tore across the room and collided with the monsters with a display of aggression and savagery that shocked her to the core. For once, Ali was grateful for Mato¡¯s eagerness to dive into battle, but his demeanor and the density of the red mist flowing around his body told her just how severely he must have been burned.


    She wanted to wake up, run away, or do anything to make this stop. But she couldn¡¯t. No matter how much she wanted it, the air still burned in her lungs, and her head still throbbed with searing pain.


    Instead, her mind clung to the memory of Malika¡¯s calm voice coaching her through their first battle together, and the torrent of panic settled just a little.


    Ali drew a deep breath.  She wouldn¡¯t be effective if she didn¡¯t at least understand what she was facing ¨C she was not Mato, someone who could just wade in and figure it out on the fly. Using Identify, she examined the monsters engaged in brutal melee with Mato.


    Her panic immediately loomed larger when she saw just how high their levels were.  Urgently, she rechecked her mana while Mato roared his challenge, but it would be a while before she could regenerate enough to be of any help to him.


    The warrior was a little bigger than the other two, standing perhaps a little over a meter tall, covered with dense green scales that gleamed in the flickering light of the still-burning remnants of flame strewn across the room and dripping down the walls. The Kobold¡¯s swings and jabs with its rusty sword were deft and quick as it darted back and forth, balanced well on taloned feet and a sturdy tail. Short, sharp white horns protruded from its head and a row of sharp fangs lined its mouth, lending it a monstrous, almost draconic appearance, while its reptilian red eyes were filled with malicious cunning as it focused on dodging Mato¡¯s wild swings and slicing at him from the side.


    ¡°Mato! Use your heal!¡± Ali yelled, realizing that he was already so far gone in his rage that he had forgotten to activate his healing skill yet again. To her intense relief, the greenish flicker of his magic activated on his swipe and his wounds began to recover slowly.


    she thought. She had been terrified that he was too far in the rage to hear her.


    The smaller, black-scaled Kobold chittered in a high-pitched call, darting out of the shadows to flank Mato with uncanny speed. Using its black scales and blackened leather armor to great effect in the shadows, it buried two daggers in his back before he could even react. Mato roared in pain and lashed out with his claws, but the Kobold rogue deftly sidestepped, dodging back in to make another attack. The green-scaled warrior in front of him slashed across his shoulder with its sword, taking advantage of the sudden distraction.


    The malevolent red Fire Mage, however, was the one that terrified Ali the most. It hung back at the far side of the room, fixing its glowing eyes on Mato and summoning its fire once more. Its claws gleamed in the intensifying light of the flames it conjured and the walls of the room began to flicker with dancing shadows. With a cold certainty, Ali knew that if that fireball hit Mato, it would all be over.


    She cast around the room, desperately looking for something, anything. But there was nothing to even throw, not that she could throw anything effectively. She racked her brains, frantically searching, when suddenly a flash of inspiration came to her. She reached out towards the mana she was still reserving to support the rats left behind in the cavern above and with a painful wrench, she broke the connection. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was all she had. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Mato, mage!¡± she yelled, unleashing an arc of glowing arcane bolts at the red-scaled Kobold who was still summoning his fire magic. Mato clearly heard her because he broke off the engagement with the warrior and rogue, and with a burst of speed from his skill, charged at the mage. The instant he moved; the fireball flew from the Kobold¡¯s outstretched claws. With reactions born from sheer desperation, Ali summoned a barrier between them with some of her precious remaining mana, angled to deflect the imminent inferno.


    The violent explosion rocked the room, filling it with smoke, flying gobs of fire, and the glowing shards of Ali¡¯s shattered barrier. The blowback from the fireball knocked the Kobold mage rolling head over heels across the stone floor. The concussive explosion tore further wounds along Mato¡¯s shoulders and flanks, but much to her relief, Ali¡¯s barrier had blunted the bulk of the explosion, and he still stood.


    He swayed a little.


    Ali fired Arcane Bolts into the downed Kobold mage while it scrambled to regain its feet in the aftermath of the explosion, but to her horror, Ali¡¯s mana dried up and the mage immediately began summoning more fire.


    Her barrier had cost most of the mana she had regained ¨C she had nothing left to stop him.


    In that moment, Mato descended on the downed Kobold, pounding it senseless with a mighty swipe of his forepaw. Then his jaws closed on its neck, shaking it, and tossing the creature against the wall, where it fell limp and lifeless to the stone floor. The half-cast fireball careened off into the corner and detonated, spraying fire across half the room. Several flaming gobs landed on her, burning through her clothing and searing her arm and both legs. Ali hissed in pain as her vision dimmed briefly, coming back in a wave of dizziness.


    Mato still tangled with the rogue and the warrior while bleeding profusely from dozens of severe stab wounds and gashes, but Ali was completely out of mana again. Helpless without her spells, and terrified of being noticed and attacked, she sprinted unsteadily across the room to the corpse of the Kobold mage and began to deconstruct it. Seconds ticked by like dripping molasses as Ali watched the rogue¡¯s daggers repeatedly stabbing Mato while his healing magic struggled and failed to keep up with the onslaught. The ground was slick with blood and Ali had never seen his misty aura so dense and red. He was spitting foam and blood from his mouth as his attacks became more and more erratic and violent. Fresh smoke rose from his burns, and the room was filled with the stench of partially cooked flesh, burnt fur, and sulfur.


    Finally, after seemingly forever, her spell finished with the rush of mana filling her pool. Immediately, she summoned a Barrier to block the rogue¡¯s dagger strikes and cast her Grasping Roots to lock it in place, giving Mato some room to maneuver. However, Mato ignored the rogue, slashing at her barrier with his claws instead.


    ¡°What are you doing? Move!¡± Ali yelled. But Mato simply growled and tried to bite her magic, dripping bloody froth all over the barrier.


    she realized, releasing her barrier so that it wouldn¡¯t distract him further. Instead, she channeled her mana into her Arcane Bolts and fired them as fast as she could at the rogue, deciding that it was by far the most dangerous of the two remaining Kobolds. Ali emptied the rest of her mana into the rogue, finally dropping it right as she ran dry with Mato landing the final attack, able to connect with a swipe because her roots were interfering with its ability to dodge.


    Ali left Mato to deal with the remaining warrior. Dodging gobs of fire, her feet slipping on the blood-soaked flagstones, she ran back across the chamber to the corpse of the rogue and began to Deconstruct it. As she urged her magic to somehow work faster, she kept glancing at the brutal fight unfolding before her, checking on Mato, hoping she would be done before he succumbed to his grievous injuries. Even his eyes were beginning to glow red, and the dense mist around him seemed to be pulsing with an ominous heartbeat. He knocked the warrior back with a powerful attack, taking a deep cut on the shoulder from its sword. Lost to the rage of his Berserker magic, he simply ignored the ugly wound.


    Ali was forced to look on, helpless to intervene, while her magic continued to dissolve the corpse at her feet.


    As soon as it finished, she immediately poured her mana into Arcane Bolt, and the stream of magic slammed into the warrior, sending green scales flying. Anxiously, she watched her mana dwindle as the bolt stream curved across the room. Suddenly, and with an anticlimactic swoon, the remaining Kobold collapsed to the sound of a soft chime going off in her mind.


    Ali sunk to the ground too, exhausted, burned, and in extreme pain. Mato continued growling and shaking the corpse of the warrior.


    ¡°Stop it, Mato, it¡¯s dead,¡± she said, exhaustion and the aftermath of shock and adrenaline finally crashing down on her.


    Mato turned gleaming red eyes on her and roared, suddenly charging at her. She screamed in sudden panic and created a barrier at the last moment. His large frame slammed into it, spraying blood across the golden surface. He roared and attacked the barrier, biting it repeatedly.


    ¡°Mato! Stop!¡± she shouted, the panic making her voice crack. He was completely out of control. She scrambled backward along the ground in her haste to escape the enraged bear. His heavy paw smacked into the floating barrier, shattering it into tiny floating golden shards.


    Her eyes opened wide with shock, and she screamed as the huge bear charged her. She summoned another barrier, but all she got was a fitful puff of golden glitter that bounced off his snarling muzzle. His foaming jaws bit down on her ankle with a sickening crunch. Her tiny body was no match for his power as he shook her back and forth. Her ankle snapped with a loud crack, a surge of incredible pain, and with a dizzying lurch her vision faded to black.

 Chapter 19: Circle of Restoration

    Chapter 19: Circle of Restoration- Excerpt from


    Aliandra


    A point of light coalesced somewhere in front of her and expanded into a violent flickering and roaring rush of sound and pain as her awareness reluctantly returned to her bruised and battered body.


    Ali found herself lying on her back, unable to do more than hang onto her painful breathing as her senses screamed, informing her, with a chaotic deluge of signals, that all was most definitely not ok. There was so much that it all blended into one overwhelming scream of pain, running together and leaving her unable to even identify her injuries. Unwilling to try moving yet, she simply lay on the comfortingly cold stone, staring up into the mostly dark room.


    She lay for a while, wondering if she was dreaming, or perhaps she had stumbled into some sort of afterlife.


    After a few minutes of simply being, she summoned the energy to call up her notifications from before.


    Her mind took its time processing the information. Somehow, about halfway through the messages, she realized that it meant she had actually survived, and no, she wasn¡¯t in fact dreaming. Besides, there was far too much pain for that.


    Slowly, she tried sitting up, immediately falling back to the ground as a fresh surge of pain crashed through her body. By her nearly full mana pool, she judged that she had been unconscious for nearly an hour, but her health was still critically low.


    Ali knew she was seriously injured, but she had no idea how she was going to find a healer down here.


    She painstakingly levered herself up into a sitting position. After fighting back the waves of dizziness and dimming vision, she finally took a good look at herself. Her arms and legs were charred from the flames of the fireballs, and her ears still rang painfully. She lay there in a disconcertingly large pool of her amber blood, with her right ankle bent at an impossible angle, clearly snapped. Her body involuntarily recoiled as the sight of her savaged leg recalled to her mind the sounds and pain of Mato¡¯s brutal attack; the feelings of her flesh being torn by his powerful jaws, and her body flung back and forth crashing against the stone before she had passed out.


    Holding her breath, Ali turned quickly, searching for any signs of the bear, but all she found was Mato in his Beastkin form, lying still in a scarily large pool of blood. His brutally slashed body still faintly steamed from large swathes of burnt flesh. She had not noticed the soft sound of his extremely shallow breathing over the persistent ringing in her ears, but she could see the hyperventilation in the unnaturally rapid movements of his chest.


    She was no healer, but it was obvious that Mato wouldn¡¯t last much longer. , she thought, realizing that the Fire Mage had been three times that. She cast around for anything she could do, her eyes immediately coming to rest on the dark bundle of Mato¡¯s pack, still miraculously intact, presumably having reappeared from wherever it went when he was shapeshifted.


    Mato and Calen had always had potions on them, stored in their packs.


    The thought popped into her mind grabbing her attention with its powerfully pragmatic self-preservation, wrapped up in the horrific moral implication.


    The dilemma pitted her rational self-preservation against her moral values in a cascading storm of ugly thoughts and equally horrible memories of being mauled and savaged.


    Even just entertaining the idea of sitting by and doing nothing, and simply letting nature take its course, left Ali horrified at herself, sick to her stomach.


    Her memories provided something happier to soothe her feelings, but she couldn¡¯t shake the terror she felt when she looked at him, even broken and dying as he was.


    she thought, recalling the horror of facing the pack of wolves by herself.


    It sounded like she was trying to convince herself.


    Pressing her lips together into a firm line, Ali turned and dragged herself toward him. The moment she moved, she threw up from the intense pain lancing through her from her shattered ankle. Surprisingly, the clean purity of pain came almost as a relief from the dark thoughts that plagued her heart. She gritted her teeth and dragged herself a little further, struggling to find enough traction to pull herself along the blood-slicked stone.


    She almost passed out twice, but eventually, she was able to drag Mato¡¯s pack out of the pool of congealing blood. Upending the pack, she spilled its contents to the ground, but to her dismay, not one potion came tumbling out.


    She stared in mute despair at the lack of anything that might heal her.  There was no way she could walk to wherever he and Malika were in her state.  Of the only people she knew in this world she had woken in, one had tried to kill her and was dying in a pool of his own blood, and the other two were missing, likely dead also ¨C and she was powerless, unable to do anything more than drag herself around on the floor in agony.


    Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the muffled screeches and strange chirping noises of monsters in the distance. She shivered at the thought of what would happen if more of those Kobolds discovered her like this.


    she told herself. Her body was broken, she had no potions to heal herself, and she could still hear the calls of the Kobolds hunting outside.


    They had survived, but for how long?


    Ali¡¯s gaze fell on Mato.  It seemed likely that if she called attention to herself, she would also quickly die to the monsters outside. She lingered in trepidation on the open stone archway that led to an unknown darkness beyond. How the monsters hadn¡¯t been attracted to the sounds of the fireball detonations was beyond her, but she didn¡¯t question that small piece of good fortune.


    Her eyes finally fell once more to the spilled contents of Mato¡¯s pack. Nestled among his supplies rested his book on Druidic magic. She gazed at it for a long moment, a glimmer of an idea beginning to form.


    Ali dragged herself painfully over to the open stone archway that led out of the room, careful to hold back her gasps as her ankle screamed its objections to being jostled. Even the slightest movement caused bone to grate against bone. Once she was close enough, she summoned her Grimoire; the bright and beautiful glow of its magic that she had so admired, causing her no small amount of anxiety in the dark.


    she fretted, rapidly paging to her brand-new stone imprint. Second by anxious second, she channeled her mana into the imprint, her ears straining to catch every chirp and screech beyond until finally, a massive stone slab appeared blocking the entrance to the room. Ali took a deep breath as some measure of her stress melted away at the sight of all that stone standing between her and the monsters roaming outside.


    She turned her attention to the second source of danger; Mato. Considering her situation, a little more rationally, now that she was a little less worried about being discovered, she paged through her Grimoire to the Sewer Rat imprint and summoned three of them.


    she thought, impressing on them her desire that they guard her against all danger. They crowded in closer, and normally she would have set them to keep a little distance, but she was beyond worrying about their smell in a room filled with the stench of burnt flesh, sulfur, and the metallic tang of slowly congealing blood. She let out a small sigh of relief. While she was under no illusions that she was actually safe now, the fact that she had done something to improve her situation noticeably eased some of the load pressing down on her.


    While she could simply wait for her natural mana regeneration to recover it, she had no idea how little time she had left. Who knew if those thugs were going to chase her down here?


    Ali made her slow and painful way across the stone, crawling over to the remaining Kobold corpse. The green scales of the warrior were slashed and torn where Mato¡¯s claws had struck it or broken where her magic bolts had slammed into its body. The leather armor strapped to its body seemed to be crude, but functional, bearing a sizeable number of scratches, burns, and cuts, a testament to how much it had protected the creature. Its sword was of similar crudeness, rusted and notched, but clearly effective enough to put Mato down. Ali deconstructed it all, leaving her almost full once more ¨C for what she had in mind she would likely need a lot of mana. She took a few minutes to collect the daggers and armor from the Kobold rogue, and the tattered robes the mage had worn, dropped in place when she had deconstructed their bodies earlier. She tied them up into a ragged bundle to drag along with her.


    she thought, returning to the pile of supplies by Mato¡¯s empty pack with her bundle of loot. She picked up his book and opened it to the table of contents to begin her search, illuminating it by the simple expedient of summoning a small glowing barrier.


    She flipped quickly to the indicated chapter, taking a small measure of simple comfort in the nostalgic weight and feel of the book, and the brushing sounds the pages made when she turned them. The aches and pain in her body began to slowly recede into the background as she focused her attention on the inscriptions and runes presented on the pages in front of her.


    Theoretically, at least ¨C even though she was not a Druid ¨C her affinity for nature magic meant that her mana should be compatible with the spells she was searching through. However, Ali had no experience in doing what she was about to attempt, so she had no idea if it would even work.


    she decided, gently brushing her fingertips across the runic inscriptions for a spell titled ¡®Restoration¡¯. It was one of the simpler spells among those listed with the healing trait, and yet it filled her with wonder and excitement even in spite of the dire situation she found herself in. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She settled her body, shifting herself into a position of marginally less pain, and began to read, the subtle magic of her Runic Script skill working continuously to help her understand the complex inscriptions. A sudden howl from beyond the stone slab and the arched doorway snatched her attention away from the pages, and she shivered as her mind instantly conjured terrifying images of what it might be.


    she scolded herself, but her heart was more nervous than annoyed ¨C worried more about the spine-chilling sound than her struggles to concentrate.


    She directed her attention back to the magic runes in the book, tuning out her surroundings and trying to ignore her fears. Slowly, the world faded from her attention, leaving her alone with the delightfully complex magical text. Her mana ticked down as her Sage of Learning began to pull at long-forgotten memories of magic studies from her youth, stitching them with runes she had briefly seen and not understood in books at the library, trying to make sense of what she was studying.


    Her focus deepened as she struggled to understand the delicate structure and interplay of the magical connections inscribed before her. She absently brushed the beading sweat from her face as her sense of time passing began to fade. For a simple, low-level spell, the complexity was extraordinary, and Ali threw herself fully into her task.


    She barely noticed the chime and the notification of her skill increase, but its effect was extraordinary. Immediately, the runes she was reading snapped into sharper focus as her new clarity began to unravel the significantly more complex layers below the superficial, and subtle interplay of meaning and connection they created in symphonic coordination. Her mind filled with a rush of new information, possibilities, and a sense of wonder, all the while, the voracious Sage of Learning consumed her mana in an accelerating torrent. Ali felt frustratingly close to understanding, but as tantalizingly close as she felt, it still eluded her. She pressed on, gathering her will and focus, and began to re-read the entire text.


    Suddenly, understanding blossomed in a cascading chain reaction within her mind. Falling back with a gasp, she saw each of the runes, concepts, and layers as if they were complex glowing puzzle pieces floating within the expanse of her mind. All she needed to do was sort them and fit them together in the correct arrangement. She reached out and nudged one piece, connecting it to its partner in a thrilling spark of understanding. As she examined the new configuration, she saw an additional connection that now seemed obvious. Reaching again, she coaxed the next piece to connect, building upon what she had just learned. Each time, understanding advanced, and her cascade accelerated like an avalanche which suddenly culminated in a pristine and clear picture, a circle of magic hovering, glowing, pulsing within her mind.


    Her awareness slowly returned to her body as she held the image within her mind. She was surprised to find her body drenched with sweat and trembling from exertion. But she had it ¨C hovering in crystal clarity was the first magic spell she had fully grasped, completely understood.


    , she thought, allowing some time for her breathing to return to normal.  she thought looking at the decimated remnants of her previously almost full mana pool. After she had recovered a little, she patiently deconstructed each of the items in her little bundle of loot, refilling her mana once more.


    she thought, shuffling and dragging herself along the floor to where Mato lay. His breathing was noticeably weaker now.


    There was no choice. She would either succeed in time, or she would fail ¨C and they would both die down here in the darkness, posthumous victims of the vicious Kobold Fire Mage.


    Diligently, Ali reviewed the glowing magical construct in her mind and then she began channeling her mana into her Runic Script skill. Intense magic shot forth from her hand in a bright green glowing stream, flecked with golden sparkles as she wielded her skill to duplicate the runes she had pictured. It didn¡¯t matter that the ground upon which she scribed her magic was stone covered with congealing blood, her skill simply etched the spell-work directly onto the stone.


    The task was every bit as hard as she had anticipated ¨C she mustered her focus and concentration to the extreme, striving to replicate exactly every tiny detail, every minuscule but essential connection. As she worked, the pain and exhaustion racking her body grappled with her mental focus, causing her to falter and lapse repeatedly. Each time she did so, she had to reset the entire rune she was working on and rebuild it from scratch. With painstaking slowness, running entirely on the force of her willpower, she grew a circle of glowing runes around Mato¡¯s fallen body.


    Her vision was beginning to fade in and out by the time she reached the last few runes, sheer exhaustion taking its toll. Ali blinked the droplets of sweat out of her eyes and restarted the rune she was focused on, correcting a mistake. It was a silly mistake, but she had stopped chiding herself for them, reduced to merely hoping she would be able to hold out long enough to complete the construct. She swayed as she caught herself before passing out, and readjusted her mana, just in time to avoid making yet another error.


    Suddenly, surprisingly, there was nothing more to scribe. The circle closed with a snap and a rush of magical energy as the entire ring of intricate runes flared brightly in green with accents of gold. A substantial chunk of her mana surged out of her into the ring as her body staggered from the waves of exhaustion.


    She stared blankly for a while at the glowing magical construct. Within the circle, ethereal green aurorae began to dance, rising into the air like ghostly flames shot through with flickers of golden sparks and barely perceptible translucent shapes that looked like leaves floating on a breeze. Mato¡¯s breathing began to slow and deepen as the magic flowed through his body. Ali cast Identify to see what she had made.


    She knew she should feel more, but all that came was a sense of profound relief that she was done and could now let go. Thinking nothing of the danger, she crawled into the runic circle and collapsed beside Mato. The green aurora caressed her skin like the afternoon sun shining down on her face as she lay upon a grassy bank. She released herself into its embrace and finally allowed her consciousness to fade.


    ***

 Chapter 20: Guilt

    Chapter 20: Guilt- Excerpt from  Ziba Malek, Elorthian Empire Royal Scholar, Translated.


    Malika


    Malika groaned as her awareness slowly trickled back into her body amid crashing waves of pain and nausea. She rolled over, but something was wrong with her hands, and she landed on her face, almost blacking out from the agonizing jolt that stabbed through her head. Her mind felt sluggish and foggy, and her body wasn¡¯t responding as she expected.


    She simply lay for a while, trying to endure as it washed over her. She had the distinct impression she was forgetting something, but it eluded her.


    She opened her eyes to a sudden dagger-like stabbing pain that lit up the right side of her field of vision like a lightning strike.


    Something was wrong with her head. Wherever she was, it was only barely lit, but she could see nothing in the entire right side of her vision, just a shimmering gray fog that flickered and pulsed with the throbbing in her head.


    suddenly she remembered she had healing magic. . She reached out and channeled her powerful skill, but nothing happened. Confusion filled her addled mind as she struggled to decide what it meant.


    She felt a sudden onset of panic when she realized she didn¡¯t remember, couldn¡¯t remember. After a few minutes of struggling with her mind, she finally remembered she could just look. Pulling up her status, she saw that she indeed did have a class ¨C but her status wasn¡¯t much use to her, half of it missing in the noise of her damaged vision.


    Her eyes flickered across it, registering strange details. The details crept sluggishly through her mind before she realized she couldn¡¯t cast anything without mana.


    She was¡­ something.  It escaped her for a while before it drifted back into her mind.


    She tried her Healing Mantra again, this time using stamina to power the skill, and suddenly a surge of burning power thrummed through her, tearing at her bruised body and sluggish mind, rearranging, repairing.


    She let out a gasp of relief as the pain vanished, her vision cleared, and her mind snapped back to normal.


    She grimaced at the now clear memory ¨C and with it came a crippling surge of guilt. She had been happy for a few days, exploring her class and making friends, foolishly giving in to her hopes and dreams. And all she had done was bring the wrath of the Town Watch down on herself and her new companions.


    She was in some small dark room. Her hands were bound behind her back and her face was pressed into a threadbare rug that stank of mold and dust, and a stale, musty odor that made her think of old warehouses that had been shuttered for too long. It sounded like there might be a wooden floor beneath, but she could tell little else from where she lay.


    She recognized Calen from the pointy ear and silvery hair that stuck out of the dark crumpled heap in the corner ¨C which meant he was likely alive. But she could clearly remember herself pouring her healing magic into Mato to save his life and then watching Edrik knock him and Ali down the hole into the darkness.


    She had no idea, but there was one thing she was certain of.  If it were not for her being in their group, they would not have been dragged into this. Ali was the first person she had connected with since the disaster, and now she was gone. Against all odds, the little Fae had earned her trust, shared her vulnerability, and become her friend.


    Her thoughts drifted for a bit.


    Malika hated Mato. He seemed to have no care in the world, oblivious to the risks, simply diving in to fight whenever he felt like it. Whenever he saw someone in need. Malika had seen it a few times and almost every time it had put them in unnecessary danger.


    And yet, he had done it for her. When she was facing Edrik ¨C he could have just let it go and he would probably have walked out alive, but no, he had to charge in and try and save her. And now he was dead along with Ali down a hole.


    She choked back a sob.


    Her mind played back the brutal years trying to survive in the slums of Myrin¡¯s Keep, the endless shakedowns, the beatings, and her shattered dreams. It was worse that she had gotten a few days of hope, only to have them dashed to pieces once again. Brutal. Life was short and unfair.


    She closed her heart as she had always done. It was her only defense. But somehow, all she could see was the bleeding bear charging in for no other reason than to help her.


    She finally slammed the doors of her heart shut and struggled to sit up, earning a fresh bruise when she forgot her hands were bound. Twisting around, she found that her wrists had been fastened with a pair of black steel restraints. She used Appraise out of the corner of her eye.


    Cuffs of Suppression ¨C level 8


    Requirements: None.


    -8 to level requirement.


    -103% to Mana and Stamina regeneration.


    Locked.


    Quality: Magic.


    Value: 1 gold, 17 silver.


    Hands ¨C Handcuffs


    She struggled briefly against the bindings but to no avail. They were quite well-crafted and sturdy. Giving up for the moment, she opened her status and queried the details of her regeneration.


    Health Regeneration


    Total: 0%


    Stamina Regeneration


    +100% Racial (Human).


    +100% Relentless Aptitude.


    -103% Cuffs of Suppression.


    Total: +97%


    Mana Regeneration


    +100% Racial (Human).


    -103% Cuffs of Suppression.


    Total: -3%


    She had stamina only because of her Relentless Aptitude. Her mana, on the other hand, was draining at a rate of three percent per hour.


    Without warning, a door slammed open, and the shadowy outline of Edrik appeared. He shot across the room and, before she could even react, he had her pinned up against the wall by a hand around her throat. It was a position she was quite familiar with. So familiar, in fact, that it was almost laughable. He was so predictable.


    ¡°Adrik! Bring the other cuffs. The strong ones ¨C the little rat is awake!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll kill her with that and then Mori will flay us.¡±


    ¡°She has a fucking regeneration skill you idiot, bring it!¡±


    Adrik appeared holding another set of restraints which he quickly fastened around her wrists, removing the old one. Immediately Malika felt dizzy, and her stamina began draining away, too.


    It was her last thought before Edrik¡¯s fist slammed into the side of her head and the lights went out.


    Mato


    Mato groaned as awareness clawed its way back into his body, like an Umbral Panther dragging a fully-grown Bristletusk Boar up a tree. His mouth was drier than the endless sands of Brast at high-noon, and his body ached like the aftermath of being hit by a large rock while falling down some stairs. A lot of stairs. He rolled over onto his back and slowly opened his eyes, wincing at the lance of pain that stabbed through his left eye and into the back of his skull.


    He stared uncomprehendingly at the smooth expanse of crafted slate-gray stone overhead, illuminated by a softly shimmering green glow, and the wide-open shaft that extended up through the roof, but he found no clues in that infinite well of darkness. The metallic scent of blood mingled with the lingering acrid stench of sulfur and burnt flesh. His stomach clenched in a sudden spasm of queasiness as his nose identified it as the unmistakable aroma of charred person. Slowly, he sat up, wiping his hands on his tattered pants, grimacing at the stickiness of the drying blood. As he turned to look around, he froze, catching sight of a small, curled-up bundle.


    By his side, Aliandra lay sleeping peacefully, the soft, gentle sigh of her breath accompanying the slow rise and fall of her chest. But her body was covered in dark, congealed blood and soot, and her brand-new clothing was torn and burnt in more places than Mato could count.


    But his eyes were drawn to the pulsing green glow that surrounded them both, encircled by an exquisitely intricate circle of magical runes. The magic, whatever it was, made him think of his mother.


    He put aside the unbelievably complex magic construct for the moment and leaned over to check on his companion, but he was instantly brought up short by the sharp clatter of claws on stone. He whipped his head around to find three rats rushing toward him, baring their yellowed teeth and hissing aggressively.


    He glanced back down at Aliandra and then backed away from her, and the rats immediately stood down, although they remained alert with their dark eyes trained on him.


    he thought. Clearly, the rats were some of Ali¡¯s summoned monsters and it seemed she had assigned them guard duty while she slept.


    Something violent must have happened, judging from the enormous pool of blood, and the sorry state of Aliandra¡¯s clothing. He studied her carefully from the opposite side of the magical ring, searching for any injuries.


    Mato turned his attention to the otherwise quiet room, trying to solve the riddle of his blank memories. The stone walls and floor of this chamber had been scorched in several places, but there were no other clues to help him out.


    he thought finally, hoping that anything that might have happened would be shown there.


    There  been a fight. But against such a high-level group, it was more of a wonder that he had awoken at all.


    Suddenly, he was falling forever through a dark stone shaft amid exploding cascades of golden light, desperately trying to catch Aliandra.


    He blinked as his mind snapped back to the stone room, his heart throbbing wildly from the intensity of the memory. He looked up again at the stone shaft and the darkness, shocked at how long he had been struggling and falling.


    A second vivid image exploded in bright flame and concussive detonation within his mind, and his hatred erupted at the first glimpse of a red-scaled reptilian monster at the center of the inferno.


    His mind lurched yet again as the flash of memory abruptly vanished, leaving him panting in a cold sweat back in the runic circle. His hands grabbed for his side where he had felt the searing flame of the fireball, but his clothing was perfectly fine, protected by his shapeshift. But more importantly, his body seemed healthy ¨C disgustingly and completely healthy ¨C with not a single perceptible injury. That was impossible, surely? The fall alone should have killed them both.


    Mato examined the circle of green runes more closely, even suspiciously, realizing that the magic was like his Brutal Restoration, only it felt¡­ gentler? It seemed safe to conclude that the magic circle was somehow Aliandra¡¯s doing. He didn¡¯t know how, but it had a little of her scent to it. Only then, his eyes fell upon his book, open still to a chapter on Druidic healing magic. He leaned over to scan the page briefly.


    Mato shook his head in bewilderment. The text was a dense wall of incomprehensible runes and undoubtedly technical jargon. Aliandra sure had an unusual class. Most of her magic was slow and unsuited for direct combat but, if the amount of blood on the floor was anything to go by, he owed his life to her ingenuity and resourcefulness.


    he thought.  He looked around the room again, seeing the giant slabs of stone blocking the doorway and his still-sleeping companion guarded by her rats.  he thought. Somehow, he and Aliandra had won against the dangerous group of much higher-level Kobolds, and then she had set up defenses and healed both of them.


    He stared at the notifications for a while, stunned.


    It was a huge leap, but their foes had been strong. His eyes lingered on his powerful Primal Rage skill, excited by how much it had grown from the fight.


    he thought. Even Calen had argued against it. It was his defining skill, like that of his father, and he felt it characterized the essence of his fighting style. The more powerful he was, the faster he could end the fights.


    His big hands knotted into fists as he realized he still had no clear recollection of what must have been an epic fight.


    he told himself. Without thinking any further, he put all of his new attribute points into vitality and endurance.  he thought, glancing at Aliandra.


    He reached toward her arm to check on her, but the sudden hisses reminded him the rats were still being overprotective.


    In that instant, the peaceful image of his tiny friend sleeping in a circle of restoration magic was overlaid with her scrambling backward in abject terror, silently screaming while the matted paws of a great beast beat on a blood-and-froth-covered magical barrier until it exploded into shards. The rage and hate surged through him with such a shocking power that he reeled backward from the image, falling heavily onto his side.


    He cautiously sat up once again, swallowing uncomfortably at the sudden dryness in his mouth. His body seemed to be trembling from shock. But Aliandra still slept peacefully beside him.


    Just as he began to trust his relief that the scene was gone, the image returned, rage surging through his body and mind. He saw himself gripping Aliandra¡¯s leg in his jaws, thrashing her tiny body back and forth on the stone like a cat killing its prey, while she screamed for him to stop.


    As the image mercifully faded, he found himself retching in a cold sweat.


    But the rage had been powerful, and the memory of her bones crunching under his fangs was all too real. The brutal ease with which he had thrashed her back and forth, even after her screams had fallen silent and her body limp.


    And, to his horror, he found he knew the taste of her amber blood.


    ***

 Chapter 21: Withdrawal

    Chapter 21: WithdrawalAliandra


    -10% to maximum health.


    Affliction ¨C Duration: Indefinite. Count: 1


    Ali woke screaming as an agony like nothing she had ever known tore through her body and mind, rendering her incapable of anything other than curling up into a ball. She hung on, desperate for any form of respite, but the torment was unremitting.


    A large hand suddenly clamped over her mouth, cutting off her already hoarse scream. She struggled weakly against the powerful grip, twisting to see who it was.


    At the sight of him looking down at her, she panicked, flailing to get away, but she was so small and racked with pain that she was no match for the huge Beastkin¡¯s overwhelming strength.


    ¡°Ali, stop screaming, the Kobolds will find us!¡± His urgent whisper was edged with desperation. It took a few moments for the meaning of his words to percolate through the haze of pain and panic, but suddenly, her awareness snapped to the present and she realized where she was.


    With sudden clarity, she realized Mato wasn¡¯t trying to kill her again, and the fight against the Kobolds in the darkness crashed back into her mind as she remembered where she was. She clenched her teeth to keep from screaming. She bit so hard that she cut her own cheek, feeling a fresh surge of pain and the taste of blood in her mouth. Surprisingly, the more mundane pain made the pain from her withdrawal very slightly more bearable.


    Mato¡¯s hand released its hold on her. ¡°Can you call your rats off?¡±


    It was only then that she realized she could hear her rats biting and scratching, trying to kill Mato. She sent a quick mental command, and they stood down. The freshly bleeding slashes and bites on Mato¡¯s back slowly began to close under the influence of the subtle shifting green radiance of the surrounding restoration circle.


    ¡°It¡­ it¡¯s my domain ¡­ withdrawal,¡± Ali managed to whisper between clenched teeth, wrestling to get her heart palpitations under control and slow her hyperventilation. The Druidic Restoration magic had already repaired the self-inflicted bite on the inside of her cheek, but it was having absolutely no impact on the agony of the domain withdrawal.


    She had been aware of the cost of a domain-bound class and understood domain withdrawal. She had even knowingly accepted it when she had decided on her class, but...


    She slumped back to the ground, curling up into a fetal position, hands wrapped around her head.


    ¡°You just leveled up, can you put some points into endurance?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± It sounded like gibberish to her.


    ¡°Fighters and warriors use endurance to mitigate pain.¡± Mato¡¯s voice sounded uncharacteristically worried. Touching her shoulder, he said, ¡°It¡¯s not just about more stamina, it allows them to function even when they¡¯re wounded. Maybe it can help with this?¡± She flinched at his touch, and he snatched back his hand as if scalded.


    Ali was willing to try anything. Even his crazy idea. After a brief struggle to focus on the task, she managed to spend one of her free attribute points on endurance, bringing her total up to six. As soon as she did so, the pain eased noticeably, as if unseen talons wrapped around her skull suddenly loosened their death grip ¨C just a little. Desperate for relief, she rapidly spent four more points, and suddenly, the overwhelming pain was gone.


    she realized, as her mind began to clear, and her breathing steadied. She could still feel the pain well enough.  She found she could put it into the background, and she could think and move more normally.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said, sitting up and keeping herself as far from Mato as she could get while still being inside the runic circle. ¡°The pain isn¡¯t gone, but at least I can think, now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s how it works for me, too,¡± he answered, and then fell silent, staring at the ground between his feet.


    They sat there for a while before Mato eventually broke the silence.


    ¡°Aliandra¡­¡± After trailing off he started again. ¡°Did I¡­ did I really attack you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ali hugged her knees to her chest as the unwanted memory of Mato thrashing her body back and forth surged back into her mind.


    The blood drained from Mato¡¯s face the instant she confirmed it. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m really sorry,¡± he said, his voice cracking badly. ¡°I thought I could control it. The rage. But I can¡¯t even remember half the fight.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t even look at her.


    Ali simply sat, struggling to process the torrent of emotions that his words had unlocked.


    ¡°Calen was right, it¡¯s a dangerous skill. I didn¡¯t listen to him because I thought it was cool and powerful. I thought I could be strong like my dad. And I hurt you. I nearly killed you.¡± He fell silent, staring down at the ground, his shoulders hunched and his hands gripping his thighs till his knuckles turned white.


    He was clearly suffering, but he still terrified her. If he hadn¡¯t been so weak at the end, he would have killed her with his uncontrolled rage. She had liked the big Beastkin with his outgoing personality and carefree attitude; his gentler side when he read to her.


    she told herself. Rationally, she knew he was the same person, simply affected by the nature of his skill, but even knowing that had no impact on the primal, instinctive fear she had of being hurt by him. And her fear was rational, too.


    He groaned, ¡°Are you alright? Ali?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not ok, Mato.¡±


    He looked up and Ali recognized anguish and guilt in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re right to be afraid of me. I never wanted to hurt you, but I don¡¯t think I can control it. I wouldn¡¯t be ok if I was in your place. I think you would be safer without me.¡±


    ¡°How does it work?¡± Ali asked finally. The reality of her situation was slowly settling like a millstone of brutal practicality weighing down upon her. She was not sure if she was more terrified of Mato, or the idea of facing the monsters out there in the darkness by herself.


    ¡°The more damage I take, the stronger the effect. It gets really hard to control around half my health. I don¡¯t remember anything after I dropped below a third remaining. I already tried to remove the skill, but I can¡¯t replace it unless I unlock something new.¡±


    The admission that his remorse had driven him to risk crippling his power to make it right tipped the balance a little away from the monsters and in favor of the person she had been getting to know.


    ¡°Can we keep it above half then?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he admitted. ¡°I put all my points into vitality and endurance. And my Bear Form skill leveled so I have more armor. But those Kobolds were much higher level than us, and I don¡¯t have any protection against fireballs.¡±


    ¡°I would definitely die if I had to face a group like that on my own.¡± All her instincts rebelled against her resolution. If they had been somewhere safe, Ali was certain she would not have entertained the idea of putting herself at risk of facing his rage a second time. But she was certain she had heard more Kobolds outside, and there was absolutely no chance of her surviving on her own.


    ¡°You sure?¡± Mato seemed surprised.


    Ali nodded. Even though she hated it, she had no reason to second-guess her choice. ¡°We need to get out of here, and we stand a better chance together.¡±


    ¡°Ok. But keep your distance in fights and be ready with your barrier.¡±


    ¡°How much armor do you have?¡± Ali tried to distract herself from her roiling emotions by turning to the practical concerns of strategy and fighting. She didn¡¯t have Malika to help, but she had learned a few things about what mattered to the physical classes.


    ¡°One hundred and fifty-four when I¡¯m a bear. Nearly fifty percent physical damage reduction against a level six monster, but it falls off rapidly when they get higher.¡± He paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°But that Fire Mage was level nine, and I have no magic resistance.¡±


    ¡°I have neither,¡± Ali replied. In any fight, the only defenses she had were her barrier and any of her creatures or allies. She had far less health than any of her friends, and now she had ten percent less from her Domain Withdrawal. ¡°If we have to ¨C we fight something, you take the warriors and rogues in Bear Form and don¡¯t forget to heal yourself. I¡¯ll try to kill any mages first.¡±


    Ali looked around the room. She had not had much chance to examine it till now. There was no light, other than the greenish glow of her restoration circle, and all she could see of the ceiling was a dark void representing the hole they had fallen through. It looked like it had been fashioned with some engineered purpose by the ancient Dwarven Stone Mages that had built most of Dal¡¯mohra.


    It wasn¡¯t a particularly helpful thought, though ¨C without being able to fly, they were not getting out that way. The only option was the doorway she had blocked earlier with summoned slabs of stone.


    ¡°Do you think Calen and Malika survived?¡± Mato¡¯s subdued voice shifted her focus.


    In the short few days Ali had known them, she had come to see them all as friends. She felt particularly close to Malika after some of the conversations they had shared. It had taken no more than a single instant for all of that to be crushed. Her thoughts returned to the battle from earlier, and the incredible power of the dark rogue that had appeared from nowhere, shattering Armand¡¯s skeleton with a single blow. If they had survived, it was only because he wanted them alive. ¡°I hope so,¡± Ali finally answered, but her hope felt slim and fragile.


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can find our way out of here,¡± Ali said, scrambling to her feet. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Ali, thank you,¡± Mato said softly from a little way behind her. ¡°For healing me, even though¡­¡±


    She turned to look at him and nodded, not trusting herself to answer. Instead, she changed the subject. ¡°I¡¯ll deconstruct the stone. You get ready in case there are monsters.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Mato said, shifting to his Bear Form.


    Ali¡¯s breath hitched in her throat at the sight, and she quickly turned to the doorway and deconstructed the rough stone wall barring the exit. As it dissipated, she also released the mana reservation for her Restoration runic circle, causing the glow to fade. She would need the mana.


    Then she stepped out into the darkness beyond the door.


    Ali found herself in a dark, stone-paved alleyway, littered with dusty broken bones. Here a pile of bleached ribs, off to the side, a partially intact skeleton. And, nestled up against the shattered stone doorway of a building, she saw an elongated skull with prominent fangs that may have come from some reptilian creature.


    she guessed.


    There were numerous scuff marks and tracks in the dust, and even the beautifully fitted flagstones were worn down from countless years of passage. Behind her, the giant stone tower containing the ventilation shaft she had fallen through vanished into the darkness far above.


    Ali had a clear answer to the question. Without a doubt, she was home.


    More precisely, this was definitely the upper level of the city: the residential level where she and her mom ¨C and all her friends had lived.


    Now it was buried deep beneath the foundations of another town, almost unrecognizable.


    The support towers, like the one she had just stepped out of, had always been visible under the light of the floating solar orbs. Even at night, when they dimmed the magical lights, the Grand Library Arcana had stood out like a beacon, glowing with enchantments and runic magic. A landmark, visible from anywhere within the city.


    It had been such a fixture in her life that just standing here in the ruined alleyway, covered with bones and the dust of ages, staring at the impenetrable darkness left her bewildered and disoriented. Like an anchor that had always stabilized her life had been uprooted and swallowed up, leaving her aimlessly adrift.


    Even the electric buzz and vibrance of the city¡¯s ambient magic on her skin ¨C the signature bustle of a thriving magical metropolis ¨C was gone, replaced by an ominous prickle, an energy that made her skin crawl and want to hide.


    A chorus of strange, distant chirping noises sent chills running down her spine.


    ¡°Kobolds,¡± Mato confirmed in a whisper, joining her in the alleyway.


    ¡°I¡¯m not certain where we are,¡± she said, keeping her voice to a matching whisper. ¡°Definitely Dal¡¯mohra, but I can¡¯t tell which way is out.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s explore a little and see if we can figure it out.¡±


    Ali nodded, and then picked a direction at random, instructing her rats to follow along and be ready to defend them. The clicking of their claws on the stone, and the crunch as they stepped on fragments of bone, echoed loudly off the stone buildings in the muffled silence of the ruins, putting her on edge.


    As she turned the corner, she directed her attention upward at the cavern roof, somewhere beyond the darkness, intent on catching a glimpse of the Grand Library tower, or anything that may help orient her. Something invisible and tight pressed against her shin, and before she knew it, she hit the ground face first, tripping with all the dignity and grace of a sack of vegetables.


    A soft swoosh and a brush of air at the back of her neck froze her complaints and grumbling right in her throat before she had a chance to let them out.


    ¡°You ok? Did you get hit?¡± Mato was leaning over to help her up.


    ¡°What was that?¡± she asked, staring at the obstruction. The thing she had tripped over was a thin black wire. She rubbed the skin on the back of her neck where whatever it was had brushed her and shivered.


    ¡°Dart trap,¡± Mato answered, pointing to where three small, sleek shapes had slammed into the wall beside them so hard that they were still quivering from the force. A thick dark fluid slowly dripped down the stone from where they had hit.


    Ali froze at the sight.  She touched the almost invisible wire, hearing a soft click, and snatching her hand away in surprise.  But fortunately, no more darts were fired.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± she exclaimed, barely remembering to keep it to a whisper.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± Mato replied. ¡°Perhaps I should go first?¡±


    ¡°Is that poison?¡± she asked, pointing at the stuff slowly trickling down the wall.


    Mato turned to examine it. ¡°I can¡¯t tell for sure, but that would be a safe guess.¡±


    ¡°How about we send my rats first?¡±


    Vigilant, now, for the possibility of near-invisible tripwires, they continued down the alleyway at a much slower pace with one of Ali¡¯s rats in the front just in case. They followed the alleyways through a maze of twists and turns, finding two more tripwires along the way before Mato suddenly stopped.


    ¡°Hide!¡± he hissed and darted back.


    Ali scrambled for a dark doorway and dove through it as her rats careened in after her with Mato bringing up the rear. One of the rats stumbled and rolled into the room making a terrifyingly loud sound of clattering and crunching on the piles of bone inside the darkness of the ruined house.


    A few moments later she heard the chirping calls of the Kobolds ¨C far nearer. And then, as she held her breath in the darkness of the ruined house, two dark shapes passed by the entrance. A few points of mana drained from her mana pool, but she was too focused on not breathing or making any noise to be distracted by her difficult skill.


    Instead, she used Identify.


    The Kobolds ambled by painfully slowly, their scaled tails swishing through the dust, occasionally knocking loose bone fragments flying. Their gleaming talons clicked on the stone with every step, sending sharp pulses of tension running through Ali¡¯s chest.


    And the other one, the warrior, was so high Identify couldn¡¯t even tell her the exact number; simply revealing it had two marks ¨C anywhere between ten and ninety-nine.


    As the Kobolds passed, and the chirping sounds began to grow quieter, one of her rats collapsed to the ground, twitched twice, and then she felt her mana reserve release. Ali turned immediately but there was no obvious threat.


    Mato reached out and plucked something from the flank of her dead rat. Opening his hand, he revealed a dart like the ones from the tripwire trap she had set off earlier.


    ¡°I guess that answers the poison question,¡± he said soberly.


    They decided to wait in the dark ruined house till the Kobold calls had completely faded, and then waited more just to make sure. Ali took the opportunity to summon a new rat, and by the light of her Grimoire, it was clear that the normal contents of a house were long gone, replaced by bones and some sticks, and even some kind of nest in the corner with age-darkened eggshell fragments. Behind the nest, Blackened Deathcap mushrooms sprouted, growing on the bone and even part-way up the wall.


    she thought, still struggling to come to terms with how old and ruined the city felt. A few days ago, she had been dodging throngs of people on the way to the library or the market, her head filled with the mundane worries of life, and the anticipation of unlocking her scholar class.


    Dal¡¯mohra felt wrong; wrong in a way that set her on edge. The darkness, the distant calls of monsters, the smell of age and decay, the deeply worn and pitted stone, unfamiliarity and fear tainting the home she had known her entire life. She rolled her shoulders, trying to ease the tension in her neck, but it had settled in, refusing to be dislodged.


    Setting out together once more, Ali resolved ¨C even more than before ¨C to be aware of her surroundings. Taking the time to examine each turn for monsters or tripwires really slowed them down, but they eventually emerged from the twisted alleyways into a wider and straighter street.


    While she didn¡¯t immediately recognize this street, Dal¡¯mohra¡¯s architectural plan was simple and elegant; a circle with the Grand Library Arcana at the center, enormous radial boulevards cut through the terraced rings, and many concentric roads divided the districts. The road they had just emerged onto extended off into the darkness in both directions, and she could see just far enough to perceive the slight curve.


    As soon as she turned to look toward where the Grand Library should be, a loud clatter of bone and steel broke the silence. From a shadowy concealed alleyway across the opposite side of the street, two ungainly forms emerged.


    Both the skeletons were beyond her ability to Identify. Their stiff clattering charge seemed entirely too fast as they rapidly closed the distance.


    She commanded her rats. ¡°Run!¡± she yelled at Mato. To her surprise, the fight-loving Beastkin followed her directions without hesitation, instantly turning to flee with her into the nearest alleyway. They ran, heedless of the traps and twists and turns until Ali was forced to stop, her stamina entirely spent.


    ¡°Mato¡­¡±


    The Beastkin boy stopped up ahead and turned to rejoin her, motioning to a darkened doorway into another ruined house. Carefully stepping over the dark black wire, Ali followed Mato inside and slumped down with her back against the wall, breathing heavily. She was thoroughly lost, having entirely lost track of where they had been with all the twists and turns in the dark. She had sensed her rats dying as they ran, by the strange sensation of her mana reservation ¨C the connection maintaining her summoned creatures ¨C snapping one after the other in quick succession.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t identify them,¡± she told him.


    ¡°Good call,¡± he whispered. She could barely make him out in the darkness, sitting far enough away that she couldn¡¯t reach him without getting up, but just close enough to see.


    After sitting there in the dark for a few minutes, they heard the shuffling clatter of footsteps from somewhere outside. But though the noises grew louder for a while, they passed their hiding spot by what sounded like a street or two, never getting close enough to force them to run.


    ¡°I think we lost them,¡± Mato said eventually after silence had returned.


    Ali nodded and began resummoning her minions.

 Chapter 22: Ambush

    Chapter 22: Ambush- Lyeneru Silverleaf.


    Aliandra


    Ali was jolted awake from the simultaneous chime of her notification and a fresh surge of pain. It was both worse than last time, but also somehow easier to manage. Or it seemed that way ¨C this time, at least, she was able to stop herself from screaming out loud. Still, she tasted blood in her mouth immediately.


    S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    -10% to maximum health.


    Affliction ¨C Duration: Indefinite. Count: 2


    The way endurance mitigated pain without actually eliminating it was rather bizarre. The pain was still present, throbbing through her head like a debilitating migraine, but somehow, she was able to function.


    She hesitated for a moment, but then spent five more attribute points on endurance, reducing the pain to a much more manageable level. Always present, but possible to ignore. The only problem was that, with two counts of Domain Withdrawal, she was down twenty percent maximum health ¨C she would need to be very careful to avoid being hit. As if that hadn¡¯t already been a big problem with her racial disadvantage.


    Ali rose from her uncomfortable bed on the cold dirty stone floor of a dark and ruined house. Breakfast was a brief affair, consisting of a couple of slices of an apple Mato produced from his pack, and then they headed back out into the streets and alleys of the ancient, deserted city.


    ¡°I think I know where we are,¡± Ali said, after a few minutes, getting Mato¡¯s immediate attention. ¡°It looks a lot different than I remember, but we¡¯re in one of the mid-level residential districts. The Grand Library Arcana is in the center of the city, it should be over that way.¡± She pointed. It wasn¡¯t a precise direction, but it was the best she had. ¡°The surface was always accessible from the library, so I think that¡¯s our best chance of getting out.¡±


    Unfortunately, that was roughly the same direction as the two skeletons they had run into before they hid for the night, but Mato didn¡¯t seem to mind. He, at least, seemed confident they could avoid them.


    ¡°Skeletons aren¡¯t supposed to be too smart,¡± he noted.


    Ali raised her eyebrows. ¡°Better to be killed by a smart monster or a brainless one?¡±


    Mato chuckled hoarsely. ¡°Right. Love the positivity.¡±


    Following his lead, they were indeed able to avoid any encounter with the dangerous skeletons, skirting them while they wandered into a dead-end alleyway, and they pressed on through the next district. Progress was painfully slow as they were forced to check for tripwires and duck into hiding spots at regular intervals whenever they heard monsters passing nearby. The clicking or clattering of skeletons, or the chirps of hunting Kobolds ¨C Ali quickly lost count of the number they had barely avoided, many of them too high level for her to even Identify.


    ¡°There should be another main road just up there,¡±she said, studying the looming rise of the next terrace level. Somewhere along the main road, they should find a path up ¨C access to the upper districts had been provided at regular intervals, and without the glowing magical shields running, they should have no trouble.


    Turning a corner, Ali found herself staring down a couple of green-scaled Kobolds, just as surprised as she was.


    The slightly bigger Kobold in the lead turned a scarred face toward them and instantly drew his sword, chirping the alarm. Without hesitation, both monsters rushed toward them.


    ¡°We got this,¡± Mato said, shifting to Bear Form beside her and then charging to meet the oncoming Kobolds.


    Ali thought, trying to reassure herself that they would be ok. Mato was level six now and it was two-against-two, with her summoned Sewer Rats to break the tie. Mato¡¯s large bulk slammed into the first Kobold, knocking it off balance as he swiped an attack that left bloody gashes across its torso and continued through, slashing high on the thigh of its companion.


    . Ali let out the breath she had been holding at the little flash of green mana, and the soft warmth of nearby nature magic washing up across the exposed skin of her forearms and face.


    Her rats sprang forward immediately at her mental command.


    Picking on the larger Kobold in the front, Ali triggered her Arcane Bolts, launching her tiny missiles of glowing arcane energy into high-speed curving arcs around Mato. Malika had been right from the beginning, the target-seeking missiles were strategically powerful, and she was growing far more proficient in guiding them around her allies and summoned monsters.


    Ali gasped as something heavy slammed into her back. The cold hard stone of the pavement rose and smacked her in the face. Darkness pressed in as her vision dimmed briefly, and the warm gush of blood soaked her shirt, running down her back. Pain seared through the numbness.


    She jerked sideways as something gleaming hit the stone with a sharp Ali scrambled away on all fours, panting, every shallow breath drawing a sharp stab of fresh pain through her lungs. Rolling to the side of the street, up against a gray stone wall, she finally came face-to-face with the hard reptilian eyes of a Kobold who must have been stalking her from the shadows. The dim light gleamed off bared fangs in a black-scaled face, and the amber blood dripping from the wicked dagger clutched in its talons.


    The dagger stabbed toward her neck with shocking speed. Ali summoned a barrier that snapped into place just in time to intercept the attack. She experienced a moment of intense relief as her barrier deflected the powerful strike without breaking, but she could tell it wouldn¡¯t hold long. Scrambling backward along the wall, she left a trail of blood in the dust as she retargeted, sending her arcane bolts flipping around in mid-flight to slam into the black-scaled Kobold who had somehow appeared from nowhere.


    The Kobold made an annoyed hiss and rapped on the barrier with its claws before leaping clean over it in a feat of ridiculous agility, chirping and chittering angrily as it dove right for her. Again, she summoned a barrier just in time to block the deadly dagger strike, stopping the rusty blade a finger¡¯s width from her face. She screamed again and scrambled away, still somehow maintaining enough focus to fire her arcane bolts.


    she berated herself, trying to emulate the sense of Malika¡¯s composed voice offering advice when she had been afraid, despite the vicious Kobold trying its best to stab her. In her panic, she had entirely forgotten her basic tools. She took a breath and cast Grasping Roots on the rogue. Unlike her original cantrip magic, this spell did not require dirt and plants to grow ¨C the thick gnarled roots, created entirely from mana in an instant, sprang forth from the stone pavement to tangle around the ankles and tail of the Kobold, binding it in place on the edge of the street.


    The Kobold screeched in frustration, frantically thrashing against its bonds.


    With a thought, she redirected one of her rats from the warriors behind her to attack and resumed her arcane bolts while slowly slipping herself backward into Mato¡¯s aura. She had kept her distance initially because she was afraid of him losing control. She was still terrified of him ¨C but this Kobold rogue had taken more than half her health in a single strike. At least, if she were close enough, Mato had said he could redirect damage to himself.


    While giving Mato more damage to feed his rage was an incredibly poor idea, dying in the street to an angry Kobold with a dagger was infinitely worse.


    With several slashes of the dagger, the rogue severed the roots and charged. Ali again blocked its advance with a barrier and then recast her Grasping Roots while it tried to sidestep to find an angle to strike. Unable to get to her, it hissed its frustration and stabbed her rat in the side of the head, killing it instantly.


    She risked crawling a little closer to Mato, considering redirecting her other rats, but she discovered that both had already perished in the fight with the other Kobolds ¨C clearly too low-level to be a threat to these monsters. In her panic, she had not even noticed the loss of her mana reservation. The withering barrage of bolts finally dropped the Kobold on the dusty stone pavement, still bound by her root magic.


    Her relief was short-lived, however. Mato¡¯s healing magic had a telltale greenish flicker which she had learned to recognize quickly. When she turned, she saw Mato still pinned down by the two canny Kobold warriors. There was no sign of his healing magic, just the red mist of his swelling Berserker rage.


    ¡°Mato! Heal!¡± Ali snapped. She had forgotten to remind him in the midst of her fight with the rogue. Nothing happened. ¡°Mato!¡± she screamed. Her voice sounded shockingly desperate even to her own ears, but Mato¡¯s green magic suddenly flickered to life with his next strike, and she sagged against the wall.


    She summoned a barrier just in case. With a powerful strike, Mato took care of the injured Kobold warrior in front of him, and then spun to face the last one with a snarl and slashing claws. Ali unleashed a continuous stream of bolts that arced over his head and into the final Kobold until it, too, collapsed.


    For a long, agonizing moment, Ali crouched behind her barrier, trembling, ready to defend herself while Mato growled and paced, but after a while his bulky form began to stretch and warp, and he reverted to his Beastkin form.


    ¡°You¡¯re in control?¡± she asked, her voice cracking. She was in far too much pain, sitting in a pool of her own blood, to run.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± he said, sitting on the ground where he was without approaching. ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy, Ali, without you reminding me to heal, I think I would have lost it again. Thank you.¡±


    She watched while the red mist slowly dimmed as his restoration magic petered out. He was still hurt, and so was she.


    ¡°Let¡¯s rest,¡± she told him. She would need some space where they wouldn¡¯t be disturbed, so she glanced around, spying the ruins of a larger house. ¡°In there?¡±


    Once inside, she cleared a large section on the floor of what might have once been a living room, brushing the bigger bone fragments to the sides, and began to inscribe her restoration runic circle. It was the painstaking work of several minutes, but this time she was able to create it on her first attempt. By the time the magic snapped into completion, Mato appeared, dragging the third and final Kobold corpse into the room.


    Grateful for his thoughtfulness, she began to deconstruct it to recover her mana, and, noticing that he was waiting, she invited him to join her in the magic circle. ¡°You need to heal, too,¡± she told him. She understood his reticence, and she had to have been making him feel worse by avoiding getting close to him. But having him healed as soon as possible would be the safest choice for both of them.


    Ali distracted herself by checking the notifications from the fight.


    Malika had gone to great lengths to stress just how important vitality was, and how if she died, it wouldn¡¯t matter what else she did. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t decide exactly how she could have done better. If she hadn¡¯t had free attribute points, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to prevent the pain from her domain withdrawal by investing in endurance.


    The only thing she knew for certain was that the unspent points were of no use to her at all. Especially in a place where Kobolds could appear from nowhere and stab half her life away in a single blow.  she sighed inwardly, deciding to take Malika¡¯s advice literally. She spent all her remaining points on vitality.


    Ali pulled out her Grimoire and was about to summon a new set of rats when Mato stopped her.


    ¡°Do you have anything stronger?¡± he asked. ¡°Those rats don¡¯t last very long. Maybe the wolves? Those have pack tactics for fighting in groups.¡±


    ¡°Aah, yes, I forgot.¡± Ali grimaced. ¡°I think the wolves will be the same level as the rats, but if you think they are better for us ¨C for this situation, I mean ¨C I can make them instead.¡±


    He nodded gravely, so she channeled her mana, taking careful note of how much she could spare for creatures.


    Her Sewer Rats had at least been level two.


    ¡°Nice,¡± Mato said as the level three wolf appeared.


    she thought.  She channeled her mana again.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Mato let out an excited exclamation.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I could make those,¡± Ali admitted, puffing out her cheeks. She had wondered about it before but concluded that she would need to deconstruct several more of the pack leader wolves before she learned it.


    A little of the tension in her shoulders and neck eased as she watched the Alpha prowling among the smaller Starving Wolves, sniffing them, and establishing dominance with just his sheer size. A most welcome sight, indeed.


    ¡°Maybe if the lower-level ones die and I replace them, we can get a few more of the Alphas,¡± Ali reflected aloud, wishing she could unsummon her creatures without making them go wild and having to kill them. she thought. Then she checked her mana and sucked in a short breath of surprise. Her calculations hadn¡¯t taken into account the steep cost of the level five Alpha ¨C taking a whopping thirty-four mana, it was nearly as expensive as the rest of her pack combined. Valuable mana that she wouldn¡¯t be able to use for anything else.


    With a total of one hundred and fifteen mana reserved for everything she was going to have trouble lasting through a long fight. She could recover forty-two mana by releasing the Restoration circle, but she was still going to need to be careful with the mana cost of her other spells if she didn¡¯t want to run out.


    Mato


    He was used to enjoying a good fight, but Mato found this place to be miserable. He was outclassed in every encounter, and he was often struggling to keep control of himself.


    This was by far the worst part. This was a dungeon ¨C if Calen¡¯s skill was to be believed, but the darkness of the place, the challenging level of the monsters, and being lost, all paled in comparison to the way she looked at him, her wide amber eyes filled with barely-suppressed fear.


    He had no idea if Calen and Malika were even alive. And Ali had almost died again ¨C this time to a rogue. The idea of losing his friends, and him being unable to help, gnawed at him. When had he come to care for them so much? Was it merely the dangers they had braved together?


    He stepped over a tripwire and continued down the dark alleyway soon reaching one of the uncountable twisting dark streets that had long since blurred together in his mind with a sense of sameness. The only things to break the monotony were the sudden patrols of Kobolds, or occasionally skeletons that sent them fleeing into hiding whenever the monsters were too high level for them to face.


    ¡°We should be pretty close to the library now,¡± Ali whispered to him. ¡°It should be around there, past the next residential district.¡±


    She had been directing their progress for most of the day and, slow as they were going, Mato still felt they had made some good ground. He peeked around the corner, spying a Kobold group on guard up ahead.


    He flinched involuntarily from the mere memory of that searing fire. ¡°Kobolds. Can you handle the mage?¡± he whispered to Ali. ¡°I can get the other two.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Aliandra¡¯s steady response diffused some of the bite out of his anxiety. He had no desire to face the mages. Even though he had reached a much higher level now, and had a lot of armor, he had no defenses against their fireballs, and being burnt alive was not something he was excited to experience again.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m going.¡± He began his transformation, reminding himself to begin with his healing magic as he twisted into the shape of the bear.


    Ali nodded to him, and he charged, his skill lending power to his muscles and accelerating him across the stone paving to slam into the Kobold warrior before it could even react. He used Swipe and Brutal Restoration simultaneously, striking both the dark rogue and the tougher warrior in a single sweeping attack.


    The darkened street suddenly began to glow with the angry red light of fire magic. A chill ran down his spine, as his body reacted to the remembered pain. Ignoring the impending fireball, he swiped a second time, welcoming Ali¡¯s Alpha wolf to the fight. Shifting sideways, he used the wall to block the Kobolds from flanking him and instead sent his intent to the Alpha wolf with a growl overlaid with a pulse of empathic emotions and images. It responded with body language indicating agreement and shifted to flank the Kobold warrior. Taking advantage of his positioning, the Alpha executed a brutal rending hamstring attack, causing the Kobold to stumble.


    Especially with his Beast language proficiency aiding communication.


    The Kobold warrior recovered its balance and wheeled with a powerful slash, striking the Alpha in the face with the rusty steel blade, but Mato was ready. He intercepted the damage using his Arboreal Sanctuary, transferring it to himself instead. Anger exploded forth from deep within him as his Primal Rage skill fought for control. But his power surged too. This time, he managed to remember to use his Brutal Restoration skill as he lashed out with his Swipe, connecting with both the Kobolds in quick succession, and even knocking the rogue off balance.


    The warrior spun to attack him instead. The rage began to ebb as his healing magic pulsed steadily, erasing his wounds. In the distance he could still hear the yelps and howls of the other wolves, and the whistle-thump of Ali¡¯s bolts as she fought the Fire Mage. He was most annoyed by the warrior, so he focused his attacks on him, ignoring the smaller rogue and its pesky stabbing dagger. He sent the thought to the Kobold, even though it couldn¡¯t hear him.


    The rogue swarmed into the attack with a complicated series of feints. Instinctively, Mato took advantage of a small opening to slam it into the wall with his paw. The Alpha, anticipating his attack, placed itself in the perfect flanking position taking the opportunity he had created to hamstring it.He followed his surge of satisfaction with another swipe, knocking the hamstrung Kobold sprawling across the stone pavement with blood splashing from several deep claw gashes.


    Beyond his world, the darkness glowed red again, and the heavy thump of a detonation shook the ground, but he ignored it, taking a wicked slash on his shoulder to savage the downed Kobold.


    ¡°Mato, heal!¡±


    He suddenly remembered to use his spell, applying it to the next attack, and a rush of soothing energy flowed through his body, easing his pain, and slowly clearing away the fog.


    A soft chime sounded in his mind, and suddenly a stream of golden magic bolts arced over him and slammed into the rogue that was hamstrung between him and the Alpha. It panicked and tried to run. But it was still limping badly from bone-deep gashes in its lower calf, and the lingering effects of the Alpha wolf¡¯s debilitating Hamstring attack prevented it from getting too far before the chasing bolts killed it.


    The bolts, mid-flight, suddenly switched direction and began raining down on the unfortunate Kobold warrior. It screeched and lashed out with a frenzy of slashes. Down to one enemy, Mato ignored its blade and simply unleashed attack after attack at the Kobold, reveling in the ripping of scales and the spray of blood, until it, too, collapsed from the onslaught.


    His restoration magic continued to pulse, slowly mending his wounds and freeing his mind from the grip of Primal Rage. He shifted, reverting to his Beastkin form, and breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°How was your rage?¡± Ali had lost all her lower-level wolves in the fight ¨C they lay strewn across the street, still smoking from the aftermath of the fire. The only exception was the Alpha Wolf standing beside him.


    ¡°It was easier to manage this time,¡± he said. Realistically though, this fight hadn¡¯t been nearly as hard as the ones which had put him in danger and their strategy had helped him enormously. ¡°I leveled up to seven, and Bear Form got two levels, so I have more armor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Ali said, sounding relieved.


    ¡°I¡¯ll spend all my points on vitality. That should help too.¡±


    Ali sighed, visibly relaxing at his words.


    He carefully moved to drag the corpses into a nearby house so that they could set up camp and Ali could use them for mana. It had been a long and stressful day, but winning this fight relatively easily had put him in a better mood.


    Ali inscribed her healing circle for them and while she finished up barricading the doorway with several sizeable chunks of stone and deconstructing all the corpses, he sat within the circle feeling its soft healing magic restore his body from his wounds. He had been sitting quietly for several minutes when his notification chime surprised him. Curiously, he summoned the image of the giant oak in his mind, immediately noticing a denser vibrance to the aura of transparent leaves that swirled about its lower branches. New writing appeared upon the trunk glowing the familiar green and he drew closer to study it.


    Arboreal Sanctuary ¨C level 6


    You emit a spherical Sanctuary aura of nature magic centered on yourself. Range: 11.8 feet.


    Your natural health regeneration rate is increased by +107.9%  and you can recover even from critical injuries. Your regeneration is shared with allies (including animals, beasts, and plants). Range: Sanctuary.


    Mana: You can redirect damage from anyone to yourself. Range: Sanctuary


    Nature, Domain, Area, Wisdom


    He stared at the notification in stunned silence for a long time.


    It had been that close ¨C that first fight after falling down the hole. The rest of the requirements seemed crazy, but nothing came close to that one. He was always being hurt, and his healing and Ali¡¯s circle needed to do a lot of work as they crept through the darkness. Even now, the restoration circle was still working hard to heal his body.


    ¡°Mato?¡± He realized she had been shaking his arm.


    ¡°Sorry. I got a skill advance, Ali,¡± he said, sharing the update. The advance itself was substantial ¨C his health would now regenerate, just like mana and stamina did, healing even the most severe injuries given enough time ¨C if he understood the skill correctly.


    As a passive skill, it wouldn¡¯t require any mana, or even that he was conscious. Most people had to rely on potions or healers to recover their injuries, but, provided he didn¡¯t die outright, he would heal automatically.


    ¡°That seems very good,¡± Ali observed quietly. ¡°How much health do you have now?¡±


    ¡°Five hundred.¡±


    Ali coughed and stared at him for a moment before speaking. ¡°If you can recover a bit more than five hundred per hour,¡± she muttered a bit under her breath, clearly doing some arithmetic, ¡°that¡¯s nearly nine health per minute!¡±


    ¡°I can share my health regeneration with you and your minions too,¡± Mato said, beginning to appreciate the second part of the advance more and more. Already there had been numerous times when he was fighting side by side with Ali¡¯s Sewer Rats or Starving Wolves. Even though it would only amount to a slow trickle of healing over the duration of a normal battle, any amount of healing was worth it. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°It will definitely help,¡± Ali said.


    That was enough for him. Mato nodded and accepted his first skill advancement.


    Immediately, Ali glanced at him in open surprise shuffling backward a few steps, and then a few more, before she advanced again. She said, ¡°How interesting! Mato, you¡¯re not just sharing health regeneration. My stamina and mana regeneration are higher in your aura.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yup, look at this,¡± Ali answered and then shared her regeneration numbers with him. ¡°This Sanctuary buff shows up as soon as I step close to you.¡±


    Health Regeneration


    +107.9% Sanctuary.


    Total: +107.9%


    Stamina Regeneration


    +100% Racial (Fae).


    +100% Sanctuary.


    Total: +200%


    Mana Regeneration


    +100% Racial (Fae).


    +100% Sanctuary.


    Total: +200%


    ¡°How in the world?¡±


    ¡°Look at your skill description again,¡± Ali said. ¡°It has two clauses ¨C the first one grants you passive health regeneration, which almost nobody has. The second clause shares your regeneration with your allies ¨C it doesn¡¯t specify which kind of regeneration, so it must mean all of them. You must have a base racial regeneration of one hundred percent per hour for mana and stamina, just like me?¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s far better than I thought!¡±


    ***

 Chapter 23: Kel’darran Merchant Caravan

    Chapter 23: Kel¡¯darran Merchant CaravanMalika Malika¡¯s awareness surfaced through a leaden sea of lethargy like a drowning swimmer trying to catch a breath. Her mind was hazy with an undercurrent of panic, barely registering the hard wooden floorboards bouncing and bucking beneath her battered body, and the strange crashing noises in the background. She struggled weakly but nothing seemed to work. A few moments later, the crushing exhaustion bore down on her, dragging her consciousness under once more.


    She was awoken abruptly as her body floated, briefly weightless, and then suddenly slammed into the hard wooden surface below her. Something snapped, right next to her sternum, sending a lance of pain through her chest. Her ears rang with a cacophony of frantic rattling and crashing as the floor jolted and bounced, trying its best to toss her into the air again.


    The air inside ¡­ wherever this was ¡­ was thick with a mix of dust and the acrid stench of smoke. Above the din, she could hear distant screams and the unmistakable sound of steel clashing against steel.


    A tremendous paroxysm of pain hammered through her muddled mind as she struggled to make sense of what was happening. Reaching for her head did not work, as her arms failed to respond. Vague memories swirled through her mind, images of being attacked, waking up, and falling unconscious repeatedly.


    Her arms didn¡¯t work because they were bound.


    She reached for her magic and activated Healing Mantra, but nothing happened. A profound sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu stopped her in her tracks as she struggled to figure out what any of it all meant in the midst of her confusion. Her eyes seemed to be glued shut by something sticky, but she managed to crack one eye open.


    A little way from her, lying slumped against the wall was a body with silver-white hair.  For a moment, she thought he might be dead, but then she saw his chest rise slowly and then fall. The all-consuming lethargy rose within her, threatening to snatch her away.


    There was something really messed up with her mind. Acting on instinct, she sat up and closed her eyes, looking within for a place to center herself. She breathed in, and then out, feeling the familiar sense of her Meditation cradling her mind and body. She breathed again, and suddenly the lethargy began to ebb, receding into the darkness ¨C an island of calm in a sea of lurching and jolting chaos.


    she thought as her mind slowly began to clear. She remembered being captured.


    She remembered being punched in the head by Kieran Mori ¨C and then waking to be punched in the head by Edrik, a sensation she was more than familiar with. Less so, that relentless assault. Usually, the thugs had left her somewhat functional so they could beat her up again whenever the fancy took them. This was on another level. A Kieran Mori level. She shouldn¡¯t be alive.


    Then, she remembered the cuffs. Twisting her body, she caught a glimpse of the cuffs binding her wrists behind her back ¨C but these were thicker and inscribed with what appeared to be silvery runes.


    Cuffs of Greater Suppression ¨C level 20


    Requirements: None.


    -20 to level requirement.


    -227% to Mana and Stamina regeneration.


    Locked.


    Quality: Magic.


    Value: 5 gold.


    Hands ¨C Handcuffs


    Malika groaned in understanding. These cuffs were substantially more potent than the ones she had been forced to wear before. The amount of suppression well exceeded her regeneration. And if someone was stuck with zero stamina for long enough, they would typically fall unconscious until their stamina recovered.


    Meditation ¨C level 3


    Focus: Enter a meditative state during which mana and stamina regeneration is increased by +80%  Movement or using an active skill cancels your focus.


    Wisdom


    Health Regeneration


    Total: 0%


    Stamina Regeneration


    +100% Racial (Human).


    +100% Relentless Aptitude.


    +80% Meditation.


    -227% Cuffs of Suppression


    Total: +53%


    Mana Regeneration


    +100% Racial (Human).


    +80% Meditation.


    -227% Cuffs of Suppression.


    Total: -47%


    She was regenerating a slow trickle of stamina, maybe two per minute, if that.


    As she tried to make a plan, any plan, a distant whistling sound caught her attention, dragging her back to the situation around her. The floor was still banging and bucking and the sounds of screaming and clanging continued unabated. As her perspective jolted up and down, she recognized she was inside a covered wagon.  The wagon was going entirely too fast and seemed out of control.


    The whistling sound grew rapidly louder and suddenly the wagon leapt into the air, tossing her flying, suddenly weightless amid the sound of a deafening detonation and concussion of incinerating heat. She tucked into a ball but, bound and drained, she was powerless to prevent her body from smashing into the side of the wagon as she cartwheeled out of control, coming to a sudden, bone-grinding stop. Malika¡¯s body bounced once and something else cracked painfully, but she had tucked in her head, preventing herself from being knocked unconscious or worse. She winced as she crashed into the bars of the roof of the now upside-down wagon.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± she groaned, spitting up a mouthful of blood.


    Wounded and bruised, and in no small amount of pain, Malika levered herself awkwardly into a sitting position and looked around as best she could. Her energy began draining away and she quickly reached for the calm focus of her Meditation skill once more.


    The tarp covering the wagon ¨C concealing them from prying eyes ¨C had been torn away in the crash. Through a smoky haze, Malika saw shadowy shapes struggling in a gloomy forest. Swords gleamed and arrows buzzed overhead, accompanied by occasional flashes and flickers of offensive magic. The corpses of several Kel¡¯darran merchants lay strewn about like so much litter, their lizard-like features more than enough to tell Malika that it was she and Calen who were the merchandise.


    At least it explained why she wasn¡¯t dead. Yet.


    At once, a small, leathery, green-skinned figure ran past wielding a wickedly curved scimitar of dubious quality, considering the point was rusted right off, shrieking as it disappeared among the trees.


    Goblins were vicious and cunning. And where you saw one, there were undoubtedly twenty more hiding somewhere nearby just waiting to shank you and steal your stuff. Goblins typically ate prisoners. Without Calen, she couldn¡¯t even use Identify to figure out just how screwed they were.


    Malika struggled violently against the suppression cuffs, but it was hopeless. She was still bound at the wrists and ankles and locked within the cage-like Kel¡¯darran slave wagon.


    She sat as still as possible, working on regenerating her stamina while she racked her brain trying to figure out how to escape. From the distant treeline, a figure burst into the clearing, sprinting toward her, wide-eyed and screaming. A woman ¨C Human, not Kel¡¯darran like the several corpses she had already seen ¨C was running right for the wagon and Malika.


    A Kel¡¯darran merchant insignia had been affixed to the front of the woman¡¯s dark brown leather shirt and her long, pinned hair was beginning to come loose. She looked frantic, in fear of her life. In the distance, Malika heard the same low whistle and saw a glowing fiery red orb approaching at high speed.


    She threw herself to the ground, covering Calen¡¯s head with her body as the fireball detonated, rocking the ground. A tremendous concussion of flame punched her in the back, searing her flesh, before she was pelted with clods of flying dirt and pebbles that rained down on the stricken wagon.


    Malika stifled a groan of pain at her fresh burns and cautiously poked her head up to look around, reactivating Meditation because she had lost her focus. Something about a giant explosion of fire made focus a little challenging. In the distance, among the trees, a small, red-robed figure turned and disappeared, and a wicked cackle carried across the clearing, heard over the ringing in her ears.


    Elite or unique Goblins were supposed to be rare. Worse, his cackling laughter had sounded downright demented. She lay unmoving beside Calen, pretending to be dead until she could no longer hear him.


    Shuffling and twisting awkwardly, she gritted her teeth against the pain of her broken ribs and dragged herself across the bars on the ground to the edge of the wagon cage, where the mangled and burnt remains of the female guard lay sprawled and broken. Wisps of smoke rose from the body, and the stench of overcooked meat filled her nostrils. Awkwardly, and with frequent pauses as her ribs tried to skewer her lungs, she placed her back up against the bars and slowly levered herself up until she could reach the body. Grimacing as her hands encountered all sorts of burnt and bleeding flesh, she finally found what she was looking for ¨C a simple metal hairpin.


    It took a frustratingly long time to snag the hairpin between her fingers and tug it free, but eventually she managed, slumping back to the ground with her prize. The sickening stench turned her stomach, but she put it out of her mind for now, focusing on bending the metal hairpin the way she needed. Her normally dexterous fingers struggled with a task made significantly harder by being bound behind her back. By the time she had it right, she had regenerated just about enough stamina to use her skill. With a few deft flicks and twists, and most of her hard-earned stamina, the lock on the cuffs binding her hands clicked open and they fell to the ground.


    Malika grimaced. Much as she hated the lifestyle that had earned her this skill, it sure came in handy for ¡­ unusual situations. Her pragmatism had always won out over her feelings, and she had never removed the skill ¨C even after she had earned her class.


    She massaged her wrists, enjoying the sensation of her stamina and mana beginning to regenerate normally. Reaching through the bars once more, she retrieved the dead guard¡¯s dagger from the sheath on her belt and freed her legs from the rope bindings. Carefully concealing herself beside Calen¡¯s unconscious body, she Meditated, waiting for her stamina to recover enough to use. She organized her priorities in her mind. Calen¡¯s breathing sounded ragged but regular, and she needed to remove his cuffs ¨C but she was also defenseless in the middle of an ongoing Goblin raid. If any Goblins found them it would be a quick arrow or a fireball to the face. Or more likely a mob with clubs and sticks beating them to death.


    As soon as she had enough stamina, she turned on Perfect Body, giving herself an attribute boost to increase the size of her mana and stamina pools ¨C and consequently improving her regeneration. Then, she picked the lock on Calen¡¯s cuffs, allowing him to begin regenerating normally. As her resources slowly recovered, she enabled her defensive skills one at a time and then healed Calen and herself.


    Malika winced as her healing magic burned through her body, causing her broken bones to shift and snap painfully as they knit together. She didn¡¯t have enough to heal both of them fully, but she could put up with some burns for now, as long as her body worked.


    Calen groaned and rolled over. Quickly, she silenced him, his eyes snapping open in alarm as she covered his mouth. But she saw the alertness and recognition rapidly kindled within his eyes, so she released him. None of their equipment was anywhere to be found, but she had her hairpin, so she quickly picked the lock on the wagon¡¯s cage door.


    Climbing up and out of the upside-down doorway, Malika was finally free of the cage.


    She examined the guard, finding a bow and a half-empty quiver which she tossed to Calen as he landed beside her.


    ¡°Which way?¡± she whispered.


    Without hesitation, Calen pointed back along a trail through the forest. There were more bodies strewn about in that direction, and burnt or smashed crates and upturned wagons everywhere, several of which were on fire. Malika headed off at a run, trying to look everywhere at the same time. Calen¡¯s body faded into the shadows. If she hadn¡¯t known he was nearby, she would have believed herself alone. He moved without a sound and was nearly invisible in the darkness.


    Malika dodged around an overturned wagon and skidded to a stop, suddenly finding herself face-to-face with a Goblin. He was in the process of looting a corpse and stood up and stared at her with his small black eyes. The Goblin wore nothing more than a dirty loincloth and his scarred, leathery green skin. He snatched up a spear and screeched something, and immediately several other Goblins appeared. Some clambered up on top of the wagon with handfuls of rocks while others emerged from behind it wielding all manner of slings, rusty daggers, and swords.


    Clearly the leader, the Goblin with the spear and loincloth advanced. ¡°Grak hungry. Grak eat girl.¡± He spoke with horrendously broken Common, his long red tongue moving grotesquely across his broken yellowed teeth as he pointed a filthy finger at her.


    There was no avoiding them now, the leader was a cut above the rest and probably far higher level than the others, but two of them had already moved in behind her to cut off her escape. she thought, eyeing the daggers. With the spear-wielding warrior in front of her and the wagon to the side, she was effectively pinned. The rest of the Goblins readied their slings and daggers, using the wagon for cover.


    It was her father¡¯s teachings, echoing in her memory, that snapped her out of her surprise. Malika burst into motion, side-stepping his spear thrust and returned the favor by punching Grak in the snout using her Soul Strike to enhance the damage. Immediately, the two dagger-wielders behind her closed in, pressing their advantage, and she was suddenly dodging a flurry of blades and flying rocks from all directions. The warrior attacked, stabbing with his spear. Malika dodged but took a stray dagger slash to her upper arm.


    For all their reputation of being weak, Goblins were cunning fighters, and they had the advantage of numbers and solid teamwork. She had never fought Goblins before, obviously, but she knew enough to know she was in trouble.


    Suddenly, a streak of brilliant white seared past a mere half-foot above her head. One of the stone-throwing Goblins toppled off the wagon with an arrow jutting out of its neck. It screeched and thrashed on the ground, spitting up blood as it fell among its comrades, and Malika took advantage of the distraction to deliver a powerful kick combination to the warrior¡¯s ribs, dodging his deadly spear. Her Soul Strike stole health in small chunks, repairing the wound on her arm from the dagger strike. She still hadn¡¯t fully recovered her mana, but this was not the time to be frugal. Unfortunately, the rogues recovered quickly, and the warrior, Grak, simply laughed at her and thrust again, making his spear swish with uncanny speed. She punched him in the face. His vicious forward thrust slammed into her ribs, striking with unbelievable power. Her blood sprayed across the nearby Goblin rogue, and she could tell from the crack that he had broken her rib again.


    Grak cackled with glee, and from the back of his shoulders and his wiry arms, a faint red mist began to form. A mist that looked suspiciously like Mato¡¯s skill.


    Malika wrestled with a difficult choice. She could either continue and try to kill the Berserker warrior before his damage got out of hand, while simultaneously trying to survive the rogues and other Goblins. Or she could try to take out the weaker Goblins and avoid feeding the warrior¡¯s rage skill until the end. But she would undoubtedly take some spear strikes from the skilled elite Goblin in the meantime.


    A second scavenger fell screaming from the wagon above, the brilliantly glowing arrow in its throat fading as it hit the ground.


    she reminded herself as her choice suddenly became clear.


    Malika switched to the weakest-looking rogue and kicked it in the stomach. Calen would deal with the Goblins on the top of the wagon. she thought, as she went all out on the rogue, trying to kill it as quickly as possible. Her punches landed in quick succession, each burning a portion of her stamina to power Soul Strike and return some health. The wounds on her ribs began to knit together, and even some of the burns began to heal as she dug in.


    The rogue retaliated with a rapid pair of strikes, both of which Malika dodged. But she wasn¡¯t quick enough to dodge the warrior¡¯s spear thrust to her thigh. As she stumbled, the second rogue leapt in and stabbed her in the back twice before she could even react. She was never so thankful she had an excellent armor skill ¨C and that she had waited to regenerate enough to reactivate it ¨C as she winced from the pain of the devastating attacks. The Goblin warrior¡¯s cackling laughter was getting on her nerves. Pulsing her Healing Mantra briefly to restore a little more health, Malika surged to her feet and kneed the rogue brutally in the sternum, triggering Soul Strike again. Carefully judging the angles, she feigned a stumble, dodging back away from where she judged Calen to be hiding. Hungry for her blood, the Goblins took the bait hook, line, and sinker, rushing forward and presenting their backs to the Half-elf archer concealed among the trees.


    A brilliantly glowing arrow streaked across the battlefield and pierced clean through the throat of the most injured Goblin rogue from behind, killing it with a wet gurgle and a shower of blood. She mentally thanked him for the strategic choice.  She spun on her heel and performed a round kick to the remaining rogue¡¯s head, and then had to scramble to dodge a stab combination from the Berserker warrior¡¯s spear. Her dodge wasn¡¯t nearly as effective against the higher-level Goblin, and she earned a slash to her forearm and a nasty stab wound to her ribs.


    Bleeding freely again, she kept a careful eye on the dangerous elite Berserker while she resumed her attack on the rogue. She dodged and weaved, slipping in punches and kicks whenever she had an opening and trying to force the Goblins into tangling each other up. Suddenly, the Goblin rogue turned and fled, leaving bloody footprints as it ran. Malika desperately wanted to chase it down, but she was still pinned in place, trying desperately to avoid a dangerously skillful spear.


    As if he had read her mind, the dazzling white streak of Calen¡¯s empowered arrow tore across the clearing, plugging in the fleeing rogue¡¯s back with a dull thud. It dropped to the ground.  She let out her breath and gasped as she barely avoided a spear point that aimed to aerate her windpipe.  He fought with a continuous cackle and a crazy look in his eyes. However, there was nothing off about his spear. Each strike was quick and precise, and Malika found herself taking constant cuts and stabs, despite her frantic efforts to dredge up every defensive move she knew. Without her armor and her dodge skills, she would probably have already died.


    Pulsing another heal through her body, she stepped up her counterattacks. Even though her resources were running low, she knew she could not afford to hold back against the elite Berserker. Each punch and kick flickered with her magical energy. Each point of health recovered went to restore her wounds. And with every strike, the Berserker came back stronger.


    Arrows whistled through the air like glowing rain as Malika wrestled for position, struggling to create openings for Calen. But every arrow that buried itself in the Berserker¡¯s back only fed the growing mist.


    After several minutes, the laughter suddenly cut off. Grak roared, and the mist pouring out of his thick green hide deepened to a dark red, his eyes bloodshot and beginning to glow. He swiped sideways with his spear and Malika could barely see the shaft as it smacked into her shin, tripping her. Immediately he stabbed, punching the point of the spear right through her thigh. Out of sheer desperation, she grabbed the shaft of the spear, locking it in place, and clocked him in the jaw. It felt like hitting a boulder. She almost blacked out as the Goblin twisted the spear impaling her thigh. Through the haze of her pain, she saw two arrows slam into the Goblin¡¯s back and neck while she lashed out at him again, but he seemed immune to the pain.


    With a roar, he hauled on the spear, wrenching it from her grasp and tearing it out of her leg in a horrific spray of blood. Malika answered her body¡¯s agonized screaming at the violation with a full-power Healing Mantra, burning the last of her mana, scrambling out of the way of a vicious high-speed lancing attack, the spear point gleaming wickedly as it passed a fraction of an inch from her left eye. A brace of Calen¡¯s arrows feathered from its left flank as if magically teleported there. From the ground, she executed a low kick and connected solidly, sweeping the Goblin off his feet. Desperate to gain any advantage, she leapt on him and punched him repeatedly flush in the face, each strike flashing and cracking as his head ricocheted off the hard ground.


    The warrior heaved her off him with unbelievable strength and, with an overhead punch, struck her on the shoulder. Her collarbone cracked as she was driven to her knees by the unnatural power of the Berserker¡¯s rage. Meanwhile, another arrow buried itself deep into his back, but the Goblin paid it no mind, charging Malika with his spear raised to deliver a lethal strike. With a supreme effort, she leapt up and backward, sucking in her stomach. The scything blade scored a deep crimson line across her skin but missed anything vital. Malika lunged forward, solid footwork and a twist from her torso powering an elbow strike to his throat. With a flash of her Soul Strike, and a sickening crunch, the elite Goblin Berserker collapsed in a lifeless heap.


    Malika let herself slump to the ground, too, drawing down most of her remaining stamina to heal herself. Her heart still hadn¡¯t realized it was over, and her arms were trembling from the aftereffects of adrenaline. She stared at the corpse of the Berserker, still grinning in death. she thought and then she settled in to recover her mana and stamina with Meditation as Calen appeared to check on her.


    She waited while Calen systematically searched all the corpses, recovering all of his arrows before she felt able to get to her feet.


    ¡°That guy was an elite,¡± Calen said. ¡°We need to be careful out here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I figured,¡± she answered, meeting his droll smile with one of her own. ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡±


    Together, they sprinted the rest of the way to the relative safety of the trees.


    ***


    For nearly an hour, Malika followed Calen as they snuck through the woods, dodging patrols. They killed a few isolated Goblins when Calen identified them as being low-level and hid in the undergrowth when another elite Goblin ran by. Eventually the sounds of the Goblin raid began to fade and Calen drew to a halt in a secluded clearing with some cover.


    ¡°I think we should be safe here for a bit,¡± Calen said. ¡°Let¡¯s get some rest.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡± As she hunkered down, her chime sounded again for no apparent reason. Startled, and unable to resist her burning curiosity, Malika opened her notifications at once.


    She almost blurted it out, but she caught herself and glanced surreptitiously toward Calen. He seemed busy with his arrows and hadn¡¯t noticed her surprise.


    She hesitated. Her instincts, honed over the brutal years surviving the slums, clamored for her to keep her power secret. He didn¡¯t need to know. The more she shared, the more people might take advantage of her.


    She studied the Half-elf in profile while he worked, muttering something about the awful quality of Goblin arrows. But in the end, she had to trust her instincts. They were the only reason she had survived, after all. She read on.


    Martial Artist ¨C level 5


    Requires: Unarmed.


    You are proficient with unarmed and acrobatic martial arts fighting styles. Your reaction speed is enhanced.


    Stamina: Deliver a Melee Attack with any part of your body. Attack damage is increased by +92% .


    Stamina: Block or deflect a Melee attack reducing damage taken proportional to dexterity and skill. Blocked attacks cannot cause critical damage.


    Physical, Melee, Attack, Defense, Mastery, Dexterity


    Malika accepted the advance without hesitation. Normally, one was supposed to carefully consider the future impact of skill advances, making sure to only accept those that were in line with the direction you wished to grow. Accepting advances would often block other subsequent, perhaps better, or more aligned choices from being offered later. But she knew that being able to block, guard, or deflect attacks was a fundamental martial arts technique and something she would certainly have used extensively against Grak. This advancement was perfectly aligned with Malika¡¯s goal to become a powerful martial artist, but even so, she was not exactly in the position to be hesitant about taking something that may save her life out here.


    ¡°I thought Goblin elites were rare,¡± Malika said, picking a safer topic.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Calen nodded. ¡°That probably means there¡¯s an entire Goblin horde or warren nearby. I saw tracks that looked like Timber Wolves and Bugbears. If they have Bugbears, it will be a big group ¨C far more than we can handle.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I saw a Goblin Fire Mage earlier, too. This close to the town, I think we should investigate,¡± Malika said. The idea was fraught with danger. If they were caught, they would most likely die and be eaten ¨C in that order, if they were lucky. On the other hand, the town would need to know the danger they were in, and the more information they could bring the better their chances.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Calen replied soberly. ¡°Surprised?¡±


    ¡°Uh, sorry. I shouldn¡¯t be.¡±


    Malika sat quietly Meditating allowing Calen to finish his work. He had all the arrows laid out neatly in front of him, and with painstaking meticulousness, he was trimming and repairing the damage with their only dagger.


    Meantime, she considered her situation and what must have transpired. The thugs from the Town Watch had captured them ¨C most likely Tala¡¯s doing ¨C and it was serious enough that Kieran Mori himself had gotten involved. It was the reason for the Kel¡¯darran merchant caravan ¨C and the only plausible reason Kieran Mori had left them alive.It had taken a fat slice of luck, some skill, and a full-on Goblin raid to escape their Kel¡¯darran slave caravan, and now she was stuck out here, lost in the wilderness with a Half-elf she barely knew.


    She glanced at Calen, wholly absorbed in repairing his arrows. He had had her back during the fight without question, and he seemed incredibly smart, but she disliked being dependent on him to guide them back to safety.


    Her thoughts drifted back to the fight that started this whole disaster, and the conundrum that she hadn¡¯t been able to unwrap. She hadn¡¯t been particularly nice to the Beastkin boy, and she knew he knew it. She wrestled it around in her mind for a while, but it still twisted around in her conscience.


    She looked speculatively at Calen, who hadn¡¯t spoken a single word since he sat down.


    ¡°Calen,¡± she began, ¡°why do you stick up for him? Mato?¡±


    Calen¡¯s dagger paused briefly before he answered. ¡°He¡¯s my friend.¡±


    It was a simple answer, honest and truthful to her assessment, and yet, it wasn¡¯t nearly the whole story. She considered him for a while, debating how to approach it.


    ¡°It seems more than that,¡± she finally pointed out. At his surprised glance, she pressed on, committed now. ¡°You seem to be very smart and perceptive, even though you don¡¯t talk much. You must know how bad his Berserker skill is for a group. And yet you stick up for him, and look out for him, and don¡¯t call him out when he takes unilateral action. He attacked Edrik while Kieran Mori was watching, is he stupid or something?¡±


    Calen paused, and then finally put his dagger down carefully in front of him. He stared into the distance for a while, his eyes somewhat unfocused before he began to speak quietly.


    ¡°I am the bastard child of a Human and a Sun Elf. My father ran off before I was even born.¡± Calen¡¯s eyes took a harsh cast and though his voice remained calm, Malika could trace every line of the tension in his neck and the fists he had formed in his lap.


    His repressed anger caught her attention as surely as the unexpected personal revelation. All her interactions with him told her that he was quiet, introverted, shy, and calm. She sat quietly as he reined in the anger and covered the cracks in his internal emotional defenses.


    ¡°Nobody likes a bastard, and everyone hates half-breeds,¡± he continued, apparently calm once more. ¡°Most Elves treat me like I¡¯m inferior in every way. At best, I get pity. Most humans are distrustful of my Elven heritage. As Myrin¡¯s Keep began to slide into crime and anarchy, things only got worse for me and my mom. At first, I¡¯m sure she stayed because she was hoping he would come back, but after a while, with the falling out from the Guild of Tailors and the Town Watch¡¯s ever-increasing taxes for protection against criminals, we could no longer afford to leave.¡±


    ¡°The Town Watch are puppets of the Hawkhurst Trading Company¡¯s criminal syndicate,¡± Malika said, unable to keep the frustrated anger from her words.


    ¡°I know. Most people know, but what can we do? My mom is almost level sixty, but a Tailor class is powerless against even a level twenty with a sword and the combat skills to back it up.¡±


    Malika fell silent. She knew it, and many people did too. It was unfair all around, but like her, they all seemed trapped in it.


    ¡°When I was younger, Donavan and his clique of hangers-on and wannabe nobles would pick on me almost every day, telling me it was my own fault for being born a half-breed. One day, they had me pinned on the playground and they were taking turns practicing their punches. They said it was for my own good, that as a Half-elf I should feel honored to help my betters practice their combat skills. Mato walked up to him and knocked him out cold with a heavy branch. He sent three of the others to the school healer before the group overwhelmed him and beat him up.¡±


    ¡°Is he stupid? Why would he get himself beaten up in a fight he had no chance of winning?¡± This scenario was the same as the one which was bothering her. ¡°Why fight if you cannot win?¡±


    ¡°Mato sees the world differently than most. Things like this are very simple and direct for him. Normal people might evaluate the enemies arrayed against them before getting involved, weighing the risks and benefits. Someone like you or me would run for help. Mato just sees an injustice, or his friend in need, and gets involved. The risk isn¡¯t part of his calculation. That¡¯s why he charged in to save Ali from an entire pack of wolves. You and I both thought it was an unreasonable risk, an unwinnable fight, and that made us hesitate. All he saw was that she was about to die, and he could not stand by and not help.¡±


    It made a weird sort of sense. All the actions Mato had shown seemed to fit Calen¡¯s assessment. But one thing still didn¡¯t make sense.


    ¡°You said he sticks up for his friends without question. I can respect that. But why me? I¡¯m not even nice to him.¡±


    ¡°Mato decided to give you his friendship. It doesn¡¯t particularly matter to him that you don¡¯t reciprocate. After he defended me on the playground, I wanted nothing to do with him for months. But it didn¡¯t bother him at all ¨C he simply kept doing it.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a fucking idiot.¡± Understanding Mato better simply made her more frustrated and annoyed.


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not stupidity ¨C he¡¯s smart, he just sees the world differently. He was the only person other than my mom who accepted me without question.¡± Calen picked up his dagger. ¡°He¡¯s also a half-breed, and his dad is a literal monster in the eyes of most. He would never show it, but I think he needs friendship even more than I do.¡±


    With that, Calen returned to his repairs, leaving Malika alone with her thoughts.


    In the quiet space of her Meditation, she considered Calen and his story. Sometimes she forgot that she was not the only person with a harsh life. Being abandoned by his Elf father seemed to be an intensely personal issue for Calen, but even she had seen how poorly half-breeds were treated in this town. If he had been slender and physically weak growing up, it would have been so much worse. Mato might be a half-breed with a monster race, but he was certainly big and physically powerful.


    So many times, she had wished for someone to come and save her from her own life and struggles. But it wasn¡¯t even that she wanted to be saved ¨C it would have been enough just to have someone with her. She shook her head, finally realizing why Calen stuck with Mato.


    But she found that much of her frustration and anger towards the Beastkin had faded after hearing Calen¡¯s tale. She found herself trying to imagine what life might have been like if she had just had a similar idiot willing to take a beating to be on her side.


    ***


    S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 24: Library of Bone

    Chapter 24: Library of BoneAliandra


    -10% to maximum health.


    Affliction ¨C Duration: Indefinite. Count: 4


    Ali moaned quietly and sat up, realizing there was no way she was going to get any more sleep. Not that she had slept particularly well anyway.


    She stared at the golden text of the notification for a long while before swiping it away.


    So far, she hadn¡¯t needed to spend any more points on endurance to mitigate the pain, but it was a persistent, nagging ache in the background, and combined with her stressful environment, it was taking a great toll on her ability to rest and recover.


    After surviving the first battle against the Kobolds, Ali had expected she would find her way out of the ruined city within a day or two at most. It had been her home after all, and she had a good idea of how long it took to walk the city. However, it had been four days already.


    ¡°Done sleeping?¡± Mato asked quietly from the doorway where he was keeping watch.


    ¡°Withdrawal again,¡± she answered. ¡°I¡¯m not going to be able to sleep anymore. Let¡¯s go.¡± She ignored the clenching of hunger in her belly. They had used up the last of the food Mato had packed yesterday, and complaining would do nobody any good.


    If it wasn¡¯t for them, they could have just walked out. Instead, they had been forced to sneak around, keeping alert for patrols and traps at every turn. Regularly they had been forced to hide ¨C sometimes for hours at a time ¨C just to allow patrols of Kobolds that they couldn¡¯t begin to face to pass them by.


    They emerged from their hiding spot ¨C a building that Ali was convinced had once been a convenience store ¨C into a street thankfully devoid of monsters. She scanned the skyline, trying to get a good view between the buildings, but all she could see was more stone and darkness.


    She stopped and examined the intersection ahead. She had been directing them through the last residential district near the central hub of the city, trying to reach one of the enormous radial boulevards. Ali was certain that the main thoroughfare would prove the fastest access to the library, and their passage out of here. Unfortunately, every time they had to detour or hide, she would get turned around in the chaos and confusion ¨C and the unremitting sameness of a city stripped bare of nearly everything except stone left her without all the familiar landmarks she might have used to get her bearings.


    ¡°This way,¡± she whispered, with a certainty she hardly felt, glancing back at Mato.


    She gathered her own personal wolf pack around her, drawing a sense of security from the proximity of their enormous, shaggy bodies. Two Alpha wolves and three of the lower-level ones.


    At least this way, if another one of those black-scaled rogues crept up on her, they would have to get through her wolves first. With her racial penalty to vitality and Domain Withdrawal chopping another forty percent off her health, she felt precariously low.


    One or two hits would finish her.


    Ali had invested every single attribute point in vitality, but beyond that, she was at a loss for how to improve her situation.


    It did not look good. She had no armor, unlike Mato, and her health was pitifully low. Her only advantage was her large mana pool ¨C allowing her the extravagance of reserving one hundred and thirteen mana for wolves to act as her defense while keeping enough mana available to cast her roots and barrier.


    , she thought, following Mato and keeping her eyes on the dark skyline, searching in vain for a glimpse of the towering library. She would use the lower-level wolves as expendable defenses if they ran into anything dangerous.


    She sent one of her wolves ahead of her just in case they missed a tripwire, and she walked the twisting dark stone streets, avoiding obvious wires and any suspiciously uneven flagstones just in case they were traps. They spoke only in whispers, constantly vigilant for the ever-present wandering Kobold patrols. she noted, a good sign they were headed in the right direction.


    The sudden chirping of Kobolds up ahead sent Ali diving for a dark doorway. It was a sadly familiar routine by now, she automatically stepped over where the tripwire would be if there was one and directed her wolves with a thought. As they hid, waiting for the patrol to pass, Ali wondered why the Kobolds were so prolific with their traps. Even the slow trickle of her mana draining when the Kobolds were nearby was familiar and ignored.


    A sudden motion and a clicking noise froze her in place. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a bone-white creature about the size of her fist crawling across the floor and, to her horror, up onto her leg. She wanted to scream, to kick it off, to run, but she clamped her hands over her mouth and stared wide-eyed at the horrific thing. It paused, looking around, the rounded white carapace pulsing slowly as it breathed. Its eight slender legs pricked at her skin as it began crawling once again.


    Suddenly Mato reached out his hand and grabbed the creature, tossing it off into the darkness, and Ali breathed a gasping breath.


    ¡°The Kobolds are gone,¡± he whispered. ¡°What is that thing? Is it made of bone?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she breathed back.


    The creature¡¯s legs made a rapid clicking noise on the stone as it scurried across the floor and up the wall. Ali slowly got her breathing back under control and watched the creepy, crab-like creature hiding in the corner of the room. She knew she would have been fascinated by the creature, provided she had been able to study it from the other side of a sturdy glass window or something. But she shivered at the remembered sensation of it crawling over her skin.


    After Mato verified the patrol had moved on, they emerged from their hiding spot and slowly crept forward down the street. A few buildings later, another of the strange little bone creatures scurried out of sight around a corner, startling Ali again.


    Their progress was slow and painstaking. As the streets widened, the crab-like bone elementals became much more common. Always skittish, scurrying out of sight as soon as they approached.


    When she turned onto the next street, she drew up in surprise. The nearest house seemed just as nondescript as all the others, but the entire front of the building was encrusted with a thick gray substance that even covered the window holes and doorways. Ali walked up and examined it more closely. She poked at it with her finger, glancing over at Mato as he moved over to join her. Whatever it was, it was surprisingly hard and the clacking of her finger tapping it reminded her uncannily of the creepy bone elementals.


    ¡°This looks like bone, too,¡± she whispered as Mato duplicated her tap-test with his finger. It looked like it had been sprayed onto the wall by some giant hose before it hardened in place.


    ¡°This is really unnatural,¡± Mato commented with a frown.


    ¡°I mistook it for spiderweb at first.¡± Very thick, dense cobwebs.


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    Checking further down the street, she saw several other houses that had similar defacements on a wall or across a part of the roof. In one place it seemed like it even extended across half the street. The closer they got to the location she hoped was the main street, the more bone-encrusted substance they encountered ¨C much of it infested with bone skitterers. She could even hear the distant scrabbling and clacking of their crawling legs.


    Mato suddenly pulled back from the corner and sucked in his breath. ¡°Careful,¡± he whispered, putting a finger to his lips, and indicating that she should approach from the cover of the building. ¡°Look.¡±


    Ali stared at the sight that unfolded before her. She stood at the end of the street, overlooking the main boulevard from the height of one of the taller terraces. In the far distance, the majestic tower of the Grand Library Arcana rose to an imposing height, its dark cylindrical bulk barely visible against the darkness. Gone was its glory, the gigantic, yet intricate workings of runic magic and enchantments that had lit it up for the whole city to see.


    Instead, hundreds of campfires burned around its base. And by the light of those campfires, Ali saw that the entire plaza was crawling with monsters. She bit back a gasp, hiding it behind a hand, even though it could not possibly have carried over the hubbub.


    The entire boulevard below her ¨C one of the main radial thoroughfares for the city ¨C was encrusted with the same mysterious bone-like substance. But the detail that caught her attention, that drew her gaze instantly, was the giant bone monstrosity plastered to the distant wall on the opposite side.


    The monster looked like a giant pill-bug, only it must have been over three meters long. Its broad carapace was made from curved segments that allowed it to twist and turn as it slowly crawled along the wall. Dozens of small legs were visible under the carapace, like the Bone Skitterers, except so many more. The legs worked in unison, creating sinuous waves to propel the huge bulk of the monster along the wall ¨C improbably, magically glued in place despite its great bulk.


    Ali gaped at the spectacle, dumbfounded. When it reached a pile of bones, with a crunching noise that was loud even from her distant vantage point, it chewed them up whole and swallowed. A few seconds later, it reared up and sprayed a powerful jet of gray fluid that hardened on contact with the wall ahead of it.


    She used her Identify, but the monster was too far for her skill to work.


    ¡°What  that?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I have no idea, but we definitely can¡¯t go this way.¡±


    Numb all over, Ali barely noticed Mato catching her when her knees wobbled. She had been so certain the library was their way out that she hadn¡¯t even considered what would happen if there were too many monsters. Her eyes were inexorably drawn once more to the fires and the horde of Kobolds and skeletons at the base of the library, and the piles and encrustation of bone that appeared to be everywhere. Now that she examined the scene more closely, she could see more of the giant bone creatures among the Kobolds in the distance.


    Her lips trembled as she stared at the devastation and ruin.


    ¡°Is there another way out?¡± Mato asked quietly, distracting her from her rapidly mounting despair.


    ¡°The ¡­ the other end of the boulevard,¡± she said, her voice cracking as she pointed away from the center. ¡°The city¡¯s main entrance is that way. I ¡­ just hope it¡¯s still passable.¡± Ali grimaced at her memories of that path. She had avoided that way at first because it was the same way she had left the city with her mother. That way had led to the Death Knight and the arrogant horror that was Nevyn Eld.


    She had hoped to find the library intact.


    The only problem was that it was in exactly the opposite direction.


    Calen


    ¡°What about this spot?¡± Calen asked. It was a brief break in the densely wooded, sprawling forest with a few yellowish weathered sandstone boulders the size of small houses, covered with lichen, and sprouting stunted bushes, providing a natural chokepoint.


    ¡°This is perfect,¡± Malika said, picking one of the larger boulders to hide behind ¨C a spot less than two paces from the narrow gap. ¡°I¡¯ll set up here.¡±


    Calen nodded, approving of her strategic choice, and stepped into the shadows, using his Eclipse skill to hide himself. He quickly headed out into the forest, the most recent Goblin tracks popping from the ground under the influence of his Explorer skill.


    They had both agreed, in principle, that finding out everything they could about the abnormal Goblin infestation and reporting back would prove critical to the safety of Myrin¡¯s Keep. Unfortunately, Malika had no skills suitable for the task, so she would have to remain as his backup out of necessity.


    The plan was straightforward. He would scout as far as he could, and if necessary, he would lure any Goblins back to Malika where they would fight them together.


    He paused at the intersection of two trails, crouching down to examine the tracks. There were footprints from the smaller, green-skinned Goblins, and pawprints of the wolves they sometimes used as mounts. What he didn¡¯t see were the tracks of rabbits, deer, or even rats. Nothing other than Goblins.


    What sent chills down his spine was the enormous imprint of a Bugbear paw right in the center of the trail. According to the Monster Compendium, Bugbears would sometimes show up in the bigger Goblin warrens. They were typically six- to eight-foot-tall, giant feral Goblinoids with a reputation for cruelty and violence, even among their own kind.


    His feet tracked lightly across the edge of the trail as he ran onward, quiet even to his own ears. All he could hear was the wind through the trees and his own breathing. Not even the calls of birds disturbed the silence.  Calen had spent a lot of his youth exploring the woods around Myrin¡¯s Keep, so the complete absence of any other wildlife stood out to him as a glaring signal that the Goblin warren would be close, probably a big one at that.


    He hopped across a small stream, using a couple of exposed rocks as stepping stones, and landed lightly on a game trail on the other side. He checked his landing spot reflexively, choosing areas of hard-packed dirt for his footfalls to conceal the evidence of his passing. Crouching down behind a fallen tree, he peered out into a clearing. Up ahead, five of the small, green-skinned Goblins had made a fire and were arguing over something sizzling on the spit. Where they had found something to cook, Calen had no idea. He crept closer, making sure to check that none of them were high enough level to see through his stealth. Settling into the shadow of a large oak, he observed the camp and the altercation. None of the Goblins spoke Common, but there were numerous gesticulations towards the south.


    Having nothing better to go on, he left the group to their arguing over the dubious hunk of meat and headed in that direction.


    A few minutes later, Calen caught the muffled sound of voices up ahead. Instantly, he hopped off the trail he had been following, concealing himself amongst the trees and bushes, and waited. Presently, a patrol of Goblins came into view. Perhaps better to call them foragers. Or scavengers.


    The scavengers were everything an average person would imagine if someone mentioned the word ¡®Goblin¡¯. They were dirty, green, and dressed in rags. Yellowed crooked teeth were bared as they called and yelled at each other, and Calen was grateful for the distance between them, otherwise, he was certain he would be choking at the stench.


    The three-and-a-half-foot-tall rogue was a cut above the dregs, wearing worn but serviceable leather armor with a brace of daggers at his waist instead of the more typical rocks or sticks.


    The Timber Wolves were hulking beasts of black fur and uncannily bright green eyes, almost half again as large as the Starving Wolves in the cavern below the sewers back home. He decided on the spot not to tangle with them ¨C at least, not in close combat.


    As he studied the group, trying to gauge their strength, another Goblin appeared, bringing up the rear.


    This one seemed larger than the others, but whether that was because he simply stood taller or was actually bigger, Calen couldn¡¯t quite tell. He wore higher-quality leather armor than the rogue and wore a well-used longbow slung crosswise across his back. Just from the way he carried himself, Calen knew he was dangerous.


    He concentrated for a moment on his Explorer skill, getting a new set of chimes to confirm his suspicions.


    Calen calmed his breathing, observing their approach from the shadows of his hiding spot. He should be far enough from the path that he wouldn¡¯t be discovered, but with a level ten elite, it would be imprudent to take unnecessary risks.


    As the Goblins drew closer their high-pitched, grating voices grew louder and Calen strained his ears to hear if they said anything useful. Unfortunately, again they seemed to not know Common, and the only thing he heard was the occasional barked command from the Hunter, which caused the other Goblins to scurry around or flinch.


    The patrol continued down the path, moving right past him. Suddenly, the breeze shifted and one of the wolves raised its muzzle, sniffing the air.


    Calen realized the wolf had caught his scent at the same instant the wolf did. With a howl, the great black Timber Wolf charged directly toward his hiding spot, and the entire patrol scrambled to follow. At the back of the group, the Hunter nocked an arrow to his bow.


    With his stealth ruined, Calen turned and fled, dodging bushes and vaulting rocks with the sound of his heart hammering loudly against his chest.


    Even with the speed bonus of his Blessing of the Dawn, the Timber Wolves were unbelievably quick, and very much at home in the forest. He sprinted as fast as he could, not bothering to even try and shoot back. Any second, he expected an arrow in the back. He leapt clean across the stream he had crossed earlier, heading for the clearing and Malika. He needed backup. Fast.


    The howls of the pursuing wolves were far too close.


    A sudden burst of pain and an impact made him stumble as an arrow punched through his upper arm. Recovering himself with a quick roll, he sprang to his feet and continued his headlong dash, dodging left and right as he passed trees desperately trying to present a smaller target to the obviously skilled Hunter lurking behind him. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed the head of the arrow and yanked sharply, pulling it all the way through his arm in an instant. He held back a scream of pain and he simply shoved the arrow into his own quiver, shaking his head to clear the haze of pain.


    He spied the giant pile of boulders and the clearing as he leapt the stream. At a dead run, gasping for breath, he made for the gap in the rocks, narrowly avoiding a second arrow whizzing by his cheek by sheer luck.


    He couldn¡¯t call out and give Malika away, so all he could do was trust her to be vigilant.


    As he passed between the boulders, Malika¡¯s hand appeared, palm out, reaching for him like a savior. He slapped it as he passed. Instantly, the burning rush of her healing magic coursed through his body. Not for the first time, he wondered why her healing always felt so aggressive.


    The hole in his arm was healing rapidly, which meant he would be able to draw his bow.


    He spun just in time to see Malika kicking the lead wolf in the snout, causing it to yelp as its fangs clacked together. The second wolf barreled in through the gap, knocking them both further in with the weight of its charge. Immediately, the two wolves began to circle Malika, working as a team to execute rapid lunging attacks to which she responded with equally quick kicks and punches. Calen scrambled up one of the boulders, taking an elevated position halfway up, choosing a spot which would still afford some cover, and loosed an arrow at the slightly smaller Timber Wolf.


    ¡°Goblins incoming,¡± he called tersely. ¡°Level ten elite Hunter, level five rogue, bunch of scavengers.¡± She didn¡¯t respond, occupied as she was with the wolves, but he knew she had heard him.


    Once the Hunter arrived, the battle would almost certainly revolve entirely around controlling the elite Goblin, and the fewer monsters they had to deal with the better. Fortunately, Malika was no slouch when it came to understanding strategy and she unleashed a heavy barrage of punches and kicks concentrating most of her strikes on the same wolf he had shot. Pouring his mana into Arrows of Brilliance, he fired a shaft that streaked across the clearing, incandescent with his light magic enhancement. It buried itself deep into the wolf¡¯s hindquarters, just the fletchings visible protruding from the thick black fur. The creature yelped, whirling in an attempt to bite at the spot, and Malika wasted no time taking advantage of its distraction.


    He fired three more times before the Goblin Hunter appeared, bow drawn and firing a volley of arrows at Malika. Right as the first arrow arrived, the Goblin rogue appeared from the shadows behind Malika and stabbed her low in the back with a rusty dagger. She stumbled from the vicious Ambush, but her body flickered immediately with the light of her potent healing spell. Calen returned fire, shooting an arrow at the Hunter¡¯s head, making him duck for cover.


    Calen quickly assessed the battle and determined that their best strategy was still with the smaller Timber Wolf. Malika would simply have to take some damage from the rogue and the Hunter while he eliminated the first enemy. But then he noticed something different about Malika¡¯s fighting. In addition to skillfully dodging many attacks, she was now using her elbows, forearms, and hands to deflect many of the rapid dagger strikes, keeping the Goblin rogue stymied.


    He had definitely noticed how close-lipped Malika was with her class and skills, but a development like this was as dramatic as it was obvious. Right now, though, it meant he could likely leave her to tank multiple enemies without his assistance.


    He fired three times in quick succession, spending his precious mana to empower each shot as his hands blurred through the motions. The smaller Timber Wolf dropped to the ground with a whimper and expired. About to redirect his attention to the Hunter, Calen caught sight of three green Goblin heads popping out on top of the far boulder. Slings loaded with rocks whirled above their heads and they began pelting Malika with their crude attacks.


    As rapidly as he could, he fired two arrows at one of the scavengers, causing it to stumble and fall from the boulder with a pained shriek and a satisfying series of thumps. That sent the other two scurrying for cover.  They would cause no end of trouble if they were allowed free rein. Goblins were notorious for the tactical buffs they received when fighting in groups.


    Returning his attention to the melee below, Calen saw, to his surprise, that Malika was now focused mainly on the rogue, allowing the larger Timber Wolf freedom to flank her.


    Calen wouldn¡¯t have made that choice, but Malika must have a good reason. He loosed an arrow at the Hunter, making him duck behind cover again. Calen winced as the precious arrow shattered against the boulder. Then he swiveled and loosed a second arrow, enhanced with his magic, and struck the rogue solidly in the middle of his ribs. The surprised stumble he caused was immediately exploited by Malika¡¯s rapid flashing kick combo.


    Keeping a close eye on the Hunter, Calen continued firing at the rogue. Every time the Hunter presented himself, Calen would divert an arrow at him instead, trying to keep him pinned down and reduce his freedom to fire indiscriminately.  His attention returned to Malika in time to see her finish off the rogue and spin to kick the last wolf in the throat.


    Technically, he knew exactly how, but watching it in action was quite another story. Without her healing and defensive skills, pitted against two similarly leveled opponents, she would likely have been struggling or dead by now.


    Calen scanned the battlefield perimeter again and caught two of the scavengers scaling a different boulder. They began to lob fist-sized rocks down at Malika, endangering the wolf almost as much as her. Aiming carefully, Calen shot one of the scavengers through the leg, once again causing a stumble and comical cartwheeling fall from the boulder.  At least it was out of the fight temporarily. The lack of the notification chime confirmed his guess.


    Calen left the Timber Wolf to Malika, confident that she would be able to finish it off on her own. Instead, he switched his focus to the Hunter, aggressively shooting whenever he poked his head up. Calen quickly flattened himself against his rock cover as an arrow splintered right next to his head.  Drawing the ire of the Hunter was dangerous, but Calen dodged around to the other side of his rock, fired a couple more arrows, and then immediately ducked out of sight as his attack was returned so rapidly, rock chips pinged off his cheek.


    The soft, pure sound of a notification chime echoed within his mind.  Immediately, he took the risk and stood up to fire at the Hunter. The elite Goblin ducked away once more, oblivious to Malika charging towards his hiding spot.


    As the hunter popped up to take a return shot, Malika¡¯s furious right hook connected with his ear, rocking his head sideways as he screeched in surprise. Calen took a quick shot at a scavenger poking a head out from the side of the boulder, clipping its arm. He watched while Malika pressured the Hunter, searching for any opportunity to help, no matter how brief. Even the higher-level archer would have a difficult time against an aggressive melee attacker like Malika, but it meant that he couldn¡¯t do much without endangering her. Instead of trying to miss his ally to get in a shot, Calen chose to sneak closer.


    With a nasty elbow strike to the crown of the elite Goblin¡¯s head, Malika created an opening for him. Firing in haste, Calen managed to lodge an arrow through the Goblin¡¯s thigh, causing it to stumble and trip. Again, Malika didn¡¯t let the chance go to waste going to ground with the Goblin, and the elite Hunter succumbed to her furious onslaught of punches and elbows.


    ¡°We can¡¯t let the scavengers get away and warn the warren,¡± Calen said urgently.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Malika responded immediately. ¡°Which way?¡±


    Calen had made sure to wound each of the scavengers in the battle. The one with the leg wound would probably be the easiest to track. Scanning the ground with his Explorer skill active, he quickly picked up their trail, both blood and footprints, the survivors heading south as a group.


    He headed off at a sprint with Malika close on his heels.


    ***


    They managed to hunt down the fleeing scavengers quickly, ensuring that their presence was kept secret, for the time being.


    ¡°I believe their camp is to the south,¡± Calen said. He didn¡¯t know for sure, but all the signs seemed to point that way. ¡°I can sneak past the patrols, but the wolves can sniff me out. I think we should try to go the remaining distance together.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably smart,¡± Malika agreed, and Calen settled in to rest and recover his stamina. He had nearly run empty after his desperate sprint followed by the battle. At least he had a whole lot of notifications to catch up on.


    Explorer ¨C level 6


    You have enhanced spatial perception and perfect recall for places you have explored. You can discern important details about the places you are exploring and the creatures that inhabit them.


    Stamina: Use your enhanced perception to track your prey.


    Stamina: Move without leaving traces or making sounds.


    Knowledge, Movement, Stealth, Identify, Scouting, Tracking, Perception


    He studied it carefully, weighing up the advantages. All the books he had studied on class growth emphasized choosing only the best advancements. But there was really nothing to weigh it up against ¨C the advancement was a straight-up improvement ¨C and one which would have been exceptionally useful against all the Goblin foragers he had been hunting.


    Not only would he leave no signs of his passage, or footprints to be tracked by his enemies, but he would no longer need to worry about being discovered by the sound of his footsteps or breathing. Instead of standing absolutely still to avoid detection, he would be able to change his position for the best advantage, without giving up his location.


    he noted, recalling how easily the Timber Wolves had picked up on his location through smell. But he would be vastly harder to find with two complementary stealth skills. Without any doubts, he took the offered advancement.


    The notification chime played a quick happy ditty, while the glowing white mind-text exploded in a bright display just like the summer solstice fireworks.


    Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Calen browsed through his status, checking the numbers carefully. He certainly had grown stronger, especially with the enhancement provided by Blessing of the Dawn to boost his dexterity, perception, and intelligence. However, he was lagging in stamina and mana ¨C both his total and his regeneration. None of his skills¡¯ primary attributes provided him with additional resources. He could do lots of damage, but he always ran out of mana too quickly, and it took an hour to regenerate it fully.


    he thought.


    More annoying though, they had taken his notebook and all the notes he had made about his class skills. He felt a distinct anxiety about not being able to note down his newest advance anywhere, but he resolved to memorize it for when they got back to town. And that was not even accounting for the fact that the Town Watch now had insight into his class. Suddenly, Malika¡¯s reticence to share made all too much sense. He was no troublemaker, but this felt like a violation of his privacy.


    Putting his status aside, Calen laid out the arrows he had collected from the Hunter and began to repair the ones that were damaged using his Bowcraft, while he waited for his and Malika¡¯s mana and stamina to regenerate.

 Chapter 25: Kobold Rogue

    Chapter 25: Kobold Rogue- Lyeneru Silverleaf,  at the Elven Pathfinders Guild, Ciradyl Chapter.


    Aliandra


    Ali fled through the endless darkness, alone. The soles of her bare feet slapped painfully against the cold stone pavement. Her headlong flight sent her plunging deeper and deeper into the maze of twisted streets, past the endless parade of dark stone ruins. The icy fingers of dread clawed at her gut as the things stalking her in the shadows drew ever closer. Her skin crawled under the malevolent gaze of their glowing red eyes boring into her back. The soft chittering of the hunters whispered in her mind, and her legs suddenly froze, inexplicably rooted to the ground. She screamed ¨C but no sound emerged, only the creeping shuffle from behind. Slowly she turned, her eyes widening at the sight of a wickedly gleaming dagger in the darkness.


    -10% to maximum health.


    Affliction ¨C Duration: Indefinite. Count: 7


    Ali woke with a start, covered in sweat and shaking. Frantically, she looked around for the Kobold rogues but found only Mato sitting by the door of the house they were camping in. He nodded kindly toward her.


    While it was a dream, she had been waking up to the same dream every day. Each time she was endlessly fleeing from rogues she couldn¡¯t see or escape, only to wake as the final Ambush attack arrived.  She finally admitted it to herself. The last three days they had spent returning from the library had sent her spiraling downward into despair. Even Mato had been overly concerned. She knew it, but nothing seemed to help.


    The biggest problem was that her fear was not irrational. In three days, her domain withdrawal would kill her. That was, if she didn¡¯t die from a rusty dagger or stray Fireball first. She glanced at her health total, already knowing what she would see.


    ¡°Shh,¡± Mato cautioned. In the distance, she heard the clicking of Kobold talons striking stone and the soft sounds of their strange chirping voices.


    The two warriors seemed to be having an argument, with the larger one gesturing emphatically at the air with his rusty sword, while the Fire Mage followed along a few paces behind, head bowed in contemplation, as if she were staring at her own tattered crimson robes.


    ¡°Shall we attack?¡± Mato whispered.


    Ali considered. She would have to worry about hidden rogues no matter what. But it was rare to find patrols that were within their level range, and they were quickly running out of time. She nodded her agreement to Mato before the patrol got too close. She felt his body twisting in the darkness next to her as he prepared himself.


    With a roar, Mato charged the warriors, slamming into them with a loud crash. Ali sent all her wolves except one to attack the Fire Mage.


    ¡°she instructed, crouching down behind the last wolf.


    Immediately, the Kobold mage began to summon her fire, illuminating the dark street with ominous red flickering light. Ali¡¯s wolves spread out and began harrying her, darting in and out with snapping jaws and wicked snarls while Ali unleashed her Arcane Bolts on the mage, intent on killing her as fast as she could. The Fire Mages were by far the most dangerous Kobold they had encountered; left alone, it would make short work of them.


    With a loud detonation, the Fireball exploded among Ali¡¯s wolves, tossing the charred and lifeless bodies of the two lowest-level wolves into a wall. Her two Alphas continued to press their attack despite having suffered grievous burn wounds. Standing close enough to take advantage of Mato¡¯s aura, her stomach knotted with a queasy blend of hunger and disgust at the sudden stench of sulfur and overcooked meat.


    The Bear fought off to the side, his back up against a low, crumbling wall, actively engaged with the two Kobold Warriors, fortunately looking to be in okay shape so far. He still tended to forget it when his rage took over.


    Suddenly, the wolf guarding her growled, hackles raised, nose sniffing the air intently. Eyes widening, Ali scrambled backward. With a snarl, the wolf snapped at the air, but instead of the expected clack of teeth slamming together, there was a horrifying crunch, and warm crimson blood sprayed across Ali¡¯s shirt. A midnight-black Kobold materialized before her with a wild screech of pain, its wrist clamped in the jaws of her Starving Wolf. Its free arm moved in a sudden blur, and Ali looked down to find a dagger embedded in her chest, still in the grasp of wicked Kobold claws.


    The Kobold rogue yanked the dagger free. Ali felt it slipping out from between her ribs, but to her astonishment, there was no blood. She gasped, touching her skin, but there was no sign of a wound to be found. Nor could she feel any pain.


    It was as if her wound had vanished, drawn off into the aether by some mysterious force.


    The wiry Kobold hissed in apparent disbelief, lunging with the dagger once more, but this time, Ali reacted. Her barrier popped into existence, blocking the dagger strike with a loud crack. She scrambled backward, raising a shaking hand to shoot. Golden Arcane Bolts weaved erratically through the air, but her focus was steadier than her hands by far, and they adjusted mid-flight, slamming into the rogue with a steady thump, thump, thump as it struggled to free itself from the grip of the wolf¡¯s jaws. Ali backed away further and further as the rogue stabbed furiously at the neck and shoulders of the wolf hanging on to his mangled wrist with grim determination. A loud detonation sent a concussion wave through her body, but she ignored it and focused entirely on the rogue in front of her.


    With a final, vicious overhead strike, the rogue plunged its dagger through the skull of the wolf and turned on her. Ali yelped and hid behind her barrier as she directed more and more bolts to circle around, slamming into his black-scaled hide. He dodged back and forth, trying to pass her barrier, Ali frantically recreating it to block him each time. Obviously frustrated, the rogue slammed his daggers into her barrier repeatedly, and, to her horror, small cracks and chips began to mar the golden surface under the power of his assault. Releasing her Arcane Bolt spell, she shoved some of her rapidly dwindling mana into Grasping Roots. The rogue howled furiously as the thick, gnarled roots entangled his legs and tail, but Ali simply scrambled back further, tossing up a precautionary barrier, and began to empty her mana into a new flight of Arcane Bolts.


    Suddenly, the rogue stumbled, and three more bolts slammed into him before he collapsed among the roots. Before Ali could register her relief, an intense ball of flame collided with her barrier and detonated. The barrier shattered and her body was lifted off the ground in a wave of heat and pressure that slammed her through the doorway of the house behind her, and into the wall on the opposite side. She crumpled to the ground, and in her daze, she realized she had forgotten about the most dangerous enemy of all. She had just enough awareness to throw up another barrier before a sizzling Firebolt slammed into it.  Still on the ground, Ali fixed her attention on the murderous Fire Mage. Pouring her remaining mana into her Arcane Bolts, she watched the graceful curves of radiance as they arced around her barrier and out of the doorway to hammer into the mage¡¯s sternum, leaving small smoking holes in her crimson robes.


    The Kobold staggered backward with an aghast wheeze that seemed to ironically mimic the precipitous decline of Ali¡¯s mana pool, before suddenly crumpling in a lifeless heap. Ali winced.


    Ali sucked in a deep, ragged breath, coughed at the acrid stench in the air, dragged herself up, and limped over to the downed rogue. She deconstructed the corpse and all his gear to restore her mana while surveying the remains of the battlefield. Her Alpha Wolves were both reduced to smoking corpses, while Mato was engaged with the last remaining Kobold Warrior. He had several nasty wounds on his torso and especially on his left foreleg, but they were slowly closing under the influence of his still active healing magic. Ali sighed in relief, spending her newly restored mana to add her Arcane Bolts to the attack, while she stepped cautiously closer. Mato must have been close to finishing it already because it dropped quickly after a few strikes of her arcane magic.


    Mato quickly shifted back, stumbling a little from slowly closing wounds on his legs as he walked over to join her.


    ¡°Did you¡­ take that dagger wound?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said quietly, slumping down to the ground to sit near her, breathing heavily.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Ali rubbed her chest where a phantom pain still lingered. It had been a strike of power and precision ¨C she sensedand she had been certain she was dead.


    Ali surveyed the remnants of the pitched battle strewn across the street, realizing that every single one of her wolves had been destroyed by the Fire Mage. In her panic over the rogue attack, she had made a grave mistake. Ignoring the mage could so easily have gotten them both killed. Her internal litany of rebuke at her failure trailed off as she noticed her Grimoire appear and flip itself open.


    Quickly, she checked the notifications, surprised that she hadn¡¯t registered the building pressure of the completed imprint.


    Ali blinked once at the glowing notifications and then checked her Grimoire. In all her despair, she had forgotten the basics of how her Grimoire worked. She had been deconstructing Kobolds for days.


    At once, she concentrated on her Grimoire, selecting the last empty chapter for the Kobold imprint.


    Mato got up to begin dragging the corpses of the Kobolds over for her to dispose of. He glanced at her curiously, clearly noticing her Grimoire was out and glowing.


    ¡°I got something,¡± she explained, channeling her mana into the imprint. A couple of minutes later, a lean, black-scaled Kobold rogue suddenly appeared before her. All her dreams and terror around these Kobold rogues flooded her mind and she took an involuntary step backwards; in the corner of her eye, she saw Mato stiffen, clearly on the verge of rushing to protect her. But the creature simply bowed low and spoke quietly, his voice filled with familiar chirping sounds. Ali¡¯s Sage of Learning drained a few points of her mana as it tried to help her understand the creature¡¯s intent, but its speech remained unintelligible. At least she knew the Kobold was hers, and not a threat.


    No longer afraid, she studied the creature. Its gleaming black scales and reptilian face looked almost beautiful in the dim flickering light of the remnants of the fireball explosions.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Mato breathed. ¡°That¡¯s going to help a lot if we can get it some gear.¡±


    ¡°I think I can do that, too,¡± Ali said, thinking quickly. Of all her imprints, the one she was least excited about was the Giant Spider. Focusing her attention, she directed the dagger imprint to that chapter. Immediately, the Grimoire erased the spider imprint and replaced it with the crude dagger.


    Charily, she considered her remaining imprints. The plants she wanted to keep. Stone was turning out to be useful for barricading doors. Her Starving Wolf imprint seemed superior to the Sewer Rat imprint, and Mato had told her they were smarter fighters, so it came down to a choice between the wood imprint and the rat imprint. Ali hadn¡¯t found much use for making wood yet, but she felt that the Sewer Rat was definitely obsolete ¨C too low level. Decision made. Sighing between her clenched teeth, she replaced the Imprint:  with the new Imprint: .


    Ali spent the next few minutes making a full set of leather armor and a pair of daggers for her rogue. When she handed him the items, he simply nodded respectfully and immediately equipped the armor and tested out the daggers with a few air-swipes and mock-stabs.


    She had more than enough mana at this point, especially now that all her wolves had been killed. She deconstructed the Fire Mage and the Kobold Warrior corpses to refill her mana and then summoned another Kobold and more gear. It was nothing like summoning a Sewer Rat. She stumbled a little and sat down, drained from the effort and concentration required to summon so much.


    Ali frowned at the notification. After all the tradeoffs she had considered to acquire her new imprints, she now had a new blank ninth chapter.


    The new Kobold bowed to her immediately, just like the first one had, and then the two of them spoke softly together for a while. Ali¡¯s mana slowly ticked down as her Sage skill tried its hardest to help.


    While she had been working with her Grimoire, Mato had piled up all the corpses and gear in the house for her to deconstruct.


    ¡°Hey, does this work for you?¡± Mato asked, holding the Fire Mage¡¯s robe out to her. It stank of sulfur and looked like it might have once found use as a rag for swabbing the cursed remnants of a warlock¡¯s failed summoning ritual over a volcanic vent in some deep forgotten hellhole. ¡°It might actually be close to your size.¡±


    Ali glanced at her clothes. She had been about to dismiss the idea on general principles, but her shirt was burnt through by the Fireball. She took the offered robe and dubiously identified it. As soon as she did, her eyes widened, and she immediately tried it on.


    Tattered Robes ¨C level 7


    Resistance: 67


    Requirements: Intelligence 25


    Body ¨C Cloth


    Ali adjusted the torn robes to her slightly smaller frame, tying off a few pieces so the cloth wouldn¡¯t hamper her movement ¨C or expose her butt due to the hole the Kobold had made for her tail. Her status immediately updated to show the effect.


    Ali nodded slowly. Even though the robe was torn and smelly, the resistance would grant her an impressive amount of magical damage reduction against any monster at her own level.


    she thought, recalling her brief Fireball-fueled flight across the room and into the wall. ¡°Thanks, Mato.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Next time, we¡¯ll find you a prettier one.¡±


    She began to fold her arms in annoyance, before deciding this needed a joke. ¡°A prettier girl Kobold to join my team? You¡¯re so thoughtful.¡±


    He began to belly-laugh, but muffled the sound with his hands. Pointing at her two rogues, Mato said, ¡°You want to go try those guys out? We should be able to handle some of the higher-level patrols, now.¡±


    For the first time in days, excitement rose within her.


    ***


    Ali stared at the patrol Mato had found. Among the higher-level patrols, there were several new variants of Kobold that they had not fought before. This patrol was no different.


    The Slingers were a soft, rusty-brown color wearing crude leather armor like the ones she had made for her rogues, but these were armed with slings and pouches of rocks.


    With his typical roar and charge routine, Mato engaged the patrol.


    ¡°¡± she instructed, mentally sending her intent to her two new Kobolds the same way she had directed the wolves and rats.


    Immediately, she had to defend herself, throwing up a barrier against a barrage of small rocks that ricocheted off it with loud cracks. Aiming around her barrier, she fired off a stream of Arcane Bolts to keep the Kobold Slingers honest, while keeping a sharp eye out for cracks in her defensive magic. Or rogues.


    In her moment of distraction, they had simply vanished, and now she couldn¡¯t find them anywhere.


    A moment later, there was a sudden spray of crimson blood and a howl of pain from one of the Kobold Slingers as her two rogues appeared out of the shadows behind it, their rusty daggers stabbing viciously.


    In almost no time, the hapless Kobold Slinger perished beneath the onslaught, and her rogues immediately moved to the next target with a quick exchange of chirps and yips. A sizeable chunk of mana drained into her Sage of Learning in response.  Ali fired half a dozen Arcane Bolts at the last Slinger and was relieved to see it drop almost as quickly as the first one.


    The sudden unexpected mana deficit from her Sage skill worried her, though.


    She instructed her rogues to go help Mato, still roaring and slashing at the two warriors, and immediately lost a chunk more mana as their chirping calls were analyzed by Sage of Learning. Ali had not expected she would regret having a learning skill she couldn¡¯t disable. Quickly, she ran over to the corpses and deconstructed them just in case she needed mana in an emergency. Thankfully, the warriors succumbed to their attack without any surprises.


    Ali was so pleased with the performance of her rogues, that she summoned another Kobold as soon as she had recovered her mana.


    She gave her new green-scaled warrior Kobold the iron chain shirt and rusty sword from one of the warriors they had just killed and deconstructed the rest of the gear.


    With the soft chirps of her new minions following them, Ali found that their progress had accelerated tenfold. They were able to take on many of the patrols that they had previously been forced to hide from, saving an enormous amount of time skulking about in dark houses hoping to go unnoticed. In the few hours they had left of the day, they made more progress than in the entire three days prior.


    As they settled into a new hiding spot for the night, Ali scrolled through all the notifications.


    Without much thought, Ali immediately put all her attribute points into vitality. Her seventy percent withdrawal turned what should have been fifty points of health into a paltry increase of fifteen.


    But Ali was happy to have any increase at all.


    That run-in with the stealthed Kobold rogue and the feel of the dagger slipping between her ribs hadn¡¯t left her mind even for an instant.


    ***


    Calen


    Calen loped along the game trail, his feet making absolutely no sound as he passed over rock and soil alike. His body was almost invisible, appearing as a vaguely shifting shadow in the dappled light of the forest. He and Malika had ventured quite far south already using the same approach ¨C he would hunt patrols and lure them back to where Malika lay in wait, and they would take care of them together. Once the path was clear, they would move up together and repeat the process.


    His Explorer skill told him that he was getting closer to the warren ¨C there were many more tracks than he had seen before. He kept his eyes open and scanned the trees and bush for any signs of Goblins as he continued, following trails, dodging through trees, always tracking. Coming to a rise, he slowed and found a denser patch of shade in which to approach. He stepped forward carefully and peered out into a small clearing.


    What he saw was nothing like what he expected. Down in the clearing were four figures, standing around a small fire, horses tied to a tree at the edge of the clearing. One of the figures was hooded and masked, wearing black leather. Two of them were huge bulky brutes, and the last was a slender catkin woman wearing leather and playing with a dagger.


    He recognized all of them.


    It was Kieran Mori and his underlings, Tala, Adrik, and Edrik. The very same criminals that had pushed Ali and Mato down the hole and sold him and Malika to the Kel¡¯darran slave traders. His jaw clenched but he stood absolutely still, willing himself to give nothing away. He wasn¡¯t familiar with their perception skills, but he had no desire to face them again. Even with his Explorer skill masking his sound, and Eclipse masking his image, all save Tala were well beyond his ability to Identify and the quality of stealth skills depended heavily on relative level difference.


    He waited patiently while they simply sat, the two thugs telling each other off-color jokes to pass the time while trying to get Tala to participate. Mori stood apart from the others, not joining in.


    Calen was beginning to get a bit annoyed at the unfunny jokes as his stamina slowly leaked away to power his stealth skills, when three more people appeared, entering the clearing and offering an obviously pre-arranged greeting. By their garb, they were all mercenary rogues or Assassins, and Calen counted at least twelve daggers and four swords among the three of them.


    ¡°Did you find it?¡± Kieran Mori asked.


    ¡°It was as you expected,¡± the presumed leader of the new group answered. She was the one carrying four swords, two on her back and two at her left hip. ¡°We had to descend a long way before we found the boss.¡±


    ¡°Did you kill it as I asked?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was a difficult fight ¨C some kind of mutant Goblin Warlord ¨C but we were successful. Everything went crazy. You should see the break soon.¡±


    Calen had been having a difficult time figuring out what they were talking about, but the moment the mercenary captain had mentioned the ¡®break¡¯ he had a most terrifying realization.


    And then he understood what they had done. Given the people in the clearing below, it could only be something awful.


    ¡°When will we get paid?¡± one of the dagger assassins asked.


    ¡°Edrik, Adrik, please take care of them,¡± Kieran said, his tone bored.


    The mercenaries¡¯ quick smiles turned to shock and surprise as Adrik and Edrik approached, pulling out their swords and activating their skills. The first mercenary had no chance, his head landing with a splat in a pile of leaves, the shocked expression still glued to his dead face.


    ¡°You bastard!¡± the captain shouted at Kieran Mori as she drew the two swords from her back.


    Kieran¡¯s form flickered with shadow and a deafening thunderclap filled the clearing. Calen saw only an afterimage of the black hooded rogue before he appeared in front of the mercenary captain, his spear impaled clean through her chest. She twitched a couple of times, her legs dangling a foot above the ground before she slumped dead and he dropped her off his weapon, making it vanish.


    Only a supreme act of will kept him from fleeing. They would have been on him in a flash. Calen found himself holding his breath and tried to let it out soundlessly, knowing his life depended on the next few seconds.


    Adrik and Edrik held the last mercenary down while Tala stabbed him in the back.


    Kieran watched expressionlessly until the rogue was dead and then he addressed Tala. ¡°That¡¯s how you take care of business. Clean. Nobody to talk. Now, go make sure the Goblins are headed in the right direction, I need them at Myrin¡¯s Keep¡¯s gates in a couple of days. See that it happens.¡±


    Turning to Adrik and Edrik, he said, ¡°You two, get back to town immediately and make sure everyone knows about the new protection prices. Bring my horse with you and take care of the corpses. We have money to earn. Get to it.¡±


    With that, he produced a vial full of dark liquid and threw it at his feet, creating a pitch-black cloud around him. When it dissipated, he was no longer present.


    Calen shivered despite himself. Had Kieran Mori been a being of lesser power, this whole thing might have passed for a charade.


    Shortly, Adrik and Edrik rode off to the north, and Tala vanished into the shadows, while Calen stood silent, considering the enormity of what he had just witnessed.


    Calen was stunned by the callous disregard for the lives of the townsfolk. The farmers, and ordinary people who would have little protection or no warning, would likely die by the hundreds. Maybe thousands. Those who couldn¡¯t afford guards were likely to be preyed upon by both the monsters and the criminals.


    Despite the urgency, he waited in the shadows until he was absolutely certain Tala was long gone.


    Turning on his heel, he sprinted back the way he had come. If Tala successfully provoked the Goblins into chasing her, there would be a horde bearing down on them before they knew it.

 Chapter 26: Ancient Mistress

    Chapter 26: Ancient MistressMato Mato sat in silence, keeping watch. Ali had barricaded the doorway as usual, but he had been struggling to sleep the last couple of days, and keeping watch felt like he was doing something useful.


    They had been trapped down here in these endlessly bleak, dark stone ruins for more than a week, now. He missed the trees and the sunshine. Down here, the only things that grew were the ugly black mushrooms that reeked of death and decay. No sane person would ever dare to eat those. Everywhere they turned they encountered Kobolds, skeletons, and even the giant bone behemoths surrounding that enormous tower Ali had called the ¡®library¡¯.


    What little food he¡¯d had in his pack ¨C preserved through the fall by his shapeshifting magic ¨C was long gone. And Ali barely ate.


    If it wasn¡¯t that Ali was worse off than he was, he knew he would be complaining incessantly. He glanced over at his companion, twitching and thrashing fitfully in her sleep. Besides, he didn¡¯t deserve to complain.


    He had been deliberately silent with his worries and complaints and kept as much distance between them as he could, simply to try to ease her suffering. He didn¡¯t know what else he could do.


    Ali¡¯s domain withdrawal would run out, and he had no way of surviving without her support ¨C especially against the Fire Mages. Ali hadn¡¯t mentioned her withdrawal after the first couple of days, but he had eyes and knew how to count. He sighed heavily, continually wrestling with the situation, but deep within he knew he was giving up. What could he do? Nothing.


    he thought, looking at Ali¡¯s new Kobold minions standing guard with him and trying to turn his mind to a more positive track. Her advance had dramatically improved their progress through the ruined city, and he had even reached level eight in his class ¨C an achievement that once would have made him so excited.


    At that moment, Ali¡¯s thrashing stopped and her amber eyes snapped open, wells of deep pain. She curled up into a ball, trying to stop herself from screaming as she had the last several nights. Slowly, she mastered it and then sat up.


    ¡°You ok?¡± he asked her softly.


    ¡°Bad dream.¡±


    Aliandra


    -10% to maximum health.


    Affliction ¨C Duration: Indefinite. Count: 8


    Ali woke to the familiar chime and jolt of pain from the daily increase in her domain withdrawal, finding herself curled up into a ball on the dirty stone ground. Her endurance was still making the pain bearable, barely, but her entire investment in vitality yesterday had just been wiped out.


    There was no longer any doubt that a single Ambush attack from an unseen rogue or an unblocked Fireball would kill her instantly. She felt fragile.


    ¡°You ok?¡± Mato¡¯s concerned voice from the other side of the room brought her back to the present.


    ¡°Bad dream,¡± she answered. It was a small lie, but she didn¡¯t trust herself to keep it together if he started being concerned about her withdrawal. It wasn¡¯t like either of them could do anything about it anyway.


    she thought. Yesterday¡¯s development had been a spectacular improvement in their mobility around the ruins ¨C the higher-level Kobold minions were devastatingly effective compared to the rats or wolves. No longer were they forced to waste precious time cowering in the darkness for hours on end, waiting for the Kobold patrols to pass by without noticing them. Ali glanced at the three Kobolds she had made, standing quietly on guard by the blocked doorway. Somehow, they didn¡¯t seem to require rest or even food. She didn¡¯t understand how this summoner class really worked, yet, but it wasn¡¯t like she had had any time to sit down and study it.


    She got up and began deconstructing the barricade she had created. The hunger had faded several days ago, and instead, she had begun experiencing bouts of dizziness, which she knew wasn¡¯t a good sign. she thought, trying to put it down. At least Mato had been able to find water by the sounds of dripping behind some of the larger buildings.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Ali stepped through the doorway and led the way to the boulevard once again. They were close to the outer edge of the cavernous underground city now, and she had reasoned that the broad boulevard would be safer this far from the Kobold army encamped around the library.


    It took them through two smaller patrols before they reached the gigantic road that cut through the entire ancient city. Broad enough for multiple lanes of carriages, wagons, and magical transport platforms to service the needs of a bustling city, it lay bare and silent now, strewn with bones and rubble.


    ¡°Looks clear,¡± Mato observed in a whisper from next to her. ¡°Is that it?¡±


    Mato stared at the giant stone archway set into the vast, sheer expanse of rock ¨C the craggy perimeter of the underground city that rose far out of sight overhead. The boulevard plunged through the archway into a tunnel leading to the city¡¯s entry hall and the West Gate ¨C the stone chamber where Ali and her mother had encountered the Death Knight. Her body involuntarily shivered at the memory of his aura of fear, and the ominous crunch of his footfalls on the remnants of his devastating ice magic.


    ¡°Yes. The West Gate is through that tunnel, just beyond the old entrance hall. It should lead up to the forest ¨C err, the dead forest in that cavern where you guys found me ¨C and eventually the Grove with the shrine,¡± she answered. The way through the mountain was worse off than she remembered. It looked like there had been a rockfall at some point, there were piles of debris and boulders strewn about around the archway, and great cracks in the pavement of the road ¨C but it still looked passable. It was hard to keep the flickers of hope from blooming prematurely.


    But she didn¡¯t say anything. If there was something as powerful as a Death Knight this close, they were already dead.


    ¡°Ready to chew some rock?¡± Mato responded.


    Despite her exhaustion, Ali chuckled, ¡°Nothing more exciting than a pile of rubble.¡±


    ¡°Right, let¡¯s go. Be careful of patrols.¡±


    she thought, but she didn¡¯t voice her negativity. She was sure Mato was hiding his fear and frustration for her benefit. Whenever he spoke with her, he seemed to be just as brave and self-assured as normal. But whenever she caught him in an unguarded moment, his shoulders were hunched, and his eyes seemed to be filled with a hollowness that spoke of deep despair and guilt.


    They made their way down the nearby stairs as quickly and quietly as they could, alighting on the enormous street below. Keeping to the nearest edge in the hope of avoiding any scouts or stray Kobolds, they pressed on, creeping stealthily through the dark tunnel beyond the archway, until Mato was close enough to peer into the entrance hall itself.


    ¡°Kobolds!¡± he hissed in an intense whisper, pulling back abruptly and pressing his body up against the rock.


    The entrance hall was almost exactly as Ali remembered it. A large chamber with the road passing straight through to the giant West Gate on the far side. In ages past it had contained the defensive fortifications for the city guards, and places for customs officials to inspect incoming wagon cargo, but now it was all shattered. Deep shadows failed to completely hide the wreckage, with the rubble of the exit doors still strewn across the entire room. But instead of a sheet of ice, frozen defenders, and the chilling presence of the Death Knight, what she saw instead was a Kobold campfire in the center of the road blocking their passage to freedom.


    Around the disconcertingly cheerful crackling of the campfire, sat several different Kobolds. A single skeleton ¨C missing a left arm ¨C stood guard nearby with a perfect view of the entire chamber ¨C but Ali had eyes only for the Kobold Warrior. It was by far the largest Kobold Ali had ever seen, more than a head and shoulders taller than its compatriots. It wore solid gray plate armor strapped over its emerald-green scales and carried a long gray sword that gleamed in the firelight. Both seemed to be made from polished bone, honed to a dangerous-looking sheen.


    ¡°Is that a boss?¡± Ali¡¯s heart sank at the sight of the enormously powerful-looking Kobold warrior and what seemed to be his minions. The savage bite of frustration and disappointment was made just that much sharper by being able to see the exit that lay just beyond the Kobold campfire.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have Calen¡¯s skill,¡± Mato answered. ¡°But it looks like it¡¯s a boss. I don¡¯t think we can take this group.¡±


    ¡°Can we slip past?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how ¨C that skeleton will definitely see us coming. Neither of us have stealth skills. Is there another way out of the city?¡±


    ¡°The city has other gates,¡± she answered. ¡°But I don¡¯t think we can make it¡­ not anymore.¡± The lump in her throat and the constriction in her heart refused to go away, no matter how hard she tried. She had only two days left, and the next nearest gate was far from here ¨C and let out in the mountains far from the Grove.


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t give up,¡± Mato said. ¡°We have to try.¡±


    He was clearly putting on a brave face for her benefit, and she appreciated the effort. But deep inside she knew she didn¡¯t have time. The chilling certainty that she would die down here took root within her heart.


    ¡°Ok,¡± she said, forcing a smile on her face. A smile that felt like it was stuck on with cheap glue and would fall off at the slightest breeze. ¡°We need to get to the North Gate.¡± Even if she didn¡¯t last the journey, she could still point him in the right direction and maybe one of them would survive.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s go,¡± he answered. His enthusiasm sounded equally forced.


    But the sight of the exit, so tantalizingly close, and yet so impossible to reach, had crushed what little hope remained, dashed to pieces against the impenetrable wall of the Kobold boss.


    As silently as they could, they retreated through the tunnel and back into the ruined city, and once Ali had a chance to recover her bearings, she began to lead them toward the distant North Gate. It took them the better part of an hour before she located a main thoroughfare and only then did their speed begin to improve.


    ¡°Patrol!¡± Mato whispered urgently, stepping back into the alleyway with her, and the cover of darkness. They waited in silence, listening to the Kobold chirps as they slowly passed by in the broader main street, sizing them up, trying to decide their course of action. The group of Kobolds stopped for a while, and Ali¡¯s anxiety began to rise, and so did the cramping in her muscles as she tried not to move or make a sound.


    In the darkness near to her, Mato shifted uncomfortably. One of the tightly fitted gray flagstones shifted under the weight of his foot, and he stumbled.


    A huge rock attached to a fraying rope swung down from the roof of the building on the opposite side and slammed into Mato¡¯s back, launching him across the street and into a wall where his body collapsed in a heap.


    With loud yipping chirps and calls of alarm, the patrol sprang into action, charging Ali. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Acting entirely on instinct, Ali created a barrier to hide behind and sent her warrior to charge the enemies.


    she instructed her rogues, fixing the image of the Fire Mage in her mind as she projected her intent. Her pair of rogues slipped away, vanishing into the shadows on their way to Ambush the mage.


    The clash of steel rang out in the street, echoing off the stark stone walls of the nearby buildings. A stone the size of an egg cracked sharply against her barrier and ricocheted into the darkness of the alleyway behind her.


    Her warrior was outnumbered and was quickly giving ground against the furious attacks of the pair of enemy warriors, bolstered by flying rocks and the occasional sizzle of a Firebolt. Ali trembled, crouching behind her barrier with her minuscule health total foremost in her mind, while trying to cast her roots to save her Kobold Warrior.


    From across the street, a dark red mist began to seep out of the crumpled shape that was Mato¡¯s body, soon developing into billowing clouds. The indistinct form in the shadows began to twist and warp, growing dramatically larger, and suddenly, with a great roar, he shot across the street and slammed into the two Kobold Warriors, knocking one sprawling from the sheer momentum.


    ¡°Mato, heal!¡± Ali screamed.


    She got another roar for a response, but the flicker of green on the impact of his claws told her that the rock trap hadn¡¯t knocked him quite so far into his rage that he lost control. Quickly, she switched her attention to the Fire Mage at the back, and the already intensifying glow of flame blooming in his clawed grasp. Hiding behind her magical barrier she released her bolts overhead to arc downward, pelting the smoking red-scaled Kobold with golden orbs of her magic.


    Her two rogues chose that very moment to emerge from stealth with their devastating Ambush attacks, daggers glinting wickedly in the light of the fire as they stabbed in tandem, sliding their silent blades between his lower ribs. The mage staggered, losing control of his magic, and the partially-formed fireball careened off into the alleyway, detonating with a loud bang against a wall. Heat radiated from the concussion wave of flame on her back, but her nasty tattered robes did their job reducing the damage to a few paltry points.


    she thought.


    Her rogues chirped to each other, coordinating their attacks as they flanked the mage. Her Sage of Learning kicked in, beginning to drain her mana.


    The enemy mage switched to the smaller and faster Firebolt spell, but the relentless attacks from her rogues¡¯ daggers and her Arcane Bolts killed it before it could get off more than a few shots. She let out a held breath as the mage collapsed, relieved that the most dangerous enemy was dead.


    As Ali directed her two rogues to attack the Slinger, who was still peppering her barrier with stones, they chirped again, causing her to lose even more mana to her frustratingly ill-timed Sage skill. She thumped her forehead with the heel of her hand.


    The Slinger managed to fire off two shots at her rogue, whose body was still smoking from the Fire Mage¡¯s magic, and it collapsed in the middle of the street right before reaching its foe, releasing her reserved mana with the sharp whip-crack of a dishcloth stinging her mind. Down a rogue, and missing the benefits of ambushing from stealth, Ali took far longer to kill the Slinger, but she persevered, whittling it down with stab wounds and sizzling bolts of her arcane magic. This was long enough for Mato to take care of one of the warriors by himself.


    She sprinted over and deconstructed the corpse to recover the substantial amount of mana she had spent while sending her remaining rogue limping over to help Mato with the last Kobold. As soon as her mana was recovered, she joined in with her bolts and the last Kobold in the patrol collapsed.


    ¡°¡± she instructed, and her two Kobold minions leapt to assist Mato in dragging the corpses into a nearby house while they hid, worried that the sound of fighting and the detonation might have attracted nearby patrols. But apart from some distant chirping, all remained quiet.


    She barely muffled a squeal of delight. Ali had not expected to level up, but defeating the higher-level Kobolds, and presumably, the additional danger of the initial rock trap, had somehow earned her enough experience to reach level ten.


    All that was well and good, but the snippet of glowing golden text persisted in her mind, refusing to go away.


    The notifications continued to stream by; a soft chorus of chimes in the back of her mind.


    Arcane Insight


    You can see mana.


    Arcane, Perception


    Berserk Summoner


    Your summoned creatures gain Enrage if you lose more than half your health. Their damage is increased proportionally to how damaged you are. Range: 20 meters.


    Nature, Minion, Endurance


    Martial Insight


    Your mana empowering summoned creatures now carries your accumulated experience. Your creatures gain +  to combat abilities. Martial Insight only gains experience when you observe your minions¡¯ combat.


    Nature, Minion, Mastery, Perception


    ¡°Mato! I got a new skill slot and three choices,¡± Ali exclaimed in an excited whisper. Quickly, she shared the options with him. ¡°I want Arcane Insight¡­¡± her excitement grew as she read the deceptively simple description.Mana was the fundamental energy of magic, the substance that made up its structure and the infinite intricacies of its formations. Every important magic researcher had a skill like this. Being able to see mana was essential to understanding magic. Her mother had such a skill and she had used it to teach Ali to manipulate her mana, earning her her first Arcane Cantrip skill when she was a child.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t going to help us get out of here.¡±


    Mato¡¯s words pierced her bubble of excitement and brought her crashing back down to the reality of what they faced.


    ¡°The other two sound as if they would be more useful.¡±


    She desperately didn¡¯t want him to be right, but he was.


    ¡°Berserk Summoner would be great if it counts your withdrawal as damage,¡± Mato said, wrinkling his nose as if he understood her dilemma, but then his voice grew quieter, ¡°but I¡¯m not sure we want more Berserker skills.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Ali said, considering the skill for a moment. ¡°It is too risky. Martial Insight is a much more straightforward improvement to minion damage ¨C well, maybe. That wording about experience is weird.¡±


    ¡°Yes. How many creatures can you make?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°I was going to put my points into vitality, but I could do wisdom and maybe summon up to five Kobolds,¡± she replied. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Martial Insight looks like a large damage boost. If you have enough creatures to leverage it, do you think we can take that boss Kobold at the entrance hall?¡±


    A sudden blinding ray of hope surged in her heart as she hastily checked her mana and the skill description. It was a Mastery skill, and therefore a passive boost to her minions, meaning it wouldn¡¯t cost any more mana than the amount she already reserved to support them. If she followed Mato¡¯s idea, she could bring more minions to the fight. But she would leave herself dangerously low on mana for her defenses, making herself vulnerable and far more reliant on her creatures.


    Her mana use, besides her minions, would just be Arcane Bolt, Barrier, and Grasping Roots.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try it,¡± Ali said. It would be close, but there was no more time. Waiting would simply be giving the doomsday clock of her Domain Withdrawal more time to tick. Besides, even if she followed her normal approach of investing all ten points into vitality, with her racial limitations and the current state of her withdrawal, it would only increase her total health by ten.


    Observing Mato¡¯s sober nod from the corner of her eye, she swallowed what felt like a burning rock and dropped all her attribute points into wisdom. An expansive sense of openness unfolded somewhere deep within her as the well of her mana grew dramatically larger. Quickly, she summoned three more Kobolds: two level eight rogues, and a level nine warrior.


    She checked her mana to verify her mental calculations while summoning armor and weapons for her newest minions.


    With a last longing look at Arcane Insight, Ali selected Martial Insight and immediately felt a strangely disconcerting mental connection to each of her five Kobolds that were standing around watching her.


    ¡°It will be tight, but I think this can work,¡± Ali said eventually. She was going to need to be extremely frugal with her mana usage.


    Mato flexed his shoulders and cracked his knuckles. ¡°Ready?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ***


    Ali peered into the ruined entrance hall, dimly lit by the flickering Kobold campfire.


    ¡°I can identify the mage now, it¡¯s level seventeen,¡± Ali whispered, eyes glued to the hunched Kobold Fire Mage sitting on a rock while the dancing glow of the campfire flickered off her gleaming red scales like a portent of doom.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Mato asked. All signs of his growing depression seemed to have vanished, and instead, he bristled with a strangely restless, manic energy that could only come from desperation.


    Ali thought.  The number of things that could go wrong was astronomical. Her new skill was unproven; it could so easily prove to be inadequate for the fight. She could run out of mana. The boss could be way too strong, just like Armand¡¯s skeleton.


    Ali stopped herself and took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m willing to risk it if you are.¡± She honestly didn¡¯t have a choice, but even so, she was not about to drag Mato into this if he wasn¡¯t sure. They could very well lose their lives in this fight ¨C Ali in particular, given her extremely vulnerable health.


    She saw him take a deep breath too.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it then,¡± he said. ¡°Whatever happens, let¡¯s have a good fight.¡± He shifted into his Bear Form and stepped up to the entrance.


    The biggest wildcards in the fight were going to be the giant warrior Kobold, and the level seventeen mage.


    ¡°Can you engage the big guy and keep him busy?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯ll put my two warriors on the skeleton and try to kill the mage first.¡±


    The huge bear dipped his head once, chuffing softly as he expelled air through his mouth, and then stepped out into the hall. The barely restrained energy from before settled like a sense of resolve into his powerful frame. With a great roar, he charged, grabbing the attention of the entire room. His massive bulk barreled into the giant Kobold, sending the others sprawling in a spray of cinders and sparks from the campfire he had just destroyed.


    ¡°


    Ali¡¯s warriors charged forward, and her rogues were nowhere to be seen. Using the chaos of Mato¡¯s entrance, Ali slipped into the entrance hall, placed her back up against a giant boulder ¨C a fragment of the once great gates of Dal¡¯mohra ¨C and surveyed the battle.


    Now that she was fully committed, her mind told her she was an idiot, and she was going to die.


    She shut her mind up by summoning a barrier. Ali found she could tell precisely where her invisible rogues were as they sneaked past the middle of the fight in stealth. Martial Insight was a bizarre new sense she had never had before ¨C similar to the way she always knew where her arm was, even with her eyes closed ¨C only the same thing for her minions.


    Across the chamber, the Kobold Fire Mage invoked her flames, hunched over a walking stick, staring in Ali¡¯s direction with her hate-filled gleaming red eyes. Ali began her assault, lofting golden Arcane Bolts high over the battlefield to impact the mage while she crouched, sandwiched between her boulder and her barrier. As the mage extended her clawed hand, the ball of flame hovering above it, Ali signaled her rogues.  Shadows shifted, momentarily filled with whetted blades, and all three rogues simultaneously Ambushed the Fire Mage. The brutal flurry of dagger strikes caused the Kobold to falter, and the Fireball careened off into the wall above Ali¡¯s head, detonating with a ringing bang and raining gobs of fire all around her.


    Ali gritted her teeth and hung onto the focus required to maintain her magic.


    Suddenly the shadows nearby flickered as a gob of flame fell from the wall, bouncing off something unseen. Instantly, before the panic could even register, she threw up a new barrier between her and the shadow. With a loud clink of metal, a dagger struck her barrier, cracking it, and a black-scaled enemy rogue appeared out of nowhere, looming over her as its lips curled back into a snarl revealing far too many razor-sharp fangs.


    Just like in her first fight with Malika guiding her, Ali calmed herself, hiding behind her barrier, and cast her Grasping Roots spell. The gnarled wooden roots sprang up and latched onto the rogue¡¯s ankles and coiled around his tail. Then she stepped away from the struggling Kobold and recreated her barrier, and only then did she let her terror register in her mind.


    Her Kobold rogues chirped and yipped, and she sensed their concern flowing through her new augmented link with them.


    ¡±


    She reinforced her intention through the connection. It wouldn¡¯t do to have them rushing over to save her and leaving the Fire Mage to her own devices. A chirping chorus rose from the rogues as they redoubled their efforts and Ali¡¯s Sage of Learning took a sizeable bite out of her mana pool. She grimaced. But she wasn¡¯t about to make the same mistake again ¨C ignoring the mage would be suicide. Not even the magical protection of her tattered robes could save her, now.


    And she needed to prioritize her defenses.


    She yelped and sprang backward as a sizzling Firebolt zipped past her face, bursting into a thousand flying sparks as it hit the boulder beside her. She resummoned her barrier just in time to catch the second Firebolt, eliciting a distant frustrated screech from the Fire Mage.


    She lined up her Arcane Bolt spell targeting the Fire Mage, but at that instant, with a slash of a dagger, the rogue managed to free himself from her roots and came sprinting toward her with a mad gleam in his eyes. Frantically, she switched to Grasping Roots, barely managing to stop the dagger-wielder right before he reached her. She had never been so happy to be able to scramble away and hide on the far side of the boulder before she returned her attention to the Fire Mage.


    A second detonation tore through the hall and one of her rogues collapsed with a smoking hole burned through its chest. Ali kept up her stream of Arcane Bolts and, surprisingly, the Fire Mage collapsed with a final whimper at the feet of her remaining rogues.


    The only reason Ali could think of was the enhanced damage her rogues were able to deal out because of her new skill, especially considering the mage had been level seventeen ¨C and the triple Ambush. But it was not just damage, her little Kobolds seemed to be incredibly resilient compared to before, shrugging off damage from the higher-level monsters that should have incapacitated them.


    Ali quickly refreshed her Grasping Roots and darted across the battlefield to the corpse of the mage. She was almost out of mana already ¨C Sage was nibbling it continuously, and she had needed some emergency barriers she hadn¡¯t counted on to survive that Ambush. She set her two remaining rogues to attack the enemy rogue still struggling to free itself from her roots. Using almost the last of her mana, she created a barrier to protect herself from flying stones and began to deconstruct the mage. By the time she had finished replenishing her mana, her two rogues had already opened some substantial wounds on their foe, making it bleed profusely. Ali launched a fresh flight of Arcane Bolts to support them. Her rogues were taking quite a beating, but her Martial Insight skill was definitely helping them hold their own against the higher-level opponents. After about thirty seconds, the enemy rogue collapsed, dead, and still tangled up in her roots.


    Ali breathed a sigh of relief; her two most feared opponents were out of the way. She glanced over to where Mato was engaged in a furious brawl, but to her relief she could still see the telltale flicker of his healing magic. She ran back across the battlefield to the rogue¡¯s corpse to replenish her mana. Sage of Learning was still taking occasional bites out of her mana pool whenever her Kobolds spoke, and if she didn¡¯t have mana to attack, they would most likely die. Several times Ali had considered instructing them to be quiet, but she needed her minions to have every possible advantage in this fight, and presumably, their chirps were their way of coordinating.


    One of Ali¡¯s warriors lay dead, next to the corpse of the previously animated one-armed skeleton. She had been so absorbed with the threat of the rogue that she hadn¡¯t noticed. Taking the initiative on its own, her other warrior had moved on to assist Mato by the glowing remnants of the campfire. The sling-wielders fired a continuous stream of high-speed rocks at Mato, who was already bleeding from many gruesome-looking sword slashes inflicted by the hulking Kobold Warrior. His red rage-mist was dark and ominous, and he was beginning to froth at the mouth, but somehow, he still had his healing magic running.


    Ali pushed down her fear and decided to focus on the Slinger Kobolds.


    ¡°Heal!¡± she called out, deciding that it would be best to remind him anyway. He still had his new regeneration aura active, as evidenced by the slowly closing cuts on her nearby Kobold warrior¡¯s body. Even in the chaos of battle, an isolated part of her mind noted how effective it was and wondered if she should be trying to take more advantage of it with her minions.


    Leaving herself temporarily vulnerable, Ali created a barrier blocking the Slinger¡¯s line of sight on Mato, and then she sent in her rogues. With her mana no longer critically low, she began arcing her magical bolts over at the weaker of the two rusty-brown Kobold Slingers. Unable to attack Mato, both Slingers switched to pelting her rogues with flying stones that whizzed through the air. There was a chaotic exchange of high-speed ricocheting rocks and flickering daggers, all illuminated by the golden glow of her bolts and barrier. Suddenly one of her rogues and the Slinger they had been attacking both collapsed simultaneously.


    Ali¡¯s mana was running low again, but she dared not run into the fight with the remaining Slinger still standing. Her last rogue immediately engaged the brown-scaled sling-wielder with a spectacular dagger-flourish and Ali immediately supported him with her bolts.  If the rogue died, she would be out of defenders and out of mana ¨C completely vulnerable. The struggle raged on with Ali adding a continuous barrage of missiles, trying her best to conserve whatever mana she could. But after a few moments, she realized that one on one, the ranged sling-wielding Kobold was poorly matched against her dagger-wielding rogue, and a little of her anxiety eased. Letting the rogue finish up, Ali ran over to replenish herself from the sparkles of mana that erupted as she dissolved the corpse.


    Mato was now facing the boss warrior by himself. The red mist of his rage seemed to be contending with the green glow of his healing magic in a precarious battle for supremacy. He was covered with sword slashes and fighting in a slick pool of blood, but the raw power of his ferocious attacks was beginning to stagger the much higher-level Kobold Warrior. Both of Ali¡¯s warrior Kobolds lay dead, face down on the bloody flagstones.


    Mato¡¯s power was unreal, every strike landing with bone-cracking force that reverberated through the chamber and sent showers of crimson blood spraying into the air in the wake of his brutal claws. But the Kobold was more powerful, his bone sword flickering and darting around Mato¡¯s brute force, whittling away at his life with every strike despite his regeneration.


    ¡°¡± she instructed, sending in her rogue ¨C her last remaining minion. And with that she unleashed her remaining mana, pouring it into a steady stream of Arcane Bolts, desperate to finish the Kobold off before they both died.


    ¡°Heal!¡± she urged.


    The Kobold wielded his wickedly serrated sword of bone with uncanny skill, making it blur and whistle with speed. Even with her inexperience, Ali could easily tell it was a far superior weapon than the rusty swords she had seen all the others use.


    The Kobold Warrior boss raised his weapon, making the sword glow briefly before he slammed down with a vicious overhand strike. Blood sprayed from Mato¡¯s shoulder as his flesh separated, sliced to the bone, and he roared as his rage deepened.  Ali had never seen the warriors use that skill before.  The wound started closing ¨C too slowly ¨C as his healing struggled to restore him against the onslaught of that wicked blade. Ali held her focus, pouring her magic into her Arcane Bolts ¨C it was all she could do to help him. She even dropped her barrier to free up mana and focus. Behind the outsized Kobold, Ali¡¯s rogue darted and dodged, stabbing furiously with a blood-drenched dagger. The warrior stamped his foot and his sword glowed again, arcing a near-instantaneous horizontal sweep attack that sliced Mato in the chest and sent her rogue flying with a deep gash through its upper thigh.


    Ali stopped shooting to deconstruct the last Slinger corpse nearby as her rogue limped back into the fray, blood flowing freely from its wound. Finally replenished, Ali attacked once more with her relentless flurry of small but significant strikes. Minutes ticked by. They hung on, Mato hovering on the boundary of mindless rage, Ali almost out of mana, and her rogue barely surviving the occasional hit that the warrior landed on him, before returning to the fight, regenerating with painful slowness within Mato¡¯s aura.


    Eventually, running completely dry yet again, Ali risked moving closer, and without even the protection of her barrier, she deconstructed the skeleton and the body of her own Kobold Warrior, both of which had been killed so much earlier in the fight. Again, she resumed, pouring her recovered mana into her skill, making Arcane Bolts soar across the room. Another two minutes passed without any visible progress before finally, Mato struck the warrior with a great swipe, smashing it to its knees. It hissed, struggling feebly as it clutched its sword and tried to jam it into her friend¡¯s chest in self-defense, but it was too late. Mato¡¯s jaws crunched down on its throat, and it did not get up.


    Mato roared, shaking his head, while blood and froth sprayed into the air. Ali¡¯s rogue hastily backed away.


    ¡°Mato! Stay with me!¡± ¡°Mato. Remember who you are!¡±


    The heavily injured Berserker seemed to be fighting with himself, thrashing back and forward as the red mist seemed to eat at him. Ali created a barrier and her rogue stepped in front of her, chirping at her. His worry for her came through the Martial Insight connection as clearly as if he had spoken it. There was a sudden lurch in her mind and a chime as she suddenly lost most of her remaining mana to the Sage of Learning.


    ¡°I will protect you, Ancient Mistress.¡±


    Suddenly Mato¡¯s body warped, shrinking and twisting back into Beastkin form. He collapsed to the ground, gasping and panting in a pool of blood that seemed to be mostly his own.


    ¡°That was ¡­ almost lost it,¡± he said, coughing and choking, blood spilling from his mouth and running down his chest. He tried to lift his hand. ¡°Stay¡­ Ali, stay away from me for a moment.¡± His eyes still glowed red from within the mist. He looked haunted ¨C as if the battle for his will at the end had taken more out of him than any of the powerful sword strikes.


    Her chimes pinged in the background.


    ¡°Glad to have you back,¡± Ali said as she allowed herself to slump down against a large chunk of stone column.


    ¡°Ugh, a level twenty-one Swordmaster¡­¡± Mato said, still breathing with heavy, ragged gasps, but the feral roughness in his voice was beginning to fade.


    After taking a few minutes to be sure Mato was in control, Ali carefully got to her feet, deconstructed the remaining gear and corpse, making sure to Identify all the items first, just in case. Then she inscribed a Restoration circle for Mato to sit in, knowing his healing magic wouldn¡¯t be much use when he had no enemies to hit. Even though his aura would allow him to recover in time, her magic circle would heal him far faster.


    Sitting down beside him, Ali flicked to her notifications.


    With the abrupt lack of danger, the tension in Ali¡¯s back and neck began to fade. She turned to study her last standing Kobold.


    ¡°You can speak?¡± she asked, trying out her new Draconic language. Her accent was atrocious, even to her ears.


    ¡°Of course, Ancient Mistress,¡± he said. His speech was soft and fluid, punctuated with the chirps she had grown accustomed to.


    An overwhelming rush of emotions, feelings, and thoughts crashed into Ali¡¯s mind now that a strange quiet settled over the ruined Dal¡¯mohran entry hall. Opening her Grimoire, she carefully inscribed her new sword imprint into an open chapter while she considered what had transpired.


    It had been close. Ali still felt terror at the thought of what he might do if he lost control again. She looked around the city¡¯s entrance hall, now empty. While she knew it was just remembered fear, her eyes instinctively searched out the dark alcove from which the ice Death Knight had originally appeared. But, of course, that was a memory of the long distant past.


    Realization slowly seeped into her heart as she gazed at the emptiness between her and the shattered city doors. Trickles of light and hope slowly softened the clenching of her heart.


    ¡°We did it,¡± Mato said softly, unknowingly echoing her thoughts. ¡°I really thought we were going to die.¡±


    ¡°How about we get out of here?¡± Ali said, a tired smile working its way onto her face.


    Mato moaned, but he clambered to his feet and followed, limping a little as he favored a leg that was still not fully healed. She led the way out of the massive open archway and up towards the forest cave and the Grove with her shrine.


    Suddenly, a horrible thought popped into her mind. ¡°Say, you don¡¯t suppose those thugs are still up there waiting for us?¡±


    ¡°Not a chance,¡± Mato said. ¡°It¡¯s been more than a week. They definitely think we¡¯re dead.¡±


    As they retraced the familiar steps from her previous life, Ali began to feel the emotional impact of escaping the underground ruins, the darkness, the shattered remnants of her memories of home, the traps, and all the Kobolds. By the time she entered the Grove, and felt her domain, she was blinking back tears of relief and happiness.

 Chapter 27: Insight

    Chapter 27: InsightMato Mato held his emotions in check as he followed Ali out of the shattered stone doors of the ruined underground city, heading towards what she assured him was the forest cavern above. She was clearly emotional as they left the dark Kobold-infested ruins behind, but he remained vigilant, keeping an eye on the shadows just in case.


    He limped a little as he walked, pain throbbing through the partially healed muscles that had been shredded by the bone sword of the Kobold Swordmaster.  he thought, but he didn¡¯t feel any regret. Ali had seemed eager ¨C bordering on desperate ¨C to leave the dangerous ruins, and he couldn¡¯t say he didn¡¯t feel the same way. The remaining injuries would heal in time ¨C he had his regeneration aura now.


    They followed the broad, rocky tunnel for what seemed like ages, but despite his vigilant glances into every shadowed nook, all remained quiet, save for the soft trickle of water seeping through cracks in the rock and the sounds of their own footsteps. His fears that new monsters might leap out to confront them began to disperse as the passage slowly broadened and flattened out. Eventually, he stepped out into a broad, familiar underground cavern, filled with the mind-bogglingly enormous, blackened tree trunks that supported the uncountable tons of rocky roof far above his head.


    Never in his life would he have believed he¡¯d be so happy to find himself in a dark hole underground.


    Ali¡¯s excitement was growing with every step, and it was hard to not be pulled along with it. As she led the way around a large trunk, he suddenly found himself standing at the edge of the ancient Grove. Ali¡¯s moss carpeted the ground, lit by the tiny glowing mushrooms lining the stone pathway and surrounding the looming dimly glowing mass of the shrine itself. Strewn across the open space were the still-glowing golden shards and fragments ¨C remnants of the magic Ali had said preserved her through the ages.


    Ali let out a whoop of joy and grabbed his hand, drawing him to the center of the moss-covered clearing to sit beside the shrine. His heart nearly stopped at the electric jolt of her touch ¨C a spontaneous connection, pure and unmarred by fear and terror. The surge of relief he felt as he lowered himself to sit ¨C safe now in the familiar Grove ¨C was so powerful it made him lightheaded.


    He sat quietly on the springy moss, enjoying Ali¡¯s joyous smile.


    The thought slowly percolated through his mind and settled in as he finally let himself relax. . He struggled to fully accept the truth after so long being trapped down there.


    They had very nearly died.  Mato reflected on their ordeal, as his eyes roamed around the safe space, still half expecting to see the shadows move or hear the chirping calls of Kobolds or the clacking ungainly movement of a skeleton. He knew he preferred to take life as it came ¨C and liked to say it would all work out in the end.


    This thought weighed on him, refusing to let go. All through his childhood, he had looked out for Calen, protecting him from the bullies who wanted to prey on the slender Half-elf. He was big and powerful, and Calen was smart ¨C it was only natural that he would take the punches and fight back, while Calen would look out for him when they needed to think their way out of problems. It wasn¡¯t really a consideration; it was simply how things were.


    When he had first seen Ali, he had followed his instincts, jumping in to protect her from the wolves. It had felt natural and right ¨C and somewhere along the way she had become a friend. But he had lost control of his power down in the darkness, and he had hurt her. The sound of her bones crunching in his jaws, her screams, the blind fury of his rage, and the taste of her blood filling his mouth would haunt him for the rest of his life.


    He didn¡¯t know how to  anymore. His instincts told him he should protect her as his friend. But down in the ruins, she had looked at him with the same terror she looked at the monsters.


    He shook his head, trying to dismiss the deeply disturbing thoughts. Thoughts that had been easier to suppress while they were in danger, fighting for their lives, now gushed up inside him and threatened to overwhelm his heart.


    he thought, sudden hope shining through the dark turmoil weighing on his heart.  Their last battle had been hard, unbelievably so, and he had been level eight when they had engaged. Ali and her minions had done the bulk of the damage, but surely he must have earned something from the fight?


    With an equal mix of hope and trepidation, he approached the glowing tree in his mind and asked it for the notifications he had suppressed earlier.


    He stared at the last kill notification as a torrent of emotions and memories of the fight coursed through him. He, a level eight Druid, should not have survived against a level twenty-one Swordmaster. A dungeon boss, if his guess was correct. He knew just how close it had been. So many times, he really had lost control to the rage, and it was only his armor and the fact that his healing magic restored his health over time that had dragged him back from the brink again and again. He had no idea how he had even remembered to use his Brutal Restoration skill in the haze of his mindless rage ¨C perhaps Ali¡¯s voice screaming for him to use his heal would haunt his dreams.


    The last, simple notification truly underscored the incredible risk and danger of the fight for him.


    After learning to make Kobolds, Ali¡¯s summoner class had really begun to reveal its power. If she hadn¡¯t been able to bring five strong Kobolds and empower them with her new minion damage skill, they would be slowly cooling corpses down there in the darkness right now. And even then, she had still lost most of her creatures, and the two of them had barely escaped with their lives.


    The notification sent a ripple of complex emotion through him. Just like Ali, he had unlocked a new class skill slot upon reaching level ten. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, daring to hope. Many people believed that the skills offered were related to your achievements, natural aptitude, or even your needs and desires.


    He desperately hoped the latter was true.


    he vowed, resolving to replace Primal Rage with anything he was offered, no matter how bad.


    He opened his eyes and read the first skill.


    Bestial Combat


    Requires: Shapeshifted form.


    You are proficient at fighting while shapeshifted, using natural weapons and forms.


    Stamina: Block a Melee attack, reducing damage taken proportional to strength and skill. Blocked attacks cannot cause critical damage.


    Physical, Melee, Defense, Mastery, Strength


    He could scarcely believe his eyes as he read through the Bestial Combat skill offering a second time, verifying that yes, his class was offering him a different direction. A physical combat mastery skill focused on shapeshifting instead of rage and the amount of damage he took.


    He doubted he would get an answer any time soon.


    The passive proficiency with fighting in shapeshifted form sounded enticing. . It had the Mastery skill trait, so he might need to practice the same way Calen trained with his bow. Blocking melee attacks sounded strong ¨C perhaps a bit on the defensive side, but right now he was willing to accept anything to replace Primal Rage. Again, something he would need to get a feel for, but nowhere in the description did it even hint about losing control of his mind ¨C and that made the skill perfect.


    Obviously, the loss of Primal Rage would severely impact the amount of damage he did, but if he never had to see the fear on the face of his friends again, it would be more than worth it.


    Wrath of Nature


    Mana: Fire a bolt of nature magic to strike your enemies. Range: 30 yards.


    Nature, Ranged, Intelligence


    Wrath of Nature seemed to be a pure damage skill, working from the safety of range. he thought, with the technical exception of his bear-form charge.


    He replayed the fights against Kobolds in the darkened ruins. Nowhere in any of their fights could he think of a place where the range might have made the difference. His friend always came up with smart deductions, excellent insight, and saw the details that Mato often missed. He loved to read up on this kind of stuff too, and Mato simply never had the patience for that. And now he was forced to confront the decision on his own.


    he finally decided. His recent traumatic experience with Primal Rage notwithstanding, Mato knew he enjoyed being up in the front of the battle. He mentally noted Wrath of Nature as his backup in case there was nothing better.


    Natural Prowess


    Three of your attributes appropriate to your form are increased by + .


    Mana: Wisdom, Intelligence, and Perception are increased. Beastkin, Reserve: 20%


    Stamina: Endurance, Vitality, and Strength are increased. Bear Form, Reserve: 20%


    Stamina: Perception, Dexterity, and Strength are increased. Wolf Form, Reserve: 20%


    Nature, Buff, Wisdom


    As soon as Mato read his third and final skill offering, Natural Prowess, his decision was made. A straight-up boost to his attributes would suit him perfectly. Both Calen and Malika already had a similar skill, and he had seen just how effective they were. And this skill would have made a big difference to every fight in the ruins ¨C which passed his test.


    Cautiously happy, he selected Natural Prowess for his newly unlocked skill slot.


    He called up the list of skills available to him and chose Bestial Combat from the two remaining options.


    He selected Primal Rage.


    He confirmed the replacement without hesitation.


    Immediately, he felt a lightness suffuse his entire body, as if a heavy weight had been dropped from his shoulders and the terrifying skill was relegated to the list of unchosen skills, never to be touched again.


    He let out a deep sigh and just sat there for a few moments.


    He considered his thirty attribute points. He spent a few points to increase his lowest attributes, and then split the remainder among strength, wisdom, and endurance. He switched to his Bear Form and enabled Natural Prowess to check his combat status.


    He had lost a lot of skill levels by removing Primal Rage, but he was relieved to have made the change.


    he thought, considering the changes carefully. It might take a little while, but the time invested would be a small price to pay for peace of mind.On the other hand, Natural Prowess had just boosted his vitality, strength, and endurance significantly. His body felt powerful, just standing there. On balance, this change looked like it would improve his combat abilities more in the long term than his old skill, and it would continue to get better as he developed his two new skills.


    He released his Bear Form feeling a strange snap as Natural Prowess switched over from reserving stamina to mana, and his attribute enhancements changed to match his form. He breathed deeply, surprised by just how much tension had simply evaporated with the change.


    ¡°It¡¯s gone,¡± he said to Ali who was sitting next to him, looking somewhat preoccupied. Presumably, she was busy with her class notifications just like he was.


    ¡°What is?¡±


    At her puzzled look he elaborated, ¡°I replaced Primal Rage. I won¡¯t lose control again.¡±


    She stared at him for a long time before speaking. ¡°Thank you, Mato.¡± She let out a heavy sigh, and the tension in her shoulders and face visibly melted away.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry,¡± he apologized once more. ¡°I came very close to losing it during that last fight, too. Thank you for staying with me, I would never have made it out alive without you.¡±


    ¡°I was terrified.¡± Ali spoke quietly, staring off into the dark cavern. ¡°Not just of you. The Kobolds, the rogues in particular, and the withdrawal. Thanks for trying to keep my spirits up even when I had lost hope. I would have given up without you.¡±


    Mato sat quietly for a moment, slowly realizing that Ali didn¡¯t actually hate him.


    ¡°How long do you think your domain withdrawal will take to heal?¡± he asked eventually.


    ¡°It¡¯s already getting better,¡± she answered, smiling. ¡°Probably a couple of hours.¡±


    ¡°Will you be ok by yourself if I go report Calen and Malika missing to the garrison commander and see if there¡¯s any news?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m worried about them.¡± It had been over a week.


    ¡°Yes, I have my rogue,¡± she answered, pointing to the dark Kobold standing guard. ¡°And I can make another one just in case. It will be good to figure out if they need help. Come and get me when you find out anything?¡±


    Nodding, Mato got up and headed to the town above.


    Aliandra


    Ali sat cross-legged on her moss carpet next to the shrine, savoring the sensation of her domain withdrawal slowly dissolving. She wouldn¡¯t be able to do much until she had fully recovered from her withdrawal, so she had watched Mato head up to town on his own to see if he could discover what had become of Malika and Calen.


    Alone with her thoughts, and in her familiar space, the panic and fear of the traumatic days in the underground ruins of her old city slowly began to fade.


    It had certainly featured regularly in her dreams while she was struggling to survive. At first, she had grieved for the loss of her parents, her city, and particularly the Grove as it had been before. But now she felt like this new place was hers. Perhaps it was the familiarity of the shrine, but there were also the small details of her moss and the tiny beautiful glowing fairy rings of mushrooms she had created from her own magic.


    Ali had told Mato she had been close to giving up. She hadn¡¯t told him just how close she had come.


    She recalled her terror as the rogue ambushed her. Her fear of the fire-wielding Kobold mages. Her fear of running out of health due to her domain. Ali had been so deathly afraid of everything that was happening to her, that often she had been ready to lie down in the darkness and simply wait for it all to end. As she sat in quiet contemplation, she realized that she had been carried along by the tide of events ever since the day Nevyn Eld had destroyed Dal¡¯mohra. The only real decision she had made was her class choice. Even the choice of her level ten skill, Martial Insight, had been dictated by circumstance, rather than her own preference.


    She opened the description for her newest skill.


    Martial Insight ¨C level 5


    Your mana empowering your summoned creatures now carries your accumulated experience. Your creatures gain +46.1%  to combat abilities. Martial Insight only gains experience when you observe your minions¡¯ combat.


    Nature, Minion, Mastery, Perception


    Even just at level five, her skill had already begun to show its power. The growing bonus to combat abilities had been vastly more effective than she could have hoped for. Her Kobolds¡¯ damage and defenses had been incomparably stronger, and it was abundantly clear that this skill had saved them. There really hadn¡¯t been enough time to find another exit, and Martial Insight had been the key that allowed them to pass the Kobold Swordmaster guarding the exit. she thought. If she were honest, the sheer power of Mato¡¯s Berserker rage had been just as crucial to defeating the monsters.


    The thought popped unbidden into her mind. It seemed like a silly thing now, perhaps a little petulant, but the ability to see mana and magic in action had always captured her imagination and her heart. Somehow, she couldn¡¯t let go of it. If she hadn¡¯t been in dire circumstances, she would never have picked Martial Insight over Arcane Insight, but now that she had experienced how powerful the skill was, she couldn¡¯t discard it in good conscience.


    she thought, scanning through her skill list. She was at least moderately annoyed with Sage for consuming her mana at the most inopportune moments ¨C including in the middle of a life-or-death battle ¨C but she was similarly reluctant to part with either of them.


    She considered Barrier and Arcane Bolt briefly, but they were her combat mainstays.


    Her gaze settled on Grasping Roots. This was the skill that locked down rogues from getting to her once she entangled them. And Ali was still traumatized by those dreams of rogues hiding behind her in every shadow, daggers ready to stab.


    Ali agonized over her skills, vacillating for ages.


    Eventually, she sat back and sighed. she thought, suddenly remembering that he had said his Primal Rage hadn¡¯t gone away ¨C it had simply been relegated to his list of unselected skill offerings.


    She immediately selected Arcane Insight from the list of available skills.


    Choosing Grasping Roots in response to the prompt, her notification chime sounded again.


    She paused.  Deciding that the experiment would be worth it, she confirmed the choice.


    She heard the chime and her vision exploded as her mind saturated with a sudden, enormous sensory overload. Searing light hammered into her mind like a dense green Fireball had been detonated within her skull.


    She stumbled, falling to the ground.


    She squeezed her eyes shut, but the brilliance continued unabated, projected directly into her mind by the unhinged skill. Consumed with confusion and pain she struggled with it for a while, eventually realizing she couldn¡¯t turn it off. She brought up the skill description again looking for anything to explain what was happening.


    Arcane Insight ¨C level 1


    You can see mana.


    Arcane, Perception


    Relieved that she could still see the notifications, she read over the text three times, but it gave her no answers. The description was simple, there was no cost to using the skill meaning it would always be on. Much like her Sage of Learning, she couldn¡¯t control it.


    The pain of her headache and sensory overload pounded inside her head, causing her substantial discomfort even though her endurance attribute was supposedly helping her manage it. Arcane Insight didn¡¯t list exactly how, but the perception trait implied that the skill scaled somehow with the attribute.


    Carefully, she spent a point on perception, noticing that the intensity of the light shifted.  She spent points slowly, noticing how the light began to clarify. When she had spent ten points on perception, she could clearly tell that the light was emanating upward from the ground.


    She tilted her head to gain a different angle, causing a sudden intensification of the stabbing pain behind her eyes.


    The distinction suddenly clarified dramatically. The extraordinary light emanated from the ground in viridian streamers, lazily trailing upward as it flowed like a soft mist or an aurora originating from below. The intense brilliance hadn¡¯t faded, but it seemed much more manageable.


    Suddenly, it clicked.  A domain, by its very nature, was an intense aura of magical energy. No wonder it was so bright.


    ¡°Help me,¡± she said in Draconic, calling her Kobold rogue over. She made it guide her to the edge of the domain, stumbling all the way ¨C she still couldn¡¯t trust her vision. In the shifting brilliance of her surroundings, she noticed a core kernel of gold and green deep inside the Kobold¡¯s chest. Ali puzzled over the effect.


    At the edge of her domain, she was confronted by something just as inexplicable. The entire cavern was filled with swirling streams of brilliant darkness. She deliberated on the apparent contradiction in her mind, but it was the best explanation she had. Somehow, what she was seeing looked like a brilliantly intense light show, but the colors were inexplicably black and a malevolent dark purple. Watching it made her queasy in the pit of her stomach.


    Ali retreated into her domain on the arm of her Kobold, who seemed worried by her strange behavior. She sat down, and then finally lay flat on her back, discovering that upward was the least painful direction to be looking. The moss tickled the back of her neck, a delightful reminder that she was no longer down in the ruins, forced to sleep on the cold and dusty stone floors, with creepy Bone Skitterers trying to crawl all over her.


    After lying on the ground for a few minutes, Ali decided to try something. Raising her hand, she created a small barrier disk. Against the dark backdrop of the cavern roof, she studied the mana that created the golden magical construct. It glowed with far more brilliance than when she had viewed it with only her mundane senses. With her new sight, she could see how the mana structured itself within the construct ¨C an ordered arrangement that seemed almost crystalline. Unlike her moss, which was spewing mana in all directions, her barrier neatly constrained the mana in what looked to be a much more efficient arrangement.


    Next, she tried the same test with her Arcane Bolt skill, choosing a distant tree trunk as her target. The golden bolts appeared much like the barrier, but they manifested small eddies and flows of mana around the outside of each one.


    Whatever the reason, Ali was fascinated to see how the magic worked. Even if she didn¡¯t quite understand how.


    she realized, and slowly sat up and looked around. The mana streamers were still just as active and bright, but somehow her vision was no longer being overloaded by the sensation.


    Curious to see more, Ali pulled out her Grimoire, the book appearing in a riot of gold and green light. She examined the book for a while, taking time to get used to how everything magical now looked quite different to her. She flipped through the entries, studying the mana flowing within the runes inscribed on its pages.


    Finding herself examining the chapter for her mushroom imprint, she decided to give it a try. The light show of her mana flowing into the script on the pages was spectacular. Each rune lit up in rapid succession and then the impression of that symbol rose from the pages as a floating runic structure of pure mana. Swirling together in an intricate dance, each spell structure delivered its unique payload, contributing to constructing the mushroom.


    The spell finished and a mushroom appeared on the verdant moss beside her.


    The mushroom was now identified with an additional Arcane tag she hadn¡¯t seen before. Identify, she remembered, had some relationship with other skills.


    Identify ¨C level 7


    Mana: Discern information about a creature or item up to level 19 . Synergizes with any relevant Perception, Knowledge, or Information skills.


    Synergy (Arcane Insight): Identify will show the type of mana for any visible magic effects.


    Knowledge, Perception


    Ali spent quite some time studying the golden energy that slowly began to fill the small mushroom. After some time, the mushroom filled with so much mana it began to spill out into the surrounding air as tiny streamers of light ¨C golden versions of the viridian mana being released by the moss.


    Ali looked around, curious to learn more about her new skill and abilities as if an entirely new world had suddenly opened to her.


    Ali was excited by that for a while, but then she stopped, a strange thought occurring to her. She had found the mushrooms and the moss within ten meters of the shrine when she had woken up, and so far, she had found neither of them anywhere else. And they represented both of her own personal mana affinities.


    Her father had been a nature mage, and this had been his domain. Ali even recognized the moss as the same as that which covered large areas of his forest domain.  She puzzled over the problem for a while.


    It had been charged with an astronomical amount of what was presumably her father¡¯s mana. And mana, she knew, had the ability to influence things it came into contact with.


    she thought, her gaze resting on the shards of her mother¡¯s magic that still glowed with powerful energy ¨C much more visible now in her new sight.


    While she couldn¡¯t really prove it, she was happy with her explanation for now.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try something a little more ambitious,¡± she told her attentive Kobold.


    ¡°Of course, Ancient Mistress,¡± came the soft response.


    she grumbled, but the excitement of discovery couldn¡¯t be suppressed by trivialities. She paged through her Grimoire to the Kobold chapter and began summoning a new Kobold. Mana exploded in her sight into a riot of movement and light, vastly more complex than before. Halfway through the summoning, her chime sounded, and her vision dramatically clarified. She could see the strands and tendrils of mana flowing and entwining as it poured forth from her Grimoire creating all the parts of the summoned creature. As it completed, the mana flows settled into a pulsing gold and green core deep within the chest of the Kobold, right around where Ali imagined the Kobold¡¯s heart to be.


    Ali didn¡¯t stop there, she continued creating gear for her new Kobold, watching the display of magic in action with rapt attention.


    With her improved clarity, she took in the mana from her domain once more, noticing something unusual near the shrine. She got up to investigate. The shrine itself stood dark, as expected, but it was actually glowing now ¨C just not particularly obvious against the backdrop of the magical light show created by her moss and mushrooms. All around the shrine, the mana swirled, forming thick streamers of magic that circled the black stone obelisk. It was as if the shrine was the eye of a maelstrom, sucking everything in toward it.


    She couldn¡¯t quite tell, but it was definitely doing something.


    On an impulse, she Identified the shrine.


    Shrine of the Ancient Grove


    Owner: Aliandra Amariel


    Mana Siphon (Active)


    Mana: Unlock class experience


    Mana: Unlock or enhance latent magical affinities


    Mana: Unlock alternate classes


    Owner¡¯s Mana: Recharge the shrine¡¯s mana reserve. 79,325/1,250,000


    Shrine ¨C Artifact


    The shrine had substantially more mana in its reserve than it had when she had last checked it. As she watched, the number ticked up to 79,327.


    While it had obviously been the best use of the shrine, Ali had been sad to have drained it. And so, she watched it recharging from her domain mana with excitement. She had initially calculated it would take her years to recharge it herself, but astonishingly, the shrine recognized her domain mana as hers and was on track to complete recharging in what looked like it might be mere weeks.


    She experimented by deactivating the ability. Instantly, the swirling of mana around the obsidian surface ceased, returning to a calm stationary field, and the shrine¡¯s mana reserve ceased increasing. Happy to have figured it out, she activated it again, deciding to leave it on until the shrine was fully recharged.


    Her notification chime surprised her right out of her celebration.


    Sage of Learning ¨C level 8


    Your ability to learn languages, magical systems, history, and similar academic knowledge is significantly enhanced. You have enhanced memory for the content you have studied.


    Arcane, Knowledge, Perception, Intelligence


    Biting her tongue in excitement, Ali accepted the advance without hesitation. The only change to her skill description was the addition of ¡®magical systems¡¯ in the list of things Sage of Learning would help her understand, but it was more than enough.


    Just learning Arcane Insight had triggered a potentially powerful advance for her Sage skill. Ali didn¡¯t have to think hard to figure out which magical systems had helped unlock it for her: her domain, her Grimoire and its summoning magic, and the shrine itself would all be considered incredibly complex, intricate magical systems by all the researchers she had worked with. Notoriously difficult puzzles to unravel and understand.


    Ali had motivated her skill switch in her mind as an experiment. But now she knew the change was permanent. There was no way she was giving up this skill.  She was certainly not doing that to restore Grasping Roots.


    She spent the next couple of hours experimenting with the abilities and limitations of her new sight, growing large swathes of moss and mushrooms to expand her domain, and pestering her two Kobolds for the draconic names for everything she could see. She examined and studied everything, learning that the Blackened Deathcap mushrooms had an affinity with death magic, watching with fascination as her domain mana slowly trickled into the moss she planted, and even stepping outside her domain to study the dark mana that was being emitted from various bone piles and mushrooms.


    Ali felt happiness for the first time since she had fallen down the dark shaft. However, the memories of her experiences lent a serious cast to her efforts. She spent significantly more time and mana expanding her domain, knowing that if she had been more diligent before falling down the hole, she would have been able to summon another Kobold or two, making the last fight that much easier. After the battle with the Swordmaster, Ali was exquisitely aware of just how important mana was to her class.


    Abruptly, she found herself rubbing the gooseflesh on her arms.  and still, it had not been enough. On that sobering note, she finished spending her attribute points, dividing the remainder evenly between wisdom and intelligence and settled in to study her domain more while she waited for the remnants of her domain withdrawal to dissolve.


    ***

 Chapter 28: A Walk Through the Forest

    Chapter 28: A Walk Through the ForestMatoMato crouched in a dirty alleyway in the dim predawn light, extending a morsel of food on the palm of his hand to the timid stray dog. He held the pillow under one arm and tried not to get it dirty. Under normal circumstances, he would have avoided even entering such a dangerous part of town, but he needed information.


    It wasn¡¯t a particularly high level, but, pitted against the typical denizens that lurked in the slums of Myrin¡¯s Keep, he should easily be able to hold his own. It was the higher-level thugs operating under the authority of those officially sanctioned organizations masquerading as ¡®legal¡¯ he would have to watch out for. The Town Watch ¨C Kieran Mori¡¯s organization ¨C was particularly aggressive about snapping up anyone with dubious morals who managed to raise themselves above the dross.


    He wrinkled his nose at the stench of something rotten emanating from further down the alley past the first half-collapsed building. The dog looked mangy and underfed and seemed to have made its home in a hole behind one of the collapsed walls.


    Commander Brand¡¯s aide at the garrison headquarters had proved unhelpful, having no information about Calen or Malika¡¯s whereabouts, mentioning only that Calen¡¯s mother had been there looking for him, too. Every day.


    Mato had thought that describing their attackers would have gotten him some help, but that had proved to be a big mistake. He frowned at the memory. As soon as he had described the hooded and masked rogue with a spear, and the instantaneous Impale attack, the aide had turned the color of a starched sheet. Identifying the man as Kieran Mori he immediately dismissed Mato saying that nobody could face the man known as Sudden Death.


    He could have bitten off his own tongue.


    It took a lot of digging before he turned up a lead. Someone in the market with connections to the darker underbelly of Myrin¡¯s Keep had let him know that a Kel¡¯darran slave caravan had visited town ¨C and left almost a week ago. It was the timing that had caught his attention.


    Mato had stopped by Calen¡¯s house to let his mother know what he knew ¨C precious little ¨C and had borrowed one of his pillows. Which is why he was crouched in this smelly alleyway trying to converse with a stray dog using his strange Beast language.


    The dog limped closer, hopping awkwardly on three legs, favoring a severe injury to the one held off the ground. The paw looked broken and badly infected. It seemed hungry and scared, but also extremely suspicious of this strange person offering a scrap of meat. Mato waited patiently for it to get just a little closer.


    As soon as the dog entered his Sanctuary aura, he connected, communicating calming feelings and a friendly intention. The dog froze. Mato relaxed, not making any sudden movements, and simply allowed his mood to flow outward, carried somehow by his aura. After just a few moments, the dog decided he really was friendly and limped over, wagging its short stubby tail in a way that Mato could only describe as tentative. As soon as the dog reached his hand, and the morsel of food, it began to relax too. The combination of his friendly intent, food, and the advanced regeneration shared by his Sanctuary seemed to be calming it down, and it looked at him now with more curiosity than fear.


    Mato held out Calen¡¯s pillow for the dog to sniff and concentrated on his connection to the dog¡¯s feelings. Immediately, Mato¡¯s awareness was drawn into a fragment of the dog¡¯s memory, recalled by the scent of the pillow.


    He was hungry and shivering, cowering under some boxes.  There were people moving around on the street in the early light of dawn. Large, wrapped bundles were dragged out of the house and loaded into a wagon.  He crept forward hoping for food. The scent of the bigger bundle matched the pillow. He crept forward again. One of the men turned and shouted, kicked him in the leg with a steel-tipped boot. Yelping in pain, he fled.


    The sensation of the memory faded, and Mato fed the rest of the food to the dog, scratching him gently behind the ears. ¡°Good boy,¡± he murmured. ¡°Good dog.¡±


    Calen and Malika were alive ¨C at least they had been when they were loaded onto the wagon. And the several gray, lizard-like Kel¡¯darran faces confirmed the lead he had uncovered in the marketplace. Knowing that they had left by the south gate just reinforced the story solidifying in his mind.


    Mato waited there for a while, giving his aura more time to work as he considered what he had learned. Eventually, finished with the food he had offered, the dog pranced around a little, clearly happy that his fractured leg had been healed, and then he scampered off.


    Mato sent feelings of gratitude to the dog through his connection before it disappeared into the abandoned building.


    After memorizing the face for a future drubbing, he decided he felt better about life.


    He straightened up.


    Aliandra


    There was no chance Ali was going to stay home while Malika and Calen were held captive, prisoners to some slave caravan out in the wilderness. But when Mato told her that the caravan was a week out from Myrin¡¯s Keep, the specter of her domain withdrawal crawled its way down into her gut and twisted inside her.


    ¡°A week?¡± her voice betrayed her fear by cracking embarrassingly.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mato answered. ¡°I organized for us to hitch a ride with the courier. He¡¯s leaving in about an hour.¡±


    ¡°Mato, I can¡¯t survive that long away from my domain.¡± Her friends were being taken ever further out of reach, and there was no way she could travel for a week, rescue them, and still make it back home before her withdrawal killed her.


    ¡°I need your help if we have to fight the caravan guards to rescue them,¡± Mato answered. ¡°I bought these, what do you think?¡±


    Mato handed her a small pouch designed to be attached to a belt. Curious, she reached inside and pulled out a vial filled with a goopy viscous black sludge that seemed to swirl and twist without rhyme or reason.


    Potion of Recall ¨C level 10 (Smoke)


    Break: Creates a cloud of black opaque smoke, teleporting you to a set teleportation locus.


    Locus:  Novaspark Academy of Magic, Myrin¡¯s Keep.


    Potion ¨C Consumable


    Ali had never seen a potion like it before. Teleportation potions were not that unusual, and they were usually fairly expensive, a tool of the well-to-do and important folk who, for whatever reason, didn¡¯t have access to their own teleportation skill.


    It was the sight of the mana with its curious smoke affinity that captured Ali¡¯s curiosity. Deep within the viscous black, she could see the mana billowing, somehow confined within the vial by the skill of the alchemist. It seemed to her sight that someone had captured an enormous cloud of black smoke and trapped it in the tiny vial.


    ¡°How much did this cost?¡± Ali asked him, examining the vial and its magic. She wondered at the kind of person who would add ¡®run away¡¯ to what was effectively an escape potion. Carefully, she wrapped it up in the cloth and tucked it back into the pouch.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask. I figured after the ruins, we shouldn¡¯t take any chances, even if it¡¯s expensive.¡±


    His rueful grin, and the three other pouches he was carrying, told Ali everything she needed to know.


    ¡°Will it work?¡± Mato asked, a flicker of what looked like hope playing across his features.


    Ali¡¯s hand touched the pouch she had just fastened to her belt. It was an incredible idea and Ali was amazed at Mato¡¯s thoughtfulness. Just having the potion would allow her to travel for nine days before she needed to return, and then she could return instantly.


    There was always a catch.


    ¡°Yes, this is perfect,¡± she answered him. ¡°Thank you, Mato. That¡¯s some sharp thinking.¡±


    As Mato led the way out of the cavern, he pulled a few things from his bulging pack. ¡°I have sandwiches if you¡¯re hungry, and the fruit seller in the marketplace had some ripe plums, too.¡±


    Ali¡¯s stomach cramped instantly, this being the first time she had seen food in over a week. ¡°Maybe a little.¡±


    Her gut promptly produced a growl better suited to Mato¡¯s Bear Form than a delicate and cultured Fae like herself.


    ***


    Ali gazed around at the quiet main street by the pre-dawn light as she followed close behind Mato. Having not been above ground in weeks ¨C or, if her class description was correct, millennia ¨C she was somewhat disoriented to discover it was just before morning and the sun had not yet risen. She had been awake for what felt like more than half a day already.


    Malika had not been kind with her description of Myrin¡¯s Keep, and neither Mato nor Calen had corrected her on it, so Ali had been a little concerned about what awaited her when Mato finally led her up and out of the sewer and into the town itself.


    The reality of it was quite a lot worse than she had expected. The first thing she saw as she climbed up out of the sewer was a discarded body lying in a pool of drying blood at the back of the dingy alley.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Mato said, following her gaze. ¡°It¡¯s not a nice town.¡±


    ¡°Is it safe to walk around like this?¡±


    ¡°No, keep your Kobolds nearby, and we¡¯ll try to stick to the bigger roads. We should be safer with more people around.¡±


    Her Kobolds vanished into the shadows at her command, and Ali kept a careful eye out as she followed Mato. By the dim light, Myrin¡¯s Keep felt uncannily similar to walking the ruins of Dal¡¯mohra ¨C only without the tripwires and the bone-spraying monsters. Several of the buildings they passed by were gutted and run down, some consumed by fire and others simply neglected, adding to the feeling that she was walking through some kind of dilapidated ruin. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    she thought, reminding herself that Kieran Mori didn¡¯t know they were alive ¨C and if he did, he probably didn¡¯t care that much anyway.


    On the other hand, here and there she saw some of the earlier merchants already setting up for the day. It still blew her mind that there was a large town up here, above what had once been the forest from her childhood. She looked at a baker who was setting out buns and bread that steamed slightly in the cool dawn air and shifted uncomfortably. Her wings, folded up against her back inside the tattered Kobold robes, were beginning to rub a little raw against the ill-fitted coarse fabric.


    Her stomach grumbled a cranky note of discontent, reminding her that she still hadn¡¯t finished the food Mato had given her. She took out a purple plum and nibbled on it slowly. While she was ravenous, and the fruit deliciously sweet, her stomach clenched painfully at the unfamiliar intrusion of food, so she decided to take it slow lest she make a personal contribution to the general nastiness of this alleged civilization. She wrinkled her nose at the delicate fragrance emanating from a rotting trash heap in an alley as they passed by.


    ¡°This is it, the south gate,¡± Mato announced, as they reached a small open square near an enormous stone wall. There was a giant archway with a raised portcullis through which Ali could see a road, some grass, and in the distance, a forest.


    Near the gate was a sizeable, expensive-looking wagon being loaded with packages under the supervision of a tall man dressed in some kind of uniform. Mato immediately approached him and, as they talked, Ali¡¯s attention was taken instead by the giant bird hitched to the front of the wagon.


    The avian was huge, much broader and heavier than a horse, and it stood on two long legs that ended in wicked-looking taloned feet that clawed impatiently at the ground, as if eager to run. It had no wings, but its feathers had a beautiful, iridescent green sheen to them that caught the sunlight in a way that seemed to proudly proclaim its handsomeness to all onlookers.


    Mato helped her up onto the front seat of the wagon and then took a seat next to the driver ¨C the courier, Ali deduced.


    ¡°Hi,¡± she said. The man nodded back politely but did not meet her eyes. Mato produced a meaningful growl perhaps designed to remind the man to keep his distance to a maximum and his curiosity to a minimum.


    The wagon would take the packages to the next town, using the fastest transport available. According to Mato, there was a big market for the transport of items that were important enough to transport quickly, but not so important that the merchants were willing to pay for expensive magical teleportation services.


    The courier gave her an odd look when her two Kobolds joined her in the wagon, but he didn¡¯t make any comment, simply turning and picking up the reins, and flicking them gently. The gorgeous Plains Moa raised its head and began strutting toward the gate. The guards waved them through, and before she knew it, they were outside the town.


    ¡°Hold on, please,¡± the courier said, before clicking with his mouth and snapping the reins.


    Ali¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of the Plains Moa reacting to his command. Transparent white wisps of mana billowed outward from the bird as it leaned forward and suddenly took off, tearing down the road at a speed Ali couldn¡¯t believe.


    Much to her embarrassment, she let out a squeak of surprise as she snatched the rail to prevent herself from flying backward.


    The courier let out a good-natured chuckle. ¡°Fast, isn¡¯t she? She¡¯s expensive and fussy, and most people can¡¯t be bothered to train them, but she more than makes up for it in speed.¡± He sounded inordinately proud of his bird.


    ¡°She¡¯s beautiful,¡± Ali answered breathlessly, watching the subtle play of the creature¡¯s magic.


    ***


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    At Mato¡¯s shout, the courier hauled on the reins, and the powerful Moa dug its talons into the dirt, raising a billowing cloud of dust but stopping the entire wagon in a display of pure power.


    Ali¡¯s head snapped forward from the sudden change of momentum, but when they came to a stop, she saw what had caught Mato¡¯s attention. Through the trees on the side of the road, she could make out several upturned wagons, with crates scattered about. Several of the wagons were burnt-out husks.


    ¡°You can let us out here,¡± Mato told the courier.


    ¡°But we¡¯re not even halfway to the next town?¡± The courier had told them that it would take five days to reach the next town, but they had only been on the road for two days so far.


    ¡°Our friends were kidnapped by that merchant caravan,¡± Mato explained.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± the courier clicked his tongue. ¡°Is this the Kel¡¯darran caravan? I heard they like to play loose with the law in places like Myrin¡¯s Keep but this ¨C this is something else.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mato answered, handing him a small pouch that clinked like coins. ¡°Here¡¯s the amount we agreed on.¡±


    The courier pocketed his earnings with the air of a man well pleased to be paid full price for half a trip. As Ali dismounted from the wagon using one of her rogues for assistance, the man gazed speculatively at the wreckage.


    ¡°Do you want this kept secret?¡± he asked, his voice suddenly flat and completely neutral.


    ¡°No, feel free to report it to the authorities as you feel appropriate,¡± Mato answered, earning a smile from the man. As soon as they were out, the courier bid them farewell and tore off in a fresh cloud of dust, rapidly dwindling down the road.


    ¡°He¡¯ll probably get a finder¡¯s fee or bounty if he reports this,¡± Mato said. ¡°Let¡¯s go search the site ¨C but be careful. There might still be trouble around.¡±


    Mato shifted to his Wolf Form and loped forward to investigate the wreckage of the caravan.


    ¡°Keep alert for danger, and guard me,¡± Ali commanded her Kobolds.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ancient Mistress.¡±


    The soft chirps of their draconic speech sounded unnaturally intrusive carrying over the otherwise completely silent wreckage in the middle of the forest. The two Kobolds vanished from her sight. Ali noted idly as she had not seen any mana usage, nor could she detect their presence using her Arcane Insight. Similar to what she had just observed when Mato had turned himself into a Wolf. While it made sense that he¡¯d use his Wolf Form for a task like this, Ali frowned inwardly. He could not have many levels on his Wolf, could he? Was it wise to level up in an imbalanced way?


    Ali walked forward and began examining the wreckage. She had no particular expertise in tracking or hunting, but it was immediately clear to her that someone or something had stripped it clean. While there was the occasional broken sword, spear, or snapped bow strewn about, there were no bodies. All of the crates had been smashed open and most of the contents were missing. It looked like the caravan had careened off-road back at the bend, and the passage from there to here was strewn with burnt wagons, smashed trees, and torn-up dirt. Only two of the wagons appeared to be moderately intact, and one of those ¨C the one right in front of her ¨C looked like a cage with wheels that had been flipped upside down. It, and the ground all around it, was scorched black from the aftermath of what looked very much like a Fireball.


    Ali swallowed hard and almost summoned a barrier before thinking better of it.


    She let Mato roam around outside, while she got one of her rogues to help her climb up and into the cage through the open door. There wasn¡¯t much to see inside, other than some small sections of severed rope, so she decided to leave, but as she turned, something caught her eye, a glint of metal nestled up in the corner almost covered by a half-burned scrap of tarpaulin. Walking over, she picked it up.


    In her small hands, the black steel cuffs seemed overly large and somehow ominous.


    Cuffs of Greater Suppression ¨C level 20


    Requirements: None


    -20 to level requirement


    -227% to Mana and Stamina regeneration


    Hands ¨C Handcuffs


    Ali was so horrified by the thing she was holding that she almost dropped it.


    Suddenly eager to leave the cage wagon, she handed the cuffs to her Kobold. ¡°Please hold onto these,¡± she instructed and then got a hand-up from him so that she could clamber back out. Once safely outside again, she set off to where Mato was sniffing intently at the ground.


    ¡°Find anything?¡±


    Mato¡¯s body shifted, fur receding, face twisting, tail disappearing, until the Beastkin stood in the place of the wolf.


    ¡°Goblins,¡± he said. ¡°Lots of them. I found Malika and Calen¡¯s scent ¨C it¡¯s faint, but they had a fight here, and then they went that way into the forest.¡±


    ¡°So, they¡¯re alive?¡±


    ¡°They were,¡± Mato said cautiously. ¡°At least, they survived the wreckage.¡±


    He sounded anxious, so Ali added, ¡°They¡¯re both fast and smart and they have their classes, I¡¯m sure they are still alive.¡±


    Mato huffed audibly. ¡°Yes. They must be.¡±


    ¡°I found this in that cage,¡± Ali said, handing him the cuffs she had found.


    ¡°Oh shit, that¡¯s nasty!¡± He looked at the cuffs like they might bite him at any moment. ¡°How did they get out of this?¡±


    Mato had unwittingly confirmed Ali¡¯s suspicion. Somehow, she was certain that Calen and Malika had been bound aboard that cage wagon and forced to wear suppression restraints.


    ¡°No idea. What should we do?¡±


    ¡°Can you make some wolves to help me track? We can find them quicker that way. You follow along with some of your Kobolds in case we run into any Goblins. I¡¯ll check in with you regularly.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali pulled out her Grimoire and got to work. she thought, considering for a moment before deciding how many creatures to make. With her domain providing ninety extra mana, she decided she could afford to be a bit extravagant.


    She had made her own wolf pack.


    ¡°Nice,¡± Mato approved. ¡°The trail goes that way, just keep heading in that direction if you don¡¯t see me nearby.¡± And with that, he transformed himself back into a wolf. He seemed to confer briefly with the other wolves with a brief series of strangled-sounding barks and eerie growls before they all fanned out in the direction he had indicated.


    she thought, considering her next move.  Checking on her mana, she summoned three more Kobolds, and gear to equip them.


    she thought, wondering if she should have bought something better when they were in town. But of course, she had no money. She had created leather armor for all of them, daggers for the rogues, and swords for the warriors, but the weapons were cracked and pitted and seemed to be of poor quality.  But she had her own little army now, and that made her feel both proud and much more secure.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head out ¨C follow the wolves, watch for Goblins,¡± she instructed, the draconic syllables still unfamiliar and awkward in her mouth. She struggled most with the strange yips and chirps ¨C sounds that seemed unique to the anatomy of the Kobolds¡¯ vocal cords. Immediately, her rogues melded with the shadows, silencing their chirping, while the two warriors fell in beside her, clearly taking a guard role. It surprised her still, that they would interpret her orders if she was vague. When she had been using Sewer Rats, she needed to give far more precise commands, but the Kobolds seemed so much more intelligent, able to understand that the threat of Goblins meant she required protection.


    The wolves didn¡¯t cost a whole lot anymore, but the highest-level Kobold rogue was taking up a whole eighty mana on his own. It seemed reasonable to her that a level eleven creature cost a lot more, given that it was substantially more powerful than her level two Starving Wolf, for instance ¨C and she had personally witnessed just how much stronger they were down in the ruins. But she hoped that reserving almost half her mana pool for summoned creatures wasn¡¯t going to be too much if it came down to a fight.


    Up ahead, Mato¡¯s dark Wolf Form slunk silently among the dappled shadows falling across the trail. It came as something of a relief that, even though he was mostly unseen, he was still nearby. Her own Starving Wolves were smaller and seemed perfectly happy deferring to him as a pack leader, especially with her encouragement.


    She had been walking for over an hour and she was growing quite bored. Nothing had happened, and although her minions remained vigilant, Ali¡¯s active mind was searching for something to do. Mato and her wolves continued to range widely, and she only caught sight of them briefly, unless it was Mato stopping by to tell her when the trail changed direction. Counting the sightings had occupied her attention for all of five minutes before she had decided that was a stupid game for children.


    ¡°What do you call that?¡± Ali asked in her rudimentary draconic, pointing to a giant oak tree.


    ¡°It is a tree, Ancient Mistress,¡± the Kobold told her.


    ¡°Do you have to call me ¡®Ancient Mistress¡¯?¡± she asked grumpily. Even though the Kobold was obviously using it as a term of respect ¨C or perhaps a title or marker of authority ¨C it didn¡¯t sit too well with her.


    ¡°Yes, Ancient Mistress,¡± the Kobold replied in the same calm voice. She looked at him sharply, but it didn¡¯t appear that he was sassing her. It wouldn¡¯t have surprised her though; she still wasn¡¯t used to the idea of her summoned creatures being able to speak at all. She turned her attention back to the forest.


    ¡°Tree.¡± She tried to emulate the pronunciation as best as she could to familiarize herself with the word. She wondered idly what it might be like to create trees down underground to go with her moss and mushrooms. ¡°What kind of tree?¡±


    ¡°Oak, Ancient Mistress.¡±


    She frowned, but continued with her questioning; rock, bush, stream, the list continued endlessly. Fortunately, her minions never tired of answering her questions. The forest was pretty, and Ali enjoyed the oak and maple trees, and the myriad ferns, bushes, and wildflowers she found along the way. With each new discovery, she doubled down on her intention to level up her Grimoire of Summoning so that she might learn as much of this as possible.


    When night finally fell, Mato returned with the rest of her wolf pack. ¡°I found a good camping spot,¡± he announced and then led the way to a clearing with a small bubbling brook.


    He pulled out some sandwiches for a light dinner and, as they ate, he shared what he had found. Calen and Malika¡¯s tracks continued more or less in a straight line, even though he had found signs of many clashes with Goblins, and he had guessed roughly where they were headed. He had a lot of thoughts and explanations which Ali listened to even though she didn¡¯t quite follow, but she thought it summed up to ¡®they went south¡¯.  she thought, somewhat confused as to what they might have been thinking.


    ¡°Do you think I could grow trees next to the shrine?¡± Ali asked, once they were both done eating.


    ¡°Naturally? No, it¡¯s dark,¡± he answered. ¡°But ¡­ if you can grow moss and mushrooms, and make Kobolds that don¡¯t need sleep or food, I¡¯d imagine trees should be easy.¡±


    ¡°I think I want to try to learn to make them.¡± She studied the various trees that surrounded their small camp, imagining a few oaks growing around the shrine like her father once had.


    ¡°Does it matter which ones you dissolve with your skill?¡±


    ¡°No, I think I just need variety for the magic to know what is normal.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t destroy any of these,¡± he said, indicating the nearby trees. ¡°These are newish growth, and just becoming developed. I think it would take a long time for the forest to recover.¡±


    Ali was surprised by his serious tone and disappointed that she would be causing damage to the forest to learn the trees, but then Mato continued.


    ¡°That one over there looks like a good choice,¡± he said, pointing a little way beyond the stream. ¡°It looks like it was struck by lightning, and it will not recover well. It¡¯s also in a crowded spot, so removing it will make space for the new growth.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°No problem. I can mark a few along the path tomorrow if you like,¡± he answered.


    ¡°That would be perfect.¡± She smiled and walked over to the tree he had pointed out. It was a majestic old oak with broad boughs that reached almost to the ground. Part of the trunk was blackened and split, clearly damaged from the lightning as Mato had just pointed out.


    She carefully placed her hand on the trunk of the damaged tree and activated her magic, a spectacular light show of information and mana, now that she could see the magic in action. Her magic ran its course and the tree shimmered and exploded into tiny motes of mana drifting upward and slowly fading among the softly rustling leaves of the forest canopy.

 Chapter 29: Goblin Bugbears

    Chapter 29: Goblin Bugbears- Bragni Doomhammer [The Hammer of Justice], Dwarven King of Dal¡¯mohra.


    Malika


    Malika trudged along the game trail, forcing her tired eyes to keep scanning the forest around her. It was a little after dawn, and the forest felt hushed as if it held its breath, waiting for something to happen. She was exhausted. Neither she nor Calen had gotten any sleep over the last two days in their desperate scramble to stay ahead of the pursuing Goblins.


    But it was not hard to motivate herself to keep going. All she had to do was recall the sight of the Goblin horde pouring out of the cave entrance with their raucous calls, brandishing their rusty weapons so recklessly that she had seen the severed tip of an ear leaping into the air. Perhaps the horde wouldn¡¯t have felt quite so terrifying if it were just the normal little green Goblins that people across the realm recognized as vermin.


    This horde had larger and more advanced Goblin species: massive ochre-furred, feral, and muscular monsters that caused the ground to shake under their huge feet; armored crimson warriors with black topknots, mounted upon large and cunning Timber Wolves; and she was definitely not about to forget the elite Goblins with dangerous classes that they had personally encountered along the way. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The fact that Calen had told her Kieran Mori and his goons had provoked the Goblin horde by inciting a dungeon-break, made her coldly furious. It was happening again, and she¡¯d be damned if she stood idly by and let a dungeon-break destroy another town. Even a shithole like Myrin¡¯s Keep had innocent people.


    she told herself.  She  furious. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her sleep-deprived mind.


    A shadow flickered across her path. Malika hesitated, glancing left and right but seeing nothing. There was a sudden huge crash and she blinked. Somehow, she was on her back, blackness receding from her vision. She stared dumbfounded at an eight-foot-tall, furry Goblinoid and the wicked two-handed mace that was descending unceremoniously towards her face. Her mind struggled with the sheer improbability of it. The monstrous mountain of muscle and steel had literally appeared out of nowhere, flattening her with such force that she lay stunned upon the ground with the breath knocked clean out of her.


    An intense flash of light shot out from the dense trees of the forest and an arrow struck the creature in the shoulder, eliciting a howl of fury. That was all Malika needed to restart her stunned brain. Desperately, she threw herself out of the path of the descending mace and felt the ground punch her hip as her arm buckled and failed to support even the slightest pressure. Rolling over and over across the dirt with her left arm flailing uselessly, Malika nearly vomited from the intense wave of dizziness and pain. Something was very wrong with her shoulder. Things that shouldn¡¯t be moving crunched sickeningly as they twisted, bone scraping on bone. Clutching at her wounded shoulder, she scrambled to her feet, knowing her life depended on keeping her distance from that monster.


    Her arm dangled limply by her side.


    She poured her mana into Healing Mantra, wincing as the intense burning sensation of her magic caused her bones to snap painfully back into place. The rearrangement of her shattered shoulder caused her arm to twitch and spasm as she tried to place the Goblinoid.


    Calen had identified them for her earlier ¨C from a suitably safe distance.


    Bugbears had a notorious reputation as the most ill-tempered and vicious of the Goblinoid races. And now she had just experienced firsthand what it felt like to be ambushed by one of them. Also, it stank.


    The Bugbear roared fiercely at her, the foul stench of its breath merely adding to the general unpleasantness as she hastily backed away. Suddenly, its muscles bunched, and it leaped high into the air, easily closing the distance as its giant steel mace swung down for another overhead smash.


    Malika dodged left using every drop of her speed to avoid the brutal attack. She felt the wind of its passage as the heavy steel missed her shoulder by a fraction of an inch, slamming into the ground behind her feet. Splinters of rock and dirt exploded outward from the impact, drawing blood as they sliced across her ankles. She was forced to dive out of the way as the huge monster recovered with a grace and agility that seemed downright uncanny on such an enormous frame.


    Drops of morning dew glittered along the wicked-looking steel spikes that jutted out of the plate pauldron strapped to its right shoulder. The monster glared at her with cunning dark eyes set deep in its squat and ugly face. Its thick lips drew back into a snarl, baring its oversized fangs. Mismatched leather armor had been strapped haphazardly across its heavy, muscular body, leaving the dark ochre fur to protrude in thick tufts and clumps. Malika grimaced at the rank stench of unwashed sweat and worse emanating from the giant Goblinoid as it coiled, preparing to rush her.


    The Bugbear flung itself into a headlong tackle, leading with the heavy armor spikes welded to its pauldron. Appearing as if by magic, a couple of glowing arrows embedded themselves in the back of its other, unarmored shoulder, causing it to erupt with a bellow of rage. Darting aside with a fraction of a second to spare, Malika seized the opportunity to unleash a strong high kick, connecting solidly with its jaw lighting up the nearby trees with a sky-blue flash as she activated her Soul Strike skill.


    Caught off balance, the monster crashed down beyond her, ripping through some bushes, roaring furiously.


    An arrow whizzed by, impaling a tree with a loud  and a buzz as it vibrated from the impact.


    The arrows sticking out of its shoulder didn¡¯t seem to be hampering it much, but Malika was extremely glad Calen had her back, and that he hadn¡¯t been scouting too far away. She quickly ducked under a whistling horizontal swipe and counterattacked with two punches to the ribs. Blocking a deceptively fast return strike, she danced back out of range. She couldn¡¯t believe how tough his skin was ¨C it was like punching a stone wall. Her physical attacks barely had any impact, only Soul Strike felt like it was effective.


    Dodging the next sweeping attack, she stepped in, keeping her weight light on the balls of her feet. As her kick slugged the Bugbear in the gut, his mace blurred with unnatural speed swinging from low to high. It smashed into her ribs with a loud crack, launching her off the ground. As her body flew through the air, she urgently healed the ribs crushed by the heavy momentum of the mace.


    The speed of his retaliation had been almost too fast for her to even see. The heavy two-hander combined with the almost instantaneous strike had crushed her bones beneath its brutal impact. Without her Healing Mantra, she knew she would be dead already. She tucked her legs and absorbed her momentum against the trunk of a tree before leaping back towards the monster.


    Malika came down as heavily as she could, striking with a knee to his unarmored shoulder, right between the two protruding arrows. She used Soul Strike, welcoming the small trickle of health she gained from its magic and landed behind the brute. As her feet touched the ground, she unleashed a low-kick combination at close range, striking at ankles and knees with her magic flickering and flashing in the early dawn light. She kept a sharp eye open for the retaliatory counterstrike, and when it came, arms blurring with speed, she blocked. Unable to completely avoid the attack, she was still sent sprawling but at least she had prevented most of the bone-crushing impact.


    Quickly, she rolled sideways as the Bugbear took to the air once more. The great mace smashed into her hastily vacated spot, powered by enormous muscles and the sheer momentum of the leaping giant. The nearby trees in the forest shook from the impact ¨C easily the most powerful strike yet. The Bugbear roared in frustration and lashed out with a wild haymaker that Malika easily avoided. Her eyes widened in sudden shock as she realized that the ridiculously clumsy attack had been a cunning feint and the real attack, the heavy mace, smashed into her side, cracking her ribs again and slamming her into a tree.


    Shouting incoherently, the powerful muscles in the Bugbear¡¯s back and shoulders flexed as it swiped its brutal mace horizontally, trying to take advantage of her injured side. Malika leaped, taking two running steps up the trunk of the tree, and performed a backflip over the head of the Bugbear while her healing magic coursed through her body.


    She wiped the blood out of her right eye.


    Ignoring the arrow that lodged itself into his ribs, the monster wheeled about with balletic grace. With an unexpectedly powerful sweeping attack, he caught her in the chest right before she landed. Malika screamed at the sickening crunch of crushed bones as her chest was caved in by the heavy steel. Her body flew across the path and bounced off a maple tree on the other side of the clearing like a ragdoll. Before she even slumped to the ground, the Bugbear landed on her, one knee driving into her gut, meaty hands the size of her head reaching for her throat.


    Pinned under its huge bulk, she pulsed her healing magic once again and unleashed a fury of elbow strikes and punches to the side of its head and face, struggling to find proper leverage while the monster grappled her. The Bugbear roared in triumph, abusing his superior strength to tighten his stranglehold around her throat. But Soul Strike cared only that she connected, flashing brightly even at the lightest of touches. She burned through her stamina with reckless speed and desperation as her vision started to flicker from the lack of oxygen.


    Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed Calen emerging from his forest cover, bow drawn right to his chin, his face etched with concern and concentration. Tucking her arm in towards her body, she rammed the heel of her hand upwards, unleashing Soul Strike into the Bugbear¡¯s chin. As the monster¡¯s head snapped back, from the force of her blow, Calen released his arrow. With an incredible feat of accuracy, it shot across the forest glade, burying itself up to the fletching through the Bugbear¡¯s left eye. The Goblinoid never even cried out, killed instantly.


    Malika slumped under the now dead weight of the monster.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Calen worried.


    She just groaned and used her healing once more. ¡°Can you help get this thing off me?¡±


    The two of them struggled to shift the dead weight of the huge creature, but eventually, Malika wriggled out from underneath it.


    she thought, considering how many bones she had just broken.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she offered Calen. He nodded quietly, and after verifying that she was going to be ok, slipped back into the shadows of the forest, presumably to scout or keep watch.


    Malika didn¡¯t bother to move, simply sitting on the ground beside the corpse and beginning to Meditate. She settled in, taking a few minutes to calm her mind and her breathing while her severely depleted stamina and mana began to regenerate. She was mostly healed up, but she was quite low on her other resources after the stunningly brutal fight.


    A loud roar shook the forest, snapping her out of her Meditation. To her horror, three more hulking monsters emerged from the trees lugging their huge weapons of choice. The glint of morning light reflected off their miscellaneous plate armor pieces strapped over their bristling coarse orange or brown fur.


    Using their larger brethren as cover, two elite green Goblins slunk out from behind the Bugbears, one clad in flowing scarlet robes with the red glow of flame dancing in its hands, and the other wearing a shining chainmail shirt and leaking white sparks from their eyes.


    Partly concealed in the bushes were at least several other small dirty green faces with wicked snarls twisting their mouths and exposing crooked yellow teeth.


    With a great roar, two of the massive Bugbears immediately leaped for her, flying through the air in exactly the way Malika¡¯s mind insisted a half a ton of muscle and steel shouldn¡¯t.


    Aliandra


    -10% to maximum health.


    Affliction ¨C Duration: Indefinite. Count: 5


    Ali woke with a start to the now familiar throbbing headache and cold sweat. For a moment, she was confused. The darkness, and the sense of her domain withdrawal, conspired to place her back down in those cold and dark ruins again. But the stars shone through the tree branches above, reminding her that she was in the forest.


    Ali had to remind herself that she had the Potion of Recall that could send her home instantly. But, while it was one thing to have options, it was another to be wholly reliant on them.  she thought, realizing that in fact the point of no return had already come and gone.


    She was beginning to worry. So far, it had taken two days on the road with the courier, and then three more days of scouting through the woods. Yesterday, Mato had killed two stray Goblins while he was following Calen and Malika¡¯s trail.


    she thought. Mato had reassured her repeatedly that their trail was still active, even though they had doubled back several times, and there were numerous signs of pitched battles.


    She sat up and looked around. All her minions silently stood watch in the darkness. It was hard to judge time by the forest and the light, but going off the timing of her withdrawal notification, Ali guessed it was about an hour or so before the first light of dawn.


    She moved to go rouse Mato but found him already stirring. By mostly unspoken agreement, they had been sleeping only a few hours a night. She was tired, but she needed far less sleep than he did. She couldn¡¯t imagine how he felt, only that she knew they were both driven to find their friends before something terrible happened to them.


    They quickly broke camp and headed out, falling to the same routine they had been using for the last three days. Ali followed along quietly with her Kobolds while Mato ranged ahead figuring out where they needed to go.


    The forest slowly lit up with the approach of dawn, and Ali¡¯s worries mounted. Mato was doing all the practical work to rescue their friends, and she was merely walking through the forest with her thoughts and worries as her constant companions. While her Kobolds could talk, they hardly offered enlightened conversation.


    Her eyes were drawn to a fallen tree, marked with scratches in the bark ¨C Mato¡¯s sign that she could safely deconstruct it. She welcomed the brief distraction and the opportunity to use her magic, but all too soon the tree dissipated into glowing mana, lighting the forest around her for a few moments.


    Something tucked away in the undergrowth attracted her attention. Something she might not have noticed without the light she had just created. Making a barrier to increase the illumination, she crouched down and scraped away some moldering leaves and dirt revealing a fist-sized red-and-white toadstool growing underneath.


    Excited by her unusual find, she brushed away more of the leaves revealing several more of the brightly colored toadstools, fascinated by the delicate flow of bright red mana within the cap that presumably was the poison magic augmenting its natural toxicity.


    She summoned her Grimoire and immediately deconstructed several of the pretty toadstools.


    ¡°May I have a mushroom, Ancient Mistress?¡±


    Her Kobold¡¯s voice was calm but, spoken right next to her while she was absorbed in studying her find, it startled her more than she would have liked. Calming herself by easing her breathing, she turned to find her highest-level Kobold crouched in the dirt beside her, examining the remaining toadstools with a gleam in his eyes.


    ¡°Why do you need a mushroom?¡± she asked, her curiosity piqued. It was the first time one of her minions had asked her for anything.


    ¡°I would poison my blades,¡± he answered.


    ¡°You can use poisons?¡± Ali had little insight into how rogue classes worked, or even what kinds of skills they may have, beyond the obvious stealth and Ambush attacks she had become so familiar with.


    ¡°Yes, Ancient Mistress. I have the Deadly Poisons skill.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± she said. The Kobold carefully uprooted one of the toadstools and separated the cap from the stem. He then crushed it into a paste with a rock, all the while using some strange magical skill.  she wondered.When he was done, he wiped his dagger blades through the paste and then wrapped the excess in a few carefully chosen leaves which he stored under his leather armor.


    ¡°Do the others need poison too?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°They have not advanced yet.¡±


    The response puzzled her for a few moments before she realized that the other rogues had lower levels. Ali found the tidbit of information, an unexpected and curious insight, quite fascinating. The idea that the Kobold¡¯s leveling worked just like hers made a kind of logical sense to her, even though they were monsters.


    She was just about to ask him for more details about his skills when a sudden sense of urgency flowed through her connection from her wolf minions, and she sprang to her feet and began to run, followed closely by the Kobolds. Within moments, the large form of Mato¡¯s wolf shot from the bushes and onto the trail right in front of her, his body already warping and twisting into his Beastkin form.


    ¡°Grrr ¡­ I found them!¡± he snarled, his voice a skin-crawling blend between beast and man as urgency drove him to speak mid-shift. ¡°They¡¯re in trouble!¡±


    They both rushed off, but it was immediately clear that Ali couldn¡¯t even remotely keep up with his pace. Her tiny frame and short legs simply couldn¡¯t run fast.


    Glancing over his shoulder, then whirling, Mato called urgently, ¡°Can I carry you, Ali?¡±


    Not caring much for her dignity, given that Malika and Calen needed them, she nodded.  she thought, trying to remind her trembling heart.


    He swept her up in his arms and sprinted off through the trees, trailed by the chirping Kobolds.


    Calen


    Calen¡¯s eyes widened in shock as three towering, shadowy shapes crept through the trees, moving with uncanny silence and grace, almost invisible in the dappled shade.


    Not far behind them, scampering through the bushes, came a pack of smaller, green-skinned figures carrying an assortment of crude weaponry. Scavengers and Skirmishers, but Explorer couldn¡¯t get a good read on their numbers in the dense undergrowth.


    The recognition that the Goblins had finally caught up made the blood drain from his face. Instantly, he knew that they were hunting Malika, who sat in her Meditation pose in the open clearing beside the corpse of the Bugbear they had just defeated. She seemed, blissfully unaware of the stealthy death that crept up on her.


    Acutely aware of his own vulnerability should he call out a warning, he quickly stooped and grabbed a handy stone. Wiping the mud from his chosen weapon, he took aim. With a swift underhand toss, he lofted it high overhead, watching closely as it arced through the tree branches. It struck the lead Goblin Bugbear on the shoulder, clinking sharply as it bounced off his plate pauldron.


    The creature let out a loud roar, and he could only stare in disbelief as two of the Bugbears leapt effortlessly into the air, sailing across the clearing, heavy maces stretched high and back overhead ready to strike. His brief warning was enough to alert Malika, but she was only able to avoid one of the leaping monsters. The sharp crack of bones breaking echoed through the trees as the descending mace smashed her body into the ground, making her bounce.


    The errant thought popped into his mind with the startling clarity of a clear bell. There was no chance they were a match for an entire Goblin warband. He hadn¡¯t been seen yet, still concealed in the shadows of the trees, and his escape route was clear. His desire to flee surged within him, a palpable urgency that demanded action. Bugbears had a reputation for ugly cruelty and viciousness, and even just one of them had almost been a match for him and Malika combined.


    An angry red glow caught his attention. Back among the trees a robed Goblin was hunched over a growing ball of conjured fire, his eyes narrowed with malicious glee as his tongue ran over cracked green lips, curled back into a sneer.


    All thoughts of running away vanished as he suddenly found his bow in his hands, arrow nocked and drawn. As he released the shaft, he suddenly understood Mato and his penchant for charging into trouble seemingly without heeding the danger.


    His arrow flew true, striking the Goblin Fire Mage clean in the ribs, pinning its flowing robes to its torso. It screeched and snapped around to face him, the conjured ball of fire growing ever more intense. Suddenly it released the magic, angry roiling flame shooting through the trees with incredible speed. Calen dove for cover on the leeward side of a large oak, barely making it before the ball of fire exploded. The detonation was deafening, stripping the leaves from the nearby trees instantly. Even protected by the thick bulk of the tree, his skin was scorched and blistered from the wave of heat. Gobs of fire and clods of dirt rained down throughout the area in the aftermath of the powerful explosive magic. Calen nocked his bow and sidled out from behind his tree but was forced to duck back again as a high-speed Firebolt sizzled past his cheek.


    But somehow the thought did not fill Calen with terror, and he no longer had any desire to run. The fact that he had just bought Malika a few seconds by acting as recklessly as Mato made him want to laugh. His mind and purpose felt clear.


    He popped out from his hiding spot and loosed his arrow. The second elite Goblin pointed a short mace in his direction and Calen instinctively dodged. His vision went white as a coruscating blast ripped past him, unleashing a deafening thunderclap that shook his bones. He barely made it behind his tree, his left leg jangling and cramping from the near miss.


    He remained behind his tree as a hail of pebbles and stones flung by the Skirmishers and Scavengers pinged and cracked off the branches and trunks nearby. A couple of trees to his right had caught fire, and a blaze burned through the undergrowth, blocking his way past and filling the forest with smoke.


    he estimated. It had been a great risk to investigate the Goblins, instead of heading directly back home, but both he and Malika had chosen it deliberately. But when he thought about Myrin¡¯s Keep, it was his mother¡¯s face he saw.


    He rolled out from cover to another tree and took a quick shot with his bow, striking a level-one Scavenger in the throat. He had the satisfaction of seeing it drop before the painful crack of a high-speed stone against his right hip spun him half about.


    A new roar ¨C a decidedly deeper and more bestial one ¨C bellowed through the trees. Screeches arose from the Goblins as they reacted to the sound; Calen found his own nape prickling intensely as he reacted to the new danger. Suddenly, a huge mass of fur and muscle charged out on four paws, crashing into the trio of Bugbears that were beating on Malika¡¯s downed and lifeless body.


    Thunderstruck by disbelief, Calen rubbed his eyes and stared again. There, high upon the ridge among the trees, he spied the tiny form of Ali by the glow of her full-body barrier of golden magic. She crouched, under the partial cover of a large spreading oak, flanked by two green reptilian creatures wielding drawn swords. There was a ruckus of screeching and howling as an entire pack of wolves tore into the group of Skirmishers and Scavengers from behind.


    Calen whistled between his teeth, drawing another arrow back to his ear.

 Chapter 30: Warband

    Chapter 30: Warbandby Lyeneru Silverleaf, Elven Pathfinders Guild.


    Mato


    It had been one of Ali¡¯s wolves that had brought news of Calen and Malika¡¯s crisis and of the scent of Goblins. He had been sure he was close enough to get to Ali, and still make it back to them in time, but the crack of thunder and the heavy thump of an explosion up ahead told him he hadn¡¯t been quick enough.


    A cold prickle of anxiety and dread lent power and urgency to his stride. He redoubled his speed, charging through the dense underbrush, heedless of the noise he was making, until at last he crested a rise and saw the violent crash of furious battle spilling through the clearing below. Over a dozen Goblins rushed about, filling the air with their raucous hooting cries and flying rocks. At least two strode confidently among the trees unleashing staccato pulses and bursts of potent battle magic. On the far side of the clearing, an ancient oak blazed with hungry flame amid the splintered remains of its neighbors.


    Calen and Malika were woefully outmatched. Three giant Goblin Bugbears had Malika on the ground, their muscles flexing rhythmically as they hammered mercilessly at her bloody body with heavy two-handed weapons. Calen was pinned down on the far ridge behind a burning tree, dodging a hail of stones, fire, and lightning ¨C out of place and unable to come to her aid.


    As quickly as he could, he set Ali down. ¡°Usual plan. I¡¯ll help Malika.¡± Without waiting for her response, he twisted himself into Bear Form and tore down the ridge and out across the clearing, roaring loudly to try and distract the Bugbears from the brutal pulverizing strikes they rained down on Malika¡¯s unresponsive body.


    He refused to believe she was dead, but the amount of blood soaked into the dirt and the way her broken and limp body bounced and jolted had his gut twisted into a knot. A glowing arrow whizzed by one of the Bugbears¡¯ ears, but it paid the missile no more mind than the buzzing of a gnat. As soon as his Sanctuary aura touched Malika¡¯s body, he felt her life force dimly flickering, grimly holding on under the onslaught of the steel spiked maces and greataxe.


    With the domain of his Sanctuary enveloping Malika¡¯s body, he finally had the means to act. The two-handed greataxe gleamed from on high as the muscles along the Bugbear¡¯s back and shoulders flexed. The blade bore down at Malika¡¯s exposed back with all the grace and finesse of a charging Bristletusk Boar.


    And he took it.


    Nature magic rippled softly across his aura, and the giant axe blade passed clean through Malika¡¯s shoulder. But with the twisting of his mana, the slash appeared on Mato¡¯s shoulder instead, separating hide and muscle in a burst of stolen pain and a spray of his own blood. He stumbled from the impact, but his momentum still carried him crashing headlong into fray. All the weight of his stamina-enhanced Charge crashed into the first Bugbear, knocking him back into his axe-wielding friend. The axe-wielder snarled and backhanded his staggered compatriot, knocking him sprawling into the dirt.


    The heady rush of power from the pain and damage failed to materialize, but he refused to mourn the loss of the addictive Primal Rage. Desperate to draw the monsters¡¯ attention away from the unconscious Malika, he threw everything he had at them; a great horizontal Swipe attack with his right paw, empowered with Brutal Restoration.


    Out of the corner of his eye he saw the nimble flashes of green-scaled kobolds zipping across the clearing and heard the soft swishing sizzle of Arcane Bolts overhead.


    It was the first time he had used his Bestial Combat in battle. Blood soaked his fur as his green spell-wreathed claws raked across all three Bugbears in a bloody arc ¨C a single attack more powerful than any he had ever unleashed ¨C at least that he remembered. His balance and precision were off the charts and all three Bugbears turned on him with furious snarls and angry roars, ignoring the downed Malika.


    The gleam of heavy steel reflected from the swinging counterattacks and Mato hunkered down, bracing himself. He pulsed stamina into his new mastery skill, meeting the mace strikes with the heavy hide on his shoulders and catching the haft of the greataxe with a planted foreleg. He winced at the shock of heavy impact, but the precision of his blocks had protected his vitals from critical damage. His opening attack had already established a powerful pulse of his restoration magic which settled in and began repairing his body from all the damage he had chosen to take.


    He circled back, drawing the Bugbears a little further from Malika, but he remained close enough to keep her cradled within his aura, focusing on blocking as many attacks as possible. He could not heal her directly, but his new advanced regeneration should hopefully help get her back on her feet.


    His skill was passive and didn¡¯t take any mana, but regeneration was naturally far slower than her direct healing. Against such ferocious and powerful opponents, he was only going to last so long before he would need Malika¡¯s help.


    The Goblin Bugbears counterattacked, ganging up on him. With short guttural shouts and grunts, they drew a focused barrage of rocks from their annoying friends hiding among the bushes and began to flank him, drawing him out into forced openings.  He glanced down at Malika, but she still lay unmoving in the dust. It was obvious to him, having fought alongside Ali¡¯s wolves, that the Goblins had a skill for cooperative combat similar to Pack Tactics, and he was outnumbered. Soon, their heavy weapons began to break down his guard, landing powerful strikes, crushing and slashing at his body.


    A loud bang rocked the forest, and the acrid stench of sulfur and burnt wood briefly overwhelmed the reek emanating from the filthy Bugbears. Unwillingly, he found himself forced into a defensive retreat, taking strike after strike, and having to pay a steep cost in blood to land his Swipe and remain close enough to Malika. But Mato felt a sensation he had not felt since he had fallen down that dreadful hole with Ali: a sense of elation. His mind was clear, and he was fighting a clean battle without wrestling against the rage for control of his mind and will. Without the gnawing worry that he would come around afterward, having hurt his friends.


    While his Bestial Combat lacked the raw potency of Primal Rage, he discovered it came with an unexpected benefit: his attacks carried a sense of poise, a precision or balance, that he had not possessed before. His skill included proficiency with his shapeshifted form and natural weapons, but he hadn¡¯t imagined it would have such a dramatic effect on his fighting prowess.


    An arrow shot out from among the trees eliciting a high-pitched Goblin screech somewhere in the distance. A second arrow followed the first, buzzing in the air. Archers performed poorly under direct pressure, but with a clear line of sight, and nobody attacking them, there was nothing more deadly.


    He grinned as he searched for his chance.


    The two Bugbears to his left attacked simultaneously, and he used Bestial Combat to block one of the giant maces, deflecting it off his shoulder. His bones creaked as he opposed the weight and momentum of the strike. It definitely helped reduce the damage, but the second attack slammed into his ribs crushing bone and mashing flesh.


    He saw the opportunity he had created with his block and empowered another Swipe attack, slashing crosswise to tear at all three Bugbears right as they lunged forward. The pulse of his healing magic grew proportionally stronger at the new infusion as the monsters roared their fury.


    While the two mace-wielding Bugbears held him at bay, the third drew back his greataxe and with a grunt of extreme effort, swung it in a powerful arc, setting himself spinning like a tornado of muscle and steel across the blood-soaked dirt. The axe flickered in the dawn light as it accelerated into a whirling blur, slicing at his flank with every turn. His natural armor was no match for the Goblin¡¯s powerful skill. With blood suddenly pouring from his body, Mato stumbled backward to try and avoid the meatgrinder. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a small steel pole with ornate runic markings suddenly appear next to him.


    It crackled ominously.


    The totem exploded with a spherical pulse of electric sparks, followed by another, and another, filling the air with crackling power that made his fur stand on end. The pulsing waves rippled out past twenty feet. His body spasmed in shock and his health dropped precipitously. Instinctively, he took Malika¡¯s damage, briefly doubling his own, and charged at her prone form, biting down on her left ankle ¨C none too gently ¨C and heaved them both out of the Lightning Nova.


    As he rolled to recover his footing, the forest was split by a deafening thunderclap and the whole world went white. Every single muscle in his body spasmed painfully as the Lightning Bolt tore its way through him. In the forest beyond, several trees exploded in the wake of the potent blast. His vision began to clear, and he found himself dangerously low on health, his nostrils assaulted by the stench of ozone and his own seared flesh. Urgently, he scanned the area for his foes, finding only the axe-wielding Bugbear charging toward him.


    ¡°Above,¡± Malika croaked, her voice hoarse.


    He snapped his head up to find the massive forms of the two missing Bugbears descending like meteors, their maces already beginning to unleash powerful bone-crushing blows. At that moment, Malika¡¯s hand grasped his hind paw, and her magic tore its way through him in a burning rush, instantaneously mending serious injuries and closing wounds.


    The power of her magic had barely run its course, when the two Bugbears slammed into the ground beside him, maces whipping down. He braced to block, but the sheer power of the unexpected axe sweeping in from the side staggered him, knocking him into the ground with enough force to make him bounce. The most vicious of the Bugbears cackled evilly, clearly pleased with his reaction as he drew back the massive axe for another devastating attack.


    ¡°I got your back,¡± Malika announced, as she got unsteadily to her feet. ¡°Thanks for the stamina regeneration.¡±


    Mato huffed, dipping his head to acknowledge her, and from the trees in the distance, he heard Calen¡¯s voice shouting, ¡°Shaman next!¡±


    Mato shook his head to clear it, getting back to his feet. His efforts to draw attention away from Calen must have worked. As Malika began to dance, her magic flickered and flashed in time with her punches, and Mato simply grinned as he launched his counterattack.


    Aliandra


    Ali stumbled, catching herself against the trunk of a large oak as Mato, in his haste to rush to the rescue, dumped her rather roughly to the ground. Then, with a cryptic and vague declaration, he shifted and charged off. she snorted to herself. Ali immediately summoned a barrier and hunkered down behind it, surveying the battlefield. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of Malika sprawled helplessly on the ground, under the onslaught of enormous heavy weapons, but Mato was already tearing toward her.


    Movement in the bushes behind the mage and the shaman drew Ali¡¯s attention. Cunningly hidden in the undergrowth, wicked green snarling faces popped up briefly, throwing stones into the fray with uncanny accuracy, or even launching them from makeshift leather slings. Their habit of dancing in and out of cover made it impossible for Ali to get an accurate count.


    This was nothing like their usual situation down in the ruins, but Ali understood Mato¡¯s thinking instantly.  Even though the green Goblin looked nothing like the red-scaled Kobolds, the magic Firebolts flying from his fingers, and the burning forest were more than enough for her. The urgency of locking down the Fire Mage as fast as possible had been a lesson she had learned through blood and burned flesh.


    She aimed her hand up over the rim of her barrier and began lofting her Arcane Bolts into the air, homing in on the Goblin mage. He glared at her with hate-filled eyes and immediately lit his entire body on fire. Ali¡¯s eyes widened in surprise; the Kobolds had never done that. But then the mage began to cackle and hunched over his hands to conjure an intense ball of fire that Ali instantaneously recognized as a Fireball.


    While her Arcane Bolts flew, she directed her minions, sending her wolf pack after the Scavengers and Skirmishers lobbing their stones from the undergrowth, relying on her Martial Insight senses to know precisely where the wolves were.


    ¡°¡± she ordered, and her rogues slunk off without ever breaking stealth.


    Ali turned to the two green-scaled Kobold warriors flanking her and pointed. ¡°You guys attack that shaman.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ancient Mistress.¡± Both warriors sprinted off, tails swishing across the dirt of the forest floor, keeping them upright and agile. Ali wasn¡¯t quite sure what the lightning shaman was capable of but leaving it alone to work its mischief seemed like an awful idea.


    The shaman mimed a throwing gesture, and a small metal pole appeared somewhere between the Goblins and her advancing Kobolds with a bright flash of mana. The strange pole had shapes and runes carved into it and it crackled with a brilliant magical energy as soon as it planted itself into the ground. Her two Kobold warriors were suddenly caught in a five-meter radius of pulsing waves of sheet lightning. They twitched spasmodically with each pulse as they struggled to retreat.


    Ali checked in on her Martial Insight connection, sensing the three stealthed rogues skirting the edges of the devastating Lightning Nova.


    A thunderclap split the air as a huge bolt of lightning tore into her two struggling Kobold warriors.


    Distracted as Ali was with the powerful lightning magic and the fate of her warriors, she missed the completion of the Fire Mage¡¯s spell. She yelped as the Fireball struck the center of her barrier, detonating with deafening power that ripped through the nearby trees. The sheer force of the mage¡¯s magic shook the ground with a destructive shockwave, blasting out an inferno of heat and angry red flame that filled Ali¡¯s vision. Crouched behind her barrier, gasping for breath in the instantly superheated air, Ali was nonetheless shocked to find her barrier had blocked the explosion with only a few small cracks appearing along the edges. A wasteland of splintered trees, scorched earth, and burning branches spread out before her, leaving her huddled in the tiny shadow of protection cast by her barrier.


    She restarted her Arcane Bolt volley, which had been interrupted by the unexpected Fireball. A loud screech from the Fire Mage echoed across the battle as his blood suddenly sprayed into the air. Ali¡¯s three dark, leather-clad Kobold rogues all appeared simultaneously behind him, stabbing viciously. Her rogues ignored the fire that wreathed the mage, but Ali could tell they were being burned by it as the shroud of flames he wore like a cloak reacted with bursts and flares in response to each dagger strike.


    The Goblin Fire Mage¡¯s body shimmered with intense heat, and he vanished, suddenly appearing over ten meters away, leaving a burning trail across the ground. Her rogues chased him while her Arcane Bolts flipped around in the air, redirecting mid-flight. The mage spun and a blazing inferno of flame shot out from his hands in a short arc immediately in front of his body. The continuous roaring flame caught her rogues by surprise, and they dove sideways to escape it. One of the Kobolds was not quite nimble enough and its entire body caught on fire as the mage rapidly incinerated it with his magic. The mage turned, hopping up and down and cackling wildly as he directed his flame at the advancing Kobolds to hold them at bay. From the shadows of the forest, three brilliant arrows streaked out, flying across the clearing to bury themselves in the mage¡¯s back. Ali breathed a sigh of relief as the Goblin stumbled and the inferno snuffed out. Her two remaining Kobold rogues leapt on the downed Goblin, daggers flickering as they aerated its lungs and neck repeatedly, blood flicking off their busy blades.


    A few seconds later, the soft sound of a chime echoed in Ali¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Shaman next!¡± Calen shouted.


    Just in case his arrows hadn¡¯t been a dead giveaway, his voice carried across the clearing suggesting a way to coordinate their attacks.


    Ali turned her attention to the second elite Goblin. The shaman seemed incredibly robust in her mail shirt, hunkered behind a buckler, and lashing out with a short mace. Despite the efforts of Ali¡¯s warriors, the Goblin seemed hardly the worse for wear. As she watched, her Kobold struck the shield causing a retaliation of intense white sparks that arced to the sword, making the Kobold jerk sideways into the blurring speed of a lightning-enchanted mace that caved in the side of his head.


    Directing her rogues from afar, Ali launched her golden Arcane Bolts from her distant vantage point up on the ridge. They flew high and fast, arcing down to strike the shaman from above. Meantime, Calen¡¯s arrows spit out in a steady stream, punishing any green face that had the temerity to poke up out of the bushes. As soon as the bolts struck, the shaman turned her dark eyes on Ali, and her lips mouthed some unheard incantation. A surge of mana flashed from within the shaman; her hands shot out toward Ali making the wooden bangles on her arm clack together ominously.


    -133 to Resistance vs Lightning magic.


    Curse ¨C Duration: 1 minute.


    Ali barely had time to throw up a fresh barrier when the thunderclap crashed through the clearing and her vision overloaded with the intense flash of lighting. The sudden stench of ozone filled her nostrils right as her barrier exploded and her body was tossed like a ragdoll into the forest. She slammed into a tree, feeling something crunch in her back, before she collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain. A little more than two-thirds of her health had vanished in an instant, and she was certain that if she hadn¡¯t had her barrier to absorb most of the Lightning Bolt she would have been vaporized.


    She rolled over, gasping at the jangling pain coursing through her nerves, and reflexively threw up a precautionary barrier. Blinking at the afterimages on her retinas, she gazed through her barrier to see her rogues and her warrior still engaged with the shaman. The canny Goblin had thrown down another Lightning Nova totem and was using it to protect her back while she engaged all three of Ali¡¯s Kobolds with her lightning-enhanced mace and shield combo. Every time her Kobolds were blocked, Ali saw their bodies spasm from the retaliatory lightning strikes as the forest echoed to the rapid crack of lightning discharges. From the way the mana flowed, Ali could only guess that the mace attacks were magically accelerated too.


    Ali huddled behind the tree and her magical barrier, trying to make herself as small a target as possible. There was no way she could survive another Lightning Bolt while she was cursed with vulnerability. But the shaman was so dominant that she couldn¡¯t afford to simply hide either. Cautiously she reached out a hand and began shooting more Arcane Bolts into the air over the top of her barrier, relying on her magic to direct their flight. Another giant thunderclap hammered against her ears, and the mana reserve for two of her Kobolds snapped.


    She willed success for her last rogue while firing her Arcane Bolts blindly around the massive trunk of the oak tree, keeping the shaman fixed firmly in her mind as the target for her magic. She poured more and more mana into her attack spell, ears straining to hear the soft swishing of her magic over the din of the shaman¡¯s lightning below. The occasional swoosh-thud of arrows from beyond her hiding spot told her Calen was still fighting.


    Suddenly, her chime sounded, and the deafening crack of thunder ceased. Cautiously, she peered around, keeping her head down behind her barrier. To her profound relief, the shaman lay unmoving, face-down on the ground with several of Calen¡¯s arrows sticking out of her back, and blood still flowing over her mail shirt. The strange totem had vanished, taking the pulsing lightning sphere with it, and Ali¡¯s lone remaining rogue limped away from the corpse in her direction.


    ¡°¡± Ali instructed, and the Kobold chirped his acceptance in the draconic language.


    Ali slowly limped over to where the Fire Mage lay, taking care to avoid the still burning swathes of ground where his Fireball or incineration magic had struck. The ground still glowed a dull red in places, slag that radiated a palpable heat from the sheer power of the magic the Goblin had unleashed.


    She summoned a barrier to protect herself from stray rocks and stones, still hearing the screeching of Goblins and the howls of wolves as they tangled out in the dense forest. As she worked her deconstruction magic on the corpse, she studied the rest of the battle. To her intense relief, Malika was up and fighting, and between her and Mato they had already killed one of the Bugbears. Her remaining Kobold rogue darted back and forth, stabbing both of the remaining Bugbears indiscriminately. She puzzled over it for a moment, before remembering that he had poisoned his daggers.


    she reasoned, a subtle trickle of insight flowing into her mind at the sight. She didn¡¯t know what effect the poison might have on a Goblin constitution, especially one so big as a Bugbear, but she hoped her Kobold knew what he was doing.


    Calen¡¯s brilliant arrow flew from the trees and struck the Bugbear wielding the greataxe. At once, Ali shifted to the same target, following the strategy lessons Malika had given her at the start. she had said. She fired Arcane Bolts out across the clearing to slam into the broad back and bulging muscles of the Bugbear, burning through orange-brown fur and leaving small wisps of smoke rising from the impact marks.


    Her body was beginning to tremble from the aftereffects of the lightning magic and her severe injuries, causing her arcane magic to fire out at strange angles. she thought, relieved to find her magic correcting the flight path automatically.


    When the Bugbear dropped, the last remaining one turned and fled, sending a surge of panic rushing through Ali¡¯s veins. She fired her Arcane Bolts continuously, wishing for the first time that she still had Grasping Roots to stop the Goblin before it escaped and found more Goblins to rally around. Calen¡¯s arrows flew in rapid succession as he too decided it wasn¡¯t safe to let the Bugbear escape. It made it all the way across the clearing before they dropped it.


    Ali sunk to the ground, just breathing heavily, sighing in relief as the others cheered.


    she thought, remembering her and Mato¡¯s final battle to leave the ruins.


    There had been four of them this time and still, it had been insane and terrifying; even though she and Mato were far stronger after their underground ordeal.


    She studied the notification for the shaman.  It had been incredibly robust and its magic powerful. Fortunately, Ali hadn¡¯t had to face the Bugbears directly herself, so she could only guess how hard they hit, but she had personally tanked the Storm Shaman¡¯s Lightning Bolt and had absolutely no desire to face another. And that Fire Mage had been even higher level ¨C it was a good thing she had managed to drop it quickly with the triple Ambush, otherwise, the battle might easily have gone terribly wrong.


    Ali considered her thirty new attribute points carefully. Down in the ruins she had almost always spent them on vitality because of the specter of Ambush rogues and the struggles with her Domain Withdrawal. Given the ridiculous Lightning Bolt and the vulnerability curse, she seriously considered taking the same approach.


    She sucked in a deep, slow breath as she tried to look past her knee-jerk fear response. she thought, before finally settling on the choice of dividing her points evenly among perception, wisdom, and intelligence. The stronger she was the faster monsters could be eliminated ¨C just like with the Fire Mage. It really was a balancing act, just as Malika had taught her.


    ***

 Chapter 31: Reunited

    Chapter 31: ReunitedMatoMato¡¯s body twisted and warped as he shifted from his Bear Form, leaving him lying on his back in the middle of the clearing, panting and drenched in sweat and worse. The cool touch of the early morning breeze felt invigorating as it gently cleared the stench of burnt flesh and wood, and the sharp pungent ozone of lightning magic.


    As he lay staring up at the clear blue sky, he smiled. It had been an intense fight, and he had even come very close to dying from the combination of the lightning and the Bugbears¡¯ leap attacks. But thanks to Malika¡¯s healing magic and incredible timing, he had survived.


    ¡°Hey, thanks for healing me,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°No problem. Thanks yourself,¡± Malika replied.


    Malika lay on the ground just like he was, a scant few feet away. She had been unconscious and broken when he had joined the fight. She looked perfectly fine now, one of the perks of a healing class, he supposed. Only she was probably even more exhausted than he was. Not for the first time, he wondered at the mental toll battles like this must take on a person.


    ¡°You know,¡± she reflected, ¡°I had those Bugbears right where I wanted them. But I still appreciate your assistance.¡±


    Mato chuckled at Malika¡¯s dry humor.


    Without a doubt, Malika would have died if he and Ali hadn¡¯t shown up when they did. Likely Calen, too. He had had to go all out, even going so far as to take double damage from the Lightning Bolt to save Malika.


    With Primal Rage he would have turned into a mindless force of destruction, likely killing everyone if he didn¡¯t die first. But Bestial Combat was incredible. At no point during the fight had he been afraid of hurting his friends. The combination of his two new skills was nowhere near as spectacularly direct as Primal Rage, but he had vastly more options to play with, and most importantly, he could fight smarter. Mato scratched his chin, thinking it over. One thing was certain, under the influence of his old Berserker skill, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to conceive of his plan to draw the ire of the rock-slinging Goblins and free up Calen.Additionally, he now had a block, more health and strength, and even a subtle proficiency with his Bear Form that he was certain would eventually surpass even the best potential of his old skill.


    For a few moments, he simply lay on the dirt savoring the feeling of having been useful. Then he summoned his stats.


    He clenched his fists and smacked them against his thighs, suppressing a roar of delight.


    The list of notifications was a rollup, a summary of the last few days hunting through the woods and tracking Calen and Malika. Wolf Form had leveled well from the tracking ¨C and no doubt his Wilderness Lore had grown due to his work finding trees for Ali or perhaps explaining the forest to her. Everything else had come from the battle against the Goblin warband, including three class levels.


    Mato pursed his lips.


    Bestial Combat was based on strength, so he spent ten points on that immediately, and then, deciding he needed a little more survivability, he spent ten each on vitality and endurance. Quickly in, even more quickly spent.


    Finally, he sat up and looked around, checking on the others. Malika sat nearby with her eyes closed and her legs crossed, breathing slowly and deliberately. Calen seemed to be darting in and out of the trees, firing his bow occasionally. He could still hear Ali¡¯s wolves chasing down the last remnants of the Goblin Warband, and he assumed Calen was just making sure none of them came back to ambush them. Or worse, as Goblins were notorious for doing, ran away to find some friends, returning later with ten times the numbers. They bred faster than rabbits: if you didn¡¯t stomp them out completely, you were just buying yourself far bigger problems.


    He scanned the clearing, but then he caught sight of her limping slowly down the grassy hillock from the trees, supported by her battered, black-scaled Kobold rogue. The left side of her body and face were so badly charred that smoke still curled up from the blackened skin and burnt flesh.


    ¡°Malika!¡± he yelled. ¡°Ali¡¯s injured!¡±


    Mato sprang to his feet, all his exhaustion forgotten in an instant, and ran to help her. Malika easily overtook him, reaching the tiny limping Fae first and using her healing magic.


    ¡°Are you ok? What happened to you?¡± He quickly offered a hand to help support her, but the burnt flesh regrew with incredible speed, making her injuries vanish before his very eyes.


    Ali sighed. ¡°Thanks guys. That stupid Storm Shaman hit me with a Lightning Bolt. I have half my maximum health because of Domain Withdrawal, and she had a ridiculous Lightning Vulnerability curse too. I think I lost over two-thirds of my health instantly.¡±


    ¡°I got hit by that curse too, it hurt like the kiss of an angry Hell Hornet,¡± Mato said, wincing in sympathy.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit down for a bit,¡± Malika suggested, and Mato could see Ali still trembling and shaking from the aftermath of the shock. ¡°We probably all have a bunch of notifications to go through.¡±


    ¡°I should have a few skills to choose,¡± Calen chipped in, emerging from the forest and walking up to join them. ¡°I could use some help.¡±


    Satisfied that Ali was healing up nicely and would be ok, Mato left them to their animated discussion of all the theory and instead, decided to make himself useful by collecting corpses for Ali to dispose of. It was becoming a habit, just like they had done in the ruins. Only this time, there were gigantic Bugbears to move, and he doubted any of the others had enough strength ¨C but leaving them was out of the question. Their corpses would only feed the horde. As he cleaned up the forest clearing, he spotted a couple of good trees that Ali might be able to use for her magic; an old oak and a pair of maple trees that could be safely removed to promote new growth ¨C and a few burnt by the battle magic, unlikely to recover.


    ***


    Calen


    Calen still couldn¡¯t believe Mato and Ali¡¯s timing. If they had arrived but a minute or two later, the battle would have ended ¡­ poorly. Being an archer was great but, several times, the Goblin swarm had threatened to overwhelm him. he fretted.


    Thinking over the battle, he sorted through all the arrows he had collected from the battlefield and the undergrowth, discarding almost a third of them as beyond repair, even with his Bowcraft skill.


    What he wouldn¡¯t give for even a basic apprentice-level crafted arrow. He discarded one more wonky arrow that was little more than a branch with a stone tied to the end. He had not been able to afford to be fussy, but he had missed everything he aimed at using this particular ¡®arrow¡¯.


    Returning to the others, he said, ¡°We should get moving soon. I couldn¡¯t chase down two of the Goblins that ran early ¨C they will alert the others, and we will have the whole dungeon-break on our trail.¡±


    ¡°Dungeon-break?¡± Ali asked, her voice cracking with surprise.


    Calen shared what he and Malika had learned about the Goblins and the plot to provoke a dungeon-break ¨C drawing gasps from Ali and an angry growl from Mato ¨C bringing it all down upon Myrin¡¯s Keep for some nefarious purpose. No doubt Kieran Mori and the Town Watch intended to profit greatly from the disaster.


    ¡°I brought Recall Potions for everyone,¡± Mato said, dragging the corpse of the shaman and dumping it on top of the Bugbears.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t those stupidly expensive?¡± Malika asked.


    Calen thought, glancing at his friend in surprise. Mato was not exactly rolling in money, and he was typically quite frugal. Such an extravagance was just not like him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be stuck somewhere without being able to get to safety again,¡± he muttered, sharing a significant look with Ali, before handing him and Malika a potion each.


    Calen resolved to ask Mato about it later when they were all safe.


    ¡°Hey, Mato, what happened to your rage skill?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I removed it,¡± he answered in an unexpectedly subdued tone.


    Calen had an idea of what might have happened but found he could not quite roll the words off his tongue, not with Ali¡¯s wide amber eyes on him just then, and the momentary flicker of ¨C  ¨C that appeared within them.


    The awkward silence was broken by Ali, ¡°What skill choices did you get for reaching ten, Calen?¡±


    It was an obvious subject change, but he let it go. Mato looked about as happy as if he were sitting neck-deep in a Goblin stewpot. Calen knew he would talk when he was ready. Calling up the unreasonably cheerful shining, pulsating light of dozens of notifications, he perused them thoughtfully before sharing with his friends:


    Three class levels and a long list of skills gaining levels seemed a little ridiculous, but when he remembered the Bugbears approaching using their stealth and leaping across the entire clearing, he revised his assessment. He had been out in the wilds with Malika for days, fighting Goblins that outnumbered and outleveled them both continuously ¨C with a barely adequate bow, no gear, and the worst arrows imaginable. His skills had improved dramatically but, when he saw the next notification, it captured his entire attention.


    Eagerly, he examined the options his class had for him to choose from.


    Rain of Arrows


    Mana: Fire a shot into the air which splits into magical copies that rain down over an area. Range: 20 feet.


    Light, Ranged, Area, Intelligence


    His throat suddenly felt dry. A single attack that could have swept the bushes clear of those pesky Scavengers.


    Sparkling Beacon


    Mana: Conjure a magical arrow of light that curses your target on hit with sparkling motes, preventing stealth or invisibility, and making the target easier to hit. Duration: 1 minute.


    Light, Curse, Intelligence


    Eyes of the Archon


    Greatly enhanced visual acuity, able to see in extremely low light.


    Light, Perception


    Trying not to grin too much at the impressive choices he had been offered, he instead shared them with Ali and Malika. Mato still seemed busy collecting corpses strewn across the battlefield and stripping them of gear, and he would be much more interested in the final choice than working through the tradeoffs anyway.


    ¡°An area attack, a curse that helps everyone in the group hit a monster, and a vision skill to help you scout or aim?¡± Malika noted.


    Calen nodded, appreciating the efficiency of her summary. The skills offered all seemed quite good, and he could see uses for all of them. The problem was they were so different that it would be challenging to decide which was really the best.


    ¡°The Rain of Arrows would have been quite useful against all those Goblin patrols we fought, but I don¡¯t think I could have used it much in this fight except for clearing the weaker Goblins at the back.¡±


    ¡°You would have hit me and Mato just as much as the Bugbears,¡± Malika agreed.


    ¡°What about the beacon?¡± Ali asked. ¡°The shaman had a curse and that was quite effective.¡±


    ¡°It does seem like a good option,¡± he answered, weighing the skills against the battles he had fought over the past couple of days. ¡°But I think I prefer the eyes skill.¡±


    Many of his fights had been underground in the cavern, or the dimly lit forest. And a perception skill would help him with every arrow he fired.


    ¡°You¡¯re an archer,¡± Malika said. ¡°A good perception skill can¡¯t be a bad choice. It should help with both your tracking and shooting.¡±


    ¡°I just picked a perception skill,¡± Ali said, ¡°and I can¡¯t imagine going back.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡± Calen confirmed his decision, adding Eyes of the Archon for his seventh class skill.


    Instantly, the clearing and the forest brightened dramatically. He stopped and blinked in astonishment.


    He could easily make out the detail of the dew on the tree leaves ¨C across on the other side of the clearing. He could see through the dark shadows easily, revealing bugs that crawled about in the damp dirt under the bushes. It was like he had been blind before and simply didn¡¯t know any better.


    ¡°It might take some getting used to, Calen,¡± Aliandra said, reaching out to pat his hand shyly. ¡°Mine did, and I can¡¯t turn it off either, just like yours. I had to put a few points into perception and wait for it to level up before it was ok.¡±


    ¡°Now you tell me,¡± he joked.


    ¡°Yeah, Ali¡¯s right,¡± Malika said. ¡°Maybe spend some points on what best supports your skills? I mean, now you can tell what kind of powder a Goblin used on his nose from half a mile off.¡±


    Calen snorted, ¡°Right, thanks.¡±


    But he wasn¡¯t upset, the skill was incredible. It would just take a bit to get used to the disorienting amount of detail. Maybe he wouldn¡¯t be looking for Goblin makeup tips, but this skill was certainly going to help him spy out weaknesses in armor or vulnerable targets for his arrows from much further away. He took Aliandra¡¯s advice and spent eight points on perception, immediately seeing a substantial improvement in his ability to use his new skill. Most of his points typically went to improving dexterity and intelligence.  He pursed his lips in thought, running some calculations. he decided, dexterity being his highest priority for now. Then he spent two on endurance and four on wisdom simply because he kept running low on mana and stamina. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°There. Next battle, Ali, I¡¯ll tell you how many nostril hairs each Goblin has.¡±


    ¡°Ew,¡± she giggled.


    ***


    Malika


    It had happened again. Mato had come to her rescue when she was in trouble. Only this time she hadn¡¯t even been conscious to see it.


    Fighting the first Bugbear had demanded almost all her mana, health, and stamina. She had barely healed herself when she had been set upon by three more of the monstrous creatures and the rest of the warband. If they hadn¡¯t given their positions away with a roar, Malika was certain she would be paste on the ground right now. She would likely never have known what hit her.


    She frowned, looking over at the three furred, orange-brown monsters, now the bottom of a growing pile of gear and Goblin corpses. Without much stamina or mana, she had been overwhelmed quickly, but instead of dying, she had woken to the awareness of Mato dragging her out of an enormous burst of lightning magic, in the midst of a chaotic battlefield. A thoroughly bizarre sensation of being hit, and knowing she should have been hurt, but not taking any damage. If she hadn¡¯t experienced Mato¡¯s strange skill before, she wouldn¡¯t have known what had happened.


    She glanced over at the large Beastkin, who was being uncharacteristically quiet. Not only had his rage been entirely absent, but he had done something to his strange aura. While she was fighting near him, her stamina and mana regeneration had been substantially improved. It was the only reason she had had enough to heal him in return. It was the first time she had experienced passive health regeneration, too. It was unlike anything she had experienced before ¨C a well of warmth and energy within her that spilled out into the rest of her body, bringing gentle vitality and growth.


    In contrast, her own powerful healing always felt rough and jarring.


    Even being conservative with her skills, she had spent the rest of the fight running on fumes, relying on the slow tick of passive regeneration to give her enough to just keep up. It was a really good thing Mato had been there to tank.


    ¡°Your turn, Malika, what did you get?¡± Ali said smiling at her, and then she made a small gasp putting her hand to her mouth. ¡°I mean ¡­ only if you feel comfortable sharing.¡±


    ¡°Let me check.¡±


    Malika studied the glowing blue-white text floating within her mind, immediately aware that there was a lot more than she expected.


    Soul Blast


    Mana: Release your energy in a spherical burst around you, damaging all targets with Soul damage. Range: 5 feet.


    Soul, Melee, Area, Intelligence


    Power Strike


    Stamina: Channel 10% of your maximum stamina per second, for up to five seconds, increasing the magical and physical damage of your next attack by +  % per second channeled. If you kill an opponent in one strike, instantly regenerate 10% of your total stamina. Channeled


    Physical, Melee, Strength


    Divine Step


    Stamina: Channel your energy through your body and to the immediate environment around you to control your momentum, significantly increasing your combat and movement speed.


    Soul, Movement, Haste, Dexterity


    Ali¡¯s question echoed in her mind. Something twisted uncomfortably within her at the idea of trusting them with information so personal and intimate. And yet, she owed them all her life ¨C and not just for this fight. Ali and Mato must have tracked them through the wilderness for days just to find them and save them ¨C a story she still wanted to hear.


    Against her instincts, she hesitated, indecision gripping her as she stared at the bright hovering text. She glanced at Mato, dragging some corpses around the clearing, apparently not even interested. She and Calen had grown closer over their time in the wilds, and she thought she might be able to come to trust him. Then her eyes settled on Ali, and she remembered the happy days exploring their class skills for the first time together in that underground cavern.


    Malika squeezed her eyes closed and swallowed ¨C and then shared all three of her skill choices.


    ¡°I like the look of Soul Blast,¡± Calen said quietly. He said nothing about her obvious hesitation. ¡°Area damage in melee. A five-foot radius blast is small, but it might grow as you gain more skill levels.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same as your choice,¡± Malika said, ¡°it doesn¡¯t discriminate against friend or foe. When it was you and me against the patrols, it would have worked great, but in this last fight I would have been hitting Mato all the time.¡± All the same, the skill did look strong, and if she was frequently tanking with only ranged allies, it would be incredible.


    ¡°What about Power Strike then? A big damage boost and potentially a stamina restore.¡±


    ¡°It has a strength trait though,¡± she pointed out. ¡°Most of my skills use dexterity. Wouldn¡¯t that be spreading my points too thin?¡±


    ¡°Aah yes.¡±


    ¡°How fast can you punch?¡± Ali asked, taking the conversation on a surprising turn.


    ¡°Quite fast if I need to,¡± Malika answered. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Your last skill option has a haste trait, and it says it improves combat speed,¡± she pointed out. ¡°I wonder if you¡¯ll end up doing more damage by attacking faster with that, compared to the Power Strike.¡±


    ¡°She has a good point ¨C a tradeoff between outright power and numerically more strikes,¡± Calen agreed. ¡°It¡¯s both a movement skill and a haste skill, I think that could be your best option. It would improve your magic damage skill also, but the downside would be having to spend mana and stamina more frequently. It¡¯s good ¨C but of course, it¡¯s your choice.¡±


    Wincing as he verbally trod eggshells, Malika reread the description. The skill drew on both dexterity and soul magic traits, implying that it would scale well if she continued investing her points normally. The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea of attacking faster or even, as implied by the element of control in the description, more efficiently. In martial arts, speed often determined the winner, and she was already investing heavily in dexterity which would further improve her reactions.


    She made her decision and committed to the choice.


    Getting up, Malika immediately launched into one of the practice forms, but as soon as she took a kick, she fell flat on her face.


    Calen¡¯s snort of laughter nearly made her spit in anger, but Malika managed to contain herself in the nick of time. Instead, she rolled over, muttering, ¡°Yes, I planned to look like a complete klutz. Did I succeed?¡±


    Calen¡¯s ears turned pink. ¡°Uh ¡­¡±


    ¡°The skill didn¡¯t work?¡± The concern in Ali¡¯s voice cut through her embarrassment.


    ¡°I think the skill is fine,¡± Malika answered, getting up slowly and brushing the dust off her face as she tried to get a sense for what her skill had done to her weight and balance. ¡°It really does affect the momentum of my body. I think it will just take some practice to get used to it.¡±


    She sat down beside Ali and considered her options. Dexterity was her highest attribute, benefiting Martial Artist, Enlightened Evasion, and now her newest skill, Divine Step. She spent twelve points to increase her dexterity. Even sitting on the ground, she felt the electric sensation of her body growing more agile and responsive. She split the next twelve points evenly among endurance and wisdom ¨C both attributes providing significant direct benefits to her skills. After the last battle, spending three more points on vitality seemed like a smart choice, and then she applied her final three points to intelligence to boost Soul Strike damage a little.


    ¡°What do you think we should do with all this stuff?¡± Mato asked, joining them, and pointing to the pile of Goblin gear he had separated from the corpses. ¡°Should we sell it or something? I don¡¯t think we can take it all back with us using the potions.¡±


    ¡°I have Appraise, let me take a look,¡± Malika said. It should be quick to figure out what was worth selling.


    Heavy Axe ¨C level 10


    Damage: Slashing, Physical.


    Requirements: Strength 30.


    Quality: Poor.


    Value: 2 silver, 14 copper.


    Two Hand ¨C Axe ¨C Steel


    Spiked Mace ¨C level 9


    Damage: Blunt, Physical, Chance to Stun.


    Requirements: Strength 30.


    Quality: Poor.


    Value: 2 silver, 27 copper.


    Two Hand ¨C Mace ¨C Steel


    Spiked Pauldrons ¨C level 12


    Armor: 89


    Requirements: Strength 24.


    Quality: Poor.


    Value: 4 silver.


    Body ¨C Plate Armor ¨C Steel


    ¡°The Bugbear stuff is all poor quality. Heavy, but not worth much more than scrap,¡± she said.


    She picked up the tattered robe that the Goblin Fire Mage had been wearing. It was singed and torn in many places, barely even useful as a dishrag.


    Tattered Robes ¨C level 7


    Resistance: 49


    Requirements: Intelligence 25


    Quality: Broken.


    Value: 14 copper.


    Body ¨C Cloth


    ¡°This is junk,¡± she said, tossing it to the side. The robes may have once been nice, but Malika guessed they had always been poor quality. Now, however, the robes were far too badly burnt to be of any use. It would require the services of a skilled Tailor to salvage anything, and likely it would be simply more cost-effective to make something new.


    Chain Shirt ¨C level 15


    Armor: 105


    Evasion: 105


    Requirements: Strength 30, Dexterity 30


    Quality: Normal.


    Value: 23 silver.


    Body ¨C Chainmail ¨C Steel


    Steel Cudgel ¨C level 14


    Damage: Blunt, Physical


    Requirements: Strength 28, Dexterity 28


    Quality: Normal.


    Value: 5 silver.


    Main Hand ¨C Mace ¨C Steel


    Iron Buckler ¨C level 15


    Armor: 49


    Evasion: 49


    Block Chance: +20% (


    Requirements: Strength 30, Dexterity 30


    Quality: Normal.


    Value: 7 silver, 50 copper.


    Off Hand ¨C Shield ¨C Iron


    ¡°This stuff isn¡¯t bad ¨C we can earn a little money selling it.¡± The shaman¡¯s gear had at least been of normal quality and seemed relatively well maintained. Certainly, compared to the Bugbear and Fire Mage¡¯s equipment, it seemed great. And, sized for a Goblin, the pieces would be far easier to carry. ¡°It should be good for a Gnome, the size is about right.¡±


    She set the pieces aside and picked up a small wooden bracelet.


    Wooden Bracelet ¨C level 11


    +21% to mana regeneration.


    Requirements: Wisdom 22.


    Quality: Magic


    Value: 92 silver.


    Hands ¨C Charm


    The worn wooden bracelet was enchanted, and by far the most valuable piece the Goblins had been using. Even with just a single enchantment crafted on it, it seemed quite useful.


    ¡°This looks good for a mage,¡± she said, handing it to Ali. ¡°Do you want it?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Ali eyed the scratched, plain wooden bracelet dubiously. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look very cute, does it?¡±


    ¡°It will look much cuter when you identify it,¡± Malika said with a grin, and watched Ali¡¯s eyes drop back to the bracelet and then suddenly open very wide. Without another word, the Fae immediately put it on.


    At least she was using her skill for something useful instead of scoping out things to steal.


    ***

 Chapter 32: The Novaspark Academy of Magic

    Chapter 32: The Novaspark Academy of MagicNathaniel Sunstrider, Archmage, Scholar, and Guildmaster of the Elven Pathfinder Guild.


    Aliandra


    Ali fitted the plain wooden bracelet around her wrist. It was a little bigger than she would have preferred, presumably having been made for a Goblin ¨C a race that normally ran slightly larger than hers ¨C but it was close enough. Although the worn, rough wooden circlet was never going to be mistaken as an elegant piece of jewelry, Ali was quite excited to have it.


    ¡°It¡¯s got a nice sheen to it,¡± she said, rolling it on her wrist to see which orientation had a better-looking pattern to the wood grain lying below the aged polish.


    Malika just smiled and continued sorting items.


    Wooden Bracelet ¨C level 11 (Arcane)


    +21% to mana regeneration.


    Requirements: Wisdom 22


    Hands ¨C Charm


    Ali had to admit the robust, green-skinned Storm Shaman had made a strong impression, holding up against her Kobold warriors and tossing around extraordinarily powerful lightning magic at every opportunity.


    She opened her status and focused on her mana to inspect the details of how her regeneration had changed with her new bracelet.


    Mana Regeneration


    +100% Racial (Fae).


    +21% Wooden Bracelet.


    Total: +121%


    While regenerating twenty-one percent more mana over the course of an hour didn¡¯t look immediately spectacular or amazing, Ali knew from hard-won personal experience just how important that extra regeneration would be. There had been many battles where she had run out of mana and had to rely on Deconstruction to refill her pool under extremely dangerous circumstances. While this bracelet wouldn¡¯t remove her reliance on Deconstruction ¨C simply because of the amount of mana it could restore ¨C it would make her less urgently reliant on it, giving her more leeway to make smarter choices in the middle of combat. Sometimes, just a few more points of mana could make an enormous difference.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she told Malika.


    ¡°My pleasure,¡± Malika replied, as the tiny, but structured flows of mana she was wielding about the item in her hands slowly faded.


    ¡°Is that your Appraise skill? How does it work?¡± It was remarkable how normal and everyday things like examining an item had suddenly become fascinating to her, now that she could see the action and interplay of the magic behind the skills.


    ¡°It¡¯s a general skill, common for people who need to evaluate items like¡­ merchants,¡± Malika explained. ¡°It gives me some idea of how the item works, and I can see the quality and rough value of the item, too. I can also sometimes see hidden item functions ¨C like I can see your shrine¡¯s recharge feature even though I can¡¯t use it.¡±


    ¡°What is the quality of this bracelet?¡±


    ¡°It looks plain and worn, but its quality is ¡®Magical¡¯. That¡¯s a step above Masterwork, reserved for items that hold one or two enchantments. My skill estimates I could get almost a gold if we tried to sell it ¨C definitely the most valuable item the Goblins had.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Ali exclaimed, withdrawing her arm.


    ¡°I told you it would be cuter once you knew what it does,¡± Malika chuckled.


    Ali could only laugh at how she had just unwittingly confirmed Malika¡¯s prediction. She didn¡¯t mind the teasing, knowing Malika well enough by now.


    ¡°Can I deconstruct this pile?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Yes, none of that stuff is worth carrying back with us,¡± Malika answered.


    Quickly, Ali worked through the pile of Goblin corpses, and then the heavy Bugbear weapons and armor.


    Ali glanced at her Grimoire in surprise. She had not yet figured out how her magic decided on categories, and then this happened.


    Obviously, it was similar enough for her magic to merge, but the only common trait seemed to be that they were protective armor pieces for the body. Even the construction and materials were radically different.


    ¡°Ali, are you done there?¡± Mato¡¯s voice called from the treeline, stealing her attention away from the idiosyncratic behavior of her Grimoire. Curious as to what he had found, she ran across the clearing with her Kobold rogue following close behind.


    He simply pointed at the base of the tree where an unusual plant grew on the decaying remnants of a broken branch, sending out delicate yellow-green tufted frond-like leaves that made it look a little like a fern.


    ¡°Maybe useful for your collection?¡±


    She smiled at the earnest expression on his face. He certainly showed a strong passion for the wilds and the importance of the balance of nature. He claimed he was just trying to help her out, but Ali could clearly see the excitement and energy that he poured into her quest to collect trees went well beyond simply helping a friend with a chore. Ali was certain he had always had an affinity for nature, and it was undoubtedly why he had unlocked a Druid class.


    ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll definitely take this one,¡± she said and carefully deconstructed the pretty moss around the black oak, hoping to update her Verdant Moss with the new variant.


    As predicted, her Grimoire had combined the two variants of moss into a single imprint. she thought, remembering the armor one that had just caught her by surprise.


    ¡°Does this tree work for you?¡± Mato asked, pointing at the black oak beside them.


    ¡°Looks good to me,¡± she answered and used her magic on it. She had been keeping a close count on the trees she had deconstructed, hoping that it would behave similarly to the other imprints. When she had deconstructed a variety of Kobolds, her Grimoire had created a general imprint directly. And sure enough, as she completed her deconstruction she could sense the impending weight of the knowledge within her mind, suggesting she was close. It was tricky to distinguish the feeling from the distracting sense of pain that came from her advanced domain withdrawal, but if she concentrated, it was beginning to be a little clearer.


    ¡°I think I need one more,¡± Ali said, answering Mato¡¯s expectant look.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy, let¡¯s get this sugar maple over here,¡± he answered, leading her a short way through the trees to a maple with gorgeous red and purple leaves. ¡°The Goblins made such a mess of the forest that some drastic pruning is needed. If we open up this area to some more light, perhaps it will encourage new growth.¡±


    Without any imminent threat or danger looming, Ali found herself enjoying the simple pleasure of walking in the forest collecting trees for her Grimoire, along with the simple contagious excitement Mato was showing in sharing in her experiment.


    She reached out and put a hand on the Maple, and used her magic, feeling the pressure rising within her as it began to dissolve into mana.


    Her Grimoire flicked open to the last chapter and floated before her widening eyes, seeming almost expectant. She channeled the knowledge, accepting her Grimoire¡¯s suggested chapter and the light show of swirling runic magic burst forth, inscribing itself upon the blank pages while the magical tome rapidly added more and more to accommodate the size of the imprint.


    ¡°You got it?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Thank you, Mato,¡± she answered happily. ¡°I¡¯m ready now.¡±


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s get the others and go home.¡±


    They returned to the clearing where Mato shrugged on his pack, weighed down now with all the shaman¡¯s gear. He retrieved his potion. The magic within the vial glowed black, which Ali reflected once again was a rather inadequate description for what she could see. He tossed it to the ground at his feet and it exploded into a large black plume of smoke, magic rippling and swirling around his body. And suddenly he was gone, smoke drifting away and dissipating into the forest.


    Ali looked at the vial she had just retrieved, impressed by the effect she had witnessed. Then she looked at her Kobold rogue standing beside her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure this will bring you with me,¡± she said, using Draconic to speak with her Kobold.


    ¡°I will run, Ancient Mistress,¡± the Kobold said, bowing his head.


    ¡°You know where the town is?¡± Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°No, but I can follow the connection,¡± he answered, pointing to his chest where the golden-green globe of her magic softly pulsed within him.


    ¡°Ok, but be careful of the Goblins,¡± she told him, getting a solemn nod in response. She didn¡¯t like leaving him to run back, but she didn¡¯t have any other choice. She needed to return before her withdrawal ran out. she thought.


    ¡°Can you bring the wolves back with you, too?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Ancient Mistress,¡± the Kobold agreed. Only two of them had survived, but she didn¡¯t want to leave them out here in the forest to be eaten by Bugbears.


    She threw her potion to the ground and the vial exploded with a popping sound, filling the air around her with an opaque black smoke cloud that had the distinct smell of fire and soot. Her stomach lurched as the ground below her feet disappeared and then suddenly, she was stumbling on a hard, polished marble floor. Mato¡¯s large hand steadied her as she struggled for a few moments to get her stomach under control.


    ¡°Welcome to the Novaspark Academy of Magic in Myrin¡¯s Keep, your teleportation fee will be five silver each.¡± The voice sounded bored and disinterested, and Ali got the sense that the words had been repeated so often that they had long ceased to have meaning for the mage anymore.


    She looked around. She stood in the center of a great circle of runic magic inscribed into the polished black marble of the floor. The circle glowed softly with the fading remnants of the violet magic that had connected it to the teleportation spell of her Recall Potion. As she watched, the runes flared with a brilliant infusion of purple mana, and Malika and Calen appeared beside her in the circle with a popping noise and a fresh puff of smoke.


    Teleportation magic in all its endless variety had always been fascinating to Ali, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of awe at seeing it in action with her Arcane Insight for the first time.


    The locus was a magical construct that served as an anchor for other teleportation magic, enhancing both distance and accuracy and was an essential feature in most towns. Without it, travel, and even the economy, would simply not function. Although, they were reputed to be fairly expensive to maintain, requiring an almost endless supply of mana.


    Off to the side of the room, she found a small desk behind which a bored-looking official sat, operating some device. The room had only a single entrance which was flanked by two guards wearing identical ornate robes, several wands strapped to their belts.


    ¡°You may also pay by tithing enough mana to cover the cost of your teleportation, plus the guild surcharge of twenty percent. For the four of you, that will come to¡­¡± the official behind the desk paused to check the device. ¡°Three thousand one hundred and sixty-four mana.¡±


    ¡°What if we don¡¯t have enough mana?¡± Ali asked. Over three thousand mana was far more than her entire mana pool.


    The official glanced up at her and then indicated a couple of chairs arranged in one corner of the room. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to use the rest area while you regenerate,¡± he offered, not exactly majoring on the subtlety.


    Ali turned to her friends. ¡°What should we do? I don¡¯t have any money to pay.¡±


    ¡°I can help with the mana tithe,¡± Malika answered. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t mind waiting for my Meditation.¡±


    Ali walked over to the desk, and after a brief explanation from the official, she placed her hand on the artifact sitting in front of him.


    Mana Battery (Arcane)


    Mana: Recharge the Mana Battery. 28750/40000


    Artifact


    She emptied her entire mana pool into the artifact, holding back only the mana she had reserved for her last remaining minions who were presumably making their way back to town through the forest at that moment. It was a little more than eight hundred mana, and she was quite proud of how much she had. Mato and Calen contributed two hundred and eighty and one hundred and forty respectively, but Malika shocked her by contributing eight hundred and seventy-five, more even than her.


    ¡°How do you have so much mana?¡± she whispered to Malika as they moved to the waiting area.


    ¡°My relentless aptitude lets me pay any mana cost with stamina,¡± she answered. ¡°I need about twenty minutes to regenerate enough stamina and mana to finish it, and then I think we can go.¡±


    , she thought, leaving her to her Meditation, and instead walked over to the edge of the runic circle, taking care not to step inside it. She crouched down and began to study the runes and the magical connections using Runic Script, rather than simply sit around bored while she regenerated slowly. If she had anything to deconstruct it would have been much quicker to complete the payment ¨C although, with Mato close enough to share his aura, and her new bracelet, her regeneration was already far higher than normal. But she was no longer in such a hurry. She would need to return to her domain and recover, but she had several days before it became urgent.


    She struggled to fully understand the magical connections within the high-level runic construct, even with the assistance of her Runic Script skill, but she still found the exercise fascinating. While Ali worked her way around the circle, several merchants appeared within the locus, coming and going quickly, simply dropping payment on the official¡¯s table.


    Still, she felt her understanding growing simply by watching the activation of the runes with her magical perception skill and was soon rewarded with a notification chime.


    ¡°What do you use all the mana for?¡± Ali asked while Malika finished paying their fee.


    ¡°Mostly to recharge the locus,¡± he answered, seeming to perk up a little at her interest. ¡°We also have a recharge service for wands and similar items in the academy¡¯s main hall which lets us make a little money to keep the rune circle staffed. If you have teleportation magic, feel free to memorize the locus, it will make your travel cheaper.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± she answered, before thinking the better of her reply. ¡°Uh, not yet.¡±


    Ali knew the theory. From studying the circle, she had been able to deduce that this locus had range extension and some rudimentary support for circumventing suppression magic. Mages could use such constructs to boost their own teleportation magic to travel further or more accurately. It was far from the most elaborate locus she had seen, although seeing it activated with mana flows and reading the runic magic directly was quite a different experience than the dry textbooks she had studied previously.


    Finally settled up, Ali followed her friends through the doorway between the two guards and suddenly stopped, her eyes assaulted by a riot of magic and mana. Stretching out ahead of her was a broad hallway with dark marble pillars, lit by floating orbs of light. On either side of the carpet that ran down the center were stalls, and every single one of them carried something magical.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Malika urged her, and she began to walk, but Ali simply stared at everything, barely even registering where she was going.


    On the left was a table lined with elaborate wands, on the right a stall with creatures in small cages ¨C alight with every kind of magical affinity. Artifacts, jewels, spell books, and scrolls lay on display upon velvet cloth. Vendors calmly tried to attract her attention with robes and displays of magical prowess as she gawped, dumbfounded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pay them any attention,¡± Malika bent down to whisper in her ear. ¡°They¡¯re showing off.¡±


    She glanced at Malika, feeling confused, but she felt the pull of Malika¡¯s hand as she gently guided her forward and finally out of the door at the end, emerging into the sunlight of a main street.


    Ali looked back longingly at the door they had just emerged from. Dal¡¯mohra had had similar magical marketplaces, significantly larger. But she had never witnessed one with the perception she now had.


    ¡°Ali, they¡¯re not worth it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Think about it for a second. The only people who can afford teleportation regularly are the wealthy, powerful, or well-to-do. Almost everyone who comes to Myrin¡¯s Keep by teleportation uses that Locus. The Novaspark Academy of Magic remains profitable because their private market of extravagant magic is the first thing all the wealthy visitors see. Everything in there is designed to get your attention and close a deal at a sizeable markup. You don¡¯t want to buy stuff in there, I can get you better deals on anything you need in five minutes.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Ali took a deep breath and turned her back on the doorway. What Malika said made sense, but she wondered if she would need to be careful in the future. As much as she loved her new Arcane Insight, it would be problematic if she could be literally dazzled by something as simple as a merchant trying to sell fancy trinkets.


    ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Ali asked as she followed them down the street. The street, and the town in general, was quite a stark contrast to the extravagance she had just witnessed. Just several blocks from the academy, they passed a building that had been burnt to a husk, with rubble and the remnants of burnt furniture still visible inside.


    Her domain withdrawal ached in the back of her mind, reminding her that she really needed to get back to her shrine and moss to recover. And she was also excited to try out her new tree imprint when she did get back.


    ¡°We should sell this stuff,¡± Mato said, hefting his pack.


    ¡°I want to let my mother know I¡¯m ok,¡± Calen said quietly.


    ¡°We should report the Goblins to the garrison commander,¡± Malika added. ¡°And we should keep well clear of Kieran Mori. Reporting his involvement might draw trouble down on our heads.¡±


    Calen seemed to struggle with something for a bit and then he said, ¡°Reporting the Goblins is the highest priority, we should do that first. I really think we should be honest about Mori¡¯s influence if we want Commander Brand on our side.¡±


    ¡°I think you have a little too much faith in people doing the right thing,¡± Malika said, frowning.


    Ali thought, quietly deciding that taking care of her withdrawal and her desire to experiment could wait for these more important tasks.

 Chapter 33: Myrin’s Keep

    Chapter 33: Myrin¡¯s KeepAliandra Myrin¡¯s Keep was surprisingly extensive. Given the way her friends had described it, Ali had initially formed the impression that it would be a little hamlet, littered with trash and overrun with bad people like a plague of rats. She and Mato had left in a rush in the quiet before dawn, almost a week ago, but now the streets bustled with activity and noise. It was not nearly as large as Dal¡¯mohra had been, obviously, but it was still large enough that she had to call for a break to catch her breath.


    she thought as she trotted along. She could tell the others were slowing down for her, but she didn¡¯t want to be a burden, so she had been walking as fast as she could, and now she was sweating and breathing heavily. There was always the option to invest in a little more endurance to improve her stamina, or dexterity so she could go faster, but neither attribute would help any of her other skills.


    It was just like when she had been younger, the other Fae simply flew everywhere, and she had been forced to scamper along on the ground trying to keep up.


    In Dal¡¯mohra, there had always been the public transit system: the levitating disk platforms manufactured by the Gnomish Engineering guilds that were always just a call away using her communication panel ¨C but neither piece of magical technology seemed to be available anywhere in Myrin¡¯s Keep. At least, she hadn¡¯t seen signs of any advanced magic yet. There were a few carts and people riding horses ¨C and one person at the magic academy had been flying ¨C but for the most part, people walked everywhere.


    she realized. Now that she had a few moments to pause and really look, she saw the gazes ¨C many of which were cast in her direction ¨C some curious, and more than a few looking away quickly as they caught her eye. What bothered her most was the shocking amount of hostility and fear in some of the stares. For the most part, people were avoiding them, giving them a wide berth when passing, or even crossing to the other side of the street. It was a poor and rundown part of the town, but Ali was beginning to get the impression that was just how most of Myrin¡¯s Keep was.


    ¡°How common are Fae?¡± Ali finally asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. In her time, Fae had been a small, but consistent presence in the Grove, of course, and participated actively in magical research for the various academies and universities in the city.


    ¡°Not unheard of, but rare,¡± Calen answered.


    ¡°I have never seen one, other than you,¡± Malika added. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°People are staring. Some of them seem upset.¡±


    ¡°You get used to that,¡± Calen observed.


    It was making her decidedly uncomfortable, and she struggled to figure out how one could just get used to it. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± The curiosity she didn¡¯t mind much, but the rest of it was making her more than a little worried.


    ¡°Especially among Elves and Humans, half-breeds and monster races are often treated poorly, disrespected, or outright hated,¡± Calen answered. His voice sounded resigned to the ugliness he had just described.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty obviously a refugee from Toria,¡± Malika added, ¡°and Toria and New Daria are at war, so I¡¯m treated with suspicion by most people who recognize my ancestry.¡±


    ¡°They think I¡¯m a monster?¡± Ali curled up her lip at the derogatory term ¡®monster race¡¯. In her time, it had generally been used to refer to such creatures as Goblins, Kobolds, and the like. Trolls or Dragonkin only if you wanted to start a war. But never Fae. Her race¡¯s magical heritage had been widely respected.


    ¡°Some people are just small-minded. If you¡¯re not a Dwarf, Gnome, Human, or Elf, you get to be a monster race,¡± Mato answered. ¡°I¡¯m pretty used to it too. I¡¯ll just punch them if they cause you any trouble.¡±


    ¡°Or you can just introduce them to your Kobolds,¡± Calen said, sounding uncharacteristically grim.


    It slowly dawned on Ali that none of her friends fit the ¡®normal¡¯ profile in this town. She and Mato would be considered monster races. Mato and Calen were both half-breeds, and Malika was at best a refugee, and at worst an enemy. With new, warier eyes, she covertly studied the people around her as they resumed their walk.


    Her wariness hung about her like a dark cloud as they walked steadily, soon reaching what seemed like a merchant district. A sprawling marketplace. The change in the atmosphere was like night and day; where before people were avoiding them, now Malika was fending off overly aggressive hawkers and merchants, eager for their coin. And foiling not a few would-be pickpockets. Ali never noticed them, but somehow Malika had a sixth sense for the cutpurses, and the reflexes to stop them.


    she thought, ruefully smoothing out her tattered and burnt robes.


    It was about halfway through the market that she heard a commotion and raised voices. As they turned a corner, she saw three thugs wearing an embroidered eye symbol on matching yellow armbands harassing a merchant at her stall.


    ¡°The taxes have gone up. You haven¡¯t paid enough.¡± The heavy-set man leading the group readied a wicked-looking truncheon as he grabbed for the merchant¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°It¡¯s too much!¡± the woman exclaimed, backing up.


    ¡°It¡¯s for your own protection, as you know,¡± he said, his voice loud and filled with scorn.


    Ali didn¡¯t believe him for a moment, and by the looks of it, neither did any of the onlookers.


    The one at the front seemed to be doing all the talking, shoving the distraught plump woman back up against her pastry stall. The other two flanked him, glaring at the crowd, with their hands resting on similar truncheons as if daring anyone to challenge them.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± Ali whispered.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Malika said firmly. ¡°They¡¯re from the Town Watch. See the badge on their armbands? There are probably more of them hidden in the crowd, waiting for trouble.¡±


    ¡°I want to punch them just as much as you do,¡± Mato growled, making Ali squeak out a halfhearted denial, ¡°but Malika¡¯s right. She will have to pay them, and then they will leave her alone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s horrible, they¡¯re going to hurt her,¡± Ali objected. The pastry seller seemed frantic.


    ¡°They might, but they won¡¯t kill her,¡± Malika answered.


    ¡°How do you know?¡± The thugs certainly seemed aggressive.


    ¡°They¡¯re scaring the crowd into paying their protection scam. They might rough her up, but dead people are bad for business.¡± Malika looked down, catching her eyes, ¡°The problem is the Town Watch is officially sanctioned by the Town Council ¨C we could be thrown in jail for interfering. If they hurt her, I¡¯ll heal her after, ok?¡±


    Ali nodded, but she still felt awful for the woman.


    ¡°If I pay that much, I can¡¯t afford to buy ingredients for tomorrow,¡± the woman wailed, clearly beside herself.


    ¡°That¡¯s not my problem,¡± the leader mocked, smacking his truncheon against his meaty palm. ¡°Cough up, or I¡¯ll have Adrik and Edrik come and pay you a visit.¡±


    There was a collective gasp from the crowd, and the woman¡¯s face paled. As she stammered out an apology, she gave up a small pouch that clinked in her trembling hands. The man snatched it from her, chuckling wickedly as he pocketed it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to pay on time next month. I won¡¯t be so lenient in the future.¡±


    His voice was clearly pitched to carry to the crowd, lending credence to Malika¡¯s assessment of what was going on. The trio turned and marched off through the market with the crowd scrambling to get out of their way. As soon as they left, the crowd began to disperse, the market filling with subdued chatter as folk drifted off to whatever errands they had been on.


    It was Mato who broke their silence. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. What say you we sell this gear, divide the spoils, and then buy a couple of pastries as fuel for the rest of this delightful walk?¡±


    ¡°Oh, delightful,¡± Calen echoed.


    Malika snorted, ¡°So much lovelier than I remembered.¡±


    ¡°Food! We must feed the Bear,¡± Mato growled, patting his ample stomach as the others could not help chuckling.


    Ali glanced gratefully at him. While they were in the dungeon fighting Kobolds, Mato had gone over a week without food and had never once complained. It was a small gesture, but it took a little of the bite out of being forced to watch a shakedown, helpless to intervene.


    Calen


    Calen scaled the spartan steps, taking them slower than he might have in deference to Ali¡¯s huffing and puffing, and entered the garrison headquarters. It was a dour, squat stone building in the northern quarter of town, nestled right up against the massive battlements that stood between the town and the Myrin River ¨C the border between New Daria and the kingdom of Toria to the northeast. The architects and stonemasons had probably been going for ¡®military chic,¡¯ but it came off more like ¡®prison¡¯ or ¡®bunker¡¯.


    The interior was just as stark as the exterior, a simple unadorned stone floor and walls, with a plain desk behind which an aide was busy filling in paperwork. Calen waited patiently until the aide acknowledged him.


    ¡°How can I help you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to make a scouting report to Commander Brand,¡± Calen announced.


    ¡°The Commander is busy right now,¡± the aide responded, glancing briefly to the side. It was a gesture that he probably didn¡¯t even know he had made, but Calen¡¯s newly enhanced eyes caught it easily. Following the glance, Calen found what looked to be a staff meeting in progress. At the head of the windowed conference room, standing with perfect parade-ground posture, was a uniformed man with short-cropped gray hair and piercing blue eyes that exuded an iron will and discipline. Eyes that instantly caught his glance, passed over their entire group quickly, seemingly taking in every single detail even at that distance. Calen saw his eyes pause at Malika, and then again on Ali, before snapping back to the conference room.


    Calen recognized him from the drills the garrison guards sometimes conducted on the battlements.


    ¡°¡­ but I can take your report,¡± the aide finished, seemingly oblivious to the attention of his commander.


    ¡°Malika and I were kidnapped by Kieran Mori almost ten days ago, and sold as slaves to the Kel¡¯darran merchants,¡± Calen started.


    ¡°That seems a bit implausible,¡± the aide interjected. ¡°Kieran Mori doesn¡¯t leave anyone alive, and the Kel¡¯darran merchants don¡¯t let people go.¡±


    Calen stared at the aide, his momentum stalled at the unexpected resistance, but Mato came to his rescue. Digging around in his pack for a moment, Mato dropped a set of black handcuffs on the desk in front of the aide.


    ¡°We recovered this from the wreckage of the merchant wagons,¡± he said.


    Dubiously, the aide picked it up, but his expression turned immediately to shock. ¡°These are highly illegal,¡± he exclaimed.


    ¡°I know,¡± Malika chimed in. ¡°I was restrained in those.¡±


    ¡°Well, how did you escape then?¡± The aide¡¯s disbelief seemed to be growing by the moment.


    ¡°The caravan was wiped out, you can find it about four days ride along the south road,¡± Calen answered. ¡°It was attacked by a dungeon-break provoked by Kieran Mori and his underlings. I observed hundreds of Goblins pouring out of the cavern, and they¡¯re being lured here to Myrin¡¯s Keep.¡±


    The aide simply let out a barking laugh.


    ¡°Look, I don¡¯t have time for childish pranks. The Torian forces are making moves on us as we speak, and I need to take care of all this paperwork. Take your stories somewhere else.¡±


    Calen suppressed a powerful surge of frustration at the obstinate aide. With an act of will he calmed his voice, knowing that an argument would simply make matters worse. ¡°This is important, you must send scouts. I found Timber Wolf tracks, and we saw Hobgoblins. We even fought a warband with three Bugbears. Myrin¡¯s Keep is in grave danger.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re being preposterous, I told you to stop feeding me stories. There¡¯s no way you faced Bugbears at level ten and lived. Get out! Stop wasting the garrison¡¯s time. We have important work to do.¡± The aide¡¯s face was red, flushed with anger, and he rose to his feet. ¡°Leave. Before I have you thrown out.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Malika said, putting a hand on Mato¡¯s shoulder to silence his angry growl.


    As he turned, Calen once again caught the commander¡¯s keen eyes studying them as they left.  He bit off the unexpectedly gruesome thought.


    Aliandra


    Ali reflected on everything she had seen so far as Calen led them up a street called ¡®Artisan¡¯s Row¡¯. The street seemed to be in a mixed state of disrepair, trash littered the sidewalks, and they passed several wrecked or burned-down buildings among the stores and shops that still appeared to be maintained ¨C well, they were liveable, which was not saying much. It was much like everywhere else in Myrin¡¯s Keep.


    She came to the realization after deciding that Myrin¡¯s Keep had no redeeming features to speak of. she corrected herself.  The pastries from the vendor in the marketplace had been delicious; perfectly flakey and with just the right amount of hot berry filling. She had seen a dead body in an alleyway the first time she had set foot in the town, countless burnt and gutted houses, a shakedown, been treated like some kind of monster, and the guard at the garrison had been rude to them. She frowned to herself before looking to see why Calen had stopped.


    Standing before them was a quaint little storefront at the quieter end of Artisan¡¯s Row, and it might have been charming if it didn¡¯t look like it had recently been one of those burnt-out husks or abandoned buildings she had seen along the way. Obvious repairs had been done, but there were still signs of damage visible on the exterior. The sign on the door proclaiming the place as ¡®¡¯ was new and elegant at least, as was the lilac-painted door itself.


    Calen pushed the door open, and they all entered to the sound of a magical chime accompanied by the brief flicker of what seemed to be sound-affinity mana powering a hidden enchantment.


    ¡°Calen!¡± A woman, clearly Calen¡¯s mother, rushed across the room to catch him in a big hug.


    ¡°Mom! We have guests!¡± His face immediately flushed a bright shade of tomato-red, his voice full of awkward embarrassment at her overt display of public affection, but his arms pulled her in close to his chest, returning her embrace.


    ¡°Nonsense, your friends don¡¯t mind a mother hugging her son who has returned from the dead!¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t dead,¡± he complained.


    ¡°I thought you were,¡± she answered, her voice suddenly carrying a more serious undertone. ¡°I¡¯m just happy you¡¯re ok.¡± Her arms tightened around him one more time before she finally released him from his torment and turned to the rest of the group.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Lydia Avery, Calen¡¯s mother. Thank you for bringing him back safely.¡± She nudged Calen in the ribs with her elbow, ¡°Calen, why don¡¯t you introduce your friends? I see you finally brought some girls home to meet me?¡±


    Calen¡¯s blush deepened dramatically, and he spluttered, unable to respond while his mother looked at him with a mock-serious expression, but Ali saw that her eyes were crinkled with suppressed amusement.


    While Calen stumbled his way through the introductions, Ali smiled. It was clear that he cared deeply for his mother. And she, in turn, showed her affection by teasing him mercilessly. While he was being teased and introducing them, Ali indulged her curiosity and Identified Lydia, hoping she wasn¡¯t committing some egregious breach of social etiquette.


    Lydia¡¯s lack of an affinity ¨C a mana specialization ¨C did not surprise Ali in the slightest. In Dal¡¯mohra, only about ten percent of the population unlocked a mana affinity and the specialized and enhanced skills and magic that went along with that. Among the Fae, though, it was closer to fifty percent.


    For many classes ¨C martial classes, scholars, and crafters ¨C a specific affinity was not required. Neutral magic, or martial stamina-based skills, were more than sufficient, but Ali would not trade her mage class and affinities for the world. It wasn¡¯t even the potent skills unlocked by the specific affinities ¨C Ali felt her nature and arcane affinities were simply a part of who she was, like the color of her eyes.


    She took the opportunity to look around. Ali liked the sound of the name, and she could immediately see what Calen¡¯s mother was trying to go for. The shop had a warm and inviting atmosphere, with a few comfortable chairs carefully arranged to break up the monotony of the space. Two or three mannequins sported stylish outfits, and there were several racks of premade clothing, bolts of cloth, and catalogs artfully arranged to catch the eye. However, the interior was clearly unfinished, perhaps a work in progress following a very recent move.


    ¡°Aliandra, Malika, I owe you for saving Calen once again,¡± Lydia¡¯s voice brought her back to the conversation.


    ¡°Calen did his fair share of saving too,¡± Malika offered, her expression guarded.


    ¡°Aliandra, what happened to the clothes I made for you? Was the fit that bad? I¡¯m really sorry,¡± Lydia exclaimed, as her eyes settled on Ali and the robes she had salvaged from a dead Kobold mage.


    ¡°I got hit by a Fireball¡­¡± Ali said, for some inexplicable reason feeling embarrassed by saying it. ¡°And a Lightning Bolt. Sorry, the clothing didn¡¯t really survive.¡±


    ¡°I can burn this for you, dear,¡± she offered, picking at Ali¡¯s Tattered Robes with an expression of disgust on her face.


    ¡°It has resistances I need,¡± Ali immediately objected.


    ¡°Dear, it stinks to high heaven, and it¡¯s a rag. Barely a rag.¡± Lydia tsked as she plucked at it gingerly, clearly not wanting to soil her fingers. ¡°I don¡¯t have much to offer for combat armor, but I can definitely do better than this. Where did you get it? It smells like Kobolds after mucking about in the sewer.¡± Her nose wrinkled expressively.


    Ali thought, embarrassed that she was stinking up the store without even knowing it. She had been underground, or traipsing around in the wilds, for so long that she no longer even noticed the smell. She wanted to kick Mato in the shins as he sniggered in the background.


    Before Ali knew it, Lydia had produced a notepad and was turning her this way and that, examining her from head to foot, making quick notes with an antique-looking quill.  Ali had always wondered how Tailors did it, but now she could see the flicker of magic in Lydia¡¯s eyes as she measured her with what was presumably a Tailor-specific perception skill.


    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t have much for armor?¡± Ali asked. ¡°Can you do something with resistances?¡±


    ¡°You must not be from around here,¡± Lydia said. ¡°The big Tailor guilds require many years of service and an iron-clad contract before they will teach any of the more important armor enchants. I didn¡¯t want to spend my entire life in indentured service to them, so I decided to branch out and start my own shop. I can specialize in fashion and maybe level up a little if I make a name for myself.¡±


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t everyone work on their own then?¡± Ali asked curiously. It seemed a bit of a predatory setup if someone like Lydia had to sacrifice so much just to learn the basic enchantments of her craft.


    ¡°As with most crafting professions, experience is gained when your work is used effectively in important or dangerous situations. Monopolizing the combat enchantments means that Tailors must work for the guild because the best experience comes from adventurers, guards, and similar classes using your work to survive combat situations. In most cities, it requires a guild-approved license to sell combat gear, and they make you pay through the nose to learn any of the enchantments. Unless you¡¯re already independently wealthy, the path to becoming a Tailor involves binding yourself to the guild and their ruinous loans. But I can still earn some experience if a noble, a wealthy merchant, or the mayor¡¯s wife wears one of my dresses to an important social event. It¡¯s not nearly as much, but it¡¯s still something. And I have always loved fashion design.¡±


    Even if the situation seemed a little dire for Lydia, the insights into how the crafting classes worked were still fascinating. Ali had originally been interested in neither crafting nor combat, so she hadn¡¯t paid too much attention to this aspect. But she had been aware that the best and highest-level crafters made items for the best adventurers ¨C she had just never been curious about the why. It seemed that the relationship was symbiotic in more than just the business sense.


    Ali nodded to herself, deciding that this felt good.  Still, she liked the principle.


    Lydia looked up at Malika. ¡°Your turn, dear.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ couldn¡¯t afford anything,¡± Malika said, looking significantly at the obviously high-end tailored clothing on the mannequins.


    Ali suddenly remembered she had no way of paying either. She frowned.


    ¡°You brought Calen home safely. I want to give you a thank-you gift,¡± Lydia answered.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t feel right accepting,¡± Malika refused, shaking her head firmly. ¡°Calen saved me just as much as I saved him.¡±


    Lydia pursed her lips thoughtfully for a moment. ¡°Would you be open to a business proposition then?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve just opened my store, and I¡¯m struggling to get my name out there. How about I give you an outfit to wear around town, perhaps to lunch? If anyone asks you where you got it, you tell them about my shop. Think of it as advertising for me. I will add one set of clothing suitable for mucking about in the sewers as payment.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Malika looked surprised and deflated. ¡°I guess ¡­ I guess I¡¯m ok with that ¨C if it¡¯s something you need, and if it helps you, I mean.¡±


    ¡°It would be a huge help. I need to turn a profit soon otherwise I won¡¯t be able to pay taxes, my loans, and protection against the criminals,¡± Lydia answered, busying herself measuring Malika as Mato and Calen exchanged glances. Ali realized that Calen probably meant to use his share of their loot to support his mother¡¯s shop. ¡°You¡¯re really fit, you¡¯ll make a great model. Maybe a little skinny, though. Are you eating enough? You have gorgeous curly hair! What do you think of this color fabric?¡±


    Lydia fussed about Malika for a while, making small talk with a direct bluntness that was both surprising and at times refreshing or uncomfortable in approximately equal amounts. At least, Malika¡¯s expression hovered somewhere between being bamboozled, embarrassed, and unwillingly flattered. Ali decided that to laugh at her probably was not worth the arm or leg it would cost.


    ¡°Okay, this will take a little bit to finish. Calen dear, please take our guests upstairs and show them the bathroom. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll all want a shower.¡± The emphasis on the last part, and her wrinkled nose, made it clear that it was closer to an order than a suggestion.


    ***


    The shower had been a taste of heaven; Ali had forgotten what it was like to be clean. Feeling much happier, and rather relaxed, she walked downstairs wearing a small towel because the bathrobes were way too large. She sat down in one of the comfortable chairs in the waiting area, enjoying the subtle interplay of magic as Lydia made the needle and thread blur with speed. While the notepad was open on the tabletop, Lydia never once consulted it, completely absorbed in her craft.


    ¡°Here you go dear,¡± Lydia said looking up from the table. ¡°Go try this on.¡± She handed her a bundle and pointed to a curtained-off fitting room. Just the feel of the fabric sent a thrill of excitement through her. Ali quickly changed into her new outfit, before stepping back out.


    ¡°Wow, Ali, that¡¯s amazing,¡± Malika said, as she joined them downstairs in a borrowed bathrobe.


    Lydia immediately fussed over Ali for a few moments, touching various seams and making them stretch or shift with deft flickers of magic flowing around her hands.


    ¡°There, that should do it,¡± she announced. With a wave of her hand, she produced a mirror illusion floating in the air in front of her. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Ali stared at her reflection in the mirror. The image that stared back at her looked like a noble or a wealthy merchant. Ali barely recognized herself. She was much more comfortable with pants and a t-shirt, having rarely had the opportunity or desire to dress up. And here she was wearing a stylish burgundy dress that reached the ground, beautiful shimmery cloth slippers, and even a cute matching hat, all of which were artfully designed to show off her green hair and amber eyes.


    The style might have been considered vintage or even old-fashioned by the popular icons of Dal¡¯mohra ¨C perhaps something one might see at a historical festival, but Ali had already spied similar style outfits on several important-looking ladies in town. But she didn¡¯t care, it felt heavenly on her skin.


    Malika prodded her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t be shy, now. The mirror won¡¯t bite you, I promise.¡±


    She twirled in front of the mirror, enjoying how the soft fabric flowed.


    ¡°I love it!¡±


    Lydia was truly an artist. Ali had never imagined she would wear anything like this. And yet the outfit was comfortable and understated, not gaudy or attention-grabbing simply for the sake of it.


    Lydia smiled happily and then handed Malika hers before returning to Ali.


    ¡°What do you think of this for your armor piece?¡± Lydia asked.


    She handed Ali an eminently more practical set consisting of a robust-looking pair of pants and shirt in elegantly chosen shades of tan and beige. Ali examined them carefully, surprised to find out that it looked much like many of the items she had had in her own closet. However, the resemblance disappeared the moment she identified it.


    Tailored Cotton Clothing ¨C level 15


    Resistance: 216


    Mana: Self-repair.


    Requirements: Intelligence 53


    Body ¨C Cloth


    Ali stared at the item, feeling aghast and embarrassingly possessive in equal measure. This was an enormous upgrade over the sixty-seven resistance she had gotten from the old poorly fitted, tattered robes.


    The number of times Ali had gotten her clothing torn, burnt, or otherwise destroyed was more than she could even remember. The armor was simple but well made, came as a set, and, best of all, they were sized to fit her, not a Kobold. There was no tail-hole, and Lydia had artfully included slots for her worthless wings to fit through instead of being forced to fold them up uncomfortably against her back.


    ¡°This is incredible, I just couldn¡¯t ¨C¡± The Tailor¡¯s eyebrows twitched meaningfully ¡°¨C I mean, thank you so much!¡±


    Ali was truly excited about her new adventuring outfit.


    ¡°Self-repair is the only enchantment I can do for armor, and I discovered that one by accident.  But I can at least make something that suits your level and its higher quality than that horrible thing you were wearing before,¡± Lydia said, with a grin and a not entirely fake sniff of disdain. ¡°Here let me put on the finishing touches, if you¡¯re happy with it.¡±


    ¡°Happy? She¡¯s bouncing,¡± Malika pointed out. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Malika!¡± But Ali nodded, and then to her surprise, Lydia summoned an astoundingly complex formation of magical energy, manifesting it between her palms. It swirled and pulsed with a vibrance that made it seem almost alive.


    Ali stared openmouthed as Lydia separated the formation into two, joined by a glowing ribbon of energy. She reached out and placed one hand on the garments she had made, causing that half of the magical energy to infuse into the fabric, spreading through it like rapidly growing roots. The other half sank into Lydia¡¯s chest where it pulsed slowly, not unlike the kernel of mana she had seen in the chest of her Kobolds. Slowly the energy, and the glowing ribbon linking her to the tailored clothing, faded to invisibility.


    ¡°Wow, what was that?¡± Ali had never seen anything like it. The complexity was easily on par with some of the magic her Grimoire had produced.


    ¡°My mana signature,¡± Lydia answered, chuckling. ¡°I guess you can see mana? I¡¯ve heard that signatures look quite complicated.¡±


    Ali identified the item a second time, curiosity burning like a fire within her.


    Tailored Cotton Clothing ¨C level 15


    Resistance: 216


    Mana: Self-repair.


    Requirements: Intelligence 53


    Body ¨C Cloth


    There at the bottom of the description was Lydia¡¯s signature. ¡°All that for a signature?¡±


    ¡°Look a little closer,¡± she suggested archly while handing Mato his new outfit.


    Ali blinked. Alright, someone was justly proud of her work and she had better respond accordingly. Burning with curiosity, she focused on the signature and willed it to give up any further detail that she might access.


    Mana Signature ¨C Lydia Avery


    Enchantment ¨C Tithe


    A lot of things suddenly clicked in Ali¡¯s mind. Tithe enchantments were a complex branch of magic that awarded experience to the person who provided a beneficial effect to another person. Not everything worked this way, but it seemed that crafters could use them, which explained Lydia¡¯s comments about her gaining experience for important items. Ali knew there were a lot more details, but she hadn¡¯t paid much attention during those lectures because the professor had habitually droned on like a bored mosquito.  she thought, regretting her distraction in that class.


    It also explained why Lydia only bothered to put her signature on the expensive outfits and Ali¡¯s armor, but not on the adventuring clothes she had created for Malika. Malika¡¯s gear had no armor or level requirement because it would interfere with her class, and so the item would not affect combat in any meaningful way, and thus not affect the outcome. They were just ordinary clothes. For the stylish outfits they planned to wear around town, presumably any profitable encounter might earn a little experience, perhaps if they had merchant classes, but more importantly, mana signatures were notoriously impossible to fake, and they were advertising.


    Ali sat back down to wait for Lydia to finish with the boys. While she waited, she glanced down at the bag Calen had given her to hold her old Tattered Robes.


    She surreptitiously reached her hand into the bag and Deconstructed it.


    Once they were all ready, and all the outfits were adjusted to Lydia¡¯s exacting standards, she hugged Calen goodbye and then handed him a gold coin.


    ¡°Take them to Laurel¡¯s,¡± she suggested. ¡°That should be the perfect place to show off. And be sure to tip well.¡±


    Ali didn¡¯t have a good understanding of how much things were worth in this town, but judging from Calen¡¯s surprised expression, and Malika¡¯s shock, a gold for lunch was unheard of.

 Chapter 34: Lunch at Laurel’s Café

    Chapter 34: Lunch at Laurel¡¯s Caf¨¦AliandraLaurel¡¯s Caf¨¦ was apparently far too upscale an establishment to exist in any proximity to an unsophisticated location like Artisan¡¯s Row. It took a while for them to walk across the several districts to reach the fancier, more upmarket end of town.


    Ali didn¡¯t mind though, enjoying the beautiful late morning sunshine that cast the entire town in a much more pleasant light. With something as simple as a change of clothing, Ali was amazed at the change in behavior from the townsfolk. No longer did they draw hostile glances and angry looks. Instead, there were many muttered comments such as: ¡®Excuse me, my lady,¡¯ and people looking down and getting out of their way as they walked by.


    Calen led them across a small cobble-stone bridge that spanned the river dividing the town, and Ali paused on top to gaze out at the view for a moment. Her sightseeing was promptly interrupted by an angry shout.


    ¡°Seri! Stop daydreaming!¡±


    Nestled up against the far bank of the river, stood a small wooden dock with a well-worn wagon pulled up alongside it. A red-faced man stood in front of the empty barrels stacked on the wagon, with his hands perched on his hips like an irritated teapot. A tiny Gnomish woman in a bright-blue dress with white-blonde, pixie-cut hair yelped, scrambling up from where she had been sitting near the riverbank staring at the water flowing by.


    ¡°Sorry! Sorry!¡± Her high-pitched voice carried clear as a bell across the river.


    Quickly, she reached her hands toward the river and an enormous fountain of water gushed up into the air, splitting into smaller streams and flowing down gracefully to fill each barrel. The girl glowed with such an intense cobalt aura that Ali gasped in amazement.  The vibrant aura flickered and flowed with water-affinity magic as the Gnome manipulated an absolutely colossal amount of water to fill all the barrels ¨C without spilling a drop.


    Ali smiled, amused by the mostly harmless altercation, and enjoying the opportunity to exercise her mana sight on yet another fascinating use of magic.


    More or less ten minutes later, they finally arrived at a small, stylish stone-walled shop with a red roof and a bright sign advertising: The entire area was conspicuously devoid of trash and hawkers, and there were no burnt-out husks of buildings in evidence anywhere along this road. Ali had even spotted several uniformed guards discreetly walking the streets. Guards that were not displaying the Town Watch colors.


    The caf¨¦ had a small area with outside seating that already had a couple of patrons enjoying the sunshine and food.


    ¡°Oh! Can we sit outside?¡± she asked excitedly.


    Her question was interrupted by an unfamiliar voice from behind.


    ¡°Oh, my! Mirabel, look! How cute, a little Fae!¡±


    Ali spun around, finding two young-looking human women, wearing ostentatiously expensive dresses and carrying brightly colored parasols, staring at her. They had obviously been walking the tiny, fussy-looking dog that was yapping incessantly and scampering about their feet. Ali frowned. It was common for the larger races to inflict the dreaded ¡®cute¡¯ word upon her, and she quite hated it.  She was about to give them a piece of her mind when she was suddenly interrupted.


    ¡°Actually, she¡¯s a pretty fierce adventurer,¡± Malika chipped in, using a carefree and nonchalant attitude that caught Ali by surprise.


    ¡°Oooh!¡±


    To Ali¡¯s further surprise, the two women seemed openly impressed by Malika¡¯s bold declaration.


    ¡°But she¡¯s freelancing as a model for this new, stylish boutique down on Artisan¡¯s Row. Have you heard of it? It¡¯s called Lydia¡¯s Allure. It¡¯s really an undiscovered fashion masterpiece. To think there would be such a gem in Myrin¡¯s Keep, of all places!¡±


    ¡°Aah!¡± the other girl breathed, nodding knowingly.


    Ali gawped openmouthed at Malika, somewhat stunned and speechless for a moment.


    The two ladies continued fawning over Ali and Malika for a while. Malika even performed several graceful pirouettes to show off her outfit, after which the noble ladies bid them goodbye and left. Ali overheard them talking excitedly about their new discovery and how their friends were going to be gnawing out their own livers in jealousy.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had to talk my way out of sticky situations before,¡± Malika answered their curious looks, as they stepped into the caf¨¦ ¨C an explanation that left so much unsaid.


    As they looked around, Malika whispered, ¡°Calen, your mother is a devious genius. I¡¯m honestly in awe.¡± At his surprised look, she simply added an enigmatic, ¡°Wait, you¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°Welcome to Laurel¡¯s Caf¨¦, sirs, ladies,¡± the waiter said, showing them to a perfectly located table on the terrace ¨C polished white marble accented with gold filigree. ¡°For your convenience, your table has a privacy enchantment that blocks sound,¡± he announced while pulling up a taller chair for Ali without missing a beat.


    Ali already loved the place. The fact that they were accustomed to serving the smaller races, and hadn¡¯t made an issue of her height, gave her a wonderfully warm sense of being welcomed.


    After taking their orders, the waiter left them to enjoy the view and the privacy of their table.


    Naturally, the conversation immediately turned to the crazy events from the last week. While it wasn¡¯t exactly pleasant subject matter, catching up with what Malika and Calen had been through was something that had been put off for too long.


    ¡°I guess I owe you guys an explanation,¡± Malika said after their first course ¨C a large platter of artfully decorated appetizers ¨C had arrived. The food smelled heavenly. ¡°You probably guessed that the guys who pushed you down that hole were Kieran Mori, Adrik, and Edrik. And I guess Tala. They¡¯re all members of the Town Watch ¨C an organization that supposedly protects the town and townsfolk, but ¨C as you saw ¨C under that fa?ade, it handles most of the dirty business for the Hawkhurst Trading Company. Protection rackets, thievery, and similar shady business so that Jax Hawkhurst can keep his hands clean and his precious Town Council position unassailable while pulling the puppet strings on his criminal syndicate.¡±


    Malika paused, but everyone simply waited for her to collect herself.


    Ali dipped a lightly salted cracker into the small bowl of unidentifiable green dip and sniffed it before taking a tentative nibble, noting that neither Calen nor Mato seemed surprised by Malika¡¯s pronouncement. She still had no idea what it was, but she grabbed a couple more crackers before Malika continued.


    ¡°I told Ali this story already, but my parents were killed in a dungeon-break about ten years ago. I stowed away on a merchant caravan to escape, ending up here in Myrin¡¯s Keep. I was young and desperate, and easy prey for the Hawkhurst loan sharks. Long story short, they pawned me off on the goons in the Town Watch and made me work for them to pay back my debt.¡±


    ¡°I guess that explains your ability to pick locks?¡± Calen asked soberly. ¡°And the Street Rat title?¡±


    Ali glanced at Malika, seeing a grimace appear on her face.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°Adrik and Edrik were my handlers. They forced me to take jobs of petty crime, making me learn to pick pockets and locks, all supposedly to pay back what I owed. I only found out much later that nobody cared about my debt, they were just using it as an excuse to make me work for them. Making me take those skills and do the jobs was designed to force me into a Thief class so that I would be stuck and reliant on them forever. It¡¯s also why I have Appraise instead of Identify.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Appraise a merchant skill?¡± Calen asked curiously.


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s also a crucial skill for thieves, it lets me know the value and quality of items. But it means I can¡¯t Identify people or monsters anymore.¡± Malika looked down at the table. ¡°So yeah, I¡¯m sorry I dragged you all into my mess. I¡¯m really not sure how to make it up to you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± Ali answered. ¡°You taught me how to use my class, and how teamwork means having everyone¡¯s back. You¡¯ve been looking out for me at every opportunity. And you¡¯re my friend.¡±


    Mato made an agreeing grunt. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean that?¡± Malika asked, looking up at her, her voice thick with emotion.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali said firmly. She didn¡¯t know much about this new world, other than it was dirty and hostile, but Malika was loyal and honest, and she hated to see her sad.


    ¡°You broke me out of those cuffs and saved my hide more times than I can count already,¡± Calen offered quietly.


    ¡°You saved me too, and you don¡¯t even like me,¡± Mato added dramatically, drawing a surprised laugh from Malika, and suddenly the mood lightened.


    ¡°What is it that you want to do?¡± Calen asked, and Ali realized that the two boys had not heard Malika¡¯s full story yet.


    ¡°For the longest time, I wanted to get strong enough to destroy the dungeon that killed my parents and razed my hometown, but someone already beat me to that. I think I want to be a respected martial artist to honor my parents¡¯ memories. It would mean a lot to become strong enough to prevent something like that from happening again,¡± she said. ¡°I think I want to join the Adventurers Guild.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about being an adventurer,¡± Ali said. ¡°I¡¯m scared all the time in battle.¡± As the others looked at her, she added, ¡°I was terrified most of the time down in the ruins with those Kobolds. For most of my life, I lived in safety, working in the Grand Library Arcana, or studying in the Grove. I had such bold ideas for taking back my home when I was first offered a combat class. Now I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m made for combat.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty good at it,¡± Mato said, in his typically blunt fashion. ¡°Also, you remember how scared I was down there too, right?¡±


    ¡°You were scared?¡± Calen asked, a look of genuine surprise on his face. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mato said, pausing for a long moment. ¡°You were right, Calen ¨C Primal Rage is a terrible skill. I lost control in the first fight, and I attacked Ali.¡± A haunted shadow passed across his face. ¡°I nearly killed her. If she hadn¡¯t learned to inscribe a Druidic Restoration spell from my book down there in the dungeon while we were both dying, I wouldn¡¯t even be here.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why you removed your skill,¡± Malika said, stating it as a realization rather than a question.


    Mato simply nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t listen to you either.¡±


    ¡°You got me out of that Bugbear situation, I think I might be in your debt at this point,¡± Malika observed.


    A small smile touched his lips. ¡°I thought you had those Bugbears right where you wanted them? You know, the hug of death and all that?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes. I was lying there on the ground all beaten up because I knew you wanted the opportunity to help. You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Ali laughed with them at the ridiculous take on their dangerous fight.


    ¡°Anyway, now we have a Kobold problem and a Goblin problem,¡± Mato said, back to his normal self. ¡°And the garrison doesn¡¯t want to believe us about the Goblins. What do you think we should do?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve always had a Kobold problem in Myrin¡¯s Keep, I think they will keep till later,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Yes, the Goblins seem to be the most urgent issue,¡± Ali agreed.


    ¡°I think the Town Watch is a bigger problem,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Do you really think Mori cares about us? He already got his money for selling you guys,¡± Mato said. ¡°Maybe he was just¡­ uh, marking his territory?¡± Malika stared incredulously at him. ¡°Sorry. Crap. That came out badly.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Calen scratched his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Mato, it felt more like a slap on the wrist, but maybe there¡¯s some higher-level politics going on we don¡¯t know about, and this was a message meant for someone else? Malika?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, that sort of makes sense,¡± Malika mused. ¡°Maybe we¡¯re too small for Mori to bother with, but Tala seemed weirdly vindictive. And I have a history with Adrik and Edrik.¡±


    ¡°Myrin¡¯s Keep is quite large, what are the chances we run into them by accident?¡± Calen asked. ¡°Also, I think if we stick together, we¡¯re high enough level we can safely get away from those thugs now.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should join the Adventurers Guild for safety?¡± Malika countered. ¡°I¡¯d feel safer if we finished up our business in town this afternoon and headed back underground to get a few more levels under our belts. We¡¯d be less visible down there.¡±


    Mato grunted his approval.


    Ali remained quiet, listening to her friends discuss options and plans. Getting back to the shrine sounded like a fantastic idea for many reasons. Something had become clear to her on the rescue trip in the forest ¨C and she wasn¡¯t sure the others had even considered it yet. They all had great classes, suitable for a wide variety of jobs or adventures. But she was always going to have to deal with domain withdrawal. No matter what, there would be places they would want to go to that she simply couldn¡¯t reach.


    ¡°Are you sure you guys all want to continue together?¡± she asked. The conversation around the table suddenly died, like she had dropped a fireball on it.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been forced together by crazy circumstances, and we haven¡¯t had much of a choice up till now. But now we can choose what we want to do. I¡¯m sure all of you have dreams and goals, but I¡¯ll always be rooted here. My class limits how far I can move. Do you really want to be stuck here, with me? This town looks pretty awful, but all of you have great classes and could get work anywhere.¡±


    Surprisingly, it was Mato who spoke first. ¡°When I was younger, my dad would tell us stories from his days as an adventurer. He would always insist that the most important choice was who you bring with you on your quests and adventures. You guys are alright, and you¡¯ve had my back so many times already, I¡¯ve lost count. So, I¡¯m in if you are.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Malika answered. ¡°It''s been perhaps a little riskier than I would have liked, but I have never heard of anyone leveling quite so fast after unlocking their classes. I feel like I can learn a lot, and there are plenty of opportunities to train my skills and grow. Also, we make a strong team, those Bugbears would be a very tough fight for anyone at our level.¡±


    Ali looked over at Calen, who paused thoughtfully and then spoke, ¡°I¡¯m an explorer at heart. I love discovering new places and hearing the stories of dungeons and ruins. The ruins of the lost city of Dal¡¯mohra are the greatest find in recent memory. I¡¯m actually jealous that you got to explore it already.¡±


    Surprised at their passionate answers, Ali responded, ¡°Then, perhaps you all can teach me how to be a better teammate?¡±


    Mato coughed in amazement, ¡°You¡­ really?¡±


    ¡°Ali, I¡¯m sure we will all learn a lot from each other,¡± Malika answered. ¡°How do you plan to better amazing?¡±


    ¡°Malika, please.¡±


    ¡°Miss Aliandra, I am extremely stubborn about my opinions, especially when I¡¯m right. Fine. I hear you. We can talk about it,¡± Malika teased.


    As the conversation moved on to lighter subjects, Ali focused a little more on savoring the extraordinarily delicious food that came and went in endless courses until even Mato sat back with a groan, declaring that he needed a bigger belt. During a bit of a post-dessert lull in conversation, the waiter approached her.


    ¡°Excuse me, my lady,¡± he said and waited for her to acknowledge him.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Ali asked. She had never been addressed as ¡®my lady¡¯ before and she wasn¡¯t quite sure how to respond to his excessive politeness. she thought, and that had made her uncomfortable too.


    ¡°It¡¯s but a trifling matter,¡± he said. ¡°Your dress is quite sensational. In fact, several of the other patrons insisted on interrupting your lunch to inquire where you were from and where you acquired such finery. I informed them that they were not to disturb you, but, if it pleases you to share, I would like to inform them accordingly.¡±


    Ali looked down at her dress, suddenly remembering that she was wearing something significantly more elegant than her usual outfits. Malika had come up with a remarkable response earlier, and Ali racked her brains to come up with something clever.


    But in the end, she decided to stick with the simple truth.


    ¡°Oh. It¡¯s my first time in Myrin¡¯s Keep,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t mind sharing if it will make them happy. Our outfits were all designed by Lydia Avery, a Tailor who has just opened a shop called Lydia¡¯s Allure on Artisan¡¯s Row.¡± She offered him the opportunity to inspect the dress. ¡°She¡¯s quite talented, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, my lady,¡± the waiter said. ¡°Thank you for your indulgence.¡± As he turned to leave, Ali noticed an almost imperceptible smile flicker across his stoic face.


    As soon as the waiter left, Malika turned to Calen. ¡°See?¡±


    ¡°No, what?¡±


    ¡°This is a very expensive caf¨¦, popular among the high crowd. Everybody who wants to be somebody dresses up to come here and show off. To be seen. Our outfits, on the other hand, look extremely expensive, but understated. Particularly Ali¡¯s. She looks like she could buy the entire restaurant as easily as the appetizers but is trying to dress down ¨C to be incognito. It¡¯s extraordinarily devious. Those people out there cannot hear our conversation so they must be dying to know who we are ¨C they¡¯ve all been surreptitiously glancing at our table the entire time.¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t eaten particularly much or expensively, but when Ali gave up the name, the waiter probably made more in tips from all the curious people than our entire bill will come to.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Calen said, realization working its way across his face.


    Ali hadn¡¯t even considered the situation at all ¨C not even noticing the other patrons ¨C and was astounded that Malika had figured it out in an instant. She shook her head slowly.


    ¡°Your mother said to tip well?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Yes, how much do you think I should leave?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°We should leave before he brings the bill. Just casually drop the gold in the center of the table and we¡¯ll walk out.¡±


    ¡°Before ¨C really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It will be memorable, trust me. All the people watching will see the gold and the stories will spread like wildfire. Your mom¡¯s going to be a busy lady, Calen.¡±


    ¡°A whole gold?¡± he wheezed, looking as if the coin had just stuck in his throat.


    Malika inclined her head. ¡°Trust me, and put that nose high in the air, my friend, as you loudly compliment the fare on our way out.¡±


    Leaving Laurel¡¯s Caf¨¦ was almost more exciting ¨C in a clandestine way ¨C than the experience of eating at the best place in town.

 Chapter 35: Adventurers Guild

    Chapter 35: Adventurers Guild


    - Recruitment Advertisement for the Adventurers Guild in Southport, New Daria.


    Aliandra


    Laurel¡¯s Caf¨¦ had been fun, the food exquisite, and Ali had that contented happiness of a full stomach after some much-needed relaxation as they strolled back across town.


    Even just walking down the street in her finery caught the attention of all the passersby, leaving her with the uncomfortable sensation of always being watched. She didn¡¯t enjoy being the center of attention at the best of times. It was, however, far better than the occasional looks of distrust or fear, but certainly not relaxing.


    ¡°That was a great lunch!¡± Mato said, rubbing his stomach, and burping contentedly. ¡°I need to find out who their chef is.¡±


    Ali chuckled, her tummy feeling just as happy.


    ¡°Mato!¡± Calen exclaimed, punching him on the arm.


    ¡°What? I¡¯m a Beastkin¡­¡± he answered, as if that explained it. Malika just rolled her eyes.


    Calen said, ¡°There are ladies present.¡±


    ¡°Who are laughing ¨C¡±


    ¡°I think we should all join the Adventurers Guild together,¡± Malika put in. She had mentioned wanting to join the guild during lunch, but this was the third time she was suggesting it.


    ¡°Why would we do that?¡± Mato asked, frowning.


    Ali found herself nodding in agreement. The idea of joining a combat-focused guild filled her with something akin to anxiety. She had a combat class ¨C or at least a hybrid ¨C but her experience with combat so far hadn¡¯t exactly left her hungry for more.


    ¡°We could quest together?¡± Malika responded, seeming enthusiastic about the idea. ¡°It also might offer some protection.¡±


    ¡°The Adventurers Guild in Myrin¡¯s Keep is not very well established,¡± Calen noted. ¡°It¡¯s really small and has few members.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still respectable work for combat classes like ours, and it doesn¡¯t require joining the Town Watch,¡± Malika countered. ¡°And a good Adventurers Guild can be a force of stability in a town, helping to reduce crime. Unless you fancy yourself a soldier and want to join the garrison under Commander Brand.¡±


    Mato snorted, ¡°Do you really think a new Adventurers Guild can stand against the criminal syndicates?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ that¡¯s a good point,¡± she said, scratching her neck. ¡°Still, I wondered ¡­¡±


    ¡°Actually, I think it might be a good idea,¡± Calen interjected.


    Everyone stopped and looked at him. Ali remained quiet throughout the debate ¨C she had already let them know she was uncertain about the adventurer¡¯s life, but she was willing to trust her friends. If they all decided to join, she would too, and see where it took them.


    ¡°Joining the Town Watch is a hard no from me, but I¡¯m pretty much broke ¨C those thugs stole everything I had. The guild is likely to have quests for clearing out vermin and pests. They¡¯re chores, but only combat classes can do them, so they would pay reasonably well. I¡¯d like to buy new arrows and a replacement set of leather armor sometime soon ¨C and pay my mother back for the money she¡¯s lending me.¡±


    That derailed the conversation for another five minutes while her three friends vented their frustration about the Town Watch situation, lamented the lack of decent leatherworkers, and commiserated over how expensive everything was.


    ¡°What about the Goblin horde?¡± Mato asked, finally bringing the conversation back on track. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be more worried about them?¡±


    ¡°Almost certainly, the Adventurers Guild will have quests related to Goblins. Even if they don¡¯t yet, they will as soon as they show up. That means we can earn money defending ourselves against them,¡± Calen pointed out.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re talking!¡± Mato said, clearly excited. His position on the Guild reversed the instant Calen suggested making money by fighting Goblins.


    ¡°Does it cost anything to join?¡± Ali asked, deciding to get involved after all. If it was expensive, it would be entirely out of her means and the decision would become moot at that point.


    ¡°I heard that this Guildmaster is offering free signups. The only obligation is that you do enough jobs or quests to pay off the cost of the guild membership ring,¡± Malika answered.


    ¡°Membership ring?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, they have a ring with a quest tracker and a spatial magic storage enchantment,¡± Calen answered, his face lighting up. ¡°It would be nice to have space to carry camping gear and extra arrows. We wouldn¡¯t have to sleep on the ground anymore.¡±


    ¡°And food,¡± Mato added.


    ¡°And for you, a hairbrush and a few extra manners,¡± Malika teased the big Beastkin.


    ¡°Ooh, that sounds nice!¡± And with that, Ali was convinced.


    ***


    The Adventurers Guild was nothing at all like Ali had imagined. It was housed in an unassuming building of mixed wood and stone construction in a quiet part of town, rather near the market. Nestled in among several merchants and other businesses, it stood out precisely because it didn¡¯t try to catch her attention with bright signs advertising services and wares.


    She waited as Mato pulled the heavy oak door open and held it for them and then stepped inside pausing to let her eyes adjust after the brightness of the sunshine outside. The guild hall that greeted them was not particularly large ¨C wood-paneled walls decorated with trophies and stylized artwork depicting adventurers defeating monsters. The wooden floors creaked a little underfoot, covered with rugs in warm colors. A small reception desk stood near the doorway and, at the back of the hall, several people ¨C mostly humans ¨C sat at small tables near a bar finishing a late lunch, filling the air with the clinking of silverware on plates and the soft hubbub of quiet conversations. The aroma of toast and a hearty stew mingled with the sharper smells of polished steel and oiled leather. A stairwell, flanked by several potted plants, led to the second floor. There was a lounge area with several comfortable-looking chairs arranged around a hearth where a small crackling fire had been set, lending a radiant warmth to the entire room.


    Ali grimaced at the sight of the preserved head of a monstrous boar mounted over the hearth, turning her gaze to the handful of people she could see in the bar and lounge areas. They looked like adventurers, which she confirmed quickly by identifying everybody.


    Ali thought, noting that they ranged from level one up to around twenty. Nearly all were human, much like the demographics of the town itself, and most seemed to be warriors or rogues displaying a wide array of swords and daggers worn openly.


    ¡°Hi, we¡¯d like to join,¡± Malika announced, approaching the reception desk. Her direct approach drew a few curious glances from the guild members, but they soon returned to their own affairs.


    The pretty Elvish woman sitting behind the desk looked up with a ready smile on her face, which seemed to widen fractionally as she glanced at Calen. She had long flowing azure hair with big sky-blue eyes set in a delicate face. She wore a pair of stylish thin-rimmed glasses that flickered and shimmered in Ali¡¯s mana sight. The fascinating magical interplay was rapid and surprisingly complex, leading Ali to guess it must be some type of communication device, or analysis tool.


    ¡°Hi, my name is Mieriel. I¡¯m the Guild Administrator. I¡¯d be delighted to get you all signed up.¡± She had a soft lilting voice, and as her delicately manicured hand touched the glasses, the magical array muted dramatically.


    Out of habit, Ali identified her.


    Mieriel glanced at her, and an unfamiliar mana flickered briefly in her eyes, unlike anything Ali had seen before. Slightly disoriented, she caught herself staring and returned to the unusual notification.


    ¡°Oh my, how stylish!¡±


    Mieriel¡¯s excitement caught her off guard, and she found herself staring at her once again.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to know who made your outfit, if you don¡¯t mind sharing?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± The soft fragrance of summer lilies filled the air, and, for some reason, Ali felt confused.


    Mieriel just waited patiently, and Ali found herself answering automatically. ¡°Oh, we were just at Lydia¡¯s Allure, down on Artisan¡¯s Row. Lydia made these for us as a favor.¡± Ali twirled, making her pretty dress flare as Malika had done earlier.


    ¡°Thank you! I will definitely pay her a visit then,¡± Mieriel said, a pretty smile on her face. ¡°She is truly a genius, and you wear that so well.¡±


    Ali smiled back and then waited while Mieriel processed everyone¡¯s applications, the entire time bothered by a persistent feeling that there was something in the back of her mind that she just couldn¡¯t remember.


    she thought, putting it down when it was finally her turn. Mieriel kindly brought a low wooden step stool for her to use so that she wasn¡¯t standing under the desk.


    ¡°As I told the others, the guild membership ring is five gold. A percentage will be deducted automatically from your quest or job rewards until the cost is covered. Unless you wish to pay for it upfront?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s ok,¡± Ali said, accepting the agreement. It wasn¡¯t like she could pay even if she wanted to.


    Sliding a small glowing panel across the desk toward her, Mieriel said, ¡°First, channel a little mana into this. The device will cast an Advanced Identify using your mana for the guild records.¡±


    she thought, studying the panel with great curiosity as she channeled a little of her mana into it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± Mieriel said, scrutinizing the panel. ¡°Aliandra Amariel. I love your name, so pretty! Mage class, Nature and Arcane. Race is Fae, obviously. Age¡­¡±


    Mieriel stopped and stared at her over the rims of her glasses in surprise.  ¡°Are you really three thousand two hundred and eighty-seven years old?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ that¡¯s ¡­ technically correct, probably?¡± Ali answered, feeling the skin of her cheeks growing warm.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that was rude,¡± Mieriel said quickly, looking quite mortified.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s ok, it¡¯s just complicated,¡± Ali reassured her.


    Mieriel reached into a drawer and retrieved a bronze ring. Touching it briefly to the panel, she handed it to Ali. ¡°Here¡¯s your ring. Channel a little mana into it to key it to your mana signature and it will bind itself to you. You can track quests by touching it to the quest scrolls posted on that board by the fireplace.¡±


    Ali channeled her mana into the ring, and then put it on her finger, happy to find that it adjusted to a comfortable fit automatically. She identified it.


    Bronze Guild Ring ¨C level 10


    Owner: Aliandra Amariel.


    Quests: None.


    Mana: Store or retrieve an item. Capacity: 200g / 25kg.


    Ring


    ¡°Um, excuse me? It seems there¡¯s something already stored in my ring¡­¡±


    ¡°Mine too,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°Oh, that?¡± Mieriel answered, smiling. ¡°That¡¯s a gift from the Alchemist shop on the corner, Pretty Powerful Potions. The proprietor, Morwynne Fizzlebang, thought it would be a great way to market her services by gifting every new adventurer with a Recall Potion. It¡¯s an excellent way of getting out of trouble, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware.¡±


    Mato nodded emphatically, grinning as a vial of the black potion appeared in his hand with a subtle ripple of magic. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Oh, nice!¡± Ali studied her ring. Her friends were all busy with their rings, but the controls seemed quite intuitive. All it took was a tiny trickle of her mana to activate the storage enchantment, and she suddenly found a view of what must be the inside of the ring¡¯s spatial compartment somewhere off in the back of her mind ¨C that same mental space where her notifications usually appeared, visible, but not interfering with her view of the world. She selected the only thing in it ¨C a familiar-looking black potion ¨C and suddenly it was in her hand. Ali found it even had the same smartass mana signature. Smiling, she used a few more points of mana and put the potion back in the ring.


    ¡°Welcome to the guild!¡± Mieriel congratulated them cheerily. ¡°If you¡¯d excuse me for a second, I¡¯ll go get the Guildmaster. She prefers to interview all the new members so she can understand what kinds of jobs are best suited for you. Feel free to sit, browse the quest board, or purchase some refreshments at the bar. I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡± And with that, she disappeared up the stairs.


    Ali thought, joining the others over at the quest board. She dragged her wooden stepstool over so she could read the scrolls and leaflets pinned to the board. For a guild that had supposedly only just recently been formed, there were a rather surprising number of quests listed.


    There were requests ranging from help finding missing sheep, to collecting herbs in the forest, escorting merchant wagons, and exterminating spiders in a mine.


    she thought, looking a little closer. She didn¡¯t know what ¡®Blue Mana Grass¡¯ was, nor ¡®Fire Flowers,¡¯ for that matter.


    ¡°Here, why don¡¯t we get this one?¡± Mato suggested, putting a large finger on a scroll near the bottom of the board. The scroll was simple and to the point:


    It was followed by a short list of payouts by monster level.


    Ali touched her ring to the scroll as Mieriel had suggested and her ring glowed softly for a moment as it updated the quest tracker.


    Bronze Guild Ring ¨C level 10


    Owner: Aliandra Amariel.


    Quests: Eliminate hostile Kobolds in and around Myrin¡¯s Keep ¨C 0


    Mana: Store or retrieve an item. Capacity: 200g / 25kg.


    Ring


    ¡°Too bad it doesn¡¯t count the ones we already killed.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll just get some more. It will be easier now that we¡¯re stronger,¡± Mato reassured her with a kind smile. ¡°It looks like it pays pretty well.¡±


    A few minutes later, Mieriel reappeared. ¡°Please follow me. The Guildmaster is ready for you now.¡±


    They were led upstairs to a conference room of sorts. A little small and cozy, but there was a table with some chairs, and the walls were decorated with what must have been portraits of contemporary heroes. Ali didn¡¯t recognize any of them, of course.


    ¡°Guildmaster, these are the new members I told you about ¨C Malika, Mato, Calen, and Aliandra. This is Guildmaster Vivian Ross.¡±


    Vivian Ross¡¯s identification and her high level caught Ali by surprise, and she quickly stopped herself before she made it too obvious that she was staring.


    The Guildmaster cut an imposing figure with her long jet-black hair tied back in a functional braid. She wore striking red-and-black scale mail armor that looked like it might possibly be Dragonscale, and hanging from her belt were two slightly curved swords tucked away into plain black lacquered sheathes. She had an athletic build and held herself with an easy confidence that hinted at substantial physical power.


    Ali felt a jolt as Vivian caught her gaze with her striking violet eyes, but her face and smile were welcoming.


    ¡°Welcome to the guild, I¡¯m glad you decided to join,¡± Vivian said. She spoke with an unhurried calmness and a resonance that compelled attention.


    ¡°I¡¯m Vivian Ross, a long-time adventurer and dungeon delver, now retired. I¡¯ve seen the inside of the worst dungeons, and the most horrific bosses, and I¡¯ve seen way too many novice adventurers, full of excitement and confidence, killed before they even reach level twenty. My vision for this guild is to train and educate people who wish to become adventurers and are willing to take advice, work hard, and value teamwork. Long-term, I believe that a strong and healthy Adventurers Guild will become a force against the crime and corruption that is so rampant here in Myrin¡¯s Keep.¡±


    Vivian studied each of them in turn. Ali suppressed an urge to apologize for not wiping her feet on the green mat outside this woman¡¯s door. ¡°You don¡¯t need to share my long-term vision, but I insist that all members know and respect the guild¡¯s goals. The guild is not your parent or school. If you do something stupid and die, it¡¯s on you. This is a place to practice, find jobs, and people to work with and learn from. That said, if you actively sabotage the guild¡¯s vision or any of its members, you will be expelled.¡±


    Ali thought listening to Vivian explain the guild¡¯s mission.


    ¡°Mieriel says you joined as a group, and I can see that you have at least enough skill and cooperation to pass the earliest levels on your own. You¡¯re welcome to keep your current group, but four-person teams are quite rare ¨C mainly because they typically lack some critical role, making them vulnerable. Five is our normal guideline. Once I understand your classes and experience a little better, I can also recommend people with compatible classes for you to consider. An actual choice will be up to you ¨C I don¡¯t make orders, but I¡¯d ask that you seriously consider my recommendations.¡±


    Anxiously, Ali¡¯s mind flitted back to the guildhall and the faces of the various strangers she had seen.


    ¡°I know many people are private about their classes and capabilities, and for good reason. I won¡¯t ask you to share more than you¡¯re comfortable with ¨C but the quality of my advice will be directly proportional to the quality of the information I have to work with. Just bear in mind that when you work with other members of the guild on bigger jobs, your abilities will become known quite quickly.¡±


    Ali glanced at Malika, knowing that she had been hesitant to share, but she seemed focused on what the Guildmaster was saying.


    Ali worried.


    Vivian scanned across the group unhurriedly before her eyes settled on Calen. ¡°Why don¡¯t we start with you? Calen, right? How about you tell me what you¡¯re comfortable with sharing and how you see your role on the team?¡±


    Clearing his throat lightly, he replied, ¡°I¡¯m an archer with a light magic affinity, ma¡¯am. I have an archery proficiency skill and a magic damage enhancement for my arrows. My primary attributes are dexterity, intelligence, and perception, and I have an attribute boost skill for those. I have stealth, tracking, and silent movement. I have an advanced identification skill for monsters and areas, and for level ten I took a passive visual perception skill. My role on the team is scouting and doing as much ranged damage to monsters as possible.¡±


    Calen¡¯s organized description was exactly how Ali had come to see him in the short time she had known him. She just hoped she would be as collected as him, and not look like a fool in front of the Guildmaster when it was her turn.


    Vivian nodded briefly, and Mieriel¡¯s fancy glasses flickered as she took notes.


    ¡°Ambush?¡± Vivian asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Calen grimaced at the admission.


    ¡°We can work on that with training,¡± Vivian said. ¡°Okay, Malika, how about you?¡±


    To Ali¡¯s surprise, Malika seemed to trust the Guildmaster and immediately spoke up, saying, ¡°I¡¯m a Monk. I have an unarmed martial arts proficiency skill and a soul magic damage enhancement for melee attacks. It has a small health drain component. I have an attribute boost, armor, and evasion skills, a touch-range heal, and a combat haste movement skill. I typically take the tank role.¡±


    Again, Vivian nodded while Mieriel took notes.


    ¡°If she¡¯s the tank, the Druid must be the healer?¡± she asked, turning toward Mato.


    ¡°No, I do damage,¡± Mato answered gruffly, drawing a raised eyebrow from Vivian.


    ¡°He¡¯s a shapeshifter, and his heal is a self-heal,¡± Malika explained.


    ¡°Oh, can I see?¡± Vivian asked curiously.


    Motioning the others to give him enough space, Mato showed off his Wolf and Bear Forms quickly.


    ¡°So big,¡± Vivian commented when Mato changed to his Bear Form, taking up so much space in the conference room that it instantly felt cramped. She followed up with several detailed questions regarding the forms, armor, and his attributes.


    ¡°I also have a damage redirection skill and an advanced regeneration aura,¡± Mato added.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s unusual,¡± Vivian said. ¡°How does that work?¡±


    ¡°I can take damage meant for other people within a twelve-foot radius,¡± he explained.


    Ali shivered at the memory of a dagger stabbing her ¨C well acquainted with Mato¡¯s life-saving skill.


    Vivian nodded, waiting for Mieriel to finish writing before turning to Ali.


    ¡°Aliandra, how about you? The identify scan seemed a little confused about your class.¡±


    ¡°I have a hybrid class ¨C Mage and Scholar.¡± Ali saw real surprise flicker across the Guildmaster¡¯s face for the first time.


    ¡°I have a hard time seeing how you guys leveled up with two-and-a-half damage classes,¡± Vivian pointed out. ¡°What does your class do?¡±


    Ali frowned as it suddenly dawned on her that Vivian had assessed her class as the half. Clearly, Mato and Calen were granted a full role as the damage classes on their team, but surprisingly, it was Calen who came to her defense.


    He chuckled quietly and said, ¡°Ali does more damage than me.¡±


    ¡°With a Scholar class?¡± Vivian sounded incredulous, but at least, she did not dismiss anything they had said so far.


    ¡°I normally take the role of damage, defense, or control,¡± Ali said, glancing at Malika who had first taught her the names and roles for adventuring. Malika just smiled at her, and Ali took some measure of encouragement from the support of her friends.


    ¡°I have an Arcane Bolt spell and a Barrier,¡± she began.


    ¡°Can I see those?¡± Vivian asked.


    Ali summoned her barrier in the center of the table, quite substantially larger now than when she had first learned the skill. It popped into existence instantly and simply sparkled as Ali watched Vivian¡¯s intrigued expression through the floating magic wall.


    Vivian reached out and flicked it with a finger, making a small ringing sound. ¡°Very nice,¡± she said. ¡°The gold color is unusual; did you do that on purpose?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s always been that way,¡± Ali said. ¡°My mother¡¯s magic was the same.¡±


    ¡°A Fae thing, then? Why don¡¯t you show me the bolts?¡±


    ¡°It needs a target,¡± Ali answered. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°I got you,¡± Malika said, standing up.


    Ali fired a few bolts at Malika before stopping. She was immediately reminded of the first time she had used the skill ¨C that time also shooting her friend.  she thought as Malika displayed her healing.


    ¡°Seeker bolts, very nice,¡± Vivian approved. ¡°But I still don¡¯t see how you do more than the archer. What other skills do you have?¡±


    ¡°I have some Scholar skills, something to help me learn languages and magic, Runic Script allows me to read and write magical runes, and a perception skill for seeing mana.¡±


    ¡°Not much use in combat, though?¡± Vivian pointed out. ¡°At least not for damage.¡±


    ¡°She learned to inscribe a Druidic Restoration circle, which saved my life a few times,¡± Mato put in.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Vivian answered.


    ¡°Mostly I don¡¯t do much damage on my own,¡± Ali continued. ¡°My minions do most of it for me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a Summoner?¡± Vivian asked. Both she and Mieriel visibly startled, sitting up straighter.


    ¡°Yes? My father was a Summoner, too.¡±


    ¡°What can you summon?¡±


    ¡°Mostly Kobolds,¡± Ali answered.


    ¡°Why would you choose Kobolds for your class summon?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ¡­ choose? I just learned Kobolds.¡± She was quite proud of them, actually. They had saved her and Mato¡¯s lives down in the ruins ¨C many times.


    ¡°Wait, you didn¡¯t choose a minion when you unlocked your class?¡±


    ¡°No?¡±  Ali frowned, ¡°I learned the Kobolds after we fought a bunch of them. I can make wolves, too.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s¡­ interesting,¡± Vivian deadpanned, punctuating her nonplussed reaction with a quick grin. ¡°Do you mind showing me?¡±


    ¡°Um, ok,¡± Ali answered, looking for support from her friends. She was feeling uncomfortable with this line of questioning, as if she were being judged by the intense scrutiny unleashed upon her class and choices, but her friends smiled encouragingly. But Vivian had such a high level ¨C at least a hundred by the marks ¨C and had to have an enormous amount of experience.


    Ali produced her Grimoire and summoned a Kobold. As soon as the black-scaled rogue appeared beside the conference table, Ali turned the pages, summoning leather armor and a pair of crude daggers for him.


    ¡°I see. How many rogues can you make?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t choose which kind it makes, nor the level. I sometimes get warriors instead,¡± Ali answered. ¡°This one reserved fifty-seven mana, and I have nine hundred and forty-five, so I guess I could make sixteen of those if I didn¡¯t want to cast anything else. Oh, and I have a skill that increases the damage of all my minions if they¡¯re in range.¡±


    ¡°Well, that explains a few things,¡± Vivian answered cryptically. ¡°I understand now how you guys have been leveling. Your group composition is very unconventional, and while you might still consider adding another member, I take back what I said before, you¡¯re easily strong enough with just the four of you. In fact, you¡¯re probably going to outperform many larger groups given the right conditions.¡±


    Ali brightened, trying not to fidget as the high-level warrior considered her for a moment longer than felt necessary.


    After tapping her fingernails on the desk in front of her as if making a decision of sorts, the Guildmaster said, ¡°I do have some immediate suggestions and advice for you all. As a team, you have all the major bases covered, albeit in unusual ways. I won¡¯t recommend another person for your team unless you ask for it. I estimate that if you use your classes efficiently, you shouldn¡¯t have trouble taking any of the bronze-ranked jobs suitable for your levels.¡±


    Ali wasn¡¯t certain because Vivian didn¡¯t seem particularly easy for her to read, but her attitude had seemed to change when Ali summoned the Kobold.


    ¡°Normally, I would be careful telling a new team that they are strong for fear of making them overconfident ¨C that usually gets novices killed quickly. But the fact is, you have a Summoner, and used efficiently, Summoners are unreasonably powerful. But she will also be the main vulnerability on your team.¡±


    Ali didn¡¯t feel very strong. Malika and Mato were both stronger than she was.


    ¡°You will need to structure your team a little differently. Calen. For you, I recommend training to unlock an Ambush skill or advancement. Paired with stealth, that would give you a huge advantage on burst damage.¡±


    ¡°Would you focus on burst rather than sustained damage?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Your kind of class benefits mostly from investing in dexterity and intelligence ¨C both damage-enhancing attributes ¨C but neither of those help you with mana or stamina. With your kind of class, sustained damage is difficult to develop without diluting your focus. With a ranged Ambush, you can eliminate the most dangerous soft target faster than any rogue or Assassin.¡±


    Ali thought, nodding her head.


    ¡°You will be highly dependent on good gear and consumables, so get familiar with using mana potions and buy yourself a better bow. Your role should be scouting, damage, intelligence, and pulling or splitting difficult monster packs. Practice your kiting skills.¡±


    Ali thought.


    ¡°Mato, you should consider the role of main tank, instead of Malika.¡±


    Both of them glanced at her in surprise.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Malika began.


    ¡°Why?¡± Mato asked, folding his arms across his chest.


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain my reasoning, but you should decide for yourselves. Mato, you have a strong self-heal, and your aura regeneration benefits all the melee fighters near you ¨C the more the better. In your team, that¡¯s Malika and Aliandra¡¯s Kobolds. All your skills are melee and, other than your Charge, you are slow. Pinning you down to take the hits from the boss doesn¡¯t limit you in any meaningful way. Plus, you have more natural armor than Malika does. You should definitely talk to the blacksmiths after you gain a few more levels ¨C some of them can make shapeshifter gear. Heavy plate armor scales very well for strength-focused classes.¡±


    Picturing a plate-armored bear in her mind, Ali did not know whether to feel excited or terrified. Mato¡¯s normally open face was unreadable, his arms still folded across his broad chest and his expression carefully kept blank.  Before she could consider it further, Vivian said:


    ¡°Malika, your class provides mobility and speed, and a touch-based heal. You are the team¡¯s only general healer. Pinning you down loses about half of what your class is capable of. You¡¯ll never reach your full potential if you give up your mobility.¡±


    ¡°What is my role, then?¡± Malika asked, scowling at her own hands.


    ¡°In a standard team I would say primary healer every time, simply because healing is so rare and crucial to the success of the team, but the Bear can do a lot of his own healing. So, your value to the team is versatility. You can do everything. You need to get good at reading the fight and choosing when to be a healer, a second tank, or a damage dealer. You won¡¯t be the best at any role, but with some good training and appropriate skill choices, you can become great at all of them.¡±


    Ali tried to read her teammate¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°Aliandra, your primary role is support. As a Summoner, you will be bringing most of the damage to the fight, but you must learn to be adept at adjusting, defending, and generally controlling the flow of the battle with your abilities. You will need to adjust too ¨C you will take different roles in different fights. Your minions are all melee fighters. That¡¯s a big limitation.¡± Leaning forwards with her clenched fists upon the tabletop, Vivian said, ¡°If you can learn new minions, you should choose ones that increase your versatility ¨C find an archer type, or, better yet, a mage. That way, you can customize your team configurations. In the meantime, you¡¯ll need to get your rogues better weapons and armor ¨C those daggers are frankly awful.¡±


    Ali squeaked in embarrassment, ¡°Yes. Yes, they are.¡±


    ¡°So, everyone. Your team¡¯s strength is its versatility; you have two sources of healing, and you can bring two tanks to any fight. Your weaknesses are a lack of area damage and general crowd control. And you lack escape skills. Especially the shapeshifter ¨C he cannot use potions.¡± Mato grunted unhappily at this. ¡°If you ever run into monsters with mind control or charm, you might find yourself fighting Aliandra¡¯s minions and will likely die. If you¡¯re serious about sticking together as a group, you should prioritize skills that benefit all allies, area buffs like Mato¡¯s regeneration aura, and ways to prevent your weaknesses from being exploited. Right. Thoughts?¡±


    It was a great deal of information for her to process, but Ali was very impressed with Vivian¡¯s reasoning. Malika and Calen were both smart and knowledgeable, but Vivian was on a different level. Everything she had said made sense, especially her insights around using classes efficiently ¨C gleaned from years of experience, no doubt. Vivian had listed control as one of their weak points. It wasn¡¯t all bad though, Ali hadn¡¯t even considered the possibilities that would be unlocked if she had minions for different roles. Suddenly she felt much more excited to return to the ruins and try learning the Slinger Kobold, or even the Fire Mage. Could she even learn to summon a particular variant on command?


    ¡°I¡¯m still not sure about this,¡± Malika muttered. ¡°I¡¯m hand-to-hand, and I prefer being right in their faces using my martial arts skills.¡±


    Ali decided that both she and Mato seemed a little shell-shocked by the dramatic change in how they had perceived their roles on the team.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t her suggestion just like how we fought the Goblin Warband?¡± Ali asked as the entire picture suddenly clicked in her mind. ¡°Mato, you tanked the Bugbears and helped Malika with your aura. She healed you when the shaman blasted everything with that Lightning Bolt, and did damage when you didn¡¯t need as much healing. Calen and my minions took out the mage and the shaman.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait ¡­ you fought a Goblin Warband with elites and Bugbears?¡± Vivian¡¯s demeanor flipped from lecture to serious in an instant. There was a razor edge to her piercing eyes that Ali hadn¡¯t seen before, and the tone of her question silenced the room instantly.


    ¡°Yes, in the forest to the south,¡± Calen answered. ¡°Commander Brand¡¯s aide kicked us out when we tried to report it.¡± He was still obviously frustrated by their experience not being taken seriously by the authorities.


    ¡°Tell me everything,¡± Vivian insisted. Her intensity grew deeper, augmented with something that looked a lot like suppressed rage as Calen told her the whole story.


    ¡°Mieriel, let Brand know I¡¯ll be over in twenty minutes. Tell him it¡¯s an emergency.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Guildmaster.¡± Mieriel¡¯s relaxed attitude vanished, replaced with that of an adjutant taking orders from her commander. She touched her glasses and a riot of magical formations flickered across the lenses.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to cut our meeting short,¡± Vivian said, brusquely. ¡°I need to deal with this immediately. Please check back soon, Mieriel should have some new quests and jobs related to town defense placed on the board at the latest by tomorrow morning.¡±


    Clearly dismissed, Ali added her voice to the chorus of thank-yous from her friends headed back downstairs.

 Chapter 36: Shopping

    Chapter 36: ShoppingAliandra Ali blinked and then had to squint as she stepped out of the Adventurers Guild into the bright afternoon sunshine. The street out front was not a major thoroughfare, but it was still close enough to the marketplace that there was a constant bustle of busy people flowing past, going about their business, and yet far enough that the pervasive odor of moldering trash and worse that Ali had come to associate with Myrin¡¯s Keep had subsided to only a mild assault on her nose.


    Although the sun shone brightly, Ali¡¯s Kobold rogue ¨C the one she had summoned to demonstrate her abilities to Vivian Ross ¨C simply vanished from sight the moment they left the building.


    There were no shadowy areas for it to slip into and hide. Nor had she seen any obvious mana usage. However, she could still feel the subtle pull on her mana telling her that he lurked nearby, watching over her.


    While their meeting with the Guildmaster had been cut short, Ali felt it was for good reason. ¡°It¡¯s a relief that she took us seriously about the Goblins,¡± she said, as her friends joined her outside on the cobbled street.


    ¡°Definitely,¡± Calen agreed. He seemed the happiest of them all. Malika and Mato still seemed a little uncertain, even sullen, but Ali was sure it was because of Vivian¡¯s unexpected suggestion about a role change.


    ¡°What did you guys think of her?¡± Ali asked, trying to draw them into a conversation to see what exactly was bothering them.


    ¡°She¡¯s very experienced and knowledgeable,¡± Malika observed, ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I want to be the tank all the time,¡± Mato finished the thought, getting a nod of agreement from Malika.


    It had felt like a huge torrent of new information to Ali, and she knew she would take a while to process it herself, so it wasn¡¯t all that surprising that her friends had reservations, too.


    ¡°She had good reasoning,¡± Calen offered, but Ali could clearly see it wasn¡¯t the logical part of the argument that was most problematic.


    ¡°She said it was a suggestion. We could try it a few times like we did with the Goblin Warband, but we don¡¯t have to stick with it if you don¡¯t like it.¡±


    Ali¡¯s peacemaking suggestion got a quick smile and a nod from the two of them.


    ¡°I¡¯d be ok trying it out a few times, I guess,¡± Malika said, scanning the street as if checking for thugs.


    Mato simply grunted, before rolling his shoulders as if to suggest he¡¯d be ready to tank a few more Bugbears right now.


    ¡°What should we do now?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°We should get some supplies,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Too bad there isn¡¯t a proper Guild Store,¡± Malika frowned.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Many guilds have a dedicated merchant who specializes in catering to the needs of adventurers ¨C buying unwanted items like those Goblin armors we had to sell, and offering member discounts for commonly needed supplies,¡± Calen explained. ¡°They are granted special permission by the Crown to deal in items that may be considered too dangerous for the general market. But this guild is still very new, it doesn¡¯t have one yet. We don¡¯t need much, though, so that store will probably be fine.¡± He pointed across the street to a gray stone building. A garishly painted yellow sign hung from a wooden pole jutting out over the doorway.


    ¡°Conveniently located,¡± Ali said dryly, eyeing the building. Clearly, until recently it had been something else ¨C there was a half-dismantled loading dock on the outside and a hoist bolted to the stone of the side of the building. There were ample signs of recent renovation ¨C not yet completed ¨C turning it into a store that appeared to exist solely to capitalize on the new guild across the street.


    ¡°At least we don¡¯t have to traipse across town again,¡± Malika said. ¡°Let¡¯s go check it out.¡±


    Ali followed the others into the shop, her eyes taking a moment to readjust to the dimmer light of the interior. It was crowded and cramped inside, though not from lots of customers. Racks and narrow shelves were arranged in tight rows, bursting with an enormous array of camping gear. Large sections further within displayed rows of rugged boots, entire shelves full of climbing gear, and ropes of all sorts of lengths. Pots and pans hung from nails on the wall, clanking together gently from the breeze they had let in. Portable fire starters, advertised as ¡®ideal for when you don¡¯t have a Fire Mage¡¯, were artfully set out at the perfect height to catch the eye.


    The bare wooden floors creaked below their feet, and the air smelled of worked leather and fresh mortar, with just a hint of smoky flame coming from the nearby shelf of fire starters. Ali coughed at the sudden reminder of Kobold Fireballs.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a lot of money, but here¡¯s what I got from selling the Goblin gear in the market earlier,¡± Malika said, showing some coins on her palm.


    ¡°We can get the essentials,¡± Calen said, sizing up their loot with a calculating look.


    Ali immediately got lost as the three of them began a rapid-fire discussion of options. All she was able to catch was that they needed a lot of stuff before Malika darted off between the loaded shelves and racks to find tents and Mato raced in the opposite direction looking for cooking gear, bumping almost everything along the way with his broad shoulders.


    Calen remained nearby inspecting packs and rope.


    ¡°What are we doing?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Well, some outdoor equipment will make camping underground a lot more comfortable,¡± he answered, ¡°especially as you and Malika are basically living down there.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t carry it, or pay for it,¡± Ali objected. Mato always carried his pack, and it was huge. But then he was huge and very strong. She, however, was not.


    ¡°You have your new ring, remember?¡± Calen reminded her. ¡°And we¡¯ll share the money Malika got for selling gear. We earned it together ¨C well, we should probably discuss loot as a team soon.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ok.¡± Ali had been worried about how to earn money, but she hadn¡¯t realized she already had. Even though it probably wasn¡¯t that much, she hadn¡¯t realized they would automatically share, and a lot of her anxiety eased.


    she thought, glancing at her new favorite wooden bangle that she wore on her left wrist. Malika had mentioned that it was probably worth more than the rest of their haul.


    ¡°Hey, Calen,¡± she asked, ¡°why did I get a share of the gold when I got this?¡± She raised her wrist showing her prize.


    Calen looked up from his browsing. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s just how adventurer groups split loot. Well, the smart ones, that is. It¡¯s impossible to predict when you¡¯ll find something useful, so the most successful groups simply assign items according to maximum benefit for the team. The rogue always gets the daggers, the archer gets the first pick of the bows, and the mage gets the bangle with Mana Regeneration. Anything left over is split evenly for gold or vanity purposes.¡±


    ¡°Vanity?¡±


    ¡°Like Mato wanting a huge mace to show off in town.¡±


    She giggled. ¡°I see.¡± The mace certainly wouldn¡¯t improve the team¡¯s fighting ability given that Mato used his claws and fangs. But the regeneration she received from the bangle would always be useful in a fight. ¡°That seems like a smart approach.¡±


    ¡°It even has a name. It¡¯s called the ¡®need before greed¡¯ system,¡± Calen added.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± . It seemed like a decent system, and Calen¡¯s explanation had taken quite a load off her mind as soon as she realized nobody was going to resent her for taking the most valuable item in their haul.


    Intense discussion drew her attention over to the front desk where there seemed to be a vigorous display of gesticulation between Malika and the shop owner.  Ali stared openmouthed at Malika, listening with growing amazement as her friend bargained with the merchant, efficiently rebuffing his attempts to upsell them fancy magical versions of everything. In surprisingly short order, the volume subsided, and the animated gestures were replaced with smiles and handshakes as they came to an agreement that was conveniently within their price range.


    With a satisfied grin, Malika returned and helped Ali fold everything they had chosen for her into a sturdy olive-green pack that was almost as tall as she was. Each of them, she noticed, had chosen quite a different set of equipment; Mato had a set of pots and pans dangling from his pack ¨C naturally, given his penchant for food ¨C and Calen had picked more varieties of rope than Ali could imagine ever needing.


    For her pack, they had selected a small portable tent, a sleeping bag sized for a Gnome that felt so soft she couldn¡¯t wait to try it, a magical fire lighter, and a polished stone with a water purification rune inscribed on it ¨C items with simple enchantments for those who didn¡¯t have the relevant magical affinity or skills. She was, of course, going to learn that purification rune as soon as she had the chance to study it. The rest of her pack was filled with various necessities for living in the wild. Like soap, spare socks, and a small knife.


    ¡°Uh, why do we need to pack everything if we each have a storage enchantment?¡± Ali had never owned one ¨C magical storage items had always been well out of her price range as a student. In fact, she felt it was remarkably generous of the Adventurers Guild to provide such a luxury, but the others seemed to think it was essential adventuring gear.


    ¡°It should be easier to organize in the ring,¡± Calen said, and with a tiny puff of mana, his entire pack vanished.


    It was a surprising and remarkable thing watching the spatial enchantment work. With the infusion of just a few points of his mana, the entire large pack had just been drawn through a temporary portal of space magic to somewhere unknown. She knew how it worked, in theory ¨C the enchantment provided easy access to a small bubble of space ¨C but watching the magic work was what fascinated Ali.


    Touching her pack, she channeled her mana and studied the rapid fluctuations of magic emitted by the ring¡¯s enchantment. Space itself seemed to fold, wrapping her pack in distorted shimmers for an instant, and then it vanished. When she inspected her ring, she could once again see the dim interior in the back of her mind. Only this time, she found her pack, and the original Recall Potion, hovering in the enchanted closet in her mind, just waiting for whenever she needed to retrieve them. She chose the pack and retrieved it before storing it again, just trying to familiarize herself with the process ¨C and, of course, to take another chance to witness the magic unfold. She moved the potion a few times too, noticing that ¨C even though it was a tiny amount ¨C it cost the same amount of mana for the small potion and the huge pack.


    She peered at the inside of her ring. If she hadn¡¯t packed everything, it would probably appear cluttered, and she would have to spend a lot more mana to get stuff in and out.


    On the other hand, she couldn¡¯t directly retrieve anything from inside the pack. she decided. If she ever needed it in an emergency, she didn¡¯t want to be retrieving her pack and digging through it to find the potion.


    Bronze Guild Ring ¨C level 10


    Owner: Aliandra Amariel.


    Quests: Eliminate hostile Kobolds in and around Myrin¡¯s Keep ¨C 0


    Mana: Store or retrieve an item. Capacity: 6.2 / 25kg.


    Ring


    Ali emerged from the mildly claustrophobic confines of the supply shop stepping out into the street once again, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her face, happy that she was familiar with her new ring, and that she didn¡¯t need to carry everything on her back. she thought as they made their way to the market. Most importantly, while she had more than six kilograms of stuff stored inside ¨C a sizeable percentage of her own body weight ¨C it still weighed the same as a normal ring.


    While Mato shopped at the nearby vendors for food, Ali took in the delightful sights and smells of the street merchants as they cooked and hawked their wares to the passing townsfolk. There were even buskers trying to attract the attention ¨C and coin ¨C of the passersby with fantastic shows of magic. One young man with a shock of crimson hair, furry ears, and unusual facial tattoos produced a beautiful bouquet of small flowers made entirely of flame and set them floating around Ali as she watched with enraptured fascination before he moved the display to another passing woman who had dropped a copper into his collection tin.


    His show was entirely silent, a stark contrast from the noisy market, and Ali wondered if he could even speak. But he seemed amazingly popular, earning quite a few tips in the short time Ali was waiting. Her Arcane Insight enabled her to admire the incredible magical constructions that gave rise to his delicately beautiful display.


    she thought, dropping a few small coins into his tin with a  that brought a delighted smile to his face.


    ***


    ¡°Are there any good bookstores or libraries in Myrin¡¯s Keep?¡± Ali asked at a suitable lull in Calen¡¯s lamenting the lack of a good Bowyer in the town¡¯s crafting districts. She had not had the opportunity to read anything other than Mato¡¯s Druidic magic book and Calen¡¯s book which seemed to be a collection of fantastical stories about a legendary Night Elf adventurer clearing out impossible dungeons.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Malika answered. ¡°But both are quite expensive.¡± Ali quirked an eyebrow at her. ¡°The library is near the town center, and it works a little like a guild, but the membership dues are higher than most people are willing to pay.¡±


    ¡°You seem to know a lot about it,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°I had quite a few¡­ jobs¡­ there,¡± Malika said, her eyes glancing away as if she was quite uncomfortable. ¡°Books are common targets for thievery because of their value. Adrik and Edrik used to run a racket where they would get someone to steal a book, and then they would ¡®find¡¯ it and claim the finder¡¯s fee.¡±


    ¡°Everything costs money,¡± Ali sighed. She had nothing to her name, except the clothing she was wearing ¨C and even that had been a gift ¨C and her guild ring, which she still needed to pay off. Which, technically, meant she was in the red. She had joined the guild because her friends thought it was a good idea, but she still didn¡¯t have the foggiest idea of how to actually earn any money from her membership. ¡°How do I even make money with my class?¡±


    ¡°Quests,¡± Mato replied, providing the obvious answer, and entirely missing the point.


    ¡°The Kobold extermination quest looks like it pays very well, and you and Mato conveniently found their lair, so we will have an advantage,¡± Malika answered. ¡°And if the Guildmaster can convince the Town Council, we should see some profitable jobs on the quest board tomorrow related to the town¡¯s defense efforts.¡±


    ¡°Like killing Goblins?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but securing a town against a dungeon-break requires a lot more than just fighting,¡± Calen answered. ¡°Likely there will be a lot more quests to collect materials and ingredients for the crafters to make arrows or potions and all the other supplies necessary to survive.¡±


    ¡°If the herbalists want something collected, I can help you with that,¡± Mato said. ¡°Perhaps you can even learn to make whatever they need and have a steady source of income?¡±


    Ali nodded. ¡°I was hoping you might say that. Yes please.¡±


    They all seemed to have very practical suggestions ¨C even Mato¡¯s offer to help set Ali¡¯s mind at ease. Fighting a horde of Goblins sounded scary, but in smaller groups, it might be manageable. Collecting herbs did sound nice and peaceful ¨C if she could make money doing that, she was all for it.


    ¡°I guess, if I can¡¯t do anything till tomorrow at the soonest, I¡¯ll just go back down to the Grove. I want to recover from my withdrawal,¡± Ali said. The ache was bugging her, and honestly, she was quite excited to try out her new tree imprint.


    ¡°While we¡¯re still in town, why not visit the blacksmith?¡± Malika suggested.


    ¡°Why would I do that?¡±


    ¡°Vivian Ross suggested that you get better equipment for your rogues. There aren¡¯t a lot of leather armor options, but a blacksmith could have some good daggers. It¡¯ll be fun ¨C come I¡¯ll come help you bargain.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ok,¡± Ali said, agreeing quickly. She had forgotten that suggestion in the deluge of new information Vivian had subjected them to. With a quick agreement to meet back at the Grove later, they split up, the boys heading out to visit their families, while she followed Malika to the blacksmith quarter.


    Malika led her north to where the town butted up against the mountainside ¨C now unrecognizable from her three-thousand-year-old memories. The enormous landslide that had buried the forest and the Grove, while she had lain encased in her mother¡¯s protective spell, had almost sliced it in two, leaving a sheer cliff face that was still jagged and sharp after so many years. The road led directly into the mountain, through a wrought stone archway that was carved with what had, no doubt, once been a delicate relief sculpture ¨C now worn from the long passage of time.


    The passage led surprisingly deep into the mountain, lit at regular intervals by smoky sconces bearing orange-red flickering lights fashioned with fire magic. Faux cobblestone had been carved into the face of the solid rock beneath Ali¡¯s feet, turning the passageway into a street that led past several shops and even a bank hollowed out of the mountain on either side before it reached a cul-de-sac at the end. There she found herself gazing along an underground circular ¨C if she were being very generous with the term ¨C street lined with a noisy row of forges and smithies hewn directly into the rock.


    she thought, wondering exactly how the smoke of the fires hadn¡¯t filled the air, choking everyone. Sweating laborers, stripped to the waist, toiled in the hazy air, pushing a steady stream of creaking handcarts loaded high with chunks of ore, sloshing barrels, or stacks of wood to feed the hungry hive of industry up ahead.


    Malika strode confidently up to the largest and most prominently located smithy and pulled open the burnished steel doors with an ease of movement that spoke volumes for the precision craftsmanship of the owner.


    Ali stepped through the doorway and was immediately hit by a wall of heat and noise. The interior of the smithy could best be described as controlled chaos. Behind the typical store-front counter, with its displayed wares, lay a vast sprawling area filled with glowing forges and smiths hammering molten metal upon huge black steel anvils. The magic of crafting skills flickered and flashed, clashing with one another in a violent display of light and noise, reminding her painfully of her withdrawal headache. There were dozens of apprentices dressed in soot-stained leather aprons dashing back and forth at the behest of shouted orders, carrying crates of ore, buckets of water, tools, and a whole host of other obscure errands.


    Presently, a bald, sweating man with a singed leather apron worn over his protruding belly appeared from the back room and walked up to the counter with a smile on his face.


    ¡°What can I do for you fine ladies?¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for a couple of daggers,¡± Malika said, switching to the same confident manner Ali had seen her use at the supply shop earlier.


    Ali was immediately grateful to her for taking charge of the negotiations.


    Happily, the smith pulled out a selection of ornate jeweled daggers, placing them carefully on the counter for them to inspect. ¡°These are the finest craftsmanship, look at the sparkle of the garnet in the hilt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Malika said, ¡°That looks like an apprentice project. We¡¯re looking for something more practical and in the range of about five silver.¡±


    The man¡¯s face instantly scrunched into a scowl, and he said, ¡°Don¡¯t waste my time girls, go play adventurer somewhere else.¡± He scooped up the daggers and turned, stalking off while muttering angrily.


    Confused, Ali looked at Malika as they left, ¡°What was his problem?¡±


    ¡°This is going to be harder than I thought,¡± Malika said, sounding rather frustrated. ¡°He saw our fancy clothes and thought we were nobles looking to drop lots of gold on those toys.¡±


    Ali glanced at herself, a little surprised to find she was still wearing the gorgeous outfit Lydia had made for her.


    The second smithy turned them away in an almost identical manner, even though this time Malika deliberately asked for practical weapons up front and conspicuously avoided pointing out the lack of quality when they were offered similarly ornate work.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to have to get changed to get proper service,¡± Ali said angrily at their third failure. ¡°This is annoying. Should we ask the boys for help?¡± She was loath to admit defeat and ask for help with such a trivial task, but the surprising wall of rudeness they had just been subjected to left her at a loss for how to proceed.


    ¡°Heck no!¡± Malika exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯m not about to ask them for help. Mato will probably get an over-inflated opinion of his importance. Let¡¯s try another one.¡±


    While Ali was quite certain Mato was not actually that kind of person, she appreciated Malika¡¯s determination and persistence.


    ¡°What about that one?¡± Ali asked, pointing to a smaller smithy tucked away at the end of the row, with a dilapidated sign hanging askew that read: . It looked forlorn and run-down and, frankly, she felt a little sorry for the building.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± Malika answered, peering at it thoughtfully. ¡°Seems like this Thuli might need some business. If he¡¯s even open, that is.¡±


    The atmosphere upon entering Thuli¡¯s Steelworks could not have been more different from the previous blacksmith shops. The air was cold and stale, and the entire smithy, if it could even be called that, was dim and quiet. None of the chaos or heat, nor the noise of busy apprentices and ringing anvils filled its walls. It took Ali several moments before she even noticed the broad-chested Dwarf slouched over a book at the long, scuffed wooden table.


    A deep red, smoldering heat radiated out through the cracks in a fractured core of coal-black mana buried within his broad chest ¨C the slumbering glow of a still-hot campfire after all the flame had faded.


    she thought, mesmerized for a moment, wondering what sorts of magic he might be able to do with it.


    ¡°Excuse me? Are you Thuli?¡± she called out to him. He was short and squat, and like most Dwarves, a little taller than Ali, but broader around in the chest than four or five of her. His enormous beard and red hair were braided untidily, and he looked like he hadn¡¯t bathed in weeks.


    Ali wrinkled her nose as she caught his fragrant aroma. He seemed to be studying the book with a desperate intensity, driven entirely by willpower and focus when, going by his haunted look, he should have collapsed from exhaustion several days ago.


    ¡°Go away. I don¡¯t have time for your kind.¡± The Dwarf didn¡¯t even bother looking up.


    Ali shared a worried glance with Malika, but she didn¡¯t want to be rebuffed yet again. ¡°I¡¯m looking to buy a couple of daggers,¡± she said.


    The Dwarf looked up at her, something dark and red glowing in the depths of his eyes. With a gruff, dismissive tone said, ¡°I don¡¯t sell toys to little rich girls, go bother one of the other fancy smiths.¡±


    Ali¡¯s frustration boiled over. Switching to Dwarven, a language she felt far better suited for expressing her anger, she retorted, ¡°Do all the smiths in this town have a problem selling weapons to women? Perhaps you¡¯re unable to make real weapons. I¡¯m here to buy a proper dagger for stabbing real monsters. And you treat me like a girl, I would have thought a Dwarf of all people would not look down on someone for being short.¡±


    Thuli stared at her, speechless. Ali was rather proud of the fact that she had enough restraint to avoid the countless colorful swearwords that the Dwarven language seemed so uniquely suited to. At least, the normal words sounded harsh enough to satisfy her.


    ¡°You have a bit of a temper, girl.¡± While the Dwarf¡¯s words were still confrontational, and he still referred to her as ¡®girl¡¯, his tone was substantially more subdued, perhaps even respectful.


    ¡°The daggers?¡± she asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Fine. You should be able to find one or two suitable pieces for your level in that bin over there.¡± Thuli indicated a large, shallow wooden bin over by the wall that seemed to be filled with random weapons as he returned his attention to the book in front of him. ¡°Anything you find in there you can have for five silver each.¡±


    His attitude was atrocious, but Ali was just happy that they were further along than they had gotten with any of the other smiths. She reached into the bin, picked up a shiny steel dagger, and identified it.


    ¡°Is this any good?¡± Ali asked in a whisper, showing it to Malika. It certainly seemed sharp enough.


    Malika shook her head. ¡°Here, this is a good one,¡± she said, handing Ali what appeared to be a rather plain and simple weapon ¨C at least to her untrained eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see a big difference,¡± Ali admitted, examining Malika¡¯s choice. The only obvious thing she could see was the mana signature on the second one. ¡°And it¡¯s a lower level.¡±


    ¡°It Appraised as Masterwork quality, so it will do more damage. It¡¯s also a better level for your rogues, and it¡¯s worth a fair bit more than the five silver he¡¯s asking,¡± Malika explained in a low whisper. ¡°Here¡¯s another good one,¡± she added, seeming a little surprised and examining her next find curiously for a moment before handing it to Ali. ¡°Odd. I can¡¯t imagine why he¡¯d leave these in a random bin.¡±


    It took just a few minutes, and Malika had selected four Masterwork daggers, all quite similar; functional and simple, and the best quality she could find.


    Ali took her haul over to the table and laid them before Thuli, and then placed twenty silver she had borrowed from Calen beside them.


    Thuli reached over and picked up one of the daggers and peered at it with his bloodshot eyes. ¡°I see you have a keen eye.¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re not going to try to change the price on us,¡± Malika said, staring him down.


    ¡°No,¡± he said, sighing, and placed the dagger back on the table. ¡°I may not be worth much anymore, but at least my word is still good.¡±


    As Ali collected her new daggers, her eyes settled on the now-closed book Thuli had been reading.


    Her heart skipped as she caught her breath in her throat. ¡°I would love to read that book,¡± Ali blurted out, without a moment¡¯s hesitation.


    ¡°You really should mind your own business,¡± he answered grumpily. ¡°Now take your daggers and be on your way. Before I get upset.¡±


    Ali frowned at his rude response, but she simply stored the daggers in her ring, keeping her annoyance to herself. She had had her fill of rudeness for one day and simply wanted to leave.


    ¡°He was really crusty,¡± Ali complained as they left the blacksmith quarters.


    ¡°Yes, crustier than a week-old loaf of bread, but he was also the only one who would sell us anything,¡± Malika answered, and then after a bit of a pause, she added, ¡°His work is remarkably good. All the daggers with his mana signature were Masterwork quality. Not many smiths put that much care into low-level items ¨C I doubt we could have gotten better anywhere else.¡±


    ¡°Then why does he have such a horrible attitude? Shouldn¡¯t he be doing quite well if his work is that good?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m really not sure,¡± Malika answered thoughtfully. ¡°There seems to be more to his story, but we probably won¡¯t find out today. Let¡¯s keep him in mind.¡±


    Ali thought, but her curiosity kept drawing her back to his book, her speculation of what it may contain, and the puzzle of why this Dwarf might be reading it.


    Gerald Brand, Garrison Commander


    Gerald Brand glared across the table at the woman who had invited herself in and refused to leave. He resisted the temptation to rub the knot forming in his neck, but he could already feel the throbbing of a vein in his temple that presaged the onset of a migraine. There was a mountain of work to get done, and scouts to organize. The Torian forces were making moves that he simply could not afford to ignore, and yet Vivian Ross sat opposite him insisting he listen to this insanity.


    It didn¡¯t help that she was a three-mark and none of his staff had even tried to deny her access to his office.


    ¡°Guildmaster Ross, I appreciate your efforts to build an Adventurers Guild chapter here in Myrin¡¯s Keep. Your desire to improve life for all our townsfolk is admirable, but you¡¯re still barely getting started and I have real problems to solve right now. I don¡¯t have time for these ridiculous claims of a dungeon-break.¡±


    ¡°And if it¡¯s true?¡± she asked. Vivian Ross didn¡¯t seem at all perturbed by his putdown of the importance of her guild.


    ¡°It¡¯s not true.¡± He said it as firmly as he could without raising his voice. ¡°I read the report. Two half-breeds, a Fae monster, and an urchin did not fight a bunch of Bugbears and win. There is simply no way ¨C you, of all people, should know this. And that refugee girl is Anh Khen ¨C she is Torian. Need I remind you we¡¯re currently at war with Toria? And they are pressing their advance as we speak? I appreciate your concern for the town, but I must ask you to leave and let me do my job.¡±


    At that moment, Vivian cocked her head to the side. She did not otherwise budge, utterly unmoved by his tirade.


    ¡°Visitors?¡± Vivian said, as if he¡¯d asked the question aloud.


    At that very moment, his enhanced hearing caught the sounds of yelling and a cacophony of thuds and muffled scraping coming from outside. The door to the garrison headquarters suddenly burst open with such force that the foundations of the building shook.


    The din blasted through the headquarters, halting an entire building-full of clerks and aides as they all stopped their work and stared at the spectacle.


    An unabashedly humongous figure stooped down, twisting sideways to jam his enormous frame through the doorway. Several guards hung from his legs in a futile attempt to slow him down. He growled as he entered the room, straightening up to his full eight feet of dense muscle and thick dark black fur.


    He wore nothing but thick leather breeches and an enormous two-handed blood-stained steel mace strapped to his broad back. His tree-trunk right arm was casually draped over the equally huge Goblin Bugbear corpse slung over one shoulder.


    The monster¡¯s red eyes found him across the room. ¡°Brand!¡± he roared, his voice even louder than his entrance.


    Gerald Brand groaned as he pushed to his feet. Bjorn¡¯s timing could not have been worse, but the Bugbear he carried spoke of a far more ominous problem. he thought, glancing back at Vivian who remained silent, sitting with remarkable composure in her seat.


    ¡°Bjorn, you are making a scene in my office. I could have you fined for this,¡± Gerald said, raising his voice finally. He had never made any secret of his dislike for the Beastkin Berserker. He had been acquainted with Bjorn for years, and other than being on the same side for every important fight in Myrin¡¯s Keep, Bjorn had been like a constant splinter under his fingernail. Every time Bjorn got involved, Gerald had more work. It was always that way.


    ¡°The Goblins in the south forest seem to be a little larger than normal,¡± Bjorn snorted, his voice grating like grinding boulders. The giant Beastkin tossed the Bugbear into the center of the room like he was discarding some dirty laundry, making the windows rattle from the heavy impact.


    Before Gerald could respond, the giant spun on his heel, raising a fur-covered hand furnished with wicked black claws in farewell, and lumbered back the way he had come, wholly oblivious to the half-dozen guards trying to restrain him.


    Gerald took a deep, steadying breath. ¡°Let him go. Get someone to clean that up,¡± he ordered, indicating the foul-smelling corpse that now littered his lobby. His aides startled and then leapt to carry out his orders.


    ¡°I guess I owe you an apology,¡± Gerald finally admitted, turning back to Vivian Ross ¨C who still hadn¡¯t moved an inch. More than anything, he prided himself on being good at reading people, knowing who was reliable and who was not. And Bjorn had just made a fool of him. Vivian too.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t believe those kids killed three Bugbears,¡± he said, finally sitting down to face Vivian Ross, letting out his frustration as a sigh.


    ¡°The Fae girl is a Summoner,¡± she said.


    It was all that needed to be said, honestly. One more surprise cherry on top of this shit-sundae he was being fed today.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± he grunted.


    ¡°Same as you, I want the town to survive. I don¡¯t mind if you¡¯re the one to tell the Council ¨C you certainly have the evidence now. I would like the emergency protocols invoked as quickly as possible so that we can get started posting defense quests and supply jobs,¡± Vivian answered, her tone businesslike. ¡°In exchange, you¡¯ll have my vote for your defense initiative.¡±


    Vivian was offering him a thinly disguised favor, a way to save face. Unfortunately, it was an extraordinarily good offer. If he presented the facts to the Council, he would be seen as doing his job and taking charge of the defense of the town. He would be shown as a confident leader, at a time when the town couldn¡¯t afford the Council¡¯s recent disturbing caution and distrust of his defense recommendations. And her vote would break the tie in the Council. It would put him in debt to Vivian, though.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, accepting her unstated trade.


    ¡°They said that Kieran Mori is involved, and you know what that means.¡±


    ¡°Fuck.¡± Gerald did not typically curse or swear ¨C at least out loud. But if Mori knew of the imminent Goblin horde, he was certain that they would be cornering the market for all the important consumables right at the worst possible moment. He wouldn¡¯t be able to supply the garrison with arrows, potions, and a whole host of other items critical to keeping his forces in fighting shape.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re aware of the situation, I¡¯ll leave it in your capable hands,¡± Vivian said without a single trace of sarcasm. Even her heartbeat sounded calm and relaxed to his enhanced hearing.


    He had met several people over level one hundred, in the second tier, and they were all equally absurd.


    Even before she had left the building, he was inundated with work ¨C calling an emergency meeting of the Council, creating purchase orders for supplies, rallying scouts, and sending them out to the southern forest.


    He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples for real, now.


    Suddenly, he straightened and bellowed at a hapless aide who had the temerity to peek around his doorpost, ¡°Get me a background check on that group of kids as soon as everything is taken care of! Get moving!¡±


    If they were going to be providing critical intelligence, he needed to know if he could rely on them.

 Chapter 37: Trees

    Chapter 37: Trees- Lirasia, Dryad, Great Mother of the Deep Woods.


    Aliandra


    As Malika flipped up the sewer grate, Ali¡¯s Kobold rogue appeared from the shadows, startling her ¨C even though she knew he had been nearby.


    ¡°Jumpy much?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Yes, I guess,¡± Ali said, forcing herself to relax. In truth, midnight-black rogues jumping out at her from the darkness had been plaguing her nightmares ever since her misadventure with Mato down in the ruins, and it hadn¡¯t been nearly long enough for her to recover.


    Ali dropped down onto the damp, crumbling brick of the sewers, grimacing at the now-familiar stench, and summoned a small disk of her barrier magic to light their way. Her Kobold rogue landed beside her with barely a sound and instantly vanished into the shadows, a trick that was both terrifying and impressive all at once. At least she could still sense his mana connection nearby.


    , she reflected ¨C the rudeness of the blacksmiths, and the need to walk through the sewer to get home, notwithstanding. After a busy day in town, the relative silence of the underground tunnels felt almost peaceful. At least they had taken the time to change out of their finery and into adventuring gear before dropping into the sewers. She and Malika chatted easily until they descended into the cavern via the rope Calen had left tied at the rockfall.


    They began the trek back to the Grove, scanning their surroundings for danger, but as they went, Ali couldn¡¯t help but notice the changes to the pervasive mana that perfused through the cavern, hanging about like a thick, dark cloying fog. Arcane Insight had leveled up and her perception seemed substantially more refined. The ambient dark mana was not as uniform as she had initially thought, instead, there seemed to be areas of significantly increased density, where the mana gushed out like mini-geysers or fountains, and the color seemed to vary from dark gray to pitch black.


    she thought. At least, Calen had identified it as one. Dungeons were widely understood to be terrifying phenomena that consumed the unwary, ate adventurers, attracted monsters, and sometimes destroyed the countryside with a dungeon-break.


    Ali moved a little closer to Malika.


    Knowing the theory and being in a dungeon were two vastly different experiences. For one thing, she could see the immense amount of mana being generated by the dungeon ¨C something they were known for. For another, even though she had lost the aptitude for Mana Sense when she had taken Arcane Insight, the skill had subsumed the ability allowing her to still feel mana in the same way, and her skin was crawling just like it had down in the ruins.


    Why dungeons emitted so much excess mana was anyone¡¯s guess, but it affected the land in powerful ways, subtly altering everything, even people. Dungeons attracted monsters ¨C and sometimes adventurers ¨C luring them in with the heady promise of dense mana, only to kill and consume them, growing powerful off the energy and experience they brought.


    There was, after all, a huge well of mana being generated right below it.


    It was just as she figured out that the denser dark gray mana was being emitted from the piles of bone, while the pitch-black mana flowed out from the gills of the Deathcap mushrooms, that Malika suddenly pulled up short.


    ¡°Wolves,¡± she whispered.


    Ali whipped her head around, forgetting her mana research in an instant.  Right up ahead, blocking their path to the Grove, was a pack of four starving wolves and a large Alpha lurking right behind.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Ali whispered. She had removed her Grasping Roots skill, and she could no longer pin any of the wolves down. They would need to tackle all of them at the same time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tank,¡± Malika said. ¡°You have a rogue somewhere nearby, right? Give him a couple of good daggers.¡±


    With a quick mental command, she called her rogue and retrieved two of her new Masterwork steel daggers, handing them to him.


    He didn¡¯t say a word, but when he bowed his thanks, he wore a wicked grin showing a mouth full of razor-sharp canines. Moments later, he vanished, returning to the shadows.


    ¡°Target the Alpha first. Put the rogue on the smaller ones,¡± Malika said, and with that, she sprinted toward the pack without any hesitation.


    Ali¡¯s heart skipped a beat in surprise at Malika¡¯s sudden attack and the unexpected departure from their usual plan. With a heavy pounding in her chest, she had to remind herself to stick to the new plan, directing her rogue with her mental connection and securing the Alpha in her mind as her focus.


    As soon as Malika¡¯s magic flickered in the distance, she opened fire, lighting up the battlefield with the brilliant glowing streaks of her golden Arcane Bolts. The shadows shifted, and a flicker of light reflected off a gleaming blade. A flurry of stabbing and spraying blood accented the rapid flashing of soul magic and the thumps of kicks and punches.


    Suddenly her chimes rang out in silence.


    ¡°Err, what just happened?¡± Ali stared at the unmoving corpses on the battlefield, the entire pack of wolves dead in seconds.


    ¡°We got stronger,¡± Malika answered, her broad grin shining through the blood splattered on her cheeks.


    As Ali approached to deconstruct the wolves, she saw her Kobold rogue carefully cleaning his new blades on a pelt.


    ¡°Thank you, Ancient Mistress. These are worthy weapons,¡± he chirped.


    ¡°I guess the better daggers make a big difference,¡± Ali said. It certainly seemed that way. At level nine, her rogue wasn¡¯t the highest level she had ever summoned, but he had been fighting level one and two wolves, and the masterwork daggers had made the battle even more one-sided. Not to mention, her arcane magic and Malika¡¯s punches had demolished the Alpha wolf in seconds.


    After a few moments they continued, and the full impact of what had just happened began to sink in. She had been fighting hard against challenging monsters almost constantly, and she hadn¡¯t been able to truly appreciate the growth she had achieved. Other than the skeleton of poor Armand back in the cave, none of the monsters in this cavern had been over level five, and they had just destroyed a group of them. She suddenly felt a lot safer even in the darkness of this strange dungeon cavern.


    she hastily corrected her errant thoughts.


    The rest of the way to the shrine was uneventful, and as Ali stepped out onto her moss carpet and into the balm of her domain, she felt the pain of her withdrawal begin to ease. She let out a sigh of relief and sat down, enjoying the sensation of tension flowing out of her body and mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to Meditate for a bit,¡± Malika said, settling down onto the moss and taking a cross-legged pose.


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t your mana fully regenerated by now?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Yes, but I find Meditation is good for calming the mind too, and it improves my focus for training.¡±


    ¡°What kind of skill is it?¡± Ali asked. It still amazed her just how quickly Malika had regenerated to fill the Mana Battery in the Novaspark Academy of Magic. ¡°Is it difficult to learn?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a wisdom-trait general skill,¡± Malika said. ¡°Here, take a look.¡±


    The glowing blue-white text appeared as a shared notification in her mind ¨C colors Ali had learned to associate with anything Malika shared ¨C revealing the details of her skill.


    Meditation


    Focus: Enter a meditative state during which mana and stamina regeneration is increased by + % Movement or using an active skill cancels your focus.


    Wisdom


    ¡°Is it¡­ hard to learn?¡± Ali had her Deconstruction to regenerate mana, but having something like this as another option would be extremely useful. Not to mention it helped regenerate stamina. When she was exhausted, she had no option other than to rest.


    ¡°I can teach you if you like,¡± Malika said. ¡°It¡¯s pretty simple; you have a high wisdom attribute so you should be able to learn it with a little practice.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said, grinning at the prospect of learning such a useful new skill. ¡°What do I do?¡±


    ¡°Sit down next to me,¡± Malika said, patting the moss beside her.


    ¡°Should I cross my legs too?¡± Ali asked, settling herself onto the moss.


    ¡°I like it, but anything comfortable works. It helps to sort of form a habit, like your own ritual, so to speak.¡± S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ali carefully folded her legs and straightened her back, glancing over at Malika to check if she had copied the pose correctly.


    ¡°Now close your eyes. There are many methods for meditating. The one I was taught begins by focusing the mind on your breathing. Why don¡¯t we start by taking three or four long slow breaths?¡±


    Ali closed her eyes and began to breathe. Just by the soft sounds beside her, she could tell Malika was breathing slower, so she tried to match that.


    ¡°Now let your breathing return to normal, and just notice it.¡± Malika¡¯s voice had taken on a calm soothing tone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry if you¡¯re doing it right, just observe your breathing. Where do you feel the breathing in the body?¡±


    ¡°Whenever you have a thought, simply acknowledge it, and return your attention to the breath. There is time for those thoughts later.¡±


    And so it went. Time passed slowly to the sounds of Malika¡¯s calm instruction, and yet, for such a simple idea, Ali wrestled with it furiously. Every time Malika suggested she bring her attention back to her breath, she startled, realizing she had become distracted by some thought or another.


    And then, when she grew frustrated with her struggles, Malika simply reminded her not to judge her progress.


    ¡°Ok, why don¡¯t you open your eyes?¡± Malika suggested.


    Ali opened her eyes to see the moss and mana before her.


    ¡°How did it go?¡±


    ¡°Why is it so hard?¡± Ali asked. ¡°Every time I was distracted, you had to remind me to focus on breathing. It¡¯s impossible!¡±


    Malika chuckled. ¡°The mind is like a muscle. You have probably never trained focus in this way, so it might be hard at the beginning. But think about reading or studying. How difficult is it to focus when you do those activities?¡±


    ¡°Not so hard,¡± Ali said. When she read a good story, she could become lost in it for hours.


    ¡°You¡¯ve practiced that kind of focus. This is just a different way to focus, and it trains mental discipline. Keep at it, and you will see improvements. Just remember, deal with your emotions the same way as thoughts ¨C acknowledge them and let them pass. There¡¯s no point in judging and getting upset because you don¡¯t progress fast enough.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said. She had always believed her mind was strong, and yet this simple exercise had left her humbled.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try a little more on your own to get the feel for it, and then take a break? No point in overdoing it, either. I¡¯m going to practice some drills to get used to my new skill,¡± Malika said, getting to her feet.


    While her friend loosened up and began moving through a sequence of mock attacks and blocks that had her ranging widely across the mossy carpet, Ali closed her eyes and tried to be kinder to herself as she tackled the frustrating breathing exercises.


    Without Malika¡¯s voice guiding her, it was far harder to notice her distractions before they took her on long journeys of imagination, but she persisted for as long as she could. The worst was when she noticed herself thinking and got sidetracked by thinking about how she shouldn¡¯t be thinking.  By the end, though, she was certain she had managed to keep an unbroken focus through at least a couple of consecutive breaths.


    Ali thought as she opened her eyes once more. She got to her feet, and all those thoughts she had been putting off till later crashed into her mind. She was back in her own domain, and she had an exciting new imprint!


    She pulled out her Grimoire and began to explore the extent of her domain, circling it while studying the mana it was emitting.


    There was something rather curious going on, and she needed to confirm it. Under her Arcane Insight, her domain appeared as a vibrant green aurora that welled up from the Verdant Moss. Punctuating the carpet of green, her Glowcap mushrooms were glittering fountains of gold gushing out to weave together into a complex mesh of nature and arcane mana with a structure and pattern far too fine for her to properly perceive. It extended about a meter beyond her moss before fading out. Past that, she perceived a broad border with nothing more than ordinary ambient mana, almost too dim to see against her domain, and only further out could she see the wall of black and gray that was the mana of the dungeon.


    It seemed as if something were holding it back. Ali circled her entire domain, which by now was a sort of oblong blob with the shrine off to one side. she thought. It took her walking more than two-thirds of the way around before she confirmed that the dark cloud of dungeon mana was being held back at a uniform distance from the shrine itself.


    The dungeon mana looked as ominous and dense as a bank of storm clouds pressing in. Within the eye of the storm, her domain glittered and sparkled, seemingly protected by the ancient shrine. She hoped that she wasn¡¯t confined to this space, big as it was, because it wasn¡¯t nearly large enough to support the kind of mana growth she had imagined when she had understood her domain aptitude and its advantages ¨C and, compared to her Dad¡¯s domain, hers felt utterly puny.


    Ali put the problem of the dungeon mana aside for now and searched for a suitable spot to experiment. she thought, picking a nearby stretch of dirt. She stood at the edge of her moss studying the domain mana as it extended a little beyond, reaching towards the bank of a murky stream of sluggishly flowing greenish-black water trickling by. She wrinkled her nose ¨C it smelled none too fresh. She was certain it was all that remained of the beautiful lake that had once rippled beside the Grove.


    She turned to her floating Grimoire and paged quickly to the last chapter, finding her newest imprint. She trickled her mana into the chapter, causing the runes to begin to glow and float off the pages in a swirl. Increasing her mana, she began to pour it in non-stop, accelerating to a torrent. The runes exploded out in glowing streamers of magic, swirling and binding together as they cascaded down into the area she had chosen, building and colliding in an ever-increasing storm of magical energy.


    She pressed her lips together and doubled down on her focus, concentrating on what was suddenly the largest magical work she had ever attempted. Her energy drained, but she held on, determined to see what her new imprint could do. Flowing up from the circle of magic projected onto the ground, the shape of a tree began to take form made from millions of tiny glowing runic symbols. As the magic flowed the symbols began to interlock, forming branches, bark, and leaves but her mundane vision was completely oblivious to the intricate construction taking place. After several minutes, and almost her entire remaining mana pool, the spell suddenly completed with an audible thump.


    Ali stared up in awe at the gigantic white oak that had suddenly materialized ¨C her recorded imprint made real by the power of her mana. It had to be over twenty-five meters tall, with wide branches extending outward from a broad trunk, and thick gnarled roots strongly embedded into the ground.


    ¡°Woah, Ali, that¡¯s impressive!¡± Malika had stopped her drills and come over to see. ¡°Do you think it will grow down here?¡± She reached out to touch the trunk as if to check it was real.


    ¡°I¡­ hope so,¡± Ali whispered. The enormous tree appeared dark to her mana vision, in stark contrast to her domain and the moss that helped create it.


    She waited, hoping against hope.


    Seen against the darkness of the trunk, the change was blindingly clear to her augmented sight. The roots of the tree drew in mana from the surroundings, long, thin green and golden streamers could be seen shooting up from the ground inside the trunk of the tree. Slowly, the streamers were joined by more and more of the same, creating thicker upward-pouring mana flows.


    As she stared in rapt fascination, the mana streamed up and out through the branches and, as it reached the leaves, the entire tree was suddenly outlined in a glow of fresh mana as they all lit with magical energy and began to emit it as a glowing cloud that slowly fell back to the ground.


    ¡°I wish you could see this,¡± Ali breathed, awestruck. ¡°It¡¯s like the entire tree lit up with mana.¡±


    ¡°Sounds incredible.¡±


    She simply stood and watched for ages while the mana flows deepened and thickened. Ali was certain she wouldn¡¯t have been able to even see the top of the tree in the darkness if it wasn¡¯t for the enormous flow of mana rising through the trunk and gently pouring out from the leaves to surround the entire tree with a brilliant glow.


    The thought appeared and instantly it felt right. Ali looked around and risked stepping out of her domain for a moment. Even though she had not fully recovered from her domain withdrawal yet, she needed mana to summon another tree. And so, she deconstructed an entire pile of bones.


    Ali dismissed the imprint, deciding she didn¡¯t want to make piles of bone for any reason. But she did take note of the mana. Her deconstruction of the pile of bones caused a dramatic ripple in the pervasive dark mana around her. A large area of dark gray mana slowly began to recede, causing a gap to appear in the wall of mana in front of her exactly as if a bite had been taken out of it.


    It seemed much clearer now that she could see what was going on. As soon as she had deconstructed the pile, the mana began to withdraw. Ali returned to her domain, welcoming the refreshing sensation of her domain withdrawal being slowly healed once again. With her newly filled mana pool, she decided to grow a few more trees. Her memories of the Grove were crystal clear ¨C she could see the shrine standing proudly in its center, the beautiful lake, and the trees surrounding the clearing.


    she thought with a determination that spurred her to action. She spent the better part of the next couple of hours patiently growing trees around the perimeter of her moss. Her Grimoire made black or white oaks, or sugar maples at random, and each time her spell finished, and a giant tree appeared, she experienced anew the same sense of awe and excitement rushing through her.


    It was the scent of delicious cooking that finally broke her concentration, making her stomach rumble with the anticipation of food. Ali glanced back toward the shrine, and to her surprise, she found a small camp had been pitched beside it ¨C three tents and a cookfire with a small spiral of smoke rising from it. Mato was busy with a pot at the fire, and Calen seemed to be examining his bow, talking with Malika.


    She had been so focused on her trees and her magic that she hadn¡¯t even noticed Mato and Calen returning from town.


    ¡°Hi, Ali,¡± Mato greeted her when she rejoined the group, picking up a bowl and filling it with a ladle full of what looked like a stew. ¡°Your trees look great.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. I didn¡¯t expect them to be so huge.¡±


    ¡°Well, you must be pleased. Here.¡± He handed her the small wooden bowl.


    ¡°I am.¡± Ali licked her lips. The spicy aromas made her mouth water, and she suddenly realized just how hungry she was.  She blew on it quickly to cool it and then took a bite, filling her mouth with an explosion of flavor.


    ¡°This is amazing, Mato, I didn¡¯t know you could cook so well.¡± Her voice came out muffled as she tried to talk and eat at the same time.


    ¡°I always enjoyed cooking at home,¡± Mato said, acting embarrassed by her praise.


    Ali didn¡¯t care how embarrassed she made him; it was delicious! ¡°What¡¯s in here? It¡¯s divine.¡±


    ¡°Well, the butcher had a good cut of Bristletusk Boar today, and I threw in some onions, potatoes, carrots, assorted mushrooms ¨C you know, the usual stuff,¡± he said. ¡°And a dash of red wine and spices to bring out the flavor of the meat.¡±


    ¡°No there¡¯s something more in here,¡± Ali said, waving her spoon at him.


    ¡°Hah, you got me,¡± he said. ¡°I got a fantastic deal on dungeon-harvested shallots. Dungeon-grown ingredients always have incredible flavors ¨C it¡¯s something to do with the mana ¨C but they¡¯re usually far too expensive for mere mortals like us.¡±


    ¡°I think you should give up this fighting business and open a restaurant.¡± Before she knew it, Ali was scraping the remains of her dinner from the bowl with her fingers and licking them in a way that would have made her mother scold her when she was younger. ¡°Is there any more?¡±


    Mato gave her a teasing once-over, clearly intended to measure her height. ¡°Where¡¯d all that appetite come from?¡±


    Turning pink as the others chuckled, Ali said, ¡°Watch out, Mato, with your cooking I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be at least a quarter-inch taller by tomorrow.¡±


    After dinner, the conversation ranged widely as they chatted about the day; the guild and its intense Guildmaster, and the impending invasion of Goblins. As the conversation touched on the trip to the blacksmith, and Malika gave a colorful description of some of their trials, Ali remembered she still hadn¡¯t learned to make the new daggers. She had simply been too distracted with her domain, recovery, and making trees.


    she instructed, pushing the mental command to the connection she had with her Kobold rogue, and he instantly appeared at her side, making her heart race just a little once again.


    ¡°Give me the daggers, please,¡± she said. The Kobold was pretty obviously unhappy with her request, but he gave up the two steel daggers promptly. Ali retrieved the other two from her storage ring and deconstructed all four.


    ¡°You learned Thuli¡¯s daggers?¡± Malika asked, glancing her way curiously as the Grimoire shone.


    ¡°Yes ¨C the variants seem to come easier than the original imprints, I feel. I¡¯m going to refer to him as the grump-smith from now on.¡± Ali had been rather annoyed with his behavior, but that had mostly passed now, leaving only curiosity about the strange book, but she felt she couldn¡¯t just let him off so easily.


    At least Thuli¡¯s work was excellent and the upgrade to her imprint was going to make all her rogues far stronger ¨C even the one she had left back in the forest, at least when he returned. She could tell he was still alive because she could still sense his mana reservation ¨C and Martial Insight told her roughly where he was, but it wasn¡¯t close.


    Sitting by the warm fire and her friends, she summoned daggers using her Grimoire. It produced three crude daggers before she finally completed the pair of steel daggers she wanted. She set the poor-quality ones to the side, picking up the two shining steel daggers and examining them carefully, turning them over in her hands.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± she said, turning to her waiting Kobold and handing him the daggers. She was rewarded with his disturbing, toothy grin once more before he vanished into the shadows to keep guard.


    Then, she retrieved her tent and sleeping bag from her storage.


    ¡°Calen, can you show me how to set this up?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said. ¡°See this rune? Just channel a little mana into that.¡±


    She did as he suggested, and she was rewarded with the tent suddenly inflating on its own and clamping itself down into the moss with anchor pins.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s convenient!¡±


    ¡°Only for the glamorous adventurer,¡± he grinned. ¡°It¡¯s a time-saver for sure.¡±


    As she laid her sleeping bag out inside her new tent, she decided her friends had been onto something good ¨C it looked vastly more comfortable than sleeping on the ground ¨C even ground covered in springy moss.


    ¡°Hey, Ali, I ¡­ can I ask you a favor?¡± Calen seemed a little hesitant.


    ¡°Sure, what do you need?¡±


    ¡°Someone has been buying up all the arrows in town. I was only able to buy one quiver ¨C at four times the normal price, would you believe? And that was cheap, some merchants were trying to get a gold for twenty arrows!¡±


    Nearby, Malika whistled through her teeth. ¡°Nice racket.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s Kieran Mori?¡± Ali asked, recalling the story Calen had shared about seeing them and their nefarious plans for the town.


    ¡°I¡¯m certain it is,¡± he answered. ¡°Thing is, I will be useless in a fight without arrows. And, well¡­ I saw you learned to make those daggers¡­ can you make arrows, too?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a free imprint,¡± she said, seeing disappointment on his face.


    She pulled out her Grimoire again, a little surprised at how big it had grown, and she opened it, paging through the chapters and the imprints she had learned.


    ¡°I have this one for wood that I¡¯ve never used,¡± she said after a few moments. ¡°It should be easy enough to relearn something like that after I level my skill up. How many arrows do you have?¡±


    ¡°I have twenty, but are you sure this is ok?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she answered with a smile and sat down next to him, beginning to deconstruct his arrows one by one. His chagrin was priceless as he watched her systematically destroy all the arrows he had spent so much of his money on.


    ¡°Step one completed,¡± she murmured.


    Ali paged through her Grimoire to the imprint for wood and selected it. She had never used the imprint, except for basic testing. Ali watched her Grimoire replace the imprint and update to read ¡®Imprint: Arrow¡¯.


    ¡°How many do you think you¡¯ll need?¡±


    ¡°A couple of hundred for a long battle,¡± he answered. He was still looking anxiously at the five arrows that were all that remained in his quiver.


    Ali channeled her mana into the imprint, which, of all the ones she had learned so far, was one of the simpler ones. And with little fuss, she created an arrow.


    Calen¡¯s face broke into a joyful smile as she handed it to him and began to make another, happy to discover they were pretty quick to make, at least compared to Kobolds or trees. And, with just a little experimentation, she discovered she was able to even make two or three at a time.


    ¡°How much gold for all those, Ali?¡± Mato chortled.


    Calen held up his hand. ¡°No tattling, or the Town Watch will have her making arrows for the rest of her life. Nice work, Ali. How¡¯s about you learn gold coins next?¡±


    ¡°Eek?¡±

 Chapter 38: Mushrooms and Mana

    Chapter 38: Mushrooms and ManaAliandraAli woke after a dreamless sleep, fully rested and feeling amazing. She found herself cocooned somewhere delightfully warm and soft, lying in a dim interior space with a sloping green roof above.


    Not only was her domain withdrawal completely healed, but she had slept snug and comfy in her new sleeping bag inside her own personal tent. She had experimented with the enchantments last night before turning in, discovering to her amazement that there was a runic sequence that allowed her to change the colors of her tent however she chose. She had immediately changed it to green, with a gold trim ¨C and Malika had told her that matching her hair and eye color was cute. That hadn¡¯t been her reason, but it had made her smile.


    Ali slowly rose, unzipping the tent flap, and stepping out to greet the day. Her bare feet sunk in a little on the springy carpet of moss and she stretched, taking in the sight of her domain glowing the same vibrant gold and green ¨C a small outpost of mana that scintillated in the ocean of darkness that was the vast cavern around them.


    Malika sat cross-legged, with her back resting against the shrine, presumably keeping watch, so Ali walked over to sit beside her. ¡°I¡¯m awake now if you want to get some more sleep,¡± she told her friend.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Malika answered, making no immediate move to leave, so they simply sat together for a while in companionable silence.


    Ali surveyed her domain and the new trees she had created. The Grove, reborn. Each of the new oaks stood tall, drawing a vast column of mana up through its roots that cascaded out into the air through their branches and leaves. The fountains of mana created a scintillating hemisphere of light surrounding each tree ¨C extending high into the air, more than twice the height of the tree itself, and wider than it was tall. Just from planting her trees, Ali had expanded her domain to fill most of the empty space held clear by the presence and power of her shrine. A small glittering jewel against the sea of oppressive darkness.


    Eager to see the gains, she opened her status page and examined her mana.


    She stared at the unchanged mana total in a shocked surprise that faded slowly to disappointment. Ali pushed her disappointment aside ¨C as usual when experiments didn¡¯t go the way you wanted, it was a sign you didn¡¯t understand something important. It was what her research instructor had always told her.


    She surveyed her domain again, studying it carefully using her mana sight. The green effusion from the moss and the golden plumes of arcane magic from her mushrooms were still there just like before. Her shrine still drew mana to recharge itself, looking remarkably similar to how the trees were drawing mana up through their roots.


    As she studied the mana flow and structure, she compared it to her memories from the day before, from before she had planted the trees. The only thing she could tell was that the mana of her domain around her moss seemed more attenuated, thinner, or less dense. The effect was subtle, but even accounting for the ridiculous brightness of her trees, she was certain she wasn¡¯t just making it up.


    Slowly becoming more and more convinced she had a scent of the truth, Ali eventually got up and decided to test her theory directly. Walking out into the cascade of mana created by her first gigantic white oak tree, she found a spot on the ground that was well within the sphere of mana the tree was emitting. It was a long way from the rest of her moss, but that was perfect ¨C she wanted to test it properly. Summoning her Grimoire, Ali began to grow a new patch of moss in the mana of the tree, somewhat apart from the rest of the connected moss carpet she had grown previously. Once she had a sizeable patch, she left it and returned to the shrine to wait.


    By the time the others were awake, and they had eaten a quick breakfast, Ali was sure her experiment was ready. As they all headed out, she stopped by her new patch of moss, studying it carefully. The new patch was indeed emitting a beautiful aurora of green, just like her other moss. But although her mana total had increased, it was way less than Ali had been expecting judging from the amount she had gained from her initial expanse. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Something wrong?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°My domain isn¡¯t working quite like I expected,¡± she said. ¡°Do you guys mind if I check something for a few minutes?¡±


    ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡±


    She examined the mana more closely, and then, looking back at the mana nearer the shrine, the issue became clear. There were very few golden sparkles in this patch of green ¨C much fewer than her original. Quickly, she opened her Grimoire and flipped to the page for mushrooms, creating one in the new mossy patch.


    Her Grimoire had unhelpfully produced the wrong mushroom.


    She tried again.


    On her fourth try, she finally got what she was looking for.


    Ali put her Grimoire away. ¡°Ok, let¡¯s go. I¡¯m done for now,¡± she said. It would take a while for her mushroom to start interacting with the mana, so she would have to wait till after they got back to see how her experiment went.


    ***


    Ali entered the Guildhall to a scene that crackled with tense excitement and anxious anticipation. There were more people than last time and all of them were milling around in the waiting area by the quest board while the low hubbub of muted conversations filled the air.


    ¡°We¡¯re right on time,¡± Calen said as they stood a little apart from the crowd to wait. Calen had been the one who had remembered the time of Vivian Ross¡¯s guild meeting. Ali¡¯s brain had been so full of information she hadn¡¯t even remembered that there had been a meeting scheduled at all.


    They hadn¡¯t been waiting for more than five minutes when the door opened and the Guildmaster strode confidently across the hall, followed closely by Mieriel. She stopped at the quest board, and everyone crowded closer, entirely blocking Ali from seeing anything except legs.


    ¡°Some respect for the smaller people at the back!¡±


    Ali startled at the familiar high-pitched voice that cut through the noise from beside her, somehow sounding both cute and full of frustration.


    Ali immediately recognized the short white pixie-cut hair and cobalt-blue dress that she recalled had matched the girl¡¯s mana perfectly.


    She had seen the mage manipulating water by the river and had admired her magic.


    ¡°We¡¯re not the smaller people,¡± Ali said. ¡°They¡¯re the ones afflicted with largeness.¡±


    The Gnome¡¯s head snapped around to see her and a peal of bright, clear laughter filled the air.


    ¡°Oh, I like you!¡± she announced, reaching out her hand toward Ali. ¡°I¡¯m Serendipity. Serendipity Puddlecrash. My friends call me Seri.¡±


    Ali was a little taken aback by her overt friendliness, but she responded to the introduction politely with a reciprocal, ¡°I¡¯m Aliandra Amariel. My friends call me Ali.¡±


    Thinking Serendipity¡¯s hand was an offer for a handshake, Ali took it, but immediately the Gnome used it to draw her into the crowd, darting through between legs and around a burly Dwarf before Ali found herself dragged to the front of the crowd, and suddenly she could see.


    ¡°Much better,¡± Serendipity whispered to her in a conspiratorial tone and sat on the carpet to listen.


    A little lost, Ali simply sat beside her and turned her attention to Vivian Ross as she began her announcements.


    ¡°Many of you have probably already heard the news, so I¡¯ll be brief and summarize it,¡± Vivian began. ¡°The Town Council has declared an emergency because of a nearby dungeon-break that is heading our way.¡±


    The room was suddenly filled with people talking, some excited, some surprised.


    Vivian held up a hand for silence before continuing. ¡°It¡¯s Goblins. There are even Bugbears and Hobgoblins in the horde, so we¡¯re in for a hard battle.¡±


    ¡°Those are too high level for us!¡± someone called out from the crowd.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Vivian answered, cutting off what seemed like it might devolve into some sort of panic. ¡°But everyone will get appropriate roles, and we¡¯re working on defense plans already. The Council has put a bounty on Goblins, and I would encourage all the combat classes to take that quest when Mieriel posts it. But there will be lots of quests. Already, people are reporting that it is difficult to buy consumables and crafting supplies. The farmers have been recalled to the town and the safety of the walls, but that means food will be getting scarce too. I want to encourage everyone to not panic and check in with the guild regularly as the situation unfolds.¡±


    ¡°Is it real?¡± someone else asked.


    ¡°Yes, we have multiple scout reports, and some verified sightings of Goblins in the outlying farms already. They will be here in a few days at most. For now, check the guild quest board and try and take any jobs you can. The garrison will be manning the walls and responsible for the main defense of the town. We will likely be asked to support them in whatever way they need.¡±


    With that, Vivian ended the meeting and Mieriel walked over to the quest board and began pinning scrolls and notices on it. The crowd instantly split in two ¨C half clustering around the quest board, and the rest mobbing Vivian with a deluge of questions.


    Ali had to wait quite a while before she got the chance to view the new postings. The quest board was a relatively practical broad expanse of cork that had been nailed to the wall, with a box of pushpins hanging beside it. The main bounty quest was easy to find, pinned right in the center of the board, even signed by the mayor. Ali touched her guild ring to the crinkly fresh parchment to accept the extermination quest. There were various prices listed based on levels and such, but she just trusted the amounts to be fair.


    Bronze Guild Ring ¨C level 10


    Owner: Aliandra Amariel.


    Quests:


    Eliminate hostile Kobolds in and around Myrin¡¯s Keep ¨C 0


    Eliminate hostile Goblins in and around Myrin¡¯s Keep ¨C 0


    Mana: Store or retrieve an item. Capacity: 6.2 / 25kg.


    Ring


    She was tracking two quests now, but it would likely take a while before she returned to the underground ruins. She had no idea exactly what role she would take against the incoming horde of Goblins, but it didn¡¯t hurt to be prepared.


    The rest of the new quests related to the Goblin emergency all had to do with supplies, consumables, and crafting materials. Apparently, everyone was panicking and hoarding important supplies, even without the specter of Kieran Mori¡¯s more nefarious plans to profit from the imminent conflict.


    ¡°Ali.¡± Calen¡¯s quiet voice caught her attention and she saw he was pointing to a scroll. He looked at her with a quick smile. ¡°What about this one for you?¡±


    The scroll he was pointing at was an ammunition request signed by the Garrison Commander, Gerald Brand ¨C although, in reality, it was probably put out by his logistics staff. It was a long and complex list of various items and prices that the garrison needed to supply their defense of the town, and Calen¡¯s finger was pointing to a line near the bottom.


    ¡°The price is quite generous,¡± Malika offered, examining the scroll. ¡°Looks like two silver pieces per quiver for the level of arrows you made for Calen. If everyone is hoarding, you might be one of the few people willing to fill this order.¡±


    ¡°Perfect!¡± Ali grinned in excitement. She would finally be able to pay her friends back for the help and money they had loaned her: the recall potion Mato bought, the loaned money for her new daggers, and the camping gear they had bought for her. Making lots of arrows would take a while, but all it would cost her was the mana and the time needed to create them.


    Ali¡¯s imagination had been filling her mind with images of her having to fight off waves of Goblins like the Warband they had defeated, risking her life and health in defense of a town she mostly thought of as disgusting and terrible. But here was a way to help that used her non-combat abilities and could help her out with her money situation at the same time.


    She touched her ring to the scroll to record the quest on the tracker enchantment, so she wouldn¡¯t need to check in with the board every time.


    ¡°Thanks, Calen,¡± she said. ¡°But I¡¯ll make as many as you need first before I sell the rest.¡±


    ***


    It was on the way back down to the shrine that Ali noticed her mana pool had grown. When they arrived at the Grove, Ali ran over to her experimental moss patch to see what had happened. The patch was quietly emitting the green nature mana, but now there was a fountain of gold pouring out from the Common Glowcap mushroom she had created. The upwelling mana sparkled and glowed, but when she examined it closer, she could see it was mingling with the green mana, weaving into the complex structure she had observed elsewhere in her domain.


    She was still puzzling over the implications in her mind when she suddenly became aware of a presence beside her.


    ¡°I have returned, Ancient Mistress.¡±


    Ali jumped. It took her a second, but she soon recognized the chirping sounds of the Kobold she had left back in the forest.


    ¡°You were quick,¡± she answered, peering at the Kobold who was carefully keeping himself to the darker shadows by her tree. A pair of her wolves that had survived the Warband were roaming the Grove, their noses sniffing at everything.


    ¡°I do not require sleep,¡± he answered with a bow.


    There was no other explanation Ali could think of. He was invisible in the dim light, but she could sense his presence via Martial Insight. Without her skill, she was sure she wouldn¡¯t be able to see him, neither with her eyes nor her Arcane Insight.


    she realized.


    Already distracted from her studies, she opened her Grimoire and began creating daggers, getting the higher quality steel daggers on her second and third try. ¡°Give me your old daggers, and use these instead,¡± she told him, exchanging weapons with the rogue. He inspected them carefully, and just like her other rogue, broke into a wicked-looking grin. Ali guessed it was not really his fault, his face looked like a cross between a dragon and a lizard, and he had so many teeth. From her connection, though, she could tell he was genuinely happy.


    She stored the poor-quality crude daggers in her ring and turned back to the moss and the puzzle of her domain.


    ¡°May I take this?¡± the Kobold asked, interrupting her thoughts before she even got started. The black-scaled creature was bent down over one of the Forest Amanita mushrooms she had made when she was trying to plant a Common Glowcap earlier.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Ali gave her permission but then looked a little closer. The mana surrounding the red and white spotted poison affinity mushroom was green, but it was a sickly green, in contrast to the vibrant mana of her Verdant Moss. As the Kobold dug it out of the ground with his dagger, the mana rippled and the sickly color began to fade, replaced quickly by the stronger green and gold of her domain flowing in to fill the gap.


    The other Amanita toadstool was still surrounded by the sickly green color, and very little of the golden arcane mana was present nearby. The Blackened Deathcap sat in the center of a well of darkness that seemed to have decayed the mana of her domain immediately around it.


    she thought, feeling that she was close to understanding something.


    ¡°Can you make a poison from this?¡± Ali asked, pointing to the dark black Deathcap mushroom.


    ¡°Yes. A necrotic poison, but it¡¯s lower level than this one,¡± her Kobold answered, holding up the red and white Forest Amanita.


    ¡°Can you dig this one out anyway?¡± she asked him. ¡°And that one?¡± she pointed at the other Amanita mushroom. ¡°If you can¡¯t use them, can you get rid of them for me?¡±


    Quickly following her instructions, the Kobold removed the two mushrooms and Ali observed the sea of her domain mana flowing into the holes left behind, building in strength until nothing was left of the foreign mana. A few moments later, her maximum mana pool increased by one point.


    The plants created by her Grimoire drew in ambient mana from the ground. she realized. And once they drew it in, they did something to it before releasing it again. In the case of her plants with a mana affinity ¨C like the Verdant Moss or the Common Glowcap ¨C they transformed the mana into an abundance of their own affinity, releasing much more than they absorbed. For the neutral plants like her trees, they simply spread the mana over vast distances, which resulted in the dilution of her domain density, but didn¡¯t actually contribute to her mana pool. The Blackened Deathcap was drawing in her domain mana and the ambient mana of the environment and making death-affinity mana which was actively impeding her domain. Because Poison was much more compatible with Nature, the Amanita mushrooms didn¡¯t disturb her domain nearly as much.


    Ali¡¯s personal affinities were Nature and Arcane, and it was abundantly clear that it wasn¡¯t the mana that represented her domain per se, but the structure of the weave of her two affinities.


    She had hoped that the trees would help grow her domain, but it seemed that they were a bit of a disappointment. With the amount of distance her mana was spreading, the trees would be incredibly helpful for crossing the stream without making a connected expanse of moss. She had already demonstrated she could connect isolated moss patches through the domain spread by the tree.


    It was far from a rigorous theory, any scholar would agree, but for now, it would serve her as a working hypothesis. She looked outward, taking in the ominous-looking mana just outside her domain.


    She moved to the edge of her domain, and at the maximum extent of the mana emitted by her tree, she planted a patch of moss and finished it off with a few mushrooms, deconstructing the ones that wouldn¡¯t contribute to her domain.

 Chapter 39: Accidents Happen

    Chapter 39: Accidents HappenCalenCalen frowned in frustration at his new bow and the quiver of arrows lying on the ground by his feet. He had spent a substantial sum to buy a better bow, following the Guildmaster¡¯s advice to improve his equipment.  On the other hand, Ali¡¯s arrows were great ¨C and free ¨C and if he never had to fire a Goblin arrow again in his life, it would be perfect.


    The problem was his skills. Vivian Ross had told him to work towards an Ambush skill, which made lots of sense given his stealth skill, Eclipse. Ambush skills typically delivered critical damage when the attack was imperceptible to the target. Many of the better ones increased critical damage by a substantial amount too, resulting in a huge strike to open combat. These kinds of skills were highly sought after by rogues, Snipers, Assassins, and any class that had some type of stealth ability, like his.


    However, his damage enhancement skill was Arrows of Brilliance. It increased the damage of his ammunition ¨C his arrows ¨C by adding a Light magic enchantment when he fired it. But it was light ¨C and his Eclipse skill was designed to avoid light, hiding in shadows to render him effectively invisible. Every time he tried to shoot from the shadows, he dispelled his own stealth with his damage skill. He had tried it every time while hunting Goblins in the forest, but it had never worked.


    he thought, frowning as he studied the arrows. But that approach mostly defeated the purpose ¨C the goal of Ambush was to load up as much preparation and damage to a single shot as you could and then multiply it all by the critical damage bonuses.


    He sighed. He simply couldn¡¯t see a way around the problem. He sighed again.


    Calen dropped his bow and sat down, feeling defeated. Malika was drilling kicks and making visible progress using her new skill, and he was just sitting here frustrated. Mato was fussing over a cookpot like he hadn¡¯t a care in the world.


    And Ali¡­


    She seemed to be talking to her Kobold and picking mushrooms by the edge of the moss. She had planted some trees around the shrine in an attempt to create what looked like a grove, but Calen wasn¡¯t quite sure it was working ¨C it looked like a tiny ring of trees holding back a vast sea of darkness.


    He resonated with Ali quite well, both of them having an eye for detail and the solving of puzzles. As he studied her, he became more and more certain she was testing something ¨C but what it might be he couldn¡¯t tell.


    he thought.


    Normally, he wouldn¡¯t bother anyone with stuff like this, but he had been frustrated and making absolutely no progress since he first tried it in the forest. The Guildmaster¡¯s advice had just rubbed it in. He got up and retrieved his bow, trudging slowly over to where Ali was growing some moss.


    ¡°Hey Ali, do you have a few minutes?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± she answered, finishing off her spell and then turning to him. ¡°What do you need?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m having some issues with the advice the Guildmaster gave me, and, well¡­ you used to be a magic scholar. I was hoping you might have some ideas?¡±


    ¡°Me? I guess I can try. I¡¯m no archer, though.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how to remove a visual effect from a skill? Is that even possible?¡±


    ¡°Why would you need that?¡±


    ¡°My light magic breaks my own stealth. So, I can¡¯t shoot and remain hidden. I want to try to work on getting an Ambush skill, but this has me stumped.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ali answered, her expression changing immediately to curious and thoughtful. ¡°Can you show me ¨C in action, so to speak?¡±


    He obliged by enabling his Eclipse, drawing the shadows of the dark cavern around himself until he was nearly invisible. Then, he nocked an arrow and fired it at the ground a short distance away, imbuing his shot with light magic. As expected, the instant the arrow lit up his stealth fell away, and then the arrow left his bow, completely ruining the effect.


    ¡°I see,¡± Ali answered cryptically. ¡°Again?¡±


    Calen repeated the exercise, once again illuminating the entire area with his brilliantly intense magic. ¡°It¡¯s so frustrating.¡±


    ¡°One more time please?¡±


    He fired the third arrow to identical effect.


    Ali looked up at him with a grin. ¡°When I was younger, my aunt helped me learn how to manipulate mana. It¡¯s how I learned my cantrips. She had a technique she insisted I learn that might be useful for you. You fill your skill with the required mana, but you withhold the skill completion till later. It sorta feels like you push a big boulder to the edge of the cliff, and then hold it for a while before letting it go.¡±


    ¡°How does that help?¡± Calen was baffled. He understood the idea, but¡­


    ¡°Imagine using your damage skill but not letting it complete until the arrow has almost reached the target.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Calen hadn¡¯t even known such a thing was possible.


    ¡°Do you think it will work?¡±


    ¡°Your skill seems to imbue the arrow with magic, but it only flares with light after it completes. It¡¯s a side effect of the enchantment, not the actual creation of the magic. Give it a try, I¡¯ll watch.¡±


    Carefully he drew his bow and tried to trickle his mana into his Arrows of Brilliance skill slowly.


    ¡°Right there! Hold it!¡±


    His skill had an almost instantaneous cast time, so he missed it, sending the brilliantly shining arrow flying away to embed itself in the mossy ground. But he knew what he had just seen.


    Holding back his excitement, he tried again, trying to catch it at precisely the right moment. He missed again. The window of time he needed to hit was vanishingly tiny.


    It felt just about as frustrating as trying to drop two or three balls and catch them again with the same hand before they hit the ground.  It took five more tries before it suddenly clicked, and the arrow left his bow before the light shone out.


    ¡°There! That was it!¡± Ali exclaimed, bouncing up and down on the moss, almost as excited as he was.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Now he just needed to practice, and his timing would improve.


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure,¡± Ali answered with a smile. But suddenly she let out a scream and collapsed to the ground, writhing in obvious pain. From the darkness all around them, wolves began howling and suddenly he saw them rushing forward in droves.


    ¡°Mato! Malika! Incoming!¡± he yelled, raising his bow and unleashing arrows at the charging horde.


    Aliandra


    Ali¡¯s excitement at Calen¡¯s success was suddenly interrupted by a brutal pain that stabbed into her mind and she found herself clutching her head as she dropped to the ground, screaming. It tore her in two, ripping her up from the inside out. It was the pain of her domain withdrawal all over again, only without the help of her endurance and infinitely more potent. She could only barely make out shouting, and the flicker of Calen¡¯s brilliant magic against a backdrop of howling.


    She tried to think, to make sense of anything¡­ something. But her mind was busy, entirely consumed with the pain. Her rogues stood over her, their daggers flickering. A corpse dropped to the ground beside her with a heavy thump.


    The urgency of the thought and the terror of being helpless against the attack spurred her mind into action. She was curled up in a ball and all her friends were fighting beside her. There were wolves everywhere.


    She had been helping Calen with his skills, and then she had suddenly collapsed. her eyes turned to the patch of moss she had grown before Calen had come to her for help. The green and gold of her domain flowed upward and outward from it, but where it met the black and gray mana of the dungeon there were violent flickers and flashes as the mana seemed to be exploding in thousands of miniature detonations. With each flicker and flash, Ali felt the stabbing pain.


    She reached out and dragged herself up, forcing herself to stand. Not knowing quite how she managed it, Ali stumbled forward, out of her own domain and into the realm of the dungeon¡¯s dark mana. Someone shouted over the noise, but she couldn¡¯t understand it. An arrow flashed past her cheek, killing a wolf right beside her, and tripping her up. She hit the ground heavily and rolled up against the pile of bones she had been aiming for.


    Ali reached out a shaking hand and used Deconstruction, gritting her teeth against the incessant hammering inside her head. Grimly, she held on for the ten eternal seconds while her vision flickered and shimmered with activity, battle, and the agony of broken glass grinding against her mind.


    She didn¡¯t notice when her spell finished, but she did notice herself suddenly falling through the space where the bone pile had been, hitting her head on the ground. A cloud of light and swirling mana enveloped her and suddenly the pain began to recede.


    Finally, she took a breath and sat up, looking around at the surprised faces of her friends. She was sprawled in the dirt which had once been a pile of bones. Littered all around her were dozens of corpses of wolves and a few skeletons. The black-and-gray mana had receded from the boundary and her domain mana had taken its place, glowing quietly now without the explosive interaction.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Malika¡¯s voice was the first intelligible thing she heard.


    ¡°I ¡­ think so,¡± she answered, her mouth dry and her voice raspy. ¡°I mean, I am now, thanks.¡±


    ¡°What was that? Every single monster that could reach us attacked all at once,¡± Malika asked. ¡°And your Kobolds went nuts.¡± S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I think that was dungeon-rage,¡± Calen answered. ¡°Sometimes, you can piss off a dungeon so badly that it simply sends everything at you all at once.¡±


    ¡°What the heck did you do?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I think my domain mana touched the dungeon¡¯s mana and the incompatibility ¨C I think the two types of mana began annihilating one another.¡± Ali shook her head gently, but the pain was now gone. ¡°It was the most painful thing I¡¯ve ever experienced.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing we leveled up a lot,¡± Mato said. ¡°The monsters weren¡¯t very difficult. There were just a lot of them.¡±


    ¡°Why did deconstructing this pile help?¡± Calen asked, kicking a few remaining bones.


    ¡°The bones and the death affinity mushrooms are emitting the black and gray mana. I just guessed that if I removed the pile, the dungeon mana would retreat,¡± Ali said, realizing too late that her friends couldn¡¯t see the mana the way she could.


    ¡°Seems it worked,¡± he said.


    It had been an excruciating lesson, and one Ali was reluctant to repeat. But she also knew what she could do. Although there was an enormous number of bone piles littered across the entire cavern, she would simply have to clear it all out over time.


    She had learned something else, and she wasn¡¯t quite sure of the full extent of the implications ¨C she and her domain were connected in a far deeper way than she could have guessed. She had to consider the unwelcome and terrifying idea that she was vulnerable to being attacked in this way.


    While she was no longer in any pain and had no obvious injuries, Ali¡¯s experience with what Calen had called a ¡®dungeon-rage¡¯ had left her feeling both drained and exhausted. She spent the rest of the evening at their little camp making arrows ¨C and whenever she ran out of mana, she would collect her Kobolds and venture out into the darkness and deconstruct some of the nearby bone piles and pitch-black mushrooms that supported the dungeon¡¯s mana. By the time she was ready to sleep, she had made a large enough dent in the dungeon mana that she felt safe growing a couple more trees and planting some moss and mushrooms around them. She also had nearly a thousand arrows after supplying Calen with what he needed.


    ***


    The next morning, Ali leapt from her sleeping bag, energized ¨C and much more importantly, with a brilliant idea. She had had a dream about the Grove and the beautiful lake she used to enjoy ¨C the remnants of which were now a murky slow-flowing stream of muddy water. If she could just find the source, she could unblock it, and the water flowing back would recreate the lake, and at the same time hopefully wash away a big chunk of the bone piles and mushrooms.


    While deconstruction was a reliable method ¨C and she verified that by checking on the new expansion of her domain ¨C it was also painfully slow. The idea of simply washing it all away and planting trees in the freshly cleared space appealed deeply to Ali¡¯s sense of efficiency.


    There were, of course, many unfounded assumptions. For instance, that the source of the water was still present after so long. And that washing away the bone piles would have the same effect as destroying them ¨C or that the sewage from Myrin¡¯s Keep might have contaminated the source ¨C but she wasn¡¯t about to let details like that get in the way of her brilliant plan.


    She shared her plan with the others over breakfast and they happily agreed to accompany her on her search. It would be more-or-less on the way back to town anyway, and she wanted to turn in her arrows for the quest and earn a little coin.


    It was a remarkably easy task to track the river back to the source, and they weren¡¯t even interrupted by monsters ¨C presumably, all the ones nearby had been wiped out in yesterday¡¯s incident.


    She soon found herself examining the rock wall of the cavern, through which several trickles of water seeped, collecting in a small pool before continuing down to feed the stream they had been following.


    ¡°Just be careful,¡± Calen cautioned.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Ali answered. This would be just like deconstructing the rock over that Donnavan fellow. She reached out her hand to a rock that jutted out of the wall, wedged in by dirt and the tightly packed boulders and rubble pressing in on it. She wasn¡¯t planning on doing too much, just opening the channels a little bit to increase the flow of water, and then hopefully the lake would reform, clearing out the bone ¨C and with it, the dungeon¡¯s mana.


    She deconstructed the rock, and the flow of water grew from a trickle to a small rivulet running down the wall. Encouraged, she repeated the process on a rock near a second trickle, and again, the flow strengthened. A third rock evaporated, and another stream began to pour out of the wall near her feet. She turned and smiled at the sight of the tiny stream beginning to swell with the new influx of water.


    Suddenly, there was a sharp crack and a subterranean rumble. Water began to spray straight out of the wall, drenching her and pelting her with dirt and small pebbles. Instinctively, she summoned her barrier to ward off the barrage. Another rumble shook the ground and her friends looked at her, their eyes widening in alarm.


    ¡°Ali¡­¡± Calen shouted.


    But it was too late. The rock wall right in front of her exploded in an enormous geyser of water, flinging boulders outward with enormous force. Ali¡¯s barrier shattered and the pressure shot her tiny body flying. She choked, struggling to breathe as the tremendous flow tore at her clothing and whipped her body around. She cartwheeled out of the gusher, weightless, soaring through the air alongside an enormous spray of water, dirt, boulders, and even a few gelatinous green and brown slimes.


    Heart pounding so fast she feared it might stop, Ali summoned another barrier and her body slammed into it painfully, but she immediately slid off the edge as the water turned her magical barrier slick. She dismissed it, summoned a second one, and slid off that too, but this time her grasping hand caught the edge of the barrier and halted her plummet with a painful jerk.


    Helpless to resist the dizzying pull of the yawning emptiness below, she stared down past her dangling feet, finding herself hanging terrifyingly high in the air. Far below, the roiling, frothing torrent of white water tore through the cavern, only vaguely following the path of the stream. Even the highest branches of her tallest tree wouldn¡¯t have reached up here. She gulped, and her arm began to shake with effort and exhaustion. Her fingers began to slip, and with a strength born of panic, she pulled herself up just enough to grab the edge of the barrier with her other hand.


    ¡°Ali!¡± Malika¡¯s shout sounded desperate and so very far away.


    Mustering her tiny strength, she struggled to pull herself up and onto the golden disk that was her safety. Her hand slipped and she caught herself again. Starting over, she struggled up, wishing she had had the foresight to invest more points in strength or at least dexterity. Eventually, after a heroic effort, she hauled her chest up and over onto the barrier, and she just lay breathing, holding on to the edges of the disk just in case she might slip once again.


    Two things occurred to her, lying there trying to catch her breath and quiet her racing heart. First, she was still stuck and extraordinarily high up above extremely hard-looking rocky ground with a violent torrent of water below. Second, her barrier magic was transparent, and she had no choice but to look through it at the ground as she lay face down on the disk.


    she thought, otherwise, there would have been no chance for her to lift herself.


    She carefully sat up and considered her predicament. She had no desire to repeat her risky, painful stunt of crashing through barriers down the ventilation shaft into the ruins.


    Her barrier magic was fixed in place ¨C which was quite fortunate for stopping heavy or powerful attacks. But right now, she would have traded anything to be able to move it. Or to have working wings. she trembled in horror ¨C


    Floating effortlessly to the ground would have been perfect.


    Ali reached out with her mind and tried to force her barrier to do just that. She imagined it slowly lowering her to the ground, and even tried forcing some mana into whatever that might be, but all she earned for her trouble was a headache. Out of sheer desperation, and a lack of any better ideas, she doubled down and tried to force it with more mana and willpower. Her head throbbed painfully as her energy and mana found nowhere to go.


    Suddenly, something within the magical barrier shifted. Light flared along a line across the center of the barrier and strands of magic began to rapidly unravel and reconfigure before her aghast eyes, making it lurch beneath her.


    ¡°Help!¡± she screamed.


    Half of the golden disk abruptly vanished, dropping her legs and hips over the side as she desperately clutched the rim of her remaining magic. She flailed frantically with her legs as her head whipped around, but she froze as her eyes caught sight of something shimmering and sparkling like a golden beacon against the darkness. There, under her dangling feet, was the second half of her barrier, floating almost a meter below where it had originally been.


    Cautiously, she examined it using Arcane Insight, but it appeared to be perfectly normal, only half of her usual barrier. Slowly, she lowered herself until her stretching toes touched the lower one, and then, even more slowly and gingerly, she put her weight onto it, fully expecting it to give way. But it held and, to her surprise, she found herself standing on the lower half-circle.


    She sat down on the lower barrier and split her focus, willing the upper piece to release while still holding her focus on keeping the one below her from vanishing. She struggled with the unfamiliar focus, terrified that she would unsummon both simultaneously, but the top barrier vanished, and miraculously, the bottom one remained, preventing her from falling.


    She breathed. And then taking up the split focus in her skill once again, she mentally held on to her seat while trying to create a small one lower than where she currently sat. It was a tricky maneuver, but the barrier winked into existence after a few tentative tries. She lowered herself again, and then slowly, step by step, she began the laborious process of lowering herself down to the cavern floor below and the anxious faces of her friends waiting there.


    As soon as she heard the notification, the challenging task grew noticeably easier. It still required intense focus and control, but the barrier magic seemed to respond eagerly to her will, and her progress improved dramatically.


    ¡°Ali! Are you ok?¡± Malika asked, pulsing a little healing magic into her battered body.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    As her friends clustered around her with concerned expressions, Ali tried to reassure them that she really was fine, but her body was shaking from the exertion of holding herself up, and the adrenaline from the explosion and being caught so high above the ground. She had to sit down for a moment and catch her breath. Being totally drenched in freezing cold water wasn¡¯t helping in the slightest.


    Ali berated herself for not anticipating the pressure of the water behind the rock wall and getting herself caught in the blast. It should have been obvious, but in her excitement, she simply hadn¡¯t thought through the implications of her plan.


    While she sat there catching her breath, she stared at the destruction she had wrought. Some truly massive boulders lay half-buried in the ground hundreds of meters from the rock wall where they had originated. She had been unbelievably lucky she hadn¡¯t been hit by any of them in midair. A broad swathe of the cavern had been washed clean of dirt, bone, mushrooms, and all signs of the dark and ominous dungeon mana by the flash flood, leaving in its wake a devastated landscape covered in mud and puddles. Hundreds of green and brown blobby forms crawled out of the puddles, slowly making their wobbly way toward the depression at the south end of the cavern which was rapidly filling with roiling water as a gigantic lake formed before their very eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, guys,¡± she said. The concern on their faces had begun to ease once she had reached the ground and they could see she wasn¡¯t hurt. But she felt stupid ¨C epically and memorably stupid ¨C and embarrassment burned on her face. Admittedly, when she had triggered the dungeon-rage there was no reasonable way for her to have known of the danger. But here, she had just let her excitement cloud her reasoning. Calen had even told her to be careful and she had mostly just ignored him.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re fine,¡± Malika said, sitting down beside her. ¡°That¡¯s quite something, isn¡¯t it?¡± she added, staring out over the scene of devastation.


    ¡°I see a lot of slimes,¡± Calen noted.


    ¡°Too bad they¡¯re too low-level to provide a decent challenge,¡± Mato lamented.


    Ali¡¯s heart began to lift as she realized she was alive, sitting on solid ground, and her friends were not angry with her. They had just been worried, and as soon as she was seen to be safe, had reverted to normal, Calen being a scout and searching for threats, and Mato looking for a challenge.


    Her harrowing experience hadn¡¯t been without reward, though. Ali carefully focused her mind, and two separate disks of barrier magic snapped into existence in front of her outstretched palms. It was getting easier to perform this trick, and she was certain that, with a little practice, it would become an extremely useful tool. She could certainly protect herself better, or perhaps even learn to protect another party member effectively.

 Chapter 40: Quests

    Chapter 40: QuestsAliandraAli¡¯s friends did not complain in the slightest when she requested a trip to the laundry. The slightly portly, frazzled-looking Gnomish man who ran the tiny shop, tucked in between a bakery and a small grocery store, had been absolutely horrified with how foul she smelled and had lost no time casting his magic to dispel the muck that clung to her like glue. He had still been spritzing the air in his shop as they left, muttering despairingly about how nice Fae girls should not possibly smell like a Goblin¡¯s armpit, it just wasn¡¯t right.


    Now, dry ¨C and more importantly, clean ¨C her body finally began to relax under the warm caress of the sunshine falling on her skin. As the last of the tension eased, her traumatic experience with the underground river faded into a memory. Albeit a cautionary tale; an experience that should remind her that she needed to be much more careful in the future.


    By the time they reached the Adventurers Guild, Ali was mostly back in her usual good spirits, and she approached the reception desk, and the elegantly dressed Mieriel, with a big smile on her face.


    ¡°Hi Aliandra,¡± Mieriel greeted, returning her smile. ¡°How can I help you today?¡±


    This time, Ali ignored the stepstool and instead created a small disk of barrier magic hovering a little above the ground and followed with a second one a little higher. She stepped up her magical golden stairs, dismissing the first barrier, leaving herself standing upon a single glowing disk at the perfect height beside the reception desk.


    ¡°Very impressive,¡± Mieriel approved.


    Grinning in delight at having her achievement recognized ¨C albeit with dry humor ¨C Ali used Identify on the guild administrator.


    Ali¡¯s smile froze as her casual use of Identify exposed Mieriel¡¯s class and mana affinity.


    A chill ran down the back of her spine. Practitioners of mind magic were universally feared for their ability to warp the perceptions of those around them, and even control the minds of people they didn¡¯t like.


    Mieriel¡¯s eyes narrowed briefly, and tiny wisps of mana flickered around her brows and temples. Ali¡¯s body weaved with sudden disorientation as if the world had suddenly tipped sideways for an instant before everything returned to normal. She grabbed onto the reception desk to steady her suddenly shaky legs.


    Ali racked her brain trying to remember but, while it felt tantalizingly close, she couldn¡¯t quite recall. She glanced back at the Sun Elf Analyst while she wrestled with her uncooperative memory, struck by a sudden, inexplicable sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu and the unusual delicate fragrance of summer lilies.


    ¡°Thank you for your tip the other day,¡± Mieriel said brightly, her voice interrupting Ali¡¯s confusion, guiding her attention back to the reception desk and the guild hall.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Lydia¡¯s Allure. It¡¯s delightful, and Lydia is so talented,¡± Mieriel announced, getting up and turning around to show off her new powder blue business suit. ¡°I love it!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very stylish,¡± Ali answered, the strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu fading away.


    ¡°Anyway, what can I do for you today?¡± Mieriel said, bringing the conversation back to the reason Ali was there.


    ¡°Oh, I wanted to turn these in for the quest,¡± Ali answered, her confidence returning as she remembered why she had come. She slipped her attention into the projection of her storage enchantment in the back of her mind and selected the carefully bundled arrows she had created. When she was done, fifty bundles of twenty arrows each lay neatly arranged on the reception desk ¨C each carefully tied with a small length of string Calen had provided. It had taken a little time to retrieve everything, but it was so much better than trying to retrieve a thousand loose arrows all at once and making a mess all over the floor.


    ¡°Oh! Commander Brand is going to be so happy!¡± Mieriel chimed, admiring the stack Ali had created. ¡°Thank you for using them to fill the quest, I¡¯m sure you already know you could probably have gotten more money selling them on the black market. But this way they will go directly to the guard. Thank you for helping make Myrin¡¯s Keep safer!¡±


    Ali thought, surprised at Mieriel¡¯s choice of words. But the moment she thought about it, she realized the truth of what the Sun Elf had said. To her, it may have just been mana spent on a Grimoire imprint ¨C a simple matter of a few hours of work ¨C but the arrows really would be used to save lives and that realization lent a new weight of significance to her simple task. Ali hadn¡¯t considered that she might earn more by selling them to some shady dealer, but then they would probably have been hoarded instead of used to help anyone.


    ¡°Here you go. Your first quest reward, congratulations! The garrison is offering one gold piece for this many arrows. Your share is eighty silver pieces after I deduct the twenty percent and apply it to the cost of your ring.¡± Mieriel said, counting out several silver pieces of different sizes and placing them into a small leather pouch that she handed to Ali.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ali said, feeling the surprisingly comforting weight of the small pouch in her hand before she stored it in her ring. No longer would she need to be reliant on Calen or Mato to buy her everything she needed. Both of them had bought her all sorts of necessities with their own meager funds, and she didn¡¯t want to feel like she was a continual drain on her friends.


    Ali returned to the lounge area near the quest board where most of the guild members were gathered, waiting for the Guildmaster to make her appearance. She returned Serendipity¡¯s excited wave with a smile before her attention was drawn from the friendly Gnome by Vivian Ross entering the room.


    ¡°I want to thank you all for taking various jobs and quests so far,¡± she began. ¡°We¡¯re making some great progress. The guard, and our scouts, have confirmed that the outrunners and advanced scouts of the Goblin horde have reached the town walls. The south gate is closed and barricaded, and the Town Council is implementing a curfew to get everyone to stay off the streets at night. The Goblins have already begun to pillage the outlying farms.¡±


    Ali¡¯s smile faded. The Guildmaster¡¯s delivery was practical and unemotional, but the implications for the town were sobering. Without farms, they would soon run out of food, and if the gates were closed, presumably most of the trade with the outside world would be suddenly cut off.


    There was, of course, the teleportation locus in the Novaspark Academy, but given the steep cost in gold and mana, it would be incredibly impractical, if not impossible, to use it to feed a population as large as Myrin¡¯s Keep.


    Ali had never experienced something like this personally, but she had enjoyed studying history at school. Large dungeon-breaks typically wiped out towns like theirs instantly. If the defenses were adequate, the town might hold out for a while, but then the spiraling costs and the restriction of food and supplies would typically cause the town to collapse rather quickly. The best hope for them was that the Goblins passed them by on the way to a different target.


    ¡°Our biggest concern right now is burglary and arson within the town,¡± Vivian continued.


    Ali sighed.


    ¡°There have been numerous reports that criminals are stealing expensive consumables and food, and the Town Watch doesn¡¯t seem to be able to keep it under control. The Town Council has asked us to step in and help ¨C so you will find a ¡®patrol¡¯ job on the quest board. This is a bronze-ranked combat quest. For those of you who have an appropriate class and have reached at least level ten, please choose an open timeslot for your patrol duty. You will need to pair up using the buddy system, and it requires patrolling areas of town in and around the guild hall after curfew, preventing any nefarious activities and protecting the townsfolk from harm. The mayor has authorized a decent bonus for several hours of extra patrols each night.¡±


    Ali thought. Especially in a town like Myrin¡¯s Keep, she should have expected crime to be a problem ¨C perhaps even worse than the Goblins themselves.


    ¡°That is all for today, keep up the good work,¡± Vivian said, completing her announcements.


    Ali had to wait for the hubbub and bustle to calm down before she could reach the quest board.


    ¡°How do you want to split this?¡± she asked.


    ¡°How about Mato and Malika take this one, and you and I will take this district next to it?¡± Calen suggested, pointing to the map on the patrol job posting. ¡°This way both groups have strong scouting and perception skills.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Malika said.


    It made sense to Ali too ¨C Calen¡¯s eyes were phenomenal, and Mato had tracking skills in his Wolf Form. She and Malika would take on a support role in each group, but it seemed like an effective approach. At least the area around the guild hall didn¡¯t seem nearly as dangerous as most of the town she had walked through so far.


    ¡°What should we do for the rest of the day?¡± Ali asked. Their patrol job was for later that evening, and she had nothing to do till then.


    ¡°I want to take a scouting quest out in the forest,¡± Calen answered, pointing at a parchment pinned to the board with the official-looking stamp of the garrison. ¡°It suits my skills, and it should help me finish paying off my new bow.¡±


    ¡°I want to take a few errands in town, and then I might help Calen with his job,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to do till later, I might train a little,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°I want to plant some trees in the cavern,¡± Ali announced, deciding that it would be a waste to not take advantage of the broad swathe of cleared space down below to expand her domain ¨C and she had an entire day with nothing better to do.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come with you,¡± Malika said. ¡°I don¡¯t need to train in town. And maybe I can keep you out of trouble.¡±


    Ali¡¯s face fell at the reminder of her embarrassing experience earlier, putting herself in extreme danger.


    But Malika¡¯s eyes were smiling even as she tried to hold a deadpan face. ¡°Don¡¯t be so hard on yourself Ali, it was a mistake. I¡¯m just teasing.¡±


    ¡°The buddy system is good anyway,¡± Calen pointed out.


    ¡°Perhaps you can make some more Kobolds?¡± Mato suggested. ¡°You¡¯ll probably need them for the slimes and the patrol later.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. See you guys later,¡± Ali said and headed toward the doors with Malika.


    Calen


    As soon as Calen had left the south road, the signs of the Goblin incursion became immediately apparent everywhere he went. Nests were pulled down from trees, their contents plundered. Every kind of edible plant had been ripped up from the ground. Discarded trash littered the forest and the remains of meals and poorly controlled campfires could be found everywhere if one simply looked.


    He ran silently through a recently deserted camp, flitting from shadow to shadow, wrinkling his nose at the characteristic Goblin stench emanating from the remains. He barely needed to slow down as the combination of his Explorer skill and Eyes of the Archon allowed him to easily make out the Goblin tracks at a distance.


    He veered off down a game trail following the tracks and keeping a sharp eye out for any movement in the distance. Mato wasn¡¯t too far away; he could occasionally see brief glimpses of the large shaggy wolf prowling among the trees.


    It hadn¡¯t even been fifteen minutes of sprinting before he caught sight of the first Goblin Scavenger rooting about in the dirt. Quickly, he scanned the area for signs of more Goblins, but if there were any they were out of sight.


    Calen thought, nocking an arrow, and carefully taking aim at the small green monster who was speculatively stuffing dirt in his mouth before spitting it out in disgust. He had been practicing his new skill control every opportunity he had, but there was a world of difference between an inanimate target and facing a real monster in the wild. The Scavenger hunched over checking a crude-looking trap. With the utmost care and focus, he trickled some mana into Arrows of Brilliance, carefully holding it back on the brink of completion. Within his mind, the magic vibrated, pulling against his intent, as if eager to release. He breathed out softly and held there in silent stillness, acutely aware of the steady thump of his heartbeat while he waited for the perfect moment.


    He released the bowstring. The fletchings buzzed as the arrow left his bow, flying between the trees on a dead-straight path to the unsuspecting Goblin. He held his magic until the last possible moment, and then suddenly released it. Light magic surged, appearing as a brilliant flash that wreathed his arrow, suddenly illuminating the surrounding trees and undergrowth at the instant it buried itself in the Goblin Scavenger¡¯s chest.


    His chime sounded, and at the same moment, his Eclipse skill failed, releasing him from his stealth.


    With nobody observing him, Calen immediately vanished into the shadows, reactivating Eclipse before anything noticed his presence. Carefully, he crept over to examine the Goblin corpse, noting that the quest tracker on his guild ring had already updated to record the kill.


    A howl tore through the trees, and Calen¡¯s head snapped up. he thought, recognizing the pre-arranged signal.


    As he sprinted off in the direction of the sound, he wondered how Mato was managing the foul odor of Goblins with his sensitive wolf nose.


    Aliandra


    Ali stood at the edge of her moss looking south, enjoying the soft, subtle caress of her domain mana on her arms and face. Most of the mud and water had already drained into the large lake to the far south of the cavern, leaving only the slowly drying devastation behind. Boulders dotted the landscape amid murky pools of draining floodwater and large piles of accumulated bones or wood that had been washed up into drifts against the massive ancient, blackened tree trunks.


    This had been her favorite spot to sit and read beside the Grove. The much greater flow of water released by her dangerous excavation had indeed recreated a smaller lake just where she remembered.


    Ali wrinkled her nose. While it was in the right place, the lake was nothing like her happy memories. It was brown and green, and the stagnant water reeked. Within the murky depths, things stirred, leaving the surface feeling strangely alive ¨C swirling and churning occasionally with no apparent rhyme or reason. She was certain it was full of those nasty-looking slime creatures, but the opaque water didn¡¯t let her actually see anything ¨C even her mana sight failed to reveal much more than swirling muddled colors. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    More importantly, for now, the entire southern expanse of the cavern seemed to have been swept clear, with none of the dungeon mana filling the area with its oppressive darkness. Bones were still strewn everywhere, but it seemed that the water had disrupted everything sufficiently to carve out a sizeable clear area.


    Ali had no idea if the dungeon would try and reclaim the area, but she had to assume it was possible. Presumably, it had to somehow acquire the area in the first place. Ali wondered, recalling the enormous monsters of bone she and Mato had seen near the library, spraying liquid bone onto everything in sight. Or did it create the bone piles by making uncountable skeletons and sending them up here into the cavern?


    ¡°I¡¯m going to practice over here,¡± Malika said, breaking the silence. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything too crazy.¡±


    Ali grinned back at her. ¡°I¡¯m not about to undertake any new excavations. I think I¡¯ll make some Kobolds to guard me first,¡± she said, earning an approving nod before Malika began to dance. Ali knew Malika was doing martial arts exercises, but her movement was so graceful that Ali would have happily watched her as if it were a performance.


    Ali pulled out her Grimoire and began to summon Kobolds. With a few quick calculations in her head, she decided how much mana she was willing to reserve for the minions she would use to guard herself. Not really knowing what she would be facing, she decided to be quite generous. She already had two Kobold rogues ¨C the one that had run all the way home and the one she had made to demonstrate her Grimoire for the Guildmaster. But her friends were right, more minions would make her more powerful and more effective on her patrol duty later. Her mana flowed, and her Grimoire shone out as a powerful beacon of light in the dark cavern as Kobold after Kobold materialized before her.


    Ali paused her summoning when she had six Kobolds standing before her. Her Grimoire and its randomness had seen fit to give her two of the green-scaled warriors and two more of her stealthy rogues. While the mana reservation for the four new Kobolds was shockingly large, it was still below the amount she had budgeted for to remain effective with her other spells.


    She channeled her mana into the Grimoire imprint, focusing her mind on the image of a black-scaled rogue. She had no idea if she could influence the choice, but the rogue¡¯s stealth skill would make the patrol job up in town easier.


    Soon enough, a Kobold materialized in front of her, but this time, something was very obviously different. She froze, heart thumping loudly in her ears as she stared into the glowing reptilian eyes set in the red-scaled face. A face that reminded her of the scent of brimstone and the deafening concussion of fire magic in tiny spaces.


    ¡°How may I serve, Ancient Mistress?¡±


    His voice sounded raspy and rough, like that of a voice damaged by decades of too much pipe smoking without sufficient healing.


    Ali gathered herself with a shake of her head, reminding herself that this was her minion and that he was not about to blast her with fire.


    ¡°You will all guard me while I grow my domain,¡± Ali said, speaking in Draconic, and turned to the laborious job of creating armor and weapons for her new minions. By the time she was done, she had a small pile of discarded crude daggers, unused tattered robes, and a worthless plate pauldron sized for a Bugbear that her Grimoire had decided on a whim to make instead of the items she needed. But Ali didn¡¯t mind much ¨C she had a fully equipped Kobold guard, and she was really excited ¨C and even a little nervous ¨C to see what the Fire Mage would be capable of.


    It was a lot of mana reserved ¨C at level fifteen, her Fire Mage had cost more than she had anticipated ¨C but, by her calculations, she should still be able to summon any of her trees with the remainder, and she could always deconstruct debris to recharge her mana pool. Finally ready, she gave her Kobolds free rein to kill any monsters they found and began to grow her domain across the stream, planting trees and patches of moss and mushrooms fanning out quickly from her small outpost around the shrine into the freshly cleared space. Every time she created one of the Deathcap or Amanita mushrooms, she deconstructed it or gave it to one of her rogues, so that their mana wouldn¡¯t impede the growth of her domain.


    Her domain extended easily across the rushing stream, carried by the huge range of her trees. As it grew, toxic slimes began emerging from the water in twos and threes, presumably drawn by the dense mana she was emitting into the area. Ali ignored them, continuing her labor with her Grimoire to the backdrop of detonations and flashes of fire magic, and the chirping calls of her Kobolds on the hunt. Soon the air filled with a smoky haze and the acrid stench of sulfur.


    As a result, Ali seldom needed to search for suitable material to deconstruct. Instead, she simply deconstructed the steady stream of slime corpses that her Kobolds left for her and any piles of bone or wood in her way. While the level-one monster corpses didn¡¯t provide a substantial amount of mana, there were more than enough to keep her working continuously.


    Ali quickly committed the imprint to her empty chapter and continued planting, hoping to reach the far lake shore by the evening.


    ***


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯ve been busy!¡±


    Ali looked up at the sound of Mato¡¯s curiosity to find all three of her friends standing nearby surveying her work. She was close enough to the lake that her domain was beginning to draw slimes from there, too. Would that help restore the water? She hoped so.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to head up,¡± Calen said. ¡°Our patrol job is soon.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali answered, hiding the rising disappointment that she hadn¡¯t quite reached her goal.


    ¡°You guys stay here and guard my trees and moss,¡± Ali told her warriors. ¡°The rest of you come with me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to bring them all?¡± Calen asked curiously.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hide the warriors in town,¡± Ali answered, pursing her lips. ¡°The townsfolk are probably already scared of Goblins, right? I¡¯m guessing a horde of armed Kobolds won¡¯t be very welcome.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably true¡­¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Wait, is that a Fire Mage?¡± Mato exclaimed.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Ali answered. ¡°My Grimoire just made it at random.¡± It had only ever produced one so far, so she couldn¡¯t tell if it was rare because she had only deconstructed a few, or if it was due to the far higher level.


    ¡°You should bring the Fire Mage on patrol,¡± Malika said firmly. ¡°It will be safer for you.¡±


    ¡°I agree. You can probably get away with it by telling anyone you meet that it¡¯s a minion,¡± Calen suggested. ¡°And it¡¯s not that scary-looking.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said. She would have to trust her friends on this one. She tried, but for the life of her, she couldn¡¯t imagine what the deadly Kobold might look like to someone who had never seen it flinging devastating Fireballs around a dungeon.


    They checked in at the guild before splitting up into their assigned areas. Ali and Calen set off to walk through a quiet section of the town to the west of the guildhall that included a few main streets and a lot of twisting alleyways. There were quite a few merchant shops in their area, but everyone seemed to be off the streets now that it was dark, hiding behind barred and locked doors.


    Ali thought as she turned down a side street in the darkness of the night. The moon poked out from behind some clouds, bathing the street in a little tentative moonlight. For anyone observing them, they would see Ali and her robed mage walking through the alleys by themselves to the soft clicking of the Kobold¡¯s talons. But Calen, with his uncanny vision and stealth, trailed her along the rooftops in and out of the shadows. She knew he had her back. And she had four Kobold rogues hidden from sight nearby. Even in the dark of the notorious streets of Myrin¡¯s Keep, she felt safe.

 Chapter 41: An Unexpected Rescue

    Chapter 41: An Unexpected RescueBasil Basil was a quiet and studious person. His parents had been telling him this since before he could remember. Even now, he didn¡¯t have a whole lot of friends, but that was ok. It wasn¡¯t as if he didn¡¯t like people or was difficult to get along with. He just preferred to spend his time tending his plants ¨C and all too often, the entire day would pass him by before he even noticed. Even his teacher, Eliyen, joked that his distraction would land him in a boiling cauldron of trouble someday. Perhaps it was fate, then, that he had become so absorbed in his Blue Mana Grass cultivation project that he had entirely forgotten to deliver the kindly old Wood Elf¡¯s herb-gathering quest to the Adventurers Guild.


    Which was why he now found himself stuck outside after dark ¨C past the curfew.


    He stared anxiously back down the dark alleyway, hunched over with his hands on his knees, panting as he tried in vain to catch his breath. He shivered. . He had no idea where he was; some dark, trash-filled alleyway that stank of urine and something unsavory slowly rotting away in the far corner.  But his legs were jelly, and his stamina was running low. It was now that he wished he had more friends; friends who might have been strong enough to swoop in and rescue him from his predicament.


    Basil had known about the Goblins, of course. Everybody did. The story of Bjorn carrying a monstrous Bugbear across the entire length of Myrin¡¯s Keep to Commander Brand¡¯s office had swept through the town like wildfire through dry grass. But Goblins were supposed to be a problem for the guards manning the battlements, not for classless people like himself. He had no interest in swords, armor, and the clash of battle. He was going to be an Herbalist just like Eliyen. He had trusted the guards to take care of the Goblins that were outside the town walls.


    he thought desperately.


    The screeching cries of the hunting Goblins echoed from around the corner, growing closer, sending the chill fingers of fear racing down his spine.


    His throat burned from ragged breathing. A scowling gray-green Goblin face suddenly popped into view around the corner and let out a shrill whooping call at the sight of him ¨C a screech that was echoed by several Goblin voices and the gut-clenching pitter-patter of half a dozen pairs of bare feet slapping against cobblestones.


    He turned and fled down the alley, still gasping for breath. But the very idea of screaming was embarrassing ¨C and he barely had enough breath left to run.


    He heard the whoosh as an arrow clipped his right ear, shattering against the stone wall by his head, spraying his cheek with sharp splinters of wood.


    He screamed; embarrassment gone in a flash. ¡°Help! Anybody! Help!¡±


    His voice sounded high-pitched and panicked, echoing back from the walls of this deserted alleyway, but he didn¡¯t care.  Goblins ate people. They ate them alive. He had been near enough to see those sharpened yellow teeth and he could almost feel them ripping and tearing through his flesh already.


    his thoughts wailed.


    Basil careened around a corner, crashing off the wall, and sprinted headlong down the alley at a dead run, ignoring the bruise already forming on his right shoulder. The screeches behind him grew louder by the moment. His lungs screamed their agony as they labored to get enough air, his vision already flickering and shimmering.  He scrambled around another corner, tripping over a broken wooden vegetable crate as the arrows smashed into the side of the building next to him. It was a miracle he hadn¡¯t been hit yet.


    It wasn¡¯t fair. None of this was fair. He just wanted to be back in Eliyen¡¯s cozy shop, tending to his stubborn grass.


    As he rounded the corner, he skidded to a desperate stop, eyes widening in terror. Dead center in the alleyway ahead stood a red-scaled monster. Dozens of sharp fangs gleamed in its predatory snarl. It wielded an intense ball of roiling fire that hovered above a clawed hand while it glared at him with eyes that glowed red in the darkness.


    ¡°Please duck.¡±


    The incongruously pleasant female voice called out from the shadows somewhere behind the monster, freezing his mind in confusion. The words bounced around inside his head, trying to connect with the desperate situation in which he found himself. Beyond the Kobold, behind a glowing wall of golden magic, stood a three-foot-tall girl with green hair and delicately pointed ears. She had her head cocked a little to the side staring at him with a curious expression in her amber eyes.


    The Goblins careened around the corner behind him, with a chorus of raucous hooting and hollering, blocking his only escape. Stuck between the monstrous Kobold holding flame within its claws, and the vicious teeth and arrows of the Goblins trying to eat him, he quailed, his body trembling with exhaustion and indecision.


    ¡°Duck!¡± she called again.


    Basil gasped in surprise as his mind suddenly connected the words to the rapidly intensifying Kobold fire magic. Desperately, he threw himself to the filthy ground. Even before he landed in a heap, a blazing ball of fire and searing heat hurtled over his prone body and down the alley, exploding with a deafening detonation somewhere behind him. The shock rattled his bones. Through the painful ringing in his ears, he heard screeches and felt thumps as bodies hit walls and bounced onto the ground. Basil contorted himself to look back and immediately wished he had not. The alley was an inferno, filled with flames that dripped down the walls, hungrily consuming the piles of trash. Waves of heat radiated over him as the nauseating stench of flame and charred meat filled his lungs. Several black shapes wielding gleaming daggers set upon the burning Goblins, while incandescent arrows rained down like shooting stars from above.


    ¡°What is happening?¡± he whimpered.


    ¡°You should be safe now, are you hurt?¡± she asked.


    Relief surged through him, combining with his overdose of adrenaline to leave his body shaking. That part of his brain unconnected to the danger of what had just happened observed that his savior was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.


    ¡°Uh, th¡­ thank you,¡± he stammered.


    ¡°What are you doing out here at night?¡± she asked him. ¡°It¡¯s past curfew.¡±


    ¡°Um. I¡­ I need to give this to the guild.¡± With a trembling hand, he offered the list Eliyen had given him.


    ¡°Looks like a job request,¡± she noted, as if talking to someone else.


    ¡°Let¡¯s escort him to the guild,¡± a calm, eloquent male voice replied. ¡°We need to report that there are Goblins inside the walls immediately. This takes priority over our patrol.¡±


    Basil glanced up at the sound of the new voice to see a Half-elf nimbly leaping down from the roof, with a bow held ready in his hand.


    The girl nodded and handed his list back.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Aliandra, and this is Calen. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Calen


    The heavy oak doors of the guild creaked as they swung open, illuminating Mato and Malika in a pool of light that briefly drove back the darkness, at least till they entered, and the doors slammed shut again. Nobody was taking any chances.


    ¡°Hey, Mato, can you help me with something?¡± Calen asked, leaping to his feet from the couch by the hearth where he and Ali had been waiting. Basil had been safely escorted home, and his herb collection quest now graced the quest board. Mieriel assured him that the garrison would be notified of the presence of Goblins within the walls immediately.


    ¡°Sure, what¡¯s up?¡± Mato asked, his feet thumping heavily against the carpeted wooden floor as he and Malika came over to join them. ¡°How was your patrol?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to ask you; we ran into some Goblins.¡±


    ¡°Inside town?¡± Malika asked incredulously.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You want help tracking them?¡± Mato asked, intuitively grasping what he wanted before Calen could even say it. The Goblin trail would be nearly impossible to track across the stone of the town¡¯s streets, even with his magic. But Goblins stank. Mato¡¯s wolf senses should be able to track the scent.


    Calen nodded. ¡°Yup, before the trail gets too old. Ali cleaned up the corpses so there won¡¯t be a widespread panic in the morning, but I can show you where we found them.¡±


    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll probably be out for a while,¡± Calen said, turning to Ali and Malika. ¡°Meet you back at the Grove?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Ali answered. ¡°Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Good hunting,¡± Malika offered.


    Calen nodded and then headed outside. As soon as they left the guild, he took off, sprinting down the winding back-alleys, leading Mato quickly to the intersection where he and Ali had faced the Goblin Scavengers, and rescued Basil. As soon as they reached it, Mato transformed, taking the form of the giant wolf ¨C Calen didn¡¯t even have to say anything, the stench of cooked Goblin still hung heavily in the air.


    With a single spell, it had flattened an entire group of Goblins, leaving them flopping weakly on the ground for him and the rogues to finish off. Not that the Goblins had been particularly strong, but still, it had been an eye-opener.


    Calen watched closely as Mato circled a few times, hairy snout snuffling through the dirt and rubbish, but then Mato looked up at him with a half-bark, half-growl and took off down a side street, clearly having found the scent.


    Calen followed at a steady jog, his high dexterity allowing him to keep pace with ease. He scanned the pavements and cobblestones for any further signs, using Explorer to pick up the occasional confirmation of their path: shattered arrow splinters lying on the ground, broken windows, overturned trash piles, and other unsavory signs of Goblin passage. Ahem. He grabbed his nose. Yes, their toilet habits left much to be desired.


    The alley turned into a dead-end, with a familiar-looking, but mangled, iron sewer grate lying discarded against the back wall as a clear signpost pointing out where the Goblins had breached the town¡¯s defenses. Mato¡¯s form shifted back as he examined the yawning hole, now dangerously unprotected, just waiting for someone to trip and fall in. ¡°Definitely down here,¡± he said, before descending the rusted iron staples that formed a crude ladder down into the darkness.


    Calen shimmied down the ladder, landing softly beside Mato as his form blurred into a wolf once again. It was pitch black in the sewer, and although he could see quite well with his perception skill, he still summoned a mote of light to follow them.


    Down here in the dank and crumbling sewers, the scuff marks and footprints in the muck stood out clearly to his Explorer skill, telling the tale of the Goblins¡¯ incursion. The two of them sprinted down the tunnel, following the trail, to the sounds of soft dripping water and the sloshing of the sewer channel.


    ***


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Calen asked as Mato shifted back to his Beastkin form. His hand reached for the rope down into the cavern, and the jagged pile of stone and rock that had fallen below. Stretching away in a broad expanse below them, visible even from this distance, he could see Ali¡¯s moss and trees, with the tiny glowing mushrooms sparkling golden in the dark, like a dusting of stars that had fallen to the ground.


    ¡°We need to find a way to block the sewer entrances, or protect them, I just don¡¯t know how, short of stationing guards,¡± Mato said. They had followed the Goblin tracks, finding three separate entrances into the Myrin¡¯s Keep sewer system. Along the way, they had had to kill a handful of Goblin Scavengers, demonstrating that the incursion was not an isolated incident.


    ¡°Maybe Ali can help us out?¡± Calen suggested, his eyes still focused on Ali¡¯s work below. She had extended her plants out across the cavern so far that her trees now butted up against the new giant lake to the south end of the cavern.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go ask,¡± Mato replied.


    Aliandra


    The black oak snapped into place as her spell completed, and Ali examined the result with satisfaction.


    She had easily reached the southern lake in the time since she and Malika had returned, and she was broadening the reach of her domain to fill up the remaining space.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Mato¡¯s voice called out from nearby.


    Ali looked up to find him and Calen picking their way through the mud to where she was working.


    ¡°Did you find them?¡± Malika asked, stopping in the middle of one of her kicking drills.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Calen answered. ¡°We found three entrances where they¡¯re getting in. Ali, do you think you can help us secure it?¡±


    ¡°What do you need? I can summon some rock to block them, maybe?¡± They needed to secure the sewer entrances ¨C even she knew that. All the guards and walls in the world would be worthless if there was a direct passage into the center of the town.


    Basil¡¯s face had been terrified as he fled the Goblins ¨C and rightly so. If she and Calen hadn¡¯t been there, he would certainly have died. Goblins had classes, or at least these did, and combat classes dominated against those without classes, or even against higher-level artisans or merchants without defensive skills. Allowing the Goblins free rein to enter the town would be an unmitigated disaster. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Two of the entrances we found can be blocked in that way, but the last one is going to be hard. It¡¯s right above the end of that lake, actually.¡± Calen pointed to the large lake Ali had created. ¡°The Goblins have been scaling the cliffs to get in. I think we need to set up a guard there or something.¡±


    ¡°Can we completely block the tunnel?¡± Ali¡¯s stone imprint was good for stuff like this.


    ¡°Only if we want a lake of sewage to back up behind it. It¡¯s the main outflow from the south of the town.¡±


    ¡°What do we do, then?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I already let Mieriel know, and she is going to inform Commander Brand. Till then, I was thinking maybe you could put some minions there to guard it? Or grow something that partially blocks the outflow?¡± he said, trailing off.


    Ali considered the problem, but she didn¡¯t have a lot of options that fit what he was describing.


    ¡°How about dinner?¡± Mato asked, interrupting her thoughts with the rattle and crash of pans and cookware appearing from his ring. ¡°Calen and I cleared the tunnels, so the town should be safe for a bit. We can discuss ideas while we eat.¡±


    ***


    Ali considered the problem while Mato peeled and chopped vegetables into a pot. The others had brought up several ideas so far, but nothing seemed particularly promising. The issue was that the Kobolds were expensive, and they could only be in one place. It would be rather inefficient to guard the entrance and not be able to use them for anything else. While her mana pool had grown enormously from the expansion of her domain through the southern part of the cavern, it was still a lot for a permanent guard.


    ¡°I wish it wasn¡¯t quite so far away,¡± Ali mused.


    ¡°Perhaps not helpful for the immediate problem, but you could grow your plants up there in the sewer. At least the moss and the mushrooms,¡± Calen suggested.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think of that.¡± It was an intriguing idea. The sewer had not been filled with dungeon mana and nobody would mind if she took over that space. It would definitely give her another, largely free, area to expand through. ¡°Not sure how I can get my domain up through the hole to that level though. Perhaps I can grow a tree close to the rockfall?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a shit job for sure,¡± Malika put in, drawing an exaggerated groan from Calen.


    ¡°What about using an ivy or a creeper plant?¡± Mato suggested. ¡°There¡¯s a few that could be very easy to collect without even leaving town.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Ali said. She had just earned a new chapter in her Grimoire, so it might even be something she wanted to try.


    ¡°I¡¯ll grab a bunch next time I¡¯m in town,¡± he said.


    She had considered growing plants, blocking the entrances with stone, or even stationing Kobolds as guards, but she had one other skill that might prove useful.


    ¡°Hey, Mato, can I borrow your Druid book for a bit? I have an idea.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said, making it appear and handing it to her.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Ali took the book and scanned through the table of contents, searching for what she was sure must be there. It was rather strange to be looking for the skill she had removed, but she found it quickly enough: She turned to the relevant chapter and began to read. Even though she used to have the skill, she hadn¡¯t really  the spell. The skill simply took care of that stuff for her, but for her Runic Script, she would have to learn it the hard way. She continued to study, feeling her Sage of Learning drawing from her mana pool as she began to unravel the runic structure of the magical formation she needed.


    She carefully set the book down beside her and began to inscribe the magic she had just learned. It still took a few minutes, but, to her immense satisfaction, she managed to get it right the first time.


    Ali examined her newest creation. The glowing green runes enclosed an area of about two meters in diameter. The spell was such that the size would be adjustable ¨C at least within reason ¨C at the time she inscribed it.


    It probably wouldn¡¯t be much use against higher-level Goblins, or the larger ones like Bugbears, but Calen and Mato had said that most of the intruders had been Scavengers ¨C the primary scouts of this horde.


    ¡°What do you guys think of this?¡± Ali asked, pointing at her circle.


    ¡°Think of what?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°You can¡¯t see it?¡±


    ¡°I can see something is there, but not what it is,¡± he answered, squinting his eyes comically.


    ¡°Oh. It¡¯s a runic circle with the Grasping Roots spell. Level one.¡± It surprised her that Calen couldn¡¯t see it. Ali had just identified the circle and the information had been there as intuitively as identifying a person. she realized. Her knowledge skill was enhancing her Identify without her even noticing.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Calen said. ¡°Is it expensive?¡±


    ¡°This one is only five mana at my current level,¡± Ali answered. ¡°What if I make some cheaper creatures and these circles at the sewer entrance?¡± She had just recently learned the imprint for Toxic Slime, and now she might actually get some real use out of the blobby creatures.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a trap and a few monsters, I like it,¡± Calen answered.


    ***


    Her plan had to wait a day before she could implement it. The vanguard of the Goblin horde had arrived overnight, and the garrison put in an urgent order for more arrows. Ali had spent a few hours making those before she and Calen had taken their turn on the patrol roster once again.


    They killed several Goblins hiding in the streets and alleys during their patrols. While they didn¡¯t have to come to anyone¡¯s immediate rescue like the previous night, Ali was certain they had saved lives by wiping out the Goblins who had figured out how to infiltrate the town. But their mere presence highlighted the urgency of figuring out how to block the sewers. Apparently, the garrison was far too busy preventing the main body of the Goblin horde from scaling the walls.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± Mato said, dumping a pile of dark green ivy on the mossy ground beside the rockfall, summoned from his ring.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Ali immediately deconstructed all of it. Eager to set their plan into motion, she had already extended her domain all the way to the rock pile under the sewer entrance. She had been in the process of removing the loose rock and attempting to make a channel to divert the flow of sewage away from her domain when Mato had finally arrived bringing the essential component.


    Ali¡¯s Grimoire obligingly opened to the last remaining blank chapter, and she quickly committed her newest imprint to its pages, expanding the book yet again. So far, her Grimoire had awarded her a chapter per skill level, and every time she learned something new, the book would add pages, expanding in size.


    she wondered, marveling at how large it already was. It was a superficial vanity, but she just loved being able to whip out an enormous magical spellbook whenever she wanted.


    She turned her attention back to her plants, and because she had been spending so much time growing them lately, she couldn¡¯t help but notice the effects of Mato¡¯s aura.


    ¡°What are you doing with your aura?¡± she asked. ¡°The plants are growing.¡± It was a subtle effect, but she could see delicate tendrils and ribbons of his mana suffusing the area. Strange little ethereal leaves appeared to float around for a bit before fading. Under the influence of this continuous magic, the plants she had made seemed to shift infinitesimally as if reaching hungrily for the mana.


    ¡°Ever since Arboreal Sanctuary got Advanced Regeneration, it shares my regeneration with everything I consider an ally. Including plants.¡±


    ¡°Why including plants?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m a Druid.¡±


    she thought. Although, Ali thought it might have a lot more to do with Mato¡¯s love of plants and nature than the fact that he was a Druid. ¡°Seems useful,¡± she observed.


    ¡°I can¡¯t turn it off,¡± Mato said, grumbling. ¡°I¡¯m starting to grow stuff in town. Nobody has noticed yet, but I can tell.¡±


    Ali could certainly empathize. Passive skills were powerful, but they definitely had their drawbacks. She had experienced it with both Arcane Insight and Sage of Learning.


    Ali channeled her mana into her ivy imprint and, after a surprisingly short time, and not very much mana used, her spell completed, leaving her with a small plant with two leaves on the ground. It was less than ten centimeters tall.


    She knelt down and carefully inspected the tiny ivy plant she had made, but the only thing she could think of was how she had extended her mana usage to create several arrows simultaneously. She gave it a try, channeling more mana into her imprint this time. She stretched it out in a way that seemed intuitive, aiming her magic along the wall from the ground upward. The runic patterns and constructs grew rapidly across the rock face mirroring the direction of her will, drawing more and more mana as she focused higher and higher. Eventually, the streamers of magic climbed up through the hole beside the dangling rope, and Ali decided to see if that was enough. She halted her mana and the spell suddenly completed. All the runes coalesced into a thick wall of ivy stretching from the ground up the rock face and into the sewer via the hole.


    The ivy did not have any special mana affinity, so Ali expected it would behave much like the trees, and indeed, she could already see the newly created plant beginning to siphon mana from the domain near the ground and draw it up the rock wall into the sewers above.


    ¡°Looks like it works perfectly,¡± she smiled at Mato. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± he answered, gruffly.


    Ali hauled herself laboriously up the rope, accepting Calen¡¯s offered hand at the top. She was huffing and puffing from the exertion, and envious of the others with their higher physical attributes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the lookout while you work your magic,¡± Calen offered.


    ¡°It¡¯ll take a while,¡± Ali admitted. While her magic was quick, planting things, especially on the scale they would need here, took a surprisingly long time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± he answered, smiling at her.


    By the bright clear light of Calen¡¯s magic, Ali studied the decaying brick of the sewer walls and the floor, both of which seemed treacherously unstable. Her dark green ivy had grown all the way up through the hole in the floor and even partway up the brick walls of the sewer, seemingly unbothered by the total lack of sunshine. The room stank from the thick brown sludge that flowed through the central channel and out through the hole in the ground and into the cavern below. Ali was so grateful Calen had placed the rope to the side so that she didn¡¯t have to get splashed.


    Several of her Kobold minions began scaling the rope to join them, but Ali didn¡¯t wait. The tunnel extended away into the darkness, and she had a lot of ground to cover. Trying the same technique she used with the ivy, Ali channeled mana into her moss imprint and began to carpet the floor of the tunnel. She had to switch it up a few times to ensure she was planting enough of the Verdant Moss rather than the Feather Moss. For a while, she regretted learning the Feather Moss because it had made planting her domain harder, but she simply learned to alternate quickly enough so that the randomness of her Grimoire wouldn¡¯t unduly affect her goal.


    Ali began to walk slowly down the sewer tunnel. Green moss rippled outward from around her feet, growing constantly as she channeled a continuous stream of mana through her Grimoire. Calen vanished from sight, but she didn¡¯t mind. His light was following her, so she knew he would be nearby. A few minutes later he confirmed by reappearing and dumping the corpse of a Sewer Rat beside her.


    ¡°For your mana,¡± he said and vanished again.


    She deconstructed it, replenishing some of her spent mana with the heady rush from her skill. ¡°You guys go hunt too,¡± she told her Kobolds. ¡°Bring me back the corpses of anything you kill.¡±


    She created a whole line of mushrooms alongside the sewer channel and then paused to deconstruct a second corpse that had been dropped off while she was busy. She was about to deconstruct the Blackened Deathcaps and Forest Amanitas as usual, when she caught herself.


    Unusually intense mana surrounded the mushrooms she had just planted, particularly around the Blackened Deathcaps, forming little black vortices that extended out into the immediate surroundings. The mushrooms seemed to be drawing in a large amount of mana and expelling it as purified mana. Of course, it was death affinity mana, showing up with that confusingly bright black color she was growing accustomed to from her Arcane Insight.


    She leaned in a little closer, trying to figure out what was going on. As she studied the mana flow, she realized that the mushrooms were voraciously sucking mana from the soiled water in the sewer channel. And sure enough, the flow of brown sludge downstream seemed just a little clearer after it passed her mushroom patch.


    Fascinated, she created several more patches of mushrooms, not caring particularly which varieties she got. As the mana began to flow, they too began glowing, drawing in mana from the soiled sewer water and expelling it in whatever affinity they had. Suddenly, it became clear to her.


    It made a lot of sense ¨C ordinary mushrooms fed on death and decaying matter. The only difference was that these mushrooms were attached to her domain and transforming it into mana which was being expelled as a byproduct. She found the idea of eliminating the sewer smell remarkably appealing and decided right there and then that the unwanted mushrooms could stay in this part of her domain.


    Calen guided her through the maze of sewer tunnels as more and more side passages joined, filling the sewage channel till it was wide enough that Ali wouldn¡¯t attempt to jump across. Finally, she reached the end ¨C a broken metal grate with cracked and shattered brick all around.


    ¡°This is it,¡± Calen said. ¡°We¡¯re right below the south wall of town, and right above your lake. The Goblins have been scaling the cliffs to reach this outlet and sneaking in through there.¡± He pointed to where the protective metal grate had rusted through, just wide enough for her ¨C or a small Goblin ¨C to wriggle by.


    Ali approached cautiously, pressed up against the wall for safety. She could see why Calen had said blocking it wouldn¡¯t work ¨C it looked like any extra weight might send the entire thing crashing down to the ground far below. She stared down through a hole in the floor, following the foul waterfall as it launched itself out into the outside world, cascading into an old riverbed far below.


    Arrayed below them, she had a perfect view of the horde of Goblins that covered the once-verdant fields to the south of town like a plague of locusts.


    ¡°What is that water leaking out at the bottom?¡± Ali asked. Far below there seemed to be a small trickle of water seeping out of the foundations of the cliff face and joining the waterfall of sewage in the old riverbed.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s your lake leaking out through the rocks.¡±


    Ali reoriented her picture in her mind, placing her cavern below her feet in the way Calen described before she grasped it. It was deceptively high up compared to what she had thought, but that made sense to her because the cavern below was so vast.


    Ali crept back to the relative safety of the tunnel.


    She wielded her mana once again, via Runic Script, etching the ground with her magic. A minute later, her runic circle flared to life, filling the entire side of the tunnel from the crumbling wall to the edge of the sewage channel. Then she opened her Grimoire and began summoning. Surprisingly quickly, a murky green-brown blob materialized before her, wobbling for a moment before slithering away to submerge itself in the foul stream.


    She continued, summoning several more Toxic Slimes to act as guards for this location. Her plan didn¡¯t have much subtlety to it. The Grasping Roots circle would grapple with the Goblins, holding them in place while the slimes ate or poisoned them. For anything more dangerous ¨C something capable of wiping out her slimes ¨C she should be able to tell as soon as her mana reservation snapped ¨C and she could warn someone.


    She just hoped it would work ¨C but at least Calen had thought it was clever.


    ¡°I found you a good spot for the next trap,¡± Calen said, pointing down the tunnel.


    A few hours later, she was done, having created ten runic circles and almost thirty slimes.

 Chapter 42: Newbies

    Chapter 42: Newbies- Excerpt from , Third Edition


    Teagan


    Teagan nervously readjusted her leather vest. It had been a gift from her grandmother when she had earned her class and she had been super excited when she first tried it on. But it chafed uncomfortably under her armpits, clearly not designed to be worn over a dress.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± Braden decided, securing his buckler to his belt before hauling the grate up off the hole in the ground. He lit his torch. It was just a rag tied to the end of a stick and dipped in cheap lamp oil ¨C cheap enough that it made a sooty flame. ¡°Follow me, everyone.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fall on your face, o mighty warrior,¡± Willow said, lighting her own torch and following him down into the hole, her blonde braid somehow never tangling with the bow slung across her back.


    The ladder leading down into the sewer was nothing more than a set of rusty iron staples jutting from the stone wall.  She reached out and stepped on the first one, holding her breath as she began her slow descent into the dark sewers. Well below her feet ¨C entirely too far down ¨C the light of the torches danced and bounced around as Braden and Willow reached the bottom.


    Darkness closed in as her head passed below the street level, and immediately the muffled crashing and thumping of the Goblin siege weapons faded, leaving only the soft sounds of dripping water, and the clanking of Basil following her down the ladder, showering her with rust and dirt with every step. He acted even more timid than her.


    Teagan finally placed her bare foot on the cold, damp, and rather slimy brick of the sewer tunnel floor and stepped aside for the Herbalist¡¯s apprentice, Basil. This ¡®adventure¡¯ had been his idea ¨C apparently, someone had claimed to see mushrooms growing down in these sewers, and he had insisted on posting a job on the guild quest board.


    Normally, the Guildmaster would have vetoed them taking the quest since they had only just reached level two before the Goblins had arrived ¨C using the quest board required bronze rank ¨C but there was nobody else. The garrison was so low on resources that Vivian Ross finally relented and asked them to escort Basil to collect whatever could be used for the defense of the town. In theory, they were still within the town down here, and it should be safe, but Vivian Ross had insisted they were to run if they found any monsters above their level.


    Honestly, she had been excited just to be doing something ¨C anything ¨C that might be useful. Sitting around during a dungeon-break and doing nothing, even though you had unlocked a combat class, was beyond frustrating. But now, standing in the dank, smelly sewer and hearing the trickle of water in the darkness, she was suddenly not quite so sure of herself.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go,¡± Braden announced and began walking down the sewer tunnel, holding his torch high above his head to light the way. The normally soft metallic clinking of his well-worn chainmail shirt sounded unnaturally loud down here.


    Brown-haired, stocky Braden liked to play leader, but Teagan knew he would happily lead them into a forest without a map and get them hopelessly lost. It would be Willow that had the wits to remember the way back.


    Willow ¨C a tall Human from Hickory Hollow, deep in the great southern forest ¨C had been struggling with her Beast Tamer class. Nearly half her initial skills required her to form a bond with a companion beast, but she hadn¡¯t found anything suitable yet. But that would mean facing monsters. She shivered, then forced out a giggle.


    She let Braden and Willow take the lead, keeping up the rear with Basil.


    she reminded herself, taking her place. At least, the Guildmaster had been more than thorough about drilling them on the basics of adventuring. She followed along in silence, choking back an urge to gag as the fetid odor of the sewer channel assaulted her nose. She glanced back to check on Basil, but he didn¡¯t seem to be much of a conversationalist ¨C certainly not like Willow and Braden. He followed along in silence, his eyes searching the surroundings constantly.


    she decided. He didn¡¯t even have a class yet, and she had heard the rumor that he had faced a Goblin attack inside the town and got lucky enough to be saved by a patrol.


    They had walked for quite a while before Teagan suddenly noticed something different. The tunnel was still dark, but she felt the crisp springiness of a mossy carpet under her bare feet, rather than the slimy, damp brick.


    ¡°The ground feels different here,¡± she announced, and everyone stopped to look.


    Basil bent down to examine the mossy carpet while Willow held some light for him. ¡°Verdant Moss,¡± he said, a pronouncement of surprising confidence from the previously quiet boy. ¡°Somewhat unusual, but I don¡¯t know of any important uses for it.¡±


    He got up, and they continued, rounding the bend in the tunnel, and Teagan stopped and gasped. The sewer tunnel ahead of them was just like any other, dark, and filled with a central channel of filthy water. However, the floor was carpeted by a thick layer of moss, and receding into the distance, the tunnel was lit by a breathtaking sprinkling of mushrooms that sparkled and glowed with a soft golden light.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    Braden stepped forward raising his torch, shedding more light down the mystical tunnel. All along the sewage channel, mushrooms sprouted. Several varieties even, not all of them glowing. They all stepped carefully into the tunnel; their footsteps muffled by the soft springy cushion underfoot.


    A swirling movement in the middle of the sewer channel caught her eye. With a bubbling, sloshing sound, two shapes flopped out of the muck and onto the moss, blobbing slowly across the carpet, dragging themselves along with protrusions and extensions rapidly extruded from their amorphous bodies, leaving a filthy trail of slime and sewage behind them.


    ¡°Slimes!¡± Willow shouted.


    Teagan¡¯s heart left the gate in a shot, racing as fast as she had ever experienced. But the lessons the Guildmaster had drilled into them sprang into her head to save her from a mindless panic. She remembered to use her skills.


    ¡°Level one, do we run? Or kill them?¡± Willow asked, her tone rushed and urgent, clearly having identified the monsters, too.


    Teagan¡¯s panic abated, but only a little. They were still facing real monsters.


    ¡°We got this,¡± Braden answered with a catch in his voice that betrayed his nervousness.


    ¡°Ok?¡± Teagan said.


    Apparently, that was all Braden needed.


    ¡°Have at you, you foul beasts!¡± he yelled, brandishing his sword and shield at the monsters and charging forward.


    But Braden¡¯s ridiculous shout had the surprising effect of calming her nerves. Braden had almost reached the two slimes when thick, gnarled plant roots burst from the ground, with the creaking and grinding of tortured wood, and wrapped themselves around his ankles, trapping him in the middle of the sewer tunnel.


    The two slimes simply ignored his screams and flailing sword and continued by.


    She froze, staring at the approaching monsters in horror, her mind suddenly blank and her legs trembling.


    From her right, the twang of a bowstring snapped her out of her frozen panic and a wet thud echoed through the tunnel as Willow¡¯s arrow buried itself up to the fletching in one of the slime monsters. Immediately, it changed direction, angling toward her with the arrow still sticking out of its amorphous body, but Willow executed a spectacular leap to the other side of the sewage channel and nocked another arrow.


    All her practice and training at the guild came back to her in a rush. Quickly, Teagan summoned a Free-Action totem and dropped it near the furiously struggling Braden. It pulsed softly, and the roots binding his ankles loosened, releasing him. At the same time, she backed away from the menacing slime, remembering to enchant her shield with her softly glowing green magic.


    Even though Braden was an idiot, he was always reliable. As soon as he was free, he charged the slime, smacking it with the flat of his shield. A dull, wet splat echoed through the tunnel. Clearly upset, the slime retaliated by spraying a foul-smelling green liquid into Braden¡¯s face. He screamed in pain, swinging his sword blindly while clutching at his eyes, but still managing, somehow, to connect with the monster.


    Teagan put two and two together.


    And she had just the antidote. She cast Cure on Braden and followed immediately by channeling her mana into her Heal skill. The green beam of her healing spell connected her to him and immediately his screaming ceased, and he refocused on the slime, sword swishing through the air.


    Teagan had only had her class for a few days, and she could still scarcely believe she had healing magic. The slime continued to strike at Braden with blobby appendages, but he seemed to be on good footing now, blocking the attacks with his shield as he yelled, ¡°Take that, and that, you fiends!¡± Her heart filled with a burst of warmth and excitement at the sight of her magic banishing his pain.


    She glanced over to see if Willow was ok, but she seemed to be leading the other slime on a merry chase around the sewer tunnel. She had a pattern ¨C she leaped across the water to shoot the Toxic Slime with arrows until it crossed over, and then she repeated the leap back to the other side, making it chase after her. Willow had always been a quick learner, and Teagan could see how she was making certain to stay out of range of the toxic spit.


    The Toxic Slime in front of her sprayed Braden again, but this time he caught the brunt of it on his shield, getting just a little splash down his chainmail shirt. His sword took on a ruddy glow as he used one of his warrior skills, and it blurred as the overhead strike cleaved the writhing blob in two. Teagan ignored the monster, simply healing Braden again to make sure he was in top shape before he rushed off after the slime that was chasing Willow.


    ¡°I have you now!¡± Braden yelled, his charge, and the solid impact of his shield, causing the blobby creature to explode in a wet spray, covering the mossy ground with a greenish-brown sludge that bubbled and frothed for a while before subsiding.


    Willow nodded, ¡°Nice work, Braden.¡±


    In the silence that descended on the sewer, Teagan¡¯s notification chime sounded. She sank to the ground, her legs trembling as the adrenaline rush began to fade. It had been even more terrifying than unlocking her class out in the forest with a group of five. Down here, it was just the three of them in the dark.


    ¡°Too bad it¡¯s a slime. No loot,¡± Braden said, kicking the corpse of the monster. ¡°Sorry about the, uh¡­ near beheading there, Willow. I got carried away.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, I got to level three!¡± Willow answered, a wide smile wreathing her face.


    Jealously, Teagan confirmed the advance with Identify.  Her attention flickered inward to find the image of her totems and the notifications that hung glowing in the air among them.


    ¡°I¡¯m level three, too!¡±


    All her nervousness and shaking were suddenly worth it. She had leveled up!


    A little movement from behind her drew her attention to Basil, who was still cowering behind the corner, and the reason they were down here in the first place.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s safe to come out,¡± she told him, getting a nervous smile as he emerged from his hiding spot. To encourage him, she got up and walked with him to where Braden and Willow were still examining the dead slimes.


    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s a dead Goblin here,¡± Willow called out. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s been half-eaten by the slimes.¡±


    Basil made a gagging noise in his throat and averted his gaze. ¡°Don¡¯t touch it.¡±


    ¡°Does it have any gear?¡± Braden asked curiously.


    ¡°Nothing that¡¯s still intact,¡± Willow answered, earning a muttered curse from Braden. She grinned at him. ¡°I mean, you¡¯d smell like a Goblin, too.¡±


    ¡°Fresh eau de corpse? Count me out,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Besides, their stuff is too small for me, I was hoping to find something to sell.¡±


    Teagan wasn¡¯t particularly interested in dead Goblins unless she had to run away or fight them, so she turned back to find Basil on his knees examining the mushrooms.


    ¡°Oh wow! These are amazing!¡± he exclaimed, looking up with a beaming grin. ¡°Three different kinds of mushroom, all magical. Look, this here is a Blackened Deathcap, a death affinity mushroom.¡±


    ¡°Why would we want a death magic mushroom?¡± she asked. It sounded creepy. Actually, it looked creepy, too. It was black and misshapen, and surprisingly large.


    ¡°It¡¯s used for a necrotic poison,¡± Basil explained. ¡°Some archers and rogues prefer it to regular poisons because it acts faster. And here,¡± he carefully plucked a vibrant red and white spotted mushroom from the moss with a gloved hand. ¡°This is a Forest Amanita ¨C a poison affinity mushroom.¡± He wrapped it and placed it in a bag he had produced from his pack, taking care to avoid letting it touch his skin.


    Teagan could not help but warm to his enthusiasm, even if it was over vile poisons.


    ¡°But the real find is this beauty,¡± Basil said, his voice dropping to an awed whisper as he gently gathered one of the golden glowing mushrooms. ¡°This is a Common Glowcap, an arcane mushroom. Despite their name, they¡¯re incredibly rare, found only near powerful sources of arcane magic. I have no idea how it¡¯s growing down here.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it for?¡± Teagan asked, surprised at how curious she was about the strangely beautiful mushroom.


    ¡°Arcane magic plants can be used to make mana potions. These are low-level so would only supply low-level potions, but they do go a long way. Eliyen is going to be over the moon to see these. The garrison mages guzzle them like kids with candy.¡±


    ¡°How many should we get?¡± Teagan asked, excited by the prospect that their first foray into the sewer was going to be extraordinarily useful.


    ¡°I think ten should about do it for now,¡± Basil answered. ¡°I mean, if that¡¯s ok ¨C I know you guys might have to fight more of those slimes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m game,¡± Braden announced, and Teagan knew the idea of earning a little coin from their job had made his day. ¡°We did fine, nothing we can¡¯t handle.¡±


    ¡°Says the guy who tanked a face-full of poison,¡± Willow chipped in from the side. ¡°I¡¯d like to try to get to level four,¡± she added, making it clear that she was voting to continue.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Teagan added, surprised to find her fear had vanished, replaced by an undercurrent of excitement.


    After Basil had collected the mushrooms, they ventured down the mystically lit sewer tunnel in search of the next clump.


    ¡°Can you tame slimes?¡± Teagan asked, no longer feeling the need for absolute silence as she walked beside Willow.


    ¡°No, I need to find a beast, and slimes are not even intelligent,¡± her friend answered. Willow looked ahead and called out, ¡°Hey, doofus, try avoiding the root traps this time. There¡¯s a glow on the ground.¡±


    ¡°Not for me,¡± Braden answered over his shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t have trap detection.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll gladly help you fall into the next one.¡±


    ¡°Only falling for you, milady Willow,¡± he said, pressing the back of his hand to his forehead in a pretend swoon.


    Willow and Braden¡¯s banter continued to lighten the mood as they headed deeper into the sewer in search of mushrooms. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Aliandra


    Once again, Ali wished the sewers didn¡¯t smell quite so foul. She felt as if she had made a bit of a breakthrough discovery with her mushrooms, but with the Goblin siege and all the sudden work, she hadn¡¯t had nearly enough time to claim the entire sewer yet, nor experiment with the effects she had noticed earlier.


    Things in town seemed to be getting worse. She had paired up with Malika for her patrol this evening because Calen had taken a job shooting from the battlements. The sounds of Goblins screeching outside the walls had been unceasing, interrupted only by the periodic explosive reports of fireballs or lightning as the elite Goblins took potshots at the guards on the battlements.


    Their patrol had been quiet, with almost everyone respecting the evening curfew. Only a few criminals braved the streets, and those had been weak enough that they had simply fled when she and Malika approached.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to some food and sleep,¡± Malika said as they walked the dark tunnels by the light of Ali¡¯s occasional barriers.


    ¡°I still need to make some more arrows before bed,¡± Ali grumbled. The Guildmaster had personally asked her if she could make more. Apparently, the garrison was using them up at a furious pace, and it wasn¡¯t like it would be easy to retrieve them from the Goblin horde camped outside the gates.


    Her meandering thoughts were suddenly interrupted when she bumped into the back of Malika¡¯s leg.


    ¡°Shh¡­¡± Malika hushed her before she could ask any questions.


    In the silence, Ali heard muffled shouting and banging coming from up ahead. Ali peered around Malika¡¯s leg and the corner of the sewer tunnel.


    A little way down the tunnel, a discarded torch flickered on the mossy ground where it lay. A brown-haired boy wearing a chain shirt at least three sizes too big for him waved his sword and shield, cursing as he struggled against the roots from one of Ali¡¯s runic circles.


    Her traps were for Goblins, not people.


    On the far side of the channel, a blonde human girl wearing brown leather armor darted and weaved, jumping like an excited grasshopper across the channel while firing arrows at one of her Toxic Slimes. A second slime bore down on a red-haired girl who looked to be frozen in terror. She was barefoot and wore an impractically long, flowing forest-green dress with a hem stained from being dragged around in the sewers. A leather vest had been awkwardly strapped over the dress.


    Cowering behind a large pile of rotting trash, observing the debacle, was a fourth. A boy that Ali instantly recognized as the one she and Calen had rescued.


    Even she had not been that much of a liability in a fight ¨C she hoped.


    Ali tried to step past Malika, but she felt her friend¡¯s hand settle on her shoulder.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Malika whispered.


    ¡°I have to tell my slimes to stop attacking them!¡± Ali replied with an urgent whisper.


    ¡°I recognize them. They¡¯re newbie adventurers from the guild,¡± Malika said. ¡°I think this might be their first solo fight.¡±


    ¡°My slimes are going to hurt them.¡± Ali trusted Malika, but right now she didn¡¯t understand why the other girl was suddenly being so obtuse.


    ¡°I think they¡¯ll be ok,¡± Malika insisted, her gaze intent on the unfolding scene. As if on cue, the boy, now freed of the roots by the presence of a strange wooden totem emitting vibrating nature magic, charged the slime and earned himself a face full of toxic spray. He screamed.


    Ali glanced at Malika in concern.


    ¡°If we get involved, they won¡¯t earn any experience,¡± Malika cautioned, apparently unmoved by his shrieks. ¡°Watch, I think the redhead is a healer.¡±


    The previously terrified, barefoot girl was now wielding her magic. Ali¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment as the nature mana burst from the girl¡¯s hand flowing out in a swirling streamer of brilliant green to connect her with the hurt boy desperately trying to stab a slime he clearly couldn¡¯t see.


    Ali immediately recognized it. While it was quite different in composition than the druidic restoration magic that she could create with her runes, it bore enough similarities that she could tell simply by looking.


    Ali realized, seeing similarities in the fundamental class skills. Her mana was Nature, not Lightning, and the totem was wooden instead of metal, but the mechanism seemed similar. The girl threw totems, used healing beams instead of lightning bolts, and wielded a shield that glowed with nature magic.


    And a few moments later, both slimes were dead.


    The boy complained loudly about the lack of loot while the blonde girl excitedly shared that she had leveled up. Ali¡¯s simple use of Identify confirmed that all of them except Basil had just leveled.


    ¡°They just got level three,¡± Ali whispered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t they just remind you of us when we first got our classes?¡±


    ¡°Were we ever that scared?¡± Ali asked. She thought about some of the early fights she had had. ¡°Actually, don¡¯t answer that. I think I was way worse.¡±


    Malika snickered lightly in response. ¡°No, they take the prize.¡±


    ¡°Hey, he¡¯s picking my mushrooms,¡± Ali complained. It had taken most of the day to plant everything and now Basil¡¯s excited voice echoed through the tunnel as he uprooted her mushrooms and stored them in a bag.


    ¡°Listen,¡± Malika whispered. ¡°He just explained that those two are good poisons.¡±


    Ali concentrated on their conversation and caught them talking about how the Glowcap mushrooms could be used to make mana potions.


    ¡°Perhaps you can sell some of those too,¡± Malika suggested.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to search for more?¡± Ali asked incredulously as the party of four retrieved their discarded torches and packs and headed further down the tunnel.


    ¡°Looks that way.¡±


    ¡°What should we do?¡± Ali was still trying to unpack what had just happened. ¡°They¡¯re killing my slime sentries and stealing my mushrooms.¡±


    ¡°Let them continue? They¡¯re level-three adventurers. This is probably their very first quest. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re just trying to help the town with some of the jobs and earn a little experience along the way. Besides, didn¡¯t you say Basil is cute?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Ali squeaked crossly. Ali didn¡¯t share Malika¡¯s positivity, but she followed the other girl as they headed off in the opposite direction, unnoticed by the novice adventurers.


    ¡°You can just make some more later, right?¡± Malika asked. ¡°Did you see how effective your Grasping Roots trap was? The slimes just ignored that warrior and went straight for the healer. If she hadn¡¯t freed him, they might have been in some trouble. I like that redhead shaman ¨C she seems sharp.¡±


    Ali thought. While it would be annoying to replant, it didn¡¯t seem like too much of a chore. The guild and the herbalist would get some good materials, the town would get some mana potions, and the three adventurers had just grown a little stronger.


    Perhaps it wasn¡¯t such a bad outcome after all.

 Chapter 43: The Power of a Crazy Idea

    Chapter 43: The Power of a Crazy Idea- Thaldorien Stormshaper [The Inscrutable], Elven King of Dal¡¯mohra.


    Aliandra


    Ali stood on the battlements gazing down from behind the protection of her barrier. There was a chill to the breeze that stirred in the early morning air, and as the sun began to rise, the distant shapes on the ground below began to resolve into the haphazard sprawling chaos that was the encamped Goblin horde.


    She wrapped her arms around her chest, rubbing her sleeves in a futile attempt to ward against the cold as she stared, her mind struggling to grasp the sheer scale of the Goblin siege.


    When she and Mato had taken the courier wagon via the south road, this entire area between the town walls and the southern forest had been sprawling farmland, rich with crops. Now it was simply Goblins, everything of value stripped and eaten, or turned into crude wooden palisades sprouting what looked like rickety trebuchets that had little to no chance of actually working. Still, what they lacked in technology they made up in sheer numbers ¨C and, sheer stench. A light breeze helpfully wafted that right into her extremely ungrateful nostrils.


    As she surveyed the monstrous forces, an arrow cracked against her barrier, shattering into splinters and falling down outside of the wall. Ali jerked her head back behind the cover of the heavy stone merlon. While the Goblins were building all kinds of siege contraptions by stripping the forest, it was the elite Goblins ¨C the archers, the lightning-wielding shamans, and the Fire Mages that were the real danger. Lurking behind the rickety palisades, they spent the day taking potshots at the defenders on the walls with uncanny accuracy.


    Ali peeked her head back around to observe the Goblins through the crenel. She did not have the head for strategy that Calen and Malika did, but she remembered the Guildmaster¡¯s briefings. If the horde had simply been regular Goblins, there wouldn¡¯t have been much trouble. But lazing about among the green-skinned Goblins were sporadic bands of enormous orange or brown furry Goblin Bugbears with their massive weapons and spiked pauldrons that glinted wickedly in the morning light.


    And if that weren¡¯t enough, riding among the troops on the backs of enormous black Timber Wolves, she could see the Hobgoblin commanders. They stood out as a cut above the other Goblins ¨C a little taller and heavier than a human, their red skin and higher quality armor and weapons made them easy to pick out among the masses of unruly green monsters. It was these that the Guildmaster had been particularly worried about. Hobgoblins were highly intelligent, competent commanders, driving even the ornery Bugbears into a semblance of order. Typically above level forty, they were the biggest challenge facing the town. she told herself, shivering again.


    Myrin¡¯s Keep did not have many combat classes capable of taking on Hobgoblins, but the Guildmaster had told them that any group they did assemble would be rapidly overwhelmed by the horde on the field. They were unable to stand back and destroy the Goblin horde from the battlements with arrows and fire because of the potency and accuracy of the Goblin elites, and the harsh barked commands from the Hobgoblin commanders keeping the baying hordes back out of range of the archers and mages on the battlements.


    Ali wondered if their dilemma was the result of the Hobgoblins¡¯ intelligent planning, or if it was simply the result of natural Goblin cunning and luck. To make matters worse, the response to the Town Council¡¯s call for aid from the capital, Southport, had been that they were too swamped quelling an undead uprising in some outlying towns to send any support for at least a week.


    Ali spent the entire walk back to the Adventurers Guild turning the problem over in her mind. Nobody could get to the elite Goblins because of the Bugbears and Hobgoblins on the field. They couldn¡¯t take care of the hundreds of Goblins with archers and mages because they were all pinned down on the battlements. Raising one¡¯s head above the parapet was clearly an unhealthy idea. The garrison couldn¡¯t take the field because, without the protection of the walls, the horde of Goblins would easily overwhelm them by sheer force of numbers coupled with the power of their infamous horde combat buffs.


    Any change that might break the lock the Goblins had on the town¡¯s defenses.


    Ali dismissed the problem from her thoughts as she entered the guild hall. Hopefully, the Guildmaster or the Town Council would come up with some smart strategy to save the town.


    Getting into line in front of Mieriel¡¯s reception desk, she immediately recognized the novice adventurers in front of her as the ones who had been down in the sewer fighting her slimes. They were still muddy, the warrior covered in slime, and they stank of sewage.


    ¡°Congratulations on your first quest,¡± Mieriel told them, clearly trying her best not to wrinkle her nose too obviously. ¡°May this be the first of many.¡±


    As the happy group walked off with their earnings chatting excitedly amongst themselves, Ali identified them again.


    she noted. She was still a touch miffed by the extra work they had caused her, but it was hard to be mad when they were so clearly excited to have been useful. Higher-level adventurers would make the guild stronger ¨C Ali recalled just how big of a difference there had been between level three and four when she had been that low.


    Ali stepped forward, climbing up onto her barriers and unloading the arrows she had made on the desk for Mieriel to store.


    As she concluded her quest with Mieriel and stored her coins, a bright, clear voice rang out from behind her, putting a smile on her face in an instant.


    ¡°Hi, Ali!¡±


    ¡°Hi Serendipity,¡± she said, turning to greet the Gnome mage. ¡°Are you turning in a job, too?¡±


    ¡°I am! And you can call me Seri, you know!¡±


    Somehow Seri¡¯s cheerful voice always made her grin. The little Gnome always seemed to be overflowing with excitement and energy, a ray of sunshine on legs.


    ¡°Ok, Seri it is. What job did you do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a wall washer,¡± she answered, performing a small pirouette, and spreading her hands wide in a flourish.


    ¡°A what?¡±


    ¡°The Goblin scouts tried to scale the walls last night. I washed them off with my water. It¡¯s hard work. I¡¯m not really suited to shooting water bolts from the battlements. My skills are much better suited to manipulating existing water, that¡¯s why I normally take merchant jobs.¡±


    ¡°That sounds pretty helpful, though,¡± Ali answered, wondering why someone with skills like hers had joined the guild. Having personally seen what havoc even a single Goblin scout or scavenger could do inside the town, though, she could appreciate just how important the ¡®wall washing¡¯ ¨C as she had colorfully described it ¨C really was.


    ¡°If only the river was closer,¡± Seri continued. ¡°Then I would be devastating! I¡¯d just wash them all away.¡±


    Seri struck a pose that involved flexing her less-than-stalwart biceps, and Ali chuckled at the image.


    Ali left her perch at Mieriel¡¯s desk so that the cheerful Seri could finish her business with the guild and joined Malika and Mato in the lounge area while they waited for Calen to return from his shift shooting Goblins from the battlements.


    Something about the way Seri had said it caught her imagination, and she turned it over a few times trying to figure out what it was.


    ¡°Ali¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh, sorry,¡± she answered, realizing with a flush that Malika had been trying to get her attention for a few moments already.


    ¡°What are you woolgathering about?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing,¡± she answered. Quickly, she changed the subject to the Goblin horde and the siege, and they continued talking while they waited, discussing potential jobs. Initially, Ali hadn¡¯t been sure about the Adventurers Guild, but she had to admit it was nice to earn money, even though the situation was rather dire. More importantly, she felt good about making a positive contribution to the defense efforts.


    Given they were discussing jobs, Ali decided to check the board in case anything had been posted since she last checked. She made a step for herself with her barriers and searched through the quest offerings for anything she hadn¡¯t seen. While there were a few new things, Ali was most interested in the herbalist collection job ¨C it had been updated to now include her three mushroom varieties, along with prices.


    Ali thought, as she compared the various prices on offer.


    ¡°That¡¯s a nice trick,¡± Calen said, indicating her barrier platform as he walked over to join them.


    Ali smiled at him. She was still a little embarrassed about her ability to split her barrier magic, given that she had subjected herself to an explosion of water to discover it. She still got anxious when she remembered being flung through the air amidst a torrent of water and boulders, and the utter devastation to the area the lake burst through, washing all the bone piles off into the southern edge of the cavern and the new lake.


    Several separate memories cascaded in her mind, colliding in a chaotic swirl of mana-like colors, and producing the beginnings of an idea so crazy that Ali wasn¡¯t certain she should really be thinking it at all. She remembered Calen telling her that they were right above the lake when she was looking out of the sewer outflow over the area now occupied by the Goblins. She remembered the devastation of the water in the underground cavern. And Seri¡¯s comment. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Hey, Seri!¡± Ali called. ¡°Do you want to help me with something?¡±


    ***


    Ali waited on the bank of the lake, looking out over the roiling, swirling water. It was murky and completely opaque, and the stirring in the depths was almost certainly because it was still filled with Toxic Slimes.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re crazy to want to try that again,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°I think it can work, it¡¯s in the perfect position, the only question is if you can do it,¡± Calen added.


    ¡°I love it!¡± Seri exclaimed, her eyes sparkling in the dim light of Ali¡¯s mushrooms while she gazed at the expanse of deep water. ¡°I want to do it! Can we? Please?¡±


    Ali grinned. It was certainly a crazy idea, but nobody seemed to think it wouldn¡¯t work. ¡°I just need some way to get to the rock wall so I can deconstruct some of it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy,¡± Seri said brightly. Her arm reached forward, and a surge of cobalt-blue mana erupted from it, entering the water of the lake, and spreading out through it rapidly. Slowly, the surface of the lake nearest the rock wall began to lower, as if a giant invisible hand were pressing down on it. In a few minutes, there was a deep trough in the water as if it were being held back by an invisible dam.


    Ali stepped forward, about to enter the gap and set her plan in motion, when Calen stopped her.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°This will be vastly more effective if we coordinate with the garrison and the guild,¡± he said. ¡°Strategically, we will want to be prepared to take advantage of the distraction while it¡¯s still a surprise for the Goblins.¡±


    ¡°Aww, boo,¡± Seri said, with a pout.


    Ali could see the wisdom in Calen¡¯s suggestion, but she also resonated strongly with Seri¡¯s disappointment. She had been ready and excited to see if her idea would actually work, and now she¡¯d have to wait.


    Malika


    Malika crowded in with the rest of the adventurers in the makeshift forward command center ¨C a former warehouse commandeered by Commander Brand for the defense of the town. Everybody was here, and she could scarcely believe it. Ali¡¯s idea was legitimately crazy, and yet somehow the Guildmaster believed it could work. Furthermore, she had convinced everyone else.


    Calen stood beside her, and Mato was off to the side talking with a beautiful Druid woman and a monstrous towering beast of a man who ruffled Mato¡¯s hair as if he was a small child.


    Malika guessed. The resemblance was clear enough, even though his father seemed to be the very definition of the term ¡®monster race¡¯ and towered above him ¨C he towered above everyone, even the tallest Elves and Humans.


    ¡°Ok, listen up!¡± Vivian Ross¡¯s voice boomed out in the warehouse, causing the hubbub to slowly fade.


    ¡°We will start in a few minutes. Aliandra and Serendipity are in charge of creating a water distraction that should hit the eastern flank of the Goblins. The two teams of bronze adventurers are assigned to that flank. Your goal is to create as much chaos as possible and draw off as many of the regular Goblins as you can. Watch out for Bugbears and if you encounter Hobgoblins, you are to disengage and retreat immediately.¡±


    ¡°Theia and Bjorn,¡± she said, turning to address Mato¡¯s parents. ¡°If you two could take care of the western flank? There are dangerously many Bugbears over that side.¡±


    Mato¡¯s monstrous father looked up and simply answered, ¡°Got it.¡± His voice rumbled powerfully over the crowd, silencing the remainder of any conversation.


    ¡°Everyone else, please remember Bjorn is a silver-rank Berserker. You are to avoid the western flank at all costs.¡± Her caution was met with an outbreak of murmuring comments and gasps.


    ¡°The main thrust of our attack will target the Hobgoblins in the center with our highest-level group, led by Commander Brand.¡±


    She indicated the wiry gray-haired man standing at the front, now dressed in heavy plate armor with a shortsword strapped to his waist, and a shield slung across his back that seemed to be half a foot thick of pure burnished steel with the garrison crest emblazoned on the front. He nodded at the crowd, scanning them with a grim twist of his lips that kept the murmuring to cowed whispers.


    ¡°Joining him will be me, Donella Novaspark of the Novaspark Academy of Magic, Roderik Icecrown from the Town Watch, and Lamyndra Duskwind from the Temple of Lunar¨¦.¡±


    Each of them acknowledged their names as she spoke. Donella Novaspark stood with an air of absolute power and confidence, projecting a presence much larger than her tiny Gnomish stature. She was famous in Myrin¡¯s Keep for her prestigious Novaspark Academy of Magic, and for being a powerful lightning mage, but Malika knew her only by her reputation. The academy had always been far too well guarded for the kind of petty thievery she had been forced to do, and without a class, she had never had any way to avoid their security.


    Lamyndra Duskwind stood quietly behind the others. Her beautiful, long hair of pure white cascaded down past her shoulders, contrasting powerfully against skin of such a deep purple it seemed almost black, and her violet eyes conveyed deep compassion. Malika was very familiar with the Night Elf priestess, having needed so many trips to her temple after Adrik and Edrik¡¯s visits. She had always treated Malika with respect and dignity despite her low status, title, and suspiciously frequent injuries. How they had convinced someone so committed to peace to join this fight was something Malika couldn¡¯t fathom. Perhaps she had decided this was the way to save the most people?


    But it was Roderik Icecrown that got her boiling inside. With his blond hair, blue eyes, handsome radiant smile, and noble birth, he was everything Malika was not. And yet she knew that, behind those pretty looks and eloquent speech, beat the heart of a true sadist. Connected as he was to the noble circles, he was the reason the Town Watch enjoyed so much autonomy in Myrin¡¯s Keep. It was Roderik who had advocated for more freedom to act; he who was buddy-buddy with Jax Hawkhurst and the secret spiderweb tendrils of the Hawkhurst Trading Company¡¯s hidden criminal syndicate core that financed the Watch. It was an open secret among the common people of the slums that this monster liked hunting to keep his skills sharp ¨C hunting in the poor districts of the town. He enjoyed watching his victims suffer, bleeding out while he taunted them. He occasionally participated in the Town Watch training exercises with Kieran Mori, and the only time Malika had experienced that, she had been sent to the temple with an entirely unnecessary ice lance punched through her shoulder. She schooled the disgust out of her expression with a powerful effort of will, hoping that she was far enough beneath his notice that he wouldn¡¯t recognize the urchin pickpocket he had so uncaringly shot. He was undoubtedly the most powerful ice mage in the town, and Malika was nowhere near strong enough to survive a clash with him.


    she vowed silently inside.


    ¡°As soon as we get started, the groups of the garrison will move forward to defend the gate, and the novice adventurers will form up behind them to take care of any stragglers. The Temple of Lunar¨¦ will set up a field hospital here in this building.¡± Vivian indicated four robed and hooded Night Elves who were standing silently to one side. A soft murmur of voices offering thanks for their services rippled through the crowd.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t Mori here?¡± Commander Brand asked. He seemed to be suppressing an undercurrent of annoyance in his carefully controlled voice.


    ¡°He said he was too busy with watch duties. He sent Roderik in his place,¡± Vivian answered.


    Commander Brand¡¯s face showed he didn¡¯t really believe the excuse, but he changed the subject. ¡°This is a harebrained scheme, even for you, Vivian.¡±


    Malika had to agree with the commander. If it hadn¡¯t been Ali who had proposed it, she would have had a hard time believing it could work. But she had seen the devastation that had burst forth from the wall when Ali had cracked it open, and if she could repeat that feat¡­


    Vivian sighed and then looked across the crowd directly at her. ¡°Malika, we¡¯re ready. Get it started.¡±


    Malika nodded and retrieved a critical piece of their plan, a small scrap of parchment with intricate runic symbols inscribed upon it.


    Sending ¨C level 3


    Mana: Send a short telepathic message to a familiar target within one mile. Charges: 1/1.


    Quality: Magic


    Value: 65 silver.


    Scroll


    Following the instructions she had been provided, she pushed a little of her mana into the scroll and formed a clear message in her mind.


    ¡°


    She had a sense of the message echoing in a long chamber and an acknowledgment that felt like the brief fluttering of golden butterfly wings, clearly Ali¡¯s mind, and then the scroll in her hand quickly crumbled into dust, drifting away to the floor.


    Several tense minutes passed until eventually the commander broke the silence.


    ¡°Is this going to work?¡±


    A muffled crack silenced the talking as a deep tremor shook the ground. A few moments later, another tremor rocked the room and sporadic nervous conversation erupted throughout the waiting crowd. Just as she thought it might be over, an enormous explosion ripped through the air, causing the stone beneath her feet to buck violently, throwing several people to the ground. In the aftermath, she could hear shouts and commotion coming from outside.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Donella grunted. She stood before a conjured illusion projected from her outstretched palm that showed the entire Goblin horde that was arrayed against them as if viewed from high above the ground. The Goblins were scrambling like ants in a disturbed nest. From the base of the cliffs in front of the eastern flank, an enormous, grayish geyser gushed out across the field, raining boulders and sludge down upon the unwitting Goblins. Goblins, palisades, crude siege weapons, in fact, everything was smashed and in disarray, dragged along by the powerful torrent of water.


    Malika didn¡¯t want to admit how worried she had been, but Ali had pulled it off with spectacular results.


    ¡°Commander, we¡¯re ready,¡± Vivian announced, her voice steady as if such sights were an everyday occurrence.


    ¡°Move out!¡± Commander Brand barked with the crisp command in his voice that came from years of experience.


    Everyone moved.


    Aliandra


    Ali reached out a hand and deconstructed the giant slab of stone in front of her, while her feet sloshed in the mud at the bottom of the lake. The disconcerting, sheer wall of water at her back loomed high above, spiking her sense of anxiety. She could even see the slimes bumping up against it, trying to get through, but Seri¡¯s magic held fast, and the suspended wall of water persistently failed to crash down upon her.


    She deconstructed another boulder, dodging back to avoid falling debris. It was tricky work. She could hardly forget that the last time she had done this she had caused the entire wall to explode in her face. This time there should be no water pressure ¨C at least until Seri released the pent-up flood ¨C but if she deconstructed the wrong boulder, she could all too easily drop tons of rock down upon her head.


    She deconstructed a few more, summoning barriers to protect herself from dust and falling pebbles.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go all the way through,¡± Seri called out from the relative safety of the shore. ¡°We can let the water finish the job.¡±


    Ali thought, glancing warily again at the towering wall of water before returning to her task. She could tell she was following an old channel because the rocks at the bottom were worn from the flow of water. She guessed that at some point in the ages past, the channel allowing the river to flow out of the cavern had simply collapsed.


    She was now totally inside the rock wall in a self-made tunnel, deconstructing more rock that was hopefully not the last support for the tons of stone and boulders above her head.


    Ali backed out of the tunnel she had created and signaled to Seri as soon as she was out of the way. Suddenly, the walls of supporting cobalt mana holding back the entire lake vanished, and tons of water crashed down into the gap Seri had been holding with her magic. Ali¡¯s tunnel vanished, submerged beneath the entire depth of the lake. The surface of the lake roiled violently as bubbles of air welled up from below through the surging waters, but it rapidly quietened down.


    She waited. And then waited some more.


    ¡°Nothing is happening. Should I clear more rock?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Let me try something,¡± Seri said, her face wrinkling into a frown of concentration.


    Ali watched her manipulate the water with her pretty cobalt-blue mana. Under the influence of her magic, the lake began to drift and flow toward the edge of the cavern, as if a giant hand had simply tipped the entire cavern causing the water to collect against the rock wall right above her tunnel. Higher and higher it piled.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Increasing the pressure,¡± Seri said, gasping her words as if she were struggling to lift something incredibly heavy.


    More water piled up, forming an unnatural mound as the banks of the lake receded. Soon, the ground trembled, as a mild but visible shockwave rippled across the surface of the water. A second, more palpable shock threw up small wavelets, and then suddenly, Ali was knocked off her feet as an enormous explosion shook the cavern, sending water spraying high into the air. She summoned a barrier above her even before she hit the dirt. As the fountain cascaded back to the surface of the lake, a tremendous sucking sound rose as a huge whirlpool formed.


    Ali watched in awe as the entire lake began to drain through the tunnel and out into the world beyond.

 Chapter 44: The Goblin Horde

    Chapter 44: The Goblin HordeAliandra ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Ali commanded in Draconic while stepping down into the dripping tunnel. Her intention of a dramatic exit was somewhat marred by landing knee-deep in a muddy puddle and stumbling before one of her Kobolds caught her.


    she thought, as the reek filled her nostrils and the icy, stagnant water soaked through the bottom half of her pants. Her Kobolds immediately arrayed themselves around her as she splashed her way through the brand-new river channel they cut through the rock ¨C the combined effect of her Deconstruction and Seri¡¯s water magic ¨C stabbing the occasional Toxic Slime that still crawled through the mud.


    Seri followed, and to Ali¡¯s amazement, she dragged the entire dregs of the lake behind her, water, slimes, and all.


    The rocky tunnel was far wider than the hole she had excavated with her skill, dirt and rock washed away by the torrent, leaving a swiftly flowing river that cut through the middle, joining up with the ancient riverbed outside that they had seen from so high above. Water dripped constantly from the rock above, leaving Ali drenched by the time she emerged from the base of the cliff and onto the battlefield below the town walls. She sidestepped the waterfall of sewage that poured out from far above, giving it as wide a berth as she could while trying not to inhale too deeply.


    Below, Goblins scrambled about in total disarray, their temporary fortifications smashed to kindling and washed away. The entire eastern flank of the Goblin horde was now a vast plain of mud and sludge, and hundreds of Toxic Slimes slithered and wobbled around attacking Goblins indiscriminately. Gigantic boulders jutted out of the ground, impaled there by great force, debris that had been blasted out of the rock face and into the horde.


    Ali sucked in a ragged breath, shaking her head slowly at the unbelievable carnage. She had expected some sort of damage, but this wholesale destruction was far more than she could ever have hoped for.


    ¡°Hey Ali,¡± Malika called out as her friends came running over to join her.


    ¡°Shall we attack?¡± Mato asked, ever eager for combat.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for Seri,¡± Ali answered, glancing back down the tunnel to where the Gnomish mage seemed to be casting something. Something big, if the surge of her distinctive mana was anything to go by.


    Seri emerged from the dark, slimy tunnel with a bright grin on her face. All the remaining water flowed out in her wake, following her in much the same way as a puppy.


    The water shivered, piling up higher and higher as it began to rotate under the swirling influence of Seri¡¯s cobalt-blue mana. It spun, faster and faster, emitting a low whistling noise rising to an uncomfortable howl. In less than a minute, she had created an enormous waterspout, and her cheerful, mocking laughter rang out across the battlefield as she began to direct her creation with dramatic gesticulation of her arms.


    ¡°I think we just keep the Goblins away from her and let her go wild,¡± Calen suggested, eyeing the towering column of water with obvious astonishment. As they watched, a Toxic Slime was flung out of the waterspout, soaring across the battlefield to bounce like a squishy rubber ball and slither away.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s go,¡± Malika said, and Mato shifted into his Bear Form leading the charge out into the field. There were Goblins in disarray everywhere, but they were mostly Scavengers, and they went down easily to a couple of blows apiece.


    Nearby, Ali spied a second group of adventurers, similarly engaged with the green-skinned Goblins, but beyond that, the battlefield flickered and sparkled with potent and devastating clashes of magic. Mages and archers lined the battlements firing down over Ali¡¯s head, while somewhere toward the center of the battlefield ¨C near the Myrin¡¯s Keep south gate ¨C a truly epic confrontation of light and mana shone out.


    ¡°Bugbears!¡± Calen shouted, snatching her attention back to her immediate surroundings.


    Three monstrous Goblinoids charged toward them with all the momentum of their two-and-a-half meters of densely muscled, plate-armored bodies. Their thick brown or ochre fur was plastered to their bodies by mud and water, and the creatures looked all the more furious for having been drenched. Fearsome roars filled the air as two Bugbears leapt high above their companions, muscles straining to draw back their gigantic weapons, while the third spun his giant spiked flail in a whirling flurry of sharp steel and brawn.


    Ali summoned a barrier and crouched behind it, feeling a chilling touch of fear. Mato charged the whirling Bugbear, slamming into it with an enormous roar and crash, while Malika leapt into the air and kicked both airborne Bugbears before they crashed to the ground amid a cacophony of steel, strikes, and shouts.


    Ali looked up, bewildered for a moment before realizing that none of the monsters were actually attacking her and the titanic clash of brawn and steel was happening nearly ten meters away. She shuddered, wincing from the uncomfortable blend of selfish relief and horror for her friends triggered by the sight of the sheer violence and brutality unfolding before her ¨C a meatgrinder of thumping steel, flashing fur, furious roars, and blood.


    ¡°Shaman first.¡± Calen¡¯s calm voice penetrated her surprise, and she looked past the ochre-furred monsters to find she had even missed the fact that other Goblins were approaching from the back, behind the Bugbear vanguard.


    Calen helpfully pointed out the target with a tracer of light fired from his bow. Behind the chaotic melee stood a Storm Shaman with a zigzag of white warpaint across his left eye and cheek, easily recognizable by the sparks of lightning that leaked from his enchanted shield and mace. He stood with prideful arrogance, surrounded by Skirmishers and Scavengers who were beginning to lob rocks at everyone in sight.


    Fixing the shaman in her mind as the primary target for both her minions and her spells, she began.


    ¡°¡± she commanded, sensing her rogues reacting to her intention with eager anticipation through Martial Insight as they charged into the fray. She channeled mana into Arcane Bolt, lobbing the small glowing missiles over her barrier to arc across the battlefield. Immediately, the stone throwers began to pepper her barrier with the plinking and cracking of high-speed pebbles and rocks.


    The weaker Goblins cunningly hid behind the powerful Bugbears and the shaman, making it difficult to target them. Instinctively, they picked on the weaker or more dangerous targets. In her case, she had just advertised to the entire battlefield that she was a mage, and so now she was the focus of many of their attacks, even though Calen¡¯s brilliant arrows still peppered the Goblins constantly.


    A surge of painfully bright mana flickered through the shaman.


    -126 to Resistance vs Lightning magic.


    Curse ¨C Duration: 1 minute.


    With a blinding flash and crack, the battlefield lit up with the shaman¡¯s Lightning Bolt attack. Splinters flew from Ali¡¯s barrier as it cracked clean down the center. She flinched reflexively, but somehow her barrier still stood firm in the aftermath of the powerful burst of lightning magic. The shaman gaped at her, clearly unimpressed by her continued existence.


    At that moment, the shadows shimmered ominously behind the shaman and all Ali¡¯s rogues appeared, shiny daggers flashing in concert as they stabbed deep. The Storm Shaman dropped almost instantly from the synchronized attack.


    Ali breathed a sigh of relief.


    she instructed her rogues, directing them to the clash of furious grunting, fur, claws, and steel that surrounded Mato. With the most dangerous Goblin out of the way, she turned to her Kobold Fire Mage standing beside her. ¡°Kill those stone throwers.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ancient Mistress,¡± the Kobold hissed through his teeth, breathing out a small puff of black smoke as his mana fueled his fire. With a wicked gleam in his eyes, he launched his Fireball into the midst of the Goblins. The near-instantaneous detonation threw out a tremendous explosion of angry red flame that sent half a dozen of the hapless Goblins flying. He cackled wickedly and began summoning another Fireball.


    Ali refreshed her personal barrier, and summoned her second over in the melee group, trying to learn how to interrupt the attacks of the Bugbears.


    In the aftermath of the Storm Shaman¡¯s death, Malika punched a huge Bugbear in the side of his head, causing it to collapse with a dramatic clanging as the whistling heavy flail clattered to the ground. The pressure eased up dramatically, so Ali poked her head up to gaze around at her surroundings. she decided. She sprinted over to deconstruct the higher-level Goblin shaman¡¯s corpse, not bothering with the smoking remains of the Scavengers that lay strewn about it. The lower-level monsters would simply take time to deconstruct, time she didn¡¯t have for the paltry amount of mana they would be worth.


    Several of the mages and archers high upon the town battlements had obviously noticed their attack and were laying down supporting fire from above, creating a dizzying flurry of mana flashing and spells detonating. Burning arrows that sizzled and spat, yellow bolts that hissed and crackled, discharging sparks into the ground ¨C and anything unfortunate enough to be nearby. Squalls and blizzards of ice that sprung up and froze everything in a ten-meter radius of impact, leaving piles of snow on the ground, only to be vaporized moments later by rocking blasts of heat and flame. Off in the distance, the epic magical battle in the center of the field was raging ever stronger, showing up as a chaotic jumble of magical energy and power that Ali couldn¡¯t even hope to untangle.


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    The much nearer sloshing roar of a demented waterspout kept her from getting too distracted by the conflict among the higher-level classes off in the distance. As she watched, it swept up terrified scrambling Goblins, sucking them up into the vortex, to be flung out at great speed, just like the constant barrage of Toxic Slimes launched from the waterspout at every opportunity. The Goblins, however, did not seem to be built to survive a crash landing.


    The shrill shrieks of Goblins alerted her to a fresh Warband rapidly bearing down on their group. she thought, eyeing the approaching Scavengers, a pair of elite archers, and a whole pack of howling Timber Wolves. Ali readied her minions, sending the rogues into the shadows before the new group spied them. She arranged her warriors up front while her mage began to cast another Fireball.


    A brownish, shivering missile shot into the oncoming Warband, hitting a Scavenger with a loud splat and a screech as the poor Goblin cartwheeled away with his head stuck in a Toxic Slime. A peal of bright, near-maniacal Gnomish laughter greeted the sight. Seri might not be killing many herself, Ali realized, but the mayhem she represented was definitely a huge boon.


    she thought, eyeing the oncoming Goblins.


    The Goblin Archers and Scavengers dove for cover behind partially broken wooden fortifications and began shooting. Arrows and stones ricocheted off her barrier with sharp cracks. A sizzling swoosh shot by, and her Kobold¡¯s Fireball detonated out among the pesky stone-throwers, ripping through the flimsy wooden defenses with a loud thump and a bright surge of flame. In the aftermath, far fewer screeching Goblins scrambled to their feet amid charred remains, gobs of burning flame, and smoking grass.


    Ali crouched behind her barrier, blocking a rain of flying rocks, and at least one flying slime, while she deconstructed a Bugbear to recover mana. By the time she returned to the action with a sharp flurry of her Arcane Bolts, Mato and Malika were already in the thick of things, roaring and kicking. The elite archers fanned out, creating distance, while the Timber Wolves flanked Malika and Mato, pinning them down in the center of the melee. All around the edges of the pitched fight, the Scavengers and other stray Goblins joined in as if it were the most natural thing in the world.


    Weak as they were individually, Ali could see why the Guildmaster feared them in large numbers. Goblins cooperated in battle as easily as breathing. And even though most of the Scavengers were single-mark monsters, within their Warbands, and with their notorious bonuses for group fighting, they seemed to punch far above their level.


    ¡°¡± she commanded. Her rogues snuck in, but somehow, as soon as they got close, the elite Goblin Archers immediately withdrew, sprinting around and leading her Kobolds on a merry chase.


    ¡°They have high perception,¡± Calen said, unleashing a volley of arrows at one of them. ¡°Maybe use ranged attacks?¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± she answered, frowning. It was easy for Calen to say, but all her Kobolds, save the mage were melee, and Fireballs were easy to dodge if you saw them coming from far away.


    ¡°she instructed, sending her command to her rogues, halting their fruitless rushing about in their attempts to reach the archers.


    A continuous stream of arrows and assorted magic bolts rained down from the battlements behind them, keeping many of the lower-level Goblin heads down. ¡°Fireball that group,¡± Ali commanded, ¡°and then use Firebolt on the archers.¡±


    Her Fire Mage just grinned as a wave of heat emanated from his nascent Fireball.


    Glancing at the steady stream of bright white arrows, Ali picked the same target Calen was shooting and unleashed her bolts.


    With their new strategy, they began to make progress. Detonations of flame and the hail of supporting artillery from the town defenders whittled away at the entrenched stone throwers, while Ali and Calen ¨C supported by the occasional red sizzling Firebolt ¨C picked off the elite archers one at a time.


    Without even a moment for a breather, Ali suddenly found herself engaged with yet another Goblin Warband. She followed her usual approach, deconstructing every nearby corpse to fuel her constant mana consumption for her arcane magic. Any time she ran low, she deconstructed an armor piece or a Goblin to keep going, but she was beginning to get a headache from the continuous mana use and the concentration required to manage multiple barriers and targets simultaneously.


    Beside her, Calen had to take frequent breaks, tossing down blue mana potions like candy. The other group of adventurers had withdrawn a while ago, tapped out. At some point, she was dimly aware of the whistling waterspout collapsing in the background, and Calen telling Seri to retreat to recover her mana.


    Ali realized, resolving to practice Malika¡¯s meditation exercises more diligently. Hers was inconvenient, requiring a steady supply of corpses or items to deconstruct. But while the supply lasted, she wouldn¡¯t need to stop at all. Malika and her melee Kobolds seemed to be thriving off Mato¡¯s regeneration aura, none of them had yet exhausted their mana or stamina.


    At least she didn¡¯t have to direct her Kobolds too closely. Mostly, their own battle cunning and instincts had them making good choices. she thought, eyeing her Fire Mage. She had had to stop him from fireballing Bugbears and Timber Wolves a few times, reminding him to use his precision Firebolt instead of the area damage spell, lest he hit all their allies.


    The next Warband included a few Bugbears, and Mato immediately engaged with a roar. Ali was beginning to get used to the chaos of the battle, feeling something of a rhythm to the whole thing. She would deconstruct for mana, and then focus on the most dangerous enemies, before mopping up the rest. Two things stood out clearly to her. Discounting the random stones, she never had to defend herself against attacks from anything other than archers or mages, and her barrier was remarkably good at that. The second thing was that her Fire Mage was brutally efficient at clearing out the groups of stone-throwing Scavengers. When she attacked them with her bolts, they went down quickly enough, but she had to focus on them one at a time, whereas her mage took out entire groups with a single Fireball. It was so effective, in fact, that she soon had him waiting around between Fireballs to regenerate his mana rather than waste it on Firebolts.


    For the longest time she had been terrified of it, but now that she could wield it on the battlefield, she was beginning to appreciate some of the strategy of area damage magic.


    As the minutes dragged out into hours, it became clear how the diverse nature of their group worked to their advantage. Much as he might dislike the idea, Mato was a phenomenal tank. Malika darted in and out everywhere, catching anything that got away from him. Calen called every incoming group, easily picking out the most dangerous enemies from afar before they were even in range of Ali¡¯s Identify. His light magic, turning every single arrow into an obvious streak of light, made coordinating their targets trivial.


    By now, the parallels with how the Goblins were fighting were becoming obvious even to her inexperienced eye. The Goblins sent in the Bugbears as shock troops and tanks, protecting the elite mages, shamans, and archers who attacked from range, all of them supported by the lower-level Scavengers.


    Ali deconstructed another Bugbear. As it dispersed into mana, her Grimoire appeared to the sound of an accompanying chime. Ali instantly dismissed it.


    ¡°Incoming! Three Bugbears and two Fire Mages,¡± Calen¡¯s voice called out the numbers as another group charged toward them, once again before they were fully finished with their current foes.


    Ali left her warriors to help finish off the remaining Bugbear with Malika and Mato, directing all her rogues to attack the same Fire Mage. Both Goblin Fire Mages stopped at a distance and began casting Fireballs. Ali cast her barrier and hunkered down, keeping her second one ready while she shot off some Arcane Bolts, arcing them high overhead to hit the lead mage ¨C a wrinkled female Goblin with long scraggly gray hairs sticking up from her scalp. Her rogues appeared from the aether stabbing in concert, but they were a fraction of a second too late, and both mages¡¯ Fireballs shot off heading directly toward her. Immediately, she cast her second barrier in the path of one of the Fireballs and huddled down, trying to shrink herself behind her barrier. Using two barriers was all good and well, but they were individually smaller. An enormous explosion engulfed her further barrier followed by the second Fireball hitting the barrier right in front of her and rocking her with its powerful detonation. The shockwave tore past its edges, scorching her skin with the intensity of the heat, but her barrier held firm against the onslaught of fire magic, and the incredible resistance from Lydia¡¯s tailoring protected her from further damage. Through the cracked barrier, she saw her rogues and Calen¡¯s arrows taking down the first mage.


    The second mage swirled his singed crimson robes and summoned fire again, but this time, he was clearly aiming at Mato and Malika ¨C wholly disregarding the thick press of Goblin bodies her friends were practically swimming through. Ali threw up a barrier at her maximum range in an attempt to block the powerful spell. The screaming Fireball clipped the edge of her barrier and careened off to the left, exploding on the ground near the melee. Within the chaotic detonation of red flame, Ali saw Malika¡¯s clean blue-white magic flash several times as she healed herself and Mato, and Ali¡¯s Kobolds, all in the space of a couple of seconds.


    ¡°Hobgoblin!¡± Calen¡¯s urgent shout cut through her thoughts.

 Chapter 45: Hobgoblin

    Chapter 45: HobgoblinAliandra The giant, coal-black Timber Wolf stalked across the littered ground, oozing lithe power and malevolence from every pore. It bared yellowed, razor-sharp fangs longer than Ali¡¯s handspan from behind a snarling lip, and the gleaming green eyes roamed the battlefield; a predator sizing up their prey.


    Thick, reinforced sheets of scuffed sturdy-looking leather armor protected the wolf¡¯s flanks. Mounted upon its back was the fearsome Hobgoblin.


    Ali shivered as its gaze brushed past her, dismissing her with contemptuous indifference. The books she had read had not prepared her for his sheer presence. He sat tall, larger and heavier than a man. Lean and muscular, with battle-scarred skin of deep crimson, his long black hair worn up in a topknot streamed out behind him as he rode across the battlefield like he owned it, down to every last blade of muddy grass. Heavy chainmail gleamed in the sunlight, and he wielded a stout steel shield and a longsword while deftly controlling his mount entirely with his legs.


    He snarled something guttural in the harsh language of the Goblins, and the scrambling and fleeing remnants of the previous Warbands froze in place as if the mere sound of his voice had the power to glue them to the ground.


    A chunk of Ali¡¯s mana slipped away, stolen by her Sage skill, as the routed Goblins rallied.


    It was even higher level than she could properly Identify, and it was riding right for Malika.


    Vivian Ross had insisted they run if they saw a Hobgoblin, but before Ali could even breathe, the steel longsword flashed in a sweeping strike so fast she could barely even see it. Suddenly, Malika was airborne, leaving bright red streamers of blood spraying from her chest as she flew through the air.


    Mana coursed through Ali¡¯s fingers, manifesting in a snap of golden barrier magic right in the path of Malika¡¯s flight. In the sudden eruption of melee chaos, the Timber Wolf snapped its jaws, biting down on the arm of one of Ali¡¯s Kobold warriors with a sickening crunch. Shaking its head violently from side to side, it tore the arm clean off, tossing the maimed Kobold screaming to the side.


    Mid-air, Malika tucked her body into a ball, colliding feet first with Ali¡¯s barrier. She flashed with a pulse of healing magic and then leapt back toward the Hobgoblin.


    she commanded, and all her Kobolds whirled about and mobbed the wolf-rider.


    With a casual-looking swipe of his sword, the Hobgoblin almost bisected one of Ali¡¯s attacking rogues while he expertly deflected Calen¡¯s arrows with his shield. The wolf snapped viciously, this time crushing a Kobold warrior¡¯s leg in its powerful jaws. The Fire Mage¡¯s Firebolts were swatted away just as easily as the arrows, while the Hobgoblin systematically decimated her Kobolds. Ali thrust hastily summoned barriers in the way to block the sword or the jaws, but every time she did, her barrier was easily shattered with no more than a single attack.


    But Ali couldn¡¯t say anything. Without a doubt, if they ran, Malika and Mato would be the first to die.


    Ali gritted her teeth and unleashed her Arcane Bolts at the Hobgoblin, arcing them up and over to avoid his shield. The magic shone brilliantly as it slammed into the crimson-skinned Goblin commander with a series of sizzling pops, earning her a hateful stare as the monster guided his wolf in her direction. Ali summoned a barrier, knowing in the depths of her shaking bones that it would barely slow the powerful Hobgoblin down.


    Without warning, a silver blur streaked across Ali¡¯s vision, crossing the battlefield in an instant. A loud crash rang out as an unimaginably heavy shield smashed into the Hobgoblin¡¯s chainmail, knocking him clean off his wolf mount and sprawling across the ground. Ali blinked. The Goblin spat several vile curses in Common as it skidded to a stop and made to return, but the lean form of Commander Brand stood in his way, his once-shining plate armor covered from head to toe in splattered blood and dirt.


    ¡°Stand down. This foe is beyond you,¡± the commander bellowed, but his eyes never left the Hobgoblin even for an instant. He lashed out with his sword and the Hobgoblin blocked the strike, the force of their clash ringing out across the battlefield.


    Malika and Mato immediately switched their focus to the Timber Wolf. Several brightly shining arrows shot by and buried themselves in the wolf¡¯s flank as all her allies pivoted to the new target.


    ¡°Ali instructed, and her few remaining Kobolds scrambled to readjust. she thought, but her Grimoire¡¯s magic took several minutes per Kobold.


    The wolf bit down hard, ripping brutally through the flesh of Mato¡¯s shoulder, spraying blood across the approaching Kobolds, but Malika was right there with her counter. Healing magic pulsed in rapid flashes ¨C brighter than Ali had ever seen ¨C and Mato¡¯s wounds closed before her eyes. Struggling in vain to get a grip on her shallow breathing, Ali immediately added her Arcane Bolts to the onslaught, filling the air with wisps of smoke and the sharp stench of burning fur.


    At the crest of a rise in the distance, a tall, lithe scale-armored figure appeared. She took one step forward, and then, with a flicker of mana, Vivian Ross appeared right behind the Hobgoblin with the crash of her blazing sword striking the monster¡¯s hastily raised shield. Her black hair had come unbound and flew behind her as she danced gracefully, wielding two flame-wreathed, curved swords in a blur of mesmerizing arcs.


    What followed was a high-speed chaotic exchange of blocking and counterattacking that Ali could barely follow, if at all. Commander Brand executed a stunning shield slam that rang painfully in Ali¡¯s ears, knocking the Hobgoblin stumbling backward while Vivian Ross weaved her burning attacks into her dance. Ali studied the dizzying back-and-forth for a few moments searching for an opportunity. Into a gap, a slight pause in the Hobgoblin¡¯s rhythm, Ali thrust a barrier, blocking the inside of his right arm for a fraction of an instant before he shattered it by sheer force of strength. But the momentary delay was enough ¨C in that tiny window of time, Vivian landed three slashing strikes, sundering the chainmail beneath his armpit, and lacing the air with trails of wine-red blood. As the Hobgoblin staggered backward, a spike of blue-white ice suddenly appeared protruding right through his chest, piercing armor and body with equal ease. Ali shuddered at the gruesome sounds of bones crunching and flesh tearing.


    ¡°Got him.¡± The sneering voice matched the face of the Human Ice Mage suddenly appearing from behind the slain Hobgoblin with incredibly dense white mana radiating from his body as if he contained a blizzard within his chest. He was dressed in white robes embroidered with spell-thread bearing the eye symbol of the Town Watch. Ali had never seen him before, but his demeanor filled her with a chilling unease.


    Commander Brand spun on his heel and stamped against the ground, causing it to crack beneath his feet. His shield slammed into the wolf¡¯s left flank, knocking it tumbling across the muddy ground and freeing a rather mangled-looking Mato. As soon as the Timber Wolf landed, a devastating bolt of lightning shot down from the sky, leaving it twitching and smoldering on the ground. Ali looked up in awe, finding a flying Gnomish mage dripping sparks of lightning from her eyes and her outstretched fingers.


    Vivian Ross extinguished her swords and then wiped the blood from them before sheathing them. ¡°Good work, you guys, it would have been a real pain to track down this hob later.¡±


    Ali sighed, tension flowing out of her like a wave receding after breaking on the shore. She was a hundred percent convinced she and her friends would all have been paste by now without the intervention of the Guildmaster and her group.


    ¡°The battle is over,¡± Commander Brand put in. ¡°Orders. The Goblin center broke twenty minutes ago. Most of the remaining Goblins are routed and fleeing. If any of you can heal, report to the field hospital and offer your magic to help the priests of Lunar¨¦. Likely they¡¯re running low on mana by now. The rest of you; search the battlefield for the injured and help bring them in.¡±


    As he doled out quickfire orders with a no-nonsense snap to his voice, Ali breathed a huge sigh of relief. Her head throbbed from hours of focus, and magic, battling Goblins without a single moment¡¯s rest. Dimly, in the distance, she heard cheering from the battlements, but she was far too numb and tired to join in. Ali stared blankly at the surrounding devastation, and the corpse of the unimaginably powerful Hobgoblin, just glad for it to all be over.


    To think that this was her life, now.


    Malika


    Malika entered town via the open south gate, nodding respectfully to the garrison guards who were still on duty protecting the town from any stray Goblins. To her surprise, several of them returned the gesture.


    ¡°Why am I coming again?¡± Mato asked. He didn¡¯t sound belligerent, simply weary.


    She was growing comfortable fighting alongside the bear, and much more used to their adjusted roles. He had seemed so reckless ¨C even careless ¨C when she had first met him, but her opinion of Mato had changed.


    Whatever he had experienced down in that dark ruin had changed him much more than he had let on. Mato acted more even-tempered and resilient, and he seemed to care much more for those around him. Perhaps he always had, but it had grown much more noticeable to Malika in the last several days.


    ¡°Healing costs a lot of mana,¡± she explained. ¡°The Priests of Lunar¨¦ might appreciate your aura.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Mato nodded, as she led the way to the field hospital that had been set up in the temporary warehouse headquarters right next to the gate.


    As she walked, she pulled her shoulders back, stretching her chest. It still felt uncomfortable ¨C the spot where the Hobgoblin¡¯s sword had cleaved right through her ribs and sternum. She had healed it completely in midair while doing a flip and kick off of Ali¡¯s barrier ¨C which just went to show how much better she was getting with her powerful Divine Step skill. But her mind refused to give up the afterimage of the injury, insisting that something was still wrong. It seemed to be a rather common side-effect of instantly healing severe injuries and one which would fade pretty rapidly. She had already experienced it several times but, other than her body feeling like something be wrong, she would be fine.


    Malika grinned wryly at the sound of her inner voice trying to convince her she should be fine. But, as she well knew, it was calm and tranquility that was the foundation of a strong body and mind. She breathed deeply and stilled the voice and all the left-over buzzing from a day of battle, before stepping through the busy doorway and into the area set aside for the priests to tend the injured. The sounds of assistants rushing about frantically mingled discordantly with the background moaning of the injured, while Malika¡¯s nose was assaulted by the stench of blood and antiseptic tinctures.


    ¡°What are your injuries?¡± It was the voice of an Elf, pushed far beyond exhaustion, but still trying to hold onto the remaining shreds of propriety and dignity, denying themselves rest in the face of so many injured.


    Malika easily recognized the prominent priestess of the temple. She had been out in the thick of battle all day, and now she was here healing the injured. She hadn¡¯t even had time to change or wipe the blood from her dark skin.


    ¡°We¡¯re not injured, we¡¯re here to help if you need us.¡±


    ¡°A Druid and a Monk? What are your abilities?¡± She stared at Mato with what looked like desperation and the dying embers of hope.


    Malika glanced around the field hospital taking in the scene. On one side, two robed Night Elf priests were sitting slumped on a bench, and next to them, another was laid out breathing heavily, all showing signs of the profound exhaustion that came from persistently running yourself empty without a chance to recover. Malika had personal experience with that after having been forced to wear the Cuffs of Suppression.


    Across the floor were dozens of makeshift pallets with guards and adventurers, and even a few of the townsfolk laid out on them, many still bleeding or groaning in pain.


    ¡°I¡¯m Malika, I have an instant touch heal, I can use mana and stamina, and I have Meditation,¡± Malika summarized quickly.


    ¡°Mato. I cannot heal, but I have a passive regeneration aura,¡± Mato added.


    ¡°Health regen?¡± Lamyndra asked, clarifying, a flicker of disappointment crossing her tired eyes.


    ¡°Health, stamina, and mana,¡± Mato answered. ¡°And advanced regeneration which can eventually heal severe injuries.¡±


    The Night Elf raised an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ more than welcome.¡± She turned back to Malika. ¡°Very well, Malika, was it? Can you heal this patient?¡±


    Malika looked at the woman Lamyndra pointed to. She was clearly in bad shape, unconscious, and bleeding through some hastily applied bandages. Quickly, Malika bent over and touched her shoulder, charging her Healing Mantra with stamina. Her magic flashed brightly as her energy surged out through her fingertips and into the dying woman. Instantly, the bleeding ceased, and the wounds began to close up with indecent haste. Bone cracked loudly as her shattered arm realigned itself, and several fingers abruptly regrew on her right hand.


    ¡°Good. Can I have you on triage and stabilization? You don¡¯t need to fully heal them; just ensure they don¡¯t die when they come in. The most critical patients are these here.¡±


    She turned briefly. ¡°Mato, can I have you sit right here? That way your aura can replenish the priests, and you can help regenerate any stabilized patients we put on these pallets.¡± She immediately began calling out crisp orders for the assistants to rearrange the patients.


    Malika immediately set to her work, pulsing her magic into the most severely injured people, trying to stabilize them as best as she could while conserving her resources so that she could have enough to save everyone. She worked non-stop as more and more injured people began trickling in, recovered by the teams working out on the battlefield, or pulled off the battlements with burn injuries, or lightning damage.


    After about half an hour, when she was beginning to run low, one of the other Elven priests took over, giving her a few minutes to Meditate in Mato¡¯s aura, before she jumped right back into it.


    It was hard work, and of course, draining. Too often the assistants covered those who had not made it with sheets and carried them off to the far wall to join the ever-increasing line of the dead. Malika gritted her teeth and continued healing.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Teagan. Lamyndra asked me to help you.¡±


    Malika looked up in surprise, recognizing the red-haired and bare-footed shaman girl from the sewers. She hadn¡¯t even seen her come in.


    ¡°I¡¯m only level four, but I can heal.¡±


    ¡°Here, you start with these three. Try and heal just the critical injuries if you can. Mato¡¯s aura will take care of the rest over time.¡±


    She nodded in earnest, shooting a shy glance at Mato, and Malika smiled at her obvious commitment to help.


    An hour later, things began to ease up. The rest of the priests had regenerated enough mana to resume their work, and Lamyndra had too, activating a broad healing aura that enveloped the entire hospital with the warmth and glow of her advanced magic.


    Malika finally sat, sprawled on a box, not caring one bit for the hard edges of her uncomfortable seat. She was bone-weary in a way that could only come from constantly draining her stamina and mana. She looked happily at the mostly empty pallets on the ground, only a few remaining patients recovering slowly under the combination of Lamyndra¡¯s potent healing aura and Mato¡¯s regeneration. She hadn¡¯t been able to save everyone, but she knew many people would be going home to their families tonight because she had been here.


    Teagan lay passed out on the ground beside the box, and Mato had moved a little closer so that she was within his regeneration aura. The shaman had literally worked herself till she dropped.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re done,¡± Lamyndra said, walking up to Malika. ¡°You guys can head out if you like, I¡¯ll finish up. I¡¯ll let Vivian know how grateful I am that you three could help out.¡± The Night Elf bowed her head, touched her right hand to her heart and finished with a benediction, ¡°May Lunar¨¦ guide you on your path.¡±


    Malika stood and offered a respectful bow in return.


    ¡°Back to the guild?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Malika answered tiredly. ¡°Even my bones hurt.¡±


    Mato


    Mato bent down and scooped up the passed-out form of Teagan, cradling the surprisingly light Human shaman in his arms. He glanced at Malika, swaying beside him as if struck by an unexpected breeze, with a newfound respect. It had been a battle in here, one in which he had been powerless to fight. It mattered not that it had been fought by elegantly robed Elven priests picking their way carefully among the wounded and dying with kind words and the gentle touch of healing. It had been a war against death itself, and all he had been able to do was watch from the sidelines while Malika darted around saving the lives of endless people.


    he thought, prodding Malika to move, before she fell asleep on her feet.


    ¡°Thank you, both,¡± Lamyndra said, a weary smile gracing her delicate face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I was able to do much,¡± Mato admitted.


    ¡°You needn¡¯t worry, young Druid,¡± Lamyndra offered with a kindly crinkle forming around her eyes. ¡°Your aura kept my Priests and Priestesses revitalized far beyond our normal limits. Perhaps you don¡¯t feel it, but your contribution was essential to saving many of the injured today.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ thank you,¡± he said, moved beyond his expectations at her words.


    ¡°Look after those two,¡± she said, gesturing toward Malika and Teagan.


    ¡°I will,¡± he said, nodding. It was the least he could do.


    With a small smile curving his lips, he guided Malika and carried Teagan out of the field hospital. As he made his way slowly back toward the Adventurers Guild, he looked inward, visiting the giant tree within his mind.


    he told it, wondering, not for the first time, if it could hear him.


    As if in response to his words, the tree revealed his notifications.


    Mato¡¯s eyes widened at the green glowing words and numbers rapidly appearing before him. His class was far stronger than it had been when he started out this morning. But then, he had been fighting for most of the day. Even Arboreal Sanctuary had leaped ahead, lending weight to the Night Elf Priestess¡¯s assessment of his aura¡¯s worth.


    Finally, the last of the tension from the long day faded as the muscles in his neck and shoulders relaxed. By the time he reached the guild hall, his steps were light ¨C lighter ¨C and his mood began to settle back to normal.


    As soon as they entered the guild hall, Malika collapsed on a couch and passed out.


    Carefully, Mato laid Teagan down on a nearby chair and wandered off to see if Mieriel had any blankets.


    Calen


    Calen crouched in the middle of the battlefield, gently holding Ali while she threw up. The first adventurer they had found was very clearly dead, hacked to pieces by Goblin axes and daggers. It looked like the work of Bugbears, judging by the bloody tracks and the unnecessary mutilation of the corpse.


    In the throes of battle, such sensibilities hadn¡¯t affected him much, but seeing the corpse in the aftermath turned his stomach also.


    As Ali struggled to get her nausea under control, Calen reflected on the battle, mostly as a way of distracting his mind from the gore and the stench of death. He had fought hard, and for hours, but a large amount of his time had to be spent regenerating his mana. He had used every single mana potion he had bought, but he still hadn¡¯t brought enough. He had even tried fighting closer to take advantage of Mato¡¯s aura, but it put him perilously close to the Bugbears. And he had little desire to face a huge leaping monstrous Goblin with a two-handed mace in melee. Or the whirling axe-blenders.


    Even Malika and Mato, with their powerful regeneration skills, were still forced to take breathers whenever they could, but Ali had fought non-stop for hours. Her strange deconstruction skill allowed her to continuously replenish her mana supply while her minion army took care of the bulk of the fighting. The Kobolds had capitalized on Mato¡¯s aura for stamina regeneration, which made them even more effective in the hours-long battle.


    He glanced down at the forlorn and pitiful Fae crouching in the dirt, now reduced to dry heaving.


    ¡°Better?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°We can go back.¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t let anyone die because I¡¯m squeamish.¡±


    He helped Ali to her feet, and together, they began to search the battlefield for any survivors. Between his eyes and her remaining Kobolds, they should be able to cover an enormous amount of ground quickly.


    Idly he picked up a Hobgoblin sword, half buried in the mud, and stored it in his ring. It seemed to be a decent quality and he was certain Ali would like it, perhaps for one of her warriors. Or maybe she could even learn to make it. Her creation skill was astonishing ¨C she had manufactured several gold worth of high-quality arrows using only mana and time. Without her, he would have been forced to spend large amounts of time scavenging for ammunition on the battlefield.


    He looked at the three arrows he had collected automatically as he walked by Goblin corpses. he thought, but he stored them anyway, they were still usable.


    ¡°Hey Ali, maybe have your Kobolds keep an eye out for decent armor or weapons while you go. You might find something useful to learn before the looters and scavengers clear the battlefield.¡±


    Ali nodded, looking somewhat better already. At least her face was no longer the same green as her hair.


    ***


    Calen sat outside the field hospital with Ali, resting. Once they had gotten going, their combination of skills had proved excellent for locating the unconscious and wounded. Between the two of them, they had found and rescued about a dozen people across the broad expanse of the entire eastern flank, and about half of the center.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯re free to go,¡± Ali said.


    Malika and Mato would probably be busy for a while still, so he got up and the two of them headed back to the guild.


    There were way too many kill notifications in his list, so Calen skipped to the end, stunned by the number of levels he had earned in just one day.


    Granted it had taken almost an entire day of continuous battle against dangerous foes, but this amount of progress meant he was becoming substantially stronger.


    Blinding Flash


    Mana: Cause an extremely bright flash when your arrow hits, blinding nearby targets. Range: 20 feet.


    Light, Area, Ranged, Intelligence


    Increased Range


    Stamina: Your range is increased by + [skill x 10] %


    Physical, Ranged, Dexterity


    Armor Piercing


    Stamina: Your arrows will pierce armor, ignoring a percentage of the target¡¯s armor value.


    Physical, Ranged, Dexterity


    Mote of Light


    Mana: Attach a Mote of Light to your arrow, fixing it at the destination.


    Light, Ranged, Intelligence


    He read through all four options, weighing them up, immediately discarding Mote of Light. Blinding Flash looked like a straightforward flashbang skill.


    The two remaining enhancements were both amazing ¨C increased range that would grow with his skill level, and armor piercing. He spent most of the walk back to the guild debating the choices, but by the time he reached the guild hall he had made up his mind. He selected Increased Range, simply because most of the opponents he had fought up till now hadn¡¯t been wearing too much in the way of armor. Or in the case of the Bugbears, he could compensate for their partial plate armor with accuracy. Increased Range, however, would have been useful in almost every fight he had, especially now that he could see so much further with Eyes of the Archon.


    And with Ali¡¯s ingenious solution to his stealth and light skill issues, he was at least hopeful he might be able to achieve it.


    Arrows of Brilliance ¨C level 11


    You may enhance your next shot with up to 2  enhancements.


    Granted Enhancements: Light Damage, Increased Range.


    Light, Physical, Ranged, Dexterity, Intelligence


    It would of course require both the mana and the stamina costs to power it, but he could choose how he spent his resources. Calen sat down at a small table in the guild hall, pulled out his notebook, and chewed thoughtfully on the back of his pencil. He made a note to ask the Guildmaster the next time he saw her. If anyone knew it would be her.


    ***


    Aliandra


    Ali clambered up onto the couch in the guild hall and simply spaced out for a while. It had been a grueling day, fighting the monsters of the Goblin horde. As if that hadn¡¯t been enough, she had found several mutilated corpses on the battlefield that were far past saving, and while she hadn¡¯t thrown up again after the first, none of the bodies had been easy to see. She had felt relief that she hadn¡¯t been turned into a corpse by the Bugbear meatgrinders, and then instantly felt guilty that she had survived when so many had not.


    It was all overwhelming, and she simply sat and stared at the comings and goings of the guild, allowing it all to wash over her for a while. Calen was busy scribbling in his notebook, and adventurers walked in and out. Most looked very much the worse for wear. At some point, the Guildmaster must have returned because she was sitting across from Ali doing some paperwork.


    Someone came in and collapsed on the couch beside her and instantly passed out.


    Ali glanced up as Mato wordlessly handed her a sandwich and found himself a seat. She stared uncomprehendingly at the sandwich for a moment before her stomach decided it was suddenly starving. She hadn¡¯t eaten anything since the morning, and she had emptied her stomach a while ago.


    The sandwich vanished, and in minutes, Ali began feeling better, more alert, and having a little more energy.


    ¡°Thanks, Mato,¡± she said, popping the last crumbs into her mouth.


    ¡°Congrats,¡± he said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re level twenty. Did you unlock anything good? You should take a look.¡±


    Suddenly eager, she viewed her notifications.


    Twenty looked like such a big milestone ¨C a nice round number. Ali rubbed her hands together.


    The skill notifications spoke to her growth throughout the long battle. Even her Grimoire of Summoning had grown from the aggressive use of deconstruction during combat. She typically used it to recover after fights, but today it had been the primary fuel that kept her magic running continuously. The steady stream of gear and Goblin corpses had simply been turned into mana, fuel for her barriers and Arcane Bolts.


    Her eyes dropped to the imprint.


    Her Grimoire seemed to have categorized at least some of the Goblins into a single imprint, providing her one for the entire family of races. She knew exactly when she had learned it too ¨C it had happened when she had deconstructed a particularly large Bugbear in the middle of the fight and her Grimoire had appeared, so she knew it at least included them.


    She very much disliked the smelly and vicious creatures they had been fighting all day, and she wouldn¡¯t have minded discarding the imprint due to space. But she had just earned a new blank chapter for the day-long battle.


    she thought. She already had a Fire Mage, but there had been several Goblin shamans, and their lightning magic was potent and rather terrifying. Not to mention she might be able to make Bugbears.


    She finally decided she could simply take the Goblinoid imprint and if something better came along, she wouldn¡¯t have a problem switching it out. If the imprint came with a useful elite, it might prove worth it in the end.


    She opened her Grimoire and committed the new imprint.


    ¡°You get something new?¡± Mato asked curiously.


    ¡°Goblins,¡± Ali answered, twisting her mouth.


    Vivian Ross glanced at her and arched an eyebrow but returned to her work without comment.


    ¡°Maybe don¡¯t summon them yet, people might freak out,¡± Mato said with a chuckle. ¡°Although, if you dressed like one¡­¡±


    ¡°Mato,¡± Ali warned with a smile.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked, shrugging, and raising both palms.


    ¡°Being called out for my smelly Kobold robes by Lydia was more than enough, I don¡¯t need to smell like a Bugbear, thank you very much.¡±


    He just chuckled and she returned to the long stream of notifications.


    Arcane Ray


    Mana: Channel your mana in a beam of arcane energy doing damage to all it touches. Range: 20 meters.


    Arcane, Ranged, Channeled, Intelligence


    Poison Cloud


    Mana: Emit a cloud of poison in a cone in front of your hand. Duration: 3 minutes. Range: 10 meters.


    Nature, Area, Intelligence


    Empowered Summoner


    Mana: Your minions gain added nature damage on hit.


    Choose a Minion. You gain +  % of their highest base attribute. Range: 15 meters. Reserve: 10%


    0: Replace a minion target for your attribute enhancement. Recharge: 1 hour.


    Nature, Minion, Buff, Intelligence


    With a quick look, Ali confirmed that her discarded options from earlier were still available, meaning she could pick Grasping Roots or Berserk Summoner in addition to the three new skills offered.


    Ali carefully read each of the skill descriptions.


    ¡°What do you guys think of these skill options,¡± she asked. Malika was still sound asleep, but Mato and Calen looked over with interest as she shared her three new choices with them.


    ¡°Some nice damage skills,¡± Mato observed. ¡°Poison Cloud might have been good today on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°True, but I would have to be careful of my allies ¨C and my minions.¡± Ali glanced over at her Kobold Fire Mage standing behind the couch. She had had to keep a close eye on him during the battle because his eagerness to Fireball everything in sight might have hurt some of her friends.


    ¡°That ray thingy looks nice, too,¡± Mato said. ¡°I wonder if you can just turn it on and wave it around?¡±


    ¡°Oh, interesting. It says it¡¯s channeled, so that might work. What do you think Calen?¡± Ali had noticed Calen was showing interest in the conversation, but he hadn¡¯t said anything so far.


    ¡°It probably does work like that, but if it were me, I would take the Empowered Summoner skill,¡± he said, poking his lip with the back of his pencil.


    ¡°It seems very expensive, though. It reserves ten percent of my entire mana.¡± Ali had thought the skill looked nice, but the others seemed a little more attractive because they didn¡¯t lock away so much mana. She was already reserving so much just to have minions.


    ¡°Your minions are your most powerful skill,¡± Calen retorted, offering a quirky smile to soften his words. ¡°Anything that makes them all stronger is multiplied by the number of minions you summon. I think this skill is worth way more than a ten percent reservation ¨C you get an attribute bonus, and all your minions gain nature magic damage whenever they hit something. Most of your minions are physical damage only ¨C with this skill, they can all have a source of magical damage, too.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think of it that way. That seems very powerful.¡±


    Ali was about to make the choice when she noticed Vivian Ross still sitting in the chair across from them, clearly having overheard the entire conversation, but she still hadn¡¯t commented. Perhaps she was being polite, but she had demonstrated an extraordinary level of experience during their first interview.


    ¡°Guildmaster, what do you think?¡± Ali inquired.


    Vivian Ross looked surprised for a moment before she schooled her expression. ¡°I think it¡¯s excellent that you discuss your choices with your friends, Aliandra. Too few people have that level of trust and it¡¯s a great way to get multiple perspectives. And yes, the minion buff skill is by far the strongest of your choices, given what I saw on the battlefield today. One additional point to the excellent analysis Calen gave ¨C you probably can¡¯t channel your missiles and that ray simultaneously. So, you¡¯d always be effectively fighting with one fewer skill if you picked that one.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I would be better off replacing the bolts with the ray, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I think I like the bolts better, they¡¯re guided, and I can focus my attention on my minions and my barriers.¡±


    ¡°That seems like a smart choice. And you can always change your mind later if you have to.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± It was nice to confirm that her unselected skills would remain available ¨C albeit at the cost of losing any earned skill levels. Happy with the decision, Ali selected Empowered Summoner for her newly unlocked skill slot. Immediately the familiar golden text appeared on the parchment in her mind¡¯s eye:


    Empowered Summoner ¨C level 1


    Mana: Your minions gain added nature damage on hit.


    Choose a Minion. You gain +51.2%  of their highest base attribute. Range: 15.45 meters. Reserve: 10%


    0: Replace a minion target for your attribute enhancement. Recharge: 1 hour.


    Nature, Minion, Buff, Intelligence


    To test it out, she turned it on, reserving ten percent of her entire mana pool. Immediately, her Kobolds glance at her with cunning smiles curving their lips upward to reveal entirely too many wicked fangs.


    Ali wriggled uncomfortably in her seat, unsure whether a decent person really should be so delighted by the prospect of frying enemies more effectively with nature magic enhanced Fireballs.


    ¡°Thank you, Ancient Mistress.¡±


    Ali acknowledged them with a nod and then selected her Fire Mage as the target for the skill. The activation for choosing her Fire Mage was written as a rather obscure ¡®0¡¯ in the skill description, but it turned out to be much simpler than she had feared; she simply chose, and there was no mana or stamina cost. According to the skill, whichever of his base attributes was the highest would be the one she would benefit from.


    Sure enough, her intelligence attribute suddenly jumped by a whopping twenty-nine points. The jump was so significant that it was instantly noticeable. Her mind¡¯s focus immediately sharpened, and she felt a heightened awareness. Most of her skills benefited from intelligence, which meant her barrier and her bolts would both be stronger in turn.


    ¡°Wow, this is nice!¡±


    She now had two potent minion buffs, and her attributes had improved. Ali finally turned her attention to her attribute points. Recalling the crazy stunt with her hanging from her barrier above the cavern floor, she put ten of the points into dexterity without hesitation. The rest she split among wisdom, intelligence, and perception. She had not forgotten that she had three skills that scaled with perception.


    While she was assigning her points, Vivian Ross broke the silence.


    ¡°What are you guys doing tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°No plans,¡± Mato answered quickly, and Ali looked up curiously.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about that Goblin dungeon. I know you said Kieran Mori¡¯s mercenaries killed it to provoke the dungeon-break, but I simply cannot trust their word. If there¡¯s any chance that dungeon is still alive, we could be facing a far worse disaster in a few weeks or months ¨C you know the drill. We absolutely must ensure that it is destroyed. I¡¯m tied up here for the next few weeks, so I was hoping that a couple of you guys could go on a scouting job for me. I can¡¯t pay, but I can cancel your guild membership debt as a reward.¡±


    ¡°You want us to kill a dungeon that spawns Hobgoblins?¡± Mato asked warily, clearly considering how many body parts that might cost him.


    Drumming her fingers on the armrest of her chair, Vivian replied, ¡°No, you¡¯re wise to be cautious ¨C just find out if it¡¯s really destroyed. If it¡¯s alive, report back and I think that will be enough for me to motivate Commander Brand to get involved.¡±


    Ali hadn¡¯t even been thinking beyond today¡¯s battle, and already the Guildmaster was several steps ahead. The idea that the dungeon was still out there preparing another, perhaps even bigger horde, was terrifying.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m that useful for a scouting mission,¡± Ali said. She did have some wolves, but it wasn¡¯t really a tracking mission, and she still had to worry about her domain withdrawal.


    ¡°I was thinking of Calen and Mato for this particular job,¡± Vivian answered. ¡°Buddy system ¨C and both of you have good scouting skills.¡±


    Ali thought seeing both Calen and Mato agreeing to the scouting mission.


    ***

 Chapter 46: Loose Ends

    Chapter 46: Loose EndsMalika When Malika woke, she found herself in an unfamiliar dark room and it took more than a few moments to remember she was still in the guild hall. Ali lay beside her on the couch tucked under a soft moss-green woolen blanket, and by the sound of her soft, steady breathing, she could tell she was fast asleep. Malika sat up carefully, her eyes scanning the room. In the gloom, she could make out the forms of many sleeping adventurers, curled up on couches, chairs, or even just sprawled out on the floor.


    The guild was never really closed, but in the aftermath of the Goblin siege, everyone must have been exhausted.


    Ali stirred as she sat up.


    ¡°Where are the boys?¡± Malika asked, pitching her voice low to avoid waking the people sleeping around them.


    ¡°The Guildmaster needed them to scout the Goblin dungeon so that they can ensure this doesn¡¯t happen again,¡± Ali said, rubbing her eyes and sitting up. ¡°They said they¡¯d be gone for a few days. Do you want to go back down to the shrine?¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that,¡± Malika answered. The guild itself was relatively safe, but Malika had little desire to push her luck. The less time she spent in Myrin¡¯s Keep, the less likely it was that she would run into the Watch¡¯s thugs.


    She got up, and Ali gestured for her remaining Kobolds to follow as they quietly snuck out of the guild hall and into the night. The cool breeze after the warmth of the guild hearth gave her a brief shiver, and she glanced up at the clear night sky and the sparkling stars shining down. she thought soberly, noting the darkness and the absence of the moon.


    Malika shook her head slowly. she reminded herself, putting such depressing thoughts away. She was an adventurer now and had spent all day yesterday facing down monsters in defense of the town. She had healed many people who might have otherwise died. Somehow, despite the indelible brand of her title proclaiming her as a Street Rat to anyone with Identify, she had still earned several grudging nods of respect from the guards who had witnessed the battle.


    Ali¡¯s two Kobold rogues shifted in the shadows and vanished from her sight as soon as they were on the street. The moderately terrifying Fire Mage kept pace with them as she took a shortcut between several merchant buildings to the nearest sewer entrance.


    She moved quickly, forgoing any chatter, her old habits making her anxious to be out on the streets after dark.


    They were no more than a block away from the sewer entrance when her instincts prickled. Instantly, she froze, scanning the street up ahead, eyes searching for the danger that surely lurked there.


    Everything seemed quiet, and nobody was out.


    Suddenly, she caught a twitch ¨C the tiniest of movements. A small bundle lay on the sidewalk. It took a moment before it moved again, and Malika saw a shock of pink, and a small hand reaching out toward the open door of the nearby shop.


    In a flash, Malika assessed the situation and then crossed the distance, burning stamina to accelerate her run. Lying crumpled in the gutter like so much discarded trash was a Gnome. She had been severely beaten and bled profusely from a nasty gash across her face caused by the shattered glass of her broken goggles. Malika immediately released healing into the stricken figure, pouring her stamina into her skill in a bright flash of blue-white light.


    Shards of glass clinked against stone as they were pushed out of the rapidly closing lacerations by Malika¡¯s Healing Mantra, falling one by one to the pavement.


    ¡°The Watch¡­¡± The Gnome managed, her hand still reaching toward the dark doorway. Malika¡¯s eyes snapped up at the sound of glass crunching under a heavy boot, seeing the open doorway and the shattered window for the first time.


    ¡°What have we here? Our little rat has returned to play?¡±


    The sadistic timbre of his voice sent an ice-cold surge of fear racing down Malika¡¯s spine. The two familiar, identical faces of the Watch enforcers emerged from the dark doorway and into the starlit street.


    ¡°Edrik, Mori has no more use for her, so you can have your fun. But I want the Fae, she is worth something on the market,¡± Adrik said.


    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± the other agreed.


    Amid the chaotic jumble of thoughts unleashed upon her by the sudden surge of fear, one fact stood out clearly in her mind. Not only was she in danger, but they would capture and sell Ali as soon as they finished with her. Her little friend had hung back in the shadows ¨C wisely, as it turned out.


    ¡°Ali, run!¡± Malika shouted as she stepped forward. She had already once gotten all her friends into terrifying trouble with these thugs because of her past, and she would not let it happen again.


    ¡°Ooh! The rat thinks she can fight!¡± Adrik laughed, contemptuously.


    ¡°I think she needs a fresh reminder of her place in life,¡± Edrik said, cracking all his knuckles with a sound like snapping bones.


    Malika charged her Divine Step and accelerated across the cobbled stone street, leaving the Gnome she had healed to her own devices. Her kick blurred through the air toward Edrik¡¯s face, and just as it was about to land, he drew his sword and slashed across her inner thigh with a strike so fast she could barely react.


    In all the shakedowns she had endured, Edrik had never once drawn a weapon on her, preferring a much more hands-on approach. The blade drew a shallow slice across her leg as Soul Armor provided resistance against the sharpness of the sword. Her kick still landed, and Soul Strike flashed as she connected ¨C and with it, the familiar trickle of health returned from the magical drain.


    She guarded against the backhand sweeping strike and punched Edrik in the gut, stealing another small trickle of his health that was quickly repairing the sword slash, staunching the flow of blood leaking down the inside of her leg.


    Edrik roared, coming at her with a brutal overhead strike, and Malika used her Enlightened Evasion to dodge the telegraphed attack. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She could tell she had gotten a lot stronger, but the fact that she was holding her own against Edrik for the first time in her life still seemed somehow shocking.


    Just as she felt a touch of confidence pool like warm liquid in her gut, Adrik¡¯s sword plunged deep into her back, passing between her ribs and puncturing her left lung. At precisely the same moment, Edrik¡¯s knee came up slamming her in the face as her body jerked forward. She saw stars and tasted blood welling up in her mouth as she coughed, blinking back the pain. The cold cobblestones cracked painfully into her forehead as she struck the ground. Immediately Edrik¡¯s boot slammed down on her hand, snapping several bones with a grinding twist of his heel.


    She had just enough presence of mind to use her Healing Mantra before another brutal kick, this time from Adrik, connected with the wound in her back. She healed again, struggling to move her body.


    The other twin had always stood around and watched while Edrik beat her up, and she had simply gotten used to their pattern, assuming she was fighting just Edrik.


    A powerful hand hauled her up by her hair, slamming her into the wall, and then gripped her by the throat, her feet dangling about a foot above the pavement. She healed again, and slowly the stars in her swimming vision began to fade as she struggled to breathe against Edrik¡¯s chokehold. In her hazy vision, she saw Ali still standing at the end of the street, one hand raised, palm out as if asking her to wait.


    Edrik¡¯s powerful fist smashed into Malika¡¯s face, rocking her head painfully off the wall. In the distance, through eyes already swelling shut, she saw Ali bend one finger closed. Beside the Fae, an angry red dancing light sprung into existence, hovering above the gleaming claws of her Kobold mage.


    Her head bounced off the wall again in response to the follow-up backhand that she was so familiar with.


    Ali withdrew a second finger.


    Malika¡¯s dazed mind produced the number matching Ali¡¯s fingers. She pulsed a little more healing and her mind cleared.


    The Kobold lurking in the darkness poured mana into the volatile red ball of flame dancing above his hand and it began to blaze with the fury of a furnace fueled by a bellows.


    With a hiss of exertion that might have been a scream were she not being choked, Malika grabbed Edrik¡¯s hand by the thumb and yanked outward, twisting, and briefly breaking his chokehold, overcoming his enormous strength with the simple advantage of leverage. She slammed her forehead into the bridge of his nose, pulsing Soul Strike into his face and rocking him back onto his heels.


    With the urgent speed borne of desperation, she stepped on Edrik¡¯s thigh, using Divine Step and Soul Strike in tandem. To her surprise, Soul Strike triggered as if her step were a melee attack, even though she had not put any force behind it. She pushed off his left shoulder with her arm, driving her body upward, and kicked out, hitting Adrik in the neck, once again using Divine Step to accelerate her upward momentum.


    She stepped off Edrik¡¯s head, twisting to face the wall, and took two rapid steps running straight up the sheer stone surface and leapt high, arching over backward in full layout.


    There was a swift sizzling whoosh, and suddenly the world below her exploded in a roaring yellow inferno. The shockwave slammed into her back tossing her body high into the air. For a moment, she lay suspended on a billowing pillow of flame with the beautiful stars twinkling in the dark sky overhead. Malika healed her rapidly burning skin and arched her neck backward as her flip completed.


    Momentarily suspended upside down, at the apex of her trajectory, she sighted the burnt form of Edrik, face down on the ground, struggling to recover. Golden shards tumbled end over end around her ¨C the glowing remnants of one of Ali¡¯s barriers.  It was probably the only reason she still had hair ¨C or was conscious. Gauging the distance, she tucked her knees to her chest, accelerating her plummeting fall. At the last possible moment, she thrust her right knee downward and triggered Soul Strike to augment her Martial Arts. Her knee-strike slammed heavily into the back of Edrik¡¯s neck with the flash of her magic. The loud crack of snapping bone drowned out the soft sound of her notification chime.


    Malika rolled to the side, healing her shattered kneecap as she scrambled to her feet. Edrik lay unmoving, his head twisted grotesquely to the side.


    With an incoherent roar, Adrik surged to his feet, his face a mess of burnt flesh. However, it was too late. Malika punished his unguarded rush with a jab of stiffened fingers to his throat. As he choked, trying to recover, two of Ali¡¯s rogues appeared out of thin air, burying their daggers in his back. A few seconds later a stream of golden magical bolts slammed into his head and neck. He crashed down onto the dirty street beside his brother.


    As the blue-white text appeared in her mind, she felt several notifications and the distinct sensation of growing stronger. Realizing she had been far too exhausted to check yesterday, she watched in surprise as the text unfolded before her mind¡¯s eye.


    ¡°Malika, are you¡­ ok?¡± Ali asked, rushing over to her.


    ¡°Ali, why¡­ why didn¡¯t you run?¡± Malika was breathing heavily after the short, but brutal, fight. Her stamina was low, but already regenerating, so she pulsed her Healing Mantra one more time to repair the remainder of the burns she had sustained while riding the huge ball of fire.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t leave you to face them by yourself.¡±


    Malika gaped at Ali for a long moment, at a complete loss for what to say. Adrik and Edrik were dangerous and violent, and Ali had put herself at great risk by getting involved. Mortal risk. An unfamiliar and strangely uncomfortable warmth rose in the center of her chest, and the more she thought about Ali coming to her aid with the Fireball, the more an embarrassing wetness welled up in her eyes.


    She looked away. Ali had changed so much. ¡°What happened to the scared little Fae I met underground?¡± She said it softly, not expecting an answer.


    ¡°She¡¯s still right here, just as scared,¡± Ali whispered back. ¡°But I¡¯m here for you, whenever you need. That¡¯s what friends are, right?¡±


    Malika may actually have cried right then, but she was soon interrupted by another voice.


    ¡°You killed them! You really killed them!¡±


    The little Gnome she had healed earlier was on her feet, standing nearby, hands on her hips, shocking pink hair all awry, staring down at the two corpses.


    But before Malika could worry, the Gnome spat on Edrik and kicked his leg. Then she launched into an unbroken string of what had to be profanity in several different languages, none of which Malika understood.


    After a minute, and the tirade showed no signs of stopping, Malika glanced over at Ali. Seeing her raised eyebrow, she simply shrugged. Eventually, the feisty Gnome slowed down, her tirade of invective petering out.


    ¡°Thank you for saving me and my shop. You have done the entire town a great service by ridding the world of these two thugs. My name is Morwynne Fizzlebang, and I own Pretty Powerful Potions.¡± She indicated the shop with the broken window. ¡°If there is anything you two ever need, please don¡¯t hesitate to stop by.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Malika offered, not quite knowing how to take the highly energetic person.


    Morwynne quickly retreated into her store, and soon sounds of banging emanated from within and some boards appeared blocking the broken window.


    ¡°Do you mind if I deconstruct them?¡± Ali asked, her eyes still on the charred corpses of Adrik and Edrik.


    Malika just nodded, still struggling to process the torrent of feelings surging within her. Strangely, it was the sight of the bodies turning into mana and slowly dissipating into the cool night air that finally calmed her heart. She had hated these two for as long as she could remember. So many times she had wished for someone to come save her, for an unnatural disaster to befall them, or for someone to simply kill them for all the pain and destruction they had caused. But in the end, she had done it herself, with the help of a friend she never imagined she could have.


    Now, watching the motes of golden mana drifting away, she finally felt free.


    ***


    Aliandra


    Ali stepped out of her tent, relishing the sight of her forest and savoring the crisp springiness of the Verdant Moss squishing down beneath her feet. The mana of her domain had a calm, gentle pulsing flow, no longer being drawn into the shrine now that it was fully recharged.


    She turned to look out across the broad expanse of the trees she had planted along the southern half of the cavern and paused in surprise, wrinkling her nose at the whiff of an unpleasant odor. Before she had gone to bed, she had left her Kobolds with instructions to scour the battlefield during the night for anything useful. She stared, flabbergasted, at the gigantic pile of Goblin bodies, armor, weapons, arrows, and whatever else the Kobolds had gotten their claws on.


    she thought, wondering how the Kobolds had managed to drag something as large as a Bugbear or a Hobgoblin in full gear all the way underground to this pile. Much of the equipment looked damaged or broken ¨C or just plain terrible ¨C and it was clear that what she thought of as ¡®useful¡¯ did not quite match her Kobolds¡¯ criteria.


    With a simple mental command, she halted her Kobolds¡¯ collection efforts, returning them to the shrine, while she examined the pile, racking her brain as to what to do.


    Ali began deconstructing the corpses. They weren¡¯t useful for anything other than filling out the remainder of her Goblinoid imprint, and they would begin to stink if she just left them. she thought, correcting herself and wrinkling her nose. Goblins already reeked. She couldn¡¯t imagine the smell if she let them rot. Besides, she would need Malika¡¯s input to sort the rest of the gear anyway.


    It took ages to work her way through the pile, and every now and then, her Grimoire flipped through its own pages to insert small updates to the glowing runes adorning the conjured parchment. Before she was done, she had to enlist the aid of her Kobolds to move the loose armor and weapons so she could reach the bodies at the bottom of the pile, but eventually, she completed the chore and put her Grimoire away.


    She had no idea what was valuable or worthless in the pile of items that remained, and Malika wasn¡¯t awake yet. So, she instructed her Kobolds to sort the pile, of what was probably mostly junk, into categories, which she took care to specify properly. While they toiled over the mound of gear, she sat in front of her tent on the mossy ground to study her runes until her friend woke.


    While she had not gained any formal skill or notifications for her efforts practicing meditation, she still took a couple of deep breaths, assuming the same cross-legged pose Malika favored. She calmed her mind for a moment, settling in, and followed the advice Malika had given her. She had no idea if she was doing it right, but the breathing exercises did seem to improve her focus a little. Then she opened her Grimoire and began to study its intricate inscriptions.


    Sometime later, Malika stirred, emerging from her tent. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a lot of stuff.¡±


    Ali looked up from her Grimoire to find Malika standing beside her staring at the now roughly sorted piles of armor, swords, daggers, bows, and various other items.


    ¡°I thought I¡¯d wait for you to see if there¡¯s anything valuable in here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll take a while,¡± Malika answered, raising her eyebrow. ¡°Why don¡¯t we do a little, and then head up to the guild and turn in our Goblin extermination quests?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, that¡¯s a good idea.¡± Ali had forgotten they had taken a kill quest prior to the Goblin horde showing up, and now they would be able to turn it in for money. With a good night¡¯s sleep between her and the battle, Ali was able to even feel excited at the prospect.


    ***


    The guild hall had returned to a semblance of normalcy by the time they arrived, albeit somewhat quiet because it was still early. Mieriel looked up from her desk as they walked in.


    ¡°Oh, hi again Aliandra, Malika, good to see you.¡±


    The Elven guild administrator wore a brand-new, elegant outfit this morning.


    ¡°Can we turn in the Goblin quest?¡± Ali asked as she stepped up on the small barriers she created to raise herself to the level of the desk.


    ¡°Of course! I can take care of that right away.¡±


    ¡°How does it work? I don¡¯t think I killed all these Goblins on my own.¡±


    Bronze Guild Ring ¨C level 10


    Owner: Aliandra Amariel


    Quests:


    Eliminate hostile Kobolds in and around Myrin¡¯s Keep ¨C 0


    Eliminate hostile Goblins in and around Myrin¡¯s Keep ¨C 137


    Mana: Store or retrieve an item. Capacity: 7.5 / 25kg


    Ring


    Her ring listed the crazy total of one hundred and thirty-seven Goblins killed. While the battle had spanned a large portion of the day, and she had fought without pause, she knew many of the Goblins had been killed by the group, often with supporting arrows and spells from the defenders on the battlements. Or sometimes, Serendipity¡¯s waterspouts. The battlefield had been utter chaos.


    ¡°Congratulations!¡± Mieriel exclaimed. ¡°And thank you for helping to defend the town.¡±


    She pulled out the magical panel again.


    ¡°The ring records the type and level of the monster, and how much experience you earned for shared kills. We run it through this panel which has been enchanted with an advanced Analyze spell. It will calculate your contribution and how much to award you for your share in completing the quest,¡± Mieriel explained.


    It all seemed pretty sophisticated, but Ali was excited to study advanced magic in action. As soon as Mieriel placed the panel in front of her, she pressed her ring to it. Her normal senses registered almost nothing, but with her mana sight, she saw a delicate and complex magical formation pop up briefly, twisting and rotating in curious and inexplicable directions before it faded. After a moment, it dinged and displayed a result.


    .


    ¡°Nice work!¡± Mieriel complimented her, while she deftly counted out three gold coins, one large, one medium, and two small silver pieces, and placed them in front of Ali. ¡°The guild cut has already been processed and will go towards the price of your ring.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ali said, collecting her coins and storing them before stepping down to let Malika have her turn. Her ring, she noticed, still recorded the quest, but the kill count had been reset back to zero.


    ¡°Is this a lot of money?¡± Ali whispered to Malika after they were both done.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty good for our level, I think. More than I ever got my hands on,¡± Malika answered. Then, she made a curious face and asked, ¡°I guess you don¡¯t know how much money is really worth?¡±


    Ali nodded. It had been over three thousand years. While they still used gold and silver coins for currency, the coins themselves were unfamiliar and the prices of things didn¡¯t make much sense. Initially, she had assumed there had been a simple inflation, but she had quickly been proved wrong. The cost of magical items seemed unreasonable, while the price of mundane labor was far cheaper than she recalled.


    ¡°Five coppers will get you a simple meal. One silver will buy you a room at an inn, or a set of basic clothes. Five silver bought us one of those daggers. It¡¯s a hundred copper to one silver, and so on. Things get a lot more expensive if they¡¯re magical or designed for wealthy people.¡± Malika explained. ¡°Like our fancy clothes.¡±


    ¡°How much are books?¡±


    ¡°Books are quite expensive, the cheapest around twenty-five silver. Anything with magic is a gold or more. A lot higher for advanced stuff.¡±


    Ali frowned. Malika had mentioned that books were expensive, but if that was true, her funds wouldn¡¯t go very far, even if she included all the money she had earned making arrows for the garrison supply quest.


    ¡°Why so expensive?¡± She was sure that books in Dal¡¯mohra hadn¡¯t been nearly that pricy, in relative terms, but she had also not needed to buy many books with the enormous library available for free whenever she wanted to read anything. And if the Grand Library Arcana didn¡¯t have a book for something, likely it didn¡¯t exist.


    ¡°Books, especially magical books, are status symbols for the wealthy. Besides being rare, having access to good magical books can enhance someone¡¯s power substantially because they help guide skill growth and unlock advancements. That¡¯s why they¡¯re hoarded. I didn¡¯t mind as much when I was forced to steal books from some of the wealthy people.¡±


    The last admission seemed to make Malika uncomfortable, and she shifted in place awkwardly, but then she brightened. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s a good bookstore just nearby, why don¡¯t we go check it out together?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Can we?¡±

 Chapter 47: The Reading Corner

    Chapter 47: The Reading Corner- Excerpt from


    Aliandra


    Malika led Ali across the bridge to the merchant district. The bridge was nothing more than a simple arched construction that spanned the tributary of the Myrin River which cut through the middle of the town. But the fact that it appeared to be a single contiguous piece of delicately speckled granite, rather than a mundane assortment of interlocking blocks or bricks, spoke to the skill of the stone crafter or earth mage who had conjured it, despite the simple and understated practicality of the architecture. Not exactly a choice Ali might have made ¨C she had always been a little partial to some artistry or sculpture ¨C but the decades of wear across the bridge, and the fact that it still bore heavy traffic, stood as a testament to the builder ¨C whoever they might have been.


    Ali followed Malika¡¯s unhurried steps away from the soft, rushing flow of the river and on into the merchant district. The surprising contrast between the bustling noise of the thriving stores and the ominous silence of gutted, abandoned buildings unique to Myrin¡¯s Keep was on full display in this district and she wondered how people even managed to stay in business on some of the more run-down streets. Why did people still put so much effort into their businesses when they might find themselves suddenly bleeding in the gutter like that poor Gnome, Morwynne Fizzlebang?


    Eventually, Malika slowed and came to a stop in front of a small stone corner shop with a brightly painted sign depicting an open book with sparkling text. Lush ivy with green and red leaves had been cultivated along the walls, lending it a comforting atmosphere of stability and timelessness.


    Ali gazed at the quaint and tiny building with a little flutter of excitement settling in her stomach. For sure, there was no comparison between this minute store and the Grand Library Arcana she had grown up with, and she had deliberately set her expectations accordingly, but the building exuded an intoxicating sense of possibilities and unexplored paths that she simply couldn¡¯t ignore.


    A cheerful magical chime sounded as she pushed the wooden door open and entered the store. The nostalgic scent of old books, parchment, and ink whisked her instantly into memories of long, pleasant hours wiled away with her favorite stories. There was even a hearth with a small warm fire and several comfortable reading chairs scattered about ¨C the perfect nook for a group of beloved friends to huddle around over a cup of warm, floral Elven tea. A small board had been placed on a table, set with unadorned but well-worn crafted pieces of light and dark wood arranged in the middle of a game of Kings and Emperors. A thick, dark rug covered a warm wooden floor, and a small floating orb of soft light completed the reading area. Surrounding the reading spot were tightly packed shelves separated only by the narrowest passages, almost Fae-sized aisles, to allow access to the books stacked to the ceiling. Scattered about, and filling most of the available floor space, were many half-opened boxes filled with unsorted books and scrolls.


    Ali took a deep breath, taking her fill of the atmosphere, and let out a happy sigh. She could easily spend a week on one of the comfortable reading chairs and simply not notice the outside world moving by. She grinned at Malika and entered the room intent on exploring.


    ¡°Hi, welcome to The Reading Corner!¡±


    A tall, raven-haired young human woman wearing dark-rimmed glasses poked her head out from one of the narrow passages between two tall bookshelves. She wore a bright green dress with practical matching hairclips keeping her hair out of her ink-smudged face. In her arms, she carried several books and a clipboard.


    Ali immediately liked her. The open and curious smile, the careful way she carried the books, and the gentle way her hand rested upon the bookshelves beside her told Ali all she needed to know.


    ¡°My name is Ryn. I¡¯m the bookseller¡¯s apprentice, how can I help you?¡±


    A quick Identify told Ali that Ryn had yet to unlock her class. ¡°I¡¯d like to buy a couple of books, but I¡¯m not sure what I can afford.¡± Ali gazed around the store, wondering how anyone would find anything specific in the seemingly chaotic organization.


    ¡°Oh good,¡± Ryn smiled. ¡°I¡¯m about halfway through reorganizing everything so it¡¯s a bit chaotic right now, but I can help you find anything. Do you have something particular in mind?¡±


    A reorganization of the entire bookstore seemed like an immense undertaking, but it explained the chaos.


    ¡°Magic books, history, and maybe a good story?¡± Ali didn¡¯t want to seem too desperate, but she had been considering this very question for weeks. Now that she was so close and literally surrounded by books, she couldn¡¯t wait to get something worth reading. She had worked hard for her gold, and if Malika was right, she could easily wipe out all her earnings in an instant.


    ¡°What kind of magic books are you looking for? I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t Identify you yet. If you¡¯re looking for something advanced, they¡¯re locked away and you¡¯ll have to wait a few weeks for the owner to return.¡±


    ¡°I just reached level twenty.¡±


    ¡°I think we can find something, let me see¡­¡± Ryn moved towards a set of shelves, running her fingers across the backs of the books stored there. ¡°How much would you like to spend?¡±


    ¡°I have about five gold,¡± Ali answered quickly, earning a frown from Malika.


    But Ryn seemed trustworthy, and Ali couldn¡¯t imagine she would be taken advantage of, despite Malika¡¯s obvious paranoia.


    ¡°Here we go. These are mostly introductory works and fundamentals for newer spellcasters, perhaps there is something you¡¯d like here?¡± Ryn called out, inviting her to peruse a shelf with books stacked on it seemingly at random. Ali recognized the telltale soft glow and sparkle of magical ink on the spine of several of the texts, and now, with her skills, she could see the mana swirling around this section of the shelves. Authors of magical texts often used mana-infused ink to help illustrate the concepts depicted within, or to impress the reader with dramatic cover designs, or sometimes both. The magical text sections within the Grand Library Arcana had always been a spectacular riot of color and motion.


    Ali¡¯s eyes lingered excitedly on the modest collection of magical tomes. Unsurprisingly, most of the texts were for fire and ice magic. Even in her time, fire and ice were by far the most common affinities among mages.  Not the most versatile magic, but certainly reliable ¨C especially for combat classes.


    While she would have loved to read a good discourse on fire magic, her personal mana was not compatible and it would satisfy her intellectual curiosity, but not much more. This wasn¡¯t a library with free access to everything ¨C she had limited gold and something that she could use would be the best option to help her grow.


    Her hand rested on a small tome on the shelf that claimed to be a text on Plant magic. Plant magic had a substantial overlap with the broader Nature magic affinity, and she was certain she could find a few compatible spells.Mato seemed very happy to lend her his Druid magic book whenever she wanted.


    ¡°Do you have anything on Arcane magic?¡± Ali couldn¡¯t immediately see anything related to arcane affinity on the shelf in front of her, but the selection was rather small, and it didn¡¯t surprise her much. While it was worth asking, Ali wasn¡¯t expecting anything.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Ryn pursed her lips in an expression of deep thought. ¡°I do recall something¡­ oh yes! I know, it was in the shipment that just arrived this week. Now, where did I put that box¡­¡±


    The studious bookstore apprentice hurried over to the end of the aisle and dug into a box of books with an infectious energy that Ali just had to admire.  Even with her vigorous-looking search, each book was handled with gentle care and respect, set aside carefully to avoid damaging them. ¡°Here we go!¡± She popped her head up, holding a smallish book with a brown leather cover and shining silver-embossed writing that emitted small drifts of vibrant purple mana ¨C the typical color of arcane mana ¨C into the air around it.


    Ali took the book and paged through it, scanning the table of contents. The book felt good in her hands. Like most books, it was sized for the larger races, but Ali found it familiar and comfortable. There had been many introductory texts just like this one that she had read during her time in the library, but this time it was quite a different experience. She felt her attention drawn by densely complex runic spell structures written on the pages; the flow of mana embedded within the ink was clearly visible with her Arcane Insight. Both her Runic Script and Sage of Learning instantly activated to augment her understanding of the magical inscriptions and the connections between the runes. The runic inscriptions depicting the various magical constructs reminded her of the inscriptions of her imprints in her Grimoire, albeit vastly simplified.


    ¡°This one is two and a half gold,¡± Ryn answered, breaking Ali¡¯s focus. She was consulting her clipboard with a bit of a frown. ¡°I¡¯m sorry it¡¯s so expensive ¨C arcane magic books are quite rare, you do understand?¡±


    It was almost half her hard-earned gold for just one introductory magical book. A small mountain of arrows. But it looked like exactly the book she needed ¨C she would be able to practice with her Sage of Learning, and finally unlock some useful magic for her Runic Script.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll take it.¡± While it might be a large fraction of her money, she was certain she would not be able to develop her Runic Script skill without something like this book. Her Grimoire was unfortunately way too complex to understand, and according to what Malika had said, this was a reasonable price for the book she was holding.


    Ryn¡¯s frown disappeared in a flash, replaced with a beaming smile.


    ¡°We should get this too,¡± Malika suggested, holding up a rugged-looking brown book.


    It was an obviously mundane book, but one presumably aimed at adventuring and related activities. Malika seemed surprisingly sure of herself, offering the book for her to peruse.


    ¡°You¡¯re new at this adventurer stuff, and you said you learn well from books.¡±


    ¡°That one is one gold and twelve silver,¡± Ryn offered helpfully.


    But Malika was right, she did not have the years of preparation most people got before taking a combat class. She lagged in her understanding compared to everyone else, and, if she hadn¡¯t chosen the Adventurers Guild, she would have been way out of her depth. It was a stroke of amazingly good fortune that she had run into Malika and the others early on and gotten a lot of help and advice.


    ¡°I¡¯ll split it with you if you like,¡± Malika offered. ¡°I think I can learn a lot from it too. And I¡¯m sure Calen will want to read it.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali answered, and Ryn took the book and placed it on the counter beside her magic book.


    Before they finished shopping, Ali had Ryn suggest a book on local history and a popular story that she thought she might enjoy reading. Neither were as expensive as the first two books, and she was certain the history book would be a huge help orienting her in this era in which she had awoken.


    Ryn totaled it all up. ¡°That will be four gold and thirty-seven silver,¡± she said, placing the four books in a nice-looking bag with a printed book on the side, matching the one on the sign outside the shop.


    Ali paid, and even with Malika¡¯s contribution, she suddenly found herself a lot poorer. It had taken a lot of work to earn her money, and even though there was no doubt in her mind that she was spending it well, she still felt a pang of loss as she handed over the coins.


    she thought glumly. The quests and jobs in defense of the town against the Goblin siege would probably be over now, so she might need to find new ways to recover her money.


    ¡°I hope you enjoy your books,¡± Ryn called out brightly to her as Ali and Malika left the store, and her excitement for finally having new books of her own returned in a rush.


    ***


    Ali accompanied Malika on a few errands around town, but she didn¡¯t pay much attention, her mind still lingering on the bookstore, and the brand-new acquisitions stored in her ring. She couldn¡¯t wait till she got back to camp so that she could read.


    When they finally returned to the shrine, and Malika began practicing her kicks, Ali sat herself down on the moss in the center of one of the golden fairy rings. Glancing within her ring¡¯s storage space, she located the silver-embossed book on arcane magic and retrieved it, the weight of the tome suddenly heavy on her lap.


    , she thought.Ali summoned a small disk of her barrier magic, setting it hovering in the air above her head where it could shed its golden light on her book, augmenting the soft glow of the golden mushrooms and the light of the shrine behind her.


    She traced the silver embossed runes on the cover of the book with her fingertips, savoring the way the mesmerizing wisps and swirls of purple mana it emitted softly tickled as they brushed against her skin. Her heart pounded with excitement as she considered all the knowledge and magic separated from her by nothing more than a book cover. Much as fighting was a necessity these days, she would never love it like she loved the knowledge she was about to absorb, no, swim in!


    She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, shutting out everything in the world around her, except for the faint wispy tendrils of mana surrounding her book, and the powerful backdrop of her arcane and nature mana, still visible to her Arcane Insight.


    She took a deep calming breath, following the meditation exercises Malika had taught her, and within a few moments, the pounding of her heart and frenetic excitement in her mind faded to an alert and focused curiosity.


    She opened her eyes and carefully opened the cover to reveal the first chapter. It was an introductory arcane spell called ¡®Cleanse¡¯, but in her calmer state of mind, she didn¡¯t mind one bit. Ali planned to learn everything in this book, of course, so starting with the easiest magic was the most logical approach. She began to read the author¡¯s explanation of the spell, keeping her breathing calm and even, and the world around her faded into unawareness as her focus sharpened. Sage of Learning responded almost immediately, providing the familiar sensation of a slow drain on her mana, and a bizarre reshuffling of information within her mind as her skill searched her memories and experiences for even the most obscure connections that might be relevant.


    She turned the page, and her magical sight exploded with delicate traceries of magic as she viewed the completed inscription of the spell revealed on the pages. The circle of runic magic and the delicate connections that the author had been explaining were laid bare on the page, complete, and beautiful. Runic Script immediately interpreted the meaning and layout of what she saw, augmented by the active structure of the mana flowing within the magically inscribed runes. This was a complete spell, much like the spells inscribed in her Grimoire ¨C only this one had vastly fewer runes and connections. It was a technique that magical scholars often employed ¨C the inscription was an unpowered magical construct, and the mana flowing through the runes was simply an echo of what would be needed to power it ¨C ambient mana that collected in the inscribed runic channels. It was enough to show how the magic should work, but it would require an infusion of arcane mana to actually function.


    Ali channeled a small trickle of her own arcane mana into the spell construct and the runes flared into brilliant golden light as she studied the flows within its structure. For all that this was introductory magic, the active structure was remarkably complex. But with her mana flowing through the runes, she felt the distinct prickle of magic on her skin as her hand passed through the circle and it tried to cleanse her.


    She had no idea how long she spent studying the runes, but she remained focused, and filled with a sense of joy and excitement. Finally, an opportunity to take a little time off from fighting to learn something fascinating. After she had fixed the entire structure within her mind, Ali carefully set the book aside on the mossy ground and began to trace the structure with her mana using Runic Script.


    Her skill helped her channel her mana into the shapes of the desired runes, each sinking into the mossy ground as she completed them. She strung the connections together, copying the structure that hovered, glowing within her mind. Her first attempt failed, of course, but she didn¡¯t mind in the slightest, simply returning to the reference in her book and comparing the structure until she found the subtle mistake she had made. The second attempt failed with a substantially more obscure error ¨C a spot in the tricky runic connections that she hadn¡¯t fully understood. Smiling happily, she dug into the snarled and tangled connection she had inscribed, referring to the smooth flow in the book until she felt she had fully understood what she had missed, before starting again.


    The mana flowed out into the ground, tracing the elegant flow of the runes, and each connected with the whole smoothly, extending and enhancing the construct and the structure of the magical energy. As she placed the final rune, she concentrated on the connection to the beginning of the circle ¨C the spot that had broken her last attempt. It was a tricky connection ¨C she had to bind it to the beginning of the circle, while simultaneously connecting it to the previous rune ¨C and it pushed her focus and concentration to the limits.


    The pure and gentle sound of her chime rang within her mind.


    Ali held her breath and used Identify on the circle of glowing magical runes that lay before her.


    Her heart leapt with excitement at the sight of the completed runic circle, glowing softly with her golden arcane mana, a perfect match to the smaller copy inscribed upon the pages of her new book. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ali immediately stepped into the center of the runic circle and sat down. A cool prickling sensation rippled across her skin, and small particles of dirt and grime floated up off her body and clothing, sparkling into tiny motes of golden mana before evaporating into the ambient mana in the air around her.


    , she giggled inwardly.


    As she sat enjoying the sensation of her magic circle cleansing her from dirt, her notification chime sounded again.


    Sage of Learning ¨C level 10


    Your ability to learn languages, magical systems, history, and similar academic knowledge is significantly enhanced. You have enhanced memory for the content you have studied.


    Mana: Channel mana and uninterrupted focus to enhance Sage of Learning while studying. Cognitive function, memory, and reading are enhanced in speed and clarity.


    Arcane, Knowledge, Channeled, Perception, Intelligence


    Ali sat and stared dumbfounded at the notifications.


    She had only been excited about studying her new book, and a simple magical construct at that. Other than convenience, the magic construct for Cleanse would not be particularly useful ¨C certainly not for combat, unless she planned to threaten the Goblins with unwanted cleaning? In her desire to focus, she had intuitively used Malika¡¯s breathing exercises to calm herself down, and instead of unlocking the expected Meditation general skill, she had unlocked something substantially more useful to her.


    Accepting the advancement would set the direction for future growth of her class and skill, but an intentional study trance was ideal for her. Even though she didn¡¯t have access to many books for studying yet, it could only be a matter of time and earning enough money before she had many more. With this skill, she would be able to accelerate and enhance her learning. Maybe she might even begin to make sense of the impossibly complex runic magic in her Grimoire.


    Ali accepted the advance, committing herself and her class growth to the path of her passion for magical study.

 Chapter 48: Merchant

    Chapter 48: MerchantCalen Calen led the way unerringly through the eerily quiet, dense forest. He had been here only once, and then under the imminent threat of being discovered by Goblin patrols, but his memory for places had always been excellent, and now with his potent Explorer skill enhancing it, this felt as easy as finding his way to his bedroom at home. He occasionally sighted the large, prowling shape of Mato scouting between the trees in his Wolf Form, but neither of them had sensed any apparent danger. The forest seemed devoid of Goblins, or even any creatures, most of them having probably been consumed by the horde.


    The clearing was exactly as he had remembered it, minus the corpses of the mercenaries Kieran Mori had murdered for their silence. Not even pausing, Calen sprinted through, maintaining his stealth and silent passage as he followed the fading tracks of uncountable Goblin footprints back to where he knew the cavern entrance lay, concealed behind a dense bramble thicket.


    He paused outside the cave entrance, enduring the palpable stench of rot wafting up from deep inside while waiting for Mato to join him. He scanned everything with his acute vision, but he could neither see nor hear anything moving.


    ¡°This it?¡± Mato asked quietly.


    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t see any newer tracks than the dungeon-break.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t smell anything new either ¨C just this rot. But the forest hasn¡¯t recovered from the Goblin horde, do you hear how quiet everything is? It¡¯s eerie.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Calen said, glancing at Mato and then they both stepped cautiously through the entryway. It was broad and high enough that even Mato could enter without ducking, and the cavern grew dramatically larger after only twenty feet. He wrinkled his nose at a draft of air carrying an extra helping of the nasty odor.


    Calen crept forward with Mato padding softly beside him, making almost no sound. It didn¡¯t need to be said that they should be on their guard ¨C they had both faced the sheer number of Goblins that had descended upon Myrin¡¯s Keep, and Mato¡¯s observation about the silence of the forest worried Calen a lot.


    They crept along stealthily, deeper and deeper into the maze-like warren following the steadily worsening stench and the week-old tracks that filled the place. Every few moments, Calen checked in with his Explorer skill, dreading a notification that the dungeon was still alive, but all was quiet, and no chimes broke the silence.


    It took almost an hour at their slow and careful pace before he sensed the end of the warren coming up ¨C if for no other reason than the stench of rotting meat had become almost unbearable. As he stepped out of the tunnel and into an enormous chamber, the reason for the smell became suddenly obvious.


    Piled indiscriminately against the far side of the cavern wall was a heap of bodies; Goblins mixed in with whatever game had been present in the surrounding forest. It was clearly the Goblin warren¡¯s food pile, but the reek from the week-old bodies stood as a powerful sign that nothing had remained behind to eat it.


    Lying beside the pile was the corpse of the largest Goblinoid creature he had ever seen.


    It was several times larger than Mato, with the crimson-red skin of the Hobgoblins, but the resemblance to the elite Goblin fighters ended there. Its broad, heavily muscled back and shoulders were covered with coarse black fur, and the faces of both staring heads were brutish and feral, resembling Bugbears more than Hobgoblins. It lay in a large pool of what could only be dried blood.


    He identified the corpse using his Explorer skill.


    ¡°What is that thing?¡± Mato asked, shifting back into his normal form.


    ¡°Warlord? I¡¯ve never seen anything like it. But my skill says it was the dungeon boss.¡±


    ¡°So, Mori¡¯s mercenaries really did kill it?¡±


    ¡°Looks like it. My skill hasn¡¯t notified me of any dungeon, and this is the end of the warren.¡±


    ¡°Boring mission,¡± Mato said, looking around. ¡°I guess it¡¯s an easy way to pay off our guild rings, right?¡±


    ¡°Can you imagine if that thing had still been alive?¡± The corpse, he noticed, had been stripped of any weapons or armor. Presumably, the mercenaries had taken the spoils for themselves. The Guildmaster had been right to worry, if this warlord had remained, no doubt the entire dungeon would have been respawned in a few weeks and another dungeon-break would have been heading their way.


    Calen crept around the huge cavern, but there was very little to see. Some animal skins, and crude wooden furniture. A few cold ashes of cookfires, discarded trash, bones, and other nasty things he simply chose not to get too close to.


    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s something alive in here.¡±


    Calen¡¯s head snapped around to find Mato dragging bodies from the carrion pile. His stomach squirmed queasily as he saw the rotten arm Mato was pulling separate from the corpse with a sickening, tearing squelch.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes. My aura can tell there is a living target, but it¡¯s not certain if it¡¯s an ally or not. I¡¯m not certain?¡± He looked a little puzzled, but he pulled at something, drawing out a small body.


    ¡°That¡¯s a Gnome?¡± The body was in very poor shape. What might have once been a Gnome was missing a leg, and most of the right side of its face and body was charred to a crispy black and pierced by debris in what looked like the tell-tale signs of fireball damage.


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s alive. Barely,¡± Mato confirmed. ¡°Do we have any health potions?¡±


    ¡°I have a couple,¡± Calen answered, quickly handing one to Mato who immediately tried to force it down the throat of the unresponsive Gnome. How successful it was seemed debatable, because his throat did not move.


    ¡°At least my aura is working on him now,¡± Mato said. ¡°It isn¡¯t as good as Malika¡¯s healing, but hopefully it can take care of some of the injuries.¡±


    ¡°Depending on how long he¡¯s been like this, some of those injuries might be permanent,¡± Calen said. Nothing had been in here in at least a week, which meant the Gnome had somehow survived at least that long with his grievous burns and wounds. ¡°How are we going to get him back to town?¡±


    ¡°I have extra recall potions,¡± Mato answered as if that were the most natural thing in the world.


    His answer surprised Calen, but ever since Mato and Ali had survived being dropped down that hole, his friend had become a little more cautious than normal.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s get him to the priests at the Temple of Lunar¨¦, and then go report to the Guildmaster.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Vivian Ross said, sitting back in the large leather-backed chair at the head of the table in her ¡®briefing room¡¯ ¨C a repurposed meeting room adjacent to the main guild hall.


    They had just finished reporting the Goblin dungeon as destroyed, when the door to the guild opened and a small figure entered. He wore a bright purple waistcoat, and an eye patch, and limped into the hall slowly, as if unfamiliar with using his cane.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± Mieriel asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for¡­ a Calen? And Mato. I was told they are members of your esteemed guild.¡±


    His cultured speech confirmed that he was indeed the Gnome they had rescued, but the fellow looked entirely different. The burns were gone, replaced with some residual scarring on his face and hand. It looked like the priests had been able to regenerate his leg, but it clearly wasn¡¯t a perfect heal. His eye must have been beyond repair.


    But dressed in new clothing, and walking around, he looked sharp and alert, and an entirely different person.


    ¡°We¡¯re over here,¡± Mato called out.


    ¡°Weldin Thriftpenny, at your service,¡± the Gnome introduced himself, hobbling across the floor to where they had emerged from the meeting room. ¡°I just wanted to thank you in person for saving me. The priests told me where to find you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Calen answered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry we didn¡¯t get you in time to fully heal your injuries.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just happy to be out of that Goblin hole,¡± he said with a shudder.


    ¡°How did you end up in the Goblin dungeon, anyway?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°I was fleeing Myrin¡¯s Keep. I didn¡¯t have enough money to cover the Town Watch dues this month. Adrik and Edrik burned down my shop and they told me they were going to come after me if I failed to pay, so I took everything I owned and packed it on my cart and ran for it. Unfortunately, a couple of days out of Myrin¡¯s Keep I ran into a Goblin Fire Mage. He blew up my cart, and when I came to, I was in that awful pile of bodies, minus a leg, just waiting for that Warlord to decide he was ready for dinner.¡±


    ¡°They had a Warlord?¡± Vivian asked.


    ¡°Oh, yes, the biggest, ugliest two-headed brute you¡¯ve ever seen. Always roaring and shouting and smashing everything he didn¡¯t like. When those mercenary people showed up and killed him, they caused rather a lot of bother ¨C so many Goblins rushing about like chickens without heads. I kept myself alive with food and water in my ring for a few days, but eventually, I must have just passed out.¡±


    ¡°That sounds awful,¡± Mato said.


    Calen thought. He worried that one day this would be his mother and him, forced to flee with nothing but what they could carry on their backs.


    ¡°Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you before I left. I want to be long gone before those goons discover I survived and try to come for a piece of me. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, and farewell.¡±


    He turned and began making his slow and careful way across the hall, each shuffle of his feet punctuated by a sharp of his wooden cane striking the polished stone floor.


    Calen gazed at the back of the physically broken, down-and-out merchant, wishing there was something more he could do. He knew how hard it was setting up a business from scratch, just from watching what his mother had had to go through. Some of the larger and more established guilds in other more stable cities had in-house merchants and other non-combat support staff managing the business created by the adventurers.


    He glanced at Vivian.


    ¡°It might be nice to have a Guild Merchant,¡± he said quietly, as they watched him go.


    Vivian Ross glanced over at him in surprise, and then her gaze flickered back to the retreating Gnome, quickly picking up what he had in mind.


    ¡°Mr. Thriftpenny, do you have a minute to entertain a proposal?¡± Vivian called out.


    The Gnome stopped and turned around. ¡°What do you need, esteemed Guildmaster?¡±


    ¡°I know this guild is just starting out,¡± Vivian said, gesturing to the guild hall. ¡°We don¡¯t have many adventurers or the typical services, but I do have high hopes for expanding. As of right now, the position of Guild Merchant just happens to be free. Might you be interested?¡±


    A look of surprise flickered across the dapper merchant¡¯s face for a moment before he regained his composure. His good eye glanced around at the guild hall and the people within it before settling back on Vivian. Guild merchant was a prestigious position in most established towns and cities, and merchants typically competed furiously for the right to have the first opportunity at anything the adventurers found on their delves and quests.


    He adjusted his eyepatch and then sighed deeply. ¡°Your offer is extremely enticing, Guildmaster Ross, but alas, I cannot accept. Adrik and Edrik would finish off what the Goblins started just as soon as they got wind of it.¡±


    ¡°Well, about that,¡± Vivian answered, a grin appearing on her face. ¡°It so happens that Malika and Aliandra interrupted those thugs assaulting and burglarizing the Alchemist down the street a few days ago. Adrik and Edrik did not survive the encounter.¡±


    ¡°They got Morwynne?¡± Weldin seemed aghast.


    ¡°Morwynne Fizzlebang is fine, they were just in time to heal her before she succumbed to her injuries. She was so grateful that she has offered the entire guild a generous discount for her wares.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Weldin¡¯s face showed a cascade of different emotions as he processed everything.


    In fact, Calen was surprised too. The two thugs were notorious across town and had even paid his mother¡¯s shop several visits. Fortunately, she had had enough saved up to stave them off each time.


    ¡°In that case, I think I would like to accept your generous proposal,¡± Weldin declared, offering a bow which would have been elegant but for the stumble at the end as his injured leg refused to hold steady.


    Calen thought, looking forward to sharing the news.


    Aliandra


    Ali dismissed the imprint, yet again, and redoubled her efforts to deconstruct the huge pile of bone her minions had collected. It had been a simple matter of time and persistence to fill the southern end of the cavern with her moss and trees, taking over the entire area she had swept clear with the flood she had unleashed. Above that too, she had expanded her foothold in the sewer system, taking over every available tunnel and chamber. The result was incredible ¨C she had maximized the benefits of her domain aptitude, resulting in doubling her mana pool. Of course, she would probably need to keep expanding as she leveled up, but she no longer felt she was wasting one of the most potent benefits of her Class.


    For the last couple of days, she had been slowly, carefully encroaching on the boundaries of the bone and death magic dungeon and replacing it with her own moss and trees. It was a painstakingly slow process compared to filling the first half of the cavern because she had to clear out the dungeon¡¯s bone and mushrooms piece by piece with her Deconstruction. Then she had to wait for the dense black mana to clear before she claimed an area, replacing the dungeon with her plants. Patience, though, was a virtue ¨C she had no desire to have her domain collide with the dungeon and trigger a dungeon-rage again. While her minions could easily take care of the low-level wolves and skeletons now, the intense pain was not something she ever wanted to experience again.


    Ali finished deconstructing the huge pile and moved on to the next one her Kobolds had gathered. Inspired by how efficiently the Kobolds had collected items and bodies from the battlefield, she was now using them to clear the dungeon in chunks. She had them fan out and collect all the loose bone piles, uproot all the Deathcap mushrooms, and kill any respawned monsters, piling it all up in a great big heap for her to Deconstruct.


    It was hard work, but when she examined the results, she smiled, happy that it was entirely worth it.


    With her Magical racial aptitude, she already earned fifteen mana per point of wisdom, which was fifty percent more than most races, but it was her Domain aptitude that really made the key difference. She could increase her mana pool by an additional one hundred percent if she simply planted enough moss and mushrooms, covering a broad enough area. This meant she was effectively getting thirty mana per point of wisdom ¨C or three times the amount of a normal Elven or Human mage. Even with the steep reserve costs for maintaining her minions, she had surpassed two thousand total mana now, substantially increasing her capacity for summoning more minions, and even her regeneration too.


    Suddenly, a flicker of green light seen out of the corner of her eye caught her attention and she whipped her head around to try and catch whatever it was. She had noticed this phenomenon several times now, but each time she tried to observe it, the light had vanished somehow. She held her breath and stared at the giant oak where she had seen the flickering light, carefully studying the flow of domain mana for any changes.


    A fleeting flicker of green appeared again among the branches, followed by a rapid zigzag of light and movement, before it vanished behind a branch, leaving a softly fading trail of green mana behind like an afterimage.


    Ali stared at the spot where it had disappeared for several minutes, her curiosity slowly eroded by disappointment as she realized she had missed whatever it was yet again. Just as she was about to give up, a green flash appeared from behind a completely different branch of the tree, darting out and zipping back and forth with high-speed erratic motion before it stopped, hovering beside a branch in front of Ali. It bobbed gently up and down pulsing softly as if it were breathing, resting from its frenetic exertion.


    The creature hovered, floating gently in the air beside her oak tree branch. It seemed to be an entirely formless orb of glowing green light, a touch smaller than her fist. Ali stared, fascinated to see the tiny tendrils and vortices of ambient mana being drawn into the creature as it floated. Each time the creature pulsed, tiny sparkles of green mana were emitted into the air surrounding it, creating a tiny but beautiful display.


    ¡°A wisp!¡± Mato¡¯s excited whisper startled her. She had not heard his approach, but his attention was riveted on the tiny floating green light.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Ali whispered, turning her attention back to the fascinating nature spirit. It flickered again and darted around, coming to rest near the fork in the trunk of the tree.


    ¡°Wisps are spirit creatures made of pure mana. The nature ones are typically found in dungeons or dryad forests where the nature mana is very dense. I think they feed on it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very pretty.¡± Ali¡¯s eyes and Arcane Insight tracked the tiny creature as it flitted around among the branches, presumably in search of the best source of nature mana.


    ¡°They¡¯re harmless, but they¡¯re pretty rare. Many people think it¡¯s good luck to see one.¡±


    ¡°How did it get here?¡±


    ¡°Most likely it was attracted by your mana. Although, some people think they¡¯re created spontaneously in high-density mana areas.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we can attract some more?¡± Ali gazed at the fascinating, fey creature, tracking its movement with her mana sight, imagining how pretty it would be if a whole bunch of the creatures took up residence in her forest.


    ¡°Well, they¡¯re creatures of nature and mana, so if you keep developing a rich natural environment filled with your mana, they should come on their own.¡± Mato grinned at her, and before she could even ask the question, he added, ¡°Of course, I¡¯d love to help you create the perfect environment! We can collect a larger variety of plants and trees and build a proper ecosystem. Maybe you can even attract other kinds of creatures too. For now, just keep planting trees, and spread out the moss and mushrooms. And maybe grow some ivy on the walls.¡±


    ***


    When Ali and Mato returned to the shrine area and their camp, she found Calen and Malika chatting beside the various piles of Goblin equipment collected from the battlefield.


    ¡°Welcome back,¡± Ali greeted him. ¡°How was your scouting quest?¡±


    Calen looked up at her approach and smiled. ¡°We verified that the dungeon really was destroyed by Kieran Mori¡¯s mercenaries. So, no need to worry about another dungeon-break sending a horde of Goblins any time soon.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a relief,¡± Ali said. She had no desire to repeat the experience of scouring the battlefield for survivors. Too many people had died in the siege, the horrific reality of trying to repel a horde of monsters and save the town.


    ¡°Seriously glad that¡¯s over,¡± Malika said, ¡°but I think I¡¯m going to get bored down here pretty quickly.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°I fought a couple of rats on the way down, and they¡¯re not even remotely a challenge anymore. I think I will get more out of drills,¡± said Malika, showing off a few shadow-boxing moves, before she threatened Mato¡¯s mild snicker with a fist that stopped just shy of his nose. ¡°Something to say, Bear boy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m with the scary girl,¡± Mato drawled. ¡°Onward to adventure. What shall we do next?¡±


    ¡°I think we should go down to explore the ruins,¡± Calen answered quickly, looking surprisingly excited compared to his usual reserved self.


    Ali shuddered, remembering how much she had struggled down in the ruins.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be so bad this time,¡± Mato said, pulling out a selection of fruit and handing her some peach slices before offering to the others. ¡°We¡¯re much higher-level now, and much stronger. And it should be a good way to continue earning money.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good point,¡± Malika said, gazing speculatively at the piles of equipment. ¡°This stuff is going to be hard to sell after the battle. Probably most of the merchants have enough Goblin equipment.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Malika,¡± Calen interjected. ¡°We rescued a Gnome merchant on our scouting mission, and Vivian Ross offered him a guild membership as our Guild Merchant. He might be interested in buying some of this stuff to fill out his inventory. His name is Weldin Thriftpenny, and I think he¡¯s going to set up in the spare conference room adjacent to the guild hall.¡±


    ¡°We have a Guild Merchant?¡± Malika¡¯s eyes lit up at Calen¡¯s news. His broad wink drew a dry chuckle from her, ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to educate him. Fast.¡±


    Ali had been worried about how to make money, now that most of the jobs related to the Goblin siege were done. But if they could sell some of this equipment, she might be able to afford another trip to The Reading Corner.  Ali had finished her storybook on the first evening after she had bought it, and it seemed that the author had written it as a trilogy. She couldn¡¯t wait to find out what happened next, especially after the first book had ended on a cliffhanger.


    ¡°Perhaps we should sort out the useful stuff before we sell the rest,¡± Malika mused. ¡°Most of this Goblin gear is low quality, but there are a few normal-sized armor pieces that might fit Mato and Calen.¡±


    ¡°Normal-sized?¡± Ali asked, arching an eyebrow at Malika and feigning confusion. ¡°You mean ¡®huge¡¯ right?¡±


    Malika laughed. ¡°Him for sure,¡± she said, pointing to Mato.


    ¡°Hey, I can¡¯t help that I¡¯m bigger than all you pipsqueaks put together.¡±


    ¡°Pipsqueaks?¡± Ali pretended outrage and mimed throwing her slice of peach at him, but in truth, there was no way she was going to waste such a delicious breakfast.


    ¡°Is there some stuff you can learn in this pile, Ali?¡± Calen asked. ¡°I think we should prioritize anything that makes us stronger before we sell the remainder. Anything you can make that improves your minions should count.¡± sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I can add variations to my armor, sword, and dagger imprints with just three or four samples apiece. We can sell the rest. I don¡¯t have any open chapters right now, so I can¡¯t learn anything new.¡± It would be nice to learn some of the other items, like the spears, bows, or shields, but she had little immediate need for them. Swords and daggers covered her most frequently used Kobold minions, and she had a reasonable armor variant for each of her rogues and warriors, and even a robe variant for her Fire Mage.


    Malika immediately began selecting items from the various piles and handing them to Ali, and a few armors to Calen and Mato to try on.


    Ali simply deconstructed everything Malika found for her.


    The new variants would be annoying, making it progressively less likely for her to make the ones she wanted, however, having the options available would make her minions stronger, provided she had the time to prepare properly. Definitely a worthwhile tradeoff, especially given that most of the Goblin equipment would fit her Kobolds, and some of the gear might come in handy the next time the guild posted equipment collection jobs.


    ¡°Whatever are you going to do with that, Mr. Bear?¡± Malika¡¯s voice teased.


    Ali looked up to find Mato clumsily swinging an enormous two-handed Bugbear mace, something clearly made to be wielded by one of the two-and-a-half meter monsters of muscle and fur.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know. I just thought it would look cool if I carried it around in town.¡± He put it down and tried on the leather armor Malika handed to him.


    ¡°Is that going to work when you¡¯re in your Bear Form?¡± Ali asked curiously.


    ¡°No, it disappears when I shift. But I don¡¯t want to die to a surprise attack in town or something equally stupid,¡± Mato answered.


    ¡°I still think you should check with the crafters,¡± Calen told him. ¡°The Guildmaster said there might be some way to make enchanted gear that works in your shapeshifted form.¡±


    Ali chuckled silently to herself at the image of a bear wearing leather armor and carrying a weapon in its mouth that her mind conjured. Still, maybe his Bear Form really could manage a weapon as massive as that mace.


    ¡°Probably anything that would work would need to be custom-made,¡± Malika said. ¡°Perhaps we can ask Thuli if such a thing is possible? You¡¯re certainly strong enough to wear heavy plate.¡±


    ¡°He might just grump at us again,¡± Ali answered sourly. While Thuli had come around, and eventually agreed to sell them some daggers, Ali found she still harbored some annoyance and resentment at the way she and Malika had been treated by the various town blacksmiths the last time they had visited.


    ¡°Still, worth trying,¡± Malika answered. ¡°If the bear has some armor, he can take a lot more damage. Anyway, can you guys store as much of this pile as you have space? I think these are the best items to try and sell.¡±


    Ali filled her storage enchantment with all manner of armor and weapons, noting that Malika had selected the highest-level items, preferring the Hobgoblin gear over the Bugbear items. she thought, storing another leather armored chest piece. Hobgoblins were close to the same size as Humans or Elves, so the gear might be much easier to sell in a Human-dominated town.


    ***


    Ali followed Malika and the others into the guild hall, staring in surprise at the dramatic change. Mieriel¡¯s reception desk had been moved. The wall behind where it had stood was now gone, creating a wide opening into what had once been a mostly unused meeting room. The chairs had been replaced with several empty display shelves and tables, and an elegantly dressed Gnome directed a few adventurers to rearrange the furniture.


    ¡°Yes, that is just perfect,¡± the Gnome said and then looked up from his laborers as Malika walked up to him.


    ¡°Weldin Thriftpenny?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I see that my reputation precedes me,¡± he answered with a smile. He wore a bright purple satin waistcoat and a matching hat, supporting himself with a cane. Although his fashion sense seemed ¡­ antiquated at best, he looked dapper, and Ali decided that the black eyepatch and the scars on his face lent his otherwise elegant appearance something of a roguish cast. ¡°How can I help you fine folk?¡±


    ¡°We have a few items to sell, and we heard that you were our new Guild Merchant,¡± Malika explained.


    ¡°Certainly, why don¡¯t you show me what you have, and we can do business ¨C especially since your friends are my friends.¡±


    Ali conjured two steps with her barrier magic, hopped up and began unloading everything she had stored onto a large table while her friends did the same.


    Weldin¡¯s smile, she noticed, grew brittle and his eyes widened with surprise as they continued unloading all the items they had brought.


    ¡°This is it,¡± Malika finally announced, turning to the merchant Gnome.


    ¡°I must apologize,¡± Weldin announced, sounding mortified. ¡°You see, you are my first customers, and I do not yet have enough working capital to afford all these fine items. Would you perhaps be willing to wait till I can secure a loan from Hadrik Goldbeard?¡±


    Ali had no idea who this Hadrik Goldbeard was, but she assumed they must be a banker in town. Malika didn¡¯t seem that put out, however.


    ¡°How about we agree on a price now, and you can take the items immediately to get started?¡±


    Weldin nodded, clearly trying to disguise his eagerness. ¡°Goods being as good as a capital advance, I¡¯ve always said. Are you truly ¡­ willing?¡±


    ¡°Of course. We¡¯re friends, remember? Once you secure the loan, you can just leave it with Mieriel, and we can collect it at our convenience?¡±


    At the mention of Mieriel, Ali felt a sudden surge of uncharacteristic distrust. she worried. Surprised, Ali glanced at Malika, who seemed to share none of her concern, and then at the elegantly dressed Mieriel. She dismissed her own surprising reticence and listened in silence as Malika negotiated with Weldin.


    ¡°You are uncommonly generous,¡± he told her. ¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡± What followed was a rather lengthy negotiation of price, complex enough that Ali quickly lost track of the major threads. What she did notice, however, is that the Hobgoblin gear was clearly the most prized by the Gnome, and that, by the time they shook on the price, both Malika and Weldin were smiling happily.


    As they left the guild store area and congregated in front of the quest board, Ali heard Weldin ordering his helpers. ¡°Let¡¯s lay out these daggers on this table, and swords on this rack here. Look lively, now that we have items to sell, I want this place to look like a proper shop! No, no, that won¡¯t do at all ¨C do you not have the first idea of marketing, you dolts? Put the shiny armor here where people can easily see it from the door.¡±


    Ali grinned at the flurry of activity that burst through the brand-new guild shop.


    ¡°He was remarkably fair,¡± Malika said quietly. ¡°We got almost a gold each from that haul. Ali, your and my rings will be completely paid off once he gets his loan and deposits our share with the guild administrator.¡±


    It was quite a bit more than Ali had expected, and once she was able to collect on it, the thought of visiting Ryn in The Reading Corner again filled her with excitement and anticipation.


    While the others examined the job postings, Ali quietly observed a couple of adventurers in the guild hall lounge area drift over to the shop, curiously browsing the newly displayed items. As she watched, she saw Weldin efficiently close a deal with a couple of coins changing hands and a level seven rogue returning to the lounge area with a smile and a new shiny dagger.


    ¡°That was quick,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°He seems talented,¡± Malika agreed, surprising Ali that she wasn¡¯t the only one who had seen the quick deal go down. ¡°And I think that dagger is a substantial upgrade for her if I remember correctly.¡±


    It was a surprisingly satisfying feeling to know that someone was going to benefit from all the hard work they had put into killing Goblins and collecting the leftover gear and weapons. Besides, she had a reading habit to fill!

 Chapter 49: Training

    Chapter 49: TrainingAliandra The quest board looked decidedly anemic compared to the week before. All the jobs that Ali had been tracking to make money had been tied to the defense of the town and supplying the garrison ¨C all of which had expired now that the threat had been safely dealt with. She sighed.  Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we take the Kobold quest?¡± Mato asked, touching her shoulder in sympathy. ¡°We know where they are, and we can do some good, ridding the town of the persistent attacks on the outlying farms.¡±


    Ali was already tracking the Kobold quest on her guild ring, so there wasn¡¯t much more for her to do ¨C well, apart from going out to do the work.


    ¡°What about this?¡± she asked, as something caught her eye in the announcements section of the postings. ¡°It looks like the Guildmaster is giving a lecture on adventuring strategy today.¡±


    The Adventurer¡¯s Guide she and Malika had bought had really opened her eyes to how inexperienced she was. It was chock-full of details and jargon, much of which felt like a slog through a dense morass of obscure knowledge. Ali had no idea if Vivian Ross was a skilled instructor, but their interview left her with the impression that the Guildmaster was certainly knowledgeable and experienced, and she was curious to find out more.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Malika agreed.


    ¡°I think it could be useful,¡± Calen answered thoughtfully.


    ¡°Argh,¡± Mato groaned.


    ¡°Come on Mato, it will be good for you. It¡¯s only an hour,¡± Calen encouraged.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather just smash Kobolds and learn that way. Can¡¯t you summarize it for me after?¡± he asked.


    ¡°She did have some good insights on our group assignments,¡± Ali pointed out. She knew Mato would probably never enjoy formal study and lectures, but this seemed like an opportunity that their entire group might benefit from. She didn¡¯t want to miss out on something that only Mato would understand because of his unique experience and role.


    ¡°You guys are killing me,¡± he grumbled, but to Ali¡¯s surprise, he followed when Malika led them to the lecture room.


    He was still muttering under his breath constantly, so Ali simply reached up and took his enormous hand.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, smiling up at him.


    He gave her an amusingly startled look, but he didn¡¯t say anything ¨C and the muttering and grumbling mysteriously vanished. Catching Malika¡¯s amused smile at the interplay, Ali¡¯s ears heated up right to their points.


    The lecture itself was aimed at novice adventurers, focused on many of the basic concepts and ideas that Malika had taught her early on, but there were a few gems of insight that explained some of the fundamental principles that Ali had been struggling to understand in the Adventurer¡¯s Guide.


    What was more interesting to her, though, was who else was in the lecture. She waved happily to Serendipity who was the highest-level adventurer in the room. Of the rest, the only people she recognized were the group of three that had been questing for mushrooms in her sewers ¨C now all level five. While several of the other faces were familiar, Ali didn¡¯t know who they were, having not spent much time in the guild hall itself.


    Vivian Ross had mentioned something that stuck with her, and she worried about it the entire way back to their camp near her shrine. She had noticed that her Martial Insight hadn¡¯t leveled up in several fights, even though she had used it continuously throughout the battle against the Goblins. According to the Guildmaster, a stalled skill was a sure sign that you were using it incorrectly, not training properly, or simply misunderstood how the skill really worked. But for the life of her, she couldn¡¯t figure out what she was doing wrong.


    She finally put it away, resolving to think about her stubborn skill again later. She plonked herself down near the cookfire and suddenly noticed the sullen grumpiness of her friends.


    She had been so in her own head that she hadn¡¯t even noticed. Mato was definitely sulking, and Calen seemed defensive, while Malika seemed to be trying her best to avoid getting involved.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why we can¡¯t just go down there and fight. We haven¡¯t done much since the Goblin battle,¡± Mato complained.


    While he seemed annoyed and upset, Ali was struck by the undertone of respect in his voice.


    ¡°I still think we should do some more training beforehand, like the Guildmaster said,¡± Calen replied.


    Calen¡¯s comment seemed closed, and lacking explanation. Not like he normally was when he got on a subject he enjoyed or was excited about. The two of them had vastly different personalities, and Ali often wondered how they had remained friends.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked, worried about what kind of treacherous swamp she might be stepping into.


    ¡°I want to go fight something,¡± Mato said grumpily. ¡°But Calen thinks we should train more.¡±


    she thought.


    ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± she asked Calen, hoping to draw the introvert out of his defensive stockade a bit.


    ¡°I just think our team got a few new abilities, and maybe we should figure out how to use them before we jump into another battle unprepared.¡± He shifted awkwardly, as everyone¡¯s gaze settled on him. ¡°Well, underprepared, that¡¯s what I meant.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what did you get?¡± Ali¡¯s curiosity was immediately piqued. She didn¡¯t have a lot of insight into how other classes worked, and she was becoming more and more curious as her friends became freer with sharing their skills and advances.


    ¡°Not me, you.¡± Calen met her gaze, his eyes filled with the familiar look of curious intelligence, replacing the defensiveness that had been there prior. ¡°You can make Bugbears now, right? I noticed how effective your Kobolds were in the battle, and I think we should try to work out some strategies using the Bugbears and their skills and strengths.¡± He pulled out a small notebook and looked at it briefly. ¡°You now have two minion buff skills, one of which requires you to be close to combat ¨C within forty-nine feet. You¡¯re not very strong, so the distance requirement is something we need to account for.¡±


    Ali was stunned by the quiet and accurate assessment of her abilities and the strategic implications he had just shared. By the looks of surprise on Malika and Mato¡¯s faces, he had neglected to mention any of this in the prior argument. She glanced from his face to his notebook, recalling that she had wanted to memorize her friends¡¯ abilities, but had simply never gotten the time to ask. It seemed Calen had had the same thought, but he had actually been paying attention, and writing everything down. Ali considered his words, replaying them in her mind.


    ¡°What is ¡®feet¡¯?¡± she asked. She had only just recently learned the Common language and she wondered if the unfamiliar word was something she had missed in translation.


    ¡°Your Empowered Summoner skill has a range of forty-nine feet, right?¡± Calen asked.


    she thought. And worse, the number was entirely incorrect. ¡°No, it¡¯s a little over fifteen meters.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what a ¡®meter¡¯ is.¡± Calen looked just as confused as everyone else.


    ¡°You know, a meter,¡± she said, hovering a hand a little higher than her head. ¡°This high from the ground.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s about three feet,¡± Calen corrected.


    It would seem that in addition to the language changing over the three thousand-odd years she had been sleeping, the measurement system had apparently changed, too ¨C and she had not even noticed. Several details suddenly clicked for her. She hadn¡¯t paid much attention to it, but all her notifications and her status were in Ancient Dal¡¯mohran, not Common, presumably because it was the language most familiar to her. But when she shared her skills with her friends, they had no trouble reading them. Which meant they were seeing it in Common. Given that, it was no stretch to assume the units of measurement were also being translated on the fly.


    She quickly explained the measurement system they had used in Dal¡¯mohra and compared it with what Calen explained of the current system. For the life of her, she couldn¡¯t figure out why they had chosen the units they had, but at least she had a quick and easy conversion now. she thought, ignoring the complexity of the other units and conversions, for now.


    Mato nudged her with his elbow. ¡°You can use my-sized feet if it helps.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Ali stuck out her tongue.


    Her thoughts returned to the skills Calen had been talking about and her issue with Martial Insight pricked at her memory.


    ¡°Hey, on the subject of my minion skills, I am having an issue with Martial Insight, and I can¡¯t seem to figure it out.¡± It was one of her most powerful skills, and certainly the one which had turned their fortune when she and Mato were stuck underground. ¡°It hasn¡¯t leveled up recently, and I used it all day when we were fighting the Goblin horde, and again when we faced Adrik and Edrik in town. I would have expected it to level at least once during one of those battles.¡±


    ¡°Can we see it again?¡± Calen asked.


    Ali obliged by sharing her skill description.


    Martial Insight ¨C level 7


    Your mana empowering summoned creatures now carries your accumulated experience. Your creatures gain +51.1%  to combat abilities. Martial Insight only gains experience when you observe your minions¡¯ combat.


    Nature, Minion, Mastery, Perception


    ¡°The problem is, I have been observing my minions while they fight, and nothing happens. According to the Guildmaster today, a stalled skill means I¡¯m missing something important.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Calen¡¯s response simply told her he was just about as lost as she was.


    The troubling part was, she had pored over the wording in the description in excruciating detail, but she simply couldn¡¯t see it.


    ¡°Hey, Ali, do you actually know how to fight?¡± Malika asked, her expression thoughtful in the flickering light of the cookfire.


    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s it!¡± Calen exclaimed, sounding quite surprised.


    Why could everyone else figure it out but she could not? The frustration of not being privy to the shared realization rankled. She hissed, ¡°No, obviously I¡¯m not a fighter. Why does that matter? I know¡­ some things. I¡¯m learning all the time.¡±


    ¡°Your skill says it ¡®carries your accumulated experience,¡¯¡± Malika explained. ¡°I wonder if it means you use your perception to understand how your summoned creatures fight, and once you personally understand it,  skill increases and that knowledge is shared with your future minions.¡±


    Ali blinked as the import of Malika¡¯s interpretation sunk in. ¡°But I¡¯m not a fighter! I¡¯m not trained.¡± It couldn¡¯t work that way. Could it?


    ¡°I think that¡¯s why it stalled,¡± Malika said, ¡°You are looking, but you need to understand.¡±


    Ali frowned.  More and more, she was beginning to feel like the skill was just stupid. Although, there was a difference between reading a text, understanding it, and truly mastering it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that,¡± Malika chided softly. ¡°Why don¡¯t we test it out? And if I¡¯m right, I know how to help you.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Ali found her frustration fading a little in the face of Malika¡¯s quiet confidence.


    ¡°Ask one of your rogues to come over here and I¡¯ll teach it some stances and moves. We¡¯ll see if that helps your skill.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡± Ali still felt dubious, but she was willing to go along with Malika, especially given how interested she and Calen both seemed to be in the results of this experiment. Mato busied himself with the cookfire, but Ali could tell that even he was keeping a close eye on this. She called over one of her rogues, coincidentally, the same one that had run all the way back to town after they had rescued Calen and Malika.


    ¡°Focus on your skill and make your rogue copy me. We¡¯ll start with some basic drills and posture exercises I learned as a child,¡± Malika instructed, studying Ali. ¡°Make sure you¡¯re trying to understand it as the rogue if that makes any sense.¡±


    Ali told her rogue to copy Malika and tried to deliberately focus on the strange sense from her Martial Insight. Immediately, she found the rogue¡¯s presence in her mind and she relaxed into the sense of it, trying to observe carefully what they were doing.


    What followed was an hour of Malika correcting her form via her rogue.


    ¡°Bend the knees here.¡±


    ¡°Lower your center of gravity. Remember you have a tail.¡±


    ¡°On the ball of the feet. Talons. Claws, whatever.¡±


    ¡°Punch with the whole body, like this.¡±


    Surprisingly, Ali found herself beginning to get caught up in the exercises. The connection to her Kobold via the Martial Insight skill carried so much more than just commands. She could almost feel what it was like to move as a Kobold, balance with a tail and strike with claws or a dagger. She had never been one for physical activities, and it had never occurred to her that there would be so much nuance and precision in just standing and moving the body correctly. While her Kobold had good basic instincts, she was beginning to understand how Malika could improve the way it moved. Already, she could tell the differences in how the Kobold moved through the practice drill sequence since the first try. She could actually feel the increased stability, speed, and power via the connection with her skill, and as she concentrated more on the feel and sensations, she found she could follow the weight and momentum of the Kobold as it stepped through the complex sequence.


    She had memorized the pattern quickly, but as they progressed, she found she had to memorize more and more nuance and detail, paying attention to smaller and smaller adjustments that all added up to substantial improvements. Who knew that standing balanced over the ball of your foot took so much attention to detail and precision?


    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s good enough for now,¡± Malika announced, interrupting her concentration. ¡°Now, let¡¯s teach you how to block and take advantage of it to make a return strike. Quite a simple technique, but I think it will be a great starting point.¡±


    ¡°Ok, what do I do?¡± Ali¡¯s frustration was long gone. She had always admired Malika¡¯s graceful movement, and now, after just an hour, she could see small traces of it beginning to show in the Kobold Dagger Rogue.


    ¡°First, have your rogue try to stab me with its dagger,¡± Malika instructed.


    The rogue attacked, aiming to stab Malika in the stomach. Ali idly noted that she no longer worried if the rogue would be successful.  Malika blocked the strike with her left arm and immediately counter-punched, knocking the rogue backward. It was so quick Ali almost didn¡¯t see what had happened. Curiously, she felt her body trying to react to the punch the Kobold had just taken.


    Malika healed the rogue and then demonstrated the move much slower so that Ali could follow it.


    ¡°Now make him do it,¡± Malika instructed.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said and walked the rogue through the technique at the same slow speed. It was quite tricky to control the rogue mentally with her intent. At least the rogue seemed unbothered by this somewhat clumsy method of teaching Ali using his body. Malika corrected the way Ali was having the rogue move by referencing the stances she had taught in the drill sequence earlier. Ali was forced to concentrate. It was one thing to give her creatures verbal or mental commands, it was quite another to convey the totality of a physical action with any sort of precision. Once Malika was happy with her form, she began punching the rogue, increasing her speed progressively, and slowly incorporating more and more variation in attack direction. Ali felt the beginnings of the same sensation as earlier, almost as if she could physically feel what the Kobold was experiencing. The weight of her arm during the block, the force of the impact channeled down into the ground using an efficient stance, and the power buildup in the muscles of the entire kinetic chain for the retaliatory strike.


    Suddenly, Ali realized that her skill was based on  her perception abilities, not just vision, as she had assumed. The idea was both remarkable and fascinating.


    Suddenly, her chime sounded, startling her out of her focus.


    ¡°I got it! My skill leveled up.¡± Ali was both excited and amazed that it had actually worked. Without fighting anything dangerous, she had advanced one of her skills through nothing more than focused training.


    ¡°Awesome.¡± Malika grinned. ¡°Now summon a new rogue and see if it knows the technique without you telling it.¡±


    Ali finally realized what Malika had understood about her skill. Knowing that it would work, Ali nonetheless summoned another rogue and had it spar with Malika, noticing that, even without her doing anything, it was able to execute the new technique flawlessly on its first try.


    Ali sat beside Malika as they took a break. The import of their experiment was clear to Ali now. ¡°I have to personally learn how to fight in the style of each of my minions.¡± The prospect was daunting. The training exercise they had just completed had been rather thorough. If Ali had a dagger in her hands right now, she was certain she could execute the block and counterstrike maneuver her rogue had just learned. However, she had neither the strength nor the skills to make it effective.


    ¡°Yes, it seems that way,¡± Malika said with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much, it will be fun. I can teach you, and I¡¯m sure Calen will help if you want to have archers. Same with Mato for anything big and muscly.¡± Mato¡¯s snort from over by the campfire was heard by everyone.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit much?¡± Ali had been glad she had minions to fight for her, so she didn¡¯t have to learn how ¨C but now, she had to confront the task of learning how to fight like every single one of them.


    ¡°I think this is a very powerful skill,¡± Calen suggested from where he had been watching. ¡°Leveraging your accumulated experience across every creature you summon is incredibly strong. You can train without getting physically tired while learning with multiple creatures simultaneously. That block and retaliate sequence Malika just taught you will probably immediately work for your warrior Kobolds too. You can also learn from books. Combat and fighting techniques are one of the most researched subjects. There are books for every style ¨C even if some are complete rubbish, of course. You¡¯d have to weed those out.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it will help if you approach it like learning a language. The words are your punches and kicks, sentences are your techniques and combinations, and the story or conversation is the overall fight. I think it¡¯s a good analogy,¡± Malika said.


    Ali found it somewhat ironic that she had to be reminded some books could teach you skills. Also, the way Calen and Malika explained it, she no longer felt that her skill was stupid. It would be hard work, but she could see the potential now.

 Chapter 50: Sneaky Smash

    Chapter 50: Sneaky Smash- Conversation via Sending Panel between Jax Hawkhurst and Kieran Mori.


    Aliandra


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll try making some Bugbears,¡± Ali said, wrinkling her nose in anticipation of the foul stench that would certainly ensue.


    They all sat around the warm, crackling campfire while Mato stirred something into the cookpot that was beginning to make her mouth water. She had been watching him dice carrots, onions, and potatoes ¨C in short, nothing out of the ordinary ¨C and yet, somehow, whatever he had in there smelled heavenly. He seemed to have an inexplicable knack for cooking, beyond even what Ali considered reasonable for his Cooking general skill. The big Beastkin hummed something tuneless under his breath as he worked, considerably less grumpy now that he was making dinner, but it was clear he wasn¡¯t nearly as interested in the discussion as the others.


    Calen and Malika were certainly much more cautious than either herself or Mato. Mato, because he preferred action over planning, and her, because she didn¡¯t know any better. It was clear from the conversation that Calen and Malika were considering a whole host of problems and issues that would never even have occurred to Ali, and she found herself taking a crash course in contingency planning. Everyone¡¯s goal seemed to be the same ¨C to return to the ruins below and clear out the Kobolds ¨C but each person¡¯s motivation and approach seemed radically different.


    She opened her Grimoire to the imprint for Goblinoids and began to channel her mana.


    Ali sighed.  she thought, wishing, yet again, for a simple way to choose which variant her Grimoire would make.


    Still, Ali was learning a lot just listening to the planning process ¨C mostly about the subtleties of their personalities rather than the actual plans, though. Calen ¨C when he was comfortable speaking up ¨C was far more likely to come up with some crazy, creative solution, while Malika was more often the voice of reason, advocating for far stronger caution and safety first.


    It was Calen who had suggested Ali make Bugbears as ¡®shock troops¡¯ ¨C a remarkably apt term for the brawny giant Goblinoid monsters and their heavy two-handed weapons. The only problem was that her Grimoire didn¡¯t want to cooperate, giving her three low-level, green-skinned Goblins, not much taller than herself, before something massive manifested before her.


    Ali stared up at the two-and-a-half meters of scowling Bugbear, looking irritable and furious just by standing there. The heavy slabs of muscle, dirty orange skin, and dark brown fur looming over her kicked her heart into overdrive. If it had made any sudden moves, Ali was certain she would have screamed and fled. But it stood quietly, gazing at her before saying something guttural and harsh in the language of the Goblins. The other Goblins fell over themselves to cower or back away. Sage of Learning, of course, immediately took a bite out of her mana pool in response.


    she thought. She definitely didn¡¯t want a repeat of before, when her learning skill had consumed her precious mana during a hard fight.


    ¡°Is it an axe or a mace Bugbear?¡± Calen asked. Then he frowned. ¡°Or maybe it prefers a flail?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ali answered, considering the issue. If she gave him the wrong weapon, then probably some of his skills wouldn¡¯t work correctly.


    She looked over at the pile of remaining weapons and gear that Malika had deemed too poor to try and sell, and an idea popped into her head.


    ¡°¡± she told the Bugbear, infusing her words with the mental intent of choosing, and guiding that toward the giant via her skill connection. It had worked for spiders, rats, and the ridiculously stupid toxic slimes, so it should work for the vastly more intelligent Goblinoid.


    With a feral grin, the Bugbear turned to the weapons and selected an enormous two-handed axe.


    ¡°I guess he¡¯s the axe kind,¡± she noted.


    ¡°Very sharp,¡± Mato gurgled at his own joke.


    Calen nodded calmly, but she noticed that he had taken a step back from the brute. ¡°Don¡¯t forget the armor.¡±


    ¡°¡± Ali commanded, spying some of the shiny steel spiked pauldrons that the Bugbears seemed to prefer. As it strapped the armor on, Ali curiously observed the dense core of gold-and-green mana buried deep within the creature¡¯s chest, seeming to pulse gently whenever she gave it instructions. Again, she wondered how the magic worked, as her initial fear of the massive monster began to fade.


    Happy with her newest fighter, Ali returned to her Grimoire and began summoning more Goblins. When she was finally done, she had ten of the lowest-level Goblins ¨C mostly Scavengers, and one or two Skirmishers ¨C but her Grimoire had seen fit to grace her with two more of the monstrous Bugbears.


    She sniffed, tentatively. ¡°At least they don¡¯t smell quite so bad.¡±


    ¡°You could just order them to bathe,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°They¡¯d probably melt, or drown,¡± Malika snickered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let them bathe in that water,¡± Calen said, nodding toward Ali¡¯s accidental lake. ¡°It¡¯s foul.¡±


    ¡°What do I do with these guys?¡± Ali asked, dubiously eyeing the low-level mob of Goblins she had just made, more venting her frustration over the randomness of her Grimoire than a real desire for an answer.


    ¡°I overheard that newbie group talking about going down into the sewers again,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Why would they do that?¡± Ali asked. She had checked, and the herbalists had removed their request for mushrooms already. Presumably, now that the siege was over, they had a surplus.


    ¡°They thought your slimes were a good way to earn a few levels relatively quickly. Why not equip those Goblins with some of this junk and send them up into the sewer to replace the slimes? It might give those newbies a better challenge and they can even collect gear to sell to that Weldin guy. That brown-haired warrior, Braden, seemed to be very interested in loot.¡±


    ¡°What if my minions kill them?¡± While she didn¡¯t know them all that well, the new adventurers seemed nice enough. Ali was horrified at the idea of putting anyone at risk on purpose.


    ¡°They¡¯re level five now,¡± Malika replied. ¡°And they have a decent healer. If they follow the Guildmaster¡¯s training, they should be relatively safe. Your Goblins are all level three and below. They¡¯re fodder.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, ok,¡± Ali answered dubiously, but she still directed her extra Goblins to select some gear from the castoff pile and sent all but one of them scrambling up into the sewers. If she ignored her reticence, it was a surprisingly efficient idea. She would replace her sentinels in the sewers with minions she didn¡¯t care much about keeping. The novices would presumably kill some of them and grow stronger while also carrying the waste gear to the guild merchant, saving Ali and her friends the trip.


    ¡°¡± she pointed at the Skirmisher she had singled out from the group. ¡°¡± The Goblin immediately obliged by beginning to point at various things while babbling and answering the harsh barks and grunts from the much larger Bugbears as it set to the task Ali had assigned it with enthusiastic energy.


    ¡°Mato,¡± Ali asked. ¡°After dinner, will you teach me to hit stuff? Really hard?¡±


    Mato glanced up from his cooking and grinned widely at her. ¡°I thought you¡¯d never ask! Zzzz ¡­ mosquito!¡±


    ¡°Mato!¡± everyone groaned.


    Ali was determined to take her combat training seriously, and she would need to know what her Bugbears were capable of ¨C hopefully, this time, before she found herself thrust into another life-or-death situation.


    Once her tummy was warm and full, she directed her Bugbears through the drills Malika had taught her. Instantly, she was confronted with several rather frustrating problems. Firstly, the Bugbears were a lot heavier and bigger than her Kobolds, which restricted their agility somewhat, and secondly, every time she tried to apply her new knowledge, they fell over.


    She frowned in frustration.


    ¡°Ali, you keep making them tip over forward,¡± Malika pointed out. ¡°You want to keep them on the balls of their feet, but not too far forward ¨C the Kobolds have the extra weight in their tails pulling them backward. You need to compensate for that.¡±


    Now that Malika had pointed it out, it was comically obvious to her. In the effort to follow her instructions exactly, her Bugbears were tripping forward, almost as if she had an invisible hand to push them over.


    Ali had no idea that having a tail would affect physical movement so much, but apparently, she had learned all the moves, unconsciously taking into account the Kobolds¡¯ ability to balance and counterbalance their weight by using their tails.


    ¡°Try it without their weapons first,¡± Malika suggested. ¡°They¡¯re really heavy, too.¡±


    With Malika as her instructor, the Bugbears¡¯ form immediately began improving, and in a few minutes, she had all three of them completing the drills with a ¨C to her thinking ¨C reasonable level of competence. It seemed quick, but really the skill was identical to what she had done with the Kobolds, with just a few adjustments for weight and balance.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Malika approved. ¡°Keep practicing that with them, but for now, you should probably move on to weapons practice. Mato should be able to help you with the brute force angle ¨C he¡¯s a strength class just like the Bugbears.¡±


    Mato dragged an enormous dead trunk nearer to their camp, grabbed a two-handed mace and swung it a few times at his improvised target, seeming to be getting used to the weight of the thing. It looked comically big on him, but it seemed that his raw strength overcame that limitation.


    ¡°Ok, copy this,¡± he instructed, taking a step backward and readying the mace. ¡°Rar!¡± he shouted, making a powerful overhead strike at the tree, sending splinters flying.


    ¡°Should I shout like that too?¡± Ali asked, eyebrow raised.


    ¡°How else are you going to sound so cool?¡± Mato deadpanned.


    Ali snorted as Calen and Malika cracked up behind her. She¡¯d leave the shouting to the Bugbears, thank you very much. She guided her mace-wielding Bugbear forward and emulated what she had seen, but the enormous weight of the massive weapon pulled it off center and it stumbled. If she just let it hit the tree on its own, it did an adequate job ¨C at least according to Malika who was still watching. But when she tried to improve the form, to copy Mato, everything went haywire.


    ¡°You¡¯re not really looking,¡± Mato pointed out. ¡°Like this.¡± He swung again. This continued for several minutes without noticeable improvement, much to Ali¡¯s frustration.


    Malika always had clear explanations for her and rational technique adjustments, but Mato seemed to be much more intuitive with his approach, and she simply couldn¡¯t see what was wrong.


    Just as she was about to complain, Malika offered an opinion. ¡°Ali, you¡¯re not accounting for the momentum of the swing. That mace is heavy on the end, and it moves really fast. You can¡¯t just take the weight into account. Try the footwork from the third drill I showed you. See how it¡¯s quite similar to Mato¡¯s feet, keep your knees bent and lean into it, and then time it a little better. Err, your Bugbear¡¯s knees¡­ you know what I mean.¡±


    Ali studied Mato¡¯s technique one more time, deciding that she could sort of see what Malika was trying to explain. The Bugbear swung its mace and it whacked heavily into the trunk without throwing it off balance. Suddenly, it became clearer to her.


    ¡°Mato, can we swing at the same time?¡±


    ¡°Sure. On three? One¡­ two¡­ three¡­¡± he counted and swung his mace allowing her to match him.


    Instantly, she saw what was different ¨C by observing the trajectories simultaneously, she could tell the Bugbear¡¯s hand grip was switching late, and his feet were getting into position early. She made an adjustment, and the next mace strike hit with a loud crack. The creature pulled back with a satisfied grunt and said a few things in Goblin that sounded, well, smug. Somebody had an opinion of his muscles.


    ¡°That¡¯s much better!¡± Mato exclaimed excitedly.


    It took Ali almost half an hour before her strike was deemed satisfactory, and even though she was simply sitting there while the Bugbear did all the work, she was covered in sweat from pure concentration. Who knew that a muscle-bound warrior smashing a tree, with what was honestly, a cumbersome metal stick, would demand so much finesse and understanding?


    ¡°Ok, now have them fight me,¡± Mato told her.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ali asked, worry creeping into her voice. They had struggled against these Bugbears in the forest, and they were really huge and powerful.


    ¡°I have armor and I¡¯m not afraid,¡± Mato answered with a teasing grin, before shifting to his Bear Form.


    ¡°I¡¯ll heal,¡± Malika added.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said, still concerned. As soon as she confirmed Mato was ready, her Bugbear took a flying leap into the air, smashing down with a ground-shaking mace strike that briefly stunned Mato.


    Ali squeaked. It was honestly embarrassing, but Mato seemed fine after just a simple touch from Malika¡¯s magic.


    ¡°That must be its movement skill,¡± Calen said from his seat on the moss nearby. He had his notebook out, eyes focused intently on the fight.


    ¡°Keep going,¡± Malika told her, speaking for the Bear. ¡°Try to use what you learned.¡±


    Both of her friends seemed entirely unperturbed by the enormous leap attack she had just executed on Mato, so she gathered her focus and began to incorporate her new understanding of attacking with power.


    After about half an hour of practice, Calen stopped her. ¡°I remember these guys having a stealth skill. Perhaps you can try to find it?¡±


    ¡°Stealth? But it¡¯s so huge!¡±


    ¡°Yup, it¡¯s pretty terrifying,¡± Malika agreed.


    Ali turned her attention to the mace-wielding monster standing by and tried to impress upon it the idea of hiding and attacking simultaneously. A few moments of confusion flickered across its brutish face before it suddenly shimmered in the darkness and all but vanished ¨C leaving just a shadow in its wake, then nothing at all. Or¡­


    Her eyes leaped about before Ali remembered her magic. She had a rough idea of where it was via her connection, but, even though it was not as total as her Kobold rogues, the monster was still almost impossible to see in the dim light of the cavern.


    The beast leapt into the air and smashed down with its mace, slamming Mato into the ground and leaving a bear-sized imprint in the moss. This time, Mato actually bounced. Ali winced, quite sure she would have been pulped by that strike.


    ¡°He¡¯s ok,¡± Malika reassured her quickly. ¡°It hit much harder, but he has a lot of armor and health.¡±


    ¡°So, they do have Ambush, then?¡± Calen inquired.


    ¡°Seems like it,¡± Malika answered. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even though Malika assured her that Mato was fine, the power of the strike from above, combining the Leap and the Ambush skills, shocked Ali to the core. The Bugbear, with all its steel armor, bulk, and heavy weapon, probably weighed close to a ton.  A ton of fury that you couldn¡¯t see until it smacked you between the eyes.  She kept glancing back at the bear-shaped imprint in her moss, but Mato was returning her Bugbear¡¯s attacks, so she marshaled her concentration and focus and applied herself to learning as much as she could, so that she wouldn¡¯t have to put Mato through this any longer than necessary.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Ambush a bit unfair for something like a Bugbear?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s very strong at the start of combat,¡± Calen said. ¡°But ¨C just like your rogues ¨C regaining stealth during open combat is very tricky to pull off, so it¡¯s usually a one-time thing each fight.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Ali said. She shuddered at the implications, but then a thought occurred to her. They had both the Stealth and Ambush skills.


    ¡°Switch to the axe guy¡­ err, girl?¡± Malika suggested after Ali felt she had made some substantial progress.


    ¡°What do they do?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°The axe-wielders had some kind of whirling movement attack,¡± Malika said.


    Ali took a breath and switched her minions. Immediately, the new Bugbear charged Mato in a high-speed whirling rush that turned her into a dizzying blender of steel and muscle. Mato roared and counterattacked, stopping the rush before it did too much damage, and Malika nimbly danced in behind him to heal. Ali simply continued the fight, becoming rather numb to the sheer physical forces in play.


    Eventually, Ali called a halt to the exercises, feeling entirely drained and even a little dizzy. Mato transformed back and walked over to the cookfire, ladling a large second helping of dinner into a fresh bowl.


    ¡°Here, you worked hard,¡± he said with a beaming grin, ¡°this should help.¡± He handed Ali the bowl, and the aroma of the food triggered a ravenous hunger.


    Ali paused about halfway through wolfing down second-dinner when she realized that Mato¡¯s grumpiness had entirely vanished and that he was now happily chatting away with Malika and Calen about the training exercises and how to improve their little group.


    Ali mused, She considered her huge friend as she resumed eating, watching how he listened to Calen¡¯s ideas with focus and intent. Ali wasn¡¯t certain, but it seemed about right. While she couldn¡¯t read the expressions while he was in Bear Form, Mato had never once slowed down their training exercises or called for a break.


    She smiled at the new insight, and returned her bowl, getting a little more food, before she began to practice with her new Study Trance advancement for Sage of Learning, splitting her time roughly evenly between having the Goblins talk among one another and reading the imprints within her Grimoire.


    As she finally settled into her tent and the soft warmth of her sleeping bag, she reflected on her day of training. She had learned an enormous amount about swinging heavy things around for maximum damage. And while her progress had been phenomenal using her potent Martial Insight skill, she understood she was still a beginner in proficiency.


    On the other hand, the Goblin language was rather surprising. It had a wealth of words and adjectives describing weapons, battle, armor, and food, but on other subjects, it was as rudimentary as ¡®rock,¡¯ ¡®bigger rock,¡¯ and ¡®tree¡¯.


    Calen


    Calen sprinted across the mossy ground, his feet making no noise as he darted between the trees. Ali had really pushed her plants far into the area formerly claimed by the dungeon.


    He glanced back, seeing the others slowly making their way through Ali¡¯s trees before he turned again and stepped across the threshold where the moss ended. As he crossed the gap, stepping between the large piles of bone and pitch-black mushrooms, his chime sounded.


    He still hadn¡¯t quite figured out the quirks in this skill, but he put it out of his mind for now, intent on his target. He didn¡¯t much care if the dungeon had respawned the wolves, but he was worried about that giant, four-armed skeleton they had tangled with before he and Malika had been kidnapped.


    He hopped around a pile of bones stacked higher than his head, carefully avoiding the pack of wolves that ranged in the distance. His stealth would prevent them from seeing him, but as always, vision wasn¡¯t their only perception skill. If they caught his scent, he would have to kill them. He waited in the shadows and presently, they moved on, all of them following the Alpha as it led them deeper into the cavern.


    Calen ignored them and approached the hole in the wall of the massive cavern ¨C the hole which he knew led to the small cave and the shaft that Ali and Mato had fallen into. Stepping quietly through the gap, his eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, Eyes of the Archon picking out all the details as if it was a night-time scene lit by a bright, full moon, instead of pitch dark.


    Much to his dismay, the dungeon had indeed respawned the monstrous skeletal Naga, coiled motionless in the darkness with all four arms holding swords, and tiny pinpricks of red glowing from its empty eye sockets. It towered far taller than Calen, but it hadn¡¯t seen him yet.


    He wanted to face-palm himself, hard, but decided that might just alert the monster to his presence. While Calen had been dreading this boss encounter, based on how terrified he had felt the first time, it had entirely slipped his mind that it was only a level nine monster. Given their current levels, it shouldn¡¯t provide a substantial challenge.


    Calen studied the assessment from his Explorer skill curiously. As his skill leveled, it seemed to occasionally increase the amount and quality of information it provided. As a skill with both perception and knowledge traits, it behaved a lot like a categorization tool ¨C augmenting his understanding of what he was seeing, based on anything he could perceive. The higher his perception and skill, the more information it should be able to divine.


    Being categorized as a Dungeon Boss, this was probably one of the most dangerous monsters they could possibly face ¨C provided of course it was a challenging level. The Threat Level assessed it as difficult enough to require a typical group of five adventurers to defeat.


    ¡°It did respawn,¡± Mato whispered as he and the others arrived at the entrance.


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s only level nine,¡± Calen pointed out, dropping his Eclipse so the others could see him.


    Ali entered last, flanked by her three gigantic Bugbears and a couple of Kobolds, staring sadly at the skeletal monster, but she didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Is everyone ready?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fall into the hole,¡± Mato said with a grin, and shifted to his Bear Form.


    Ali¡¯s Bugbears shrouded themselves in shadows, to the point where he wouldn¡¯t have been able to see them in the darkness without his potent vision skill. He followed suit, disappearing into the shadows, meaning to practice his stealth shots in the hope of eventually gaining his Ambush skill.


    With a roar, Mato charged the skeleton, Malika following close behind. The skeleton¡¯s head snapped around; a baleful, red-eyed glare focused on the incoming bear. All four rusted swords began to emit the ruddy glow of a martial skill activation. With a blur, the swords sliced down as Mato¡¯s great paw slammed into the ten-foot-tall undead monster.


    Calen waited patiently, bow drawn, arrow nocked, for the perfect moment.


    He held his magic firmly in his mind and released his arrow from the concealment of the shadows, watching it hurtle across the cave. Right before it buried itself in the skeleton¡¯s left eye socket, he released his magic, causing the arrow to flare with a sudden brilliant incandescence right as it struck.


    In the next instant, chaos erupted. Three huge Bugbears appeared from the shadows, massive two-handed weapons striking with booming crashes and crunching bone. Several black-scaled Kobolds stepped beside them with gleaming daggers, and the crimson flicker of fire magic lit the cavern while Ali¡¯s golden bolts flitted out to crash into the monster.


    Calen managed only three more shots before the skeleton collapsed in a heap of crushed bones.


    He had expected the level nine monster to be easy, but the fight was over almost too quickly. Ali¡¯s new Bugbears certainly were impressive in action.


    Malika rolled her shoulders. ¡°Barely a warm-up. Who¡¯s ready to jump?¡±

 Chapter 51: The Ruins of Dal’mohra

    Chapter 51: The Ruins of Dal¡¯mohraAliandra Ali stared down into the yawning darkness of the ventilation shaft, shuddering at the memories, vertigo, and the disturbing sense of the dark void pulling her downward as if calling her to cast herself in. She pulled her eyes away; she knew exactly what falling in there felt like and she had no desire to repeat the experience.


    Still visible on the ground were the scratch marks where Mato¡¯s claws had desperately sought purchase on the hard stone and packed dirt, a long trail that extended from where he had bounced all the way to the unprotected hole in the floor. Ali¡¯s eyes widened slightly at the sight of a Fae-sized outline in the dust on the far wall right above the hole where the impact of Mato¡¯s heavy, flying body had tossed her.


    Her mind replayed the panic, her frantic scrambling for anything to halt the fall to their deaths, the bone-jarring impacts of striking her barriers, the tinkling sound of her magic shattering, and the bursts of glowing shards and splinters strobing their light down the dark shaft. The crushing impact of the ground, and then¡­ the angry red glow of fire in the darkness.


    She glanced at her Kobold mage. she told herself firmly. She took a deep breath to steady herself. Nearby, she heard Mato explaining to Malika and Calen how they had survived the fall while Calen drove a steel spike into the rock and attached a long, knotted rope to it.


    She drew in another long, steadying breath and let it out slowly. There were four of them now, and they were all significantly stronger. She glanced back at the reassuring sight of her Bugbears and Kobolds.


    She stared down the shaft as Mato and Calen descended hand over hand down the rope, watching them grow smaller and smaller as Calen¡¯s floating orb of light followed them into the depths.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ really far,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you guys survived that fall,¡± Malika answered, also staring down the hole.


    As the tiny pinprick of light stopped moving, Ali collected herself. ¡°Ok, you guys next,¡± she said, her throat struggling to produce the harsh, guttural Goblin tongue. ¡°One at a time.¡±


    It took a while for the Bugbears to descend, but, with their enormous weight, she didn¡¯t want to risk more than one of them on the rope at a time. Once they were safely down, Ali sent her Kobolds scampering dexterously down the rope before she turned to Malika.


    ¡°You go next,¡± Malika said. ¡°I¡¯ll come last.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said, levering herself over the rim and beginning her descent. Holding herself up by the rope was not a pleasant experience; there was a great yawning nothingness below her feet that reminded her sharply that the only thing preventing her from falling was her minuscule strength attribute. Her mind provided extremely unhelpful flashbacks of hanging from her barrier dizzyingly far above the cavern floor when she had released the river and it had exploded in her face. Or worse, the memories of falling.


    Every few minutes, she summoned her barrier magic to stand on and rest her tired arms. A few Blackened Deathcap mushrooms grew out of the walls, but the dungeon mana seemed surprisingly attenuated within the shaft, almost as if it were being stretched out to the extreme in order to bridge the gap.


    But she decided she¡¯d rather not experiment and perhaps risk something as dangerous as the dungeon-rage while suspended on nothing but a rope.


    But none of her mental tricks were able to diminish the burning in her arms and the fear of plunging to her death.


    After what seemed like forever, she finally felt the reassuring security of solid rock beneath her feet, and she let go of the rope and gazed around, trying to quell her racing heart by using her breathing exercises.


    ¡°Welcome back,¡± Mato said wryly, gesturing to the room as he stood quietly among her minions. ¡°Another beautiful day in the underworld. I can still smell the char.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Calen?¡± she asked, smiling to convey how much she appreciated his trying to lighten the mood. The radiant mote of Calen¡¯s magic still hovered up near the ceiling of the chamber, filling it with bright light, but there was no sign of him.


    ¡°He went outside to scout,¡± Mato answered, pointing to the door.


    Ali scanned the small room, taking in the familiar stone construction marred by scorch marks on the walls and floor. Even the doorway still bore the scratches of her heavy stone blockade that had protected them from the Kobolds while they recovered. Her eyes were inexorably drawn to the horrifyingly large dark stain on the ground, a silent testament to how close she and Mato had come to dying right here. She met his gaze and knew without words that he was thinking the same thing. It could so easily have gone differently, and then there would have been two corpses ¨C a large one and a small one ¨C food to feed the dungeon that had consumed the remains of her home.


    ¡°What happened to the Kobolds?¡± Ali asked. She could hardly forget being ambushed down here the moment they landed. More than enough time had passed for the dungeon to respawn them.


    ¡°It was empty when we got here,¡± Mato said, glancing around. ¡°Calen thinks it was a wandering patrol and we just got unlucky. That¡¯s why he went outside to take a look.¡±


    As soon as Malika joined them, they all stepped through the stone archway and out into the narrow street beyond. Calen stood atop one of the ruined buildings scanning the horizon, making rapid notes and accompanying sketches in his notebook.


    Ali shivered at the distant sounds of Kobold hunting chirps and the memories they invoked. Terrifying ambush attacks by black-scaled rogues, and the burning heat of fireballs.


    she thought, studying her giant Bugbears as they ducked into shadowy doorways and corners, fading from view, just like her Kobold rogues.


    Ali glanced around, trying to regain her bearings. She and Mato had spent over a week down here, but everything looked so different now that she could see mana. In every direction, dark and ominous dungeon mana swirled and flowed like an eddying river, before settling between the buildings like a ground-fog miasma. She carefully oriented herself by the enormous stone pillar at her back ¨C the one she knew reached all the way to the rocky roof of the cavern ¨C containing the ventilation shaft down which they had just descended. Thousands of years ago, this area had been a wealthy residential district, illuminated by countless floating orbs of light magic that were timed to simulate night and day in the depths of this underground city. Now, Ali could barely see the end of the alleyway, all else lost to the pervasive darkness.


    Calen hopped down into the street beside them. ¡°There¡¯s an enormous tower off in that direction,¡± he said, keeping his voice low as he pointed. ¡°Is that the library you mentioned?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she answered in a whisper. The dark black mana seemed stronger in that direction. Again, Ali struggled to describe how blackness could appear brighter, but that was just how she saw it with Arcane Insight. Certainly, Calen was right, the way to the library coincided with the direction of the strongest mana. Why was that?


    ¡°I can¡¯t see much of anything down here,¡± Malika said. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to rely on your eyes for scouting.¡±


    ¡°Anything in particular I should be looking out for?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Kobolds and skeletons,¡± Mato offered. ¡°Stealth patrols.¡±


    ¡°Traps,¡± Ali added. ¡°Tripwires across the streets and switches under loose flagstones connected to deadfalls.¡±


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll go ahead,¡± Calen said, hopping back up on top of the nearby building with an agile jump off a cracked windowsill, and then vanished from sight.


    Ali walked on, quietly following behind Malika and Mato for several minutes with two Kobold Warriors and her Fire Mage, trying to remember the way they had gone before. But she had been so scared, all the streets and buildings had melded into one giant dizzying blur in her memories.


    Suddenly, an urgent whisper pierced the silence from the darkness above, ¡°Kobolds up ahead!¡±


    Ali¡¯s head snapped up, and she caught the dim outline of Calen¡¯s form shifting in the shadows along the broken stone tiled roof, and a few seconds later the familiar yipping and chirping sounds of hunting Kobolds echoed from the stone walls up ahead.


    An angry red glow suddenly illuminated the alleyway up ahead, casting ominous dancing shadows across broken flagstones. The thrill of fear caressed the back of Ali¡¯s neck, making the little hairs prickle as they stood on end. The fiery glow showed Ali the malevolent gaze of a Kobold Fire Mage staring back at her from behind his conjuring. With the paranoid instincts that came from a week of desperately struggling for survival down among these ruins, Ali¡¯s barrier sprung up instantaneously, covering her entire body from any attacks that might come from up front.


    An orb of pristine luminance flared up in the center of the alleyway, and two sprinting enemy rogues appeared out of the shadows as Calen¡¯s magic dispelled their stealth.


    Ali let out a sigh of relief as the rogues were exposed, but she didn¡¯t let her guard down. A roar filled the alleyway as Mato engaged, and Ali dropped the rogues from her mind as she swapped focus entirely onto the mage ¨C a habit she and Mato had practiced at length.


    With a muffled thump and a whooshing noise, the mage¡¯s Fireball flew, growing rapidly larger as it approached. Ali split her magic and cast a second Barrier in its path. Her aim wielding two barriers simultaneously was still clumsy, and the Fireball struck the edge, careening off to the side and detonating harmlessly against a nearby building.


    ¡°¡± she commanded, directing her rogues. By the light of raining gobs of fire magic, she unleashed her Arcane Bolts, joining Calen¡¯s brilliant arrows in an assault on the Kobold mage. She ignored the clangs of steel and the booming crashes of her Bugbears, as they unleashed their fury beside Mato.


    A flicker of flame beside her signaled her own Fire Mage¡¯s counterattack. The Fireball leapt out across the alleyway striking the wall beside the enemy mage. There was a low thump that shook the stone street, followed by a flash of brilliant flame and a tremendous bang. The enemy mage¡¯s body flew sideways, slamming into a cracked stone wall on the opposite side of the street before sliding down, leaving a gruesome smear in its wake.


    Three simultaneous chimes sounded within her mind as the acrid odor of brimstone overpowered the softer undertones of burnt flesh. A sudden silence descended upon the alleyway.


    Ali¡¯s memories of her first battle had had a powerful effect on her, driving a sense of urgency and desperation. After all, this group of Kobolds was remarkably similar to the first group she had faced. But the outcome couldn¡¯t have been more different. she thought, shocked by how trivial the same fight was now that there were four of them and had all grown substantially.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s the difference between being level twenty instead of level five,¡± she breathed.


    ¡°Heck, yes,¡± Mato growled through a fierce grin as he dragged the two rogue corpses over to her for deconstruction.


    Calen


    Ever since he had been old enough to read, Calen had been fascinated by stories of discovery. Archeologists, lore hunters, treasure seekers, pathfinders, and dungeon explorers, he had devoured every story he could find. In his childhood daydreams, he always played the role of the explorer, delving through the ancient ruins of long-forgotten civilizations, mapping out dangerous dungeons and caverns, and sneaking past monstrous guardians to unearth ancient treasure and arcane lore.


    And here he was, standing in the middle of the ancient and long-buried ruins of the legendary city of learning.


    . Untouched for over three thousand years. Most scribes and scholars agreed that the location of the city had been lost forever ¨C if it was ever even more than a myth.


    He glanced over at Ali as she used her strange magic to dispose of the dead Kobolds.


    He scanned the ruins from his vantage point on the rooftop. At his back, the enormous stone pillar rose over a hundred feet to the rocky cavern roof above. They had come down on the southern edge of a giant inner terraced area, densely populated with what must have once been residences ¨C surprisingly large houses. Beyond the terrace, the city ruins sprawled out in an enormous circle filled with roads and stone buildings.


    He could tell it was almost pitch dark, but his Eyes of the Archon skill still showed him the entire cityscape in exquisite detail, only in shades of gray and black. To the northeast and northwest, two more giant pillars rose from out of the buildings reaching the cavern roof. He carefully memorized the locations of all the major features he could see, roughly sketching the main reference points in his notebook, paying particular attention to the circular, ordered arrangement of the rings of buildings extending outward from the terrace, and the enormous radial roads that cut through it all extending the full length from the center to the edge of the city. It would take some time to do it justice, but he would be the first to map these legendary ruins.


    He marveled at the exquisite craftsmanship of the ancient stonework, still almost perfect after several thousand years. Dwarven history was filled with stories of ancient stone and earth mages of stupendous skill and extraordinary training, producing marvels that would be impossible in the modern age. Many scholars discounted this as the typical inflation of prowess that occurred when history transitioned into legend and myth, but Calen could see the evidence right before his eyes.


    Even the battlements in Myrin¡¯s Keep ¨C crafted by the best earth and stone mages the kingdom could muster ¨C paled in comparison to the ancient craftsmanship that lay everywhere he looked. In the distance, nearer the center of the city, he could make out enormous stone statues of presumably important people ¨C kings perhaps, or sages.


    Far to the north, an enormous chunk of the circular city was simply missing, a yawning black hole being all that he could see in its place.  Given the quality of the craftsmanship, Calen could scarcely guess what disaster must have befallen the city to destroy such a large swath of it. His heart, his curiosity drew his attention toward the scene of such destruction, hoping to unearth a clue as to what might have transpired, but he reined it in.


    Ali was done clearing the battlefield, and his friends were down there waiting for him. He spent a little of his precious mana, summoning a floating orb of light with his skill and sending it out to drift above their heads, attaching it to follow Ali. His skill had been leveling slowly. Hopefully, this delve would be an opportunity to grow it.  Given Ali and Mato¡¯s recounting of their experiences, and the stealthy rogues in the last group, it was probably safer to keep the lights around. He would need to range a little further afield to use his Eclipse skill, and it might mess with Ali¡¯s rogues and Bugbears, but the extra safety was probably worth it.


    He hopped along the surprisingly intact slate roofs as the group moved northward, following the twisting alleys and winding streets with him guiding them in the general direction of the center of the city. A brief gleam caught his eye and he quickly called out.


    ¡°Mato, tripwire.¡±


    Ali and Mato had talked about the ubiquitous traps the Kobolds were so fond of, so he made a mental note to keep a sharper lookout. Even from above, and providing them with light, he probably still had the more acute vision. At least they were not magical traps, and simply seeing them was enough to entirely avoid the danger.


    He led the group deeper and deeper into the dungeon, pausing briefly to kill each patrol they encountered. The groups of two or three Kobolds were easily dispatched by their superior numbers and higher leveled combat skills, and even the occasional skeletons were no trouble at all. He continued to point out the tripwires, dead drops, and loose flagstones with uncanny ease. So accurately that he was beginning to suspect his two perception skills ¨C Eyes of the Archon and Explorer ¨C were synergizing somehow to identify the danger.


    A dark silhouette lurked in the shadows on top of one of the houses to the left, crouched beside a surprisingly intact stone chimney. Carefully, Calen drew his bow and fired, releasing his magic at the last possible moment. he noted happily as the magic lit up the rooftop, and the Kobold rogue hiding on it, right before it struck him in the upper thigh. The Kobold slipped and crashed down the back of the building calling out with an anguished yipping. Immediately, two green-scaled Kobolds charged into the street.  Calen fired a second arrow, threading the needle between Malika and one of Ali¡¯s Bugbears, taking the lead enemy warrior in the chest.


    The two warriors fell quickly to the onslaught of axes, daggers, and flying Bugbears with massive maces, but there was still no sign of the rogue Calen had shot off the roof. Quickly, he activated Eclipse, blending back into the shadows. Using one of Ali¡¯s Bugbears as a stepladder, he quickly hopped up onto the roof of the building on the opposite side of the street and scanned the area.


    ¡°Incoming from the left, up ahead!¡± he called out to his friends below. Blending in with the shadows, he nocked an arrow and waited till the patrol of six Kobolds charged around the corner.


    Calen was becoming proficient at picking out the red-scaled casters in the group. It wasn¡¯t so much the color ¨C given that half the time he was seeing in black-and-white ¨C but these Kobold Fire Mages wore tattered robes that looked like an academy magister who was down on his luck and had been homeless in the slums for several months. They also didn¡¯t carry weapons, preferring their potent fire magic.


    His arrow flew silently down into the fray, suddenly igniting into brilliance and illuminating the mage as it struck. Ali obviously noticed because her magic bolts immediately arced across the battlefield to strike the same target. He fired again, carefully avoiding the enormous Bugbear leaping over the enemies to land among them with a crashing mace strike.


    The Kobolds were simply under-leveled and outnumbered. Ali¡¯s new Bugbear minions seemed to be extraordinarily effective, crushing and slashing their way through the much smaller Kobolds, often sending the small monsters flying with the power of their strikes.


    Calen kept to the rooftops as much as he could, hopping deftly across the smaller alleys and closely spaced houses, dropping to the streets only when they crossed a major one. The Kobolds and skeletons were easy to pick out, and the traps were still unsophisticated contraptions clearly visible with his perception skills. However, when he reached the next concentric main road, he stopped in his tracks, scanning the buildings on the other side of the street, finding them to be misshapen, gray, and lumpy, a rather stark contrast to the clean-cut stonework he had gotten used to. There were no obvious Kobold patrols on this road, so he decided to wait for the others to catch up.


    ¡°There¡¯s something strange up ahead,¡± he said. ¡°The buildings look irregular and gray.¡±


    ¡°That must be the section with all the bone,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°Yes, it was very strange,¡± Ali said as she peered around the last house. ¡°It was sprayed out from some enormous bone monstrosity we found. And the mana is all weird around here.¡±


    They all quickly crossed the road in silence, and Calen immediately saw what Ali had meant. All the houses were encrusted with a lumpy grayish substance forming ridges and plates. Many of the buildings looked like they had been draped in a thick layer of heavy gray cobwebs that had ossified. It looked like it had all frozen while flowing around the stone. There were occasional real bones embedded in it, sticking out haphazardly.


    Calen¡¯s natural caution deepened.


    Throughout her book, Lyeneru Silverleaf emphasized caution ¨C to beware of a dungeon¡¯s proclivity for serving up deadly surprises. There was a creepiness to this place that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. It felt like he was being observed, but the sensation hovered just out of reach at the back of his mind.


    A sudden movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention and he snapped his head around to see, drawing his bow. A small dark gray creature was crawling up the wall. It was about the size of a small fist and had eight legs with a round carapace. . Despite himself, he shivered.


    As soon as he moved, it scurried away darting sideways across the wall with a skittering, scraping sound.


    Silently, they pressed on through the strange bone-covered alleyway. Calen noticed that Ali¡¯s description of the bone substance was quite accurate. It really did look like it had been sprayed on and simply hardened. He found many cases where isolated rib bones, rocks, or skulls were sticking out of the bone like they had been trapped and frozen in place. Now and then he heard the skittering sounds of tiny legs scurrying away or saw the sudden darting movements out of the corner of his eyes. The creepiness was really beginning to put him on edge.


    ¡°Mato, trap,¡± he called out, easy to see from his vantage point up on the roof, and immediately heard Kobold alarm calls barking in response. Three Kobolds sprang from their concealed hiding spot in a bone-encrusted house behind the tripwire trap, brandishing steel blades that gleamed a dark reddish black in their taloned grasp.


    he noted, drawing his bow and firing instantly. As his arrow sped toward the Fire Mage, it flared with the brilliant illumination of his light magic infusing it with power. In the brief moment of light, his enhanced vision showed him unnatural ridges and plates of bone that covered the mage¡¯s red-scaled hide.


    His arrow struck the mage hard, ricocheting off, and cracking a bony protrusion on her neck. Before his very eyes, the cracked plate began filling in and sealing up the damage. He fired two more arrows in quick succession as the mage looked upward, fixing him with her glowing red eyes. His attacks had no more effect than the first one. The mage¡¯s scaly lips peeled back in what looked like a mocking feral grin, baring her fangs. With a sharp gesture of her outstretched hand, her fire mana began to condense into a Fireball hovering above her claws.


    With a sudden chill, he realized how exposed he was up on the roof with no cover, and immediately began running. The mage tracked him easily, releasing the Fireball which shot across the distance in a flash.


    His eyes widened in shock, and he felt the searing heat singe his skin.


    But, right in the nick of time, a golden disk of magic popped into existence in front of his face, taking the full impact of the Fireball. A deafening detonation and flash of flame enveloped the entire roof. Calen crashed into the slate tiles, knocked off his feet by the concussion of the blast, while dislodged and shattered stone tiles from the other side of the barrier rained down into the street below. Even just the little energy that flowed around the barrier magic caused his skin to blister as he caught the whiff of his own singed hair. He could only imagine how destructive that would have been if the barrier hadn¡¯t blocked the explosion itself. He shot Ali a grateful glance, but she was already focused on firing her Arcane Bolts at the deadly mage.


    ¡°Use magic to crack the bone armor!¡± Malika shouted, her yell sharing her discovery with the rest of them.


    Calen thought, realizing his magic required the arrow to hit for it to be effective. he thought, realizing Ali was their only pure magic user. He studied the battle below. Malika and several of Ali¡¯s rogues were fighting the enemy rogue. Ali¡¯s Bugbears and warriors were helping Mato with the warrior, and the remaining rogues materialized right behind the enemy Fire Mage, stabbing viciously. However, Calen could clearly see their dagger strikes were ineffectively bouncing off the dense bone plates and ridges, hardly bothering the Kobold at all. An intense aura of flame sprung up around the Fire Mage, filling the battlefield with the stench of burning scales and flesh as the Kobolds caught alight trying to attack through the wall of flame.


    A Firebolt flew across the battlefield and smashed into the enemy mage¡¯s chest, sending bone splinters flying and leaving broad cracks in the armor. Ali¡¯s bolts landed in the same spot, in a much more destructive fashion.  Calen quickly nocked another arrow and fired it into the rapidly intensifying conflagration. His arrow flew true and buried itself into the Kobold mage¡¯s lower ribcage between the shattered bone plates, causing it to misfire a bolt of flame.


    He sidestepped the errant bolt of flame and fired again and again, carefully aiming for wherever Ali¡¯s bolts had pulverized the dense and impenetrable bone armor. Ali withdrew her severely burnt rogues from the intense flames surrounding the mage, sending them to help Mato instead.  he thought. Bathed in Mato¡¯s aura, they would recover over time. The intense flame aura seemed to diminish the impact of Ali¡¯s mage¡¯s Firebolts, so it was really up to him and her to take out the dangerous fiery Kobold. Ali blocked a second, powerful Fireball with her barrier, detonating it prematurely out in the open. Her barrier shattered with the force of the blast but managed to contain the damage to the conflagration already filling the middle of the street. The enemy mage seemed completely unaffected by the blast, simply firing off more bolts of flame. Calen dodged the one sent his way and, aiming carefully, fired another arrow. The arrow sped toward its target, Calen delaying the release of his light magic as a matter of habit now. The Fire Mage lit up with the intensity of his bolt for a half second before the arrow buried itself in a chink between the shattered bone plates in her chest. The instant his arrow struck home, the intense flame aura vanished, and the Kobold dropped limp to the ground.


    Calen breathed a sigh of relief and switched his attention to Malika¡¯s target. Her magic was flashing rapidly as she attacked the Kobold rogue. But he could see her punches and kicks were vastly less effective than normal. he realized. It was hard to deliver magical damage when the attack skill simply bounced off the enemy¡¯s armor. While Malika was significantly more effective than he had been on his own, the armor was definitely a problem. Ali¡¯s Fire Mage landed a Firebolt and Calen was surprised to see visibly more damage than when it had attacked the Fire Mage they had just killed. He nocked an arrow, firing into the newly opened vulnerability along the Kobold¡¯s ribs before it healed.


    he noted seeing Malika immediately shifting to take advantage of the same opening, her powerful magic finally penetrating and widening the gap. She ignored several dagger wounds on her arms as she unleashed a flurry of punches, her blood spraying crimson into the air with the speed and impact of her attacks.  Taking out the rogue quickly seemed the right priority. He fired two more arrows into the gap, barely avoiding Malika. Then the dark street lit up with Ali¡¯s golden bolts slamming into the rogue and it collapsed in time with the soft notification chime going off in his mind.


    Even though Ali¡¯s minions and Mato had been fighting with the Kobold warrior the entire battle, he seemed none the worse for it. He focused on blocking Mato with his shield, clearly recognizing the danger of Mato¡¯s magic, relying on his bone and plate armor to deal with the strikes of the Bugbears and rogues. The ringing clang of their weapons bouncing off his armor echoed through the dark street. In addition to the dense bone and scale of his hide, the warrior wore a banded plate vest made of the same dark reddish steel as his shield and shortsword.


    Calen drew back the bowstring to his ear, primed and awaiting the perfect moment to fire.


    A Firebolt slammed into the green-scaled warrior, blasting a scorched and smoking hole in the bone plates along his back. Instantly, Calen released his arrow and by the time it hit, the bone armor was already beginning to close. His second arrow deflected off, shattering against the wall ¨C the armor already fully regenerated.


    Calen shifted his aim to where Ali¡¯s Arcane Bolts were striking. The warrior was significantly more resilient than the other two defeated enemies. Ali¡¯s Bugbears and most of her rogues withdrew.  Calen approved, they were just getting in the way.


    Malika attacked one of the openings Ali had created with such immense speed that Calen found himself struggling to track her punches. He shifted his position to get a better angle and fired again. It was fortunate that the Kobold¡¯s ridiculous regeneration only affected its armor, and not its health. With the addition of all their magical output, the Kobold was starting to show visible wounds and slow down, its blood leaking down the front of its armor. Still, his defensive fighting style, blocking as many of Malika and Mato¡¯s strikes with his shield as possible, drew the fight out way longer than Calen had expected. Eventually, though, the uneven standoff was broken as the Kobold collapsed to one knee, and Ali¡¯s bolts and Malika¡¯s punches finished it off.


    Calen hopped lightly down from his perch on the rooftop and examined the fallen Kobold warrior. To his surprise, the bone ridges and plates under its green-scaled hide began to shrink, completely disappearing after a few moments, leaving a normal-looking Kobold corpse. Aside from their higher-quality gear, the other two corpses looked like perfectly ordinary Kobolds, too.


    he blinked as a notification pinged his mind.


    Suddenly, he connected several previously unrelated pieces of information in his head. The uncomfortable prickling sensation in the back of his mind had been growing every time his Explorer skill leveled. The strange environment with unusual bone artifacts. The extraordinary regenerating bone armor of the Kobolds they had just faced, which faded as soon as they died. Even the creepy Bone Skitterer creatures. It all connected with the stories of adventurers and pathfinders exploring the dangerous areas of the world that he had loved reading as a child.


    He was certain of it. The ambient aura of magic that Ali said she could see would be capable of producing dungeon-wide effects that enhanced many of the dungeon¡¯s minions.


    Before the sound of his notification chime had faded, while the glowing white text still hovered in his mind, he had the strangest sensation of something akin to a door swinging open in his mind. His skill chimed again.


    Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra ¨C level ??


    Affinity: Bone, Death


    Age: Ancient


    Known Creatures: Kobold, Sewer Rat, Giant Spider, Undead Skeleton, Starving Wolf


    Known Bosses: Aberrant Skeletal Warrior ¨C level 9


    Dungeon


    As soon as his Explorer skill reached level twelve, it reminded him that they were in a dungeon. But this time he didn¡¯t mind the excessive noisiness as the notifications continued and he saw the new assessment information provided by his skill leveling up.


    ¡°I just got a skill up,¡± Calen announced, and rather than explain, he simply shared the dungeon assessment. There wasn¡¯t a lot of information they didn¡¯t already know, but it was good to confirm the affinities of the dungeon and even knowing the name of the dungeon was nice. The level being too high to identify was rather worrying, as was the ancient age of the dungeon. Clearly, it had been here for a very long time.


    ¡°Death and Bone, that¡¯s what my skill told me too,¡± Ali replied.


    ¡°I think we need to be extra careful as we go further,¡± Malika added. ¡°If the level is higher than we can identify then something in here is very strong.¡±


    Calen continued scanning the remaining notifications.


    S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Calen tightened his hands into fists. Still, there was a reason they were down here, and it wasn¡¯t for a pleasant stroll in a meadow. He dropped six points into dexterity, enough to hopefully improve his aim in case he needed to hit cracks in bone armor again. Then he spent two points on intelligence to increase his magical damage, and recalling the close call with the fireball, decided to spend his final two points boosting his vitality.


    He took the opportunity in the aftermath of the fight to pull up his sheet. He might not be at Ali¡¯s level yet, but he was definitely growing stronger!

 Chapter 52: Bone Spitter Drone

    Chapter 52: Bone Spitter Drone


    , by Lyeneru Silverleaf, Elven Pathfinders Guild.


    Aliandra


    Ali poked thoughtfully at the corpse of the red-scaled Fire Mage. In death, it seemed no different than any other Kobold mage she had killed, certainly not as terrifying as it had been in life.  Even considering the obviously higher level, this Fire Mage had been much stronger than she had anticipated. Her favorite strategy against mages was to deploy several rogues, relying on Ambush and surprise, and then finishing them off with Arcane Bolts ¨C but this mage had used a potent reactive flame shield, much like the Goblin Fire Mage she had encountered in the southern forest, burning her rogues on every strike. Worse, though, was the heavy bone armor skill it had employed. It was only with the extra nature magic damage granted by her Empowered Summoner skill augmenting every dagger strike, that her rogues were able to deal any damage at all ¨C and a pittance at that.


    Ali deconstructed the Kobold corpse, making Malika¡¯s task of collecting and evaluating their equipment vastly easier ¨C and less gory ¨C while simultaneously refilling her entire mana pool. Her Grimoire appeared, updating several parts of the Kobold imprint with new lines of runes, deftly inserted here and there as the pages riffled softly, readjusting. Being able to make a level nineteen Fire Mage or a level sixteen rogue would definitely come in handy, but the chances of getting precisely what she wanted out of her stubborn book were depressingly small.


    she encouraged herself. Her Grimoire was limited to summoning creatures of her own class level or lower, but the obvious fact that it had never summoned a Toxic Slime above level one, or a Goblin Scavenger above three, implied that she needed to explicitly record higher-level variants if she wished to summon more powerful minions.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Mato said, tapping his foot, ever impatient when a fight might await them just around the next corner.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Calen answered, darting silently back up onto the roof with impressive agility before vanishing into the pervasive gloom.


    As they delved deeper into the dungeon, approaching the center of the ruins, Ali found the mana growing noticeably denser and more potent. The thick layer of bone that encrusted everything spewed out prodigious amounts of dense, dark mana that perfused the slowly crumbling hollow husks of the buildings. Without the benefit of Arcane Insight last time, all she had experienced was an uneasiness and an occasional prickling of magic, but now she could observe the roiling darkness of bone mana merging with the pitch-black tendrils of death magic.


    Even more fascinating, as she studied it, was the structure that emerged underlying the entire space. The two affinities of mana wove together in a chaotic-seeming pattern that nonetheless expressed a fundamental underlying order and repetition, an emergent harmony stretching out as far as she could perceive.


    It was the intricately woven structure of the mana that captured her fullest attention, instantly calling to mind her own domain and the distinct appearance of Mato¡¯s Arboreal Sanctuary ¨C a skill that she now knew also carried the domain trait. The venerable Night Elf sage, Lorien Silverveil ¨C the distinguished and formidable Professor who had taught her Magic Theory class ¨C had once described domains as an aura or structural lattice of mana that allowed the caster to extend or empower their magical influence over a much larger area than was normally allowed by the limitations of their class and level.


    The visible flow of mana had been fascinating to watch ¨C bone magic absorbed from the environment causing bone regeneration along the surface of each of the monsters. Ali still couldn¡¯t wrap her mind around it, but her Sage of Learning had definitely reacted to the phenomenon. Even though the structure and function of all three domains were dramatically different, Ali felt that the mere presence of the complex structure was enough evidence for her theory.


    ¡°Hey Ali, are these robes better than your current set?¡± Malika¡¯s voice redirected her focus from the ambient mana of the dungeon to the tattered robes held in her hands. She seemed a little on edge, and Ali was about to ask if she was ok when she remembered that Malika¡¯s parents had been killed by a dungeon-break, and she was probably quite uncomfortable delving down here in the heart of an unknown dungeon ¨C even if they seemed to be relatively capable of killing the Kobolds.


    Tattered Robes ¨C level 17


    Resistance: 163


    Requirements: Intelligence 60


    Body ¨C Cloth


    ¡°No, my Tailored Cotton Clothing has two hundred and sixteen resistance and Lydia¡¯s self-repair enchantment.¡± An enchantment that had seen little use with Mato tanking most of the monsters, but one that Ali still appreciated.


    She mulled it over in her mind, not coming to any reasonable explanation before her curiosity got the better of her. ¡°Why is that worse when it¡¯s a higher level?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a poor-quality item, which usually makes any enchantments or bonuses weaker than normal,¡± Malika answered. ¡°All of Lydia¡¯s work is at least masterwork quality ¨C it¡¯s exceptional, and that often grants better than average enchantments, armor, or damage. Your clothes are even better, they¡¯re a magical grade item ¨C I just didn¡¯t remember the numbers. Here, why don¡¯t you learn this, it¡¯s not worth carrying back with us. And this, too.¡±


    Malika tossed the ripped, singed crimson Tattered Robes to her and added a black-stained leather chest armor that the rogue had been wearing. Ali deconstructed both. They were both items she already knew how to make, but she was pleased to add some higher-level versions to her repertoire. As her mother sometimes used to say:


    ¡°Are those special?¡± Ali asked, seeing Malika carefully examining the unusually colored steel weapons and armor that remained. To her untrained eye, they looked to be exceptionally well crafted, and something about the reddish glow of the black steel caught her attention.


    ¡°Special? Take a look at this,¡± Malika said, handing her a dagger. The black steel had been polished to a mirror-like finish and, even under the clear light of Calen¡¯s orb, it gleamed darkly, with strong red undertones. The hilt was wrapped in tightly braided, black-stained leather, and the straight, sharp blade was a little longer than her forearm. There was not a scratch on it.


    ¡°Nice toothpick,¡± said Mato, peering over her shoulder.


    ¡°No good. Me bash-bash, no slice-and-dice,¡± Ali chuckled, drawing a snort of laughter from the huge Beastkin. ¡°What¡¯s your assessment, Malika?¡±


    ¡°A perfect weapon for an assassin ¨C magical grade, with a very high dexterity enchantment,¡± Malika said, turning to examine the sword, armor, and shield. ¡°Everything else is masterwork craftsmanship. My Appraise skill says that in addition to excellent craftsmanship, these all have high value as historical artifacts. It doesn¡¯t seem like something a Kobold would normally have equipped ¨C not to my thinking, anyway.¡±


    ¡°If the armor and shield are this good, it¡¯s no wonder that warrior was so hard to kill,¡± Ali said, turning the beautifully crafted dagger over in her hand.


    She puzzled over it for a while, but in the end, it wasn¡¯t the name but the dark reddish-black gleam of the steel that triggered her memories. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Ancient Dal¡¯mohran name for . Ali had never been particularly interested in weapons or armor growing up, but even she knew Thovir Emberforge by sight. There were even statues of the legendary blacksmith by the entrance to the city, an honor reserved for the Council of Kings and the sages of the highest renown.


    Her school had once taken a field trip down to the forge, where she had observed the Dwarven Master Smith working his steel. Steel that was forged and tempered into exactly this color. The invention of Emberforged Steel had been Thovir¡¯s crowning achievement. Something about the way it was made, or how it was used, had been so sought after, that merchants would cross the continent for a single commissioned item made by Thovir himself.


    Idly, she wondered how the name had morphed over the centuries to ¡®Eimuuran¡¯ rather than Emberforged, and why her notifications for Identify had failed to correctly translate it into Ancient Dal¡¯mohran as it did with almost everything else.


    In the same instant, her mind turned to Thuli, the grumpy dwarf in his cold smithy, who Ali suddenly realized could have been Thovir¡¯s brother were it not for the three thousand years that separated them.


    ¡°These are artifacts of the ancient Dal¡¯mohran forges,¡± Ali said, handing the dagger back to Malika. ¡°Perhaps we should show them to the grumpy smith and see what he thinks? They could be valuable.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Malika answered. She quickly stored the daggers, sword, shield, and armor, and then handed Ali a bracelet. ¡°Here, this is for your Fire Mage.¡±


    Bone Bracelet ¨C level 12


    +5% to Fire damage.


    +11 Intelligence.


    Requirements: Intelligence 42.


    Hands ¨C Charm


    Ali glanced at Malika in surprise, but as soon as she Identified the item, she understood. Five percent was not a lot, but again, those small increments could prove crucial. The bracelet was fashioned of the same bone substance that coated everything around them, but it had been polished to a smooth sheen. Delicately carved runes were etched into its shiny surface, forming the basis for the enchantments. Ali tipped it one way and another trying to get a good look at the tiny runes and the structure of the construct, finding, to her surprise, that she could understand most of them already using her Runic Script skill.


    ¡°Here, this is for you,¡± she told her Fire Mage in Draconic, and handed him the bracelet.


    ¡°You are most generous, Ancient Mistress,¡± he replied and slipped it on his wrist baring his sharp teeth in a vicious-looking grin. A grin that would once have sent her fleeing in terror, but now merely made her smile.


    After the break to recover their stamina, they pressed onward, picking their way through the creepy bone-encrusted streets, sending the crawling Bone Skitterers scampering for cover at every step. At least half of the patrols they encountered were higher-level Kobolds with the same dense, regenerating bone ridges and plates, drawing the battles out far longer than normal. Ali recalled the hordes of Kobolds out on the huge radial boulevard, realizing just how outclassed she and Mato had been the first time they had stumbled through these streets searching for the library and their way out.


    They turned a corner and Ali startled at a rush of the ever-present tiny bone creatures skittering across the street, racing for cover at their approach.


    She shivered, holding her opposite arms across her chest.


    It didn¡¯t help that the entire environment was eerily familiar ¨C she had lived here, and her subconscious knew it. And yet, at the same time, it felt entirely alien to her ¨C some streets looked like they had been shrouded in a thick coat of dirty snow, while others seemed like a giant monstrous spider had turned them into its lair, trapping the skeletons of hapless Kobolds in the thick, solidified cobweb drapes, countless ribcages and small horned skulls frozen, plastered up against the walls forever. Everywhere she looked there were always tiny bone creatures crawling away at the edges of her vision, seen only by the brightness of the mana they had consumed. Mana that was rapidly growing dense and bright enough for her to be able to navigate entirely by mana sight.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this place,¡± Malika whispered.


    Ali nodded. She had seldom walked through this formerly wealthy neighborhood, preferring the main boulevard whenever she traveled to and from the library, but that way was inaccessible to them now. Back then, this entire area would have been brightly lit and filled with important people, but now it was a sea of bone and bugs.


    Ali wondered, observing one of the crab-like creatures absorbing the abundant dark mana from a corner before their approach spooked it into scuttling out of sight. It was the sound, Ali realized, the soft clicking clatter of bone on bone as the creatures crawled around, that set her teeth on edge and made her scan the dark corners furtively.


    Calen suddenly stopped their advance, pointing down the next street, and Ali peered around the corner. She gasped at the sight of an enormous monster made of bone plates crawling along a wall ¨C the same gigantic creature she had seen from afar with Mato.


    It moved with a grinding, ripping sound as the bone plates shifted constantly, carried along the wall by hundreds of tiny legs that bit into the bone and rock as easily as she might grab onto moss with her fingers.


    Seen from so much closer, it was truly unnerving. Ali recoiled from the sheer size of its domed and segmented carapace, and the jagged, sharp mandibles that protruded from its mouth. It was easily longer than her Bugbears were tall and probably weighed three or four times as much, and yet it crawled along the side of the wall as if gravity had inexplicably decided to take a vacation.


    As they watched, the creature approached a patrolling skeleton. The mandibles opened wide, and, in a flash, it bit down, making the top half of the skeleton disappear in an instant. Even from this distance, Ali could hear the grotesque crunching as the monster consumed the bones before returning for the other half of its meal. Moving on as if nothing had happened, the creature began spraying a gray fluid from its mouth which adhered to the wall, turning solid almost immediately, and sprouting spikes and ridges in a swirl of magical energy.


    ¡°Gross,¡± Malika whispered, shuddering.


    ¡°We need to go through that thing,¡± Calen observed, with what looked like forced calm. ¡°Or¡­ around it, although I can¡¯t see how.¡±


    .


    ¡°That¡¯s one ugly bug,¡± Mato said, echoing her thoughts. ¡°You guys ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Malika said, her lips curling up in obvious distaste.


    As soon as they were ready, Mato charged the monster, with Malika sprinting along just behind him.


    ¡°¡± Ali told her minions, reinforcing the verbal command with her intent. All but her mage charged in. Her Mace Bugbear leapt through the air, flying seven or eight meters before he came down with a gigantic, smashing strike. To Ali¡¯s surprise, the heavy mace bounced off the hard bone carapace with a loud bang and the tiny crack he had made rapidly closed. The axes and daggers of her remaining minions met with just as little success.


    The Spitter Drone dropped off the wall and one of her Kobolds had to dive for safety, barely avoiding being crushed by the huge bulk that sent a quake through the stone underfoot as it landed.


    Mato¡¯s swipe tore some splinters of bone from the monster¡¯s carapace, his claws glowing green in her mana sight as he empowered it with some magical skill. Ali decided. It turned on him with uncanny speed for such a massive creature, spraying a jet of vile fluid from between its two insect-like mandibles. The jet tracked across the ground, along Mato¡¯s flank, and up the wall before it stopped. Dozens of razor-sharp bone spines shot out from the fluid, stabbing Mato and the nearest Bugbear before the mana twisted and the entire thing solidified.


    Mato roared in pain as his thrashing shattered the new bone encrusting his side, tearing out chunks of skin, flesh, and fur which the liquid had just turned to bone! His healing magic slowly flowed through his body, and the ossified flesh cracked and sloughed off as his wounds began to slowly knit together.


    Ali stared in horror. She couldn¡¯t imagine the pain Mato must have just endured. But he just swiped a huge paw at the monstrous bug-like creature even while his blood leaked from between the cracks in the bone that hadn¡¯t fallen off yet.


    ¡°We need to fight smarter than this,¡± Ali exclaimed. ¡°We can¡¯t just tank it and hope for the best¡­¡±


    ¡°Can you see if your Bugbears can target their mandibles, or legs?¡± Calen said, firing another arrow. ¡°It must have some weakness.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said, nodding. ¡°,¡± she commanded her Bugbears, and instantly they switched strategy trying to wedge their maces under the lip of the carapace.


    Not wanting to let her friend endure the fight any longer than absolutely necessary, Ali immediately picked a spot and opened fire. Her Arcane Bolts slammed into the bony carapace with a staccato thwacking sound, flinging shards of broken and shattered bone in all directions, slowly forcing open a gap in the armor which grew wider only slightly faster than the bone armor¡¯s extreme regeneration could close it up. Quickly, to capitalize on the vulnerability, she instructed her mage to use Firebolt to target the same location. Calen and Malika immediately noticed her efforts and joined in. It was clear that the bone was regenerating significantly faster than the Kobolds they had fought earlier. Ali dared not let up, or their efforts would be rapidly undone.


    Another fluid jet sprayed out, splashing against the wall and filling the air with a putrid stench. Even though it missed Mato this time, the spikes shooting out of the fluid as it hardened still impaled him several times before he twisted his body, snapping them off. Malika darted in to touch him with her healing magic before she returned to delivering a furious onslaught of flashing punches.


    The bug writhed and sprayed several more times while Ali rained down bolts in concert with her Fire Mage¡¯s efforts, widening the hole torn through the carapace and exposing the monster¡¯s innards.


    she thought, sending the command to her mage.


    ¡°Incoming Fireball!¡± she yelled, getting Malika to duck right as the sizzling ball of flame shot forth, slamming into the hole and vanishing inside the gigantic monster.


    There was a muffled thump and the sound of bone cracking, and suddenly, gouts of fire erupted from several large cracks in the rapidly disintegrating carapace. The Spitter Drone lurched sideways, ricocheting off the wall before slewing drunkenly to the left, nearly crushing Mato before the Bear danced free.


    Ali¡¯s rogues and Bugbears, useless in the fight until now, launched a devastating offensive, targeting the weak spots opened all over the heavily armored carapace by the powerful explosion of fire magic. Even though the carapace was visibly repairing itself already, the axes and daggers were relentless, sending shards of bone flying among sprays of vile gray fluid.


    For the first time in the battle, the monster shrieked, writhing to try to escape the furious onslaught. Its frantic thrashing sent some of her Kobolds flying, but the rogues were dexterous enough to land on their feet and resume the attack.


    After a few minutes of wild spray, glinting steel, and bone splinters shattering in all directions, the monster suddenly shuddered and stopped attacking.


    ¡°We¡¯re close! Attack!¡± She urged her minions to finish it.


    From deep within the monster, a dense ball of glowing mana began to coalesce, pulsing like a heartbeat that grew stronger with each beat. As it grew, the chill of premonition traced down Ali¡¯s spine, setting her shivering with dread.


    ¡°Take cover!¡± she yelled, throwing as much mana into a protective barrier as she could, blocking both herself and Calen.


    The mana within the monster pulsed one last time, and the entire behemoth of bone vaporized in a detonation that dwarfed her mage¡¯s fire magic. Ali was flung to the ground as the entire stone street exploded, flinging deadly missiles of bone and rock in all directions, skewering her minions and ricocheting off her barrier and the walls behind her. All her rogues were blasted across the street, striking the stone walls with sickening splatting sounds. She reeled from the stinging recoil of multiple mana reservations snapping. Dimly, she saw Malika landing on the roof, pulling several shards of bone out of her thigh before pulsing her healing magic. Mato had been blown backward through a wall, but he emerged shaking his huge head before knocking several bone plates out of his shoulder and flank and clambering over the rubble.


    Ali stared in a daze at her cracked and beaten barrier which had surely saved her and Calen from being skewered. All around her, bone and ¡­ pieces¡­ rained down silently. Malika was yelling something as she leapt down from the roof, but she too was silent.


    Malika was yelling something again.


    Ali concentrated on Malika¡¯s lips and got as far as ¡°Run¡± before she saw a horde of Kobolds barreling around the corner at the far end of the street.


    In panic, she struggled to her unsteady feet, reaching out for help. Only one of her minions remained ¨C a Bugbear with only a bleeding stump protruding from beneath his heavy steel pauldron. Knowing she could never run as fast as the others, she commanded the Bugbear to pick her up and flee.


    Behind, she saw a churning mass of angry Kobolds and skeletons that grew into a tide that threatened to wash them away. More and more joined the throng as the group of adventurers fled into the dark streets of the ruins, desperate to get away.


    Ali summoned barrier after barrier behind them to slow the horde, but it was as effective as building sandcastles on the beach to stop the tide. They crossed the border from the encrusted buildings into the regular city and continued sprinting into the darkness, her Bugbear puffing and panting from the effort. Every time she checked behind her, Ali was certain the Kobolds were growing closer. They ran and ran, but the Kobolds chasing them were tireless, and even though she was still deaf, her imagination could easily conjure the chirps and hunting calls growing louder as they closed the distance.


    ¡°They¡¯re not giving up!¡± Ali yelled, her voice coming out as no more than a hollow vibration in her throat and skull.


    ¡°We have to use the smoke bomb, teleport out!¡± Malika yelled. Or at least, that¡¯s what her lips seemed to say. A black potion appeared in Malika¡¯s hand.


    Ali¡¯s guild ring had come with a free potion of recall, and she quickly found it and summoned the vial of black liquid.


    Malika threw her potion to the ground, and she vanished in a silent explosion of shattered glass and black smoke.


    ¡°¡± she told her Bugbear, and as soon as she reached the ground, she dashed the potion on the stone at her feet, feeling the disorienting lurch in the pit of her stomach as the magic pulled her away.


    She didn¡¯t stumble this time, but she experienced strong vertigo and dizziness as she was whisked into the teleportation locus in the center of the Novaspark Academy of Magic. Malika was off to the side wearing a worried expression, and a few moments later twin puffs of smoke and a fresh smell of burning signaled the arrival of Mato and Calen. Ali let out a held breath sensing the last reserved mana for her Bugbear snapping away. She shivered.


    Malika sat down and hugged Ali, pulsing healing magic through her body. ¡°Well, that was a spectacular disaster, are you ok?¡±


    Ali¡¯s hearing cleared instantly as Malika¡¯s magic repaired the damage.


    Ali nodded, but her body was still shaking from the aftereffects of the huge adrenaline-fueled run for their lives across half the ruined city, and the delightful experience of being blown up by a monstrous bug creature of bone.


    ¡°How can we ever win against that many?¡± Ali asked. Her voice shook but she didn¡¯t care. The explosion had nearly killed them, and if she hadn¡¯t reacted exactly when she did, she was certain both she and Calen would have died in the explosion. The horde of Kobolds drawn to the explosion had been endless.


    ¡°Relax a little, Ali,¡± Mato said, his voice unreasonably calm.


    ¡°How can I relax after¡­ ¡±


    ¡°It was a pretty epic train, I will agree. And that bug exploding was something else. But we won, and we got out alive, so in my books, that¡¯s a good fight,¡± he declared, grinning.


    Ali looked at him incredulously.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t get hurt, did you?¡± he asked.


    Ali opened her mouth and then shut it again in surprise. In fact, the only damage she had sustained was when the shockwave from the explosion had burst her eardrums. She glared at Mato and frowned. ¡°But you had your body turned to bone! You had to break it off in pieces. And I saw you impaled by dozens of shards when that thing exploded!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the tank now. I have a lot of health and armor ¨C it¡¯s my job to get hit so you guys don¡¯t have to.¡± He smiled softly at her. ¡°Yes, we were surprised by that explosion at the end, but other than that, the battle went pretty well.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re ignoring the part where we almost died to a horde of Kobolds that wouldn¡¯t give up after running halfway across the city. And that was after almost being blown up by a giant bone monster,¡± Malika pointed out, taking a strongly contrasting position to Mato¡¯s rosy perspective. ¡°Not to mention the cost of those potions to save us. Still¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I prefer being alive, too,¡± Mato agreed.


    ¡°We can learn from this,¡± Calen put in.


    Their calm logic slowly dispelled Ali¡¯s adrenaline-jangled nerves and her feelings of being overwhelmed. She began to think about it a little more objectively.


    Ali regarded her inner thoughts with surprise. If she didn¡¯t know any better, she might be accused of sounding brave.


    After taking a few moments to recover, Ali and Malika settled the mana debt for their teleportation fee. Between the two of them, they were easily able to cover it without waiting to regenerate.


    Ali thought, noticing that the official hadn¡¯t interrupted his work for even a moment during their entire conversation. Her gaze lingered a little on the beautiful runework of the teleportation locus before she followed her friends out of the hall.


    Some things no amount of coin could buy.

 Chapter 53: Some Preparation Required

    Chapter 53: Some Preparation Required- Excerpt from , Third Edition


    Calen


    Calen dropped lightly to the sewer floor, skipping the last several rungs of the rusty ladder. He landed on the balls of his feet and summoned his mote of light as the others joined him.


    A soft chime sounded in his mind as soon as his feet stepped onto the springy moss. The brilliant glowing text appeared in his mind containing information relayed via his Explorer skill.


    Ancient Grove ¨C level 21


    Affinity: Nature, Arcane


    Age: New


    Known Creatures: Kobold, Goblin, Ooze, Wolf


    Known Bosses: --


    Dungeon


    He stared at the notification in confusion. His Explorer skill had been noisy before, spamming him with unnecessary dungeon notifications whenever he was down in the cavern, but when it expanded the dungeon analysis while exploring the ruins of Dal¡¯mohra, he had been certain the skill would settle down finally. And now this.


    He stared at the analysis, casting a surreptitious identification on Ali as she descended the ladder to join him.


    The level, the affinities, and even the monster types matched. The only thing he couldn¡¯t figure out was how his Explorer skill had been confused into identifying Ali¡¯s domain as a dungeon.


    ¡°You ok?¡± Mato asked, stepping up next to him, and placing a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°Yeah, fine,¡± he answered and set off on the path back to their camp.


    The whole way back to camp, he turned it over in his mind, but by the time he sat down, he was still no closer to figuring out what was wrong with his skill. It had worked perfectly down in the ruins.


    He pulled out his notebook and transcribed the bizarre notification onto a new page, resolving to try a few experiments to see if he could narrow down the problem.


    Satisfied that he had chased down every lead he currently had, he turned the page in his notebook and set his mind to an entirely different task. His pen began to fly across the page as he translated his memories from earlier and his notes into a usable map of the underground ruined city. Slowly, he began to smile, happy to finally be able to use his Cartography skill for something that would help them explore.


    Aliandra


    ¡°We saw lots of those Spitter Drones when we were down there last time. There were tons of them in the plaza out in front of the library,¡± Ali said. She glanced at Mato, and he nodded in agreement. ¡°So, what are we going to do if we run into more of them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to let the strategy people figure that out,¡± Mato declared. ¡°I¡¯m hungry, so I¡¯ll make some food for whoever wants to eat.¡±


    ¡°Typical, Mato cares more about his stomach than giant exploding bug monsters,¡± Calen quipped from where he was working in his notebook. His quiet teasing, and Mato¡¯s faked indignant look, got a laugh out of Ali. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll thank you from the bottom of my stomach in a minute. Get cooking, you.¡±


    ¡°One bug stew coming up, just for you!¡± Mato declared. ¡°I think I still have some tasty bits stuck in my fur.¡±


    ¡°Gross!¡± Calen said, curling his lip in disgust, but then his gaze shifted to rest on Ali for a moment before adding, ¡°One thing for sure, we should try to bring more casters next time. That regenerating bone armor is no joke. I literally can¡¯t do any damage until someone with a spell breaks the bone plates first.¡± He looked back down at his notes and began to draw again.


    Ali thought. And how distinctly different it was from his usual somewhat awkward introversion. His assessment was spot on though, while her Bugbears were huge and powerful, they had been next to useless against the Spitter Drone and the armored Kobolds. Even with the new added nature damage from her Empowered Summoner skill.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Malika said. ¡°Their armor seems vulnerable only to magical damage. More fire will make it a lot easier. We just need to figure out how to handle that explosion.¡±


    ¡°Time it for the Kobold horde?¡± Mato suggested humorously, failing to hold back his grin.


    Calen said, ¡°Simple, right?¡±


    Sitting safely by the fire discussing the Spitter Drone and the challenging Kobolds with her friends, Ali finally felt some distance from their recent near-death experience. It felt more like sitting in a room full of researchers discussing how to optimize an experiment or solve an abstract problem.


    ¡°I can see the mana for the explosion before it happens,¡± Ali said. ¡°It¡¯s too distinctive to miss ¨C an enormous amount of mana condensed right inside that creature when it froze.¡±


    ¡°If you called it out when you saw it, how much time do you think you could give us?¡± Calen asked, once again focused on the discussion, his pen resting across his notebook.


    ¡°Maybe six seconds? Five, more likely,¡± Ali said, furrowing her brow as she tried to remember precisely how long it had taken to explode.


    ¡°That should be more than enough time to get away,¡± Malika said approvingly. ¡°Now what do we do about that enormous train of Kobolds we attracted? Escaping with potions every time is going to be expensive.¡±


    ¡°I was just thinking about that,¡± Calen said, glancing down at his notebook as if to check a particular note. ¡°What if we lured it into a building and fought it there, a little away from the center? That way the explosion would be contained and, hopefully, not attract as much attention.¡±


    ¡°Fireballs should do more damage in an enclosed space,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°We could be more thorough about clearing out the nearby Kobold patrols before engaging the drones,¡± Calen said. ¡°What about here, near the first concentric main road?¡± He held up his notebook revealing a detailed map that Ali instantly recognized as Dal¡¯mohra.


    ¡°Did you just draw that?¡± Ali asked, amazed at the detail he had included. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I have Cartography as a general skill,¡± he said, suddenly appearing more awkward and uncomfortable. ¡°I had to guess a lot. But I will try to make it better next time.¡±


    ¡°Is that why there¡¯s a big chunk missing from your map near the top?¡±


    ¡°No, that part of the city is missing, there¡¯s a big hole there. I wanted to go take a closer look when we¡¯re done with the monsters and see if I can figure out what happened.¡±


    Calen¡¯s blunt declaration caught her by surprise ¨C Dal¡¯mohra had been crafted from the best stone by the finest Dwarven crafters and mages. Even after three thousand years, it should still be strong.


    Then, she remembered the giant explosion and the landslide that took out half the mountain, burying the forest under tons of rubble. ¡°Definitely needs some investigation,¡±she resolved, agreeing with Calen.


    ¡°What are these markings along the terrace and the outer rim?¡± Malika asked, pointing it out on the map.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, those looked like large runes carved into the stonework,¡± Calen shrugged. ¡°The detail seemed important, so I included it.¡±


    ¡°Those are the city defensive arrays,¡± Ali answered, recalling her school lessons. ¡°The entire city is a magical artifact powered by enormous mana condensers on the second level. In times of war, those runes were activated to create city-wide barrier magic and a teleportation array should evacuation become necessary.¡± For all the careful preparation and foresight, none of it had helped at the moment they were needed the most. She recalled the supposedly impregnable barriers breaking during the attack. Perhaps the attack had come so swiftly that the defenders had been unable to react in time. she thought soberly. After all, he had been a senior magical researcher in the city for many years ¨C at least before he had disappeared and returned as a Lich.


    ¡°That¡¯s incredible!¡± Malika exclaimed.


    ¡°There¡¯s another whole level?¡± Calen asked, his eyes widening.


    ¡°Yes, the city had three main underground levels. The Grove and the forest with those giant trees used to be above ground,¡± Ali said, pointing to the enormous, blackened trunks that towered over her comparatively small trees, holding up the rock overhead. ¡°The first underground level is the one we were exploring today, mostly filled with residential districts. The second level is the industrial level with transport and power generation. The third level was farmland, extending outward into the mines and forges. The Grand Library Arcana is in the center and connects all three levels to the surface.¡±


    Calen¡¯s eyes grew round as she explained the full extent of the city.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much remains,¡± she added, not wanting to get his hopes up too much.


    The discussion turned to tactics as Malika ran with Calen¡¯s idea of luring the Spitter Drones into a ruined house, adding several good ideas of her own. They argued and brainstormed, slowly cobbling together something that might resemble a plan. Ali felt a lot better as they hashed out the details ¨C her friends¡¯ confidence was contagious and, more importantly, the logic of the emerging plan seemed sound. It would make the fight a lot safer if they followed some basic strategy designed around their new knowledge of the monsters.


    Ali glanced up and smiled her thanks as Mato handed her a small plate with some pan-fried fish and sauteed vegetables covered in a red sauce that let off a mouthwatering aroma.  She belatedly remembered that she had decided she would stop being so surprised at the quality of Mato¡¯s cooking.


    As she ate, she scanned through the notifications for the day, ending with the disastrous battle with the drone.


    she thought happily, noticing that Martial Insight had leveled twice. She had an easier time understanding her Fire Mage, but the training in fighting forms and techniques she had done with her friends was really helping with the rest. Considering her attributes for a moment, she decided to put all ten points into wisdom to increase her minion capacity.


    ***


    Ali woke early, as usual. Stretching, she rose, unzipped her tent flap, and emerged into the quiet of their camp, the nearby moss and trees softly illuminated by the powerful runes etched into the surface of the shrine behind the tents, and the scattered fairy rings of golden Common Glowcap mushrooms. The campfire Mato had used to cook last night¡¯s dinner lay cold and dark, and the entire Grove exuded an aura of emptiness.


    A couple of mounds of wobbly greenish brown blobs decorated the moss ¨C no doubt the remains of a few oozes killed by Malika or Calen while on watch. She glanced about for a few moments before she realized she¡¯d grown used to finding her Kobolds standing guard when she woke. This morning there were none. After their close call yesterday, all her higher-level minions had been killed, leaving only those she had sent to patrol the sewers above. Even though her friends were nearby, she still felt vulnerable without her ever-present minions.


    She had been so tired yesterday that she had forgotten to replace her monsters to help with guard duty.  She sat beside the cold gray ash of the campfire and manifested her Grimoire. Floating in the air next to her, it shed its soft gold-and-green glow all around the Grove.


    By the soft light, she saw a strange, raised circle of thick moss, noticeably thicker and denser than the moss she had planted everywhere else. Distracted for a moment, she gazed at the phenomenon, quickly realizing it was a sizeable circle centered on Mato¡¯s tent. All through the area, mana shimmered and flowed in a mesmerizing pattern. Curiously, it didn¡¯t interfere with her domain mana imposing its structure across the entire space. Instead, Mato¡¯s mana seemed to flow between and through it, like water through porous rock. Whereas her domain seemed structured and crystalline, Mato¡¯s seemed to be much more fluid. And yet, Ali could see powerful similarities ¨C and further details that hovered just beyond the edge of her skill¡¯s ability to resolve.


    Collecting herself from her distraction, she recalled Mato had said his Sanctuary domain skill shared his regeneration somehow with plants, causing them to grow.


    Ali returned to the problem at hand.  The issue was what else to bring to a fight against those armored Spitter Drones. Her melee warriors, rogues, and Bugbears had been mostly useless against the monsters with their dense regenerating bone armor, but once the armor was breached, the axes and daggers could be used to great effect.  She browsed through her Grimoire studying her various imprints for inspiration but the only imprints with monsters of high enough level to be interesting were the Kobolds, Goblins, and wolves. But Ali didn¡¯t think the Timber Wolf variant would be particularly useful in the ruins.


    Ali flipped to the Goblin imprint and channeled her mana. It would take a few tries to get a Bugbear. she thought, eyeing the diminished pile of weapons and armor. All the gear that she had used yesterday had been lost to the explosion and horde of Kobolds.


    For the hundredth time, she wished there was some way to choose which variant her Grimoire produced. From her experience so far, she was certain the Grimoire created variants based on how many of each she had deconstructed. For Goblins, this meant most of the time she got low-level ones: Skirmishers, Scavengers, and the like. As she expanded her imprints, it became progressively more and more difficult to get the specific kind she was looking for, let alone the right level.


    She channeled her mana once again.


    There had been the Storm Shaman they had encountered rescuing Calen and Malika in the southern forest, and she also remembered being cursed by a shaman during the Goblin siege. The Goblin stood there staring at her, far prouder than his brethren. The shamans had been powerful foes with their lightning bolts and vulnerability curse.  Her gaze flickered across the random Goblins she had created before this one and she sighed again, realizing there was no way she was going to be able to afford the reserved mana for all the unwanted Goblins she would need to create just to get another shaman through random chance. She felt quite uncomfortable with releasing her mana and killing them, even though they were just summons. The one time she had witnessed it, it seemed like the creature had gone mad, like an animal in extreme pain.


    She stopped and blinked. The spell description for Deconstruction had had a rather unusual wording, something she had had trouble understanding at first. Pulling it up, she read it once again.


    Grimoire of Summoning ¨C level 14


    Mana: Release the mana from an unresisting or inanimate target, learning about its structure, and retaining some in your own mana pool. Requires continuous uninterrupted focus and the target is destroyed.


    Mana: Manifest a Magical Grimoire storing the runic imprint of any object you have fully understood. You may create any object recorded by using the Grimoire as a focus.


    Arcane, Nature, Minion, Channeled, Knowledge, Intelligence


    There it was: ¡®¡¯ At the time she had wondered why it was necessary to say unresisting, instead of, say, dead. Eager to test her theory, she reached out to a Goblin Scavenger and used the Deconstruction part of her skill. The Goblin stood there quietly while her magic worked, and a few moments later he evaporated into a cloud of mana. Her mana pool still recovered the normal amount, but there were none of the usual sensations of learning or collecting information.


    While it didn¡¯t exactly solve the random nature of her Grimoire, it would certainly help her to get the right combinations.


    She summoned more Goblins until she got a second Storm Shaman. She collected enough of the lower-level ones to replenish her sewer guards ¨C and stationed a few around the shrine to protect against slimes. Then she equipped them from the junk in the equipment pile and unsummoned the rest.


    ¡°Can you go through that pile and collect all the shields and maces, please?¡± Ali said, pleased to hear her spoken Goblin language sounding a little better. she amended. The Goblin language sounded awful to her ears ¨C guttural and harsh.


    ¡°Yes, master.¡± The two Goblin shamans nodded and set to work.


    Ali grimaced. While the Goblins were not calling her ¡®ancient mistress¡¯, ¡®master¡¯ was not a whole lot better. The Goblin language, she found, was tricky to translate. On the one hand, many of their concepts were overly broad, vague, and poorly distinguished. For example, the word ¡®master¡¯ also meant ¡®parent¡¯, ¡®leader¡¯, or even ¡®slave owner¡¯. She grimaced. And the Goblins didn¡¯t seem to need gendered role descriptions either. On the other hand, the word Ali had used to ask the shamans to find maces translated literally to ¡®blunt heavy steel stick used in the main hand by a shaman for crushing the bones of their foes.¡¯


    She disliked speaking Goblin, it made her feel dirty and crass, and entirely too focused on disemboweling, crushing, and pillaging. It contrasted sharply with the Draconic language of her Kobolds, which was arrogant, bold, and vastly more sophisticated ¨C and lacked any words whatsoever for apologizing. But understanding the languages made her more capable of directing her minions, so she was determined to work on all of them.


    While her new shamans scrambled through the pile, Ali began summoning Kobolds, unsummoning any unwanted variants till she had three Fire Mages and two rogues. Then she set to the laborious task of creating gear. Armor was particularly difficult because she had quite a few variants, now. Eventually, she had enough Tattered Robes, leather armor sets for her Kobolds, and two chain shirts for her shamans.


    She glanced over the various piles of gear, deciding that shields seemed marginally more useful than the rest. Some of her warrior minions could use them too. She got up and began deconstructing the pile of shields the shamans had collected until she had consumed them all.


    Ali added the imprint to her Grimoire¡¯s last free chapter. She created daggers and shields to equip her rogues and shamans. She didn¡¯t have an imprint for maces, so she simply asked her shamans to choose one each from the pile. There were still axes, bows, two-handed weapons, and who knew what else and Ali wondered if she would ever have enough imprint space for all the stuff she wanted.


    By the time she was done, Mato emerged from his tent, yawning.


    ¡°Morning, Ali,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re up early.¡±


    ¡°Heya, Mato.¡±


    He grunted with all the eloquence of a grumpy, freshly awakened bear and began poking at the campfire, summoning some wood from his storage ring.


    ¡°Can you light the fire for him, please?¡± Ali asked her nearest Fire Mage.


    The Kobold lit the fire by sticking its clawed hand into the stacked pile of wood and channeling some fire mana before releasing it.


    ¡°That¡¯s convenient,¡± Mato said appreciatively. ¡°Eggs for breakfast?¡± He already had the pan out.


    Ali smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not sure my spark of inspiration really justifies eggs?¡±


    He grunted, ¡°Works for me.¡±


    Ali¡¯s little army was a lot smaller than last time, but it was a much higher level, overall. She had deliberately unsummoned some of the lower-level creatures, even ones with the correct classes, just so that she could roll the dice again and get higher levels. She didn¡¯t have any Bugbears this time, but she was hoping her new shamans would make up the difference. She surveyed her ragtag army with Identify.


    Mato


    Mato stood outside Pretty Powerful Potions, surveying the damage. Someone had really done a number on this place between the last time he had visited and now. One of the windows was boarded up, and there were still a few shards of broken glass on the sidewalk that hadn¡¯t yet been swept up. The pink door had been smashed in, and then poorly repaired, leaving it crooked and unable to fully close.


    He followed Calen into the brightly lit store, where the trail of destruction continued. There were several broken tables piled up along with an enormous amount of glass and smashed equipment filling about half of the store. There were a few new tables and a clean-swept area, but it was obvious that an enormous amount of work remained.


    A clatter and a crash rang out from somewhere in the piled debris, followed by some colorful swearing, and a small figure wearing a stained leather jacket emerged shuffling backward from the wreckage dragging something broken behind her. The tiny Gnome stopped and stood with one hand on a hip, cursing at the thing in her other hand with an impressively long, colorful string of invective before she turned around and jumped, startled to find them standing there.


    ¡°Fucking thugs. Don¡¯t know what they¡¯re breaking,¡± she exclaimed heatedly, shaking her head angrily and making her shocking pink pigtails whip around before she tossed the strange, broken contraption back onto the pile.


    ¡°What can I do for ¡­. Oh, it¡¯s you!¡± she exclaimed upon seeing Calen. ¡°Calen! I have a fresh batch of mana potions, if you¡¯d like!¡±


    ¡°If anything¡¯s still ¨C¡± Calen began, only to be cut off by a word fit to make a Hobgoblin blush.


    Mato grinned broadly at Calen as the proprietor scurried off to dig a box of potions out from under some papers. Morwynne Fizzlebang¡¯s antics never ceased to amuse. It wasn¡¯t often he needed potions, but lately, he had been frequenting the store, mostly spending all his hard-earned coin buying the Potion of Recall that had become so urgently necessary.


    Calen and Morwynne seemed much more acquainted, already haggling prices for the mana potions.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to get addicted to those things, you know?¡± he said, letting his gaze drift about the store.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I want your opinion,¡± Calen grumbled, setting Morwynne to giggling.


    ¡°First one is free!¡± Morwynne declared brightly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, we need some Recall Potions for Ali and Malika,¡± Mato called out, while he stooped to examine some of the debris on the floor. The shakedown here had clearly been extensive.


    ¡°You guys know Malika? And Aliandra?¡± Morwynne exclaimed, her face lighting up with a beaming smile.


    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re in our group,¡± Mato said from where he was crouched on the floor.


    ¡°Then I can give you the friends and family discount! You should have told me, Calen,¡± she said, slapping him on the thigh. ¡°Please thank them again for saving me from the assholes who busted up my store.¡±


    Mato thought, remembering the story. While they had been out scouting the Goblin dungeon and recovering Weldin Thriftpenny, Ali and Malika had taken care of two of the Town Watch thugs in the middle of assaulting a merchant. Clearly, this store had received their especially tender ministrations.


    The Gnomes in Myrin¡¯s Keep kept a rather tight-knit community.


    ¡°Do you know Weldin Thriftpenny?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Oh yes, a nice, polite boy, that one. I heard he left town though; it was rather a shame,¡± Morwynne said.


    ¡°We found him half dead in a destroyed Goblin dungeon,¡± Mato replied. ¡°When we brought him back, he took a job at the Adventurers Guild up the street as the guild merchant.¡±


    ¡°Oh well, good for him! I¡¯m glad to see a fellow Gnome get such a prestigious position. We have to stick up for each other, you know. Otherwise, huge oafs like you might step on us without even noticing.¡± Morwynne¡¯s big grin and exaggerated tone told him she was poking fun at him, but she turned serious for a moment. ¡°Thanks for looking out for one of us. It shan¡¯t be forgotten, despite it clearly being in your beneficent character.¡±


    ¡°Eeeh¡­ no problem,¡± Mato heard himself wheeze, trying not to blush too badly. ¡°I just thought you might want to know. I don¡¯t think it would hurt if you put some of your potions right in the guild store.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, what a great idea! And that gives me a great excuse to go catch up with dear Weldin.¡±


    Aliandra


    After breakfast ¨C scrambled eggs with a side of fresh avocado slices, lightly salted, and strong black coffee ¨C Mato and Calen headed up to town to purchase supplies. Ali passed the time productively, sparring her shamans against Malika to train her Martial Insight and to familiarize herself with how the shamans fought. Initially, Ali assumed she would need to use the shamans just like she used her Fire Mages, but she quickly discovered that their skills were far more suited to melee combat. In fact, they behaved a lot more like defensive warriors with their shields and armor, blocking Malika¡¯s punches and kicks efficiently, and wielding their lightning magic to enhance their damage.


    While the Fire Mages were purely ranged magic users, and her rogues were entirely melee-range physical damage dealers, her shamans seemed to be a hybrid, a crossover between both roles. They could both hit and take hits in melee while using totems and lightning magic to attack at range.


    ¡°They¡¯re pretty robust,¡± Malika said, nodding approvingly. ¡°And fast.¡±


    ¡°I think their weapon and shield support skill has a melee haste component,¡± Ali said. It made sense, according to what she remembered: one of the major themes of lightning affinity was speed or haste. Once the shaman had enchanted their weapon or shield with cascading sparks, their blocks and attacks became dramatically faster, almost matching the speed of Malika¡¯s punches.


    ¡°That¡¯s going to be useful,¡± Malika said.


    While they rested, Ali had her minions sort the remainder of the gear pile and she deconstructed everything she had an imprint for, with the rationale that she could just re-make them if necessary. What was left were just bows, crossbows, axes, spears, and maces. At least the Grove wouldn¡¯t look quite so much like a trash heap.


    She was busying herself creating trees nearby when Mato and Calen eventually returned.


    ¡°Here,¡± Mato handed her two of the black liquid recall potions. He handed two more to Malika.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t these very expensive?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes, but they saved our lives,¡± he answered. ¡°I don¡¯t want to head back down there without an escape plan.¡±


    ¡°Although, he¡¯s broke now,¡± Calen said from behind him.


    Mato made a face. ¡°You¡¯re broke, too. That Gnome alchemist knows you by name already. She came running with mana potions as soon as you walked in the door.¡±


    Ali giggled behind her hand.


    Calen frowned ¨C his teasing efficiently flipped back at him. ¡°I can¡¯t help it; I keep running out of mana.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing she¡¯s giving us a discount. She said to tell you guys thanks again for saving her life.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ali said. ¡°At least let me pay you for these when we eventually turn in the Kobold hunting quest.¡± She carefully stored her potions so she could retrieve them easily in an emergency. When Vivian Ross had called out escape as one of their group¡¯s weaknesses, Ali had mostly dismissed the problem, but after experiencing the horde of Kobolds chasing them, she had drastically adjusted her opinion. Teasing and joking aside, she was immensely relieved to have the Recall Potions stashed within easy reach.


    ***

 Chapter 54: Spitter Drone, Take II

    Chapter 54: Spitter Drone, Take IIAliandra The ruined streets were desolate and quiet, with not even a single hint of their desperate flight from the Kobold horde yesterday remaining. They encountered only a couple of patrols while retracing their steps ¨C it seemed that the dungeon needed some time to respawn everything, and they must have made enough of a dent in the Kobold population that ¨C at least in this area ¨C there weren¡¯t nearly as many as before.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear all the way to the explosion site,¡± Calen said, his voice hushed as his lithe form slowly emerged from the shadows nearby.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Malika said. ¡°Let¡¯s continue.¡±


    Mato just grunted, not bothering to shapeshift in order to speak.


    Ali followed along, her eyes scouring the darkened doorways and shattered buildings as they retraced their steps deeper into the heart of the dungeon, but as they arrived at the street where they had fought the Spitter Drone, she stopped and stared in surprise. All that remained of the battle site was a giant crater in the middle of the street. Several of the surrounding buildings had collapsed into piles of rubble, no doubt the result of the potent explosion of the bone elemental¡¯s corpse. But besides that, the scorch marks on the walls, and the scurrying bone skitterers scrambling for cover, the entire scene had been stripped clean.


    None of her Kobold minions¡¯ corpses remained, nor any of the gear. Even the bone shards, blood stains, and chunks of the drone had vanished as if they¡¯d never been.


    ¡°Where¡¯s all the stuff?¡± she asked, not really expecting her friends to know. Of all the things she had lost down here in the mad scramble to escape, that was the only item she couldn¡¯t replace. She had been hoping to give it to her highest-level mage.


    ¡°What did you expect? Your gear is nice, and it obviously fits the dungeon monsters,¡± Malika pointed out. ¡°They probably just took it.¡±


    ¡°But why the bodies? And all the pieces of the bone elemental?¡± While she would need many more, there was the possibility of learning the monstrous creatures eventually. Not that her stomach would enjoy that prospect, but without the corpse, she didn¡¯t even have the option.


    ¡°We saw that drone eating all sorts of bone, alive or dead, I bet another one came over and cleaned up,¡± Mato speculated.


    ¡°It¡¯s a dungeon,¡± Calen said, scrunching his brow. ¡°Dungeons eat everything you leave. It probably has some way to turn that stuff into more monsters.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s annoying, I wanted that bracelet,¡± Ali complained. There were already fresh layers of bone encrustations plastered over some of the scorch marks on the wall. A sure sign that another of those Spitter Drones had been by.


    ¡°There are lots of Kobolds in here, let¡¯s keep our eyes open for another,¡± Malika answered.


    Malika was obviously right, but it was still frustrating to lose something so perfect for her mages.


    Ali followed as their group pressed on, now at a much more cautious pace, with Calen ranging ahead as their scout. She sent her rogues off to hide in the shadows and walked in a loose formation with her two Goblin Storm Shamans forming a bulwark in front of her so that she could take advantage of their sturdy shields and armor if necessary. Her annoyance faded as they entered unexplored territory, replaced with an alert caution and the expectation of a fight around every corner.


    A few minutes passed in silence while they continued to creep forward. Ali stepped over a nearly invisible tripwire while trying to avoid getting closer to the creepy skitterers when the darkness shifted suddenly, startling her. But it was just Calen dropping down from the rooftop to land on silent feet.


    ¡°Group of five high-level Kobolds incoming, warrior, rogue, two archers, and a Fire Mage.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the Guildmaster suggest you learn some archers, Ali?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Oh, yes!¡± she answered. She would need a few more than the two before she could inscribe the variant but, if there were archers in this patrol, there were certain to be more. Funny how she saw these high levels as learning opportunities, these days.


    Mato immediately transformed and a few seconds later, the group of Kobolds rounded the corner.


    Ali identified them the instant they burst into view.


    As soon as they caught sight of Mato, a clamor of raucous chirps and screeches rose from their throats as they broke into a scrambling charge with the warrior leading the way, while the rogue faded into the shadows. Mato rushed down the center of the street toward them, with Calen¡¯s orb bobbing along above him, shedding a harsh bright light on the battle that made fangs and claws gleam wickedly.


    Ali summoned a barrier immediately.


    ¡°Go help Mato,¡± she said, sending both Storm Shamans to aid the Bear. Searching the rushing Kobolds, she easily picked out the Fire Mage at the back in his crimson rags, flanked by two bow-toting Kobolds wearing worn leather armor.


    She thrust out her hand and fixed the Fire Mage as her target in her mind and launched her Arcane Bolts arcing up and over her barrier to come crashing down on the mage at the far end of the street. ¡°Attack my target,¡± she commanded her trio of mages.


    The stone walls around her were suddenly bathed in flickering red light as a volley of Firebolts shot down the length of the street, sizzling as they zipped past Malika on either side.


    Out in the center of the suddenly chaotic street, Mato rammed into the braced shield of the enemy warrior with a resounding crash that echoed back off the stone walls. He lashed out with a powerful swipe of his left paw, slashing claws across the enemy rogue and rebounding off the warrior¡¯s armor as it flickered with the dark glow of a defensive skill.


    ¡°¡± Ali commanded, sending her intent directly to both sprinting Storm Shamans. Her only acknowledgment was a brilliant flare of harsh white light suddenly lighting up the shamans¡¯ shields and maces with the telltale glow of lightning magic, shedding a trail of sparks as they moved. The female Storm Shaman arrived first, her mace blurring as she slammed it into the back of the Kobold warrior fighting Mato. Energy sparked between her strike and the Kobold, causing him to screech in pain, muscles jerking in response to the magical discharge that coursed through his body. The male shaman paused before attacking the rogue and made a throwing gesture. In the distance, between the two archers, a small steel totem suddenly appeared with the soft clink of metal on stone.


    Ali watched the potent attacks in amazement, feeling the balanced footwork she had trained through her Martial Insight, now applied in a real fight. She instantly recognized the complex construct of lightning magic that settled on the enemy warrior.


    Ali¡¯s attention snapped to the opposite end of the street at the sound of the crack of an arrow shattering against her barrier. Behind the two bow-wielding Kobolds and the enemy mage, there were now two shiny steel totems. The small, rune-covered steel poles jutted about the length of her forearm from the stone pavement, glowing intensely with potent mana. As if her gaze were the signal to begin, the totems began pulsing concentric rings of fulgurant electrical discharge. With sharp screeches and yelps, the Kobolds scrambled to get out of the ambit of the crackling discharges of lightning, inadvertently getting themselves corralled in a corner.


    ¡°Fireballs, please,¡± Ali requested quietly, earning wicked grins of toothy anticipation from the mages she had arrayed beside her. Immediately, her barrier glowed with the red light of intensifying fire magic, and a wave of heat engulfed her.


    Ali¡¯s mundane eyesight was suddenly blinded by the simultaneous thunderclap of twin Lightning Bolts that ripped through the enemy Kobolds. A couple of arrows pinged off her barrier as she tried to blink away the intense purple afterimages etched on her retinas. By her mana sight, she saw three dense balls of magic shoot out from beside her, roiling and glowing with seething fire mana. She didn¡¯t even need her eyes to see the triple detonation ripping the Kobolds apart, flinging bits of them into walls, and showering burnt chunks of flesh and scales across the street.


    In the queasy churning of her stomach, blind and deaf from the potent magic, she still clearly heard the three chimes of her notifications redundantly informing her that the pieces raining down on them were no longer alive ¨C obviously.


    While she still couldn¡¯t quite see clearly, her mana sight revealed the glowing green swipes of Mato¡¯s nature-enhanced strikes and the arcing glow of her shamans¡¯ hasted shields and maces. With her bearings set, she redirected her minions to engage the remaining two enemies, intent on burning them down before they could flee.


    As her eyesight began to clear, she could easily tell the enemy rogue and warrior were almost dead under assault by her minions, Malika, and Calen, all of which were doing great damage against the shredded and splintered bone armor.


    ¡°That was a lot faster,¡± Ali said after the final Kobold dropped to the ground.


    ¡°Your shamans are incredible, Ali!¡± Malika exclaimed, hopping up and down with barely suppressed excitement. ¡°The lightning damage constantly tears at the bone armor, and I can go all out right from the start.¡±


    ¡°They were using the curse, right?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she answered. ¡°I can see them using it.¡±


    she thought. Ali had expected her Fire Mages to have the biggest impact, given that she had three of them and they had their Fireball skill. But she hadn¡¯t counted on how effective the Lightning Vulnerability Curse would prove to be, combined with the constant lightning damage of the enchanted mace and shield, or even the lightning nova totems.


    she thought wryly. After all, she had been on the receiving end of that combination before.


    Ali walked around the battlefield deconstructing the corpses and collecting gear ¨C what pieces of it were still salvageable. She had to deconstruct several unidentifiable bits here and there, which set her stomach to churning again, but her Grimoire still appeared, inscribing various updated runes and spell sequences, so she hoped she would have access to the higher levels of the variants they had just fought.


    The enemy Fire Mage was in the worst shape, its body a smoldering chunk of burnt meat. It had been hit by two Lightning Bolts while cursed with vulnerability, followed immediately after by three Fireballs.


    She deconstructed all the bits she could find, including the ruined and still smoking robes, and when the body vanished, a small circlet of bone dropped to the ground with a sharp She stooped down and snatched it up, examining it excitedly. If it was a different bracelet, she couldn¡¯t tell ¨C it looked identical. Even the enchantments were indistinguishable from the one she had lost. Calling one of her Kobolds over to her, she handed him the bracelet. He hunched over it, equipping it with wicked cackling laughter.


    She stored the archers¡¯ bows ¨C which had somehow survived the conflagration ¨C and deconstructed their armor before picking up two quivers of arrows. She was about to store them when the dark reddish-black gleam caught her eye. Carefully, she extracted a single arrow to examine it.


    she thought, turning it over in her hands and studying the tiny runic markings along the shaft. The entire arrow was fashioned out of Eimuuran steel, but it felt so light it had to be hollow.


    Arrow of Accuracy ¨C level 15


    +5% Accuracy


    Requirements: Dexterity 30


    Arrow


    She stored the arrows and sauntered over to where her friends were discussing the battle while recovering their mana and stamina.


    ¡°I found my fire bracelet!¡±


    ¡°Cool!¡± Malika said, grinning.


    ¡°I also found these,¡± she said, pulling out the bows. They were level fifteen and seemed to be reasonably well constructed. ¡°Can you use them, Calen?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, they¡¯re too small for me,¡± he said, with a rather sad look on his face. ¡°Maybe Weldin will want them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he will,¡± Malika said, storing the bows with an acquisitive smile. ¡°I can also ask him to keep an eye out for a decent bow in your size if you like, Calen.¡±


    ¡°That might be for the best,¡± he said, glumly. ¡°Everything down here is sized for Kobolds.¡±


    Ali grinned at him and produced her trump card. ¡°What do you think of this?¡± She handed him a single Arrow of Accuracy, and, remembering he could not identify items, she shared the details with him.


    Calen¡¯s eyes went round with surprise. ¡°Tell me you found more of these!¡±


    Ali grinned at his excitement and retrieved the two quivers, handing him the rest of the arrows she had looted from the Kobolds.


    She watched his beaming face as he examined the enchanted arrows like a mother reunited with a lost baby.


    ¡°Would you¡­ mind learning how to make these?¡± he asked. ¡°I think they¡¯re worth it. How many would you need?¡±


    ¡°I already have the general arrow imprint, so probably just three or four. It seems to depend on how difficult they are ¨C or how different.¡±


    With the delicacy of a man who couldn¡¯t quite believe he was offering up treasures for casual destruction, Calen extracted four arrows and handed them to her, which she promptly deconstructed.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°Awesome,¡± Calen grinned, and mimed mopping his forehead.


    ¡°Three or four, huh?¡± Malika said from where she was sitting. ¡°Here, why don¡¯t you learn these, too?¡± She handed Ali the two daggers the rogue had been wielding and then retrieved two more from her ring that looked virtually identical.


    ¡°These are the Eimuuran Steel Daggers, are you sure? You said they were valuable.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s smarter for you to learn them. That way you can always make more once you know the pattern,¡± she said.


    ¡°Ok.¡± Malika was right, if she was able to learn them, and they were valuable, then they might become another resource she could make and sell, just like the arrows she had made for the garrison during the Goblin siege.


    As always, Ali was delighted to see her Grimoire grow, but it seemed the Eimuuran steel was really something. It had taken all four daggers for her to learn the variant, and the amount of new rune-work added to her Grimoire seemed quite substantial, at least counting by the number of added pages.


    While the others continued discussing gear and regenerating their mana and stamina, Ali created daggers. It took a while before she made two sets of her newest dagger variant, but she persisted, knowing it would improve her rogues substantially. As soon as she had a full set of four, she called her rogues to her from their hiding spots in the shadows.


    ¡°Upgrades for you,¡± she told them in draconic, and handed them each a set.


    ¡°Thank you, Ancient Mistress.¡± Both rogues bowed and examined their new treasures excitedly.


    ¡°How about your shamans, can they use this shield?¡± Malika asked, offering Ali a beautifully crafted Eimuuran steel shield bearing the embossed crest of Dal¡¯mohra ¨C the one that the warrior had been wielding to block Mato¡¯s powerful strikes.


    ¡°Can you use this?¡± Ali asked, switching to Goblin.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s ¡­¡± the shaman said something ugly in the Goblin language which Ali struggled to translate.


    ¡°She said it¡¯s a ¡®stupid warrior shield, not a wise shaman shield¡¯,¡± Ali explained to Malika. It had been a single word that somehow derided warriors for being stupid while at the same time asserting shaman superiority. It was also a curse word ¨C which seemed to be about a third of their entire language.


    ¡°Oh, I bet the strength requirement is too high,¡± Malika interpreted, examining the shield. ¡°I think your shaman is using a hybrid shield with evasion and armor. Meaning it has a lower strength requirement, but it requires some dexterity.¡±


    Ali looked curiously, identifying her shaman¡¯s shield.


    Iron Buckler ¨C level 15


    Armor: 49


    Evasion: 49


    Block Chance: +20% (


    Requirements: Strength 30, Dexterity 30


    Off Hand ¨C Shield


    She hadn¡¯t paid much attention to it when the shaman had selected it from the pile, but it looked like Malika had deduced the truth correctly. Presumably, her shaman had some dexterity instead of pure strength.


    ***


    Ali watched Calen hop off the rooftop, admiring how he was able to land effortlessly from so high up, and without making a sound. He had been luring small groups of Kobolds and the occasional undead skeletons to their ambush spot for most of the afternoon, but this time he didn¡¯t call incoming.


    The battles were still challenging, but with Ali¡¯s new minions, they were able to overcome the dungeon¡¯s dense bone armor quickly enough. As Calen brought a steady stream of monsters, Ali got ample opportunity to practice her combat tactics with Martial Insight. She always reserved her mages to blast the most dangerous enemy from a distance, but it was her shamans that provided the most interesting combat experience. They had hybrid melee caster classes and learning to use them effectively required her to learn quite a few new strategies.


    For one thing, they could be fighting one monster and blast a completely different monster, clear on the other side of the battle, with their Lightning Bolts and totems. Of course, they hit everything along a straight line between the two.


    However, Ali was already entirely convinced of their value in her little army. With their continuous lightning damage, even her stab-happy rogues became effective, provided she simply waited a few moments with them before engaging.


    ¡°There¡¯s one of those Spitter Drones up ahead,¡± Calen said, walking up to join them. ¡°I should be able to get it all the way down here. What do you guys think of setting up in this house over here?¡± He pointed at a ruined open doorway into a sizeable stone building.


    ¡°Works for me,¡± Mato answered, poking his head inside. ¡°There¡¯s a fair bit of space in here.¡±


    ¡°No Kobolds nearby to hear it go off?¡± Malika asked, her forehead furrowed with a worried frown.


    ¡°We got the last group, there¡¯s nothing left for several blocks in all directions.¡±


    They discussed the finer details of their plan and then Calen sprinted off into the darkness to fetch a giant bug monster with vile spit that could turn your flesh to bone.


    Ali sent her shamans and rogues scurrying into the house with Mato and Malika. She decided she wouldn¡¯t have a great vantage point to see what was going on inside when it all went down, so she just directed her minions to help, following Malika and Mato¡¯s lead, and to be ready to retreat promptly when she called.


    Ali set up outside, across the street, hiding in the wreckage of a collapsed building with her three mages. None of them were particularly robust, herself included, and she didn¡¯t want to risk taking even a single hit when Calen returned with the bone monster. She had a great line of sight across the street and directly through the doorway of the house they had chosen, and she could even see the mana powering Mato¡¯s aura through the stone walls. The piles of rubble offered some measure of security ¨C at least to her mind. Empowered Summoner¡¯s range had grown to just a little over seventeen meters now, and it didn¡¯t take too much shifting to ensure her minions would benefit from her extra nature damage while fighting within the confines of the house.


    She heard a distant screech, followed by a grinding, crunching noise that grew progressively louder until she could even feel vibrations through the stone beneath her feet. Suddenly, an orb of brilliant light rounded the corner at the far end of the street, followed quickly by Calen, sprinting hard. Right behind him, the enormous bone monster careened around the corner, crashing into the wall with a solid thump that set the ground to trembling again. Liquid bone sprayed everywhere, striking the walls, and hardening while spikes stabbed outward. How Calen had avoided it this far was anybody¡¯s guess.


    Ali had no idea how such an enormous creature was able to move with such agility. Its myriad legs churned the ground, sending a spray of tiny rock and stone splinters flying into the air as it ran partway up the wall, bleeding momentum until it returned to the street, pursuing Calen relentlessly.


    When he was right in front of Ali, Calen leapt into the air, twisting to face backward, and released a magically enhanced arrow right into the monster¡¯s face, striking between the clacking insect-like mandibles. It released a furious, high-pitched screech. Calen darted sideways, rushing through the darkened doorway of their chosen building, bringing his floating light magic with him.


    It was hard to reassure herself when several tons of angry bone monster were rapidly bearing down on her hiding spot, but it had eyes for nothing but Calen. It veered sideways and dove in after him. The fact that the doorway wasn¡¯t nearly wide enough to fit its bony carapace didn¡¯t bother it at all ¨C with its momentum and dense armor plates it simply smashed through the stone doorway without even slowing down, sending chunks of stone masonry flying. A loud roar sounded from within as Mato engaged the Spitter Drone. Suddenly, the house was filled with a chaotic array of magic and a cacophony as they tackled the furious monster in the enclosed space.


    Ali was extremely grateful to be outside, and not in the violence that had just erupted from within the room.


    ¡°,¡± she instructed in draconic, stepping out from her hiding spot and summoning a precautionary barrier before she unleashed her Arcane Bolts. Her first salvo slammed into the stone wall of the building, but she quickly angled her release until their curving path took them right through a window to slam against the monstrous carapace. Searing heat penetrated her robes as the Kobold Fire Mages beside her took their cue, shooting volleys of Firebolts into the darkness, aiming for where Ali¡¯s magic was striking the dense bone armor.


    Backlit by the flashing and cracking of various overly bright offensive magics, a figure appeared, diving through a small window and rolling on the ground before regaining his feet. Calen sprinted across the street to stand beside her, nocking his bow with one of the enchanted Eimuuran steel arrows.


    ¡°Welcome back,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Walk in the park,¡± he answered, his deadpan delivery marred by his heavy breathing and the sweat dripping from his brow.


    Ali could only hope that the battle was proceeding well within the house. Chaotic screaming, shouting, and monstrous roaring filled her ears while liquid bone sprayed everywhere. The continuous flashing of lightning magic mingled with the flickers of Malika and Mato¡¯s attacks, all seen through the solid stone wall, visible entirely by the mana used to power them. Of her rogues, she could see absolutely nothing. A twin thunderclap shook the ground and lightning filled the room, sending shards of bone showering out through the doorway and the windows. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ali mustered her focus. While she maintained her connection to her minions, and her stream of Arcane Bolts, she carefully sorted through the riotous mana, making sure she could easily pick out the specific signature and color of the Spitter Drone¡¯s bone affinity mana every time it used one of its abilities.


    ¡°Think that crack is big enough?¡± Calen¡¯s voice drew her attention back to the physical aspect of the battle.


    She stared, and he moved his floating orb of light so she could get a better view.


    ¡°Yes, I think so,¡± she answered, pressing her lips together.


    ¡°Drop your Fireballs through that crack in the armor,¡± she instructed her Kobolds. Immediately, the Firebolt volleys ceased and the ambient heat on her face skyrocketed as the three mages simultaneously summoned their most potent magic. She maintained her stream of Arcane Bolts, trying to hold the regeneration at bay so the crack didn¡¯t close before her minions were ready. She counted the seconds.


    ¡°Incoming Fireball!¡± she yelled, hoping that they could hear her inside the building, over the din of the fight.


    Three Fireballs sizzled in the air as they shot across the street, impacting with the Spitter Drone and burying themselves inside the crack in its bone plate carapace. The detonation, muffled as it was by the body of the enormous creature and the stone walls of the house, still lit the entire interior with angry red flames. Gouts of fire and splinters of bone erupted from the doorway and spewed out of the windows as the shockwave slammed into her barrier, knocking one of her Kobolds off his paws. Off-white shards rained down everywhere, some gobs of flame splatting up against her barrier, and pieces of bone clattering to the ground all around.


    To Ali¡¯s relief, the telltale green sweeps and aura of Mato¡¯s nature magic, and the cool blue-white flickers of Malika¡¯s soul magic continued unabated.


    It took a few minutes of continuous assault against the compromised armor before Ali saw spirals and swirls of dark mana beginning to coalesce somewhere within the room.


    ¡°Get out! It¡¯s going to explode!¡± she yelled as loudly as she could. She couldn¡¯t tell if she had been heard until she saw Malika¡¯s athletic form sprinting out of the smoke-filled red-glowing ruined house and onto the street. Ali¡¯s minions followed close behind, and then finally, the huge, scorched figure of Mato¡¯s Bear lumbered through the shattered doorway, shedding chunks of bone as parts of his heavily ossified hide and flesh cracked and splintered.


    Ali ignored her queasy stomach¡¯s complaints and slammed the largest barrier she could muster in the doorway.


    There was an enormous, muffled thump and the entire street bucked, tossing Ali to the ground. Chunks of bone whistled past, burying themselves into the stone walls, shattering the rock and encrustations of bone as easily as glass. The barrier she had created in the doorway burst in a sparkling spray of magic shards, while her ears rang from the explosion.


    Ali stared in amazement at the building, somehow still standing, even though it was clearly much worse for wear.


    ¡°That went a lot better,¡± Malika announced, her voice getting progressively clearer as Mato¡¯s aura helped regenerate the damage to her ears.


    ¡°Yeah, that was a great plan!¡± Mato¡¯s huge grin told her that he had enjoyed himself. However, how he could have fun when his body was continually being turned to bone was beyond her.


    ¡°Nice call on the explosion,¡± Malika complimented her. ¡°That was a perfect amount of time to get out, and the barrier in the doorway was a great idea ¨C we should keep doing that.¡±


    Ali was most surprised to realize her fear of the giant monster had evaporated somewhere during the fight. Admittedly, she had been much safer outside, but she still had a critical role ¨C one that her friends had depended on her getting right.


    ¡°No adds,¡± Calen said, hopping down from the roof. ¡°I think we¡¯re clear.¡±


    It took Ali a moment to remember that sometimes adventurers referred to ¡®additional monsters¡¯ as ¡®adds¡¯ and that Calen had just verified that the explosion hadn¡¯t attracted the horde of Kobolds like last time.


    ¡°Shall we get another one?¡± Ali asked, getting to her feet and heading to the doorway so that she could deconstruct the huge monster.


    She didn¡¯t miss Mato¡¯s broad grin at her question.

 Chapter 55: The Grand Library Arcana

    Chapter 55: The Grand Library ArcanaExcerpt from , Third Edition


    Mato


    Mato shapeshifted back to his Beastkin form, puzzled by the odd look Malika was giving him. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You were growling and baring your teeth.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just happy,¡± he said. Just thinking about the adrenaline-fueled chaos inside the ruined stone house with the huge angry bug monster put a broad grin on his face. ¡°This is what adventuring is all about!¡±


    ¡°A grinning bear is a terrifying sight to behold,¡± Malika said, plopping herself down beside him. ¡°It is going well, right?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡± Mato reflected on the battle they had just won. They all sat on the ruined stone streets recovering their mana and stamina by the light of Calen¡¯s floating orb. Beside him, the house they had used to contain the Spitter Drones for the last three consecutive fights was gone, reduced to rubble and pulverized stone. Calen had been luring the gigantic monsters one after another, but every few fights they needed to find a new building because even the vaunted stonecrafting of the ancient Dwarves could not stand long against the repeated detonations of the bone elementals¡¯ corpse explosions on death.


    ¡°It¡¯s still moderately scary,¡± Ali groused, emerging from the wreckage after deconstructing everything useful.


    ¡°We¡¯re definitely getting better, though,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Yes, did you see how quickly we killed that last one?¡± Mato said.


    ¡°It is faster,¡± Malika said, her brow furrowing for a moment. ¡°But it¡¯s still utter chaos in there.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for having my back,¡± Mato said. He was extremely grateful for Malika¡¯s impressive speed, sharp eye, and instantaneous healing. The Spitter Drones didn¡¯t hit him particularly hard through his dense hide, but the vile spit they sprayed everywhere was devastating. The feeling of having his muscles and flesh turned to bone, crack, and slough off, would probably haunt his dreams for quite a while. Restoring big chunks of his body quickly was not something his skills were particularly suited to ¨C his aura helped regeneration, preventing him from dying to injury, but it took minutes to heal even small injuries. It didn¡¯t cost any mana, so in a long close-quarters fight, like the house, when he was surrounded by allies that were all taking damage, his aura was exceptional. Brutal Restoration required him to be capable of hitting hard, and even then, his healing magic was delivered over thirty seconds ¨C which in a fast-paced chaotic battle was an eternity. It was Malika¡¯s instant healing that had put him back in the fight every time he took the bone spit to the face or had a leg snap off to the horrifying magic.


    ¡°No problem,¡± Malika said with a half-smile.


    ¡°You all are nearly recovered, right?¡± Calen asked, getting to his feet. ¡°Can I go get the next group?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Mato answered for the others. Given that he and Calen were the two that didn¡¯t have mana recovery skills, he was always the last to be ready.


    ¡°What¡¯s up next?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Kobolds,¡± Calen said before he darted off into the darkness.


    Beside Mato, Ali snarled and grunted a few times, and her two Goblins stood, setting themselves up in the center of the street, preparing for whatever Calen might bring. Their lightning magic and totems were terrifying in the enclosed space shared with a huge hostile, angry monster. However, Mato had quickly come to acknowledge they got results. Their lightning ripped through the bone armor like it wasn¡¯t even there, creating cracks and weaknesses that allowed his Swipe to even do any damage at all. What did it matter if he occasionally got clipped by a stray lightning bolt when it meant he could actually fight?


    Mato had never fancied himself as some grand strategist. It wasn¡¯t that he was incapable ¨C he understood the concepts ¨C it was simply that Calen was so much better at it. He was well aware his friend would never step forward and share his ideas on his own, so Mato had simply cooked while the others hashed out the details. He had to admit the plan they had come up with for these Spitter Drones was simple and extremely effective.  He enjoyed the tactics of placement and controlling the enemy, redirecting damage to save his allies, and the frenetic pace of trading blows. But he also liked winning, and their plan was a large part of how relatively easy the fights had become. He certainly wasn¡¯t one to begrudge credit where it was due.


    ¡°Incoming,¡± Ali said, a few moments before the dark street up ahead lit up as an orb of floating magic appeared, hovering in the air, and silhouetting the sprinting form below. Calen entered from the plaza and sped down the street toward them. A few moments later a group of smaller reptilian creatures barreled around the corner, yipping and screeching, murder written plainly in their gleaming eyes and raised weapons. The distinctive calls of the hunting Kobolds echoed across the stark stony street, reaching his ears as he rose to his feet and set himself on all four legs. He grinned again, happy to see how naturally his shy friend had taken point for their little team, and how well he executed the roles of scout and monster hunter. Honestly, he was also just happy for another fight.


    ¡°Two warriors, three archers, levels eighteen to twenty,¡± Calen said, sprinting past Mato as he announced the enemies like a waiter announcing the catch of the day.


    Mato easily picked out the archers by the short bone bows they carried, and shifted his attention, ignoring them. His role would be to take care of the warriors. As the monsters charged toward him, his mind shifted into battle mode, quickly evaluating gear, movement, and threats. The two warriors were up front, sprinting fast with their talons making harsh scratching sounds as they scraped the hard stone underfoot. The first one, a scarred veteran with only one eye, wielded a gleaming shortsword and a dark mid-sized shield that was held competently to guard his face and upper torso. The second warrior held twin blades at the ready, one in each taloned hand.


    As soon as the Kobolds came into range, the defensive warrior¡¯s shield flickered with a red glow as he powered a skill, and his form blurred into a charge. Mato responded with his own Charge, meeting the warrior with a head-on collision of ringing steel and the thump of his Swipe attack. Much to his surprise, it was his heavy body that was thrown back several feet on impact with the much smaller Kobold¡¯s shield.


    The Kobold warrior drew a breath and shouted. The skill-powered sound hit Mato in the face with the force of a punch, and he felt a strange tugging sensation in the back of his mind.


    -19 Strength.


    Physical ¨C Duration: 30 seconds.


    All his offensive abilities scaled with strength, and even his healing was dependent on doing more damage.


    He roared his challenge and reengaged with a powerful sideways Swipe that knocked the Kobold¡¯s shield out of the way for a quick follow-up attack. The second warrior danced around her companion, twin swords blurring as they sliced into his flank, sending trickles of warm blood dripping down through his fur. In the back of his mind, he wondered how he was able to tell the Kobolds¡¯ genders apart. Not that it mattered, it was their swords he needed to worry about.


    +3 Physical damage per second. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Physical ¨C Duration: 30 seconds. Count: 1.


    He attacked again with Swipe, powered with his Brutal Restoration, finally landing a hit on both of his adversaries, establishing his first thirty-second restoration heal. The wounds inflicted on his flank still bled profusely, but his magic began to reverse the continual damage. The cracks his claws had inflicted on the Kobolds¡¯ armor rapidly faded away as the bone ridges protruding through their scaled hides grew back.


    He risked a glance across the battlefield, but it seemed the others had the archers pinned down, and Calen¡¯s magic hovering above the dark street would cut down on any stealth shenanigans. It seemed he would be able to focus entirely on the warriors.


    The bright sparking light of Ali¡¯s shaman enchanting her shield and mace beside Mato drew his attention back to his immediate surroundings. She gestured obscurely with the green arm that had her shield strapped to it, and the simultaneous thunderclap and flash as she discharged a Lightning Bolt burned his retinas and assaulted his ears. Bone splinters burst off both warriors, and Mato reacted, taking advantage of the damage to land another empowered Swipe attack before the armor had a chance to regenerate.


    The scarred Kobold warrior¡¯s shield flashed again and slammed into the side of his head with brutal force. Again, he was the one forced to give up ground from the monstrous impact of the shield slam which left him momentarily seeing stars. The dual wielder made her dark swords glow with the power of a martial skill, and the speed of her twin-bladed strikes began to accelerate, growing faster and faster every time she struck.


    The dancing blades shimmered and flickered erratically, like each strike against him was echoed by an afterimage that struck at the shaman. The blood running down the shaman¡¯s shoulder, mirroring the fresh wounds on his own flank, and the flickering retaliatory sparks from her shield told him they were not mere afterimages. Off in the distance he could hear Malika shouting, interrupted by a deafening explosion and a wave of heat.


    The dual blades were clearly striking both of them simultaneously with every hasted slash.


    He pulled the damage of the next strike to himself using Arboreal Sanctuary. While the shaman was very robust, it would be better to take most of the damage himself and heal it with his Brutal Restoration, leaving the remainder to his regeneration aura.


    The whistling dark blade left a line of pain down his left forepaw, triggering the sound of a notification chime.


    The damage was beginning to stack up, and if he wanted to end this fight quickly, he would need to take care of the dangerous dual wielder, fast. He swapped from the defensive shield warrior to his quicker and nimbler companion and attacked with Swipe.


    In that instant, the shield warrior shouted again, refreshing the Demoralizing Shout duration, complete with the strange tug on his mind. His Swipe bounced off the shield with a sharp but ineffectual screech of claws against metal and he found himself disoriented and facing the shield warrior again.


    There was a powerful desire to crush the grinning Kobold hiding behind his annoying shield boiling within him. He struck again before he realized the dual wielder had free rein to flank him.


    With the sheer force of will, he shifted to face the dangerous flickering attacks, pulling even more damage away from the shaman, shaking his head to clear his confusion.


    A movement in the shadows caught his attention, but it was Ali¡¯s rogue appearing to sink a dark blade into the back of the dual-wielding warrior. The dancing swords flickered faster, creating more echoes, and Mato suddenly found himself having to redirect damage from both the rogue and the shaman.


    The bleeds were quickly stacking up and, combined with the extra damage he took upon himself to keep Ali¡¯s minions alive, his Brutal Restoration was falling behind.


    He ground his fangs and shifted his position, drawing the Kobold warriors a little to one side. It would have been far more efficient if he could just tell Ali¡¯s minions what he wanted with his beast language like he could her wolves. A soft chime sounded in his mind, and he glanced inward briefly, just long enough to verify a Kobold Archer had died and it wasn¡¯t another bleed.


    He landed a Swipe attack, adding a fresh set of Restoration healing, when the shield warrior shouted again. Mato struggled against the disorienting attack, finding himself yet again turning to face the defensive warrior with a powerful urge to crush his grinning, one-eyed face. Behind the warrior, Ali¡¯s rogue had switched targets too, leaving just the shaman attacking the dangerous dual wielder.


    The dual wielder clearly had a haste skill, a bleed, and an area damage skill that duplicated her attacks hitting all her foes simultaneously. Why on earth was he still trying to slam his way through this immobile shield?


    He forced himself to switch back as the shaman unleashed another Lightning Bolt through the female warrior¡¯s torso, stunning her momentarily. Mato swiped across her exposed belly with his claws, taking advantage of the opening to hit the dangerous monster and stack just a little more restoration. He was already bleeding from three different wounds and taking nine damage per second. Not much more of this and he would be in real trouble.


    Another loud bang was followed by a pair of chimes, and then an incandescent arrow zipped past his left ear and buried itself in the left shoulder of the female warrior, making her hiss angrily, followed closely by a volley of Firebolts and Ali¡¯s golden magic. He attacked with his Swipe one more time, and the combined assault finally staggered the warrior. She teetered back and forth momentarily before falling sideways, swords clattering to the ground. Now that he wasn¡¯t taking the bulk of the damage for three people, his Brutal Restoration began to gain ground against the stacked bleeds.


    he thought, unleashing a powerful attack at the annoying Kobold hiding behind his annoying shield with his annoying grin.


    By the time they killed the Kobold warrior, Mato¡¯s bleeds had already stopped, and his magic had mostly restored his health to normal. What remained would regenerate easily over time.


    He shifted back to his Beastkin Form and poked the annoying Kobold with his foot.


    ¡°Ugh, this guy was so annoying,¡± he complained, sitting down to watch Ali deconstruct the corpse.


    ¡°Why?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Every time he shouted, I would get disoriented and then find myself attacking him instead of the other one.¡±


    ¡°Must have been a Taunt skill, right?¡± Malika suggested, coming over to look at the Kobold.


    ¡°I think so,¡± Mato answered. Now that he had a second to actually think through what had happened ¨C well, he had not imagined a Taunt skill would be so ¡­ confusing. Every time that grinning one-eyed warrior had shouted at him, his body had seemed to just do stuff on its own without telling him and he would only realize it later.


    ¡°What¡¯s a Taunt skill?¡± Ali asked, looking first at the dead Kobold and then at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s like when you¡¯re on the playground and you insult the bully to provoke him into fighting you,¡± Mato answered.


    ¡°Why would you want to do that?¡±


    ¡°Well, you can make him start the fight, and then he gets into trouble.¡±


    ¡°No, I meant why would a monster want that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, well this Kobold had a shield and solid defensive skills. Whenever it made me attack him, the other one had free rein to slash me and cause bleeds on all your minions.¡±


    ¡°Is that why my rogue kept attacking it instead of the other one?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Probably.¡± The rogue had switched to the shield warrior every single time it shouted. But what he hadn¡¯t seen was the shaman changing targets. He glanced at Ali¡¯s Goblin speculatively.


    ¡°What I want to know is why it didn¡¯t affect the shaman when it affected me and the rogue,¡± Mato growled, more than a little annoyed at being pushed around by the Kobold¡¯s skill.


    ¡°Most likely the shaman has high wisdom,¡± Malika answered, sitting down beside them.


    ¡°Wisdom? How does that help?¡±


    ¡°I was always taught that wisdom is like endurance for the mind. It makes your mind more resilient to attacks. Taunts are mind-altering attacks, a suggestion, but powered by magic, so the shaman probably just resisted it.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, so I need to invest in wisdom now?¡±


    ¡°I think lots of warriors and rogues simply give up on avoiding Taunt attacks, wisdom doesn¡¯t buy them much,¡± Malika answered.


    ¡°But Mato is a Druid. He has spells, so it might be worth a little wisdom,¡± Calen added. ¡°If everyone has enough mana, I can go get the next group.¡±


    As Calen set out, disappearing into the darkness of the ruins, Mato considered their words. Having his mind messed with really didn¡¯t sit well with him, and if it were just a matter of spending a few more attribute points on wisdom, he might consider it. He glanced through his skill list, checking the trait tags.


    he thought, tallying the skills tagged with wisdom.


    Aliandra


    Ali stood at the feet of the kings¡¯ statues, gazing out across the plaza. As far as her eyes could pierce through the gloom, the broad plaza was littered with piles of bone, trash, rubble, abandoned Kobold campfires, and huge encrustations of bone that were the work of Spitter Drones. Beyond the plaza loomed the dark towering edifice that had once been the Grand Library Arcana.


    Ali shivered.


    When she had last beheld the library, a horde of monsters had been encamped on the plaza, and she had despaired of ever crossing it. Now, however, it was as deserted as the day the Blind Lich attacked.


    ¡°Who are these guys?¡± Mato asked, breaking off a piece of the bone encrustations that hung from the statues of the kings reaching as high as their waists.


    ¡°The three kings of Dal¡¯mohra,¡± Ali said, glancing up at them. And then, deciding that they deserved better, she continued. ¡°The Dwarf with the Hammer of Justice is Bragni Doomhammer. The big guy with the sword is Artur Dragonsworn ¨C legends say he wielded Dragon Fire. The Elf in the robes is Thaldorien Stormshaper, one of the wisest sages in the land, and the creator of the Grand Library Arcana.¡±


    ¡°You knew them?¡± Malika asked, gazing up at the enormous stone renditions.


    ¡°No, I was hardly important enough to hang out with kings and sages,¡± she said. She cocked her head and looked at Malika for a moment, and then back at the statues. ¡°I did see Thaldorien once when he visited my mom. He was nice to me. I also remember the one day he just teleported into the center of the library while I was studying, and handed the Head Librarian an incandescent magical tome and vanished, leaving the entire library gasping. He was so cool!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an awesome story,¡± Calen said.


    The smile from that memory fell from her face as she remembered she had met them all one more time. ¡°When I last saw them, they had been turned, raised as Death Knights by the evil necromancy of the Blind Lich.¡±


    Mato hissed at the mention of the undead.


    Ali shook her head to dispel the disturbing memories, focusing instead on the dark outline of the arched doorway into the library on the other side of the ruined plaza. At her back was the now cleared residential ring of houses where they had been systematically wiping out the horde of Kobolds, Skeletons, and Bone Spitters for the better part of the day now. She was weary but determined to see what had become of her beloved library. Still, just sauntering in there did not strike her as the wisest idea.


    Hundreds of tiny Bone Skitterers scrambled away as her feet crunched on the bone-encrusted plaza. The giant stone tower loomed larger as they approached, looking foreboding in the darkness. When she had last been inside, the entire building had been lit by runic magic. Now, it was dull and dark, with bone running up the walls, and what was left of the enormous stone doors hung shattered from ancient worn hinges.


    When she had last been inside, she had witnessed Maeria Runeweaver¡¯s murder by a skeleton¡¯s rusty blade.

 Chapter 56: Piercer Scorpion

    Chapter 56: Piercer Scorpion- Excerpt from , Third Edition


    Mato


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± Mato said, standing at the threshold. He leaned back a bit to gaze at the giant arched doorway high overhead and the remains of once great doors past which he could see nothing but darkness. Hundreds of bone creatures fled with an eerie, skittering chorus of tapping claws as he picked his way around the rubble and through the giant arched doorway, dragging Calen¡¯s magical light behind him as if it were a balloon on a string attached to his back. Harsh shadows turned and shifted, and as he walked, he wondered how long it must have been since this place had seen any light.


    Calen¡¯s mote of light rose, pushing back the boundary of the vast darkness, yet never reaching the edges. Bone-encrusted lumps that may have once been desks or chairs lay scattered haphazardly about. Constructions that may have been shelves were now covered with the thick gray-white of bone ridges and protruding spikes, clear evidence that the Spitter Drones had holed up in here. If Ali had not called it a library, Mato would never have guessed. Infesting the walls and the floors were hundreds of small white worm-like creatures crawling over everything, some as big as his outstretched hand. A muted, continuous crunching sound welled up in the dark as if something were chewing ¨C the kind of noise termites made if you listened closely to a dead tree. Only, this was louder. Much louder.


    They looked like oversized centipedes but with a segmented bone carapace, making them more similar to their giant Spitter Drone cousins. As he examined them more closely, he could see that many of them retreated into holes burrowed into the encrusted bone.


    He ventured further in, making room for the others to follow. His feet crunched on the bone ridges covering the ground, no doubt weakened by the burrowing Bone Worms. Calen raised the light orb further, illuminating the ossified remains of shelves, bookstands, and desks strewn between them and a distant railing encircling a dark yawning hole. He couldn¡¯t see the other side, but by the way the railing curved away into the distance, he could tell that the dark space ¨C an atrium ¨C was vast.


    Large pillars supported a spiral stone staircase that circled the outer rim of the atrium, leading off beyond the reach of their light both far above, and into the darkness below. Much of the visible staircase and the pillars were covered with stalactites or icicles of hardened bone. Every available space on the soaring outer walls was crammed with tiny walkways, the remains of ladders and shelves, mostly covered with bone, extending up well beyond his visible range.


    ¡°How is this place so huge?¡± he whispered, feeling small, dwarfed by the vastness. It was clear that some powerful magic was involved, but the fact that it still stood amazed him even more than the sheer scale.


    ¡°This was the most important library in the world,¡± Ali answered, her hushed voice hitching.


    Mato glanced at her, saddened by the visible pain plainly etched in her wide-eyed stare at the remains of the library.


    A flicker of white and a flash of movement from behind the shelves on their left and Mato was instantly transforming into his Bear Form. What emerged from behind the bone-encrusted shelves could only be described as a nightmare ¨C a monster that existed for no other purpose than slashing, stabbing, and killing.


    The creature was a broad, fifteen-foot-long, bone-white scorpion. It walked on six razor-sharp segmented legs that sliced deeply into the bone floor making a grinding crunch with every heavy step. In place of the usual pincers for forelegs, this monster had two segmented bone spears that gleamed in the dim light, held up in a way that reminded Mato of a praying mantis. Arching gracefully up from the back, its tail rose way overhead, ending in a wickedly serrated, sword-like blade.


    The mandibles clicked together as it turned its head and fixed far too many dark, gleaming eyes on him. The moment it caught sight of him, it let out a piercing hiss and charged.


    Mato roared to draw its attention away from his friends and charged toward the monster. His claws tore up a spray of bone dust and shards from the force of his skill¡¯s acceleration. He let his momentum carry him past the monster, taking a powerful passing swipe at its mandibles as he shifted it sideways so that it was no longer facing his friends. The creature lunged, stabbing with its raised frontal spear legs. They darted forward in a blur, moving so fast Mato could barely register the attacks. The left missed, tearing a furrow through the bone-encrusted ground as easily as stabbing butter. Shards sprayed his legs to the sounds of loud crunching. The right spear drew a long slice of burning pain down his left flank, sending his blood splashing crimson onto the gray ground. He swiped again, empowering his attack with Brutal Restoration, but his claws bounced ineffectually off the dense bone plate armor. Only his nature magic penetrated at all. He felt the soft pulse of his restoration, but his skill was dependent on the amount of damage he did, and he hadn¡¯t done a great deal with that strike.


    A blur and a subtle flicker were all the warning he received before the monster¡¯s tail lashed down, impaling the serrated blade through his back. The pain threatened to overwhelm him as the bloody blade burst from his belly, piercing through his entire body and embedding itself into the stone below his feet. He struggled helplessly, pinned to the floor by the monster¡¯s tail. With a flick, the Piercer Scorpion pulled its tail back, flinging Mato over ten feet to crash into a shelf, knocking it over and sending his blood spraying across the floor and the wall. Desperately, he struggled to his feet, fighting against the pain of his grievous wound, but his legs were not working correctly. The creature blurred again as it rushed him, spears flickering as it aggressively pressed its attack.


    Mato was knocked down again, his legs twitching uncontrollably from the damage to his spine. He couldn¡¯t even feel pain in the lower half of his body. Suddenly, Malika stood beside him. Seeming confused by the appearance of a second target, the Piercer Scorpion hesitated, and the burning rush of Malika¡¯s healing magic surged through Mato¡¯s body. He twitched and spasmed as his damaged flesh and punctured organs were forcibly reconstructed. Sensation returned in a rush, and all he could do was groan in fresh agony. Malika dodged two spear strikes as the monster switched to her, giving him just enough time to regain his feet. He growled, slashing with the claws of his right forepaw. The monster lashed out toward him again. Malika backed off, but Mato¡¯s attention was fully focused on the scorpion.


    He knew she couldn¡¯t hear him, but he had been mere inches from death. If she hadn¡¯t stepped in right then, he knew it would have been over. He could only imagine the courage it must have taken to see him crushed, and then to step into harm¡¯s way to help him, knowing that she had significantly less health and armor than he did. If she hadn¡¯t dodged, she might have been on the floor dying beside him.


    He roared his frustration and landed another Swipe attack, doing pitifully little damage to the heavily armored monster, pouring mana into Brutal Restoration in a vain effort to build up his healing in case he took another hit. The Piercer Scorpion lashed out again, spear limbs moving so fast he couldn¡¯t even see the strikes that slashed his shoulders. But he did see something.


    It was the smallest tell. He would need to dodge preemptively, guessing where the strike would land, but it was something. His wary eyes locked onto the ever-threatening tail-blade that hovered high above, curved to strike.


    The twitch in the tail and blur from the blade was the only warning he had, and he immediately dodged sideways, bracing himself. More deadly than anything he had seen so far, if he allowed that tail to land, he was likely dead. The tail blade whipped down, slicing deep, juddering across his rib bones and causing a gout of blood to shoot forth, yet another splash of crimson against the gray of the bone floor. As deep as the wound was, it failed to limit his movement, and he blocked the follow-up crisscross slashes from the frontal spears. He dumped more mana into Brutal Restoration as he struggled to do enough damage to power his healing skill.


    Twin thunderclaps and brilliant flashes told him the shamans had arrived. The Piercer Scorpion screeched as shards and splinters of bone fountained from a blinding impact against the left side of its thorax, some even drawing blood as they buried themselves in his flank. The sharp stench of ozone and scorched bone hung heavy in the air. A shiny gleam and clink told Mato precisely where the shamans had dropped their totems. Mato shifted sideways, drawing the Piercer Scorpion a little closer just as the two steel totems began to pulse their Lightning Novas.


    Mato deflected one of the blindingly fast spear strikes, missing the second and taking a deep gash to his shoulder. He caught himself before he stumbled ¨C a death sentence against this monster ¨C and spent even more of his precious mana to attack again. The bright red of Ali¡¯s Fire Mages, a barrage of her golden magic, and the bright flashes of Calen¡¯s arrows lit the side of the white bone creature. With everyone engaged now, and the volume of magical damage keeping the regeneration of the bone plate armor at bay, Mato finally landed a big Swipe powered with his Brutal Restoration, feeling the strong uptick in the power of his healing magic.


    He shifted to a more defensive stance, lowering his center of gravity and prioritizing blocking. He rationed his dwindling mana, focusing only on strikes that could build his healing, rather than flailing against the heavy plates of bone armor covering much of the scorpion¡¯s body. Attentively, he studied his enemy, alert for any edge on anticipating the deadly attacks. The tail blurred and Mato blocked, taking a deep wound to his left shoulder. Bad, but not debilitating.


    Suddenly, the creature¡¯s tail reared up and pointed toward him, the frontal spears held crossed in a defensive guard. Quick on the uptake, Malika unleashed a powerful sequence of kicks from behind the back legs, impacting the left side of its abdomen.


    ¡°Magic!¡± Ali¡¯s voice echoed through the library.


    The tail flashed with light and a spear of bone the length of his arm appeared out of thin air, shooting downward and punching clean through his leg before Mato could even react. He wrenched his leg, snapping the spear, and burned the last of his mana for another Brutal Restoration-powered Swipe taking advantage of a minuscule gap in the monster¡¯s guard. Malika darted in, giving him a clutch heal just in time for him to avoid the next strike. Her aggressive healing magic spat out the remaining shards of the bone spear from his leg as it repaired the wound. He was alive ¨C for now ¨C but he had spent the last of his mana. There would be no more Brutal Restoration. This was turning into one ugly scrap.


    He braced, blocking a spear strike, and taking a shallow wound across his left shoulder. He counterattacked, but his claws barely penetrated the regenerating armor. The tail twitched, blurring and he blocked, but it, too, left a gash across his right flank that dripped blood down onto the floor beneath him. Mato roared, using his attack on a weak spot just to ensure that the monster would not turn around and destroy his friends. It was only a matter of time and luck now. Sooner or later, he would fail to deflect an attack and take a wound that would hamper his movement ¨C and then it would all be over.


    ¡°Mato, heal!¡± Ali yelled.


    The Piercer Scorpion lunged forward, both spear-arms blurring with attacks. Both of which Mato misread. Razor-sharp spears of bone punctured his body through the ribs on either side causing him to stagger.  His fatalistic thought was interrupted by Malika stepping up to him. She quickly dodged a tail strike and backed off, but not before he felt the burning rush of her healing magic tearing through his body to repair the wounds.


    ¡°Is he out of mana?¡± Calen sounded worried.


    ¡°I think so,¡± Malika answered. ¡°I¡¯ll keep healing him.¡±


    ¡°Ali, can you get some fireballs in there without hurting anyone?¡± Calen called. ¡°We need to kill this thing soon.¡±


    ¡°Yup, I¡¯ll move the rogues and shamans.¡±


    In response, three roiling balls of fire lit the entire side of the library with their intense red glow. A few moments later, the fireballs shot forward impacting the back of the scorpion with deafening explosions. Even as far away as he was, Mato took damage from the concussion wave and flying gobs of flame. Twin Lightning Bolts flashed across the room, tearing scorched chunks of armor from the monster¡¯s carapace. The scorpion reeled back, briefly stunned.


    Malika dodged in and healed him once again, using her agility to dodge back out before she got attacked. As Mato¡¯s eyes and ears recovered, the tail shot up again and the spear legs retracted defensively.


    He coiled in readiness.


    ¡°Magic!¡± Ali called again.


    It came to him then, in a flash of inspiration. Perhaps, if he had not been so low on mana and pressured by this creature, he would have discarded the idea as crazy, but Mato suddenly realized he had a couple of seconds while the monster summoned its magic. He dropped his Bear Form, retrieved a mana potion from his ring, and downed the entire thing in one gulp. Then he triggered his transformation back into Bear Form and lunged to the side, trying to block the incoming bone spear.


    Fortunately, his transformation was quick enough, and he avoided being impaled by a whisker. The spear slammed into the ground, cutting a deep gash along his hindquarters. As he felt his mana tick up, Mato lashed out, building up his Brutal Restoration once again.


    He had no idea if that had been a smart idea, or critically stupid. If he had been struck while in his Beastkin form, he would undoubtedly have been killed. He barely had any armor in that form ¨C but it had worked, and now he had just a little breathing room to heal himself again. A bright arrow whizzed by and cracked against the bony ridges an inch above one of the scorpion¡¯s many dark eyes.


    It took two more rounds of fireballs and lightning bolts before one of the fireballs penetrated through the carapace and detonated inside the creature. Bone plates flew everywhere, some even stabbing through his armored hide. The elemental monster stumbled. There was some yelling in the background and a stream of magical attacks, and a breath or two later the creature clattered to the ground in a heap of bony legs and shattered armor.


    His chime sounded, but Mato ignored it for now and shifted back to normal, breathing a deep sigh of relief. He was almost out of mana again, despite having used the mana potion with his risky mid-combat shift trick. He sat right where he was, breathing hard, and looked up only when Malika stopped by to check on him.


    ¡°You saved me.¡± He stared at her for a long moment. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Any time,¡± she said, slapping his shoulder lightly. ¡°Your potion trick was crazy.¡± She grinned. ¡°Crazy good.¡±


    He grinned back.  Now that he thought about it, so much could have gone wrong, but if he hadn¡¯t done something, he would have been so far up the creek he wouldn¡¯t have been worried about paddles.


    His attention drifted inward to his notifications.


    sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Quickly he spent three points each on vitality and wisdom, and then considering the dangerous battle he had just survived, he spent two each on endurance and perception. Hopefully, he would be a little tougher and maybe he could get better at reading the tells in combat.


    Mato bit his lip, trying to contain his rising excitement.


    Panther Form


    Stamina: Shapeshift into a panther. You gain Bite, Rake, and Ambush attacks. Your attack speed is increased in Panther Form, and you can use stealth. Reserve: 20%


    Nature, Shapeshift, Buff, Dexterity


    Heal


    Mana: Channel your mana to heal your target. Range: 60 feet.


    Nature, Ranged, Healing, Channeled, Wisdom


    Survival Instinct


    Your natural senses of sight, hearing, and smell are significantly enhanced. You have a sixth sense about incoming attacks, how much damage they will do, and how to move to mitigate the most damage. Range: Sanctuary


    Nature, Physical, Perception


    Mato got up and slowly limped over to where the others were gathered, taking a second to re-read his notifications and the descriptions of the new skills he was being offered.


    ¡°Get anything nice?¡± Ali asked.


    Mato said, ¡°Uh, how did you ¨C¡±


    ¡°Grin about this wide.¡± The little Fae spread her hands with a chuckle.


    Unsurprisingly, his perceptive friends had noticed his level almost immediately. ¡°Yes,¡± he said and shared all his skill choices with them ¨C the three new ones, and Wrath of Nature and Primal Rage which he had previously passed over or discarded, but were still available for him to choose if he wanted.


    He had his favorite, but he wanted to hear what the others thought. If it were entirely up to him, he would pick based on his gut instinct, but the others often thought of reasons he would never have considered.


    ¡°Seems like a pretty easy choice,¡± Malika said. ¡°I would go with Survival Instinct. You don¡¯t seem to do much fighting from the back, so Wrath and Heal wouldn¡¯t be your style.¡±


    ¡°You ran out of mana in that last fight,¡± Ali said. ¡°Do you think Survival Instinct would have helped with that?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mato said. ¡°Definitely. If I could have avoided more of those attacks, I wouldn¡¯t have been in such a desperate need to heal myself. When I can just let Brutal Restoration keep me topped up, it¡¯s much easier on my mana.¡±


    Mato looked over to Calen. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Calen took a moment with a furrowed brow before speaking. ¡°I think it depends on what you want to do. Your class seems to offer you an enormous amount of versatility. You have choices that allow healing or damage from melee or ranged. You can switch forms for a whole variety of roles. How you choose should depend on how you want to grow your class ¨C specializing will make you stronger, but less versatile. Survival Instinct is only useful if you¡¯re getting hit. So, if you want to stick with tanking, I agree it¡¯s the best choice. On the other hand, variety would require spreading your attributes out more and being less focused on any one role.¡±


    As usual, Calen had to be prompted to share his opinion, but his ideas were well thought out. Mato considered the versatility of the ranged healing and the stealth of the Panther Form.


    ¡°Do you like tanking?¡± Ali asked him.


    ¡°I think so, why?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a Wolf Form that you barely ever use? Maybe you like tanking more than you think? I mean, I see that Wolf¡¯s kind of a useful backup form for different situations.¡±


    Mato considered. Survival Instinct had been his intuitive choice. He hadn¡¯t even considered that it wouldn¡¯t be used at all while he was in his Wolf Form ¨C a form he used for scouting, or occasionally damage when he wasn¡¯t being hit.


    Calen was trying to get him to think about his long-term growth, rather than just picking whatever felt right. The problem would be picking a role and a specialization that suited him.


    It was the right role for the team. But if he made his choices based on this team, and they changed groups later, he might find himself far too invested to change. This kind of thinking hurt his head.


    ¡°You can pick it now, and if you want to change your role, you can swap out the skill. You just lose the skill levels.¡± Ali reminded him.


    Just like when he had swapped Primal Rage for Bestial Combat. It would be a setback if he needed to change, but right now he didn¡¯t see himself in any other role, and it felt right. As long as he didn¡¯t go too long before committing to his decision, she was probably right.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll give Survival Instinct a try.¡± He already wanted vitality and endurance for resilience and survivability, strength for power, and wisdom for mana and resistance against taunts. he thought, switching to his Bear Form to check his status.

 Chapter 57: Acolyte

    Chapter 57: AcolyteMalika Malika peered around the bone-encrusted bookcase, squinting against the darkness beyond. By the light cast by their small, distant campfire, she could easily make out the four Kobolds, and the hulking shape of the Piercer Scorpion standing guard behind them. She had no idea what they were talking about as they hunched over their fire, their voices carrying over to her as muffled yips and quiet chirps.


    Instead of impatiently waiting for Calen and Mato to regenerate their mana, she had volunteered to scout their surroundings, but now she was feeling more than a little out of her depth. If the Kobolds hadn¡¯t made an easily visible fire allowing Calen to point out the way to her, she was sure she would have just tripped over their camp in the darkness. Even now, she was still so far away, she could barely tell them apart.


    At least, she would need to risk it if she wanted some real information for this fool¡¯s errand.


    Choosing her footfalls carefully to minimize the crunching sound beneath her feet, she crept forward to a nearer lump of bone and poked her head out again.


    The Piercer Scorpion, of course, loomed large behind the campfire, standing entirely motionless. If she hadn¡¯t seen one in action, she might have mistaken it for a realistic statue. The two rogues were easy to make out by the daggers they had sheathed at their waists, their black-stained leather armor, and their pitch-black scales. The mages, however, were something new altogether. They wore cloth robes of far higher quality than Malika had yet seen in this dungeon, and even their coloration was different. Their exposed faces and tails were covered with off-white and gray scales, and their large pale gray eyes were visible even at this distance because of the soft glow against the darkness.


    She backed away, making every effort to move silently. Hopefully, Calen had fully regenerated his mana by now ¨C with his skills, he should have much less trouble sneaking up on this group.  As soon as she reached the bone-encrusted bookcase, she retraced her steps to rejoin the others, resolving to leave all future scouting in the dark to Calen.


    ¡°Two mages, two rogues, and a Piercer Scorpion,¡± Malika announced. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what the mages are, but they¡¯re not the normal, red-scaled kind and their gear looks better than usual,¡± she said. ¡°How do you think we should do this?¡±


    ¡°Mato on the Piercer, obviously,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Good, I¡¯m looking forward to a rematch!¡± Mato growled, flexing his bulky shoulders.


    Initially, Malika had thought Mato¡¯s confidence was just bravado, however, she had come to appreciate that he lacked any kind of pretense or guile. He simply enjoyed a good fight. she thought, a little surprised by the realization. If two people could have opposite values relating to preparation and risk, it would be her and Mato.


    ¡°What do we do about the rogues? Me and the shamans?¡± Malika asked, knowing that her armor and evasion would be significantly better facing off against the rogues than either Ali or Calen.


    ¡°That works,¡± Calen said, his expression focused, clearly thinking. ¡°And then Ali and I will take out the two mages first?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Malika said after glancing at Ali to see if she had any objections to the plan.


    The Fae shrugged slightly. ¡°Sounds good to me.¡±


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m ready,¡± Calen announced, standing up. ¡°Mato, I¡¯ll bring the Piercer Scorpion right to you.¡± He disappeared into the shadows, leaving his motes of light floating in the air above.


    Seeing him vanish silently into the darkness, Malika realized she had been oblivious to just how many skills he had to help him with this kind of scouting task. It wasn¡¯t just the ability to cloak his presence, sound, and see in the dark. He had mentioned being able to identify things from much further away, he had a tracking skill, and he could shoot from extreme range. In fact, the only skill she shared, that was remotely relevant, was the ability to run faster than normal.


    A few moments later there came a distant, piercing screech, a commotion of chirps, and the ground began to shake and the bone-covered bookcases rattle from the heavy impacts of the Piercer Scorpion running. Calen appeared from the gloom with the massive Bone Elemental hot on his heels, both easily outpacing the rest of the Kobolds by a large distance. She hung back waiting for them to draw closer, and for Mato to secure the target, before engaging.


    Bone burst from the ground as a dozen spikes shot up, grasping for Calen¡¯s body and capturing him in a bird cage, sized for a Half-elf. His head made a loud crack as it bounced off the instant bone prison and fell to his knees. With a groan, he raised his head, twisting around to stare at the onrushing mountain of bone elemental bearing down on him.


    Malika sprang into action, sprinting for Calen¡¯s bone cage while pushing her speed to the limit with Divine Step. She crossed the distance in a second and stepped past to intercept the monster. Her heart hammered in her chest as she stared up at the gigantic Piercer Scorpion thundering toward her while its blade-like legs churned the ground making the stone quake. The frontal spear legs drew back, coiled to strike as it closed the distance in a flash. Malika swallowed and took her stance, placing her body between the monster and Calen as he struggled to free himself.


    With its longer reach, the monster struck fast, spear limbs blurring as it lashed out with unfathomable power. She dodged left, and then right, feeling the wind of the blades caressing the skin of her neck before she leapt into the air and kicked it in the maw, unleashing her Soul Strike magic. Her foot cracked painfully against dense bone and bounced off, only her magical energy penetrating, and not particularly deep either. The only thing she accomplished was getting its attention. Which meant Calen would live.


    Unfortunately, that meant had its attention. She ducked again, avoiding a spear strike by a hair, and saw a blur of movement from above. Desperately, she scrambled backward, but the tail strike sliced clean through the muscle of her left thigh and smashed into the stone below. Malika instinctively dropped her center of gravity and forced her momentum downward with Divine Step so the brutal withdrawal of the serrated tail wouldn¡¯t fling her across the room. She couldn¡¯t hold back the gasp of pain as the creature ripped its weapon out of her leg, tearing through muscle and spraying her blood across Calen¡¯s cage. She stumbled, falling heavily to the ground as she pulsed her Healing Mantra to fix her leg, but she was still on the ground and the next strike was already incoming to impale her.


    The massive form of a Bear barreled over her prone body, colliding heavily with the monster, taking the lashing strike to his shoulder. Mato roared furiously, retaliating with a swipe of his heavy paw.


    Panting heavily, Malika scrambled to her feet, intensely grateful that she had been saved. The irony of it was not lost on her, she had leapt in to save Calen, and then she had become the person needing saving.


    Calen wriggled free of his prison. From the looks of the scorched and burnt fragments of his bone cage lying around him, Ali¡¯s mages had had something to do with that.


    ¡°You ok?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°I¡­ yes, thanks,¡± he managed, scooping up his bow.


    A great grinding crunch was followed by a heavy thump. Between two distant bookshelves, a broad wall of bone sprouted, covered with oversized protruding ribs, and reinforced with haphazardly piled vertebrae the size of small dogs.


    Malika spluttered, ¡°What the¡­¡±


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Calen hissed, darting sideways.


    Malika barely had enough time to throw herself to the ground again when a high-speed spear of sharpened bone shot past her ribs. but a glimpse of movement made her roll, and a second spear punched into the ground, slicing her calf muscle open. She winced, healing it, but immediately had to dodge again as another volley of spears cleared the distant wall of bone, shooting for her body lying exposed out in the open.


    A shimmer of gold flickered before her, and three bone spears shattered against Ali¡¯s barrier.


    ¡°Go kill the rogues,¡± Calen said, diving for the cover of the barrier, catching himself in a forward roll, and arriving on his feet with his bow drawn. ¡°Ali and I can handle the mages.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Malika said. Before everything had gone belly-up, there had been a plan. Malika searched the darkness, catching sight of the painfully bright Lightning Nova totems. The shamans seemed to be holding the line against the two rogues, apparently evenly matched. Malika sprinted over to disrupt the balance.


    She admired the lightning shield enchantment that retaliated with sparks every time the shamans blocked one of the rapid dagger attacks. Sparks of lightning that tore through the bone armor like butter. She dove into the midst of the fight, unleashing a flurry of punches that impacted against pliable scales rather than heavy bone armor. Her soul magic burst from her fists into the already softened-up rogue¡¯s belly.


    she thought, giving her body over to the flow of combat, the dance of strike and counterstrike, pulsing her magic every time she hit. The rogue was flagging, looking rather worse for wear, bleeding, and scorched from several wounds already.


    She punched again, striking the Kobold in the ribs and feeling a crack of bone under her fist. The Kobold¡¯s scales glowed with a soft yellowish-white light, and her next punch slammed into a fully intact bone plate.


    Malika¡¯s next punch literally bounced off an apparently fully recovered and grinning rogue.


    she realized with the chill of knowing something with absolute certainty. She quickly turned to scan the battlefield but found nothing obviously amiss.


    Her gaze was suddenly drawn to a flicker of light and movement in a dark corner. Behind a blocky protrusion of bone stood a lone Kobold. It was dressed in a flowing, full-length robe with white embroidered symbols. Soft yellowish-gold scales covered its face and arms, and small horns of pure white poked up from its head. It blinked. It was the eyes that had caught her attention. They glowed brightly, yellow against the darkness.


    ¡°Healer in the back!¡± she shouted and immediately charged across the battlefield, knowing there would be no progress until the healer had been dealt with.


    Suddenly, her face slammed into spines of bone that sprang up to imprison her. She yelled in frustration, slamming the bars with her fists, trying desperately to break through the unyielding bone.


    ¡°Ali, new target, all mages and rogues on the healer. Follow my arrows,¡± Calen¡¯s calm voice pierced Malika¡¯s frustration. At least they had understood the urgency of taking out the healer first. Her attention was suddenly wrenched back by a long bone spear punching through her ribs. She gasped, completely winded. She grasped the blood-slick spear with her hands and hauled it out while clenching her teeth against her muffled scream and then she healed herself.


    A golden barrier materialized in front of her prison, shattering several more incoming high-speed spears.  Obviously, that was the point, but she refused to give them the pleasure. She was a Street Rat for a reason. Malika lashed out, punching at the thick curved bone bars while a veritable volley of Firebolts and arrows flew overhead. Finally, she got one of the bone spines to shatter and she squeezed her body through the narrow gap.


    Malika charged for the healer, sprinting in an erratic line ¨C and, sure enough, another bone prison erupted from the ground. Fortunately, this time it appeared two feet to her right side and she hurtled past the bookcase, still free of the Bone Mages¡¯ frustrating attacks.


    She punched the Kobold healer, catching her right under her left arm, and knocking her to the ground. Malika kicked her several times while she tried to scramble to her feet. The Kobold¡¯s scales glowed with pulses of her magic, and it seemed to shake off all her damage.  Carefully, Malika aimed a sweeping kick, knocking the Kobold¡¯s legs out from under her, making her stumble back into the open. Immediately, several Firebolts slammed into the glowing creature, punching through some of the bone armor. That was enough of an opportunity for Ali¡¯s two rogues to shimmer out of the shadows stabbing in tandem with their gleaming daggers. Malika ignored the whistle and crash of bone spears flying through the air and shattering on golden barriers, intent only on punching the dangerous Kobold before her.


    It took the combined might of three mages, Calen, herself, and the two rogues, but they finally overcame the Kobold¡¯s powerful healing magic and the regenerating bone armor. As soon as it collapsed, Malika breathed a big sigh of relief.


    ¡°Mages next, Mato seems to be ok,¡± Calen said, calling out the next target.


    Calen¡¯s firm, calm directions contrasted against the personality she had gotten used to.  Malika ran for the bone wall as the two rogues ducked behind a dark bookcase and vanished. As she arrived, she saw the intensifying red glow reflected off the gray bone wall. She took three steps up the side of an ossified bookcase and leapt over the wall, just as three Fireballs detonated below her, blowing the bone wall to shards. As she reached the apex of her flip, Malika sighted the two Bone Mages below her. Adjusting her trajectory with a twist, she kicked the nearest mage in the back of his neck, trying to break it on the way down. Landing beside it, she ducked backward, giving all Ali¡¯s mages and Calen a free line to attack the creature, while she unleashed her punches from behind. From her vantage point, she could see Ali sweating with focus and concentration, her barriers flicking into existence every time one of the Bone Mages cast their Bone Spear attacks.


    She kicked the staggered mage in the back of the knees, and it collapsed before her, taking three Firebolts and an arrow to the face before keeling over. The second Bone Mage died far faster, victim to a pair of Ambush strikes as Ali¡¯s rogues reappeared, burying their daggers in its kidneys with identical, chittering snickers of glee.


    As soon as the second mage died, Malika felt the pressure of the fight ease up. She took a moment to collect herself and breathe. One of Ali¡¯s shamans lay collapsed on the ground beside the corpses of the two enemy rogues. The ones Malika had been supposed to take care of ¨C at least according to their carefully laid plans which hadn¡¯t survived past two seconds into the fight. The remaining shaman had already re-engaged, now attacking the Piercer Scorpion.


    Malika checked on Mato first, but his health seemed fine even tanking the Piercer Scorpion. His fighting style had changed dramatically. Malika studied it for a few moments, deciding he seemed vastly more confident in himself compared to the last fight. Good combat perception skills had that reputation, she knew, after all, it was what her Ahn Khen bloodline was renowned for.


    The Bear seemed to be moving with uncanny precision and efficiency now. Blindingly fast spear strikes that should have impaled him were blocked, leaving shallow gashes instead of debilitating injuries. Even the deadly tail strike that had nearly killed him while fighting the first scorpion now merely broke bones or left bloody gashes rapidly healing under the power of his restoration skill.


    She settled in for the long battle of attrition against the giant bone monster, finally stepping back and watching it explode as Ali finished it off with her favorite strategy ¨C filling its armor with fireballs. The soft sound of her notification chimed in the back of her mind.


    Malika was quite low on stamina and breathing heavily after the fight. A couple of emergency heals, and a lot of frantic damage to try to kill the healer and the mage had really taken their toll on her resources. She walked across the now quiet battlefield and into the darkness where the golden Kobold healer had fallen. Grabbing the corpse by an ankle, she dragged it over to where the others sat recovering from the long, hard-fought battle. She dumped the corpse in front of Ali, earning a wide-eyed look of puzzled worry from her tiny friend.


    ¡°This thing was a real pain,¡± Malika explained. ¡°You need to learn how to make them.¡±


    Aliandra nodded, and chirped, ¡°By which logic, I should make a few more of you?¡± Malika gaped at the unexpected, hilarious snipe. Her expression made Ali turn pink. ¡°I¡¯ll just get busy over here, shall I?¡± she muttered.


    ¡°You do that.¡±


    Malika sat down with a sigh and began her Meditation. It would take quite a while to regenerate all the stamina and mana she had burned during the fight.  As she relaxed, she took the opportunity to review the results from a day¡¯s worth of combat.


    Ali had unlocked the next class skill slot at twenty, and the Guildmaster had confirmed that was the usual progression.


    Solid progress all around, Malika decided, particularly chuffed that Divine Step had leveled twice. She had used it a lot during this battle ¨C she had needed to, because the amount of damage their enemies had been throwing about was no joke. She spent seven points each boosting her dexterity and endurance, and then the remaining six on wisdom.


    Aliandra


    Ali sat on an uncomfortably lumpy rock, nursing a pounding headache, wishing she could have a bath. Her well-crafted Tailored Cotton Clothing clung to her skin, drenched in her sweat, with a big splash of crimson blood across the left sleeve ¨C thankfully not hers. Everything stank of smokey flame and ozone. It was no wonder the Kobolds¡¯ Tattered Robes always stank ¨C they tossed fire about like nobody¡¯s business.


    The concentration and focus of constantly reacting to the Bone Mages with barriers for most of the fight had taken a toll on her. It had demanded so much of her attention that she hadn¡¯t even noticed that none of the enemies were dying until Malika had shouted her warning about the healer. Not exactly keeping an overview of the battle, there.


    She gazed down at the corpse of the yellow-scaled Kobold lying on the ground in front of her, the possessor of a Holy magic affinity.  Malika had been frustrated, but she was right. The healer had been by far the most dangerous Kobold in that group, and it would be incredibly powerful if she could learn to make it. Knowing Malika, though, she was probably most frustrated that she hadn¡¯t figured out the healer quicker.


    She reached down and placed her hand on the Kobold¡¯s scales, now soft and supple after the bone armor effect was removed. She turned it into motes of mana with her magic.  She picked up the bone bracelet and robes the Acolyte had been wearing and examined them.


    Acolyte¡¯s Bone Bracelet ¨C level 14


    +5% spell power to Healing skills.


    +8 Wisdom.


    Requirements: Wisdom 49.


    Hands ¨C Charm


    Simple Robes of Healing ¨C level 15


    Resistance: 105


    +7% spell power to Healing skills.


    +17 Intelligence.


    Requirements: Intelligence 53.


    Body ¨C Cloth


    The Bone Bracelet was just like the fire one she had given to one of her mages. Its smooth surface was marred only by the runic magic inscribed upon it. Ali examined the enchantment. Using her Runic Script, she studied how the magical runes combined to create the healing enchantment ¨C but it immediately became clear that it would be a matter of more than just a few minutes to understand. The Simple Robes were not as good as what Ali was already wearing, however, the enchantment might be useful if she ever learned to make the Acolyte.


    The Kobolds inside the library seemed to be yet another step up in gear quality.


    Ali got up and walked over to where Malika was sorting various items the other Kobolds had dropped. ¡°Can you use this?¡± She handed Malika the Acolyte¡¯s Bone Bracelet.


    Malika took it, turning it over a few times before putting it down beside two other similar-looking bracelets. ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s too small for me. But perhaps we can keep it for later?¡± Malika pointed to the other two on the ground, ¡°These are the same, only the enchantment is for bone magic.¡±


    Ali nodded and began her task of deconstructing the remaining corpses. Her Grimoire flickered and pulsed with energy and runes as she worked her way through the Kobolds. The level twenty-four Kobold rogue was a particularly welcome addition, hopefully allowing her to make even higher-level rogues. she reminded herself.


    Ali deconstructed the second huge Piercer Scorpion.


    ¡°Do you think you can learn to make those?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°I sure hope so,¡± Ali answered. The Piercer Scorpions were so devastating, that Ali felt they could certainly replace creatures like Bugbears in her repertoire. ¡°I¡¯d have to level up a bit first, though.¡± More than that, they would need to defeat at least a dozen more.


    ¡°You can ride one into battle,¡± Mato grinned.


    Ali dutifully chuckled. No, she would not. She¡¯d much rather keep out of the line of fire.


    ¡°Are these similar enough to learn?¡± Malika handed her three Simple Robes. The two gray ones had enchantments boosting the wearer¡¯s bone magic spell power but were otherwise the same as the Acolyte¡¯s white Simple Robes of Healing.


    ¡°I think so,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Ok, worth a try,¡± Malika said.


    Ali deconstructed the three robes, delighted to see her Grimoire react.


    Malika smiled at the obvious light show. Clearly, she had gotten used to how Ali¡¯s magic worked. ¡°Do these next,¡± she said, handing Ali a set of four bone daggers, presumably looted from the rogue corpses.


    Each dagger was honed to a fine edge, so sharp and polished that it gleamed. With the same technique as the bracelets, the polished bone blades were delicately inscribed with magical runes down the center of the blade.


    Deadly Bone Dagger ¨C level 20


    Damage: Piercing, Physical


    +11% increased critical strike chance.


    Requirements: 70 Dexterity


    One Handed ¨C Dagger ¨C Bone


    Ali quickly deconstructed all four of them, getting the expected update to her imprint after she deconstructed the third.


    Unfortunately, her level twelve and fourteen rogues would not be able to take advantage of her newest dagger imprint.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have enough space anymore; can you carry these until we either get more or decide to sell them?¡± She handed Ali two sets of leather armor with bone splints sewn in to reinforce them, and the three bone bracelets. Ali nodded to Malika, storing the items in her ring.


    ¡°Ok, what now?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°My mana is nearly recovered,¡± Calen answered, getting to his feet and hefting his bow. ¡°I¡¯ll go look for more monsters.¡±


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


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    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 58: That Which Lurks Below

    Chapter 58: That Which Lurks Below


    , by Lyeneru Silverleaf, Elven Pathfinders Guild.


    Aliandra


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± Calen said.


    Ali watched his back as Calen sprinted off into the darkness, his feet flying silently across the bone-encrusted ground. ¡°How does he do that?¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡± Mato asked, glancing at her quizzically.


    ¡°Go off to scout out monsters by himself in a dungeon¡­¡± Ali shivered. As if the dungeon part wasn¡¯t enough, it was pitch dark too.


    ¡°He¡¯s brave, that¡¯s for certain,¡± Malika said, nodding approvingly.


    Ali shook her head and distracted herself by summoning her Grimoire. She paged through the book as it hung floating gently in the air beside her. She found the Goblinoid chapter and began summoning monsters. She had to roll the dice quite a few times, unsummoning worthless Goblins, before she finally got a replacement for her Storm Shaman ¨C the one that had perished in the last battle. By the time she had him outfitted with the gear Malika had salvaged, Calen returned, emerging from behind a particularly large mound of protruding bones, running at a leisurely pace.


    ¡°There¡¯s only one more group on this level,¡± he said, barely even out of breath. ¡°Two warriors, one rogue, two mages, and another Acolyte. No scorpion this time.¡±


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m ready.¡± Ali got to her feet and mobilized her minions as she and the others followed Calen. He headed across the desolate ruined waste of what had once been the greatest library of magic and knowledge the world had ever known. Now covered in bone spit and filled with monsters. Her foot came down with a loud crunching noise as she stepped on something that wriggled. She grimaced in disgust.


    While they were making great progress liberating it from the Kobolds and bone elementals, she was still deeply saddened to see the sorry state the library had been reduced to. In her memories, it had been so magnificent.  She couldn¡¯t imagine that any of the books had survived the bone dungeon¡¯s occupancy, the worms, and the relentless march of so much time.


    She shivered, creeped out by the small movements in the near-total darkness, and the ceaseless crunching noises of the bone worms feeding.


    ¡°Their camp is just up ahead.¡±


    Even as quietly as he said it, Calen¡¯s voice still made her jump. As they rounded a wall holding back a huge pile of loose bones, she saw the dim flickering glow of what looked like a Kobold campfire. Several figures were clustered around it, hunkered down among what looked like piles of trash.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go over to that wall, they laid some traps there,¡± Calen continued, pointing out the almost invisible tripwires among the debris.


    Ali could barely see anything even after he pointed directly at them.


    ¡°Mato on the warriors?¡± Malika asked, her voice pitched low to avoid alerting the monsters.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to get the rogue, too,¡± he responded. ¡°The warrior on the left with the two swords is a Bloodletter. The last time I fought one of those it hit everyone around it with every strike, and had a nasty bleed skill, so perhaps keep your rogues on the mages instead?¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali answered. ¡°How can you even see them?¡±


    ¡°My new skill passively boosts all my senses,¡± Mato answered.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see anything,¡± Malika groused.


    Like Malika, Ali couldn¡¯t make out the Kobolds with her eyes ¨C but her mana sight was good for one thing: she could clearly identify the presence of an Acolyte by the softly shimmering radiant light of its holy affinity mana. It was only her second time seeing the remarkable purity of the yellow-white glow, but it was distinctive and unmistakable.


    ¡°I can leave a Mote of Light here,¡± Calen offered.


    Malika nodded appreciatively.


    ¡°Mato, do you want one of my shamans to help break the bone armor?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Yes, that, or just give me a Lightning Nova totem to work with,¡± he said.


    ¡°Everyone else, kill the healer first,¡± Calen said.


    With their plan set, Mato initiated the battle with the simple expedient of charging through the middle of their campfire, roaring fit to wake the dead. All the kobolds sprang to their feet, screeching and drawing weapons as the entire camp burst into a chaos of frenzied movement.


    ¡°Everyone, attack the Acolyte, and you help Mato,¡± Ali commanded, unleashing her minions upon the Kobold camp in a rush. One Storm Shaman broke off, chasing after Mato with her shield already trailing sparks and her short mace crackling in the air.


    ¡°As you wish, Ancient Mistress,¡± one of her Fire Mages said, his voice hoarse and raspy. Her mages unleashed their volley of Firebolts, lighting the remains of the Kobold camp with a ruddy glow.


    Ali thought, watching how her sprinting minions and friends had to jump over piles of bone and trash as they launched themselves into the fray.


    Mato backed away from the fading campfire, drawing all the melee enemies with him, leaving only the mages and the Acolyte for Ali to worry about. She eyed the Bone Mages warily, knowing full well what they were capable of. Bone spears launched from their clawed hands and Ali responded by summoning her barriers to block them.


    ¡°¡± Ali commanded. The Goblin shaman, gleaming in his bright chainmail shirt, flung something invisible and a steel totem appeared amid the Bone Mages with a soft clink. The steel pole flared with lightning mana, and a Lightning Nova burst forth from it, pulsing outward in a large sphere of crackling brilliant sparks. Ali had the satisfaction of watching the spasming Kobold Bone Mages scrambling over themselves to flee.


    Malika charged around the Bone Mages, darting across the litter-strewn camp, aiming for the Acolyte, but a surge of bone burst from the ground, capturing her in the Bone Prison spell. Ali¡¯s cheeks warmed at some of the nasty words Malika yelled.


    Ali thought as both Bone Mages shifted their aim, firing their conjured spears at the prison with the intent of skewering Malika while she was trapped. Ali summoned a large barrier to protect her friend, replacing it every time the spears shattered her magic.


    ¡°Rogues in three¡­¡± Ali said, her eyes drawn to the Acolyte at the far end of the clear space the Kobolds had used as a camp.


    ¡°Good,¡± Calen said, nodding as he drew back his bowstring.


    Ali¡¯s Storm Shaman hurdled a trash heap, bringing his mace down with a crushing blow on the Acolyte¡¯s shoulder, but the white-robed Kobold simply healed herself. The shadows behind the Kobold shifted and gleaming daggers stabbed down into the Acolyte¡¯s back, staining her pristine robe with crimson blood. An intense surge of white holy-affinity mana shone out from the Kobold, lingering as it suffused her body and the stab wounds rapidly closed.


    ¡°Firebolts,¡± Ali commanded, directing her Fire Mages to join her and Calen in raining death down on the distant healer. While its powerful healing magic could withstand an incredible amount of damage, it was helpless against their combined onslaught, and before Malika was able to free herself, Ali¡¯s chime sounded in the back of her mind and the Acolyte crumpled to the ground.


    A huge bone wall appeared with a grinding scraping sound that got under her skin, separating the Bone Mages from the conflict but, without Ali even calling for it, her shaman blasted a giant hole in the wall with a quick discharge of Lightning Bolt. Lethal bone fragments sprayed into the air, raining down over the entire battle.


    Freed, finally, Malika darted through the hole, and Ali brought the full might of her ranged offensive firepower down on the two cowering mages. Relying entirely on her mana sight, Ali focused on identifying the bone spear magic from the way the mana moved and flowed, trying to learn how to predict where the spear would appear and fire. She got most of them unless the mages fired simultaneously, and in that case, Malika was on hand to heal any damage.


    Once her rogues arrived to back Malika up, the two Bone Mages died quickly. Without any spears left to block, Ali simply hung back at range helping to pick off the remaining melee Kobolds one at a time with her Arcane Bolts.


    ¡°That was a lot easier,¡± Ali said after the final Kobold warrior succumbed to a barrage of Firebolts.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing what a bit of good strategy can do,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°I hate that Bone Prison,¡± Malika grumbled.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t seem to slow you guys down,¡± Mato said. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Well, there were no surprises this time,¡± Calen said. ¡°That¡¯s critical.¡±


    ¡°And no scorpion,¡± Ali added.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s everything on this level. Should we go up or down?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Down,¡± Ali answered, bending over to begin the gory task of deconstructing the various corpses and unwanted gear. ¡°The library has three major floors, aligned with the city levels. We¡¯re on the top level. There are about thirty meters between each level. Uh¡­ that¡¯s about a hundred of your foots.¡±


    ¡°Feet,¡± Malika suggested.


    ¡°Definitely not my feet.¡± It would take her quite a while to get used to their measurement system. ¡°Anyway, the upward staircase leads to the surface. Although, I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s up there now.¡± It had been sheer luck that the collapse of the mountain hadn¡¯t buried the shrine, and herself. Chances were that if they went up to the top, they would find everything buried in half a mountain¡¯s worth of rock.


    She quickly finished up with her deconstruction work, finally adding the warriors¡¯ weapons and shield, and the rogues¡¯ bone-studded leather armor to her Grimoire.


    With the top floor now cleared, Ali approached the landing on the edge of the atrium. The atrium had been a vast open space in the center of the library, extending from the bottom three levels below, all the way to the roof far above. When she had last been here, the whole space had been filled with soft floating orbs of light, offering a soft, clear illumination for reading. By that light, she had once beheld the countless books tightly packed into the soaring shelves lining the outer walls of the library, stretching away to the distant ceiling and the distant floor below.


    Now, however, only pitch darkness waited below, shot through with dense clouds and tendrils of bone mana that twisted and churned slowly, while stalactites of bone dripped from the remnants of the railings around the atrium and the encrusted stairs.


    Sections of the atrium were bordered by blocky granite walls, but the railing that had once guarded the rest of it was mostly corroded away or left in twisted ruins. Tracing the outer rim of the atrium was the long spiral stone staircase.


    Ali gulped. Without the railing, and with bone spit solidified on the stairs, they looked treacherous.


    ¡°I feel like something is down there,¡± Calen said quietly from beside her.


    ¡°Like what?¡± Ali whispered. Her eyes weren¡¯t nearly as good as his.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said, squinting as he peered over the edge. ¡°We should take care, that¡¯s all.¡±


    With his ominous thought twisting in her mind, Ali began the descent, stepping carefully on the uneven encrusted stairs, trying to make as little noise as possible. The stairs circled the atrium before they finally reached the landing on the second level, thirty meters below. The tension of being exposed in the darkness, trying to avoid attracting any attention from the imagined monster below weighed heavily on her mind, leaving her anxious and frazzled by the time she stepped off the stairwell and onto the level itself.


    ¡°New group up ahead,¡± Calen¡¯s whisper made her jump. Fortunately, she hadn¡¯t made any noise giving them away to the group of enemies. ¡°Two piercers, two mages, warrior, rogue, and archer.¡± Calen continued as if he hadn¡¯t noticed her startled reaction to his voice.


    ¡°I can take two scorpions,¡± Mato answered the unasked question immediately.


    ¡°You sure?¡± Malika wore a dubious but challenging look on her face as if she wanted to call him out for unwarranted bravado but wasn¡¯t quite sure if he was serious.


    ¡°Yes, my new Survival Instinct makes a huge difference. I can block or avoid most of the biggest hits now.¡±


    Mato¡¯s calm response must have satisfied Malika because she simply nodded and said, ¡°I can try to hold the warrior and rogue, while you guys take the mages and the archer?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we should leave that archer alone, can we put a melee attacker on him? Archers are weak at melee range, but I think we¡¯ll regret leaving it to roam free.¡± Calen was looking at Ali as he spoke.


    ¡°I can put one of my shamans on him,¡± Ali answered. ¡°Would that work? The other one can help Malika with the rogue and warrior.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good. Mato?¡±


    ¡°Ok, going,¡± Mato said, transforming into his Bear Form. He charged at the group, roaring to draw attention as he barreled right into the two Piercer Scorpions, his fangs bared and his paws swinging.


    Calen fired two arrows in quick succession, drawing the warrior and rogue Kobolds out of the group, right into Malika¡¯s path.


    Ali picked a Bone Mage out of the chaos and unleashed her Arcane Bolts at it. ¡°¡± she commanded, sending her intent to all her minions. As the Firebolts pierced the darkness like tiny flaming meteors, she directed her shamans with more precision, choosing specific locations for their totems as she began to force the two Bone Mages out into the open, preventing them from acting as they tried desperately to flee the Lightning Novas.


    Ali tried to ignore the ground-shaking strikes the Piercer Scorpions were unleashing at Mato by the atrium wall.


    ¡°Healer!¡± Calen shouted.


    Ali¡¯s eyes shot up and she found one of Calen¡¯s Motes of Light flying across the battlefield. It hovered above the soft yellow Kobold Acolyte. His eyes glowed with his holy affinity mana as he wielded his healing magic.


    ¡°¡± Ali commanded, redirecting her minions. Pushing herself to the limit, in the interest of speeding up the combat, she fired her Arcane Bolts at the healer, while simultaneously keeping up her barriers to block the Bone Spear attacks.


    She had never pushed her concentration so hard, managing two barriers, her Arcane Bolt target, checking her minions, and anticipating the Bone Spears with her mana sight. Ali¡¯s head throbbed with the intensity of her efforts. She gasped in pain as an unseen arrow impaled her through her thigh. She stumbled, dropping her Arcane Bolt target from the shock, but she still managed to intercept a Bone Spear aimed at Malika. On the far side of the battlefield, her shaman shattered the spines of its Bone Prison with her mace and charged the archer again.


    Ali winced as she sat sprawled on the ground, unable to stand on her injured leg. She blocked another bone spear, unable to bring enough focus to bear to restart her Arcane Bolts. The soft chime sound told her it wasn¡¯t necessary as the Kobold Acolyte keeled over with a glowing arrow embedded in his neck. Quickly, she redirected her mages and rogues to the enemy bone casters. She was still bleeding, but she could cast her magic provided she didn¡¯t move her leg. Anxiously, she checked her health but, to her relief, found she was still well above half.


    Ali clenched her teeth and concentrated. It took a minute to kill both mages, but with the pain, it felt so much longer. As soon as the mages died, Ali suddenly had a lot less to focus on.


    ¡°Scorpions next,¡± Calen said. Ali assumed he had changed the order because Mato tanking the two of them would be much more stressful on his mana. Ali didn¡¯t question it, if they were coordinating their efforts, they would succeed.


    Ali glanced at the archer in the distance, but without the bone prison meddling, her shaman seemed to be doing fine. she thought, deciding to send her rogues to help Malika as they wouldn¡¯t be a whole lot of use against the scorpions. For the rest, Firebolts, Lightning Bolts, and Arcane Bolts rained down upon the scorpion Calen had picked. The mana-efficient Firebolt spells supplied a steady stream of damage, sending chips and shards of bone armor flying and filling the air with smoke ¨C maybe not the most impressive, but they did the job.


    Ali kept a close eye on the plates of bone armor and, as soon as a large enough crack appeared, she switched her Fire Mages to using their Fireball spells. Landing in quick succession, the Fireballs lodged inside the armor and detonated, ripping the bone elemental to shreds. This strategy took a long time, but it sure was reliable. And, for some reason she couldn¡¯t fathom, blowing up the highly resilient and dangerous bone creatures was immensely satisfying. She repeated the process on the second Piercer Scorpion.


    Halfway through her barrage, Malika appeared beside her.


    ¡°Hold still, Ali,¡± Malika said, crouching beside her and gripping the arrow firmly. With a sudden wrench, she snapped off the head.


    Ali hissed in pain as Malika swiftly pulled the arrow out with a sudden spurt of her amber blood, but the burning rush of her healing magic followed instantly, banishing the bleeding puncture. Feeling quite a bit better now that the pain was subsiding, Ali finally stood back up. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said, as she directed her Kobolds to switch to Fireballs and deconstructed the nearby corpse of a Kobold Bone Mage to recover some mana.


    ¡°The archer is running!¡± Calen yelled, urgency filling his voice.


    Ali snapped her head around to see the Kobold sprinting for the stairwell and her Storm Shaman stuck in some kind of trap. Clearly, the archer had a skill for movement because it was almost flying across the bone-encrusted floor. Ali unleashed her Arcane Bolts at it at the same time that Calen fired arrow after arrow at its fleeing back. Malika sprinted after it, her magic working to help her close the distance. However, it was just a little too far ahead and it reached the spiral staircase with a loud screech and fired an arrow down into the darkness.


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± Calen said, speaking for them all.


    For just a moment, palpable silence filled the atrium as if everything were holding its breath. Then a deep hiss thrummed through the air, a tangible vibration that plucked Ali¡¯s body like a bass string, settling deep into her bones. Dark mana erupted in the depths of the atrium, swelling upward from the bottom of the well, clearly visible through the intervening stone floors. A roar surged, carried up by the swelling mana, a wall of sound and rushing air that bore the decrepit dry odor of a crypt. The library shook, dislodging skitterers and bone worms by the thousands, knocking them to the ground with the patter of wriggling rain and sending them scurrying away into dark nooks and crannies. The treacherous Kobold archer fell to his knees and pressed his face to the ground, trembling visibly.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Malika whispered.


    Beyond the twisted and corroded railing of the spiral staircase, something vast rose, borne upon slowly undulating skeletal wings that billowed and crackled with dark mana. The massive ribcage expanded slowly and then contracted ¨C a parody of life ¨C as if an empty cage of age-darkened bones had any need to breathe. Two legs were held tucked under the broad skeletal body, tipped with immense claws. Along the exposed vertebrae of the spine, the monster bore heavy armored bone plates and ridges extending all the way along the tail till it vanished in the darkness.


    An elongated, bony gray-white skull turned to face them, baring dozens of fangs each as long as Ali¡¯s arms. Purple orbs of mana kindled, as if empty bone eye sockets could be opened to glare at her. As it fixed her with its unsettling gaze, the enormous jaws gaped wide, and an ear-shattering roar split the air.


    ¡°Dungeon boss! Take cover!¡± Calen shouted.


    Dark gray mana coalesced into a dense ball in the depths of the Skeletal Wyvern¡¯s gaping maw. Ali¡¯s eyes widened fractionally in recognition, and she threw up the strongest barrier she could muster. With a sudden whistle and splintering crash, a gigantic bone spear struck her barrier, exploding into a deadly shower of shards and slivers of golden magic that knocked Ali to the ground. A sharp splinter of bone impaled itself through her arm, and another ripped a gash across her ribs.


    Ali winced, gasping as she scrambled to sit up. If she hadn¡¯t recognized the spell as a vastly more powerful version of the Bone Spears the Kobold Bone Mages had been using, she would no doubt have been impaled upon the wyvern¡¯s spear.


    ¡°Ali, are you ok?¡± Malika asked, helping Ali back to her feet, and pulsing healing through her body with a burst of rushing power that closed her wounds so fast, she felt the skin pulling painfully.


    Ali nodded, but her eyes were fixed on the skeletal horror hovering there, suspended above the atrium. Her mind rebelled at the sheer malevolent power she had just witnessed.


    Mato charged at the giant skeletal monster, but it remained aloft, far out of his reach. It simply launched another Bone Spear at him, forcing him to dodge back.


    ¡°Shoot,¡± Ali finally managed, instructing her minions to engage.


    The darkness began to flicker and flash with the red of fire and the incandescent white of lightning. Sizzling and deafening thunderclaps rang out, echoing from the walls behind them. With a trembling hand, Ali launched a volley of Arcane Bolts, but as soon as they struck, the giant skeletal gaze turned her way. Mana of midnight-black surged again, and on the ground beside her, a large circle of dark runes appeared.


    While the color was wrong, the circle looked exactly like the magic of her Grimoire when she summoned her minions.


    The sudden chill of premonition blossomed within her mind. Ali grabbed Malika¡¯s hand and backed away from the pulsing runic circle.


    ¡°What¡­¡± Malika began, but the circle flashed once and suddenly a Piercer Scorpion stood where it had been, gleaming white in the flickering light of the magical barrage.


    It stood still for a second, far larger from up close than Ali had ever imagined, and then it twitched. Ali fled. The ground shook as the huge elemental gave chase. She summoned a barrier blindly behind her and felt the creature slam into it, striking once or twice before shattering it.


    Malika stepped right into its path with a high kick to its maw and a quick dodge to avoid the shattering tail strike. In her panicked flight from the summoned Piercer Scorpion, Ali had forgotten to pay attention to the flying wyvern. She glanced up just in time to see a giant spear of bone impaling one of her shamans, pinning him to the ground. Another surge of mana preceded a second runic circle appearing in front of her. Operating on pure instinct, Ali dodged to the side and sprinted away from it as a Piercer Scorpion materialized within the ring of magic. The white glow of Calen¡¯s arrow slammed into it drawing it away to where Mato waited. Ali breathed for the first time since the flying monster had appeared.


    Ali¡¯s mind finally caught up to her actions. Quickly, she summoned a barrier to protect Malika from the wyvern¡¯s bone spear. Both the spear and barrier shattered from the impact, again sending golden shards of magic and deadly slivers of bone flying in all directions.


    It sounded faint over the roaring and the deafening claps of thunder, but when she focused, Ali was sure she heard the familiar chirping and yipping of Kobolds in the distance. It took a moment for her to realize it was not  Kobolds that were calling. With growing horror, she looked toward the landing and, out there in the darkness upon the spiral stairs, she saw dozens of reptilian forms sprinting upward.


    ¡°Kobolds on the stairs!¡± Ali yelled, not entirely sure what her friends would be able to do even if they knew. A third runic circle appeared on the ground and another Piercer Scorpion materialized.


    Ali¡¯s mind balked at the chaos.


    Suddenly, she sensed a dramatic shift in the mana. Up in the air, the wyvern¡¯s fanged maw was opened wide. Thick tendrils and ropy cables of mana spiraled into its maw, drawn inward as if the monster were inhaling power from the dungeon itself. For several seconds the mana gathered, swirling like a black and gray fireball, coalescing and compressing into a ball that pulsed like a malevolent thunderhead poised in that instant before a storm broke.


    The Skeletal Wyvern turned its head and unleashed its magic.


    Like a dam bursting, it unleashed a deluge of bone spears ¨C a dense, unrelenting spray hammering downward in a cone. The monster slowly turned its head, sweeping death across the battlefield as the hail of bone spears pounded the foundations of the library, obliterating friend or foe with equal prejudice, shattering stone and pulverizing bone in an unbelievable roar of deafening power.


    ¡°Run!¡±


    Somehow Ali heard the shout above the mind-shattering noise, and she felt herself suddenly scooped up. She glanced sideways to see Calen, his face set in a mask of grim determination as he sprinted away, carrying her. Beyond him, she could see the onslaught of hailing bone spears blasting her mages away, leaving little more than red stains in its wake.


    Up ahead, Mato and Malika struggled with four Piercer Scorpions. Both bled profusely as they backed away from the oncoming tide of destruction spewing forth from overhead.


    ¡°Everyone, teleport out!¡± Calen shouted as he ducked behind a wall just as the onslaught of bone caught up to them. The noise of the bone spears shattering on the wall right beside her was deafening, driving everything from her mind.


    A black puff of smoke caught her attention, and within it, Malika vanished. The scorpions attacking her sliced through the empty smoke, momentarily confused.


    Ali retrieved her recall potion, and she was about to dash it upon the ground at her feet when she paused. ¡°What about Mato?¡± she asked, holding her potion indecisively. ¡°He can¡¯t shift back to use it; he¡¯ll die!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got him,¡± Calen answered, his lips pulled into a firm line. Putting her down behind the atrium wall, he summoned two recall potions and lobbed one with a swift underhand throw out into the battle. Ali watched it sail, flipping end over end across the open space in a high arc to shatter upon Mato¡¯s back. The black smoke cloud erupted, and he vanished.


    Immediately, all four Piercer Scorpions turned to charge toward her and Calen.


    ¡°Go!¡± he yelled, and she could hear the panic making his voice crack.


    Quickly, she broke her potion on the ground and vanished, appearing in the familiar teleport room in the center of the rune circle once again. A half-second later, Calen appeared too.


    ¡°Holy shit, what the fuck was that?¡± Mato said, collapsing to the ground with a big grunt.


    Calen whispered, ¡°That was too much for us.¡±


    Ali sagged with relief.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 59: A Chat with Vivian Ross

    Chapter 59: A Chat with Vivian RossAliandra ¡°Ugh,¡± Ali said, throwing herself onto the couch in front of the hearth in the guild hall.


    ¡°You alright?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°Just frustrated.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go see if they have any food left,¡± Mato said, petting his belly with a weary grin. ¡°Want me to get you something?¡±


    ¡°Maybe some fruit, if they have any?¡± Ali said.


    Mato nodded and walked off to the bar area in search of snacks.


    Ali might have harrumphed. Maybe even aloud. Fortunately, nobody seemed to be near enough to hear her. She had spent the entire walk across town from the Novaspark Academy replaying the events of the library in her mind. Over and over. The terrifying roar, and surge of mana. The image of her Goblin shaman killed in an instant, impaled through the heart as if his chainmail shirt were no more than gauze. She recalled the wyvern¡¯s terrifying fanged maw opening to rain an endless torrent of bone spears down upon them while held aloft by the potent magic in its skeletal wings. And if that weren¡¯t enough, there had been the panic and chaos of the continuously spawning Piercer Scorpions.


    The problem was, she had no idea what she could have done differently. It was sobering to think how they had just been gnats blown before a storm.


    The guild hall seemed quiet at this time of night and Ali was surprised that anyone was still here ¨C but Malika was off talking to Weldin Thriftpenny and Mieriel sat at her desk, apparently busy with some administration work. Even the Guildmaster was here, sitting by herself in a room off to the side.


    Ali sighed and pulled up her notifications in an effort to distract herself.


    Page after page of golden script riffled past, surprising Ali with just how many monsters they had slain during the long day. Most of them had been at her level or higher.


    Ali assigned ten points to wisdom for more minions and mana, six points to intelligence, and four to vitality, and then pulled up the rest of the notifications.


    Her progress was stellar, but unfortunately, it couldn¡¯t keep her distracted for long. When Malika finally returned to sit by her, the quiet mood stretched on for several moments before Ali finally gave in to her frustration.


    ¡°I hate running! We were doing so well, and then that stupid monster had to show up and wreck everything. What¡¯s an undead wyvern doing down there anyway? And that crazy summoning in combat ¨C why can it do that, and I can¡¯t? And what about those ridiculous bone spears that never end? How are we supposed to even fight something like that?¡± Ali petered out, breathing a little harder from her rant.


    ¡°Running is better than dying,¡± Malika pointed out soberly. ¡°If we hadn¡¯t run right then, I would have died. Tanking those Piercer Scorpions is no joke. There were many times I was one stray bone spear or one unlucky dodge away from death.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m just frustrated,¡± Ali said, immediately feeling selfish. But Malika¡¯s honest admission surprisingly made her feel better, too. It was nice to know that the others also thought it had been overwhelming.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem, I don¡¯t like being forced to run either,¡± Malika said. ¡°Also, it¡¯s damn expensive.¡±


    ¡°Still, that wyvern was ridiculous.¡± Ali still felt her frustration at the unfairness of the monster. ¡°It¡¯s totally insane. Impossible.¡± She sighed. ¡°And I was really hoping we would be able to clear the library.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible, we just need a good plan, and then we¡¯ll defeat him easily,¡± Mato said, strolling up with a leisurely gait and an armful of apples which he began doling out.


    Malika¡¯s eyebrows nearly twitched off her face.


    ¡°How are we supposed to do that?¡± Ali asked, selecting a shiny red one. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± he responded with a grin. ¡°But I¡¯m sure you guys will come up with something great.¡±


    Ali stared at him, exasperated by his unreasonable cheerfulness. ¡°Your confidence is not helping, were we even in the same fight?¡± She bit her apple with perhaps a little more force than was strictly required. Juice splashed on her chin and dripped down onto her shirt.


    ¡°Don¡¯t glare at me like that,¡± Mato grinned, ¡°Or I¡¯ll learn to shapeshift into a wyvern. Hey Calen, stop being so quiet. You already have some ideas, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing that will make a difference,¡± Calen answered, sounding rather dejected. ¡°It was a raid-level boss. We¡¯d probably need a bunch of higher-level adventurers, more specialized skills, you know what I mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, that explains it,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Explains what? What does that mean?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a standardized threat assessment for monsters,¡± Calen explained. ¡°Here, this is what I got from Explorer when I Identified it.¡±


    A notification chimed and Ali saw Calen¡¯s text unfolding in brilliant white light in her mind.


    ¡°Remember how I explained that a boss is a creature that is somehow enhanced by the dungeon¡¯s mana to significantly boost its power, and sometimes size, over and above a normal monster of its kind?¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Yes, I remember,¡± Ali answered. ¡°You said it takes a group of people to kill them.¡± Ali recalled it well because the discussion had happened when they had encountered Armand¡¯s skeleton. ¡°We¡¯re a group and we¡¯re usually not too awful.¡±


    ¡°Raid bosses are a step up from regular bosses,¡± Calen continued. ¡°Bosses that are strong enough to require two or more groups to overcome. Depending on the dungeon and the relative levels, it can be recommended to bring up to five groups of adventurers, sometimes even more.¡±


    Malika nodded. ¡°Right. High risk, high reward.¡±


    ¡°So, what can we do?¡± Ali asked. It made sense, given what they had experienced ¨C the enormous surge of mana that had accompanied the monster¡¯s ascent and the powerful nature of some of the abilities it had used. No normal monster could handle such a powerful torrent of mana, but if it was making use of the domain itself¡­ ¡°There¡¯s only four of us, do we need to find some other people?¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you guys had a rough encounter?¡± Vivian said, walking over to join them. ¡°Sorry, I couldn¡¯t help but overhear. I¡¯d be happy to discuss the fight and offer some suggestions if you like. After all, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡±


    Ali exchanged glances with her friends, trying to gauge what they were feeling, but it seemed everyone was just as frustrated as she was after the disastrous fight.


    It was Malika who finally filled the silence. ¡°Sure, I think we need all the help we can get. And maybe another entire party of adventurers.¡±


    ¡°Another group would be ideal, I agree, but unfortunately the guild is still growing. The only member at your level is Serendipity Puddlecrash, and I¡¯m afraid her skills are more suited for other roles.¡± Vivian Ross sat down in a free chair facing them. Her calm and interested expression went a long way to helping Ali release a little of her pent-up anxiety and stress over the fight. ¡°How about you start by telling me what happened and what you know about the monster you¡¯re facing?¡±


    As Malika began to summarize the debacle in the library, Ali glanced down and took a deep breath, her eyes catching the torn, stained fabric of her shirt. Malika¡¯s magic had left her skin clear and unblemished, but there were still rips and tears marring the beautiful gear Lydia had crafted for her. Listening to the voices of her friends, she channeled a little mana, activating Lydia¡¯s signature self-repair enchantment, taking a little joy in seeing a beautiful piece of magic at work as the cloth quickly knit itself back into pristine condition.


    ¡°So, the Kobold ran and added a raid boss? Good job on having an escape plan prepared. Was this your first time fighting a flying monster?¡± Vivian asked.


    ¡°Yes, I couldn¡¯t tank it at all,¡± Mato answered grumpily, miming an air-swoosh that made the others chuckle.


    ¡°I think you guys are going to have a very difficult time with this boss,¡± she said after a moment of thought. ¡°Remember I told you that one of your team¡¯s weaknesses was area damage? Against summoners, area damage is a key strategy.¡± Vivian glanced meaningfully in Ali¡¯s direction. ¡°I¡¯ll join you. We need to get rid of this thing immediately; nothing good will come from leaving an undead dungeon to fester so close to town. It¡¯s too bad, though ¨C you guys will get almost no experience.¡±


    ¡°Because of the level difference?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Ali has Fireballs and Lightning Bolts now,¡± Malika answered.


    Ali¡¯s heart jumped just a little hearing how Malika was sticking up for her and her abilities. It was not a big thing, but after today, having her friends acknowledge her contribution as an important part of their team made her feel warm and happier inside.


    Vivian paused for a moment with a surprised look on her face.


    ¡°I have Fire Mages, with Fireballs,¡± Ali explained. ¡°And I learned those Storm Shamans that came with the Goblin horde. They can shoot Lightning Bolts and have Lightning Nova totems.¡±


    ¡°Well in that case, perhaps you do stand a chance,¡± Vivian said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me what you know about these Piercer Scorpions?¡±


    ¡°They hit really hard,¡± Malika said. ¡°Two spear limbs and a bladed tail strike that can cut right through the bear in one shot.¡±


    ¡°Looks like they have melee haste,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°All physical damage?¡± Vivian asked.


    ¡°They can cast a Bone Spear from the tail, and their blades are reinforced with bone affinity mana. I¡¯m reasonably sure it gives them additional speed and sharpness,¡± Ali answered.


    ¡°They¡¯re level twenty-five to twenty-eight and the boss seems to summon one every thirty to forty-five seconds,¡± Calen added.


    ¡°Well, in that case, I think the key to the fight is going to be controlling the spawned monsters. You probably don¡¯t need to tank the wyvern itself, but controlling the spawned monsters is critical ¨C tends to be better than getting a spear in the back. Normally, I would suggest a couple of tanks placed in a loose circle around the group to pick up any spawns and then blast them down with area damage periodically.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can tank more than one, and even that is risky,¡± Malika admitted.


    ¡°I¡¯ve tanked two at the same time, but I think I can manage three,¡± Mato added, taking a crunching bite from his second apple. ¡°But it¡¯s hard to run around when I¡¯m tanking.¡±


    ¡°What if we collect the spawns and bring them to Mato?¡± Calen asked. ¡°Either me or Malika could do that.¡±


    ¡°Maybe both,¡± Vivian agreed. ¡°When you¡¯re not catching monsters, Calen can shoot the boss, and Malika can heal.¡±


    ¡°Is it a good idea to spend so many people on just the spawns?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°It seems to be the greatest threat, so yes,¡± Vivian confirmed.


    ¡°What about that crazy bone spear thing?¡± Ali asked. She still remembered her mages being impaled and swept away by the onslaught.


    ¡°Can you explain it to me?¡± Vivian asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s actually two abilities,¡± Calen observed. ¡°The Skeletal Wyvern can shoot a high-velocity Bone Spear from its mouth whenever it wants to. But at the end of the fight, it used another attack which was a continuous conical blast of spears that just blew everything away. It lasted almost a minute and was still going when we teleported out.¡±


    Ali raised an eyebrow. Amid the chaos and panic, studying the abilities had been the furthest thing from her mind. It was clear from the mana manifestation that the two abilities were dramatically different, but Calen did not possess mana sight and yet he had not only noticed, but he had also figured out timings and rates for the abilities already. She glanced at the shy Half-elf, impressed once again with the quality and precision of his mind, and his ability to retain focus under extraordinary pressure.


    ¡°Sounds like a bone affinity breath weapon,¡± Vivian observed thoughtfully. ¡°Any mitigations?¡±


    ¡°Line of sight, provided the wall is strong enough,¡± Calen answered. ¡°And that¡¯s saying something. It blew the room to shreds.¡±


    Ali suddenly remembered cowering behind the wall while the relentless torrent of spears rained down on them. The deafening sound of spears shattering against the other side of the wall had been terrifying, but the spears smashing into the wall meant they were not being impaled. It seemed obvious, but both Vivian and Calen reacted like it was a crucial piece of the strategy puzzle.


    ¡°What about the layout? Anything in the environment that is exploitable?¡± Vivian asked.


    ¡°Give me a moment,¡± Calen said, pulling out his notebook and putting it on the table in the middle. He retrieved a heavily chewed pencil and began to sketch rapidly while subtle intricate flickers of mana played out in his eyes, around his head, and trickled down his arm into his hands.


    Ali stared, captivated as she studied the seamless interplay of at least three distinct skills. She knew he had admitted to having Cartography as a general skill, but the other two skills seemed to be related to perception. She reviewed his skills from memory, deducing that it would have to be Eyes of the Archon ¨C his visual perception skill ¨C and Explorer ¨C his spatial and tracking perception skill. However, the interactions indicated some high degree of subtle synergy between all three, enhancing his memory, understanding, and his ability to reproduce it on paper.


    In just a few minutes he was done, and the maps he revealed were exquisitely drawn.


    ¡°This is the top level of the library,¡± he said, laying the first map out. ¡°And this is the second level where we fought the wyvern. This spot right here is where Ali and I hid from the spears,¡± he explained, showing an incomplete circle representing the level they hadn¡¯t finished exploring. ¡°We could fight it here, maybe?¡±


    ¡°I like this spot better,¡± Vivian said, pointing to the landing on the top level. ¡°If you can lure it up here, you should have more room and greater range from the other Kobolds you said joined in.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we clear all the Kobolds before engaging the boss?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea, but I still like this spot better,¡± Vivian answered. ¡°There¡¯s room to put the bear tanking the spawns behind this wall. And if these things you¡¯ve drawn here are solid enough, they should funnel the spawns a little, making it easier to pick them up.¡±


    ¡°Those are ten-foot-tall chunks of solid bone,¡± Calen said, his brow creasing as he studied the layout Vivian indicated.


    Everyone huddled over the maps, pointing and discussing options, and Ali suddenly realized her frustration had vanished. The conversation with the Guildmaster was fascinating ¨C for each of the crazy abilities she had experienced, the Guildmaster made a calm suggestion or asked equally calm questions that made them think of practical ways to avoid or neutralize the ability. It was very similar to working her way through a complex problem, little by little. There was a dizzying amount of detail, much of it she didn¡¯t quite appreciate yet, but she felt she was learning a ton just by listening to what they felt was important.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t know how to predict when to hide,¡± Calen said. ¡°If we get caught in the open, we¡¯re sitting ducks. Not even I could outrun that spray of spears.¡±


    ¡°I can see the attack forming, it¡¯s an enormous ball of bone affinity mana that condenses in his mouth. It¡¯s unmistakable,¡± Ali said. The inhalation of the giant hawsers of domain mana had been obvious. ¡°I could call it out before it happens, like I did for the exploding bugs.¡±


    Everyone immediately nodded and moved on, as if she had solved a critical issue. Ali had to admit it felt good to contribute something that only she could do.


    ¡°I see one other issue, and that¡¯s mana and healing,¡± Vivian said. ¡°Normally, you would need at least two or three healers to a fight like this. It¡¯s likely to take a long time. You guys only have Mato¡¯s self-heal and regeneration aura. Malika will be a part-time healer because she will need to run around and catch spawns.¡±


    ¡°Ali, did you learn those Kobold Acolytes yet?¡± Malika asked, glancing across at her. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°No, I need one more,¡± she said, frowning. The last corpse she needed lay down there in the darkness beside a bone-encrusted wall, conveniently protected from the hail of bone spears. But they had been forced to run before she could reach it.


    ¡°You can learn a healer minion?¡± Vivian asked.


    ¡°I think so,¡± Ali answered. ¡°It was right there in the previous fight; I just didn¡¯t get a chance to deconstruct it.¡±


    ¡°I think that should be your top priority,¡± Vivian said, her gaze suddenly intense. ¡°Not just for this fight. Having extra healers on demand will dramatically improve your group¡¯s overall longevity. Assuming you can learn it, I would bring a couple of those to the fight.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said, nodding.


    ¡°I highly recommend bringing plenty of mana potions, it will be grueling. And get your tank some armor, the less damage he takes, the easier it will be to last through the fight. If your healers run dry, you will die.¡±


    ¡°Armor?¡± Mato asked, perking up from where he had been lying on the couch.


    ¡°Yes, as I recall, one of the blacksmiths used to be able to make shapeshifter armor ¨C but you might struggle to get him to take the job now, I heard he¡¯s no longer crafting.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about Thuli? The Dwarf?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the one,¡± Vivian said. ¡°He was always the best smith in town, by far. I¡¯m not sure exactly what happened to him, but if you can get him to make you a set of armor, you guys will stand a much better chance.¡±


    ¡°Ok, we can try talking to him again,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Ali asked, as she connected two pieces in her mind. ¡°Mato is going to tank all the scorpions, right?¡±


    Everyone nodded.


    ¡°And I¡¯m going to blow them up with Fireballs?¡±


    Everyone nodded again.


    ¡°Won¡¯t I hit him?¡± she asked, looking at Mato.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Vivian answered with a grin. ¡°You will need to practice so that you know how to control the damage and keep it manageable for the healers. But, done correctly, Fireballing your tank is a sound strategy for taking out groups of monsters.¡±


    ¡°What? Seriously?¡±


    The discussion continued for a long time, with Calen and Malika hashing out details, all of which were carefully recorded in Calen¡¯s notebook, while Mato napped on the couch. Several times, Mieriel stopped by with steaming mugs of coffee, dropping them off without interrupting the conversation. Ali listened carefully, trying to follow the convoluted chains of reasoning, logic, and proposed solutions. Their strategy slowly came together on the table in front of her. It was by no means a complete strategy ¨C there were a ton of unknowns. For instance, they had no idea how long the fight would take so there had to be contingency plans for adjusting the composition of Ali¡¯s minion army if it didn¡¯t work well. She didn¡¯t know if she would be able to learn the healer variant, nor whether they could convince Thuli to make armor for Mato. They definitely needed to go shopping for more potions ¨C mana and recall. And, by far the biggest unknown; they had no idea if they had seen all the abilities the Skeletal Wyvern had at its disposal. But by the time they made their weary way back down to camp, Ali¡¯s mood had improved dramatically.


    ***


    After dinner, Ali sat quietly enjoying the company of her friends. It was not just her ¨C everyone seemed to be more energized, discussing possibilities and details, and plans for tomorrow. Ali¡¯s mind was chock-full of a deluge of information and plans, but one thing stood out to her ¨C Vivian Ross¡¯s persistent concern about healing and mana.


    She had cautioned them to expect a long fight, and with so many Piercer Scorpions coming into play, their weakest link was Mato¡¯s life. If the healers couldn¡¯t keep up with the damage or ran out of mana, their entire strategy would unravel ¨C with deadly consequences. So much of their planning revolved around ways to support Mato and ensure that he would be able to survive.


    She was no healer, but their plan hinged on her ability to learn a healer minion, and then use it effectively in combat. But Ali had been the healer once before, and it had involved using her Runic Script ¨C a spell she never used in combat because of the long preparation time.


    she thought. Perhaps it was time to update her restoration magic runic circle?


    ¡°Hey Mato, can I borrow your book for a bit?¡±


    He handed it to her without question, and she paged through it to find the chapter on Restoration magic once again. When she had first studied this magic, she had reasonably restricted herself to the simplest and easiest formation, needing only the most basic healing spells to survive and heal Mato. But now that she had reached a far higher level, some of the intricacies of higher-level magic should be accessible to her.


    she thought, turning the page to the discussion on the theory and connections required to advance the magic, and how to enhance the power and efficiency. She settled down into her Study Trance and began to read, letting everything else fade out of her awareness as her concentration deepened. Her mind became unnaturally clear and focused, and time passed unnoticed in the background. Even the notification chime barely impinged on her awareness.


    Awareness of the campsite slowly returned, and she noticed the fire had died down. Only Malika remained, sitting cross-legged across from her in a pose of meditative alertness. How she had admired Malika¡¯s Meditation skill, and now she had her own. Her mana pool was empty, but her mind was clear with the advanced layout of her new magic clearly understood, floating there, simply waiting for her to use it.


    She got up and stretched her arms and legs quietly, careful not to disturb Malika. She had been sitting for long enough that her muscles prickled uncomfortably as the sensation returned. As soon as she had recovered enough mana, she began to create the runes.


    It took only three tries to get it, after all, it was a more advanced version of a spell she had already mastered.


    The bright-green, glowing runes of the circle contained a noticeable hazy green slowly shifting aura within it. Tiny indistinct leaves appeared now and then before dissolving back into the aura, and the soft scent of pine caressed her nostrils. Ali used her Identify on the circle to make sure.


    Restoration ¨C level 15 (Nature)


    Creates a Restoration aura within the circle.


    Runic Circle


    she thought, noticing that the runic circle had reserved just as much mana as she needed for a level fifteen summoned creature. Hopefully, this magic might act as a limited, but dedicated healer ¨C one which wouldn¡¯t run out of mana.


    As she sat and observed the results of her study, another idea occurred to her. Storing Mato¡¯s book, she traded it for the Arcane Magic book she had purchased from Ryn at The Reading Corner ¨C Fundamentals of Arcane Magic: Theory and Practice. She browsed through the contents looking for anything related to mana and regeneration, eventually finding something that looked promising near the back in a section on foundational utility spells.


    Ali didn¡¯t hold out too much hope, but when she opened the chapter, what she found seemed to be perfect. It was a set of magic spells that seemed to accelerate mana regeneration in various ways.


    She didn¡¯t have much to lose, and she wasn¡¯t particularly ready for bed yet, so she picked one of the spells and settled into her Study Trance for the second time. She didn¡¯t feel like she was in much danger here at their camp, but as her awareness of her surroundings faded away, she was glad Malika was sitting nearby.


    She had no idea how long she studied for, but she was certain it was longer than for the Restoration spell ¨C this new magic was unfamiliar to her, and she had needed to learn it from scratch. But as she came out of her trance, she could tell it was ready. She deconstructed a few left-over pieces of armor and then set to the task of inscribing the arcane runes she had just learned.


    It took several tries before she realized she needed to go back and review some sections she thought she had understood but persistently came out wrong when she replicated them. Then she had to try several more times to get the hang of the underlying connections. She was beginning to grow frustrated when suddenly the runic circle closed, and with a surge, her mana rushed in to fill the golden circle.


    While the runes around the perimeter glowed with her golden arcane mana, the area within was filled with a softly shimmering aura of pretty blue ethereal swirls. It was gorgeous magic, and Ali¡¯s smile grew larger as she studied it with her mana sight.


    Inspiration ¨C level 12 (Arcane)


    Creates an Inspiration aura within the circle.


    Runic Circle


    Again, the runic circle reserved the same amount as if she had summoned a level twelve creature. Without any hesitation, she stepped into the circle, testing the regeneration against her depleted mana pool. she thought, examining her mana regeneration rate.  It was rapidly becoming clear how useful this spell would be as part of her repertoire.


    Suddenly, her notification chimed again, and her mana pool emptied.


    Inspiration ¨C level 1


    Focus: Your mana regeneration is increased by +55% .


    Arcane, Wisdom


    It had taken hours of study to understand the magic, and many attempts to write it with her Runic Script, but she had fully understood it. And somehow Sage of Learning had connected it to something that had led to a skill breakthrough. Ali was elated, with this she had learned a second way to regenerate mana, one that didn¡¯t require her to deconstruct corpses in the middle of a fight.

 Chapter 60: Thuli’s Dream

    Chapter 60: Thuli¡¯s DreamArtur Dragonsworn [The Rule of Law], Human King of Dal¡¯mohra


    Aliandra


    Ali spent the better part of her morning contending with her Grimoire. Summoning minions was vastly better, now that she knew how to unsummon unwanted classes and weaker minions, but for the Skeletal Wyvern fight, she needed only the very best. She sighed as her Grimoire once again produced a level eleven mage. she thought, pursing her lips before she unsummoned him and tried again.


    It went without saying that she wouldn¡¯t be bringing any rogues or warriors ¨C Kobold or Bugbear ¨C to this fight. Melee minions had two strikes against them ¨C the ridiculous regenerating bone armor, and the fact that standing around on the ground with a dagger was rather ineffective against a flying undead dragon. Sure, she could use them against the spawned monsters, but she didn¡¯t have a tank, and she was planning on using area damage anyway.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± she asked, wiping her brow with her sleeve.


    ¡°Lose the archers,¡± Calen said, glancing up from his notebook. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°But, why?¡±


    ¡°The bone armor,¡± Calen said, grimacing. ¡°It is very unfriendly to arrows.¡±


    ¡°But I just got them,¡± Ali groused.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re excited, and I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be useful ¨C but probably not in this fight,¡± Calen said. Then he inspected Ali¡¯s minion army a little closer. ¡°I¡¯d trade the Bone Mage for a Fire Mage, too. The Skeletal Wyvern has a bone magic affinity ¨C there¡¯s a good chance it¡¯s resistant to bone magic ¨C and the spears will suffer against the armor, just like arrows.¡±


    ¡°Argh, you¡¯re probably right,¡± Ali had to agree reluctantly. With a big sigh, she unsummoned the archers and the mage Calen had vetoed and started summoning again.


    ¡°Do you really think you¡¯ll be able to learn the Acolyte imprint?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not,¡± Ali said. ¡°Unless the dungeon reclaims that corpse, that would be the third one, and that¡¯s usually enough for my Grimoire. I¡¯m keeping some mana capacity free for them and some runic circles.¡±


    It took almost another hour before she finally put her Grimoire away. She was loath to spend much more time just trying to raise the level of her weakest mage by one or two.


    Ali grinned. She had to admit, her little army seemed dangerous ¨C all the casters had high levels, potent magic, and the best equipment she could make. She could only hope it would be enough.


    ¡°Looking good, Ali,¡± Mato said, offering a plate of breakfast snacks and fruit. She quickly swapped him his druidic book back, accepting the plate and tucking in hungrily. ¡°Hey, you can at least taste the food, you know?¡±


    Ali mumbled at him with a mouth full of juicy pear.


    ¡°I think we should start with the blacksmith today,¡± Malika suggested, sitting down to join them, and choosing an orange from Mato¡¯s selection. ¡°But I¡¯m skeptical we¡¯ll be able to get him to do anything.¡±


    ¡°I know, he was so grumpy,¡± Ali said ¨C intelligibly this time ¨C around a mouthful of fruit. She considered the Dwarf and his attitude for a few moments before adding, ¡°I wonder if he¡¯s depressed?¡±


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s it,¡± Malika nodded thoughtfully.


    ¡°He¡¯s a smith and he seemed obsessed with that book on Dal¡¯mohra, I remember because it was rather a big surprise. I think we might stand the best chance by showing him the daggers first,¡± Ali suggested. ¡°Hopefully, he recognizes Eimuuran steel.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Malika approved. ¡°We¡¯ll turn you into a proper merchant if you keep this up!¡±


    Ali just grinned, enjoying the banter and the food.


    ***


    The hinges of the heavy steel doors squealed as they swung open, obviously not having been oiled or taken care of in a while. A pitiful puff of mana appeared; a spent entryway chime that had not been charged in too long.


    Ali stepped into the dark smithy, her and her friends¡¯ feet striking the cold stone floor with hollow sounds that echoed from the silent walls. The air smelled stale, like the ash of a long-dead fire.


    ¡°Did we come too early?¡± Ali whispered. If he was still abed, he might be even grumpier at having been woken up.


    Calen just pointed.


    Ali peered into the dark shadows in the back of the lobby. Seated at the heavily worn wooden table, she could make out the broad shoulders of the Dwarf, head bowed over the same book. A spent candle was stuck to the wood beside him and wax had dribbled off the table¡¯s edge and onto the floor, long grown cold. If anything, Thuli looked even more tired and run down than last time, seemingly not having moved an inch from his position.


    ¡°Hi again, Thuli,¡± Ali said, trying to keep her voice cheerful.


    Bleary red eyes turned toward her in response to her greeting. They seemed red-rimmed from lack of sleep, not any sort of enchantment or magic.


    ¡°Whadda you want this time?¡± he asked gruffly, but without much energy. ¡°Come for some more daggers?¡±


    ¡°I want to sell some this time,¡± Ali answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interes ¨C¡± Thuli froze, his eyes wide as saucers and his voice abruptly cut off mid-sentence. He gaped at the dagger Ali had produced from her storage ring, his mouth slowly opening and closing as if he had suddenly forgotten how to use it.


    ¡°Where did ya get that, lassie?¡± he asked, finding his wits, his low voice shifting towards the thicker and heavier sounds of the Dwarven language in his surprise.


    ¡°I took it from a dead Kobold,¡± she answered.


    He dragged his gaze from the dagger to Ali¡¯s face. ¡°May I examine it?¡±


    She obliged, passing it to him. She watched curiously as he examined the weapon, turning it around several times and even testing the sharpness with his blunt forefinger.


    ¡°Eimuuran steel,¡± he said, his voice full of awe, and after a significant pause, ¡°So, it  real.¡±


    He seemed to collect himself then, and said, ¡°I canna buy it from ya.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any clinkers, not so much as a dirty copper bit to me name,¡± he responded with a grimace, ¡°Your timing is the worst.¡±


    Ali wasn¡¯t sure if she preferred the new confusing Dwarf over the old grumpy one.


    ¡°I guess I should explain,¡± he said, his manner becoming much more polite and serious. ¡°Sit, if you¡¯d like, lass,¡± he offered with a gesture of his thick hand. ¡°I apologize for my lack of hospitality, but I can¡¯t afford any ale either.¡±


    Once they had all made themselves comfortable on the benches, and Ali on her magical barrier, his eyes took on a faraway gleam and he began to tell his tale.


    ¡°There is a legend among my people. A mighty blacksmith, Thovir Emberforge, discovered the techniques of forging Eimuuran steel, deep within the fabled city of Dal¡¯mohra. The technique revolutionized the entire smithing industry because the steel soaks up enchantment magic like dunking a sponge in the quenching trough. It is by far the best steel for weapons and armor until the platinum ranks when adventurers are high enough level and wealthy enough that you can afford to work with Mithril. This technique has been lost for thousands of years, lost when the city fell.¡±


    He fell silent for a few moments.


    He was obviously missing many details about Thovir Emberforge, but the gist of what he said was the same as what Ali remembered. The steel forges in Dal¡¯mohra produced weapons and armor for over half the continent.


    ¡°I am a direct descendant of Thovir,¡± Thuli said, a measure of pride filling his voice and making him sit up a little straighter. ¡°It has been my life¡¯s mission to recover the lost techniques of my ancestor, and I have been chasing clues and tales since I was big enough to swing my first hammer. I bought this book from a wandering bard, and it led me here to Myrin¡¯s Keep, but the trail dried up as soon as I got here. I have never before laid eyes on Eimuuran steel,¡± Thuli said, pausing with his thoughts for a moment. ¡°I was beginning to believe it was nothing more than smoke and dust, stories told to Dwarf children, legends of long-lost glory.¡±


    The way he said it, Ali was certain most people would simply believe it to be the proud boast of someone who had spent too much time in the alehouse, but she had seen Thovir in person, and Thuli really did look like he could pass as the legendary blacksmith¡¯s brother. In fact, if she searched near the library, she could probably find his statue and compare it to him.


    He looked over at Ali with his bloodshot eyes.


    ¡°Till you walked in and offered to sell me one.¡± He took a big breath. ¡°Unfortunately, I had to mortgage my forge to Hadrik Goldbeard and his bank, and I will be unable to make the interest payment again this month. They will take my forge and everything I have left. That¡¯s why I say your timing is terrible. I could have made a lot of money if I had the time to learn the techniques and sell some of the work. I¡¯m sorry, lassie. You would do better selling it to one of those other smiths.¡±


    Pressing the dagger back into Ali¡¯s palm, he whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve always dreamed of earning the name of my ancestor. Did you know Eimuuran means Emberforged in the ancient Dal¡¯mohran tongue?¡±


    ¡°¡± Ali echoed quietly, using her native language.


    Thuli¡¯s head whipped around as he stared at her incredulously, ¡°You speak the ancient language?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali answered. ¡°It literally translates to .¡±


    She wondered, curiously, what his magic looked like. Ember magic was an unusual specialization of fire and heat ¨C and might presumably be required to even craft the steel she was holding. Ali had no idea. She just knew that being forced to give up on a dream like that because he had fallen on hard times was a travesty.


    Ali met his gaze, a strange medley of confused feelings coursing through her. On one hand, the Dwarf had been grumpy with her.


    Something about his despair struck a chord deep within her heart. Perhaps it was his tenacity in sticking with his dream that resonated most with Ali, but she felt a warmth welling up from deep inside her chest. She very much knew what it was like to have her own dreams swept away by events beyond her control, and she knew what it felt like to drift without a rudder, forced to take a path dictated by whim and circumstance, rather than by conviction and her own dreams.


    she decided. She glanced across the table at her three friends. Mato gave a slight nod, Malika turned her hand palm-up to suggest going ahead, and Calen pursed his lips, perhaps undecided.


    ¡°How about I trade you this dagger for a custom piece of armor?¡± Ali suggested. ¡°Vivian Ross said you could make shapeshifter plate for Mato ¨C the, uh, Beastkin.¡±


    The Dwarf grimaced.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I canna do that either,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry lass, but I value my life.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You see, apparently my work was causing problems for the other blacksmiths. So, these two thugs from the Town Watch broke in and roughed me up pretty bad. They busted up the place. Told me they would be back to do worse if they ever saw my forge lit again. It¡¯s been cold ever since.¡±


    ¡°Why do you even stay?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°Where would I go, laddie? I can¡¯t even afford to leave,¡± Thuli said.


    ¡°That sounds like Adrik and Edrik. Human, red-hair, ugly twins?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s them.¡±


    ¡°Me and Ali killed them a few days ago,¡± she said, in a matter-of-fact tone, like someone mentioning they had taken out the garbage.


    ¡°You what?¡± Thuli exclaimed, red eyes wide with surprise and shock.


    ¡°Yes, they were assaulting the Alchemist, and breaking her shop, so we stepped in, and they died,¡± Malika explained. ¡°I had unfinished business with them too, and I don¡¯t regret it one bit.¡±


    Ali knew that callous disregard for the value of life was not part of Malika¡¯s normal personality, but she had also been there when the two thugs attacked. The glee and joy in their eyes as they had anticipated causing Malika physical harm had felt horrific and evil in a way Ali had not experienced until then.


    ¡°You have no idea what you have done!¡± Thuli exclaimed, springing up from the table, his chair going flying behind him while his hand knocked the remains of the candle to the floor. Ali thought for a moment that he was violently upset, but he continued, ¡°Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!¡± Thuli¡¯s voice cracked with emotion.


    Everyone they had talked to had horror stories about the thugs.


    ¡°Does that mean you will be able to work again?¡± Ali asked. ¡°If I trade you this dagger, will you be able to save your smithy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can work, but I¡¯m afraid I owe more than that. I haven¡¯t been able to work for months. Besides, I would rather study that piece and learn how to make it. It¡¯s worth more to me than my forge.¡±


    Ali glanced over at Malika with an unasked question in her eyes. Malika shrugged and began pulling out pieces of armor, shields, daggers, and swords, placing them on the table before them as Thuli¡¯s eyes grew wider and wider with each addition to the dark pile of ancient steel gleaming in the silent smithy.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to do this¡­¡± Ali said.


    ¡°I got you, Ali,¡± Malika said with a smile, and turned toward the speechless blacksmith. ¡°How about a deal between you and us? You make something for Mato to wear and save your forge. The extra value is a loan from us for future blacksmithing services, and you can study the pieces you don¡¯t need to sell.¡±


    Thuli just stared at them, dumbfounded.


    ¡°We will bring you more when we find it. Oh, and I¡¯d like to read your book while you make his armor,¡± Ali finished. She didn¡¯t mention that she could make as many of the daggers and shields as she wanted, so they effectively had an unlimited supply for the Dwarf Smith to work with.


    ¡°Ay lass, this is more than enough, but why? Why would you help me? That pile is worth over thirty gold at least. Maybe as much as fifty. And I wasn¡¯t even very polite to you two when you came.¡±


    she thought.


    ¡°The other blacksmiths were extremely rude to me and Malika,¡± Ali said. It honestly still bothered her more than she cared to admit. ¡°And if you succeed in your dream, you will have recovered a valuable piece of the lost knowledge of Dal¡¯mohra for the world.¡±


    Thuli turned his face away for a moment and wiped his eyes. When he turned back his voice was thick with emotion. ¡°Lass, you canna just waltz in here and make a grown Dwarf cry, it¡¯s just not proper. Yes, you can read my history book, and I¡¯ll make your friend¡¯s armor. You have my word that I¡¯ll repay your kindness once I¡¯m back on my feet.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Thuli,¡± she said, putting her hand out.


    Her tiny hand was lost in his broad, calloused one, but he shook it with a solemn firmness and sealed the deal.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s take a look at your friend here,¡± he said, getting up from his bench as a flicker of unusual mana flared in his eyes, making them smolder and glow in the darkness. ¡°Shapeshifter, ey? Let¡¯s see it.¡±


    Mato obliged by turning into his Bear Form and posing.


    ¡°Och, he¡¯s a big lad,¡± Thuli whistled, walking around for a few moments. Then he walked back to the table and selected three Kobold armors and two shields from the pile.


    ¡°I can¡¯t make Eimuuran steel, but I can definitely reforge it for you. And I will learn a lot from working it like this,¡± the smith stated.


    Thuli seemed completely transformed. No longer was he dejected, resigned to his fate. His face glowed, not only from the magic in his eyes but from a deep burning excitement. There was an energy to his movement that Ali knew came from having unexpectedly rekindled his passion, from coming one step closer to a powerful dream.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll get started. It will take a wee few hours ¨C you¡¯re free to wait or come back if ya like.¡±


    He selected an enormous steel hammer that lay discarded on the floor and hefted it in his hand, a Dwarf suddenly reforged with purpose. Ali recoiled at the sudden flare of intense mana that welled up inside him, sending waves of dry heat billowing out from his body as the veins under his dark skin began to glow with the deep reddish orange of embers.


    Sconces on the walls suddenly flared to life, a rippling wave of red light that surged out across the forge. Cold hearths, forges, and fires sprang to life, reacting to the smith¡¯s outpouring of mana. A wave of heated air billowed out from the forges in the back, carrying with it the stench of burning coal and the metallic tang of iron.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to get a little more shopping done at the marketplace,¡± Malika said. ¡°I¡¯ll be back later.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come too,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay here and read,¡± Ali decided. She had been excited to see what Thuli¡¯s book contained and had a unique opportunity to watch Thuli¡¯s unusual magic from the other room.


    ¡°I probably need to stay too, for fitting,¡± Mato answered, and followed Thuli into the forge room.


    Ali waited until they were out of earshot. ¡°Hey, Malika, thanks. I know that was a lot of money we just spent, and mostly because I was being sentimental.¡±


    ¡°No problem, Ali. I have a feeling it will turn into a good investment. Don¡¯t forget to tell him about the guild merchant ¨C Weldin can probably move a lot of his low-level daggers and swords from those bins over there. Maybe he can get back on his feet faster than he thinks.¡±


    ***


    Ali closed the book and looked up to find Thuli working to fit a darkly gleaming set of nearly completed armor on Mato¡¯s large body. She didn¡¯t know what she had expected, but ringing strikes of the enormous Dwarven smithing hammer beating the armor into shape while Mato still wore it was not exactly high on her list.


    Mato was Mato ¨C he just stood there stoically enduring the heavy blows.


    The book had been fascinating, written almost a thousand years ago by an eminent historian, one Ziba Malek, of an Elorthian Empire. It was an empire that rose to prominence in the wake of something called the Necromancer Wars that came in the wake of the destruction of Dal¡¯mohra.


    The Royal Scholar, Ziba Malek, had hypothesized in her first theory, that Dal¡¯mohra had held out till near the ending of the war, and it had eventually succumbed to the endless might of the Blind Lich¡¯s armies. Knowing what she did about the events, Ali dismissed that theory wholesale. There had been no war prior to the downfall of her home, in fact it had been a period of unprecedented peace and prosperity.


    The second theory, advanced by the book¡¯s author was that the fall of Dal¡¯mohra had been an inside job, orchestrated somehow by the Blind Lich himself. Retrieving an ancient artifact of mythic power, the Lich then triggered an event called The Breaking of the World. It was this cataclysmic event that had reshaped the surface of the continent, rending much of the geography unrecognizable. In the ensuing battle, the Blind Lich defeated a legendary blue dragon, Kryostria and turned her into a Dracolich. Having discovered how to artificially construct dungeons, the Blind Lich then used his Dracolich general and the endless spawns of his dungeons to wage a hundred-year war against the living.


    Frankly this theory was rather unbelievable, and Ali dearly wished she had access to a decent library to cross-reference the story. The Blind Lich hadn¡¯t orchestrated it, he had been there personally. Especially considering Nevyn Eld had once been a respected researcher in Dal¡¯mohra before his transformation.


    In the final theory, the Blind Lich used knowledge plundered from the Grand Library Arcana to unlock the secrets of the realms. Tearing rifts into other planes, he drew on this incredible power to fuel his armies. Using the three kings of Dal¡¯mohra, now raised as Death Knights, the Blind Lich had laid waste to the northern kingdoms for a hundred years.


    Ali shivered. This last theory would have been even less believable if she hadn¡¯t seen his undead crawling through a rip in space in the center of the library, and seen the kings raised as Death Knights loyal to the Lich.


    In both the last theories, The Breaking of the World was followed by the hundred-year-long Necromancer Wars ¨C events that seemed so fantastical that Ali desperately wished for some way to corroborate the claims laid out by the book. Or dismiss them for the fantasy they must be.


    At least now, though, she understood why Thuli had been stumped. After something as cataclysmic as The Breaking, it was no wonder why nobody could tell where the ruins of Dal¡¯mohra really lay.


    She got up and walked over to inspect Thuli¡¯s work, watching in fascination as his mana surged to inscribe his mana signature on the piece.


    Banded Feral Plate Armor ¨C level 20


    Armor: 288


    +20 Endurance


    +8 Strength


    Mana: Shapeshift


    Requirements: Shapeshifter, Strength 70


    Body ¨C Eimuuran Steel


    Ali didn¡¯t need Malika¡¯s appraisal skill to know instantly that this was an exceptional piece ¨C with three enchantments on it, the armor had to be at least uncommon grade ¨C a step above magical. The banded armor segments fit Mato¡¯s physique perfectly, gleaming with the familiar reddish undertone in the black steel. The articulation of each piece seemed to have been made with strength and movement in mind, and as Mato, in his Beastkin form walked, turned, and stretched this way and that, it hugged his huge body like a glove.


    ¡°Ok, that should do it. Show me your bear now,¡± Thuli instructed. ¡°Use the enchantment as you shift.¡±


    Mato¡¯s magic twisted and warped his form, but Ali could instantly see the armor drawing in some of his mana as it began to warp alongside him. When he was finished, the armor hadn¡¯t vanished to wherever his clothing usually went. Instead, it had broadened and deepened into an impressive bulwark of dark steel that hung snugly on the powerful frame of the bear, protecting his flanks, back, and shoulders with thick banded plates. Ali couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how heavy it must be.


    Mato put the armor through its paces by trying a few practice swipes with his paws before shifting back into his normal form.


    ¡°You were right, it takes a little mana and more stamina to shift now, but it¡¯s not a lot,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°Yup, the mana hooks the enchanted armor to your Shapeshift skill, and then your skill has to do more work because it¡¯s shifting all the extra mass of the steel,¡± Thuli explained. ¡°How about the fit?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing!¡± Mato was grinning from ear to ear.


    Thuli continued fussing with the armor for a bit, muttering, ¡°A nip here and a tuck there, me laddie,¡± before he was fully satisfied.


    ¡°Is it a lot more armor?¡± Ali asked. Ultimately, the reason for the purchase was to help with the upcoming fight, and Mato presumably had a lot of scorpions to tank, but she wasn¡¯t too familiar with how melee gear and damage worked. She supposed she needed to get used to it so that she could make better gear choices for her minions.


    ¡°Given his bear hide, and the level of the enemies, I¡¯d say he should be taking about thirty percent less damage from physical hits,¡± Thuli noted, scratching his beard as if that helped him with the math. ¡°Obviously, it depends on all the factors and skills, and it¡¯s designed to be hit mostly from the front, but he should be a lot more durable. I put endurance on it because you said this was for a tanking job, I hope that¡¯s ok.¡±


    Ali smiled. Mato was already the definition of durable, his being more durable was quite an achievement.


    Thuli collapsed onto the bench by the table, his magic fading from his powerful arms, but he was wearing a tired, happy smile. ¡°To think I would see my mana signature on a fine piece of Eimuuran steel,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you so much, Aliandra. I think I¡¯m going to take a wee little nap.¡±


    His body tilted over sideways, and he was snoring before he even hit the table.

 Chapter 61: Picking a Fight

    Chapter 61: Picking a Fight- Excerpt from , Third Edition


    Aliandra


    Ali picked her way across the cold and stark first floor of the library, trying to keep her feet off the crunchy bone and step only where the underlying flagstones were exposed. She had always been grateful for Mato¡¯s reassuring bulk and Malika¡¯s steady confidence but, after having been forced to flee yesterday, she kept just a little closer than normal to her friends.


    ¡°Do you think those scorpions are still down there?¡± she whispered. Her low-pitched voice sounded jarringly loud in the quiet darkness, the only other sounds being her own breathing, the soft clicking of her Kobolds¡¯ taloned claws scraping on the exposed stone, and the background crunching of the Bone Worms feeding.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Calen answered. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I should be able to see them from far enough.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more worried about alerting that Skeletal Wyvern,¡± Malika said, stepping cautiously onto the landing. ¡°We need to get ourselves set and ready before it strikes.¡±


    Ali paused at the edge and peered down into the deep darkness of the atrium, but her eyes failed to pierce the gloom. All she could make out was the increasing density of dark and ominous mana billowing up as it swirled around the ancient walls and the bone-encrusted floating stone stairway. She suppressed a shiver; this was harder, knowing what awaited them in the depths. Worse, it stank of death and the dusty smell of decaying bone.


    She pressed her lips into a firm line, summoned courage from the presence of her friends, and carefully set foot on the top step, beginning to follow them on the long descent.


    she thought, glancing enviously at the sure-footed steps of Calen leading the way.


    Nobody spoke now. As they descended, a grand arc that had them circling the entire atrium, Ali began checking over the edge of the stairs, glancing down into the dark abyss below with her Arcane Insight. It was a compulsion, she knew, but she just couldn¡¯t help it ¨C even though the dark bone affinity mana moved with thick lazy swirls rather than the sudden burst of power that had heralded the ascent of the Skeletal Wyvern. It was definitely down there, though; she could almost feel its malevolent gaze just beyond the dense flowing mana.


    Ali¡¯s shirt clung to her skin, damp with sweat, and her heart thumped loudly in her chest by the time she finally stepped foot on the second-floor landing. It was pitch dark down here and all her friends had stopped.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go scout,¡± Calen whispered, and then he disappeared into the darkness.


    Seconds stretched on, growing into minutes while Ali struggled to keep her breathing under control. Not being able to see a thing sent her imagination into terrifying flights of fantasy. she told herself, reminding herself that her friends had her back.


    Ali nearly yelped out loud when Calen suddenly emerged from the shadows.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear,¡± Calen said. He gestured with his left hand and a Mote of Light appeared out in the darkness. ¡°I¡¯m not sure where the scorpions all went, but they¡¯re not here anymore. Maybe the dungeon despawned them?¡±


    As the light shone out from Calen¡¯s orb, it revealed a scene of utter destruction. In the aftermath of their chaotic fight, shattered bone spears littered the ground. Piles of bone shards and shafts were strewn about, swept up into enormous dunes against the walls and broken shelves as if collected by a tremendous gale. Drifts had formed out in the open, undulating waves of broken bits lying haphazardly covering the battered, gray flagstones of the floor. Here and there, intact spears as long as Calen¡¯s height ¨C if he stretched his arms high overhead ¨C hung impaled into solid stone walls or through bone-encrusted prominences, like arrows left over from a Giant¡¯s archery practice.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t this place completely filled with spears if something like that monster lives here?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s what the Spitter Drones are for?¡± Calen suggested. ¡°They eat bone.¡±


    ¡°The corpses are all gone?¡± Ali asked, her head twisting left and right as she scanned everything. She stepped gingerly out onto the floor, careful not to roll her ankles on the loose bone shards. There was no sign of the spawned Piercer Scorpions anywhere, and if the dungeon had reclaimed everything, that meant her Kobold Acolyte corpse would be gone, too.


    ¡°I saw a scorpion corpse over here,¡± Calen said, pointing toward a low wall. ¡°It¡¯s under the pile.¡±


    ¡°Can the dungeon just not support the spawned monsters then?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Calen answered. ¡°Perhaps it just put them somewhere else?¡±


    Yet again, Ali felt the powerful need for an extensive library. In its heyday, the Grand Library Arcana would have been able to answer this question for them in a few minutes. As it was now, all she had was the rampant speculation running circles in her mind.


    Ali trotted over to the pile Calen had pointed out, grateful for the light, and proceeded to deconstruct the Piercer Scorpion she found buried there.


    ¡°Another one here,¡± Mato said as everyone fanned out and began searching.


    Little by little, Ali retraced the steps of the battle, deconstructing whatever remained of the corpses ¨C mostly buried beneath the piles of shattered bone. Some of the corpses were unrecoverable, merely stains of red mixed with bone dust and chips of stone.


    ¡°Over here.¡± Calen¡¯s whisper sounded loud in the dark and tense atmosphere.


    Ali scrambled over to where he was, trying her best to move silently on the treacherous bone-covered floor, and saw the telltale white embroidered fabric of a robe poking out from beneath a pile. A yellow-scaled arm was exposed by Calen as he moved several bone spears to the side.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± she told him. She reached out her hand and activated her Deconstruction skill. Ten seconds later, her notification chime sounded, and the body dissolved into energy and mana causing an uncomfortably loud clatter as bone shards collapsed into the suddenly vacated space. Ali¡¯s Grimoire appeared, shining brightly ¨C but no inscription ensued.


    This had never happened before.


    She stared at her Grimoire in surprise.  She supposed that her Kobold imprint was the largest one she had, and regularly adding new high-level variants to it was a lot of information. Not knowing how, or even what she would delete to make space, she paged to the end of her magical tome and tried to choose the one free chapter she had available.


    Her Grimoire responded by riffling rapidly through the pages, reordering all the chapters so that the blank one was now right after the Kobold imprint. Only then did the typical light show begin and all the storm of bright glowing runes were inscribed into the newly created space.


    ¡°I got it,¡± Ali whispered.


    They spent a little more time gathering the usable items and gear from the Kobolds from beneath the piles of strewn bone. Calen¡¯s sharp eyes even found the fire magic bracelet Ali was so fond of before they all made the tensely silent trek back up the stairway to the upper floor.


    Finally able to breathe a little easier, Ali set to the task of creating her newest minions. It took some time, but the others waited patiently until she had two gold-scaled Acolytes, wearing the Simple Robes she had created for them.


    ¡°Wow, those are expensive,¡± she exclaimed, feeling the pull on her mana pool. But that wasn¡¯t too surprising, given they were the highest-level creatures she had ever made. In fact, one of them was the highest-level creature she make, matching her own class level.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget the healing bracelet,¡± Malika suggested.


    ¡°Oh yes.¡± Ali retrieved the bone bracelet from her storage ring and handed it to the highest-level Acolyte. ¡°Here, use this.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Ancient Mistress.¡± Her voice was soft and mellow for speaking Draconic, even with the typical chirping sounds the Kobolds made.


    ¡°Shall we get set up?¡± Calen suggested.


    ¡°How about here?¡± Mato asked, striding out across the floor to pick a spot.


    Ali looked up to find him standing behind the sturdy-looking wall adjacent to the atrium, and she recognized the spot they had picked out on Calen¡¯s map. If it was anything like the wall she and Calen had hidden behind, it should work well.


    ¡°A little to your left,¡± Calen suggested, and Mato shifted over. ¡°There¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m ready. Ali?¡± Mato called, doing his usual routine of rotating his shoulders and cracking his neck.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked, getting up and walking over.


    Ali was still extremely dubious about this whole exercise, but she understood the need to test tricky things before you used them in a life-or-death situation. Still, fireballing her friend wasn¡¯t something she had thought she was signing up for at any point.


    ¡°Give me a minute or two,¡± she said, bending down and beginning to inscribe the runes for her restoration circle, making it about two meters wide, centered on Mato.


    she thought as she finished up her mana inscription, recalling the urgency and her utter exhaustion the first time she had used this skill to save him.


    The green runes flared to life as the circle closed and drew on her mana to power it, bathing Mato in the greenish glow of the restoration magic. Seeing as she was planning on using the circle to help heal Mato, she needed to know if it would survive the damage, too.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± she said, watching him shift into his Bear Form, while she backed away to a safe distance.


    ¡°Please fireball him,¡± she instructed her lowest-level Fire Mage, trying to still a pang of guilt at what they were about to test.


    ¡°Of course, Ancient Mistress,¡± he said, summoning his fire without a moment¡¯s hesitation.


    ¡°And you, heal him,¡± she told her Acolyte.


    ¡°As you wish, Ancient Mistress.¡±


    The fireball shot off with a whoosh and a surge of heat, and the spot Mato was standing in suddenly turned into an inferno of flame, with the massive detonation of the fireball exploding in his face.


    Ali¡¯s heart stopped.


    The Acolyte beside her gestured with her hand and a soft yellow-white mana flickered once, visible in the heart of the inferno. It flashed a second time and then began to fade.


    Slowly, the acrid smoke began to disperse, and before she could even make him out in the dense clouds and remnants of flickering flame, she heard Mato chuckling.


    ¡°That was fun,¡± he said.


    ¡°Be serious,¡± she chided him. ¡°I was beside myself with worry!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not level three anymore.¡±


    ¡°And that mage isn¡¯t level nine either,¡± she retorted, referring to the same fight.


    ¡°Ali, I have over a thousand three-hundred health, I¡¯m ok.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Ali had thought she was doing well with health, having spent so much on vitality, but her meager two hundred and seventy was not even close.


    ¡°What about your eyebrows?¡± Malika snickered.


    ¡°Less bushy,¡± he chuckled. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to take more than two or three fireballs in a row without healing though, especially while being hit by scorpions.¡± His tone turned more serious. ¡°Your circle is great; it heals continuously so I got some health the instant the fireball detonated. It was even faster than the little Acolyte.¡±


    Ali walked over to inspect the circle, but the magic seemed to be impressively robust, completely unaffected by the detonation and flames.


    ¡°And how about the healer?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°I like her,¡± Mato answered, grinning. ¡°Nice warm feeling to her magic. Malika¡¯s is a little rough.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I can always keep my healing magic to myself, you know?¡± Malika grumbled. ¡°Rough? The flipping nerve! How¡¯s about I rough you up with my elbow?¡±


    Ali grinned at Malika¡¯s unimpressed response. ¡°I meant, how much health?¡±


    ¡°Oh, she healed me to full in one shot,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± Ali crowed.


    ¡°It¡¯s holy affinity, with a class specialized for healing,¡± Calen said. ¡°Malika was right, this Kobold is going to be useful.¡±


    They spent about half an hour trying out different tactics, allowing Ali to practice with her new Acolyte minion before Calen headed off to fetch the first group of monsters.


    Malika yawned, ¡°Farming time.¡±


    ¡°Farming?¡± Ali spluttered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be all shy, now,¡± Malika said. ¡°That little smile says you¡¯re enjoying this just as much as the rest of us. Bring on the experience!¡±


    Calen


    Calen sucked in a deep breath. He stood on the precipice, studying the deep darkness filling the atrium in the center of the library but the distance was too much for even his enhanced vision to make out the bottom ¨C and the monster lurking below. Now it was time for execution. Before they could fight the boss, though, they would need to clear the library of all the lesser monsters that might interfere. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Ok, going down,¡± he announced.


    ¡°Be careful, this isn¡¯t the sewers,¡± Ali answered.


    He nodded at the worried expressions on their faces and then turned on his Eclipse and blurred into the shadows. Masking the sound of his movement with his Explorer skill, he sprinted down the stairs and out onto the second floor. His eyes scanned across the bone-littered floor, noting the easiest pathway, the blood stains, and the occasional tripwire, all clearly visible to his skill-enhanced vision. Everything looked to be various shades of monochromatic gray ¨C a sure indication that there was nearly no light down here ¨C but to his Eyes of the Archon, that simply served to highlight the contrasts.


    There were no monsters immediately visible, so he hopped out onto the floor and darted along the path he had picked out, carefully avoiding splinters and shards of bone and the various skitterers and worms which failed to scurry away on account of not being able to see or hear him.


    The lingering stench of the vile Spitter Drones hung over the dusty dry crypt-like smell of old bone ¨C stronger down here than on the level above. He took his time, shadowing the outer wall and making a full circuit along the perimeter of the floor, marking only a single remaining group of monsters.


    He carefully noted their classes and levels.


    No. The challenge would come on the stairs. He would need to outrun them while avoiding alerting the giant Skeletal Wyvern lurking in the depths. He nocked an arrow and carefully drew his bow till the taut string pressed up against his cheek. He sighted down the shaft towards a Kobold Acolyte with prominent white horns and imbued his arrow with Increased Range and Light Damage withholding the completion of his damage enchantment on the cusp of release.


    He fired.


    The arrow sped away into the darkness; its target remaining completely unaware of its presence. About two-thirds of the way into its brief journey, Calen released his magic and a brief, brilliant flare shone out in the darkness before the arrow buried itself in the Kobold¡¯s left shoulder ¨C a perfect shot. The entire camp erupted into a frenzy of scrambling, screeching, and chirping calls as they leapt up and charged him.


    Calen had broken his stealth with that attack, and he ceased spending resources to power Eclipse and Explorer, knowing there was no way he could regain stealth with that many eyes glued to his back. Besides, he needed them to chase him to the top. He sprinted for the landing, anxiously straining all his senses for any signs of the wyvern¡¯s fury.


    he thought, glancing back at the screeching Kobolds hot on his heels. He took the stairs at speed, heedless of the lack of railing and the uneven steps. Up and up, he ran with the Kobolds in tow, careful not to outrun them by too much. Thankfully, there was no stone-splitting roar and he hit the top landing at a sprint and rushed past Mato.


    ¡°Kobolds only, two healers, three archers, and three warriors,¡± he announced as he ran by. Immediately, he summoned a couple of Motes of Light to hover above the landing to ensure there were no surprises with stealth, and that Mato and Malika would be able to see.


    Metallic clinking sounds heralded the appearance of several steel totems on the stairs near the landing, spraying pulsing circles of lightning magic as the Kobolds reached the top. Mato roared and charged, slamming into the pack with a giant crash, his brand-new banded armor gleaming darkly by the light of the floating orbs. When Mato backed out, slowly retreating toward the green-glowing runic circle, the three warrior Kobolds were stuck with him like glue, along with a stream of arrows from the archers.


    Calen was worried until he saw the soft yellow gleaming scales of Ali¡¯s white-robed Acolytes waving their hands from back behind some shelves, already hard at work. Swords and arrows bit into Mato¡¯s hide with splashes of blood, but the wounds closed as fast as the Kobolds dished them out.


    ¡°Healer on the left,¡± Calen said, aiming and firing. ¡°The one with the arrow sticking out of her shoulder.¡±


    ¡°Gotcha,¡± Malika said, diving into the fray.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali added.


    The landing lit up with the crackle of lightning and the red flames of firebolts as Ali¡¯s minions focused on the Acolyte. The Kobold stumbled, staggered by the heavy impact of fire and punches, and the bolts and arrows raining down upon it.


    ¡°Switch to the other Acolyte as soon as it dies,¡± Calen said.


    But right as the Acolyte seemed about to drop, a bright yellow-white pillar of light erupted from its body, pulsing with potent visible magic as its wounds all but vanished. Calen¡¯s eyebrows nearly climbed off the top of his head as the tiny Kobold outhealed their entire combined firepower for a full thirty seconds before the glow began to fade.


    ¡°What the heck was that?¡± Calen exclaimed.


    ¡°A lot of holy mana,¡± Ali said, grim-faced as she kept firing her bolts.


    Calen redoubled his efforts, firing arrow after arrow at the Acolyte. Just as he thought it was done for the second time, the other Acolyte did the same thing, flaring with a brilliant pillar of holy magic. Again, no matter how much damage they dished out, the tenacious Kobold refused to falter.


    ¡°That is a ridiculous skill,¡± Calen said. It must be some kind of temporary healing power boost that had a short duration and a long recharge.


    As the glow finally faded from the second healer, their onslaught rapidly began to take its toll on the previously pristine Kobold. Bone armor ridges shattered, and smoke drifted from cauterized wounds. Even those wounds were still slowly closing when the Kobold finally dropped to the ground.


    Fortunately, the Kobolds were down to one healer now, and there was no reappearance of whatever powerful skill that was. It still took nearly a dozen arrows before the second Acolyte collapsed.


    ¡°This one next,¡± Calen said, using his Light Damage enchantment as a tracer to pick out an archer in the back dodging Lightning Novas while trying to shoot Mato. While he fired his arrows, he studied his enemies. All three of the Kobold archers were wielding bone bows made in a segmented design. He guessed it might offer a stronger draw. And the arrows they fired seemed to also be made from sharpened bone ¨C something he hadn¡¯t seen before. He moved on to the next archer, mentally noting that he should check their arrows after the fight to see if they were better than the ones he was using.


    As soon as they dropped the last of the archers, Calen turned his attention to the warriors. Mato was constantly pulsing with healing magic still. There was a widening puddle of blood on the ground at his feet, but the combination of the Acolytes and his own healing magic left him almost uninjured. he thought, curious to see what they might be capable of during the big battle to come.


    While the others recovered their mana, Calen headed out once again. This time, he headed straight to the bottom floor.


    Calen stepped off the bottom landing into an alien world. The reek of death and bone dust filled his nostrils and he swallowed to prevent the cough that threatened to explode from his lungs. The ground floor of the library was so densely encased in bone spines and ridges that it looked like a cavern of gray rock. There wasn¡¯t even a single piece of stone showing, or a recognizable shape. The ceiling was covered with ridges and spines that jutted out in all directions. Bone worms crawled over everything. Even the crunching noise was far louder. He glanced towards the center of the library where he found a towering spire of bone reaching up from the floor in the center of the atrium, crawling with bone worms. Coiled around the spire was the Skeletal Wyvern.


    His scalp crawled.


    Making sure to move with utmost silence, Calen headed straight for the outer perimeter wall and then carefully scouted the entire floor, keeping himself as far from the center and the wyvern as he could. There were only three groups of monsters, but one of them had four Piercer Scorpions.  he thought, selecting a closer group for his first target.


    He picked out his path and fired, drawing the Kobold group towards the outer edge of the giant circular floor. He wanted their chirping as far as possible from the wyvern. Keeping to the outer edge of the floor, he led the Kobolds on a long chase around a quarter of the circumference before he reached the closest point to the stairs. He fired another arrow, which bounced off a Kobold¡¯s sword, and sprinted inward heading for the landing. He held his breath, taking the stairs two at a time as the Kobolds raced up after him. He didn¡¯t breathe until he was halfway past the second floor. At least the foul odor of undeath was somewhat diminished as he drew further from the depths.


    The battle up top went much the same way as the first one, if just a little bit better as they got used to the space and the capabilities of these particular groups. Once they were done, Calen retrieved the second to last group, and they were equally easily dispatched.


    ¡°The final group is four Piercer Scorpions,¡± Calen told the others. ¡°Perhaps we should practice our strategy for the wyvern fight?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°I need a few minutes to inscribe the remaining runic circles,¡± Ali said from where she was finishing cleaning up the corpses.


    While Ali worked, they all spent the time discussing the finer points of the strategy ¨C more as a refresher than anything else. After all, they all knew the plan. The restoration circle was already inscribed, visible only by a faint greenish hue wafting above the ground where they planned to have Mato tank the Piercer Scorpions. Ali had thoughtfully outlined it with some chalk marks on the stone to make it easier to find. It had been carefully placed with the massive wall between it and the atrium where the Skeletal Wyvern would be flying. Ali placed two further Inspiration circles far enough away that whoever was standing in them wouldn¡¯t get hit by a stray scorpion strike, but also protected from the wyvern¡¯s breath by the wall. Calen carefully marked the locations of the two circles by the soft bluish light. While they intended to use them for the healers, he decided it would be smart to know where they were just in case.


    Once the circles were complete, Calen dismissed his lights, leaving the battlefield lit only by the glow of Ali¡¯s runic magic. In stealth and silence, he descended to the bottom floor, once again holding his breath as he snuck past the dormant wyvern.


    He carefully approached the last group of monsters on the floor. Four Piercer Scorpions stood about in a huddle, absolutely motionless next to a giant wall of bone. The scorpions were incredibly fast, and he didn¡¯t want to be caught by them on the stairs. He nocked an arrow and drew, standing at the maximum of his extended range.


    He breathed out and held it, aiming with his utmost focus. He released the arrow. As soon as he released his light magic, he spun on his heel and sprinted for the landing. He didn¡¯t even wait to see if his arrow had reached its mark, the shaking of the ground was more than sufficient to tell him everything he needed to know.


    Calen flew up the stairs as fast as the wind, burning his stamina as he went, but he could feel the heavy bone creatures slowly gaining on him. By the time he reached the landing at the top floor, he could feel the wind of their spear strikes missing his back by inches. He hit the landing at a dead sprint, opening up over the flat ground, gaining maybe an inch or two on his pursuers.


    ¡°Run, Calen!¡± Ali screamed.


    He charged straight for the green glow and slightly to Mato¡¯s right, not stopping until he was ten feet past and heard the roar and crash behind him.


    Glancing back, he found that Mato had expertly captured the full attention of all four monsters and Calen finally breathed a sigh of relief. That had been closer than he had expected. Far too close.


    Calen didn¡¯t bother to try shooting the scorpions, knowing that his arrows would be ineffective ¨C and unnecessary in the main fight. He was far more interested in analyzing how the fight proceeded, because this would be the cornerstone of their strategy for the main battle. Mato had comfortably locked down all four monsters and was tanking inside the restoration circle. His body flickered and pulsed with the green restoration aura and the yellow-white healing from Ali¡¯s Kobolds, each standing in one of the blue circles.


    A soft series of metallic clinks echoed through the battlefield as the shamans deployed their totems. The arcing lightning of the nova pulses was placed accurately enough to hit the bone scorpions but avoid Mato. Calen didn¡¯t know if this was Ali¡¯s doing or if the shamans had done that on their own, but the totems looked very effective for this part of the battle.


    ¡°Ok Ali, go,¡± he said.


    Ali frowned, clearly still unhappy about this part of the strategy, but she executed it well. Four Fireballs began to form in a timed sequence, one in front of each mage. Three near-simultaneous Lightning Bolts etched their brilliance into his retinas while the thunderclaps deafened him. The bolts struck clean through all four scorpions before the first fireball hurtled away. There was a deafening explosion of flame and Malika blurred towards Mato, healing him, and then she dodged away before the second fireball exploded. A yellow flash topped Mato up, followed by the third explosion. Another flash while pieces of bone armor began to fly. The fourth fireball finished it and all four scorpions shattered simultaneously, collapsing in a pile of smoking bone debris.


    ¡°That went well,¡± Mato said, shifting back to his normal form. ¡°Never went below half.¡±


    ¡°You smell half-cooked,¡± Ali retorted.


    ¡°Especially the armpits,¡± Malika added, wrinkling her nose.


    ¡°Seriously? This healing circle is only half-baked if it doesn¡¯t soap and style my hair, too,¡± Mato chuckled. ¡°Come on, Ali. I have a long list of requirements.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a quick break,¡± Calen suggested with a wry grin, sitting down and consulting his notifications. For what was coming next, he would need every advantage he could get. He scrolled through a ton of notifications from the earlier fights, coming at last to the final few.


    Eclipse and Eyes of the Archon were leveling rapidly on this dark battlefield. He spent some time analyzing the changes, taking down a few notes in his notebook. Calen distributed most of his attribute points among dexterity and intelligence while he waited for Ali and her minions to finish regenerating. It was good progress, and the extra attribute points would come in handy for the fight with the Skeletal Wyvern. Still, what he wouldn¡¯t have given to see his Class reach level twenty for this fight¡­ but he had to be patient.


    Once everyone was set, he calmly got up and announced, ¡°Ok, getting the wyvern.¡± Inside, however, his heart was racing, both with excitement and nervousness. On one hand, he felt he had been born for this role ¨C setting out alone into the darkness, scouting the unknown, and finding and defeating the denizens of terrifying dungeons. A true explorer, a pathfinder. On the other hand, it was an undead Skeletal Wyvern, probably close to twice his level and commanding terrifyingly powerful bone magic. And, even if just for a bit, he would be confronting it alone.


    , he reminded himself. He activated his Eclipse skill and descended the stairwell one more time, wishing it wasn¡¯t quite so long.


    ***

 Chapter 62: Skeletal Wyvern

    Chapter 62: Skeletal Wyvern


    , by Lyeneru Silverleaf, Elven Pathfinders Guild.


    Aliandra


    Ali stared down the endless spiral staircase as Calen vanished from sight, leaving just the softly glowing outline of the tangled wisps of light mana powering his skills before they too faded, and she lost him against the vast blackness below.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to be ok, right?¡± she whispered. The familiar icy touch of fear ran up her back at the thought of the monster that waited in those depths. A monster that they had fled from, and now were going to attack on purpose.


    ¡°Trust him, Ali,¡± Mato said, taking his position within the Restoration circle. ¡°He¡¯s got this.¡± His body twisted and warped as he shifted into his Bear Form.


    Ali stood out in the open space Vivian had picked for their battle and looked around her, mostly to reassure herself that she was not alone in this lunacy. Mato¡¯s Bear Form looked oddly serene in the softly shifting green glow of her Restoration circle. Nearby, Malika limbered up with a few exercises. Ali¡¯s two Kobold Acolytes stood in the Inspiration circles, ready to ensure that Mato didn¡¯t die to the spawned elementals.


    she added wryly. The Fire Mages and Storm Shamans stood at ease in their assigned spots, visible in the soft glow emanating from her runic circles.


    The library was unrecognizable from how she remembered it as a child. It had always been a warm, welcoming place, full of books and the bustle of people. Full of light. A place you could come and lose yourself for a few hours and a few chapters. The space she now found herself in was dark and cold, hostile and uninviting, filled with slabs of bone and a million creepy crawlies. And occupied by an undead wyvern. She couldn¡¯t shake the thought that somehow Nevyn Eld was directly responsible ¨C it was far too much of a coincidence that he was a Lich and a Necromancer, and this monster was undead.


    She put the thoughts of the Blind Lich out of her mind for now, bringing her focus back to the task at hand. She had a lot of responsibilities in this fight, and she was frankly shocked that her friends put so much trust in her abilities. They all seemed so much more comfortable with combat, fighting, and dungeons. She was always just terrified.


    Her breath grew shallower as her anxiety rose. Just as she felt she couldn¡¯t handle it anymore, she heard Malika approaching.


    ¡°Breathe, Ali. I¡¯m scared too. The plan is sound, and we have potions to escape if we missed anything important.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡± Ali breathed in deeply and let it out slowly in the manner Malika had taught her, finding it soothing her nerves a little. At least, even if she was still afraid, it was better to know she wasn¡¯t facing it alone.


    A thunderous roar split the silence, making her jump as it echoed out from the darkness below. A vast surge of dark mana erupted from the bottom of the atrium, rising fast. Small pebbles and dust began bouncing around as the ground shook. A hail of clatters and thumps rang out as bone creatures fell, dislodged from their nooks and crannies high on the walls and bookcases, and scurried away into dark corners. Ali felt the tight band of fear clamping around her chest, constricting her breathing, but she willed herself to focus, holding their plan crystal clear in her mind. She turned on her Empowered Summoner skill, and the whole area briefly flickered as tiny emerald-green runes of magic flared to life, rippling across each of her minions before fading back to normal. She summoned one of her golden barriers, suspended in the air in front of her.


    Calen¡¯s light magic flared across the landing as his silhouetted form cleared the stairs and sprinted to where she waited. Ali puffed out her cheeks as he appeared. Good. From behind him, the gargantuan shrouded form of the Skeletal Wyvern loomed up out of the darkness, held aloft by the powerful magic thrumming through its skeletal wings. Its fifteen-meter wingspan dwarfed Calen¡¯s form, overshadowing the fleeing Half-elf. Its jaws opened wide, emitting another bellowing roar as dense mana condensed within its maw.


    Ali recognized the magic and responded in an instant, summoning a barrier between the imminent Bone Spear attack and Calen¡¯s back. The wyvern¡¯s mana pulsed, and a two-meter-long shard of bone shot forth from the gaping maw, crossing the gap in the blink of an eye. With a resounding crash, the spear and her barrier magic annihilated each other with the sudden violence of the impact. Calen yelped and dove sideways, rolling back onto his feet, still sprinting.


    Like a dramatic signal to commence battle, the explosion of glowing shards and splinters of bone set Ali¡¯s heart racing. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°¡± Ali said, speaking quietly, but her intent was reinforced through her connection to her creatures. Deafening thunderclaps of lightning shook the walls as the brilliant white flashes of Lightning Bolts banished the darkness. Sizzling heat and the ruddy glow of flame lit the maniacally grinning faces of her Kobold mages with the flickering red of flames as the air was suddenly filled with volleys of Firebolts.


    It was not strictly true ¨C but asserting it in her mind had a somewhat steadying effect on Ali¡¯s nerves. Soft  noises filled the spaces between the thunderous booms as Calen unleashed a continuous tracer stream of shining arrows into the air to pepper the underside of the wyvern¡¯s ribcage.


    The Skeletal Wyvern roared again, dark mana flickering as it turned its head toward the Storm Shamans. A pulse in the dense mana formation was all the warning Ali got before another Bone Spear shot out at great speed. With a flick of her mana, Ali created a wall of golden magic above her shaman. Her barrier lasted a fraction of a second before it caught the devastating missile in yet another spectacular detonation, showering golden splinters and shards of shattered bone down on her minion. The stalwart Goblin ignored the detonation, retaliating with a bolt of pure lightning as thick as his own wrist. The blinding arc of brilliant white burst through the cloud of splinters and impacted the underside of the wyvern¡¯s ribcage.


    The wyvern barely noticed. Blinking her eyes against the blinding detonations, Ali studied the mana formations.


    Another flicker. Ali summoned a barrier right in front of the Skeletal Wyvern¡¯s nose. But the monster delayed the spell, shifting sideways and releasing it past her barrier, leaving her with barely a fraction of a second to guess the target and resummon it. A flash of gold vanished in another detonation of shards as a Kobold Fire Mage stumbled and fell. But he was barely injured and got to his feet chirping angrily.


    Ali reacted to the signals again, summoning her barrier in front of her mage. But this time the wily wyvern snapped its head sideways at the last moment, launching the spear at Calen. Ali¡¯s eyes widened as the spear ripped its way head-on down the stream of shining arrows. She dropped her barrier and instantly summoned another, catching the missile a hand¡¯s width from Calen¡¯s face.


    To her relief, she saw him roll away shaking his head.


    Ali¡¯s head throbbed. She redoubled her focus on the wyvern¡¯s flickering mana, guessing targets and summoning barriers at a frenetic pace.


    The mana within the wyvern suddenly switched, flickering to a different complex formation.


    ¡°Summoning!¡± Ali yelled, recognizing the mana shape that would summon a Piercer Scorpion. A circle of runes appeared on the stone floor on the far side of their protective wall, but Malika was already sprinting off in that direction.


    As soon as the giant bone elemental appeared, the Bone Spears resumed, and Ali found herself scrambling to block the deadly accurate missiles. She could physically feel the heavy thumping crash of combat behind her but found herself barely able to spare a glance for Mato. If any of these strikes got through¡­


    ¡°Another summon!¡± she yelled as soon as she caught sight of the mana shift.


    ¡°On it,¡± Calen answered, already aiming his bow toward the landing where the rune circle had appeared. But she didn¡¯t have time to complete the thought. As soon as the Piercer Scorpion appeared, and Calen¡¯s arrows illuminated it with brilliant white light, the Wyvern¡¯s mana twisted.


    Ali summoned her Barrier to protect Calen¡¯s back. The Piercer Scorpion charged in from the side, spear legs blurring, and Ali¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Calen dodged it, somehow. But, in the fraction of a second her eyes had been on him, the wyvern shifted his maw. The Bone Spear shot out in a completely different direction. Ali scrambled, summoning a new barrier, but she was a fraction of a second late.


    Ali felt the sting of her mana snapping as the spear impaled a Kobold Fire Mage through the chest with a heavy thump and a wet splat. In the background, her Acolytes twitched, but there was nothing anyone could do for an instant kill.


    She had miscalculated ¨C and it had cost her dearly.  Ali¡¯s mind was instantly bombarded with horrific bloody images of her friends. But the specter of instant death weighed on her mind as she summoned barrier after barrier, terrified she might make another mistake.


    But she barely had the time to guess the next target, there was no time to stop and think. Ali focused, tuning out her surroundings. It was just her, the Skeletal Wyvern ¨C and their magic. It fired and she blocked ¨C over and over again. Even amidst her flow, she noticed her intense study of the wyvern¡¯s magic was beginning to interest her Sage of Learning, and a small trickle of her mana drained into the skill to power it.


    The thought floated through her mind. She fed it a little more mana and slowly the construction of the Bone Spear spell began to grow clearer, making more sense to her focused mind. After a few minutes, she isolated the spell trigger.  Instead of guessing the target, she created her barrier in front of the Wyvern¡¯s giant fangs, intercepting the spear at the source with perfect timing. The spear shattered high above the atrium, spraying shards of bone into the Wyvern¡¯s face. It hissed in anger, even though the shards didn¡¯t seem to do any damage.


    The mana shifted, and the wyvern¡¯s jaws opened wide. Thick, ropy streams of dark mana swirled around its head, drawn into the maw as an ominous thunderhead of compressed power began to condense.


    ¡°Hide!¡± Ali yelled at the top of her voice, simultaneously broadcasting her intent to all her minions. She sprinted sideways to the safety of the wall. Behind her, the dense ball of mana exploded, and an apocalypse of bone spears flooded down on the landing. The roar that the shattering tide of bone made as it lashed against the stone floor shook the library to its foundations. Ali stopped behind the wall, panting heavily, and stared in awe at the raw power of the spell that was drawing in mana from all around. High in the atrium, the wyvern¡¯s head slowly turned as it scoured the library with slow, deliberate attention to detail, flaying bone from the walls and filling the air with billowing clouds of dust and splinters.


    Ali activated her new Inspiration skill. The drain of her Sage and the constant barriers had demanded a large chunk of her mana, and she was eager to take any opportunity to recover.


    ¡°That¡¯s number four,¡± Malika called out as she dropped off a Piercer Scorpion with Mato. Ali turned to study Mato for the first time since the fight had commenced. He crouched low to the ground in the center of the softly glowing rune circle as blurred blades flickered and flashed before him. His blood sprayed in the frantic exchange of blocks and strikes. Off to the sides, the two Acolytes fixed their gazes on him, holy mana surging through them as they healed him continuously. Unasked, metal clinked on stone and the lightning nova totems began to pulse as the shamans began distributing their curses amongst the scorpions.


    she thought, but it seemed to be unnecessary ¨C the shamans had taken the initiative and placed their totems intelligently.


    ¡°Ok Ali, kill them,¡± Calen called the timing, quaffing a mana potion.


    ¡°Fireballs, in order,¡± Ali said. Fire kindled in the talons of her first mage. Two seconds later, the second mage followed suit. In the back of her mind, as she supervised the delicate operation, Ali noted that, apparently, directing her minions didn¡¯t count as breaking focus for her Inspiration skill. ¡°Lightning Bolts,¡± she said. Brilliant lightning strobed through the darkness, accompanied by deafening cracks as arcs of lightning shot through the line of scorpions.


    The first fireball shot out and detonated among the bone elementals. The shockwave of concussion and heat slammed into Ali even from her spot near the wall. Malika darted in to heal Mato, dodging bone spears and darted out again. The second fireball exploded. The first Acolyte cast her biggest healing spell. The third fireball detonated. With the continuous storm of bone magic behind the wall, and the concussions and flashes in front of her, Ali found herself beginning to feel dazed. Certainly deafened.


    Another round of Lightning Bolts ripped through the scorpions, blasting scorched bone fragments into the air, and the monstrous elementals all crashed to the ground in a huge pile.


    The deafening storm of bone magic outside ceased and suddenly there was silence. A small flicker of yellow-white mana settled on her, and she found her Acolyte had cast a small heal-over-time spell on her. The soft pulse of its magic rapidly restored her hearing and banished the afterimages from her vision. she thought. At least enough of an injury for the Kobold to cast its magic on her. Ali glanced at her minion, finding the golden-scaled Kobold standing with her head bowed over clasped hands in the blue light of her runic circle.


    ¡°Good work. Let¡¯s go,¡± Calen said.


    Ali stepped back out onto the open battlefield with all her casters and settled back into the steady rhythm of blocking Bone Spears and calling out the summons. With her new insight into how the Skeletal Wyvern¡¯s magic worked, she could block much more effectively and the crazy headache she had earned earlier began to disappear. With a little more mental room, she began rotating her mages and shamans through the inspiration circles so that they would also have enough mana to last what was sure to be a very long fight.


    Malika


    As the last Piercer Scorpion collapsed heavily to the scorched stone floor, Malika turned her attention back to the darkness beyond the walls and sat to snatch a few moments of Meditation. While she waited for another summoned scorpion to appear, she reflected on the frustrating nature of this fight. Her role was certainly important, but¡­ she sighed. And to make matters worse, the boss remained flying high above the floor ¨C far out of her reach. she thought, at least then she might be more effective against the Piercer Scorpions in the future.


    ¡°Summon! Your side, Malika,¡± Ali shouted.


    Out of the darkness, a looming white and gray shape materialized. The heavily armored form stood motionless for a moment. Then it twitched and took off at top speed charging directly at one of the healers.


    Malika accelerated her body with a pulse of stamina into her Divine Step skill, reaching the huge monster in a second. She spun, lashing out with a kick that caught the scorpion right under the chin and she pulsed Soul Strike to enhance her power. It lashed out with blurring spears, forcing her to dodge backward from the vicious retaliation. She jabbed with her left, catching one of the spear limbs as it passed by her chest, and dodged backward just in time to avoid the blurring tail strike which kicked up shards of stone from the floor. She danced quickly backward, staying out of reach, and making the creature lunge after her. As soon as it was moving, she sprinted over to Mato in his restoration ring, luring the monster along behind her.


    Malika stopped beside Mato, ducking and dodging the rapid strikes without retaliating, simply waiting. The huge Bear roared and swiped his claws across the scorpion¡¯s heavy armor, his strike flickering with green mana. The instant the monster diverted its attention to Mato, Malika danced backward out of range, slapping Mato on the hindquarters, and topping him up with healing as she slipped away.


    She found her spot and sat to Meditate once again, facing outward away from the fight to see the spawns better. The orb of light floating overhead suddenly spluttered and died, plunging this entire side of the battlefield into darkness, lit only by the runic circles and the distant flashes of lightning and fire.


    ¡°Calen, light¡¯s out!¡± she shouted.


    ¡°Coming!¡±


    The shaking through the stone beneath her told her that Calen would be bringing another scorpion when he came.


    To her left, a few yards away, Ali¡¯s Kobold Acolyte stood, white robes and yellow scales highlighted by the soft blue glow of the Inspiration circle, periodically casting his magic. It was a remarkable thing Ali had constructed ¨C a way to regenerate mana faster in battle with a fixed magical construct. The Kobold¡¯s magic shimmered a soft yellow-white, and every now and then, he would bow his head as if in prayer or meditation.  she thought, studying the way the shadows around the Acolyte shifted and flickered.  Malika narrowed her eyes. It happened again, a shadowy flicker as if something invisible had passed in front of the blue aura. Quickly, she sprang to her feet and rushed closer.


    She was halfway there when she heard several wet thuds and something dark splashed across the rune circle. Two lithe, midnight-black forms materialized from the shadows, bone daggers flicking and thrusting.


    ¡°Rogues by the healers!¡± she shouted as she dove for the Acolyte in desperation. She arrived just in time to catch the healer as he slumped over. Desperately, she pulsed her Healing Mantra, but nothing happened. She dropped the corpse and lashed out with a straight kick to the first rogue¡¯s kneecap, hearing a crunch and a hiss of pain. She spun to her left and unleashed a powerful cross that clipped the smaller rogue on the side of his jawbone. She wasn¡¯t about to let them withdraw and regain stealth, but the rogues both turned on her, unleashing a flurry of dagger strikes. With four flashing blades, she found herself hard-pressed to dodge everything, grimacing as she was forced to block the dangerous slashing blades with her hands and forearms.


    Malika pulsed her Healing Mantra, closing her wounds. While she could dodge, and she didn¡¯t have to worry about Ambush, she was still being heavily pressured by the two rogues. Not like she was going to die or anything ¨C she could still heal, but she had a job to do.  She glanced around. Soon another scorpion would spawn, and she would not be there to catch it.


    Behind her, she heard Calen drawing his scorpion over to Mato and an idea suddenly occurred to her. Skipping backward, she lured her two rogues over to join the scorpions.


    ¡°Can you get these off me?¡± she asked.


    Mato caught on to her plan instantly, raking both rogues with his claws and roaring his challenge. A few moments later, the rogues were busy attacking him instead.


    ¡°Good luck with those fireballs,¡± she quipped at the rogues.


    Light bloomed out over Mato and the rune circles as Calen restored his magic. High over her right shoulder, she could see the glowing red of the firebolts rising to impact against the heavy bone plates armoring the wyvern¡¯s skeletal body.


    Out beyond the light, a new white, armored scorpion began to move among the bone-encrusted bookcases, and Malika sprinted out to get it.


    She collected the scorpion just in the nick of time, using a kick to distract it from trampling their one remaining Acolyte. Quickly, she dragged it over to Mato, depositing it in the kill zone, and dodged back out again once it was secured.


    With a moment of downtime, she sat inside Mato¡¯s aura and began to Meditate. Golden light flickered, glittery accompaniment to the heavy thumps and crashes of splintering spears. With one fewer healer in place, the fireball rotation they had practiced wouldn¡¯t work.  she thought, but she would drain herself empty doing so.  she decided. Calen was already bringing the fourth scorpion and they needed to survive this first.


    ¡°Ali, go,¡± Calen said, calling for the magical barrage.


    ¡°I¡¯m down a healer,¡± Ali objected.


    ¡°I can pick up the slack, which number was he?¡± Malika said.


    ¡°He was the second heal, right after yours,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Malika fixed her attention on the three remaining Fire Mages, careful not to get blinded by the ridiculous lightning strikes from the shamans. As soon as the first fireball shot out of the Kobold¡¯s claws, Malika moved. Three steps, she sprinted in, slapping her hand to Mato¡¯s back and pouring her healing magic into his burnt and slashed body. Just as quickly she dodged back out, barely avoiding the second explosion. The male Kobold healer had had this second heal in the rotation, so Malika dodged right back in the moment the second fireball detonated and healed Mato again. She dodged back out, a bit slower this time, getting her eyebrows singed off by the shockwave of flame from the third fireball.  She took a breather while the female Kobold Acolyte healed Mato through the next fireball. The lightning bolts ripped through the scorpions, and they collapsed amid slowly dying gobs of flame.


    ¡°Hide!¡± Ali yelled, and moments later the deafening roar of the Bone Spear breath weapon hammered through her skull and shook her feet.


    Malika had used up most of her stamina and mana fighting the rogues and taking double duty to heal Mato. She sank to the ground in the now vacant Inspiration circle and meditated ¨C hopefully, she would regain enough for the next round. She retrieved her only mana potion and drank it, just to make certain. She watched enviously as Ali deconstructed the scorpion corpses, wishing she could regain her stamina from dead monsters.

 Chapter 63: Tanking Fire and Bone

    Chapter 63: Tanking Fire and BoneMatoMato bit down hard on the bone-plated tail and dragged the scorched and cracked Piercer Scorpion corpse off to the side, straining a little against the enormous dead weight of the elemental. He was certain Ali wouldn¡¯t have time to dispose of all of them before he had to start tanking again, and he had grown quite partial to the glowing green of the restoration circle over the course of the battle. Having his spot cluttered with huge bone corpses would severely limit his options.


    When they had come up with the plan for this fight, Mato had been frustrated that he wouldn¡¯t be able to engage the Skeletal Wyvern itself, however, he was having more than enough fun tanking four Piercer Scorpions at a time. Between his Survival Instinct, his brand-new armor, and the extra heals, he was able to tank far more of them than he would ever have imagined. Such a vast difference compared to his first experience, being impaled by the tail strike and tossed across the room like a ragdoll.


    He returned to his spot, feeling the soothing pulse of the restoration circle topping up his last few points of health just as Calen appeared, sprinting toward him with a freshly summoned Piercer Scorpion hot on his heels. Mato backed up a bit and judged the distance carefully before charging. He slammed his armored shoulder into the giant monster of bone with a crash, stopping it dead with the momentum of his Charge ¨C right in front of the circle. Inwardly he grinned at how well the maneuver went. He roared, attacking with claws empowered by his Brutal Restoration. The monster responded with a vicious crisscross attack with both spear limbs. Survival Instinct gave him the vague perception that the attack would be high, so he opted to crouch low, blocking with his Bestial Combat skill and taking two shallow cuts across his back and shoulders. The attack had done little in the way of serious damage, protected as he was by his dense hide and Eimuuran steel, and Mato could already feel the healing magic of the circle and his Brutal Restoration repairing the wounds.


    he thought. Against these Piercer Scorpions he was rarely at full health, and, while the circle healed comparatively slowly, it was a constant source of health throughout the entire battle that had to have added up to an enormous amount of life restored.


    Survival Instinct prickled in his awareness warning him of a savage incoming attack. He immediately recognized the characteristic brutal violence of the tail strike and shifted to one side, avoiding the most serious damage ¨C a deep wound in his back leg was vastly better than being impaled through his back or head.


    Splinters of stone and a spray of his blood exploded from the impact of the tail strike before the wickedly serrated blade was withdrawn with equal force and violence, tearing further gashes on the way out. The soft warmth of the Kobold Acolyte¡¯s holy magic pulsed through him. She had cast a short buff on him which progressively healed him over time. He noted the similarity to the way his Brutal Restoration worked. Except the specialized magic of the Acolyte was significantly more powerful. He was not one to pay too much attention to the details of magic spells like Ali would, but it was impossible to ignore the visceral rush of health being restored before it was brutally ripped away again by a blade or a spear.


    Malika appeared, sprinting into view, a light sheen of sweat beginning to make trails and streaks in the bone dust and soot clinging to her skin. She seemed calm and intensely focused while her giant Piercer Scorpion shook the ground, trying to gain on her to impale her athletic body. But she was always just one step ahead and dancing out of reach, arriving in the perfect spot next to him to line her catch up beside the elemental he was already tanking. She simply stood there, body blurring to the left and right as she dodged the high-speed flurry of spear attacks, waiting for him to secure the monster.


    Mato didn¡¯t keep her waiting, roaring a challenge to the monsters in front of him. His roar didn¡¯t do much other than tell them he was here, but it felt right to challenge the monsters he was about to hit. He fed stamina to Swipe and mana to Brutal Restoration in a basic combination attack that had already become as automatic as breathing for him. His claws screeched against the hard bone plates, raking both monsters in front of him with a powerful horizontal attack, serving to deliver his nature magic to his enemies. His magic tore furrows and small cracks in the dense armor, fueling his restoration healing. Immediately, the new Piercer Scorpion switched its attention from Malika to him, unleashing a brutal combination strike that sent more of his blood spraying into the air. Malika¡¯s healing magic tore through his body briefly before she vanished to continue her job.


    He barely noticed her leaving, mustering his entire focus to tanking the two powerful elementals. He kept unleashing his Swipe, striking both simultaneously and relying on the healing to deal with the incidental wounds he was continually racking up, reserving his focus for Survival Instinct. It gave him a slight edge, but that was more than enough to avoid or mitigate many of the most devastating attacks.


    ¡°Hide!¡± Ali yelled.


    With only two scorpions collected so far, Mato knew they wouldn¡¯t try and burn them down just yet. However, he welcomed the lightning totems dropped by the enthusiastic shamans. They pulsed brilliantly in the darkness tearing at the armor and health of the monsters and softening them up for his strikes. His sense of smell, now powerfully enhanced by Survival Instinct, caught the strong pungent scent of ozone, reminding him of a sudden summer thunderstorm, clouds dark and air charged, waiting for the big strike of lightning.


    Beyond the protection of the wall, the deafening sound of thousands of bone spears smashing into stone hammered relentlessly at his ears, while his friends waited it out, trying to recover what little mana and stamina they could. He simply hunkered down, focusing on his foes, trying to endure it while he mitigated as much damage from their attacks as possible with his heavy armor and blocking skills.


    He dodged one of the tail strikes, but he was unable to avoid a nasty gash on his left flank as the second Piercer Scorpion¡¯s tail lashed out simultaneously. Warm holy magic flowed through his body healing the deep cut even before the tail withdrew. The pain began to ebb as the wound knitted itself shut. He added a dose of self-healing by spending some mana retaliating with his Swipe and Brutal Restoration.


    The pain in his ears suddenly vanished as the deafening hail of spears ceased. Within moments, Calen was sprinting toward him with the next Piercer Scorpion in tow. He locked it up quickly, and with three scorpions furiously attacking him, he shifted his focus to avoiding only the most dangerous attacks; the tail strikes and the occasional magical Bone Spears they could cast. The spears were the easiest to avoid, given the clearly telegraphed summoning for the skill, but he still had to be careful as the other scorpions would try to lock him down with furious attacks or synchronize them with the deadly tail strikes. Sometimes, it was all he could do to avoid getting hit in the head, relying on the hard-working Acolyte to restore life and function to his grievously damaged muscles and organs.


    When Malika appeared luring in the fourth scorpion, it took him several moments before he could hit it, as he desperately avoided a series of tail strikes and spears that threatened to end his life. She simply waited patiently, adding her healing to that of the Acolyte while dodging and deftly avoiding stray strikes in the dangerous zone in front of the scorpions. As soon as his Swipe landed, and he secured the attention of the new addition to his party, he began to prepare to endure the imminent explosive flame bath.


    ¡°He¡¯s landing! The wyvern is landing!¡± Ali yelled; her voice filled with surprised urgency. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A spear stabbed deep into his shoulder through a gap in the armor, punishing his momentary lapse of concentration. He winced, more upset that he had been distracted than the actual pain from the injury which was already closing from the abundance of healing magic.


    Calen¡¯s calm voice called out, ¡°Ali, fireballs, Mato, get ready to tank the wyvern when it lands.¡±


    Surprise in the middle of battle was a problem, but Mato felt his heart jump in excitement at the prospect of having to face the giant Skeletal Wyvern.


    Immediately, he spent some extra mana maximizing his Brutal Restoration heal ¨C it would continue to heal him for a while, helping him through the inferno, and even when he had to get the wyvern. With four scorpions in front of him, his Swipe damage would be multiplied by each hit and his Brutal Restoration would become that much bigger.


    The enormous shockwave of intense heat and flame slammed into his body, as the first fireball exploded almost in his face, bursting his eardrums, and igniting his fur. The intense inferno of fire magic burnt clean through his tough hide, searing his flesh, and filling his nostrils with the sulfurous odor and the scent of burnt meat. A light touch on his flank was all the warning he had before Malika¡¯s powerful magic tore through his body, reversing the damage.


    His vision flared to white as the triple Lightning Bolt tearing through his enemies blinded him with their brilliance. Still unable to see, he dodged, entirely dependent on Survival Instinct to avoid the vicious tail strike that lashed out from the chaos of magical destruction. A second explosion rocked his brain and body, burning his just-restored flesh. For a second time, he felt the surge of Malika¡¯s magic coursing through him, adding to the healing from his restoration, and the runic circle. Malika was working hard now that they had lost an Acolyte. Mato hadn¡¯t seen it go down, but he had deduced what had happened when Malika had dumped those rogues off on him.


    The third explosion detonated even louder than the prior ones, and he felt the potent flames ripping and burning at him with a kind of ravenous hunger.


    he thought. Having experienced their magic numerous times, he was beginning to learn to identify Ali¡¯s minions by how much damage he experienced, and the feel of their fireballs detonating in his face. The inferno filled his vision until the world went black, the fire destroying his eyesight. Blind and deaf, he was left with only the acrid sulfurous odor of fire magic, the scent of his own burning flesh and fur, and the urgent need to dodge from his Survival Instinct. He clung to Survival Instinct, trusted it implicitly to save him, and dodged sideways, feeling the crushing impact of a tail strike ricocheting off the dense steel protecting his shoulder. Sharp shards sprayed his legs as the dangerous weapon smashed into the ground.


    he thought, happy that they were suffering from the flames too.


    A warm surge of holy magic filled his body, repairing his flesh as it rapidly knit his hide together, and regrew muscle and tissue. The fourth Fireball synchronized with the Lightning Bolts and by the time he felt Malika¡¯s heal, his entire body and mind were dazed and battered. Dimly, he realized that the Piercer Scorpions were no longer hitting him.


    ¡°Mato!¡± Calen yelled. ¡°Wyvern! Over here!¡±


    Somehow, Calen must have realized he was blinded and was trying to lead him to the wyvern by the sound of his voice. Mato ran toward the sound of his friend, blinking rapidly to try and clear his vision as the pulsing magic from the Acolyte began to repair his seared eyes. In the darkness, he could barely make out the enormous mass of bone and teeth alighting on the landing before him.


    Trusting his instincts, and the healing magic of the Acolyte, he charged forward, slamming into the monster with a roar of challenge and a swipe of his magically enhanced paw. His strike hit something reassuringly solid, and his nature magic pulsed at once, beginning to heal him.


    If there was one drawback to his awesome shapeshift skill it would be the lack of ability to hurl insults at monsters like this one. Somehow, doing it in his head was just not quite as satisfying. In his rapidly clearing vision, he saw the giant head turn toward him and the glowing eyes transfixed him with their malevolence.


    The wyvern opened its mouth and a spray of five bone spears shot out in rapid succession. The first one splintered upon an instant golden barrier while the others punched through the sparkling golden debris and flying shards before striking him several times. He wrenched sideways to snap the impaling spears and attacked with his Brutal Restoration, relying on the dedicated Kobold to patch up the spear wounds to his legs and flanks. He was already missing his favorite runic circle.


    As soon as he was certain he had the wyvern¡¯s undivided attention, he backed up, swiveling the creature so it was side-on to the atrium and the rest of their group. He backed up to a bookcase, careful not to expose himself to the yawning abyss of the atrium in case the wyvern tried to knock him over the edge.


    ¡°Attack!¡± Calen shouted, his clear voice ringing out above the crashing and roaring of combat.


    With the monster now securely positioned, his friends unleashed their best attacks. The flash of lightning and glow of flames were the most prominent. Malika positioned herself along the flank of the creature, punching up a storm, remaining reassuringly close while she danced in and out to heal him whenever one of the spears shattered Ali¡¯s barrier magic and impaled him.


    The Skeletal Wyvern lunged forward jaws wide, rows of huge fangs almost a foot long reaching for him. He anticipated the attack and ducked under the cavernous mouth, striking upwards after it passed and throwing all his weight behind his Swipe. His paw connected solidly with the underside of the giant jaws, forcing them to snap shut with a huge crash, biting on air.


    he wondered, watching it rear back, recoiling its head from the attack. It was basically a giant armored skeleton animated by pure magical energy. His musing was interrupted by a premonition of intense urgency, and he immediately recognized his perception skill anticipating a heavily damaging attack and attempted to sidestep. A stream of rapid-fire Bone Spears shot out from the wyvern¡¯s mouth, the first two shattering on magically appearing golden barriers summoned in quick succession, while the remaining three punched through the shards and slammed into his flank.


    he thought soberly, thankful again for the skill that had repeatedly saved his life.  His high endurance made the pain tolerable, allowing him to keep his focus while the healing magic coursed through his body repairing the extensive damage.  he thought, wishing again that he had the additional safety of the runic circle.


    Mato¡¯s mind and awareness shifted into a zone of instinctive attack and response, block and avoidance, entirely focused on the enormous Skeletal Wyvern that dwarfed even his bulky frame. He read its attacks, studied its movement, always poised for an opening, or ready to defend against the unexpected. More and more, he felt himself trusting Malika and the Kobold Acolyte with his health, needing his full attention and concentration to simply avoid the most critical strikes. They had proven they could heal enormous damage, but if he allowed himself to be incapacitated, even briefly, he knew he would be instantly overwhelmed. Nobody could heal him if he took a spear through the skull.


    He mixed up his Swipes, focusing on getting through regularly enough to maintain his Brutal Restoration, concentrating only on keeping the Skeletal Wyvern¡¯s attention fixed on him even under the onslaught of magic and arrows that rained down on it from the side.


    The two bony wings unfurled and flapped downward, kicking up a haze of dust and pebbles from the ground and buffeting him with a sudden gust of wind. Mato¡¯s Survival Instinct went wild, screaming several simultaneous confusing signals. He moved instantly, based entirely on intuition. Two sets of wickedly taloned claws lashed out to strike at his face and shoulders, gleaming in the shifting background of offensive magical spells. The attack tore at his hide, scraping at his armor, each claw wickedly sharp and almost as long as his arm.


    But it was not over, for concealed by the talon attack, the Skeletal Wyvern¡¯s long, whiplike tail cracked through the space between them, tearing up chunks of the stone floor with a grinding ripping sound as the sharpened bone sliced through his flank, smashing ribs and sending him rolling across the ground in a spray of blood. He crashed into the wall with a bone-shaking jolt as two more bone spears impaled him, one through the shoulder and one embedded in his hind leg.


    In that moment, he felt the chill of fear and the inevitability of his demise. His mind questioned his sanity for facing such a powerful foe. At that instant, Malika¡¯s hand slapped his shoulder filling his body with the burning rush of her healing magic.


    ¡°I got you.¡±


    It was all he needed to chase the specter of fear away and he scrambled to his feet, bracing himself against the unrelenting ferocity of the Skeletal Wyvern¡¯s attacks. The wyvern drew back its head and hissed, spreading its wings. Its talons crushed stone as it launched itself into the air and, flapping its bony wings, it soared up above them returning to its place flying over the atrium.


    ¡°Hide!¡±


    At Ali¡¯s yell, they all turned and ran for the relative safety of the large bone-covered wall that served as their hiding spot, urged on by the thunderous roar of the wyvern¡¯s magic spears shattering on the stone walls close behind.


    Mato returned to his spot feeling the reassurance of the soothing magic of the restoration circle once again.

 Chapter 64: Fireball FTW

    Chapter 64: Fireball FTW- Delwin ¡°Boom¡± Cindershower, Gnomish Pyromancer.


    Aliandra


    Ali perched on a bony ridge protruding from the wall, simply staring vacantly into space while her Inspiration slowly refilled her mana pool. Behind her, and behind the wall, the storm of magical bone spears raged on unabated, smashing into splinters against the stone floor with a deafening thunder that filled the air and shook the entire room.


    Ali ignored it. It was all too much. She was exhausted. The constant focus for the entire duration of this endless battle had sapped her mental reserves and drained her. One small lapse in concentration was all it had taken for her to instantly lose a Kobold mage.


    Ali shuddered as her tired mind conjured unwanted images of her friends, impaled and bleeding. She just couldn¡¯t make another mistake.


    It hadn¡¯t helped that a couple of rogues had killed her second Acolyte. That had just ratcheted everything up several notches into the realm of insanity. Her remaining Acolyte was constantly running low on mana, even parked permanently in the Inspiration circle, and using its strange hands-clasped prayer-like skill to recover. There had been a few close calls ¨C really close ¨C where, if Malika hadn¡¯t intervened at the perfect time, Mato would likely have been crushed, impaled, or immolated.


    She had recovered a lot of mana by deconstructing the giant Piercer Scorpions, and now she was just using her new Inspiration skill to finish topping up her mana pool as much as possible before she had to wade back into the fight. Her mind drifted with the soothing shifting blue glow of her magic and the comforting sensation of her mana regenerating; like droplets of warm golden sunshine slowly filling her from the inside. The thunderous roar beyond the wall faded into the background of her awareness as her mind just drifted for a while. . She was a little surprised at the realization. It seemed like she had run out of room inside her for fear.


    ¡°You doing ok, Ali?¡± Malika asked, glancing up from where she sat on the blackened flagstones as the thunderous roar of the Skeletal Wyvern¡¯s breath attack began to wane.


    ¡°Just tired,¡± she said. She could even hear the creaky weariness in her own voice.


    ¡°Yes, same,¡± Malika said, hopping to her feet with a display of energy Ali would never have been able to muster.


    she realized, reflecting on the battle. But she had no idea where she would find additional scraps of mana to use her Arcane Bolts, let alone the time between frantic barrier casting, and coordinating all her minions. If she ran out of mana, failed to create a barrier in time, or misread the wyvern¡¯s mana, someone would die.


    No, without mana she would be helpless to protect her friends. This fight had been going on for so long that she had already consumed all of her potions. In the light of his magic motes, Ali saw Calen pull out yet another potion and down it, reminding her to rotate some of her mages into the Inspiration circles to recover their mana, too.


    ¡°Everyone ready?¡± Calen asked, getting nods from her and Malika, and a grunt from Mato.


    As far as she could tell Calen had been drinking a mana potion every three minutes ¨C knowing him, precisely when the prior one expired.


    ¡°I wish I could make another Acolyte,¡± she muttered as she wearily clambered to her feet, but nobody heard her over the final clattering of bone spears. Resummoning her dead Acolyte would take a lot of the pressure off, but she had neither the mana nor the time to summon even a single creature, let alone the countless failed attempts she would need to summon an Acolyte specifically.


    The incessant roar of bone spears smashing on stone faded to an eerie silence, all ambient sounds abruptly extinguished. Not even the crunching of the bone worms broke the suspended tension hanging in the air as if the whole world held its breath.


    The deafening roar of an apex predator, reminding its prey of their insignificance, shattered the moment. Insignificant though she may be, Ali summoned her barrier and stepped out into the open, fixing her attention on the great Skeletal Wyvern hovering in the air over the atrium. Specifically, the complex interplay of the mana it was using. The purple mana flame flickered within empty eye sockets as the monster turned its head to transfix her with a piercing glare.


    The mana swirling around the monstrous head and roiling within the enormous ribcage where the undead creature¡¯s heart would have been ¨C if it had one ¨C was darker, denser, and far more baleful in appearance than before.


    Ali recognized the shimmering and shifting mana formation that signaled a Bone Spear, again worrying that it seemed far denser, and formed far faster than previously. As soon as she saw the critical moment, she summoned her barrier to block it. The spear slammed into her magical barrier in an explosion of bone shards and a tinkle of shattering glass, sending the golden slivers of her magic bursting out in a cloud. She gasped at the sight of the second spear, fired right behind the first, flying through the airborne debris at high speed on its way to impale Calen in the back while he was distracted by a freshly summoned Piercer Scorpion.


    ¡°Calen, duck!¡± she screamed.


    Desperate to save Calen from the cunning double strike, she released her personal barrier and resummoned it right behind him. Barely in time, the golden barrier flickered to life, instantly exploding into thousands of shards, some of which sliced into Calen as he dodged to the side. A trickle of blood ran down his face from a cut above his eyebrow, but thankfully he was still able to run.


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± he said as he rushed past.


    The foreboding mana coalesced once again forming spears. Again, Ali had to use both her barriers to block a pair of spears launched back-to-back.


    It felt terribly vulnerable to be standing out in the open without any personal protection, but Ali had no other choice as the Skeletal Wyvern continued to chain-cast Bone Spears at a dramatically accelerated rate.


    The black and gray clouds of mana condensed rapidly within the wyvern¡¯s maw, with the telltale vortex sucking streams of mana from the environment around it.


    ¡°Hide!¡± Ali yelled the instant she saw it.  she thought as she dashed for cover.


    As soon as she and her minions made it to the protection of their wall, Calen called for fireballs. Ali glanced up, and to her surprise found that Mato was already facing four of the Piercer Scorpions. She worried about her minions too. If everything was coming quicker, they would be in serious trouble very soon. She began her Inspiration while instructing her casters to destroy the scorpions. As soon as they all died, Ali ran over to deconstruct as many as she could before the battle resumed.  Her deconstruction recovered a lot more mana than the short time she could use Inspiration.


    ¡°Is everything faster now?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Calen answered. ¡°I think the Skeletal Wyvern is enraged. Even the elementals are being summoned almost twice as quickly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± Malika said. ¡°Mato can¡¯t handle much more, and I¡¯m almost out of stamina.¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± Calen said, producing a pair of small yellow potions and passing them to Malika.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said, downing one and making the second vanish. ¡°Hey, are we even doing any damage to that flying bag of bones? Should we quit and come back later?¡±


    ¡°My arrows aren¡¯t doing much, but Ali¡¯s shamans are tearing it to pieces,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Yes, but we¡¯ve been shooting it forever,¡± Ali said. ¡°How much health does it even have?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Calen admitted. ¡°But maybe we can make it one or two more rounds and see how things are at that point?¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said, dubiously. The enrage and the acceleration in attacks were nerve-wracking, but if the others could continue, she would try to stick it out.


    They all fanned back out into the open space in front of the atrium as soon as the wyvern ceased its devastating breath attack. The Bone Spears flew thick and fast, launched in deadly accurate pairs, forcing Ali to scramble to block, pushing her focus and the capacity of her Barrier spell to their limits. Her jaw began to ache from clenching her teeth every time she barely caught a spear about to impale somebody. She glanced into her storage ring¡¯s enchantment, but she had finished the last of her mana potions long ago. She watched helplessly as her mana dwindled, like water flowing down a drain. And still, the Bone Spears flew unabated.


    ¡°I¡¯m running out of mana,¡± she shouted as Calen sprinted past her on light feet, with a Piercer Scorpion in tow.


    ¡°Hang on one moment,¡± he called out as he maneuvered his pursuer into a good position for Mato. A few moments later he was sprinting back out, heading for where another scorpion had already appeared by the remains of what might have once been a shattered desk. ¡°Here,¡± he said, tossing something to her as he sprinted past.


    Ever grateful for the points she had chosen to invest in dexterity, she caught the corked glass vial filled with dimly glowing blue liquid in one hand.


    Mana Potion ¨C level 12


    Consume: Gain 200 mana over 3 minutes


    Potion


    In between summoning another couple of barriers, she yanked the cork out with her teeth, spat it out, and downed the potion, grimacing at the sickly-sweet taste clashing with the minty flavor and the sensation of her mana pool beginning to refill. It wasn¡¯t a lot compared to her maximum capacity, but she would have to make it work. She dropped the glass vial, tossing it behind her, and scrambled to summon new barriers as the wyvern attempted to impale Malika. Back in the zone once more, she locked her focus on the flying monster¡¯s mana and chain-cast her barrier spells as she studied the interplay of the monster¡¯s magic against the backdrop of the continuous barrage of her minions¡¯ Lightning Bolts and Firebolts, and the periodic volleys of Calen¡¯s bright arrows.


    As soon as she saw the heavy streamers of dungeon mana spiraling into the vortex, she screamed, ¡°Hide!¡± She sprinted for the cover of the wall, realizing that she was down to twenty-three mana remaining.


    Once again, Calen immediately called for her fireballs. Mato bled profusely from several serious gashes and puncture wounds as he swiped at five Piercer Scorpions. Even to Ali¡¯s inexperienced eye, he was struggling.


    ¡°Five!¡± she exclaimed.


    ¡°I know, be careful with the fireballs,¡± Malika shouted, trying to be heard over the din in the background.


    she wished, while instructing her minions to begin the assault. As soon as the first fireball detonated, Malika danced in to heal Mato. She looked tired also, her movements slow enough that she missed dodging a spear strike to her arm and barely got clear in time for the second fireball. In between the blasts and flashes of fire and lightning, Ali could see Mato¡¯s silhouette lashing out with his huge paws, and being stabbed and sliced by the Piercer Scorpions who even now did not let up with their aggression. His fur was on fire and his body flickered and flashed with the colors of healing; blue-white from Malika, golden-yellow light from her Acolyte, and the deep viridian green of Mato¡¯s own magic and the runic circle. He strobed brightly in the center of the chaotic ball of fire, lightning, and bone magic that filled her vision. As the smoke cleared, Ali breathed a sigh of relief to see Mato still standing, a little dazed and heavily burnt, but alive.


    Ali dashed over and began to deconstruct as many of the corpses as she could in the little time she had available, gagging at the stench of burnt flesh and fur. But she powered through, knowing she would desperately need the mana for what was to come. When she was done, she turned on her Inspiration for whatever extra she could regenerate and turned to Calen.


    ¡°Thanks for the mana potion,¡± she said. ¡°That really saved me.¡±


    He answered with a smile, looking almost as tired as she felt, and tossed her another potion while downing one himself. ¡°Just in case. We¡¯ve got this.¡±


    As silence returned to the battlefield, Ali emerged to find the Skeletal Wyvern circling above, slowly descending from its usual place high over the atrium.


    ¡°It¡¯s landing again!¡± she shouted, her voice loud in the silence.


    Mato burst from cover, tossing an empty vial to the ground as his body twisted and stretched, resuming his Bear Form.


    As soon as his transformation was complete, Mato charged the Skeletal Wyvern. As he deftly maneuvered the giant creature into place, Ali arranged her minions.


    She had been shooting the wyvern in the air for ages, and yet the moment it landed, it stuck to Mato like a fly to dung. Undead were not reputed to be the smartest monsters, but Mato didn¡¯t have a Taunt skill as far as Ali was aware. She made a mental note to ask Vivian Ross next time she got the chance.


    ¡°¡± she instructed, sparking the storm of firebolts and lightning. The shamans immediately threw their totems behind the grounded wyvern, and, by her Arcane Insight, Ali saw the tendrils of the Lightning Vulnerability curse settle on the giant skeletal monster.


    She was about to use her Arcane Bolts for the first time in the entire fight when the wyvern launched itself off the ground with its wings and unleashed a near-continuous stream of Bone Spears from its mouth. The ground shook and bucked as the wyvern went on an all-out assault trying to skewer Mato with its heavy talons and spears while the wickedly bladed tail tore the flagstones to shreds, spraying chunks of stone in all directions. Ali immediately summoned her barriers, casting repeatedly into the hazy cloud of shattered magic and splintered bone. There was no finesse or strategy as she flung as much defensive magic as she could muster into the path of the deadly bone spears.


    A great pillar of yellow-white light bloomed from the Kobold Acolyte like a spotlight shining down on her as she invoked a spectacular construction of holy mana. Ali would have stared in amazement at the increase in power and speed of the Kobold¡¯s casting if it weren¡¯t for the fact that she was desperately trying to summon her barrier magic faster than the deadly spears.


    Ali instructed, eking a little more focus from who knew where to pay attention to the strategy of her minions¡¯ attacks. ¡°The spot she had selected, on the Skeletal Wyvern¡¯s torso, just under the left wing, suddenly bore the brunt of every single lightning strike and firebolt. In seconds, Calen and Malika both adjusted to target the same location. Bone splintered and smoking shards flew in all directions. Malika was fighting in the thick of it, heedless of the spray of sharp bone and the blood streaming down her arms.


    As their combined bludgeoning opened a hole in the outer layer of bone plate armor, and Ali saw the firebolts striking the inside of the wyvern¡¯s ribcage.  Recalling the strategy she had used so effectively on the Spitter Drones and Piercer Scorpions, she commanded her mages to switch to their fireballs.


    The three Kobold mages began summoning their most powerful magic, bathing Ali¡¯s skin in radiant heat while she still poured her mana into her barriers. With a loud sizzling hiss, the fireballs shot across the battlefield like a trio of burning meteorites, passing through the rapidly shrinking hole they had created as the monster tried to regenerate.


    Three simultaneous detonations rattled the Skeletal Wyvern¡¯s ribcage, igniting it like a bonfire exploding behind a metal grating. The explosion sounded muffled by the sheer bulk of its body, but its deafening roar of rage was certainly loud enough, accompanied by an explosion of flaming chunks of bone that scattered across the atrium.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Calen shouted. ¡°Now that was some damage!¡±


    ¡°¡± Ali instructed calmly.


    The great wings flared wide, surging with mana, and the Wyvern took to the air, leaving Mato slashing uselessly at the air and roaring in frustration. The lead fireball detonated on the outside of its armor, spraying fire everywhere. Mato and Malika had to dodge smartly. In the giant maw, the monster¡¯s mana began to condense, forming the terrifying maelstrom that signaled the rain of bone spears was imminent. Once more, the increase in power was palpable, visible as the wyvern inhaled mana from the entire breadth of the atrium, compressing it all within the gaping jaws.


    ¡°Hide!¡± she screamed, sprinting for cover, while at the same time her Storm Shamans unleashed their Lightning Bolts, ripping through the rapidly closing hole in the Skeletal Wyvern¡¯s armor, tearing chunks of bone off to fall into the abyss below.


    She felt a rush of heat on her back as the final two fireballs completed, launched high over the atrium as they shot toward the slowly rising wyvern. Both fireballs flew true, passing right through the hole to be swallowed by the monster¡¯s enormous bulk. A shockwave of compressed air and heat rocked the room as the wyvern voiced a shuddering roar.


    From nowhere, a flying plate of bone slammed into Ali¡¯s side, knocking her to the ground and shattering her arm with an audible snap. She cried out as her head slammed into the shattered shards of the bone spears littering the ground. Dazed, she desperately tried to scramble to her feet, but she stumbled again. She was vulnerable out in the open, and the potent spell the wyvern was about to unleash would leave her as little more than paste on the ground.


    As she turned over, Ali froze, staring aloft. From her spot, sprawled on the ground, she could see the vast bulk of the stricken Skeletal Wyvern weaving above the atrium, now spewing flame from various holes blown through its dense armor. Had the bone itself ignited? One wing was entirely missing, and the bottom of its ribcage had been blown away. It bobbed and lurched erratically as it struggled to fly with just one wing, and then began to plummet toward the stone floor in an uncontrolled spiral. Her eyes flew wide.


    Then, the wyvern smashed down with a ground-shaking thump accompanied by a strange clattering sound that she belatedly realized was snapping bones. It twitched once, twice, before collapsing. Thick tendrils of black smoke rose slowly from the crumpled heap of shattered and broken bones.


    The purple mana fire in the huge eye sockets flickered with one final, baleful glare as if the beast contemplated some hideous eternal revenge, before it was snuffed out. Ali¡¯s chime sounded in her mind.


    Distantly, she heard Mato¡¯s triumphant roar, and surprisingly, an uncharacteristically exuberant whoop of joy from Calen.


    Ali flopped onto her back and just lay there staring at the smoldering wreck of the undead dragon and the lingering remnants of flame that clung to everything. She was wrung out, drained, and could barely move a muscle. Her head hurt, and her arm throbbed with pain with every pulse of her heartbeat. Even from this distance, her eyes began to water from the acrid smoke and the sulfurous stench of Kobold fire. She almost didn¡¯t notice her Acolyte scampering over to her side, but the relief as the gentle healing magic filled her body and repaired her arm finally got through to her.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, glancing over at the Kobold, who looked very much the worse for wear, covered in soot with smoke still rising from blackened scales. The Kobold simply bowed her head and sat down nearby, her previously pristine white robes covered in dust and debris and splatters of blood.


    Even right through to the end, when Ali had been certain Mato would die from the accelerated ferocity of the wyvern, this little Kobold had saved the day by pulling off a powerful magic enhancement and keeping pace with the unfathomable damage output of an enraged dragon.


    Ali¡¯s friends emerged from the burnt wreckage of sundered bone, moving like wraiths through the haze of smoke, but the exhaustion etched on their faces couldn¡¯t hide the smiles.


    ¡°That was a fight,¡± Malika said, grunting inelegantly as she flopped down onto her back beside Ali. Malika had almost given Ali a heart attack several times during the fight when she had stepped directly into harm¡¯s way to heal Mato. A stray claw or spear would have been all it took to end it, but she had dodged everything, saved Mato, and waltzed out looking cool and graceful.


    ¡°You can say that again!¡± Mato said. He was still grinning from ear to ear, the silly man. ¡°I couldn¡¯t quite hold that wyvern, blasted wings, but you still managed to shoot him out of the sky!¡±


    Calen sat nearby, part of the circle, but kept quiet, just sharing smiles with everyone.


    It finally began to settle in her mind. They had beaten the monster. And it had taken outstanding teamwork, a healthy slice of luck and basically everything they had to do it.


    ¡°Holy sh ¡­¡± Ali trailed off at the sudden looks of alarm from her friends. ¡°I got five levels.¡±Her tired mind balked, refusing to believe it. However, the notifications didn¡¯t vanish as she half believed they might. She had really gained five levels ¨C and they weren¡¯t the easier early levels either.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°I think we all did,¡± Calen said. ¡°It was a raid boss, after all.¡±


    ¡°I got six,¡± Malika added, a little awed.


    Mato nudged her with his elbow, ¡°Didn¡¯t know we were in a competition?¡±


    Yet he sounded so chuffed for her that Malika¡¯s expression cracked into a grin, banishing the weariness. ¡°Next time, I get to stand around and slap their faces while you run around like a rabid rabbit, alright?¡±


    Focusing on her breathing for a moment, Ali let her mind clear. Each of her friends had the distant expression on their faces that implied they too were studying their notifications. Ali turned her attention back to hers.


    And if Calen¡¯s Explorer skill was to be believed, it was a boss for the dungeon and a raid-level threat. Not that Ali doubted it for a moment ¨C certainly not after experiencing the fight first-hand.


    Even her skills had grown dramatically, especially the ones she had been heavily using for the full duration of the fight. Three levels each for Arcane Insight and Barrier. Four levels for Empowered Summoner. And her newest skill ¨C Inspiration ¨C had skyrocketed too.


    In addition, she had fifty new attribute points. Thinking carefully, she spent five more points on dexterity, just for general usefulness ¨C for instance, catching potions in mid combat. Her most crucial skill in the fight had been Arcane Insight ¨C without the ability to see magic, they would have floundered. She spent thirteen points on perception, noticing a sudden sharpening of the ambient mana around her in response. The remaining thirty-two points she split evenly among her primary attributes: wisdom and intelligence.


    But there were reams of golden glowing text still marching across the parchment of the tome in her mind.


    (Choose an ally. Half of your barrier capacity will be reserved to automatically block any magic targeting this ally.)


    Ali sat up, intrigued and excited, reading through the options.


    ¡°Did you get something good?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°One moment,¡± Ali said.


    It seemed that she was being given the choice between two different directions. The first advancement ¨C Automatic Defense ¨C seemed to be directly related to her challenges in the battle to defeat the Skeletal Wyvern. It would free up a lot of her focus and attention by automatically defending anyone she selected.


    On the surface of it, she loved the idea. She had struggled to focus. The change would sacrifice half her capacity, and she had to choose an ally. she wondered. Part of the problem, and the reason she had struggled, was that the wyvern had intelligently switched targets if she summoned her barrier too early. If she picked an ally, what would stop it from simply blasting a different one? Oh, it may work well if she applied it to Mato while he was tanking, but how often would there be little to no risk for the rest of them?


    Her second choice ¨C Barrier Mobility ¨C seemed to have been earned earlier and only just unlocked now as her barrier had reached level twenty-one. Clearly, the requirements referred to her accident with the lake when she had blown herself high into the air and had to catch herself from falling with her barrier magic. It was there that she had learned to split her magic too. And ever since then, she had been using her magic as a stepladder or a seat. But there was also the reference in the unlock requirements to defeating a raid-level threat monster.


    She struggled to see how it might be useful in battle other than that she could move the barriers to adjust when the enemy changed their aim. Although, the more she thought about it, the more she felt that might actually be slightly better than the first option.


    ¡°What do you guys think about this?¡± Ali asked, sharing her two choices.


    ¡°You can fly?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Barrier Mobility gives your skill the Movement trait,¡± he said. ¡°That implies it can be used to move you.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Several thoughts collided in her head at that moment. It would not be the pretty wings she had so envied or dreamed of, like the ones her mother had, but she had always admired the people flying around the library on levitating platforms, flying carpets, or other rune-inscribed devices of cunningly wrought artifice. Or, if they had the skills, conjured wings and flying spells of endless varieties. And if she was hovering a few meters above the ground, how was a rogue going to sneak up on her?


    Without hesitation, she chose Barrier Mobility.


    Barrier ¨C level 21


    Mana: Summon an arcane barrier shield. The barrier is a freeform arcane magic surface that resists physical and magic damage. You can move your barriers freely.


    Arcane, Defense, Movement, Intelligence


    Eager to test it out, she summoned a barrier. Much to her surprise, she instantly felt a dramatically increased capacity, and she easily produced a horizontal disk of dense golden light a little larger than three meters in diameter.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± Mato said.


    She reached out with her will and tentatively pushed at the barrier, half expecting the stubborn immobility of before, but the barrier responded instantly, sliding sideways smoothly. She made it move up and down, sideways, and then even flipped it over. It was easy and remarkably intuitive. She simply willed it wherever she wanted, and it moved.


    With rising excitement and a little trepidation, she willed it to settle on the ground beside her and gingerly stepped out into the middle.


    ¡°Perhaps sit down to start?¡± Malika suggested.


    Calen added, ¡°And take it slow.¡±


    Ali couldn¡¯t help noticing all their eyes were on her.


    She settled down sitting cross-legged in the middle of her barrier and then reached out with her will once again. Without a hitch, the barrier smoothly rose about a meter off the ground. With her still sitting on it.


    Technically she was levitating herself with her magic, but she didn¡¯t much care about the distinction. Her short, useless little wings buzzed against her back with her rising excitement as she made a slow circle around her friends ¨C as if they too wished to help her fly.


    ¡°This is awesome!¡± she exclaimed, as her excitement threatened to bubble over.


    ¡°Go, Ali!¡± Mato chuckled.


    She sped it up, and within moments she was flying circles around her friends, unashamedly showing off, all the while laughing with sheer joy.


    ***


    S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 65: Discussion of Skills

    Chapter 65: Discussion of Skills- Kieran Mori. Orders for the ¡®Silent Assassin¡¯, Tala


    Malika


    Malika grinned at Ali¡¯s antics and contagious laughter. Despite her obvious frustration at the melee-unfriendly fight, it was hard not to get caught up in the relief that it was over ¨C and Ali¡¯s obviously unfettered joy of flying.


    ¡°Whoa, watch out!¡± Malika exclaimed as Ali banked sharply to the side and tumbled off her barrier, but Ali just laughed and got right back up and tried again.


    Ali had looked like she was about to pass out a few minutes ago, and now she was acting like a child who had just been handed a shiny new toy.


    ¡°That was a ridiculous fight,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°It sure was,¡± she agreed, as the three of them sat by the still-smoking wreckage of the wyvern watching Ali learn to fly. ¡°I could barely do any damage to the monsters.¡± Both the Skeletal Wyvern itself, and the summoned Piercer Scorpions had unreasonably dense bone armor, rebuffing almost every single one of her attacks. It was only with Soul Strike that she could do any damage at all, and even that had been a pittance at best. Her magic was restricted to the surface, to the area she touched. Unless one of Ali¡¯s shamans had softened the monster up, she had done almost nothing.


    ¡°Same,¡± Calen said. ¡°Half the time my arrows just bounced off, but you still got six levels!¡±


    ¡°I have no idea how,¡± Malika admitted. If there had been a way to calculate their individual contributions, Malika was certain hers would be right at the bottom. ¡°I¡¯m sure only Ali and that little Kobold Acolyte did less damage than me.¡± She had even been scared to check her notifications.


    She skipped past the stream of Kobold and elemental kill notifications again, searching for that final all-important kill notification. It was still there.


    So much sweat, blood, and perhaps even a few tears were bound up in such a simple unemotional notification. she thought, dwelling for a moment on the monster¡¯s level. It was more than twice her own, and a raid boss at that. Just a few days ago, there was no way they would have pulled this off. And even though it had been close, she was confident that they would have been able to escape and return with improvements to their plan and they would have been successful for certain.


    ¡°We should probably have run when the rogues ambushed the healer,¡± Malika admitted. ¡°Too stubborn or just plain lucky?¡±


    ¡°Pure skill?¡± Calen quipped, but his brow remained furrowed. ¡°You¡¯re right. It would have been expensive, but it¡¯s smarter to be safer and try again. We should do that next time.¡±


    But they hadn¡¯t, and here they sat, in an empty library of bone beside the still-smoking corpse of an undead dragon.


    Malika sat for a moment, just staring at the surprising notification she had seen earlier.


    The system had clearly and firmly disagreed with her assessment of her contribution to the fight. She had earned more levels than all her friends. She considered the fight again, searching for what it might have been.


    ¡°I still think I should have gotten the least experience,¡± Malika muttered.


    ¡°No, I should have,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Hey, when I said ¡®competition,¡¯ it wasn¡¯t to see who did worst,¡± Mato chipped in.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t get it,¡± Malika complained.


    ¡°Nobody really knows the exact rules for how experience is earned,¡± Calen said. ¡°Risk and contribution are usually touted as the most important factors, that and turning the outcome of the encounter.¡±


    ¡°But I barely hit anything.¡±


    ¡°You took over for the dead Acolyte,¡± Calen pointed out.


    ¡°Healing?¡± she asked. Could it be that simple? Only with her Relentless aptitude had she been able to stand in for the missing healer, stretching her stamina and mana to the limits, even with all her potions, Meditation in Mato¡¯s aura, and the occasional dip in Ali¡¯s Inspiration circle. Perhaps dodging attacks to heal Mato in the storm of bone spears and talons had done the trick? It had certainly been essential to their survival.


    ¡°Should be,¡± Calen said. ¡°Otherwise, healers would never gain experience on dungeon raids.¡±


    ¡°I know that. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Malika had never imagined it could be so much. She was still amazed she had survived at all ¨C even Mato had come perilously close to being crushed.


    Still, Malika¡¯s class benefited well from nearly every attribute, making the distribution of points quite challenging. She juggled her priorities in her head a little and then spent sixteen points on dexterity and four on strength to improve the effectiveness of her punches. For resources, she added eleven points to endurance and fifteen to wisdom. Survivability was always worth investing in, especially if she was going to be toe to toe with bone elementals, so her next investment was eight points of vitality. For her final six points, she split them among perception and intelligence, currently her least useful attributes, but still worth boosting a little. She should at least try to see a little better in the darkness.


    She took a deep breath and settled herself, finally taking the time to really study the details of her notifications.


    Now that she had Calen¡¯s perspective, the numbers made much more sense. Three levels for her healing skill. And the rest was a testament to how hard it had been to survive while delivering healing to Mato in the maw of the wyvern, or while dodging the scorpions. Still, the next section made her neck prickle with anticipation.


    Stunning Strike


    Stamina: Channel your energy for up to 10 seconds and 100 stamina, significantly increasing the power and weight of your next strike. You have a chance to stun your enemy.


    Physical, Melee, Strength


    Deflect Missiles


    Stamina: Focus your energy to attempt to deflect or catch an incoming projectile.


    Physical, Defense, Dexterity


    Second Wind


    Exchange mana to gain +  of the amount as stamina.


    Soul, Wisdom, Endurance


    ¡°I unlocked a new class skill,¡± she said, but even though her voice was quiet, Ali instantly stopped zipping around and lowered to the ground. Both Mato and Calen immediately perked up. she wondered. Having friends to discuss it with was so much better.


    ¡°Me too, but you go first,¡± Calen said, pulling out his notebook and a battered quill pen and glancing at her expectantly.


    Malika obliged by sharing her three new skill options. She also shared the Soul Blast skill she had passed on at level ten, because, after today¡¯s fight, she was seriously rethinking getting an area magical attack.


    Soul Blast


    Mana: Release your energy in a spherical burst around you, damaging all targets with Soul damage. Range: 5 feet.


    Soul, Melee, Area, Intelligence


    ¡°Stunning strike could be decent depending on how much damage it does,¡± Mato suggested. ¡°Although, I guess Soul Blast might be better if you need a magical attack.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I struggled today. Soul Strike barely covers my skin, so it doesn¡¯t work well against heavy armor. I was reconsidering Soul Blast because it¡¯s a ranged magical attack. Area damage would just be a nice addition,¡± Malika said. She was unsurprised to see Mato evaluate the damage skill offerings first ¨C he enjoyed hitting monsters.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like Stunning Strike would have helped today,¡± Calen said. ¡°It¡¯s purely physical damage.¡±


    ¡°What about Deflect Missiles?¡± Malika was ambivalent about this one. It seemed a little too specific for her liking, but she supposed it might have been useful to deflect Bone Spears. Not that she had needed to, given how efficient Ali had been with her barriers.


    ¡°You already have an evasion skill, right?¡± Calen replied. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t this just be doing the same thing, but worse?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Enlightened Evasion,¡± she answered. Calen was right, likely she wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge and deflect at the same time, and so she would basically be trading one avoidance skill for another one. Unless she wanted to give up Enlightened Evasion, which was definitely not in her best interests. Without that, the wyvern would have swatted her like a bothersome gnat.


    ¡°How many mana abilities do you have?¡± Ali asked. She sat cross-legged on her floating barrier a foot above the ground, which placed her level with everyone else. ¡°That Second Wind skill looks interesting.¡±


    ¡°Healing Mantra and Soul Strike are my primary mana abilities. Some of my defensive skills can also reserve mana, but I usually reserve stamina instead. I also sometimes switch to stamina even for healing.¡± Malika wasn¡¯t entirely certain what Ali was thinking, but it was clear by her pursed lips that she had seen something in the strange resource management skill that she had not.


    ¡°Wisdom is one of your primary attributes, right?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Yes, Soul Strike, Healing Mantra, and Perfect Body all scale off wisdom, and a bigger mana pool allows me to regenerate a lot with my Meditation.¡±


    ¡°I would definitely pick Second Wind, then,¡± Ali said, sounding surprisingly definite.


    ¡°Why?¡± Malika asked curiously, making an encouraging gesture when the Fae hesitated. She had been seriously considering Soul Blast to bolster her magical damage, but without that option, she might have chosen Second Wind only because it was the least uninteresting. Ali seemed to have a different take.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be spending a lot of points on wisdom anyway,¡± Ali said. ¡°You might as well get more benefit out of each point. Second Wind increases your options dramatically. You can already spend stamina for any of your skills, but what happens when you run out? With this, you can spend mana to cover the shortfall.¡±


    Calen made an approving grunt and nodded.


    Malika considered Ali¡¯s explanation. She had definitely had resource problems during the incredibly long battle. ¡°You¡¯re saying that Second Wind is like a reverse Relentless, only less efficient, right? It lets me spend mana for any skills even if they require stamina.¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Ali answered. ¡°If a fight is heavily focused on melee and you don¡¯t need to heal, you can use mana to supplement your stamina skills. It will also help you to keep your resource deficits balanced, allowing you to always get the full benefit of regeneration for both mana and stamina simultaneously ¨C even if the fight demands only one kind of resource ¨C so it works better with Meditation.¡±


    ¡°Aah, yes, kinda double-dipping,¡± Calen said. ¡°It looks powerful when you put it that way.¡±


    ¡°I like that,¡± Malika agreed. It would certainly give her unprecedented control of her resources, allowing her to adjust to any situation.


    ¡°Also, I don¡¯t think it will stay inefficient for long,¡± Calen said, looking up from his notes. ¡°It scales from both wisdom and endurance ¨C both primary attributes for your class ¨C so you¡¯re likely to pass one hundred percent efficiency sooner or later.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t think of that!¡± Malika exclaimed. That sounded extremely good ¨C if she leveled it up, it could potentially become far better than her Relentless aptitude. Convinced, she selected Second Wind and then activated her Divine Step to burn off some stamina.


    Activating her new skill was unlike any other skill she had. There was no activation cost or anything, she simply willed it and her mana shifted, becoming stamina. The process was remarkably easy and instant, almost as if the two resources were simply different sides of the same coin, and all she had to do was flip it over to make it work.


    She took her time, experimenting with a few obvious tests to get the hang of using it, and a few other ideas that Calen suggested. She discovered that Second Wind did not interrupt focus for Meditation, which was good, but also that her skill didn¡¯t count as ¡®paying for¡¯, or ¡®activating¡¯ a skill, and therefore her Relentless aptitude wouldn¡¯t allow her to substitute stamina and turn it into less stamina.  She wouldn¡¯t have even thought to test that one, but Calen wanted to know if she would have infinite stamina once her skill passed the hundred percent efficiency mark. He seemed a little disappointed when it didn¡¯t work.


    ***


    Calen


    Calen put his pen down on the notebook in his lap and pulled up his notifications. The white text shone brightly within his mind.


    Calen consulted his notes immediately. Following his charts he distributed his points: ten in dexterity, eleven in perception, and eight in intelligence. His investment in his primary attributes was lower than he liked, but he had to address his mana issues. Thirteen points went into wisdom ¨C hopefully enough to stave off some of his mana starvation problems. With the remainder, he put two into endurance and six into vitality.


    Trap Shot


    Stamina: Fire an arrow that immobilizes or impedes your target¡¯s movement for a few seconds. Duration: [skill] seconds.


    Physical, Ranged, Dexterity


    Righteous Fury


    Mana: Temporarily supercharge your mana amplifying all your magic by + . Your mana burns you. Duration: 30 seconds. Recharge: 15 minutes.


    Light, Intelligence


    Bolt of Light


    Mana: Fire a magical projectile of light from your bow. Shot penetrates armor doing purely magical damage. Does not require ammunition.


    Light, Ranged, Intelligence


    Calen shared his choices with the others, writing them each down in his notebook beside the other skills he had been offered.


    ¡°Wow, the system liked you,¡± Malika said. ¡°You got an answer for everything you struggled with today.¡±


    ¡°Except running out of mana,¡± he said. ¡°I used nine mana potions in that fight. But yes, it does make the choice harder.¡± That was nine potions just for himself, not counting the ones he had given to Ali.


    Calen would have loved to have a resource management skill, like Malika¡¯s Second Wind, or Relentless. In fact, he had been hoping for anything that might help him out, but all his abilities seemed to be focused on his bow and doing more with more mana. The skills looked strong though, so he wasn¡¯t upset.


    ¡°I like the Righteous Fury,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°Trap Shot would have been quite useful when I was luring those Piercer Scorpions up the stairs,¡± Calen mused. He could still feel the terrifying wind from the scorpions¡¯ spear limbs slicing at his back. ¡°But I think Mato might be right, Righteous Fury looks like it will work on everything, seeing as almost all my skills use mana.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to try out that Bolt of Light?¡± Malika asked. ¡°Ignoring armor seems strong.¡±


    ¡°It does look great, but I saw an armor-piercing advancement on my Arrows of Brilliance. I think I can take that instead, next time the skill advances. That should save me a skill slot.¡±


    ¡°Why not just try out the Righteous Fury skill and see if you like it?¡± Ali said. ¡°Mato and I both switched skills, you just lose any levels you earned. For a level one skill you don¡¯t lose anything.¡±


    Calen weighed his options, but Ali¡¯s observation was correct. His best information would come if he simply tried it out. He selected Righteous Fury.


    He got up and readied his bow. He made a note to check quickly when he activated it and memorize the improvements to his attributes.


    He activated his new skill ¨C and gasped as his mana lit his blood on fire. It wasn¡¯t literally on fire, but it sure felt like it ¨C it burned inside him, flooding through his veins with such intensity that he felt sweat pop out on his brow and his health decreased by several points. It didn¡¯t stop him from moving, but ¨C even though he¡¯d never been curious ¨C he now knew how to describe being burned from the inside out in excruciating detail.


    The entire room suddenly became as bright as day, with the most minuscule details of shattered bone revealed to his enhanced eyes even from as far away as the shelves on the opposite side of the atrium. That was over two hundred yards away in what had just been utter darkness.


    Quickly, he nocked an arrow, drew, and fired, shooting at a jutting outcrop of bone across on the other side of the landing. His arrow flashed with a brilliant incandescence and shot across the space, punching clean through the bone and out the other side without even slowing, embedding itself deep into the wall beyond. He gasped in surprise.


    He fired another two arrows in quick succession noting that his rate of fire was even increased, presumably because of his temporarily increased dexterity attribute. Everything that used his mana was more powerful ¨C including the motes of light hovering overhead. He tried his increased range enchant, finding that it too had been enhanced. In the background, he heard Mato¡¯s surprised exclamation and colorful comment about the piercing power of his new skill.


    After thirty seconds, the light dimmed, and the room returned to normal.


    ¡°This is a super powerful skill,¡± he said, more than a little in awe. The arrows punching right through the bone outcropping and into the wall without any piercing magic had been vastly more than he had expected.


    ¡°That looks nice!¡± Malika agreed.


    He checked his health, noting the amount he had lost was quite manageable, even though it was enough that he would need to keep it in mind whenever using this skill. The pain was annoying, but it too had been manageable.


    ¡°You looked awesome!¡± Ali exclaimed. ¡°Your eyes were glowing white, with little trails of energy coming off them when you moved. And everything got brighter, including your motes, and you had white mana markings on your arms and face.¡±


    ¡°It seems to affect everything,¡± Calen said, ¡°even my perception skill, and my attribute boost. I got faster because I had more dexterity. The only downside is the mana burns me, so I may need to stock some healing potions for dangerous fights.¡±


    ¡°And you can use your skill from stealth too,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Calen glanced at her in surprise. Hadn¡¯t she just told him he lit up the room with magic when he used it?


    ¡°It affected your motes. You had those out already, so it affects even stuff you had previously cast.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t noticed that little detail. That meant he could do the same trick with his arrows. He could shoot from stealth first, and then activate Righteous Fury while the arrow was still in flight. The same technique Ali had taught him, just with a new skill.


    ¡°You know, that skill looks a little like the thing your Kobold did with the pillar of light, Ali,¡± Malika said. ¡°Except, instead of healing power it makes him into a super-archer.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to keep it,¡± Calen said. ¡°At least I want to try it against a real monster sometime. I¡¯ll probably need more mana potions because this thing lets me shoot so fast. Super-archer is going to make me go broke.¡±


    ¡°We really need to find a way to make more money,¡± Malika agreed.


    ¡°I can help with that now,¡± Ali said. ¡°I can make quite a few good weapons and armor.¡±


    While Calen didn¡¯t enjoy the idea of his friends paying for him, he had consumed a bunch of mana potions to just remain relevant in the longer fight ¨C and he couldn¡¯t exactly think of a better way of making money with his own skills.


    Of course, he still tried Bolt of Light out because he was curious, but his heart was set on Righteous Fury.

 Chapter 66: Bone Spire

    Chapter 66: Bone SpireExcerpt from , Third Edition


    Mato


    Mato sat beside his friends, his mood unusually introspective in the aftermath of the fight. He enjoyed listening to their excitement as they discussed their various advances, even adding his opinion here and there. Ali¡¯s joyous laughter as she zoomed around on her golden disk made him smile, and Calen¡¯s powerful new skill made him look so epic.


    Mato hadn¡¯t even looked at his notifications yet. He had always considered himself to be something of a brawler, good at fighting and standing up for himself and his friends on his own power. A bit impulsive and hot-headed, as his parents always said ¨C or at least his mother did ¨C but he had always felt like he had to take care of things by himself.


    The fight with the wyvern had changed something for him, at least a perspective.


    he reflected soberly. On some level, he had felt the powerful anxiety of being forced to rely on others for his very life. However, over the course of the fight, he had slipped into an almost trancelike zone, where he felt like he had found his purpose. Particularly, near the end of the fight, when the giant Skeletal Wyvern had landed and was attacking with frenzied speed and power. Releasing his need to control everything and trusting his teammates to keep him alive had allowed him to focus all his attention on controlling the monster. He felt like he had become the core focus of the entire fight, the product of the entire team¡¯s strength, but in no way diminishing the power and contributions of his friends ¨C at least, until the cowardly thing had taken to the air.


    .


    In that place, he had discovered a powerful and deep sense of enjoyment, a feeling of testing himself against the giant undead creature, in a very personal and direct fashion, and coming out victorious.


    ¡°You¡¯re not usually one for deep, thoughtful moments,¡± Calen¡¯s voice broke in, lightly teasing. ¡°Get anything good from the fight?¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re not usually the one poking fun,¡± he responded with a grin. ¡°Let me check.¡±


    There were a lot of kill notifications for clearing the entire library, ending with the Skeletal Wyvern. After bypassing all those, he found the Class notifications he had been anticipating.


    Mato¡¯s attribute choices were fairly straightforward, if he ran out of health he died, and so would his friends. Ten points immediately went to vitality, followed by thirteen in strength and eleven in endurance. This covered his primary tanking attributes. Eight points went to wisdom because so many of his abilities required it, and then six points to perception to boost his Survival Instinct. His two remaining points went to dexterity ¨C it wasn¡¯t an attribute he needed much of, but some investment definitely helped him move quicker when he needed to block or dodge. Happy, he moved on to the rest of his notifications.


    His skill growth demonstrated just how hard he had been pushed. All his defensive and attack skills had leveled up dramatically ¨C the particular standouts being Bear Form and Survival Instinct ¨C his primary armor and avoidance skills. Even Arboreal Sanctuary had grown by two levels for doing nothing more than sharing his aura with Malika and siphoning damage from her when she popped in and out of harm¡¯s way.


    But there was more waiting for him. Licking his lips, he read on.


    Piercing Bite


    Stamina: A powerful bite attack that does


    melee piercing damage and ignores 20% of the opponent¡¯s armor. Recharge: 15 seconds.


    Physical, Melee, Strength


    Challenging Roar


    Stamina: Challenge your enemies with a powerful roar. Each enemy is Taunted to attack you and receives a reduction to strength. Range: 15 feet, Duration: 30 seconds. Recharge: 30 seconds.


    Physical, Melee, Area, Debuff, Taunt, Strength


    Noticing the expectant looks from his friends, he shared his choices.


    ¡°Bear Form got an advance,¡± he said, sharing his two choices. It looked like he was being offered one new skill that was usable when he was in his Bear Form.


    ¡°Those both look great,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Mato is going to pick the bite,¡± Calen predicted.


    ¡°Why?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the one that does damage, of course.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I think I like the roar better,¡± Mato answered, getting a surprised look from Calen. ¡°And no, I really mean that, I¡¯m not just messing with you. This time.¡±


    ¡°Why? I mean it looks good, but I¡¯m surprised,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Those Kobold warriors with their taunt shouts were very annoying,¡± Mato answered. He still remembered his confusion every time the Kobolds had made him switch. Putting a few points into wisdom had definitely helped, but he was still frustrated every time it happened.


    ¡°So, you were inspired by them?¡±


    ¡°No, I want to be just as annoying to my enemies,¡± Mato declared. He grinned as Malika burst out laughing. ¡°I can¡¯t shout insults in Bear Form, and I like roaring, I may as well get a roar with actual power. Besides, I get to be bigger, too.¡± sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to pick it for those reasons?¡± Calen exclaimed, looking flabbergasted.


    Mato let Calen stew for a few moments before he chuckled. ¡°The strength reduction looks very helpful for tanking, especially given how well adding armor worked, and an area Taunt will be very powerful too. I could have used being heavier against that Skeletal Wyvern ¨C plus, it was able to break away toward the end.¡±


    Watching Calen¡¯s expression as he realized he had been had was worth the setup.


    ¡°So, you do know how to reason properly,¡± Calen teased.


    ¡°Yes, but it was much more fun to watch your face when I said I was going to choose it just to be annoying, and because I like shouting at stuff.¡±


    ¡°You like tanking that much? You won¡¯t miss the damage skill?¡± Malika asked, her face still recovering from a good laugh, but her eyes held a note of seriousness.


    ¡°I think so, yes,¡± Mato answered. He considered the strange turn of his feelings, trying to find a way to put it into words. ¡°I felt alive trading blows with a dragon. Even a crappy undead one. If I want to do that more, I need to be serious about it and choose the right tools.¡±


    Calen nodded slowly. ¡°Nice Mato. You convinced me. Go ahead.¡±


    He selected his Challenging Roar and brought up the description for Bear Form.


    Bear Form ¨C level 20


    Stamina: Shapeshift into a bear. Your hide provides +691  natural Armor.


    Granted Skills: Charge, Challenging Roar.


    Nature, Shapeshift, Buff, Endurance


    Charge ¨C level 20


    Requires: Bear Form.


    Stamina: Charge at high speed using your momentum to check or crush your opponent. Range: 30 feet. Recharge: 10 seconds.


    Physical, Melee, Movement, Strength


    Challenging Roar ¨C level 20


    Requires: Bear Form.


    Stamina: Challenge your enemies with a powerful roar. Each enemy is Taunted to attack you and receives a reduction to Strength. Range: 15 feet, Duration: 30 seconds. Recharge: 30 seconds.


    Physical, Melee, Area, Debuff, Taunt, Strength


    ¡°Are you going to show us the new, improved Bear?¡± Ali asked brightly.


    Mato just smiled and activated his shapeshift. It drew a little more stamina this time, and the shift felt like it somehow took more work, both to adjust and warp his body, and to apply the shift to his armor.


    As soon as it finished, he realized why. His body was substantially heavier and denser, and he stood noticeably taller with his armor suitably stretched to cover a broader chest and larger shoulders. He clicked his fangs together and made a trial Swipe with his heavier paws, making sure to keep the blow way over Ali¡¯s head.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s going to be better for tanking the larger monsters,¡± Malika approved.


    ¡°Yes, if he keeps this up, he¡¯s going to actually become big someday,¡± Ali said. She was standing on the ground staring up at him from between his front paws.


    Unable to laugh in Bear Form, he just snorted and butted Ali gently with his head as both her and Malika broke into laughter.


    Mato took his new Bear through its paces. It would take a little to get used to the weight change and increased reach, but all told he was happy. he thought, already imagining a rematch with a monster just as ridiculous as the Skeletal Wyvern.


    ***


    Aliandra


    Ali swooped through the air seated upon her golden magical disk, leaving eddies in the smoky haze that swirled lazily in her wake.  As long as she could hang on to her barrier, that was. But the little she had invested in dexterity so far seemed to be enough for her to complete some daring maneuvers and quick turns without getting thrown off.


    ¡°Ali, watch out near that edge,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Ali answered, but she did angle her flight, swooping back toward the group. There had been a few tumbles, so Malika¡¯s concern wasn¡¯t exactly misplaced. After a few more minutes of attempting to bank in progressively tighter turns around her friends, she recalled that she had earned something else during the fight.


    The giant bone elementals had been terrifyingly powerful melee monsters, and Ali couldn¡¯t think of a single situation where she would rather have a Bugbear or a Kobold warrior over one of those. she thought. High enough to swat some flying monsters out of the air, she imagined. Certainly the Piercer Scorpions had been terrifyingly massive and she could use them as a wall, if nothing else.


    Eager to try it, she guided her barrier to the ground and hopped off.


    ¡°Done flying?¡± Mato asked her, clearly amused. ¡°You looked good ¨C you know, like a green-haired, flying magical bat.¡±


    ¡°Mato!¡± she grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll get back to it in a minute. I want to try to summon a Piercer Scorpion.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you got it? That will be impressive,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°I did!¡± Ali had lost count of how many she had deconstructed ¨C several dozen at least. She made her Grimoire appear and flipped the pages open to the brand-new chapter imprinted with the ¡®Bone Elemental¡¯. Presumably, it included the Spitter Drone as part of the imprint, otherwise, she would have expected the title to be a little more specific. However, predicting her Grimoire¡¯s behavior was not nearly an exact science yet.


    She channeled her mana into the Grimoire for several minutes before an enormous white monster suddenly appeared, towering statuesquely over her.


    ¡°Hello gorgeous,¡± Malika chuckled. It stood gleaming in the magical light that still illuminated the shattered battlefield, majestic in stature, vicious-looking, heavily armored, and dangerous. Then it collapsed in a heap on the ground with a loud crash.


    She stared at the large pile of unmoving bone in surprise, but no mana flowed from her, and she had gotten no notification of a reservation increase. It was dead.  she peered closer.


    She tried again, making a second one ¨C but it, too, appeared to be dead on creation.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this?¡± Ali grumbled in frustration. Nothing like this had ever happened before ¨C her Grimoire, other than the random variation, had always been an extremely reliable skill.


    ¡°I think your magic is wrong,¡± Mato answered cryptically, bending down to poke the corpses with his large finger.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You are a nature mage. Nature is the magic of life, creatures, and plants,¡± he answered. ¡°These things are not. They are pure constructs of bone affinity mana. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say your nature mana is incapable of giving them life.¡±


    ¡°Elementals are creatures born of a particular mana affinity,¡± Calen said thoughtfully, ¡°I think Mato has it right. It¡¯s the same reason you can¡¯t cast Fireball spells with your nature mana.¡±


    ¡°But I can create Fire Mages,¡± Ali objected. She had been so excited about making the scorpions, she didn¡¯t need problems with mana affinities getting in her way.


    ¡°When you make a Kobold, you¡¯re creating a living creature with nature mana. It is the one creating the fire mana,¡± Calen answered. ¡°It might be a little indirect, but it works. A fire elemental is more like a Fireball than a creature. That¡¯s probably why this doesn¡¯t work. At least, that¡¯s what I think.¡±


    Ali frowned, ¡°I was looking forward to making an army of them. I guess I wasted an imprint?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can find you some nature elementals?¡± Malika said. ¡°Although, that seems unlikely down here. Don¡¯t rush it ¨C whatever you do, Ali. Don¡¯t get rid of it yet.¡±


    ¡°Nature elementals would be nice,¡± Ali admitted, shaking her head unhappily. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll keep this for now until I find something good to replace it with. Does anyone want that wyvern corpse?¡±


    ¡°It would probably be inconvenient to sell,¡± Malika said. ¡°We¡¯ll probably make a lot more money with those fancy Eimuuran swords we found.¡±


    ¡°Ok, I guess I¡¯ll deconstruct it, then,¡± Ali answered. At least it was something productive she could do ¨C and she wasn¡¯t about to gain a worthless imprint for Skeletal Wyverns after deconstructing just one of them.


    Ali walked over to the enormous Skeletal Wyvern corpse draped across the landing and half the battlefield. She studied the surges and swirls in her mana for a few minutes as her Deconstruction spell ran its course. As soon as it finished, the great pile of previously undead wyvern dissipated into the surroundings, briefly lighting up the landing and the walls surrounding the atrium with an explosion of mana motes. From within the cloud of mana, a sizeable uneven spherical chunk of off-white bone fell clattering to the ground. It rolled about, coming to a stop against Ali¡¯s feet pulsing with an intense concentration of bone mana. Ali yelped and skipped backward, but it just lay there on the ground.


    To her surprise, the moment her mana pool filled from her deconstruction, she felt a sudden precipitous drop as Sage of Learning sucked away a large chunk of it, followed by the soft ringing of chimes.


    ¡°Uh, I did¡­ something,¡± Ali said, creeping up to the mana-dense bone sphere on the ground, simultaneously trying to understand her new notifications.


    ¡°Again?¡± Mato said, grinning widely. Ali frowned at him.


    ¡°Ooh! An essence!¡± Malika exclaimed, darting in, and picking up the uneven sphere of solid bone which was just a little smaller than her head.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°A powerful crafting component,¡± Malika said breathlessly, examining it closely. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if there¡¯s anyone in Myrin¡¯s Keep who could even use something this potent.¡±


    ¡°Good thing we have Weldin,¡± Calen observed. ¡°We can probably trust him to find a buyer. Do you think it might be worth enough to cover some of our potion costs?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes,¡± Malika said, her feet tapping as if she wanted to dance. ¡°I can get a couple of gold for this! More than enough.¡±


    As the others discussed the essence, Ali¡¯s attention returned to the other notifications Sage of Learning had triggered. Her Grimoire hadn¡¯t responded, so it was unlikely to be in there, but she looked anyway.  Just in case, she opened her Sage skill description, but she found no clues lurking there either. She racked her brain trying to figure out what exactly it was that her skill had ¡®analyzed¡¯ but nothing came to mind.


    ¡°Hey, I got something new,¡± she said, turning to her friends for inspiration and sharing the ¡®analysis¡¯ notifications with them. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, though.¡±


    ¡°Those are all the wyvern¡¯s biggest abilities!¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right,¡± Ali said, reading them again. There was one for the enrage, one for the ridiculous strength, and one for summoning Piercer Scorpions. ¡°I don¡¯t see the bone spear skill though. Or the regenerating bone armor.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Calen said.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t know what it¡¯s for,¡± Ali said, but Calen had at least pointed out the obvious connection between the monster¡¯s abilities, the domain, and her notifications. Still, the puzzle would bother her until she fully unraveled it. After all, she had got it by deconstruction and her Sage skill.


    ¡°While you¡¯re figuring that out, why don¡¯t we go down and check out the bottom floor,¡± Malika suggested, making the lesser bone essence vanish into her ring¡¯s storage enchantment. When the others groaned, she said impatiently, ¡°Come on, you lot! We¡¯re not going to go through all that just to miss out on some loot, right?¡±


    ¡°Coming!¡± Now that all the monsters had been cleared from the library, they had free rein to explore. At least, until the dungeon decided to respawn everything. Ali left the puzzle of the Domain Magic and the obscure notifications for later, ignoring the depressing thought that they might have to do all this again if the dungeon respawned the Skeletal Wyvern, and hopped on her barrier and flew off to join her friends as they descended the spiral stairs. She had never been allowed into the lower levels of the library and, as she floated beside everyone, her eyes gobbled up everything as she tried to imagine what it might have looked like in the past.


    Eventually, she alighted on the ground of the bottom floor and stepped out into the middle of the atrium. There, towering above them, beyond even the reach of Calen¡¯s light magic, stood an enormous spire of accreted bone. While it was pure white according to her mundane vision, her Arcane Insight told an entirely different story.


    Vast quantities of dense, dark mana billowed from the spire, filling the entire atrium with a cloying pressure that made her skin crawl.


    ¡°This was the Skeletal Wyvern¡¯s roost,¡± Calen explained, stepping up beside her.


    ¡°I think it needs to go,¡± Ali said. The spire gave her the creeps. Perhaps it was just the density of the uncomfortable bone affinity mana, perhaps it was the sheer affront of having something like this in the center of a space she had held to be sacred, reserved for study and knowledge. Either way, she was certain.


    She stepped up to it, ignoring the scattering bone critters, placed her hand on the enormous pillar, and released her deconstruction magic into it.


    she thought as her magic channeled for quite a lot longer than it normally took. But it was just the extreme size that was taking the time, and eventually, the entire spire dispersed into a cloud of golden motes of light, with an audible popping sound.


    She sighed in relief as the bone monument vanished, opening up the space in the atrium. As usual, Ali dismissed the bone imprint that had been offered several times already. There was certainly more than enough bone around for her to learn it if she ever needed it.


    Just as she was about to turn around, there was a profound ripple through the dense bone mana, and deep within the fundamental weave of the domain ¨C in the binding between bone and death ¨C something tore. It wasn¡¯t even just a little tear, the fabric of the domain ripped, showering the atrium with dark sparks that flickered and vanished. The giant ripple shot out across the atrium, up and out of sight as the entire thing simply¡­


    Rooted to the spot, Ali stared at the darkly shimmering mana as it unbound and dispersed. The atrium echoed with a sudden skittering and scrabbling as thousands of bone critters fled. There was still a substantial amount of structured death and bone domain mana seeping out through the walls, indicating that the dungeon was still alive. But the mana throughout the atrium and above lay in tatters, like an immense wound that bled unstructured mana.


    ¡°You broke something, didn¡¯t you?¡± Malika asked, standing beside her and staring out into the darkness.


    Calen whistled softly. ¡°You don¡¯t say.¡±


    ¡°Seems so,¡± Ali answered, not quite sure what she had done, nor what the impact would be. But she was afraid it wouldn¡¯t be good.


    ¡°I think I broke the dungeon¡¯s domain.¡±

 Chapter 67: New Quests at the Guild

    Chapter 67: New Quests at the GuildAliandra Ali stood on the threshold of her domain, staring out at the wasteland of bone and death that filled the remainder of the cavern. What had once been an ominous dark roiling expanse of hostile dungeon mana was now¡­ empty. Somehow, her impulsive action of deconstructing the enormous bone spire in the center of the library had triggered a chain reaction of unraveling that went well beyond what she could have ever imagined.


    There were still remnants, wisps, and smoky tendrils of bone mana wafting through the cavern, and small isolated pockets of death affinity emitted by the ever-present Blackened Deathcap mushrooms, but the malevolent structure that identified it as the domain of a dungeon had entirely vanished. Dismantled by her actions yesterday.


    Even the residential level of the ruins of Dal¡¯mohra had been liberated from the dark and depressing clutches of the dungeon ¨C she had seen no signs of any remaining mana weave or structure the entire walk back. In fact, the only signs that the dungeon still lived were the remnants of the domain that seeped through the closed library doors on the second level.


    Neither she nor her friends had seen any signs of Kobolds either, which was beginning to worry Ali.


    She considered the conundrum for a few moments while her minions shifted restlessly in the dark beside her. But no clear answers materialized, no flash of inspiration in the dark.


    she thought, gazing at the expanse of the newly liberated cavern. With fifty new attribute points from all the levels she had gained yesterday, Ali had felt comfortable spending a significant portion of them on increasing her wisdom. Her investment had grown her maximum mana substantially, but now her domain contribution had once again fallen below the maximum threshold, meaning she would need to expand if she wanted to gain the full benefits of her Domain aptitude.


    She turned around and surveyed the expanse of the cavern she had already claimed, smiling happily at the sight of thousands of tiny pinpricks of golden light rising from her mushrooms, and the jagged flickers and flashes of green that looked like hyperactive fireflies from the growing population of nature wisps that had settled in to live among the branches of her trees. They seemed to particularly favor the oaks.


    She had woken a few weeks ago, adrift, filled with grief, brutally disconnected from everything she had known and loved by the horrifying ambition of the Blind Lich. She had almost died right there, alone in the darkness, food for a wandering Sewer Rat. Now, however, she had a domain that spanned half a cavern, she had laid claim to an entire town¡¯s sewer system, and yesterday she and her three friends had defeated an undead Skeletal Wyvern in the heart of a dungeon and reclaimed the ruins of the Grand Library Arcana ¨C and, if she was reading the mana right, her destruction of the spire meant the dungeon wouldn¡¯t be respawning that monster any time soon.


    There was a long way to go, but she had everything she needed to grow her domain all the way to the library. She could plant trees here, ivy down the ventilation shaft, and mushrooms and moss through the streets of the ruined city. The only thing she needed was the time to do it. she thought. It was the longer route, but it would work too. she decided. At least eventually.


    She was being sentimental. Claiming the library had nothing to do with possessing a ruined building ¨C nothing in it was worth saving. She had done more than enough psychology studies to guess that it was probably a straightforward reaction to the trauma of losing everything. That her unconscious will was reaching to reconnect with anything that remained from her past life, and that the library represented the idea of stability, familiarity, and safety for her. But it still felt right. Her inner voice of practicality told her she needed to grow her domain to increase her mana anyway, so it might as well be on the way to the library.


    She turned back to face the boundary between her domain and the former territory of the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra dungeon and produced her Grimoire. She opened it to the tree imprint, spilling the bright light of her magic out into the darkness before her. She decided on trees first, to claim as much space as quickly as she could before backfilling it with the moss and arcane Glowcap mushrooms that would augment her nature and arcane mana. With her direction clear, she summoned her mana and began creating trees.


    ***


    ¡°That¡¯s looking pretty good, Ali.¡± A calm deep voice coming from close behind her startled Ali out of her focus.


    She turned to find Mato standing there with an offering of breakfast. Surprised, she glanced around, realizing that several hours had passed in a flash and that she was starving. She left her Grimoire floating in the air for the light it provided and gratefully accepted Mato¡¯s newest creation ¨C a neatly wrapped breakfast sandwich. ¡°Thanks!¡±


    She had made substantial progress, expanding her domain out to the cavern walls and stretching quite far into the space previously claimed by the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra dungeon. She had easily reached and filled the small cave with the ventilation shaft and even extended far enough to incorporate the source of a sluggish, brown, and frankly rather smelly stream that fed into the large lake to the south. All through her newly claimed area, the Verdant Moss and the Common Glowcap mushrooms were beginning to pour their nature and arcane mana affinities into the air to weave into the intricate pattern that still eluded her understanding but represented the basic structure of her domain.


    ¡°What do you think of making some open areas with grass?¡± Mato asked as he stood keeping her company while she wolfed down the sandwich. ¡°Or maybe some wildflowers?¡±


    Ali raised her eyebrow at him, her mouth still full of delicious breakfast.


    ¡°I told you I wanted to help you with your forest,¡± he said, grinning with a broad, infectious smile. ¡°You can¡¯t just make mushrooms for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°I got a new imprint chapter a few hours ago, so I could try learning something new,¡± she said. It was only one imprint, and she had many things vying for the limited slot. There wasn¡¯t a particularly urgent need to get a new kind of minion, but the support gear and weapons took lots of imprint space. Perhaps it was time to learn something new for her forest. Her father¡¯s forest had been an idyllic and beautiful space filled with gorgeous orchids, wildflowers, and rolling grassy hillocks. If she could create something even a fraction as beautiful, she would be ecstatic.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°I guess I also have the worthless bone elemental imprint that I could free up, too,¡± she said after some thought. ¡°What do you think is the most important?¡±


    ¡°Grass, I think,¡± he said. ¡°We should get that first. It has the most options for diversifying your environment.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said, a bit disappointed to pass up on something pretty like an orchid or a tulip, but Mato was probably right, there were tons of varieties of grass out there, and moss could only go so far to cover the ground.


    ¡°Oh, look!¡± Mato exclaimed with an urgent whisper, pointing off into the trees.


    Ali looked, seeing nothing more than a large oak she had planted several hours before. She glanced back at him, but his attention seemed captivated by something, so she examined the area more closely.


    And then she saw it. A scampering furtive movement, and a flicker of nature mana that darted along the ground among the thick roots at the base of the tree. A few moments later, with a high-pitched chirping squeak, a small shape shot up the trunk and out along the branch.


    ¡°Oh, goodness! Where did that come from?¡± Ali exclaimed in a whisper, staring at the furry creature scampering across the branches. The tree had not been planted long enough for it to shed any acorns on the ground, so the squirrel was snagging them right off the branches, popping them into its mouth with a tiny flicker of mana each time it collected one.


    She had watched it store several acorns in this way before she recognized the shape of the mana. It was similar to the structure of the enchantment that let her store things in her ring. Her eyes widened in surprise as she observed the squirrel tucking away vastly more acorns than had any right to fit in its cheeks.


    ¡°Is it using storage magic?¡± Ali asked quietly.


    ¡°That would explain it,¡± Mato observed.


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool, I love it!¡±


    ¡°I think the two biggest issues are light and clean water,¡± Mato said, hand going to his chin in thought as he glanced about. ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure how to solve that. But if you want to continue attracting creatures like the squirrel and those wisps, I think that aiming for a balanced environment would be an effective approach.¡±


    ¡°My mushrooms consume dirt and filth,¡± she said. ¡°I tried it in the sewers, they can clean the water a little bit.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we try it here?¡±


    Mato¡¯s interest and curiosity kindled a new sense of excitement within her. She had had her mushrooms for a while, but she hadn¡¯t explored how they might affect the water in the cavern ¨C there had always been more pressing matters to take care of. But now she had the time, and it helped to have someone to share it with.


    She summoned random mushrooms all along the edge of the dirty stream, creating a strange mystical garden ¨C a riot of conflicting color and mana ¨C and slowly, as the mushrooms began to work, thin streams of clear water began to emerge amid the muck of the sluggish, stagnant flow.


    ¡°That¡¯s really something,¡± Mato said, examining the results of their experiment closely.


    ¡°The Deathcaps seem to do the most,¡± Ali said. ¡°But I don¡¯t think they have enough power to fully clean the stream, let alone that huge lake back there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a start,¡± Mato said cheerfully. ¡°Perhaps we just need to find some higher-level mushrooms that can influence a bigger area? Or try different species and affinities?¡±


    ***


    ¡°Is there a bathhouse in this town?¡± Ali had made a habit of keeping a Cleanse circle active near her tent, and she used it regularly to take care of the dirt and grime she earned for fighting her way through Kobold-infested ruins, but the idea of a relaxing soak in a real bath sounded perfect after yesterday¡¯s battle.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Calen answered. ¡°It¡¯s over by the bridge near the city center. It won¡¯t take us long to get there.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we do that before we go to the guild?¡± Malika suggested, which suited Ali just fine. ¡°I mean, Mato, you have to take care of those bear-pits before your poor mother smells you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he snorted.


    The bathhouse was just as wonderful as Ali imagined. For a small silver, they purchased two private hot pools. One for the men, and one for the ladies. Ali stored everything in her guild ring, ignoring the provided containers, and then channeled some of her mana into the heating enchantments etched into the pool. She was happy to see the pool was also equipped with a cleanse enchantment, making the water sparkle with clarity. It also meant the array of colorful soaps provided were more for the choice of fragrance than out of necessity for cleaning.


    She climbed into the rapidly warming water and let out a sigh of pleasure.


    ¡°You too,¡± Ali told her Kobold Acolyte. She had decided to bring the Kobold with her to town, earning a few strange looks from passersby. The Kobold seemed initially uncomfortable in the water, but as it heated up, she seemed to relax.


    ¡°Hey, Malika,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Malika sat submerged so far into the hot water that only the top half of her face was sticking out with her nose barely above the surface.


    ¡°Is it always going to be so hard?¡± For most of the fight, she had been frantically reacting to the mana of the massive undead wyvern, but she had not missed the close calls: barely-dodged talons or bone spears blocked at the last possible moment. She had to save Calen from being impaled several times, and the slightest miscalculation would have lost her a friend. Even more terrifying were those moments when Mato had been impaled, or Malika had stepped in harm¡¯s way in front of the wyvern¡¯s claws to save him.


    ¡°You mean, fighting monsters in dungeons?¡± Malika said, surfacing a little to speak.


    ¡°Mmhm,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Ali,¡± Malika answered, her voice measured and thoughtful.


    ¡°What do you mean? You¡¯re the combat expert.¡±


    ¡°I have trained in martial arts all my life, but when it comes to delving into dungeons and defeating bosses, I¡¯m just as inexperienced as you are,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ali said. She had not even considered that she might not know. To her, Malika had always been the expert on everything related to fighting and combat classes. ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t think of that.¡±


    They sat in silence for a few moments.


    ¡°Does it scare you?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Malika answered. ¡°I think we should try being more careful in the future. This fight was hard, and we should probably have run away and tried again. Maybe get a few more levels and better equipment before we try something that hard again.¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    ¡°Ali, what¡¯s really bothering you?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help thinking that he put the dungeon there to kill me when I woke up,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°The Blind Lich?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali said, shivering for a moment despite the heat of the bath. The coincidence of him being a necromancer and the dungeon being populated with undead had been gnawing at her for a while now.


    ¡°Why do you think someone so powerful would care about a person without a class?¡± Malika asked. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be mean, but why would you be important to someone like him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ali answered. She remembered every word of the conversation between Nevyn Eld and her mother. He had craved her mana. Mana that he thought Ali had inherited. ¡°I saw him, Malika. When I was trapped in my mother¡¯s spell. He spent hours raging against it, trying everything in his power to destroy it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s forgotten by now,¡± Malika said. ¡°It¡¯s been three thousand years, right?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Ali said, trying to believe the words.


    ¡°Besides, we can just get stronger.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said. She was already far stronger ¨C but how could someone like her ever hope to become as strong as him? And how strong was he now, after all this time?


    She and Malika passed the rest of the hour chatting quietly, but mostly in silence. When she finally emerged, Ali felt renewed, the tension she hadn¡¯t even noticed in her small frame was entirely wiped away. Even her concerns about the Blind Lich and his undead dungeon had faded into the background of her mind, not forgotten, but not hounding her thoughts as they had been before.


    ¡°Let¡¯s use the fancy clothes Lydia made for us,¡± Malika suggested as they dried off. ¡°We can do a little more advertising for her store.¡±


    ¡°At least we¡¯re clean now,¡± Ali said, grinning.


    ¡°Better not to distract potential clients with our smell, you mean?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Let¡¯s go find Mato and Calen.¡±


    ***


    Mieriel glanced up at Ali as she entered the guild hall and then her eyes flickered briefly to the Kobold Acolyte by her side, before she reached up to touch her glasses, calming the frenetically flickering magic formations in front of her eyes.


    ¡°Hi, welcome back,¡± she greeted them with a smile, ¡°How can I help you all?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to turn in the Kobold extermination quest,¡± Ali answered, levitating herself up to a more comfortable height in front of the desk. Mieriel was once again wearing a stylish outfit Ali had never seen before, and she wondered if the guild administrator had ever worn the same outfit twice.


    Out of habit, Ali identified her, curious to see if she could see her level now.


    Ali was certain she had identified Mieriel before, and equally certain she would have recalled something as dangerous as mind magic.


    Mieriel¡¯s eyes narrowed, and tiny wisps of mana formations appeared around her temples. Ali experienced a sudden dizzy spell as if the room had lurched sideways for a moment. She caught herself on the table as she noticed the notification in front of her twisting and warping, but it returned to normal as soon as her mind cleared.


    She stared at Mieriel in shock, about to say something. Mieriel frowned, and her hand touched her glasses, triggering a much stronger burst of mana that made her eyes shift to a deep violet glow for a moment.


    ¡°You ok, Ali?¡± Malika had a steadying hand on her shoulder as she looked around in confusion.


    S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The notification hovered in front of her for a second before she dismissed it.


    ¡°I can help you with the Kobold quest,¡± Mieriel suggested with a light smile. Perhaps it was just Ali¡¯s imagination, but for some strange reason, Mieriel seemed tense.


    ¡°I like your dress today,¡± Ali offered as she moved to press her guild ring to the offered panel, trying to shake off the strange mental lethargy that seemed to have afflicted her just now.


    ¡°Oh yes, I just love Lydia¡¯s Allure, she makes the best outfits!¡± Mieriel¡¯s smile seemed much happier this time.


    Bronze Guild Ring ¨C level 10


    Owner: Aliandra Amariel


    Quests:


    Eliminate hostile Kobolds in and around Myrin¡¯s Keep ¨C 187


    Mana: Store or retrieve an item. Capacity: 11.5 / 25kg


    Ring


    ¡°Wow, you guys did a lot of work,¡± Mieriel complimented her as she tallied up the gold. ¡°Be sure to come back and check in with me when you reach level thirty. I can upgrade your ring to a silver-level membership. It comes with a lot more storage.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ali answered, storing the money pouch in her ring.


    ¡°I also posted a few new bronze quests on the board,¡± Mieriel said, right as Ali was turning to leave. ¡°If you guys liked the Kobold quest, one of the farmers reported a large increase in Kobolds last night, and he was hoping that someone could help him out.¡±


    ¡°Ok, thanks,¡± Ali answered, heading for the quest board.


    The timing was too exact to be a coincidence. Had her destruction of the bone spire and the subsequent unraveling of a large part of the dungeon domain caused this? Calen had mentioned that he couldn¡¯t find a single Kobold in the upper-level ruins on the way back.


    Ali felt a pang of guilt at the idea that she might have inadvertently unleashed trouble on some poor unsuspecting farmer.


    When she reached it, Ali glanced over the quest board, finding two new quests posted in the center. The guild hall was quiet this early in the morning with just a couple of people sitting at the bar, chatting quietly among themselves. The new merchant, Weldin Thriftpenny, looked up with interest as Malika approached.


    The first quest was a job posted by a farmer named Sigurd. Apparently, his farm had been attacked by a larger-than-normal group of Kobolds who had killed one of his pigs, stolen all his chickens, and set fire to a portion of his orchard. He was offering a reasonable amount of silver for someone to take care of the pests for him.


    Ali reached up and took the quest, wondering if she should be taking payment for a job to fix a problem she might have caused.


    Right beside it, her eyes caught the word ¡®mushroom¡¯ on a second quest, and she leaned in to examine it a little closer.


    It was a straightforward collection quest. A local herbalist was asking for ten ¡®Brown Stonecap¡¯ mushrooms. According to the listing, the mushrooms grew in mountainous regions or caves, and their minor earth magic affinity meant they were useful for creating armor potions. Potions which were now in short supply after the garrison had used up so many during the Goblin siege. The paper was signed by an ¡®Eliyen Mistwood¡¯.


    Ali thought, recalling her conversation with Mato. Perhaps it would be something she could use to clear the water even more. Even if not, it seemed the reward for this quest was rather high, so perhaps she would be able to sell some in the future.


    She reached out and took the mushroom collection quest too. Quest and job etiquette were a little complex it seemed ¨C and there was even a set of guidelines tacked to the top of the board. For general community quests, like the Kobold or Goblin extermination quests, the ring tracker was used. But if the quest was a one-off, you were supposed to actually remove the quest posting from the board in case someone else tried to do the same job. Not that there were enough adventurers in the guild to collide much, but still, Ali was a fan of good principles, and the rules seemed to make sense.


    Ali stored the two job requests and floated herself over to where her friends were browsing the guild store. Malika was still engaged in an animated and passionate debate about quality and economics with an equally intense Weldin Thriftpenny, in what seemed to be the closing arguments of an epic negotiation.


    ¡°I have three kids to feed,¡± Weldin declared. ¡°There is no way I can accept such an atrocious offer!¡±


    ¡°You told me you don¡¯t have family!¡± Malika countered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t, but it¡¯s the principle, young lady.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®young lady¡¯ me, I¡¯m older than you are!¡±


    Ali wasn¡¯t exactly sure how any of this was relevant to the pile of items and gold on the table, but they both seemed to be having a great time, so she simply browsed the shop instead. The converted meeting room had turned into a rather professional-looking store. Weldin had removed the entire front wall, leaving it open to the main guild hall, and it was brightly lit by a few well-placed enchantments. Ali found many of the items that she and her friends had collected from the Kobolds on display, but there were a few other things she knew they hadn¡¯t supplied.


    Front and center on the main display table, she found a collection of colorful potions, including mana, health, and stamina potions, and her personal vote for the ¡®most essential potion in a dungeon¡¯, the potion of recall. The powerful smells of caramel, mint, and vanilla emanated from the display ¨C flavors included by the alchemist to make the harsh taste of the ingredients more palatable. There was a nicely designed sign identifying the potions as having been sourced from the Pretty Powerful Potions alchemy store, where she and Malika had fought Adrik and Edrik to save the Gnomish alchemist with her shocking pink pigtails. From the display, it was clear that the two Gnomes had already forged a business partnership.


    On another table, she found an artfully arranged set of steel daggers and swords that she thought she recognized. Getting close enough to have to wrinkle her nose against the strong smell of weapons oil, she confirmed that each of them had Thuli¡¯s mana signature inscribed on them.


    Ali had initially been uncertain about the idea of a guild store, but it seemed that this Weldin Thriftpenny took his new job quite seriously. He was already turning leads into business relationships, and stocking interesting and useful equipment. Ali thought, considering the value of the new Eimuuran steel Arrows of Accuracy she had picked up, or some of the Bone Arrows. She resolved to talk to Malika about it, because, if she had to negotiate the way Malika and Weldin did, she would be lost in two seconds.


    ¡°The Gnome likes our Kobold gear. Says it¡¯s sized for proper people,¡± Malika declared, joining the rest of them. She was smiling, so Ali assumed the deal had gone well.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± she declared, tossing a pair of sturdy, but otherwise unremarkable, leather boots at Calen.


    Given his surprised reaction, Ali looked a little closer.


    Simple Boots of Swiftness ¨C level 15


    +5% to Movement speed


    +8 Dexterity


    Requirements: Dexterity 53


    Feet ¨C Leather


    Ali thought. Not that she would ever use anything like it, but Calen had been looking for potions to make himself run faster after their experiences in the library, and now Malika had found him a permanent movement speed enhancement on a new pair of boots. It didn¡¯t look like a big improvement, but Calen was beaming. ¡°I can use these and still drink mana potions,¡± he said.


    ¡°I also got these,¡± Malika said, deftly wrapping her wrists and hands with dark tan leather wraps. ¡°It seems our guild merchant snagged them in the marketplace, thinking he could butter me up with them.¡±


    ¡°It worked, didn¡¯t it?¡± Weldin called out from where he was laying out his new acquisitions.


    ¡°Next time, Gnome, just wait till next time!¡± Malika retorted.


    Weldin just chuckled and continued with his arrangements.


    Wraps of Accuracy ¨C level 17


    +8 Dexterity


    +6% to Accuracy rating


    Requirements: Dexterity 60, Unarmed


    Hands ¨C Cloth


    ¡°Unarmed gear is rare and hard to sell, so I did him a favor by buying it,¡± Malika said loudly enough to be overheard. And then more quietly she added, ¡°But yes, these are amazing for my class.¡± Malika quickly shared the remaining gold with each of them. ¡°I got five gold for the lesser bone essence.¡±


    Ali hadn¡¯t thought about it much, but it was easy to trust Malika with their money. She always shared it fairly and explained how she was working it out and where it all went when she spent it ¨C such as the two items she had just purchased. She took a smaller share of the gold, accounting for the value of her wraps.


    ¡°I found these two job requests on the quest board,¡± Ali said, retrieving the two pieces of parchment and laying them on the table for the others to see. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°You want to kill more Kobolds? Just at this guy¡¯s farm?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m honestly a little worried that I¡¯m responsible for that,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°You think it might be a dungeon-break?¡± Malika asked quietly.


    ¡°Yes, when I deconstructed that spire, it damaged a large chunk of the dungeon. We still don¡¯t know where all the remaining monsters went,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Unfortunately, the timing fits,¡± Calen said, confirming her reasoning. ¡°Also, this is a good idea,¡± he said, tapping a finger against the second job. ¡°It seems to be in the same location, so we can probably do both at the same time.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re good at killing Kobolds, I¡¯m in,¡± Mato replied.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Malika said. ¡°Regardless of how it happened, we should help the townsfolk. It¡¯s not like it was on purpose anyway.¡±

 Chapter 68: Tea with Lydia

    Chapter 68: Tea with LydiaAliandraAli walked up Artisan¡¯s Row by herself, enjoying the bright afternoon sunshine and the busy sidewalks as people went about their business. She was the subject of a few strange looks, walking with her Kobold Acolyte in tow, but familiars and pets were quite common on the streets of Myrin¡¯s Keep, so nobody made a fuss.


    Ali thought. She imagined it would be hard for the townsfolk to feel threatened by a healer dressed in pristine white robes, even if it was a Kobold and higher level than many of them would be able to accurately identify.


    Calen had warned her about the dangers of walking in this area after dark and she could certainly see why ¨C but her request for Lydia shouldn¡¯t take long and she had no intention of staying out late enough for it to become an issue. Even though the street was bustling with business and trade ¨C people rushing about on errands and such ¨C she could still see the signs of arson and crime in the abandoned, gutted buildings here and there, and boarded-up windows belonging to otherwise busy stores. There seemed to be a furtive urgency, an edge, to most of the townsfolk, as if they were eager to complete their errands before something bad came along.


    When she finally reached the quaint storefront with the elegant sign, Ali noticed that Lydia had found the time to have the upper floor repainted, lending the store a much more presentable face.


    She pushed on the door to Lydia¡¯s Allure, opening it to the pretty chiming of the entryway sound enchantment. Much to her surprise, the store was busy, with Lydia attending to several customers who were standing around in outfits of varying stages of completion. Lydia was fussing over a girl who looked like she was from a noble family. At least, the presence of someone who seemed to be a maid or assistant attending to her indicated a level of social status Ali wasn¡¯t quite used to.


    ¡°Hi Aliandra, I¡¯ll be with you in a few minutes,¡± Lydia called out without looking up from her work. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ali answered. She moved to a spot to one side beside a couple of well-dressed mannequins, allowing her eyes to feast on the delicate tracery of mana on display as Lydia wielded her skills. She hadn¡¯t studied crafters¡¯ skills and magic much. From what she could tell, there didn¡¯t seem to be a whole lot of difference between some of them, and combat spells ¨C at least by mana construction. Much of what Lydia was doing appeared to be some kind of perception skill ¨C at least there was a lot of magical energy centered on her eyes as she worked ¨C but there were also subtle flickers and wisps of mana around her fingers and the needle she wielded with such uncanny deftness and speed.


    ¡°So, Lydia dear, did you hear about that nasty business the other day?¡±


    The well-dressed woman who spoke sat primly upright in a large brown leather-covered chair surveying the work. She spoke with an affected high-class accent and Ali assumed she was the girl¡¯s mother, judging by the similarities in their eyes and cheekbones. The strong scent of an expensive rose oil infusion wafted out from their direction.


    ¡°Which business would that be, my lady?¡± Lydia asked respectfully, confirming Ali¡¯s guess that they were some kind of nobility or well-to-do.


    ¡°It seems that some ruffians killed two of the Town Watch down near the market. I was horrified!¡±


    ¡°That sounds awful,¡± Lydia answered, her fingers flickering with speed as she sewed a seam. Ali blinked. Those stitches were so fine and precise, it almost looked like the seam chose to weave itself together.


    ¡°Yes, Adrik and Edrik. Nice young lads. Who is going to keep this town safe now that people are killing the Watch left and right?¡±


    Ali clenched her jaw. They had been looting the alchemy shop while the owner, Morwynne, bled out on the street.


    ¡°That¡¯s horrible, your family must be so scared,¡± Lydia answered, finishing up a few more trims.


    ¡°I know, I was just telling my sister-in-law, Agnes, I¡¯m not sure we can stay here in Myrin¡¯s Keep anymore. It¡¯s too dangerous. What happens if Cordelia gets attacked at school by these ruffians? It¡¯s just lawless out there! Don¡¯t tell anyone I said this, but we¡¯ve been thinking of moving back to the capital.¡±


    Ali just stood in stunned silence, listening to the misguided discussion, her pulse throbbing in her temples. Calen had mentioned several times that Adrik and Edrik had visited this very store, in their usual aggressive fashion. Ali just couldn¡¯t fathom it.


    Lydia nodded. ¡°I hear Southport is beautiful at this time of year. There, is that how you wanted it?¡± She gestured to the outfit the girl was wearing. ¡°Turn around Cordelia and show your mother the back.¡±


    The girl took a few turns while everyone watched.


    ¡°Oh, my, that is perfect!¡± The mother exclaimed. ¡°Lydia, your work is exquisite! I will miss you in Southport.¡±


    Ali dropped into a chair, fuming, while Lydia settled up and finished with the last few waiting customers.


    Finally, Lydia turned to her and said, ¡°Sorry about that, it got really busy. How can I help you, Aliandra?¡±


    ¡°What was that about? Don¡¯t you know how horrible Adrik and Edrik were?¡± Ali said, her voice perhaps a little louder than was polite. It was really none of her business, but the conversation had really rankled her. She had put her life on the line and saved Morwynne and helped put an end to Malika¡¯s misery at the hands of those two. Her business or not, she simply couldn¡¯t abide listening to them talking about it like she was the criminal.


    ¡°I see,¡± Lydia said, pressing her lips together. ¡°Would you like some tea? I want some tea.¡±


    Ali stared at her, nonplussed. The drastic change of subject took her completely by surprise, and without waiting for an answer Lydia vanished into a back room, emerging with a steaming teapot and an elaborately carved dark wooden tea caddy. The silence as Lydia selected the tea leaves and set them to steeping didn¡¯t seem to bother the woman in the slightest. It was only when the aromatic scent of brewing tea reached Ali¡¯s nostrils that the tailor looked up at her.


    ¡°I had heard that two girls from the Adventurers Guild had killed Adrik and Edrik. Not a lot of possibilities there, it was you and Malika, wasn¡¯t it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali said, defiantly meeting her gaze. ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Lydia¡¯s interruption left her speechless, struggling to find the right words, all her carefully prepared rebuttals collapsing like a precarious pile of wood under a stiff breeze.


    ¡°Look, Aliandra, that lady is a noble. The Town Watch doesn¡¯t beat up nobles, so she has no idea what is really going on here in Myrin¡¯s Keep. Especially not with their blue-eyed darling hero, Roderik Icecrown, waxing poetic about the gallantry of the Watch at every noble gathering.¡± Lydia¡¯s eyes were hard as she reached over to begin pouring tea into two small white porcelain cups adorned with delicately hand-painted pink cherry blossoms.


    ¡°Those two beat me up simply because they could. I had already paid them, but they weren¡¯t entertained enough, I suppose. I had to wait for Calen to come home so he could carry me to the temple for healing. Most of this town is grateful to you for ridding us of those two sadistic bastards. I am personally grateful.¡±


    ¡°But then¡­ why?¡± Ali said, not quite following the sudden reversal.


    ¡°The nobles? They are my customers. If I try to correct their preconceived ideas, I might be successful at changing their minds. Most likely not. But I wouldn¡¯t get their business either way. It¡¯s better to let them talk and make their clothes and let them be on their way.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you do that,¡± Ali finally conceded. ¡°I would be so upset with them.¡± She took a sip from her cup, finding the aroma to be surprisingly relaxing.


    ¡°I know, I do get upset. I¡¯ve just learned to hide it. I¡¯m sure a better person would be able to do something about it, but I have bills to pay, and even though Adrik and Edrik are gone, the Town Watch will still collect their protection money as long as Kieran Mori is at the helm.¡±


    Ali took note of the name, one Malika had discussed a number of times before. The spear rogue responsible for tossing her and Mato down into the ruins.


    Lydia took a deep breath and smiled. ¡°Speaking of business, I wanted to thank you, and Malika in particular, for what you did at Laurel¡¯s Caf¨¦. My store has become an overnight sensation ever since you went there. I heard some of the stories via the grapevine. People were raving about these important folk from out of town that paid a gold for lunch without thinking and had shopped at my store.¡± She chuckled as if the previous topic had already been forgotten.


    Ali smiled. ¡°That was Malika¡¯s idea. I would have saved the change to give back to you.¡±


    ¡°Smart girl, that. I¡¯ve made that gold back many times over already,¡± Lydia smiled. Then she gazed at Ali over her teacup for a moment and asked, ¡°So, what happened yesterday?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I gained two levels out of the blue. My regular clientele never does anything risky if they can help it. It should take me many months or even a year to gain a level, let alone two. It had to have been you. You¡¯re wearing my only piece of combat armor. You did something, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Ali identified her.


    ¡°We defeated a level thirty-seven raid boss in a dungeon deep beneath Myrin¡¯s Keep. It would have been early evening I think,¡± Ali admitted.


    ¡°Well, that explains it,¡± Lydia said, her lips pursed as she took a thoughtful sip of her tea. ¡°I¡¯ve never leveled so fast in my life ¨C thank you! I hope it wasn¡¯t too dangerous?¡±


    ¡°It was pretty bad, but we made it.¡±


    Lydia had explained her mana signature and the way it allowed the wearer of her work to ¡®tithe¡¯ extra experience to the crafter, but Ali had not expected it to have such a dramatic effect. According to the enchantment, Ali had been awarded extra experience in the encounter with the Skeletal Wyvern, and the excess had been given to Lydia, proportional to the value her armor had provided. It seemed that it was related to exposure to risk, not necessarily from being hit, otherwise Mato would be getting all the experience.


    ¡°Anyway, I assume you want to update your armor, seeing as you leveled a lot?¡± Lydia asked, her eyes sparkling with interest.


    ¡°Mmm, yes, please. I also had a few questions for you,¡± Ali said, moving on to the reason she had sought Lydia out. ¡°I found these in the dungeon. I was wondering if you could duplicate the enchantments for me?¡± She was restricted to whatever had been inscribed in her Grimoire, and now that she had a wider variety of minions, Ali was beginning to see the potential value of custom crafting.


    Ali retrieved a few Simple Robes she had learned to make from the higher-level Bone Mages and Acolytes they had encountered in the library. ¡°I¡¯m particularly interested in this healing power enchantment,¡± Ali added, pointing to her Kobold Acolyte standing next to the wall nearby. ¡°This is one of my summoned creatures. If you can make gear with this enchantment, I¡¯d like to equip my monsters too.¡± Ali wasn¡¯t sure how tithing experience through the mana signature would work when used on a minion, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to try.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t make any adventurer enchantments yet,¡± Lydia answered, handing the robe back, with an apologetic frown on her face.


    ¡°What would it take to learn it?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Normally, training at the Guild of Tailors. Or perhaps a book, but neither of those two options are available to me,¡± she said.


    ¡°Is that the only way?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s theoretically possible to learn enchantments by studying the item, but the process will destroy it. Also, it will undoubtedly take several tries before I¡¯d be successful, which is why it¡¯s rarely done that way; nobody wants to give up a decent or expensive item to a process like that.¡±


    ¡°How many?¡±


    Lydia glanced at her with a confused expression flickering across her face. ¡°How many what?¡±


    ¡°How many robes do you need to learn the enchant?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve never tried it before. Maybe a couple?¡±


    Ali retrieved two more of the robes and put them in a pile on the table, next to the tea. ¡°Let me know if you need more.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? You can probably sell these for a lot of money.¡± Lydia seemed quite surprised by Ali¡¯s request, and her insistence.


    Even though there was nobody else in the store, Ali lowered her voice. ¡°I can duplicate items if I have enough of them to learn from. I can make as many of these as you need. It just takes time and mana.¡±


    Lydia nodded, now seeming more sure of herself. ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll study them and see what I can learn.¡± She straightened the pile of robes and put them on the desk. ¡°Please don¡¯t share that we¡¯re doing this too widely. I¡¯d like to avoid the attention of the Guild of Tailors.¡±


    ¡°Ok. One more thing,¡± Ali added. ¡°Can I commission a couple more sets of your cloth armor? A few in her size,¡± Ali pointed to her Kobold. ¡°And a higher-level one for me, if possible. Oh, and I have money this time, so I can pay for your work properly.¡±


    ¡°Definitely,¡± Lydia answered, quickly measuring the Kobold, and jotting down a few notes with an elaborate quill pen. ¡°Is tomorrow ok? I have quite a few orders to work on.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect,¡± Ali answered. Thanking her, she took her leave and headed back to meet the others.


    ***


    Having met up with Calen and the others at the guild as agreed, they followed him as he led them across town to the outskirts of the Western Quarter. It seemed to be a quieter neighborhood, without much of the bustle and business that was common nearer to the center of town.


    The house itself was recessed quite far from the street, and the golden late afternoon sunlight highlighted a lush and dense garden full of trees, well-tended bushes, and a soft trickle of water. There was a low wooden fence with a small gate, upon which an elegantly painted sign read: The fence and the sign were grown through with climbing roses blooming in delicate shades of red and pink, looking for all the world like they had chosen to grow in a way that didn¡¯t obscure the sign, rather than having needed to be trimmed back.


    Ali entered through the gate and found herself on a narrow path of moss-wreathed flat brown stones meandering through the garden, curling lazily around trees and bushes, and even a small waterfall with a pond that tinkled merrily. Every open space was covered with a tiny herb, shrub, or flower, filling the air with a complex medley of aromas and scents. Everything seemed to just grow haphazardly like it had simply been tossed into the air and grew wherever it landed. And yet, the master planner¡¯s intent came through clearly as every bush and flower conspired to create a harmonious whole.


    ¡°Are you getting some ideas for your forest?¡± Mato asked, his voice and broad grin breaking her entranced spell.


    Ali realized that she had been so taken by the garden that she had even stopped walking. A little embarrassed by her distraction, she resumed heading down the path.


    ¡°It¡¯s really beautiful,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°Yes, whoever made this is extraordinarily skilled. As far as I can tell, every plant here is useful for some tincture or potion. Or cooking.¡± He pointed out a few herbs he had noticed as they passed. At least half the plants Ali could see had some kind of mana affinity, and even those seemed to blend elegantly.


    The house itself was covered with climbing roses and a wisteria grew across the wooden doorway providing a beautiful purple archway. An elegantly handwritten sign ¨C in both Common and the flowing script of Elvish ¨C hung on the door: .


    As Ali opened the door, a soft rush of wind set a cluster of chimes to ringing delicately in the open room. The wind was clearly magical, but the chimes were simply delicately crafted metal tubes, hanging from a string. It was like stepping into a greenhouse, the room was filled with planters across the windows and attached to the walls where others might have installed decorations and shelves. Hanging from the ceiling were more plants and every open space had pots growing something. The lush growth filled the room with an invigorating verdant scent and the soft perfume of flowers.


    In the far corner of the room stood a spry Elf, tending to an unusually blue fern with a watering can. Her skin had the same green hue as many of the plants, and her long hair spilled in a soft wave of grayish silver down her back. Her dress seemed to be made entirely from living leaves and rustled softly as she moved about. She glanced up as they entered.


    It was odd seeing a Wood Elf in a Human town, but Ali presumed customs must have changed remarkably in the many intervening years since she had last seen one of their kind. The fact that she identified as using nature affinity magic was no surprise at all. Wood Elves had always had a strong cultural connection to forests, trees, and nature in general.


    Ali had to keep reminding herself that many things had changed from what she remembered.


    ¡°We¡¯re looking for Eliyen Mistwood,¡± Ali said, addressing the Elf with the traditional bow that was customary in her time.


    ¡°I am Eliyen.¡± Her voice had a soft quality that seemed to linger in the air after she had spoken. The plants seemed to rustle and shift throughout the room, as if eager to catch the remnants of her voice with their leaves.


    ¡°Your garden is beautiful,¡± Ali said retrieving the quest posting she had taken from the guild board.


    ¡°Thank you, dear,¡± Eliyen smiled at her.


    ¡°We saw this quest at the Adventurers Guild and thought we might be able to help.¡± Ali handed her the script.


    ¡°Aah, yes, thanks for taking our request,¡± Eliyen said, handing the quest notice back to Ali. ¡°Basil will go with you to harvest the mushrooms ¨C all you need to do is protect him from the Kobolds in the area.¡± She turned away and called out toward a back room, ¡°Basil, customers!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m coming.¡± There was a hurried scurrying sound from the back room, and a thump before a studious-looking, flustered young man appeared in the doorway with a surprised look on his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re her! Aliandra!¡±


    Ali immediately recognized Basil. He looked more serious and studious in the light when he was not terrified and fleeing from Goblins. Ali cast Identify.


    He still identified as being without a class, but he seemed old enough.


    ¡°Basil, you¡¯re forgetting your manners,¡± the Elf chided softly, a hint of a smile on her face. ¡°These people are here for your Stonecap gathering.¡±


    ¡°S¡­ sorry.¡± Basil shifted awkwardly, clearly fighting a rising flush in his face. Collecting himself a little he added, ¡°Thanks for saving me the other day.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Basil, it¡¯s good to see you again.¡± Ali smiled at him, and she could tell when he began to relax. ¡°What can you tell us about these mushrooms you need?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The mushrooms.¡± His confidence reemerged now that he was on familiar ground. ¡°Stonecaps are an earth affinity mushroom. We use them to make armor potions. Since the Goblin war, demand has been high, and we¡¯ve already run out of Stonecap essence. Normally Eliyen sends me to these caves in the mountains north of the farmland to gather them, but there have been lots of reports of Kobolds having moved into the area.¡±


    Ali winced inwardly but gave an encouraging nod.


    He added, ¡°The ones we are after are brown and grow underground, directly on rock. I usually just wander the caves and collect about ten mushrooms. They go quite a long way. Here, this is what the essence looks like.¡± He pulled out a large vial with a small amount of a tar-like black substance collected into a blob at the bottom. ¡°The extraction process uses a complicated, three-stage Glumnur-keyed filtration mechanism ¨C¡± he caught Eliyen¡¯s slight smile ¡°¨C ah, well, I suppose you don¡¯t care about the details that much.¡±


    Ali enjoyed hearing him ramble on about the mushrooms, even though he was clearly sharing the information because he enjoyed talking about it, rather than focusing on what they would need to complete the request.


    Mato shifted, transforming into his Wolf Form, startling Basil. He sniffed at the Stonecap essence vial before transforming back. ¡°It has an earthy scent,¡± he said. ¡°I think I will be able to help search for them when we get there.¡±


    ¡°Sorry to make you all fight the Kobolds so I can collect mushrooms,¡± Basil apologized.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± Ali answered. ¡°We got a request from the farmers to take care of the Kobolds anyway, so it will be good for everyone. How about we meet at the city gate in an hour? I have a few things I need to prepare before we can head out.¡± Ali wanted to collect her minions and find a way to smuggle them through the city without causing too much alarm. One Kobold healer had attracted quite a lot of attention: she was more than a little concerned about the reaction she would get walking through the town at the head of a small army.


    Malika


    It was on the way back to the guild that she recognized him. Malika had been walking along with her friends, idly listening to Mato¡¯s latest story and just enjoying their company, when the well-dressed merchant emerged from the storefront of a small-time commodity trader right across the street. She couldn¡¯t help but notice the very same merchant she had pickpocketed to afford her shrine fee the day she had taken her first steps to sever her ties to the Town Watch and Jax Hawkhurst¡¯s criminal empire. It was the sharp pang of guilt in her heart that did it.


    He no longer wore a visible money pouch, and there was a brand-new, expensive-looking ring on his finger that had not been there before.


    ¡°Give me a moment,¡± Malika blurted out, eliciting a cascade of surprised looks from her friends and she dashed over to intercept him before he vanished into the bustling crowd.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± she said, as she approached. He turned his head sharply, regarding her with a guarded look.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t remember me,¡± Malika said, and then took a deep breath, committing herself to what she had to do. ¡°My name is Malika. I stole two large silver pieces from you at the class advancement ceremony in the Town Hall. I didn¡¯t have the money to pay for the shrine, then, and I thought¡­ well¡­ I wanted to apologize and return your money.¡± She retrieved two large silver pieces from her ring and offered them to the merchant.


    The man glowered at her admission, a red flush of anger flooding his cheeks, but right as he was about to say something he paused. ¡°Wait¡­ you¡¯re her!¡± he exclaimed, his face suddenly flipping to an expression of surprise. His hand paused a few inches above the coins offered on her palm.


    It was a normal reaction, she supposed, considering she had just admitted to a crime. And yet, she had felt guilty enough about robbing him that she had felt compelled to say something.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, his hand falling back to his side.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡±


    ¡°Your name is Malika? You and your friend were the ones to help the alchemist?¡± He moved closer and whispered, ¡°You killed Adrik and Edrik?¡±


    ¡°We¡­ did,¡± she admitted, still confused by the man¡¯s unexpected response.


    ¡°Well, thank you both. I can sleep easier at night now that I don¡¯t have to worry about a visit from those two. Please keep the coins ¨C that way I can tell all my friends I helped you get started! They¡¯re going to be so jealous.¡± He grinned broadly and winked at her and then walked off, leaving her staring after him in surprise.


    ¡°Can you imagine being so awful that an entire town is happy you¡¯re gone?¡± Mato asked soberly, as her friends joined her on the sidewalk.


    Malika grimaced. ¡°Tell me about it.¡±


    From her other side, Calen put in quietly, ¡°It¡¯s good to take out the trash, Malika, but even better not to return to pick it over later.¡±


    Startled, she considered his words for a moment before recognizing their wisdom. ¡°Thanks, Calen.¡±

 Chapter 69: Picking Mushrooms

    Chapter 69: Picking MushroomsAliandraAli breathed deeply through her nose, inhaling the warm afternoon forest air, and the scent of soil, trees, and the leaves that were slowly composting on the ground. She was quite familiar with urban living, having grown up in Dwarven-made stone dwellings far underground, her entire life lit by magic rather than the sun. But there was something fundamentally invigorating about being out and about in nature, and even as a child, she had loved running through her father¡¯s forest, feeling the wind and sun on her skin and the dirt and grass beneath her feet.


    She studied the trees and plants along the way as she flew along, perched cross-legged on her barrier to keep up with the speed of her longer-limbed companions. She had initially thought Basil to be rather shy, but on the topic of plants and nature, he had entertained her the entire way ¨C answering every one of her admittedly incessant questions with a wealth of information that Ali found fascinating, both for what he shared and the fact that he was so passionate and knowledgeable about the most obscure of plants.


    It had taken a few hours to hike all the way to the northwestern farmsteads. As they emerged from the forest, the valley full of fields and orchards lay ahead beautifully lit by the dying rays of the setting sun. They had arrived with perfect timing, just enough day remaining to find Sigurd and then to interrupt the mostly nocturnal Kobolds amid their nefarious raiding.


    she thought, smiling to herself. Kobolds just didn¡¯t seem so threatening anymore.


    ¡°This is the address,¡± Calen said, pointing at the nearest farmstead below, reachable via the winding dirt road leading through the extensive apple orchards and recently tilled fields. It was clear from this vantage point that the farm had suffered some damage ¨C several of the outbuildings and patches of the fields showed signs of having been burnt.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± Ali instructed, repeating the command in Goblin for her Storm Shaman. She had brought only the highest-level mage, acolyte, and shaman, and added two rogues to form her little away team. But she was highly aware of the fact that their client was a farmer who had just been raided by a horde of Kobolds ¨C bringing more with her was probably fertile ground for misunderstandings, and it would be far better for her monsters to hide in the forest until after they had a chance to meet.


    ¡°Sigurd, visitors!¡± Malika¡¯s knock on their door was met with the sound of a woman¡¯s voice yelling from within. Shortly, a man dressed in work clothes stained with mud and soot emerged. He was carrying a hoe across one shoulder, and Ali was certain he had not been farming inside the farmhouse. The blade had a shiny edge from recent sharpening.


    ¡°What can I do for you folk?¡± he asked, his expression guarded.


    ¡°We¡¯re here about the Kobolds,¡± Malika announced.


    ¡°Oh, that was quick, I only posted that request yesterday,¡± he said, his face brightening dramatically. He lowered his hoe and set it against the wall.


    ¡°Can you tell us anything about the Kobolds?¡± Calen asked. ¡°Levels, classes, that kind of information would be very helpful.¡±


    Screwing up his eyes in thought, Sigurd recalled, ¡°Most of the vermin were around ten to twelve, I think. I did see a level fifteen one throwing fireballs. Wrecked my barn, the blasted pest.¡±


    ¡°We saw that on the way in,¡± Ali said. If the Kobolds had included Fire Mages, then she was certain they had been displaced from the dungeon ¨C that and Sigurd had probably gotten off easy.


    ¡°Any idea where their lair is?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°I think up north, follow the path toward the mountains,¡± Sigurd said, pointing. ¡°There¡¯s an extensive cave system. I¡¯m heckin¡¯ sure they¡¯re holed up in there.¡±


    ¡°Ok, we¡¯ll go check it out,¡± Malika said. ¡°We¡¯ll swing by in the morning and let you know what we find.¡±


    ¡°Keep the door locked tonight, alright?¡± Mato put in, reaching out to swat the farmer¡¯s shoulder in a comradely fashion.


    ¡°Good hunting,¡± Sigurd grunted, rubbing his shoulder. Picking up his hoe he retreated inside.


    The four of them hit the road heading out toward the mountains, pausing only to pick up Ali¡¯s minions along the way.


    ¡°If they¡¯re all mostly level ten to fifteen like he says, it should be an easy job,¡± Malika observed, as they followed the trail, climbing higher and higher as they reached the mountains, and sure enough, they found themselves facing a dark opening at the bottom of a tall, craggy cliff.


    ¡°The cave system may connect underground to the city,¡± Calen pointed out. ¡°In that case, we might have to deal with some higher-level Kobolds when we get inside. It all depends on whether Ali is right that we triggered a dungeon-break.¡±


    Malika nodded. ¡°Best be prepared.¡±


    It was funny how much the little details mattered. Ali had been plagued with guilt ever since destroying the bone spire and perhaps inadvertently inflicting a Kobold dungeon-break on the surrounding farms. But Calen¡¯s straightforward and unhesitant use of the inclusive ¡®we¡¯ banished the undercurrent of dark thoughts and her feelings of guilt and isolation. Suddenly, she was no longer here because she had messed up. Killing the Kobolds in the dungeon was important, just as important as taking responsibility for the unavoidable fallout ¨C and they were doing it as a group. She smiled gratefully at Calen¡¯s back, knowing he had probably not even thought about it ¨C it was just who he was.


    ¡°The Kobold tracks lead right inside,¡± Calen announced, studying the entrance with curious flickers of light magic emanating from his narrowed eyes.


    ¡°Ok, we¡¯re in the right place, then,¡± Malika said. ¡°Basil, you don¡¯t have a class, so stick close to Ali and keep your head down. We don¡¯t want you dying to a stray fireball.¡±


    ¡°Fireball?¡± Basil¡¯s voice had a little quaver in it as if he hadn¡¯t considered just how dangerous this expedition might be.


    ¡°Yes, some of the Kobolds we¡¯ve been facing have magic. If you¡¯re next to Ali, she has the best defensive spells, and she can protect you with her barriers,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my barriers can stop Bone Spears,¡± Ali said, trying to reassure Basil a little.


    He gulped audibly.


    ¡°Calen, maybe keep a light on them so that no rogues can sneak up and ambush them?¡± Malika added.


    Ali could have hugged her right there.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Calen answered and stepped confidently into the cave entrance.


    Ali sent her minions in after him, and stepped off her barrier, taking Basil by the hand. He was trembling a little, but she chose not to comment. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll look after you.¡±


    Basil nodded; his eyes still wide with anxiety as they stepped into the darkness, but light flared around them as Calen anchored one of his motes of light to follow along above Ali. Even though Basil¡¯s hand was still shaking, she heard him take a deep breath. There. He looked and sounded so much like her just a few short weeks ago¡­ she sighed inwardly, wondering what her friends must have thought of that tiny, shrinking Fae.


    ¡°Do you think we will find the Stonecap mushrooms in this type of cave?¡± Ali asked. He seemed to need something to take his mind off the imminent threat of Kobolds attacking, so Ali turned to his passion. After all, it wasn¡¯t like they could leave him outside undefended.


    ¡°This looks like a good place, it¡¯s the perfect environment for them,¡± he answered, his trembling subsiding a little as he looked around with a new purpose.


    ¡°Ok, you concentrate on keeping an eye out for likely spots and let us worry about the rest.¡±


    Basil nodded, clearly not comfortable, but at least he seemed grateful to have something productive to do.


    The shadows shifted and Calen appeared out of the darkness.


    ¡°A camp of about ten Kobolds in the cave up ahead. Nothing above level fifteen. Two mages at the back, Ali.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± she said, nodding.


    Basil¡¯s serious face turned a little pale in the bright light of Calen¡¯s magic. She knew he had seen battle at least once before ¨C with the Goblins that had tried to kill him ¨C but she also knew just how terrifying it was to face even a single monster without any combat class or skills. And yet, here he was, stepping into the Kobolds¡¯ den.


    Ali entered the cave ahead of him and placed herself right between him and the reddish light of the Kobold campfire.


    ¡°Go,¡± Malika said, and Mato charged the camp, sending embers from the fire flying as his larger bulk smashed through it, with Malika sprinting fast, right behind him. Mato¡¯s powerful roar thrummed with the power of his magic, echoing throughout the cave, and every single Kobold snapped their attention to him.


    Basil yelped in surprise, ducking his head.


    Calen drew his bow and let loose with his shining arrows.


    Instantly, Ali summoned her largest barrier, making certain it angled to protect both herself and Basil who crouched in the corner behind her. The loud crack of an arrow shattering on her barrier made both of them jump.


    Ali searched the battlefield, marking her two targets. Both mages had retreated, standing among the archers and sling-wielder Kobolds as they fanned out across the back of the cave while the melee classes tangled with Mato in the glowing embers and flying sparks of their campfire.


    ¡°Totem on the right,¡± Ali instructed.


    ¡°As you command,¡± her shaman said, throwing the magical steel totem into the midst of the ranged attackers. The incandescent white lightning discharges cast crazy shadows on the roof of the cave as the nova of sparks pulsed outward from the totem, sending the Kobolds diving to get out of its path.


    Just as she had hoped, the mages scrambled out of the broad sphere of lightning and sparks, inadvertently clumping up with the rest of the ranged attackers in a big tight bunch.


    ¡°Fireball, now,¡± Ali instructed, switching to the arrogance of draconic to speak to her Kobolds.


    ¡°Yes, Ancient Mistress,¡± her mage answered, his harsh raspy voice eager, as his fangs gleamed in the ruddy glow of the flame that sprang into being above his taloned and scaled hand.


    ¡°Heal Mato,¡± Ali told her Acolyte. While it was a perfect opportunity to hit most of the Kobolds with her fire magic, the cavern was cramped, and she was certain the detonation of the fireball was going to hit Mato also. If she had not spent so much time fireballing Mato during the Skeletal Wyvern fight, she was certain she would never have even considered this approach. But she knew he could take it, and she knew exactly how to time the heals so that he was full right before her fire magic detonated.


    ¡°Fireball!¡± she yelled the warning to the entire room, speaking Common to not alert their foes.


    The potent compressed inferno shot forth from her mage¡¯s hand, crossing the cave in an instant. Mato¡¯s body glowed under the holy power of her Acolyte¡¯s healing spells just before the fireball detonated. Ali¡¯s eardrums burst painfully as the concussion of heat and the angry light of the instant wall of flame ripped through the air. Bodies flew, slamming into walls, while gouts of fire rained down, crashing against her barrier and dripping onto the floor.


    Clearly, she had misjudged just how loud the fireball would be in the narrow confines of the cave. A warm trickle leaked out of her ruined ears and down her neck. Not a moment later, a yellow-white pulse of holy mana settled into her as the Acolyte¡¯s healing spell gently repaired her bleeding ears and restored her hearing. Without her needing to prompt her, the Acolyte repeated the same magic for Basil who was now curled up on the floor with his eyes squeezed shut and his hands pressed over his ears.


    . She hadn¡¯t intended to unleash quite so much damage. But when she looked back across the battlefield, she could tell that she had ended the fight. Her rogues ganged up on the badly injured mages, killing both of them in seconds, and her shaman stood with Mato and Malika as they finished off the last of the melee monsters, flickers of soul magic and the incandescent arcing of the shaman¡¯s retaliatory shield enchantment lighting the battlefield in staccato bursts of light.


    ¡°Sorry about the fireball,¡± Ali said, joining the others in the center in the aftermath of the fight.


    ¡°It was a sound strategy,¡± Calen replied.


    ¡°Good fireball,¡± Mato agreed, nodding enthusiastically.


    Ali glanced at Malika.


    ¡°Good call on the warning,¡± she said. ¡°I just ducked behind the bear¡¯s backside.¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not fair, you can¡¯t just use me like that!¡± Mato objected with mock indignation.


    ¡°But you¡¯re so big now,¡± Malika answered, batting her eyelids coquettishly at him, and Ali was treated to the rare sight of Mato blushing and stammering, completely unable to find the words to respond.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Ali asked, turning to Basil. ¡°Need healing?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yes ¨C no, I¡¯m ok,¡± he stammered. ¡°Th¡­ that was only moderately terrifying. Is¡­ is it always like this?¡±


    Although Basil was probably almost the same age as they were, it seemed he had been rather sheltered by his work as an herbalist inside a moderately sized town. Ali sympathized ¨C after all, it was only recently that she had learned to face monsters. If she had seen something like this down in the cavern on her first day before she had earned a class, she would have felt just as shell-shocked, overwhelmed by everything.


    Now, however, after having fought the Skeletal Wyvern, blowing up a few low-level Kobolds in a cave felt easy, barely causing her any stress whatsoever. She was not even certain she explain to him just how intense that wyvern fight had been.


    Ali set to her usual task of deconstructing all the remains. The Kobold camp stank, half-eaten chicken carcasses littered the living area, and there was even a badly butchered pig lying in the dirt and filth, now burnt from the fireball. The disconcerting aroma of fried bacon mingled with the scent of rot and squalor and the acrid sulfur of fire magic.


    After she was done, they pressed on, following Calen as he led the way deeper into the cave system. Some of the twisting tunnels were narrow enough that Mato was forced to switch to his Wolf Form to fit through.


    ¡°Pit trap,¡± Calen announced.


    It was a rather tight corner, and the others had to hug the walls to carefully shimmy their way past, but Ali simply hopped on her barrier and floated by. As she was halfway across, a sudden rustling and screech startled her, almost making her fall as she jumped in surprise.


    The bat swooped away and flew off into the darkness, perhaps just as terrified of them as she was of it.


    ¡°Just a low-level bat,¡± Calen said.


    . Likely, more than half of Myrin¡¯s Keep would have been defenseless against a level six monster, but here, it fled from them.


    The exploration continued with Calen at the front beside Mato checking for tracks. Malika brought up the rear, leaving Ali and Basil safer in the middle with her Acolyte and Shaman. The rogues were off somewhere enjoying the wealth of shadows and hiding spots. They passed through endless winding passages and tiny caverns, some dry, and others covered in damp rock or trickling pools. Much to Ali¡¯s dismay, the deeper they ventured, the more bats there were. They seldom attacked, but the bats would almost always spring up out of the darkness and startle her, at least once making her scream embarrassingly loudly.


    She was hopelessly lost after the many twists and turns, forks and caves, but she trusted Calen and his maps to get them out safely. While the first encounter at the entrance remained the largest, they regularly ran into smaller groups of Kobolds. Many were of the same varieties she had already recorded in her imprint, lending weight to the theory that these were all discarded from the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra dungeon somehow.


    After what must have been several hours of clambering through tiny passages and scrambling over boulders, they entered a slightly larger cave with a small pool of water at the back and three tunnel exits at the far end. Dispatching the four Kobolds that wandered in was a matter of just a few moments, but the noise of the Lightning Bolt startled a large cloud of bats that had been roosting amid the stalactites. Fortunately, the bats fled.


    Calen glanced at the exit tunnels in turn, clearly trying to determine the right way to go, but Mato shifted, transforming back to his Beastkin form. ¡°I smell the mushrooms,¡± he announced. ¡°That way.¡± His large finger picked out the left passage.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Calen said, stepping into the opening.


    The short tunnel opened into an enormous cave, vast enough that their lights could not pick out the far side. As Ali stepped into the dark space, two balls of flame suddenly materialized in the darkness, shooting across empty space toward them with an angry hissing and sizzling. With reflexes honed and perfected against the Skeletal Wyvern, Ali threw up two barriers simultaneously, blocking both fireballs and causing them to detonate harmlessly in midair, sending showers of flame raining down on them.


    Basil squawked, diving for cover behind a rock. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Up there!¡± Calen indicated a tunnel entrance, about halfway up the far wall by the simple expedient of shooting an intensely brilliant arrow of light at the Kobold mages standing on the ledge. The two mages vanished, withdrawing into their tunnel.


    A sudden dark cloud of screeching bats, disturbed from their slumber by the deafening detonations of fireballs, burst forth from the stalactites high up above. A cloud far larger than anything Ali had ever seen circled in a frenzy and began streaming out of all exits, cracks, and crannies in their mad scramble to evacuate.


    From a completely new direction, the red of fire kindled again in the darkness. Preemptively, Ali summoned a barrier between their group and the imminent fire, while Calen shot arrows that tore into the dark tunnel entrance and snuffed the flame. Silence reigned for several moments before a different tunnel entrance lit with the red of an instant firebolt. Ali blocked it, but by the time Calen¡¯s arrows reached the tunnel, the perpetrator had vanished once more.


    ¡°Ridiculous,¡± Mato grunted, flexing his fingers as if imagining wrapping them around those scaly necks.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you draw them out, Malika?¡± Calen suggested. ¡°I¡¯ll keep them out of the higher passages.¡± He raised his bow and began to unleash a withering volley of suppressive fire.


    The deadly game of cat and mouse continued for several rounds before Malika, picking her moment, charged with an uncanny burst of speed, making for one of the tunnels. Taking a one-legged leap off a stalagmite, a graceful step on the vertical side of the cavern wall, and catching the lip of the tunnel, she flipped herself up and over the ledge before the Kobolds could even react. There was a brief struggle and suddenly, one of the Kobold mages flew out of the tunnel, cartwheeling in the air, and falling into the main cavern, hitting the ground with a thump. The second Kobold followed shortly after. By the time Malika leapt back down, Ali¡¯s golden Arcane Bolts had joined the thump of fire and crack of lightning.


    Without their tunnels to hide in, the two wily Kobold mages succumbed to their attacks quickly, and soon enough, Ali was deconstructing their corpses and gear.


    As silence returned to the cave, Ali glanced around, taking in the pungent earthy smell, the regular plinking of water dripping from the stalactites, high overhead, and the strangely bulbous, ball-like rock formations scattered among the stalagmites on the floor.


    ¡°There we go,¡± Basil commented, getting up and walking with uncharacteristic confidence to the strange-looking rocks.


    Surprised, Ali used her Identify on the rocks.


    The dome shape of the mushroom cap extended to the ground, hiding the stem from view, and combined with the hard, rough brown and gray exterior, contrived to create a highly effective form of camouflage, allowing the mushroom to masquerade in plain sight as if it were nothing more than a rock. Examining it closer, Ali could now see the dark brown tendrils of mana swirling and flowing sedately through the surface of the mushroom and extending out a short way into the air around it ¨C a color and texture that was almost identical to the rocky ground on which it grew.


    She rapped her knuckles on one, hearing a solid-sounding crack, as if she had just hit an actual rock.


    Basil already had one mushroom uprooted, using a few obscure tools. He carefully wrapped it in a moist cloth that he had produced from his small pack.


    ¡°Do you need all of these?¡± Ali asked him, gently running her fingers over the earthen mushroom.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll just take what I can carry,¡± he responded. ¡°They tend to go a long way.¡±


    ¡°Do you mind if I take a few?¡±


    ¡°No, go ahead.¡±


    Ali deconstructed several mushrooms in quick succession, deliberately picking the highest and lowest level ones she could find, and a few in-between, just to give her Grimoire the biggest variety she could manage.


    Just to make sure, she deconstructed a couple more, until her Grimoire stopped recording new runes.


    ¡°What does that do?¡± Basil asked curiously, clearly noticing the bright glowing Grimoire.


    ¡°It lets me grow things if I learn enough of them,¡± Ali answered.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, pausing in thought. ¡°It would be super helpful if you figured out how to grow these. I know Eliyen would love to have a regular supply, and the garrison would be extremely happy. They¡¯re difficult to cultivate normally and we usually have to hunt for them. There are always adventurers willing to buy the essences and potions, so they are quite good for business. The bigger ones fetch almost a gold each, and you can just stop by and sell them to us at Eliyen¡¯s shop.¡±


    Malika whistled softly, ¡°That¡¯s quite valuable for a mushroom.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Basil answered. ¡°They¡¯re uncommon, but each mushroom is good for a lot of potions, so they¡¯re always profitable.¡±


    Ali smiled.  she thought. She was excited to take this one home and try Mato¡¯s experiment, planting it near the water to see if it could help clear the muck. And if that didn¡¯t work, she had just increased her repertoire of useful and potentially profitable things she could make to buy books or supplies.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s all the Kobolds,¡± Calen said, returning from one of the side tunnels. ¡°Maybe we can camp here and go talk to Sigurd in the morning?¡±


    ¡°I can take the first watch,¡± Malika replied.


    ***


    The morning was bright and clear, and birdsong filled the forest as Ali floated along the trail munching on a delicious, crisp green apple. Their Kobold extermination job had gone remarkably well, and nothing had disturbed them after they had set up camp. Not even the bats. Sigurd and his wife had been so happy with their prompt resolution of the problem, that they had insisted on sending them home with a basket of freshly picked apples as a bonus.


    Personally, Ali felt a lot better having taken care of the problem she had created. It was infinitely better to have dealt with the Kobolds quickly than to let them become entrenched in the mountains, raiding the farmers night after night.


    ¡°I found a clearing up ahead with some suitable grasses for you, Ali.¡± Mato had been ranging around in his Wolf Form, ¡®scouting¡¯, even though there was little to no chance of danger now. Ali was certain he just wanted to run through the forest, enjoying the natural environment to the fullest.


    ¡°What do you need grasses for?¡± Basil asked, perking up at the prospect of a conversation involving plants.


    ¡°I want some more variety for my plants,¡± Ali answered. ¡°Eliyen¡¯s garden is a big inspiration. I have my own garden but I¡¯m just getting started. I told you my skill lets me learn to grow stuff, but I don¡¯t have many categories at the moment, and Mato suggested I try grasses next.¡±


    ¡°What categories do you have?¡± Basil asked, now totally hooked on the conversation. ¡°Um¡­ if you don¡¯t mind sharing?¡±


    ¡°Right now, I can make trees, mushrooms, moss, and ivy.¡±


    ¡°Ivy is a category? That seems odd.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t figured out how it does the categories yet, and sometimes it seems quite arbitrary.¡± Ali considered her unusual skill and the arrangement of imprints in her Grimoire. ¡°For instance, I can make black oaks and white oaks, but it grouped them with maple trees instead of by type or species. And sometimes the category updates to something more general if I learn a new variant.¡±


    ¡°I think grasses are a great choice, I like them a lot,¡± Basil said. ¡°There are an enormous variety and many of them are magical, useful for potions and other crafting. I can keep an eye out for some interesting ones in the future if you like.¡±


    ¡°That would be great,¡± Ali smiled at him.


    The clearing Mato had found was a little on the smaller side, with a trail passing through the middle. Their arrival spooked a doe that was grazing on the light green grass that carpeted the entire clearing, waving softly in the morning breeze.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Broad Leaf Grass ¨C it¡¯s a common spreading grass,¡± Basil said, identifying it. ¡°Robust, grows almost everywhere.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean spreading?¡±


    ¡°Some grasses grow low to the ground and spread over a wide area.¡± He pointed to the edge of the clearing. ¡°That clump of reddish-brown plants over there is a type of ornamental grass called Orange Bell Reed. Grasses like reeds tend to clump together and other grasses tend to spread out and grow low to the ground.¡±


    ¡°You really know your plants,¡± Ali said, squinting at the reeds.


    To her eye they were more of a dark umber color.


    He blushed a little at the compliment. ¡°Eliyen is a good teacher, and I like to study. I¡¯m really hoping for a good herbalist class,¡± he said a little wistfully. ¡°I¡¯ll take my class trial with Eliyen soon ¨C right after the mayor lets me use the shrine.¡±


    ¡°Good luck!¡± she told him. Basil seemed quite earnest and genuinely helpful ¨C Ali hoped he would get a class he was happy with.


    She hopped off her floating barrier and spent some time deconstructing patches of the ¡®Broad Leaf¡¯ green grass. Following Basil¡¯s helpful information, she also added several select clumps of the Orange Bell Reeds.


    As soon as it was complete, she committed it to her Grimoire.

 Chapter 70: The Unaware Dungeon

    Chapter 70: The Unaware DungeonAliandra It was late morning by the time their little party reached the gates of Myrin¡¯s Keep. Ali sent all her minions, save the Acolyte, around the heavy battlements to enter the underground cavern via the river channel she had blasted through the rock during the Goblin siege. Her Acolyte had attracted enough attention in town already, and she had no idea what people would do if they saw her strolling around with an armed and armored Goblin Storm Shaman.


    ¡°What do you guys want to do now?¡± Mato asked, gazing at the open gates.


    ¡°I want to train a bit,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°I want to explore underground,¡± Calen said. ¡°I¡¯d like to see if I can find where the cave system links to the ruins.¡±


    ¡°So, back to camp then?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll join you later,¡± Ali said. Her friends wanted to get back for training and exploration, but Ali had something way more interesting on her mind. She had earned a little gold from the items Malika had sold to Weldin yesterday, and she was curious to see if The Reading Corner had anything she could afford. Bidding her friends a quick goodbye, she took off through the gates with her Acolyte, riding on a disk of her barrier magic.


    It was fun flying through the streets of the town, going as fast as a Human or an Elf in a hurry, feeling the rush of wind through her hair, and it was a matter of only a few minutes before she was pushing open the door to the little corner bookstore.


    The sonorous chime of the doorway enchantment was followed immediately by the clatter of a clipboard dropped to the ground and a startled exclamation from Ryn, high up on her perch at the top of a stepladder.


    ¡°Oh, hi Aliandra!¡± she exclaimed, beginning her descent.


    Ryn wore a yellow outfit with a pretty set of matching earrings this time.  Ali thought, admiring her stylish slacks and jacket combo.


    ¡°I had a feeling you¡¯d be back,¡± Ryn said with a smile that made her eyes crinkle as she reached the safety of the floor. Stooping down, she recovered her dropped clipboard and skipped over to the front desk.


    ¡°I put aside a few books I thought you might like.¡± Ryn reached under the desk to retrieve a heavy-looking box and placed it carefully on the polished mahogany surface before reaching inside to pull out books one at a time. ¡°I didn¡¯t find any more magical texts, but here are two history books,¡± she placed them gently beside the box, ¡°A monster compendium,¡± an enormous book that made a thump as it was set down next to the others. ¡°And these are a selection of fiction stories I enjoyed reading.¡±


    Ali¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as each subsequent book emerged from the box of wondrous treasures. Obviously, she needed all of them, and she was rather touched that Ryn had made the effort to select some things especially for her, without even knowing for sure that she would return.


    Ali admitted to herself. She had often been accused of not being very subtle about her love of books.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have as much money this time,¡± Ali said regretfully. she reminded herself, struggling against the temptation. She had already commissioned several expensive items.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind hanging onto them for a while if you like,¡± Ryn replied cheerfully. ¡°It¡¯s not a bother at all.¡±


    Ali lingered over the monster compendium; it was a beautiful book with magically rendered illustrations of each creature described. It was well out of her price range though, so she regretfully put it back, choosing one of the history books and two of the novels instead.


    ¡°How about these?¡± Ali asked, her eyes still dwelling on the gorgeous compendium for entirely too long.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Ryn answered, ¡°I can keep an eye out for other books, too, if you let me know what you like.¡±


    Ali spent a delightful half an hour discussing story preferences and favorite books with a fellow book lover. It seemed her own reading was woefully out of date, most of her favorite titles now long forgotten memories, but some of the best ones had been preserved and Ryn had even read them.


    The genres of stories and what made a book excellent had not changed much over the thousands of years that had passed. While she had her preferences, Ali loved a good book, regardless of genre ¨C fiction, non-fiction, adventure, romance, mystery, it was all fair game provided the author had a little skill and the material or story was interesting.


    Ryn, for her part, had a soft spot for fantasy and adventure, speaking at length about her favorite story ¨C set in a world where magic did not exist, and everything was accomplished with fiendishly complex contraptions of brass and steam, and Gnomish engineers ruled the world. It had, of course, been written by a Gnome with a delightfully creative imagination, but Ali had decided to buy it just because of how passionately Ryn described it, and how much she had enjoyed the characters.


    Calen


    Calen caught up with Mato and Malika by the already open sewer grate where they were waiting to head back down to camp.


    ¡°Got it,¡± he said, handing Malika the rewards for their two quests. Mieriel had been happy to log the quests as successful, thanking him, and by extension the entire group, for doing a good job and helping to promote the Adventurers Guild¡¯s reputation.


    He hadn¡¯t earned any levels on their excursion, presumably because the Kobolds were all lower level than he was, and they had gotten quite efficient at hunting them by now. But it had been fun mapping out the caves and the extensive tunnel systems, and he had even gained a skill point for his Cartography.


    He hopped down into the now familiar sewer tunnel with its all-too-familiar rich stench beside Mato and Malika, listening to them discuss what they wanted to do for the rest of the day. Up ahead, Ali¡¯s thick Verdant Moss carpeted the next tunnel, lending a vibrant aura of life to the otherwise dank and smelly sewer.


    Ancient Grove ¨C level 29


    Affinity: Nature, Arcane


    Age: New


    Known Creatures: Kobold, Goblin, Ooze, Wolf


    Known Bosses: --


    Dungeon


    It happened as soon as he crossed the threshold into the mossy area. Calen grimaced, scratching his neck in thought. His errant skill still bothered him every time he came down here, and he had been hoping that it would eventually wear off. Not only was it still excessively noisy, but he noted it had also been updated to match Ali¡¯s level again.


    The sound of swords crossed in battle and the telltale thrum of a bowstring ripped his attention away from his notification and put him on high alert in an instant.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just the novices,¡± Malika whispered, pointing up ahead. ¡°Look, they¡¯re practicing the Guildmaster¡¯s formations.¡±


    Down at the far end of the tunnel, he saw three adventurers tangling with two Goblins. With his magically enhanced eyesight, he quickly recognized Teagan, Braden, and Willow. Vivian Ross had been encouraging them to find another two members to fill out their group, but honestly, there were not many choices at their levels. Likely, they would have to grind their way to level ten and bronze rank by themselves before some of the older guild members would agree to do quests with them.


    ¡°Braden, you idiot, I said formation two. That¡¯s the one where you tank both of them.¡±


    ¡°I thought that was the one where you let one chase you?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s six.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we just say what we¡¯re doing directly, these numbers are dumb.¡±


    ¡°Watch for the trap on the left.¡±


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t see them, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, get good. Then maybe you might learn how.¡±


    Their voices carried their banter down the sewer, a little distorted and echoing off the ancient crumbling brick. Calen grimaced for a wholly different reason.


    ¡°The warrior is a bit of an idiot,¡± Malika observed on cue.


    ¡°But he¡¯s got good instincts in the fight,¡± Mato countered.


    ¡°A little like you then,¡± Malika retorted.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Not nearly furry enough,¡± Calen chipped in quietly. It was not often that he got one up on Mato, but that opening was way too good to let pass. Mato¡¯s growl told him he had hit home but the big Beastkin had no quick quip ready to return the favor.


    he thought. When she got back from book shopping, she was going to have to make some more Goblins to patrol the sewers, replacing the ones that the adventurers were killing. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°They¡¯re a decent group, good teamwork,¡± Malika said, still closely observing the novice adventurers.


    ¡°Looks like the warrior just gained his level up,¡± Calen observed.


    ¡°Just slow without a couple more damage classes,¡± Mato added, earning a nod from Malika.


    ¡°Honestly,¡± Calen said, ¡°if it weren¡¯t for Ali being able to bring a small army of mages to every fight, our group would suffer from the same problem.¡± His class was the only one that focused entirely on doing the most damage possible ¨C and even with him, he had two skills that were primarily for scouting and stealth. Theoretically, his damage output could be even greater if those were replaced with more attack-focused support skills.


    Interest in the novices waned quickly and they moved on, heading down to the camp. Something about the scene with the novice adventurers gnawed at him the whole way back. Something had been out of place ¨C not quite right ¨C but it was subtle enough that he couldn¡¯t put his finger on it. It was only when he got to the camp and looked out across the barren expanse where the Ruins of Dal¡¯morha dungeon had till recently claimed an enormous amount of the cavern, that it finally clicked in his mind.


    It was not that something was off about the novice adventurers practicing a dungeon dive in the sewer. It was that it was too close of a match. Perfect even.


    It had seemed too real. What if they were watching adventurers battling a real dungeon? What if his skill was not broken?


    Taking a deep breath, Calen called, ¡°Hey, I need to check on something really quick. I¡¯ll join you at the shrine.¡±


    Ignoring Mato and Malika¡¯s looks of surprise, he sprinted out into the open expanse of the cavern, but no matter where he went, his Explorer skill no longer pinged him about the old dungeon that Ali had removed from this area. However, when he returned to camp¡­


    Ancient Grove ¨C level 29


    Affinity: Nature, Arcane


    Age: New


    Known Creatures: Kobold, Goblin, Ooze, Wolf


    Known Bosses: --


    Dungeon


    It suddenly dawned on him that his skill had been right all along ¨C only¡­ he hadn¡¯t wanted to believe it.


    That his skill was identifying Ali¡¯s domain was not in question, the information was way too specific for it to be an accident. Perhaps it was just his assumptions that led him to believe it was broken?


    Ali had summoned monsters to roam around and protect her area, just like a dungeon. So much alike, that novice adventurers sought it out to quest for experience ¨C and they were leveling up quickly, that much was obvious. Ali had even set root traps.


    ¡°Hey, guys¡­¡± he started, swallowing uncomfortably. ¡°I think we have a problem.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Mato asked, glancing up at him from the cookfire he loved so much. Naturally, his thoughts had turned to their next meal right away.


    ¡°My skill says we¡¯re in a dungeon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s silly, Ali broke it after we killed the wyvern,¡± he replied, clearly missing the point.


    ¡°Right now?¡± Malika asked, alarm beginning to show on her face.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Calen had the ugly feeling that he was selling Ali out, talking about her behind her back. But his friends needed to know, and he had no idea how to handle this. Misery had turned his mouth to ash and his usually agile thoughts to brittle shards frantically spinning in circles. Instead, he simply shared the analysis Explorer had provided.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mato answered after a moment, standing frozen, the wooden spoon slipping from his grasp to fall unnoticed into the stew pot. ¡°No, that can¡¯t be right. Calen, no.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± Malika said firmly. ¡°Ali is our friend. She is not making a dungeon; she is a good person. Your skill must be mistaken or broken.¡±


    ¡°I thought so too,¡± Calen answered. ¡°But it is consistent. Every time we return here, it notifies me that we are entering a dungeon. And the attributions for her level, monsters, and mana are all accurate, and they update as she progresses.¡±


    He took a deep breath, committed now to this path, for better or worse. ¡°I don¡¯t want to believe it either, but it fits. Malika, you just saw those novice adventurers leveling in the sewer. Did that look like faking or practice to you? They¡¯re getting real experience from real traps and monsters in a real dungeon.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Malika said emphatically. ¡°Ali is not evil! How can you say that!¡± She was on her feet, her face filled with anger and denial, her fists clenched at her sides.


    ¡°Malika, we all know Ali is good,¡± Mato said.


    Malika stopped, staring at him in surprise, a riot of conflicting emotions playing out on her face.


    Mato was confident in his declaration and his character assessment. And it supported what Malika wanted to believe was true.


    But the dungeon thing was true too, and it was clear that Malika was experiencing extraordinary conflict over the revelation. Calen could tell she really cared about Ali, they all did, but Malika had also lost her parents to a dungeon, and that was not something easily brushed aside. Every passage in Lyeneru Silverleaf¡¯s book ¨C the distilled wisdom of thousands of years of Pathfinder lore ¨C insisted that dungeons were evil and dangerous places, bent on destruction and consumption above all else.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Calen said. ¡°She is our friend; kind, a little na?ve, and just trying to figure out how to cope in a strange world. You were there when she earned her class, Malika, standing up to a monster with her scholar skills. And she has saved your life, and mine too, many times over. You know exactly  she is. We know.¡±


    ¡°So, what ¡­ what do we do now?¡± Malika was still visibly struggling with her emotions.


    ¡°I have no idea.¡±


    This was the biggest question. Obviously, they couldn¡¯t tell anyone, people would kill her without question if they knew. But beyond that, what would it do to Ali? And how was it going to affect their friendship? Angrily, he swiped at his eyes and glanced at the back of his hand in surprise. It was wet.


    Mato¡¯s massive hand patted his shoulder. ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±


    Malika swore viciously under her breath, the words almost impossible to make out, but their tone was unmistakable. After the longest time, he realized that both of his friends were looking at him for the lead.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure we can tell her,¡± Calen finally admitted. ¡°Ali has had more than her fair share of shock and trauma, and she seems to be starting to enjoy her new life. I fear what this will do to her if we tell her.¡±


    ¡°What if she starts to go down a bad path?¡± Malika asked in a shaky voice. ¡°Dungeons¡­ well, they¡¯re We can¡¯t do this to her. No. This is Ali. Our Ali.¡±


    ¡°I think you are the best person to help her,¡± Calen replied, sharing his honest opinion.


    Malika gaped at him. ¡°Help? How?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all friends,¡± Calen explained, ¡°but she seems closest to you, and trusts you. And you have a lot of clarity for what is right and wrong. Mato would just get us in trouble by accident, and I would probably avoid saying anything, but you are more grounded. Ali will listen to you. Look, we¡¯ve been through a lot together ¨C we owe her this.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Malika said after a long pause. Then she sighed, slumping back down to the mossy ground.


    ¡°I think she¡¯s going to need as many good friends as she can get,¡± Calen added.


    Suddenly Malika¡¯s raw scream rang out, ¡°Fuck you, fate!¡± She stood panting for a moment before collecting herself. With hard eyes, she muttered, ¡°See¡­ this is exactly why I hate the Ancestors.¡±


    He squeezed his eyes shut, pressing his fingers into his temples.


    Aliandra


    Ali floated along the main street, seated on her barrier, taking in the bustling sights of the marketplace at lunchtime. She chatted animatedly with Malika about her delightful morning with Ryn and the interesting books she had bought. Malika seemed a little more subdued than normal, but Ali didn¡¯t mind carrying most of the conversation.


    Lydia had only a couple of clients when they arrived, so it didn¡¯t take long before she called them over. As Lydia smiled at her, Ali could sense a barely repressed excitement, and even the movements she made as she laid out several items on the table had a sense of energy, an eager speed.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to duplicate the bone magic enchantment, and the robes unfortunately didn¡¯t survive the study,¡± she began. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Then her face lit up with a radiant smile as she placed a set of perfectly stitched cloth armor on the counter. ¡°But I learned the healing one! And I got a level in my tailor class for the new enchantment.¡±


    Ali picked it up and identified the item she was holding.


    Tailored Cotton Clothing ¨C level 20


    Resistance: 288


    +9% spell power to Healing skills


    Requirements: Wisdom 70


    Body ¨C Cloth


    ¡°You improved the amount, too!¡± Ali exclaimed, examining the soft fabric under her fingertips, amazed at the quality of the garment she was holding.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t put the self-repair enchant on it too, I can only do one at a time ¨C I couldn¡¯t get the hang of combining two. Also, the healing power worked better with a wisdom requirement. I hope that works?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect.¡± There were three of them, just as Ali had requested. The other two were weaker ¨C only eight percent ¨C but all of them were better than the original.


    ¡°And here¡¯s yours ¨C I managed to get it up to level twenty-five for you. It should be a substantial improvement.¡±


    Tailored Cotton Clothing ¨C level 25


    Resistance: 360


    Mana: Self-repair


    Requirements: Intelligence 88


    Body ¨C Cloth


    The order was expensive, but Ali counted out the coins with a broad grin on her face.


    ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t possibly accept,¡± Lydia objected, pushing the coins back. ¡°I learned an enchantment and got a class level for this.¡±


    ¡°I insist on paying,¡± Ali countered. ¡°I can¡¯t just keep taking your best crafting for free.¡±


    They argued back and forth for a bit until Lydia finally relented, but not before Ali accepted at least a friends and family discount. She was at least half certain Lydia had made up the discount on the spot, but it seemed unfair to argue too much.


    Ali made use of the fitting room to change into her new armor, and when she came out, she found Lydia chatting animatedly with Malika.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re focused on fashion, but I think you would make a lot of money selling these to adventurers,¡± Malika explained.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Ali chimed in. ¡°You could also earn experience faster if they get used by adventurers in dungeons.¡±


    Malika gave her an odd look.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t,¡± Lydia answered. ¡°I¡¯m already bending the rules with my business license. Also, most noble customers care about the ambiance ¨C if I started displaying combat gear, they probably wouldn¡¯t stop by to purchase my other work.¡±


    ¡°What about the guild merchant?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Guild merchants are a unique case,¡± Lydia said. ¡°Most cities grant them special dispensation because they buy whatever adventurers dredge up out of dungeons, including monster parts, and they have to supply any combat needs. So, their licenses are one of the precious few that are entirely unrestricted. They can sell literally anything, provided it¡¯s not illegal to own.¡±


    ¡°I meant; we have a guild merchant now. His name is Weldin Thriftpenny. What about making a business arrangement with him? He could display your combat items in the guild shop. It¡¯s the perfect market for it, and you can keep this store dedicated to your fashion clients. I¡¯m certain Serendipity would want one of these armors if you made it in Gnome-size. Perhaps in blue?¡±


    ¡°You have a guild merchant?¡± Lydia asked, eyes widening a little at the news. ¡°When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty recent,¡± Malika answered.


    ¡°Hmm, I think I might have to pay him a visit. Weldin Thriftpenny, you said?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let him know you¡¯ll stop by,¡± Malika offered.


    Lydia fussed with Ali¡¯s new armor a little, making her turn around a few times for adjustments. ¡°Aliandra, you said you can learn to make items?¡± Lydia asked as her tailoring skills flickered with little bursts of mana.


    ¡°Yes, it destroys the original, but I can usually learn an item after about three or four tries.¡±


    ¡°Can I see?¡± Lydia asked curiously. ¡°I assume that¡¯s why you commissioned so many of these?¡±


    Ali nodded. She hadn¡¯t shown anyone else how her abilities worked, but she couldn¡¯t imagine Lydia taking advantage of her knowledge.


    Carefully she deconstructed the old armor she had just taken off, and two of the healing ones Lydia had just sold her.


    Then she spent a few minutes creating armor sets. The chainmail and leather she handed to Malika who immediately stored them for sale later. One Simple Robe came out with a bone magic enchantment. Ali handed it to Lydia for study.


    And finally, her Grimoire let her create her newest imprint. She produced a level fifteen Tailored Cotton Clothing with a healing enchantment. In all other ways identical to Lydia¡¯s work, with the exception that Ali¡¯s Grimoire did not reproduce her personal mana signature.


    Ali handed it to Lydia and noticed she had an unusual expression on her face. Ali couldn¡¯t quite read it. ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, dear.¡± Lydia collected herself and her expression changed back to normal. ¡°I just leveled again when you learned that.¡±


    ¡°You leveled when I learned your item?¡±


    ¡°I think crafters can level if they teach something difficult to someone else, right?¡± Malika seemed just as intrigued as Ali was.


    ¡°I think so,¡± Lydia answered. ¡°It¡¯s just never happened to me before. I never expected to earn four levels so quickly. I¡¯m not complaining, mind you. Thank you, Aliandra.¡±


    Lydia seemed very happy when they finally left to return to camp.

 Chapter 71: Of Books and Knowledge

    Chapter 71: Of Books and Knowledge- Excerpt from


    Aliandra


    Several days passed in a blur of busy activity. Sigurd and his wife had been so happy with their prompt and decisive action, quelling their Kobold problem, that they told all the rest of the farmers, resulting in a veritable flood of similar job requests filling the quest board.


    Vivian Ross had been overjoyed.


    Ali no longer had any doubt in her mind about where the Kobolds had come from. It was abundantly clear that her actions in the deep darkness of the library had had powerful ramifications, rippling up and spilling out into the outside world. The hundreds of missing Kobolds in the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra dungeon must have been displaced through the cavern system, turning up as raiding parties that descended from their new lairs in the mountain caves to prey on the hardworking farmers in the valleys below.


    Fortunately, there were not too many injuries, and Malika had been able to easily deal with those. And they were quick enough to avoid extensive damage to the crops and farms.


    Ali quickly grew to enjoy these jobs. A lovely walk through the forests during the afternoon and early evening, followed by a spell of clearing out the Kobolds in the caves. They would camp overnight to ensure the problem was properly taken care of and return to the Adventurers Guild early in the morning to report on their success. This, and the overwhelming gratitude from the farmers and their families, was clearly the reason many people chose the life of an adventurer and joined the guild, and she could now understand why Vivian Ross was so adamant that a strong Adventurers Guild would benefit Myrin¡¯s Keep.


    Ali smiled her thanks to Mieriel and dropped the gold from the latest job into her already much-depleted money pouch. She stared at it forlornly before storing it in her ring once again.


    She had spent the bulk of her earnings on the books that Ryn had recommended, and her goal of saving up for the Monster Compendium had already been pushed back several times. But Ali didn¡¯t regret it one bit. She was looking forward to her lunch date with Ryn, later today, and the opportunity to chat about the book she had just finished reading. Ryn was rapidly catching Ali up on the literature of the current era, and her recommendations had been excellent overall ¨C only two of the stories had turned out to be duds, and Ali had read them cover to cover anyway.


    Ali wandered over to the guild store to browse while her friends finished up their business.


    ¡°Hi Weldin,¡± she greeted the smartly dressed Gnome. He had a new eyepatch today, and it looked like it had some costume jewelry sewn into it, making it sparkle.


    ¡°Oh, hi Aliandra,¡± he said, getting up and walking over slowly, his cane clicking as he used it to support his damaged leg. Every time the cane struck the ground, tiny flickers of red flame ran up its length. But instead of heat, and the hunger of fire mana, Ali saw the magic was created by light affinity mana.


    ¡°Nice illusion enchantment,¡± Ali complimented him.


    ¡°If I can¡¯t actually be fast, I should at least look impressive, right?¡±


    Ali chuckled.


    ¡°I wanted to thank you,¡± he said, indicating a new mannequin at the front of the store which displayed a human-sized set of cotton cloth armor very much like the one she wore herself. ¡°Lydia Avery stopped by.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°She said that you encouraged her to talk to me. You¡¯re looking at the new exclusive outlet for Lydia¡¯s Allure¡¯s stylish line of combat gear and armor.¡± He puffed out his chest proudly. ¡°Right here in my establishment.¡±


    ¡°Congratulations!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a provisional arrangement for a couple of months, just to see if it works. But I get a nice percentage for everything I sell ¨C she¡¯s quite generous. I already sold the Gnome-sized one to dear Ms. Puddlecrash this morning. I even had a visitor from the Novaspark Academy of Magic stop by to browse. So, I think it¡¯s going to be perfect.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad,¡± Ali smiled, happy to see that Lydia was going to be able to sell her new items at the guild store. It might not sell a lot of items, but it seemed like the kind of investment that might pay off handsomely in the future. Ali didn¡¯t know Weldin quite as well, but she liked his posh outfits, positive attitude, and impeccable manners, and she was happy to see him excited about the partnership deal she and Malika had suggested.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Malika said, joining her.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said. Malika had agreed to accompany her to the Guildmaster¡¯s combat training class, and then to practice with her afterward, until she had to leave for her lunch date with Ryn. It was going to be a busy morning, but Ali was excited to learn something new.


    ***


    Ali stood on the threshold of the library and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Who knew growing plants with a magical Grimoire could be such a sweaty business? She had made a firm resolution to work on leveling her Grimoire so that she could expand her repertoire of imprints and not be forced to waste any, and now as she stood at the entrance to the library, she admired the noticeably larger floating Grimoire and the two notifications she had earned on the way down.


    Turning, she looked back the way she had come. Stretching out into the ruins and out of sight was a broad swathe of moss carpeting the ancient stone pavement, and dark green ivy growing on the walls of ruined buildings. It was a little crooked, but her long path of new plants extended all the way back and up the ventilation shaft connecting the spot she was standing to the rest of her domain in the cavern above in an unbroken line that was beginning to emit the brilliant gold and green glow characteristic of her mana.


    It had been hard work. Down here in the stone-crafted ruins, she had been unable to use her tree imprint to leapfrog huge distances with her mana, forced instead to painstakingly grow connected moss and ivy. She had completed her domain growth by planting thousands of mushrooms, deconstructing the ones she didn¡¯t need but grew by the annoying random variant selection of her Grimoire, leaving mainly the arcane Common Glowcaps, shedding their golden light against the dark stone ruined walls.


    Surprisingly, her new Brown Stonecap mushrooms grew extremely well down here, their earth affinity making them ideal for growing right on the stone walls and pavement. Initially, she had removed them, but after she discovered how much they liked the environment, she left the hundreds created by her Grimoire to grow inside the dark corners of the run-down houses.


    Basil had told her he would post a request with the guild when he and Eliyen ran out of the mushrooms they had collected, and Ali was keeping an eye out for that. As soon as the job was posted, Ali would be ready with another load of Stonecaps for them, harvested from right down here among the ruins.


    Ali pulled out a snack and sat for a moment, taking a much-needed break. The ruins seemed safe enough now that all the monsters had been expelled, but Ali was hardly alone down here. Her minions were standing around keeping watch, and in the distance, she occasionally saw the brilliant white light of Calen¡¯s magic as he roamed around exploring every nook and cranny of the city. No doubt he¡¯d come running over in a minute with some trinket or discovery. Nothing escaped his notice.


    Her attention returned to her notifications and the brightly glowing Grimoire that hovered in the air beside her.


    She had three open imprint chapters and at least fifty times that many ideas for what to fill them with. She slipped her awareness into the projection of her storage ring in the back of her mind and browsed through the contents she was carrying with her.


    she thought, spending the traces of mana required to retrieve a pile of Kobold bone bracelets that she had been collecting. She had several for fire magic, bone magic, and a selection of healing ones. It took only a few minutes to reduce the entire pile into a cloud of golden motes of mana and the soft sound of a chime congratulated her on her minor act of annihilation.


    She committed it to her Grimoire, happy to have freed the space in her ring, and with the imprint recorded she would no longer have to worry about losing them in battle.


    After her short break, Ali got back to her feet. Her goal had not been to reach the library ¨C that was merely the beginning, the baseline from which she could begin. She gazed into the darkness of the library, recalling the monsters, the fighting, and the creepy creatures of bone. No, she was here to claim the library for her own and restore order and knowledge!


    She stepped into the dark library; the echoes of her footsteps gobbled up by the vast blackness. She felt daunted, like a tiny firefly with her Grimoire, trying to bring light to the enormity of the abyss.


    Summoning her determination, Ali began deconstructing the vast sheets of encrusted bone covering the entry and replacing it with a soft carpet of moss.


    she thought, finally deciding to commit the imprint to her Grimoire, just to quiet the annoying notification as she cleared her way to the first bookcases.


    Carefully, she held her excitement as her magic began to clear the shelves, stripping away the bone, and exposing the ancient books still appearing well-preserved after thousands of years. Heart beating in her throat, she reached a slightly trembling hand to pull a book from the timeworn shelf. She gasped in dismay as her fingers passed right through the book as it instantly crumbled to dust and poured out of the shelf making a small pile at her feet.


    With infinite care and gentleness, she tried again, but once again the book was too far gone, this time evaporating from the soft touch of her exhalation before she even reached it with her fingers.


    She stared at the vastness of the library and the obvious evidence of age and decay, the result of ages of neglect at the hands of the dungeon, and felt tears welling up in her eyes at the magnitude and sheer scope of the loss of knowledge.


    As she mourned the library and all the knowledge that had once been present, a stray thought crossed her mind.


    It was a crazy thought, but where the ravages of time had destroyed the collected works of the library, perhaps her magic could bring some of it back? If she could learn to make something as complex as a living monster, perhaps she could learn these books, and reproduce them?


    Barely daring to breathe, lest she inadvertently destroy what remained, Ali began deconstructing the books on the shelf, one at a time. Ten, fifteen, twenty. She quickly passed the normal threshold without any reaction from her skill. Determined, she pressed on, thirty, fifty, until she had completed the entire shelf.


    She felt she had deconstructed over a hundred books, including pieces, dust, and destroyed remnants before she sat back, trying to understand what was wrong. She had even felt her Sage of Learning drawing from her mana, only for her deconstruction to replace it, but somehow something was still missing.


    She deconstructed an entire second shelf before the idea crossed her mind. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The thought popped into her mind, fully formed before she even had the chance of stopping it because of the horrifying implications. But there it was, and she was helpless to unthink it. She gazed at her precious books stored safely in her ring, struggling with the fact that she would need to destroy one of them to prove her idea. If it would even work.


    Books were sacred to her, and the idea of defacing one, or worse, destroying it, was anathema to her entire being. But all around her, the weight of thousands of books pressed down on her mind, her conscience. If she didn¡¯t try, she would never know if she would have been able to save it all. Even just recovering a small fraction of the library would be well worth it.


    She pulled out a book from her storage, placing it on the ground before her, and stared at it for a long time. It was one of the few recommendations Ryn had made that she hadn¡¯t liked. It wasn¡¯t that the book was bad, but the style was one she didn¡¯t prefer.


    Gingerly she reached out her hand, placing it on the cover of the book, feeling the raised ridges of the embossed title beneath her fingertips.  Gritting her teeth, she channeled her mana into deconstruction before aborting. She tried again two times before finally she screwed her courage and just forced her way through, gasping in anguish at the sight of the beautiful book exploding into mana under her hand.


    The seconds stretched out, ticking by silently in the darkness as she waited anxiously until it became painfully obvious her notification was going to remain silent.


    She winced as she recalled that her variants typically took several tries to learn. She dragged her mind back into the ring and looked once again, selecting the only other book she hadn¡¯t enjoyed, and placing it on the ground where the first one had just been annihilated by her hand.


    She took a deep breath and summoned her magic, closing her eyes at the last moment so she didn¡¯t have to see the destruction of the book. But she felt it evaporate under her hand, and the sensation of pulling, of information flowing into her signaling the book was gone, a second one destroyed by her magic.


    Again, the seconds ticked by until Ali finally admitted that nothing was going to happen.


    In that moment, Ali hated that rational part of her mind that pushed her onward. She knew it was right, but destroying books, even ones she hadn¡¯t enjoyed, was tearing at her soul. She was committed to this path, as heart-wrenching as it was, but now she was out of options. She would have to destroy a book she had loved. The very idea of returning to The Reading Corner and asking Ryn for help filled her with the harsh burning of shame.


    She dithered back and forth for many anguished minutes before she finally selected a small book and laid it on the execution block ¨C the Dwarven-made flagstone upon which she had destroyed its two previous companions. It was a touching story about a girl who had lost everything in the war and connected with her past by exploring her painting. Ali had loved it.


    Despite hating herself for doing it, she summoned her magic for a third time. She cried out in the darkness as the book exploded into motes of mana, sending her shadow dancing around the library for a moment until they all dissipated.


    Again, the seconds passed, and Ali almost gave in to the despair when suddenly a chime rang out in her mind.


    Ali stared at the notifications hovering before her, her heart quivering.


    She couldn¡¯t let herself believe it for several minutes, but the notification stubbornly refused to vanish. And nobody came by to shake her awake from the dream.


    Sudden urgency crashed in on her and she quickly committed it to her Grimoire before anything could take it from her.


    Scarcely daring to believe the result, Ali poured her mana into the imprint, and after a few minutes, a book suddenly appeared, dropping to the stone floor with a soft thump. In awe and excitement, Ali reached out to get it, but her hand stopped a few inches from the cover.


    The letters depicting the title were cleanly embossed into the brown leather of the cover. But they were just a random set of letters, forming no words in any of the languages she knew. With a dark premonition falling over her, she snapped the book up and opened it, paging through in increasing desperation as her frantic hands revealed page after page of gibberish.


    In a state of panic, she made another book and another. But they too were filled with unintelligible random letters.


    The book dropped from suddenly nerveless fingers as realization crashed in. Her Grimoire was inherently random. And while randomness of hair color, scale arrangement, eye color, and such things were perfectly suitable for creating monsters, the variations in the contents of a book the point of the book. Messing with the order and arrangement of the text destroyed the meaning. And her skill obviously didn¡¯t understand meaning, and so had produced perfectly good copies of the books she had deconstructed, complete with uniformly distributed arrangement of the differences and variation it had encountered.


    It was too much. Ali broke down and cried in the middle of the library until Malika came to find her.

 Chapter 72: A Simple Proposal

    Chapter 72: A Simple ProposalAliandra Ali stood on the threshold watching dejectedly as Ryn¡¯s bright smile gave way to a concerned frown.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ali?¡±


    It all came out in a rush ¨C yesterday¡¯s story, and her failure in the library. Her friends had all been supportive and concerned when Malika helped her back to the camp, and she had already told her story once to them. But even today, telling it a second time, there were still tears. Tears of frustration mingled with grief for the library, her past, and the shame of having destroyed her books for nothing.


    ¡°I destroyed it, Ryn. The Painter¡¯s Remembrance. And for nothing¡­¡± Her heart felt like a lead weight had been lashed to it, dragging it down toward her feet, and she reached up to wipe her eyes, stopping in surprise as Ryn handed her a tissue.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, Ali,¡± she said gently, putting an arm around her shoulders to comfort her. ¡°You had to try it if there was even a small chance to save the whole library. For what it¡¯s worth, I think you were brave.¡±


    ¡°Brave?¡± Ali¡¯s throat choked on the word. She felt anything but. She had been crying since yesterday, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel she should have known better. But Ryn¡¯s arm and her kind words calmed her down a little and helped her push the tears away. ¡°I loved that story.¡±


    ¡°I know, it was beautiful, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Ali nodded, not trusting herself to speak. The other two books hadn¡¯t affected her nearly so deeply, but sacrificing this story had left her raw inside.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t think it was for nothing,¡± Ryn continued.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, you got the imprint.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it makes gibberish books,¡± Ali repeated. It was worse than useless ¨C like her skill was taunting her.


    ¡°But you¡¯re not done growing your skill yet,¡± Ryn answered. ¡°If you work at it, I¡¯m sure you can advance your skill into something that will turn out to be amazing. Who knows? Maybe you can still salvage the library?¡±


    Malika had told her much the same thing yesterday after she had found her sobbing in the darkness. But she had been much too distraught to pay any attention. , she thought, skills grew as their wielder learned and gained experience. With careful cultivation, skills could be intentionally influenced to grow in a specific direction. This was something that had been repeated incessantly in her classes and studies ¨C it took effort, but guiding your skills in productive directions, rather than letting them meander randomly was by far the most potent way of developing your class into something powerful.


    ¡°It might be hard,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°I just know you can do it,¡± Ryn answered with a smile. ¡°Come, I found another story I just know you¡¯re going to love. Let me show you.¡±


    ***


    Ali sat cross-legged on the moss out in front of her tent. Her visit with Ryn had cheered her up a lot and her kind words had lit something of a fire of new purpose in Ali¡¯s heart. If she could study her way to a better skill, and wrest something useful from her trying experience, she was going to figure out how. She just could not imagine leaving the library in that state, where a stray breath of air could destroy irreplaceable knowledge forever.


    Malika was nearby working through a set of kick drills, training herself, but Ali knew she had deliberately chosen to remain nearby to offer support if she needed her. Ali caught her eye and smiled for a moment before returning her attention to her purpose.


    She opened her Grimoire, gazing at the frustrating, but beautiful magic floating in the air in front of her. She had tried many times to study and understand the contents inscribed in her imprints, but she had precious little to show for it. However, this time she had a bit of a new plan.


    Instead of trying to understand how the magic of the creatures and plants were encoded into runes, she was going to focus precisely on the structure of the Grimoire: specifically, on how it encoded variants. The randomness had been a pain in her side for quite a while now, and she would need a deep understanding of how it worked if she were to ever unravel the mess that was encoded in her book imprint.


    With a little trickle of mana, she enabled her Runic Script skill, carefully inscribing a runic circle for Inspiration around herself, feeling the cool trickle of magic caressing her skin as the circle closed. She hadn¡¯t yet figured out how to use her Inspiration skill and her Study Trance simultaneously ¨C both requiring focus ¨C but her runic circle was a perfect compromise. Then, with a substantially larger channeled amount, she activated her Study Trance, giving her mind over to the focused concentration of her Sage of Learning skill. The swish-thump of Malika¡¯s shins striking the tree trunk faded into nothingness along with the entire camp, shrine, tents, and even her minions.


    Nothing remained, just her mind, and the glowing Grimoire floating before her. With a powerful determination, she began to read.


    Sometime later, Ali¡¯s awareness slowly returned to the camp and its surroundings. Malika was meditating off to the side, and Mato and Calen had both returned: Calen sat by the campfire repairing some arrows chatting amiably with Mato while he stirred a bubbling pot. As usual, the herb-seasoned broth smelled amazing, and her stomach voiced a no-nonsense gurgle.


    In the end, the structure of her Grimoire was straightforward. Each chapter had a broad set of inscriptions representing the essence of what the Grimoire category required. It was followed by something that felt a little like an index containing a section of variation, modifications, additions, and deletions that made each variant unique. Simple as it was, it had required unraveling an incredibly complex set of connected arcane runes that created the pages, the imprints, and the book itself as she had to delve deeply into the nature of the skill. She was far, very far, from a full understanding of the mechanisms, but she had at least learned a few things.


    With her mind, she grasped the imprint open before her and Without any resistance whatsoever, the Grimoire pages flickered and shifted, and the imprint switched with the one after it, changing the order of the chapters. It was not a big thing, but it had been a substantial breakthrough in her understanding of how the entire spell worked. Now she could order her imprints in whatever way suited her.


    Finally, she brought up her notifications. The echo of her chimes and the shifting in her skill had been what finally prompted her to end her studies and return to the present moment.


    A full skill advancement was not at all what she had expected, but she¡¯d take it any day. Biting her lip in excitement, she read on.


    Grimoire of Summoning ¨C level 20


    Mana: Release the mana from an unresisting or inanimate target, learning about its structure, and retaining some in your own mana pool. Requires continuous uninterrupted focus and the target is destroyed.


    Mana: Manifest a Magical Grimoire storing the runic imprint of any object you have fully understood. You may create any object recorded by using the Grimoire as a focus. You may spend extra mana to influence the variation created. Control improves with skill level.


    Arcane, Nature, Minion, Channeled, Knowledge, Intelligence


    Ali immediately accepted the advancement. Intuitively, she knew it wouldn¡¯t be the complete solution to her problem with her book imprint ¨C as the requirements stated, her knowledge was still rudimentary at best ¨C but the advance was a step in the right direction.


    she thought.  If she kept at it, she could guide her skill growth down the path of more and more control, until eventually she would have what she needed.


    she thought, a big smile on her face,


    She flipped the pages over to her mushroom imprint and channeled her mana. This time, though, she understood precisely where in the inscription to inject it, choosing the Common Glowcap variant. It used a little more mana to control, but her book produced a small mushroom which gave off the telltale golden light and arcane mana. She did it again, and again, creating a pretty fairy ring around where she sat, without once creating an unwanted variant.


    No more would she spend hours cycling through unwanted variations, unsummoning them just to get what she needed. And even more encouraging ¨C while she could tell she wasn¡¯t quite there yet ¨C she was certain that with a little more growth she would be able to influence other attributes too, like color, size, and even level seemed tantalizingly close to her reach.


    Finally, feeling a little better about herself, Ali got up and wandered over to join the others at the campfire.


    ¡°Studying is hard work; do you want some beef and vegetable stew?¡± Mato asked.


    Ali nodded enthusiastically and accepted a plate of something hot and delicious, and besides that, she had no idea because she wolfed it down in an instant.


    ¡°Hey, you should at least chew once, don¡¯t just inhale it!¡± Mato exclaimed, but he quickly ladled another helping onto her plate. ¡°Where do you put it all?¡±


    ¡°My brain?¡± she chuckled.


    Tapping his knuckles on his own head, Mato made a hilarious hollow knocking sound. ¡°Yes, the empty space, I understand.¡±


    ¡°Mato, you beast!¡±


    ¡°You doing ok, Ali?¡± Malika asked, ¡°You were out for about four hours.¡±


    ¡°I feel a lot better now,¡± Ali admitted. ¡°I studied my Grimoire with my Sage of Learning skill, and I earned an advancement.¡± She shared it with them, pointing out that the advancement of her skill allowed her to avoid any of the random variations that had so frustrated her before.


    ¡°That¡¯s going to save you a lot of time,¡± Calen approved.


    ¡°Hey, I have an idea I want your opinions on,¡± Ali asked, getting everyone¡¯s attention. It was an idea that had been kicking around in her head for several days now, and after her last visit with Ryn, she was certain she wanted to do something about it.


    ¡°Ryn and Basil both said they¡¯re up for unlocking their classes in the next couple of days. I want to do something nice for them. Do you think offering to let them use the shrine is something they would appreciate?¡± Ali knew the mayor had a shrine, and it was offered to everyone in the town. But Malika had told her that her shrine was better. She just wasn¡¯t quite sure if it was enough to be the kind of gift they might appreciate.


    ¡°Oh, heck yes!¡± Mato¡¯s exclamation was instantaneous.


    ¡°Is it really that different? I want to give them something that¡¯s at least meaningful and helps them out.¡±


    ¡°Ali, I don¡¯t think you appreciate how good your shrine really is,¡± Malika said. ¡°The shrine in Myrin¡¯s Keep is an artificially constructed artifact with a five-thousand mana reserve. It can unlock your class experience and offer one additional class choice. And I had to rob someone to afford the two large silver to pay the fee to use it.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Ali had no idea where to even start. ¡°You robbed someone? Why are there fees?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Malika grimaced. ¡°I was a poor street urchin, remember? The people who own shrines charge for access for many reasons. Mostly it¡¯s to keep the good class choices among the nobles and the wealthy and force the poor to live with the natural class choice offered by the system. That¡¯s how you get a lot of laborer, fighter, thief, and farmer classes, and the wealthy can preserve their positions with superior class choices.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s just greed, Malika,¡± Calen said. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a conspiracy to keep the poor people down ¨C they just want to line their own pockets.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s terrible, it should be free!¡± Ali had never heard of charging for the shrine and the options it unlocked. In Dal¡¯mohra, her father had taken it as his civic duty to provide the shrine whenever anyone needed it.


    ¡°Yeah, well, that¡¯s not how it is. Most places charge a lot more than two large silver. This mayor is being quite generous, taking only enough to cover all those expensive mana potions he needs to recharge the shrine.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ali answered. She guessed it made sense, even though the idea bothered her immensely. It was a good thing her domain worked to recharge her shrine; she couldn¡¯t imagine producing one and a quarter million mana to fill its reserve using mana potions.


    ¡°Your shrine also allows one to unlock mana affinities, which the town one doesn¡¯t do,¡± Malika added.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a guarantee, though,¡± Ali pointed out. ¡°It only sometimes finds latent affinities.¡±


    ¡°Still, it¡¯s better than no chance. But the biggest value is the sheer number of class choices it offers. Anyone is bound to do much better if they have six to eight options to choose from, rather than one or two,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Ok, that sounds like the kind of gift I want to give,¡± Ali said. If it were just saving a couple of pieces of silver, she would have probably looked for something else. If the town shrine only offered one choice, then Ali was certain she stood a good chance of giving them both a lasting gift that might dramatically improve their quality of life permanently.


    ¡°Ali, would you consider offering your shrine to more people?¡± Malika asked, her voice sounding a little uncertain.


    ¡°What do you mean? Which people?¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not my place to suggest what to do with your shrine, but¡­¡± Malika said, her eyes glittering intensely, ¡°I¡¯m sure there are many people in Myrin¡¯s Keep just like I was. Held back by the circumstances of their lives, never having the opportunity to grow and step out of the slums like I did. I was fortunate to have met you, and I can¡¯t imagine my life if you hadn¡¯t offered me the opportunity to use your shrine. I¡¯m just wondering if you would be open to sharing that opportunity with strangers to give them a better chance?¡±


    ¡°I guess the shrine has enough to safely do about a dozen people before it runs out of mana,¡± Ali said, but the more she thought about it, the more the idea began to grow on her. ¡°How would we find people ¨C the, uh¡­ right people?¡±


    ¡°I think the Guildmaster might be very interested in helping us with that,¡± Calen said, looking up from his twine and arrows.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be worried about people discovering the shrine?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a good point,¡± Malika said. ¡°Perhaps we shouldn¡¯t risk it. I wouldn¡¯t want Tala or Mori finding out.¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t heard from them in a while,¡± Calen said, ¡°and I think we can trust the Guildmaster.¡±


    ¡°I really want to do something nice for Basil and Ryn,¡± Ali said. ¡°I¡¯m willing to talk to Vivian Ross about it and see if she thinks it¡¯s safe.¡±


    ***


    Ali perched on her barrier, returning Vivian Ross¡¯s curious gaze across the dark mahogany wood conference table. The chairs arranged around the table looked comfortable, but Ali ignored them, preferring to use the unique advantages of her barrier magic to elevate herself to the same level as everyone else.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s this all about?¡± Vivian asked. It had taken all of about five minutes to get this meeting. It seemed their thorough work at exterminating the Kobolds and keeping the farmers happy had gained a lot of positive reputation for the guild, and Vivian had most certainly noticed. While Vivian seemed to be in an open and curious mood, Ali still found her to be a little intimidating and welcomed the support of her friends at the table.


    ¡°I have a proposal for the upcoming class advancement that would require your support,¡± Ali began.


    Vivian raised her eyebrow but waited for her to continue.


    ¡°I have a class shrine,¡± Ali said. ¡°It¡¯s a bit more advanced than the one the mayor has, and I wanted to offer my services, provided you can help with security.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Vivian said, her eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly, but the rest of her face remained a stony mask as she considered Ali¡¯s revelation. ¡°So that¡¯s how you guys all unlocked your classes without returning to the Town Hall?¡± she asked after a few moments¡¯ thought, reminding Ali just how sharp the Guildmaster really was.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali answered. ¡°The features I have to offer are the ability to draw out potential latent mana affinities, and an alternate class choice search that produces at least six options.¡±


    ¡°Six?¡± The shock on Vivian¡¯s face was obvious this time, and equally quickly hidden. ¡°That¡¯s a remarkable claim. What do you want in exchange?¡± Her voice seemed cautious and guarded.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Ali said. ¡°I just want to set some conditions on the candidate choices. I was planning on offering the service to two friends, and Malika suggested offering it wider. I can take ten more people. My conditions are that they are not charged for use, and there is no restriction on eligibility ¨C poor or wealthy, noble or common, combat or non-combat. I want it to be fair. I¡¯m not sure of the best way to do that safely, though, which is why I¡¯m asking for your help and visible involvement.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very generous of you. Any restrictions?¡±


    ¡°The mana attunement is not a guarantee. In practice I¡¯ve seen it succeed about half the time,¡± Ali said. She had watched it in action under her father¡¯s hand many times. ¡°The class chooser has never offered fewer than six choices as far as I¡¯m aware. I figured having a chance at significantly better classes would align well with your goal for growing the guild and the opportunity to be involved allows you a better chance for recruitment.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Vivian said thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯m interested, I will talk to Mayor Turner, and in exchange, I ask only that I see your shrine for myself.¡±


    Alexander Gray


    Alexander sat morosely in the back of the rickety merchant wagon, reflecting on his terrible fortune. His research had taken him all the way out here to the village of Lyton, a nothing village in the middle of nowhere, nestled up against the impenetrable ancient Lirasian forest in the most worthless part of the Kingdom of Toria. And there his leads had simply dried up. So here he was, hitching a ride on a slow, bumpy wagon, not entirely certain what he should do.


    The merchant was a taciturn man of few words ¨C for which he was grateful ¨C and he had accepted a small silver piece for a ride. But the wagon was so uncomfortable and slow that Alexander was beginning to consider abandoning his Druidic disguise and having his skeletons carry him instead. The only problem was the moment he took off the amulet, his real class would make him a pariah in every human settlement across the continent, and he couldn¡¯t afford the time and energy to kill everyone who saw him.


    He sighed.


    He owed the Shadow Council a report at the very least, and he had nothing. The acolytes and underlings of the order, unwilling to even utter the Master¡¯s name for fear of annihilation, would have little patience for his failure. It mattered not that he had been diligent with his studies and had grown fast. The Master himself was impatient.


    He shivered at  memory. Even though he wanted to swear, he dared not. The Master¡¯s appearance at their isolated academy had been a complete shock to everyone. He had simply materialized in the middle of the hall ¨C a being of such power and presence that even Alexander¡¯s class resistance to fear and death magic had crumbled before him. He had been reduced to a curled-up trembling ball on the ground, rooted to the spot in the aura of despair he projected. Alexander had always known he was destined for greater things, but at that moment, he knew he was beholden to the Lich with his scarlet blindfold and monstrous presence ¨C his robes billowing out from the sheer power of the darkness that he emitted. His path to true power would come directly from the Master ¨C and perhaps even one day, he may earn the immortality of the Lich transformation.


    His mentors still gave him tasks to carry out ¨C menial jobs that would never get the attention of the Master. But Alexander remembered what the Lich cared about most ¨C the discovery of dungeons. Specifically, new and uncharted ones that could be captured and dominated, then turned to his inscrutable purpose.


    He didn¡¯t know what the Lich wanted with these dungeons, but the only time his voice had held any emotion or passion had been when he was talking about acquiring them. Alexander knew then that his path to recognition would be to find one and capture it for him.


    Alas, all his research had led him to this dead end. He was beginning to run out of hope.


    Absently he brushed the ice crystals from his sleeve before he suddenly stopped and stared.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± the merchant said, reining in the cart horse.


    Alexander glanced around seeing fresh ice crystals on the grass beside the road, incongruously sparkling in the midday sun. A sudden nervous whinny from the skittish mare alerted him to the danger right before the tendrils of fear clawed their way up through his ribs to encircle his heart.


    ¡°Aah¡­¡± the merchant¡¯s cry was cut off as the fear got hold of him, and Alexander could see the wide-eyed stare of terror, and smell the sudden stench of loosened bowels.


    A tall figure shrouded in a black hooded cloak emerged from the forest, seemingly absorbing all the light around him. The icy chill deepened as the frost spread across the road, reaching the wheels of the now stationary cart and the hooves of the terrified horse. Heavy metal sabatons crunched as the shrouded being stepped out across the ice. With a seemingly casual wave, the dark figure fired two lances of ice, taking the horse through the chest and the merchant through the throat, dropping both in an instant.


    Alexander fought against the rising fear as the monster turned glowing blue pinpoints of light under his shadowed hood to fix him with an icy gaze. It was a struggle, but it was nothing compared to


    ¡°Alexander¡­ Gray¡­¡± The voice echoed strangely as if carried to his mind by the aura of fear itself. ¡°Remove your disguise if you wish to live.¡±


    For a moment the Death Knight¡¯s command confused his fear-stricken mind, but as soon as he understood, he scrambled to comply, pulling the amulet from his neck as fast as his shaking hands could manage.


    ¡°A¡­ wise choice.¡± The ice cracked ominously as the Death Knight approached. Alexander was unable to keep from craning his neck as the tall monstrous undead knight drew near, becoming more and more intimidating by proximity, towering above his own normally tall frame.


    The Death Knight seemed aware of how greed mingled with fear in his heart, pausing for far too long before it hissed, ¡°The Master has a task for you.¡± It was not a request. But even so, a thrill of something that was not fear jolted through Alexander¡¯s core.


    It was simultaneously terrifying and exhilarating. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Of course, I will do it,¡± he stammered, not that he had the option of refusing. But he wanted this. This was his chance ¨C whatever it was, he  to execute it successfully.


    ¡°The Master has divined the existence of a new dungeon somewhere in this region, and you are the closest. You will find it and capture it for him. Or at the very least, discover its location and lead me to it.¡±


    His fortune turned on this accidental proximity to a new dungeon. But how was he to find it?


    ¡°Is¡­¡± he swallowed uncomfortably, noticing his hands slowly turning blue with cold, ¡°Is there any information that might help locate this dungeon?¡± he asked and then froze in fear as the Death Knight turned to stare at him with its piercing blue glowing eyes. Those eyes stripped his soul bare, leaving him reeling in the presence of pure, inescapable death.


    ¡°It has both nature and arcane mana affinity, and it is less than a few months old,¡± the Death Knight finally answered. ¡°Fear not, the Master has seen fit to send you some tools.¡±


    The Death Knight waved a gaunt hand and summoned two enormous corpses, dumping them onto the icy road with a substantial thump. Both bodies were enormous humanoid shapes, colored a slate grayish blue, with heavy tusks protruding from their lower jaws, and thick coarse crimson hair. They had both been slain by a lance strike through the center of their chests.


    Alexander stared covetously at the enormous bodies, which must have weighed well over a thousand pounds each, with arms thicker than his torso. They were an amazing windfall for a necromancer like him, but he failed to see the use of such a gift in tracking down a dungeon.


    ¡°The Master also requires you to create a diversion in this region.¡±


    ¡°What kind of diversion?¡±


    ¡°Something that will command all attention for as long as possible. You are a Blight Summoner, are you not?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± he answered, quickly grasping what was required of him. He didn¡¯t know why Nevyn Eld required him to make so much of a disturbance, but his class was ideally suited to the task.


    ¡°Very well, then get to work.¡± The Death Knight dismissed him, turning on a heel that ground the ice into slush and disappeared into the forest. As the monstrous undead¡¯s presence vanished, so did the overwhelming fear, until finally, Alexander breathed a sigh of relief.


    As the ice began melting under the sun, he considered his task.


    He smiled, feeling his fortunes changing for the better as the beginnings of a fantastic plan began to form in his mind.


    ¡°,¡± he commanded, directing his magic towards the generous gift the Lich had seen fit to bestow upon him. The two enormous corpses twitched, and then slowly clambered to their thickly splayed, three-toed feet, groaning mournfully.


    His smile turned into a broad grin. He had never commanded a minion this powerful, and the Master had seen fit to give him two.


    He glanced over at the cart and raised the horse as a zombie too. Not one to let a useful resource go to waste, he raised a skeleton from the corpse of the merchant, smiling at the satisfying way the bones tore their way free of the dead flesh. It was only a low-level skeleton, but he could always use the extra pair of hands, and the man had soiled himself. Raising him as a skeleton would leave the stench behind. Obnoxious fool. Now, he could serve a higher purpose.


    Hopping up on his new mount, he summoned a Sending scroll from his storage and channeled his mana into it.


    The scroll crumbled into dust in his hands, and he brushed the remainder from his cloak. With his message sent, he commanded his horse to retrace the path back to the village of Lyton. He grinned happily at the sound of the heavy thumping footsteps of his new minions following close behind.

 Chapter 73: Class Advancement

    Chapter 73: Class Advancement- Excerpt from


    Aliandra


    Ali waited while Vivian Ross pushed open the doors to the Town Hall, subjecting her to the cacophony of an unmanaged crowd and the musky, cloying scent of too many Humans that threatened to overwhelm her after so much time spent underground. She had only needed to wait two days before the town held their class advancement ceremony, and Vivian Ross had suggested they simply present Ali¡¯s offer at the ceremony itself and take the first ten people who volunteered, in addition to Ryn and Basil.


    It sounded fair to Ali, but her nerves were off the charts, ranging across the entire spectrum. Talking in front of crowds had never been something Ali liked, much preferring the safety of her couch and a good book. Or a quiet nook in the library. Books were quiet, reliable friends.


    Her imagination ran rampant, providing her with visions of the most unlikely scenarios possible. At least with Vivian here there would be no issues with security.


    As she followed Vivian and her friends to the front of the crowd, the voices resolved to the sounds of individuals arguing, one passionately and the other with an attempt at official dignity.


    ¡°Havok need shrine!¡± The voice sounded urgent and spoke in a heavily accented, broken Common.


    ¡°I told you already, it costs two large silver to use the shrine.¡± As Ali approached, she saw the tired face of a portly man in an official-looking robe, confronting a Goblin, of all things, with the strained patience of someone who had obviously repeated himself a few too many times.


    ¡°Havok has no money!¡± This fact was presented with the same intensity and conviction as an advocate presenting his closing argument to the court, expecting everyone to finally understand and come to the proper conclusion.


    ¡°Then you can¡¯t use the shrine. That¡¯s the rule.¡± The official wouldn¡¯t be budged.


    ¡°Move over! Let others have a turn!¡± someone yelled.


    ¡°Havok give this. It is good.¡± The insistent Goblin began unbuckling his scuffed and torn boiled leather breastplate, which even Ali could tell couldn¡¯t be worth more than a handful of copper.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t do a trade,¡± the man said.


    ¡°Mayor,¡± Vivian interrupted.


    The man looked up from his argument. ¡°Aah, there you are, Vivian.¡± He seemed intensely relieved by the interruption and, getting wearily to his feet he addressed the crowd. ¡°Quiet down everyone,¡± he began, waiting for the hubbub to mostly settle before continuing. ¡°The Adventurers Guild has an unusual offer for you today, so I¡¯ll let Vivian Ross explain.¡±


    Vivian stepped forward with a commanding confidence, and remarkably, silence fell across the room as everyone turned to face her.


    ¡°This is Aliandra. She has an advanced class shrine that provides a chance at unlocking a magical affinity, and several more alternative class options. We can take ten more people and it will be on a first-come-first-served basis.¡±


    ¡°How much are you charging?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s free,¡± Ali said, speaking up for the first time. Her heart was beating hard, but she was happy to find her voice didn¡¯t show her nerves.


    ¡°How do we know it will work?¡±


    ¡°Unlocking a magical affinity is not a guarantee. The shrine can potentially surface an unknown latent magical affinity if it is present within you. But it¡¯s by no means certain. Some people who try for that will be disappointed.¡± Ali knew she wasn¡¯t selling it all that well, but she wanted people to know exactly what they were in for. She didn¡¯t want anyone complaining afterward that they were misled.


    There was an instant murmur of chatter that rippled through the crowd.


    ¡°Sounds like a scam.¡±


    ¡°Do you know anything about this new Adventurers Guild?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t trust a non-human.¡±


    ¡°Free? Nobody is going to take your sketchy offer.¡±


    Ali frowned. Her offer was honest, and not sketchy at all, and she wondered if the fact that she was offering it for free made it seem too good to be true. She hadn¡¯t expected quite so much pushback from the crowd.


    ¡°Havok will! Havok take sketchy offer!¡± The little Goblin ran up to the front and presented himself. ¡°Havok need class to become warrior! But Havok not have money.¡± The Goblin wrinkled his green face into an anguished frown.


    ¡°It¡¯s free. No money,¡± Ali told him.


    His face immediately brightened, and he hopped up and down excitedly. There was a little unkind snickering from the crowd, but Ali made a concerted effort to ignore it.


    ¡°If this is for the Adventurers Guild, is the offer only for combat classes?¡± The new voice from the back of the crowd drew some startled looks and nervous shifting. It sounded feminine, but it possessed a sibilant lisp and an uncannily deep resonant undertone.


    ¡°It¡¯s available to anyone.¡± Ali was firm on this point. She was not one to play the politics of favorites. ¡°Guild membership is not required.¡±


    A dark cowled figure stepped forward. Ali caught a glimpse of talons clicking on the wooden floor under her singed and burnt dress. All around her the crowd nervously separated as if mere proximity would be dangerous.


    ¡°Do you truly mean that? This one is not accustomed to being treated as an equal.¡± She reached up a hand covered with metallic gray scales and short talons to pull back the cowl covering her face.


    There were instant gasps of surprise and many in the crowd backed away further. The girl had short-cropped silver hair. And while she appeared mostly human, her neck and parts of her face were covered with delicate silver scales. Her eyes looked reptilian, with large silver irises and two sets of eyelids.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali answered, ¡°I mean that.¡± Switching quickly to draconic, she added in a formal tone of respect, ¡°You are most welcome, dragon-child.¡±


    The dragonkin blinked, transparent eyelids slipping sideways across her eyes before the outer lids blinked. The resonance in her voice deepened as she swapped to draconic also. ¡°This one is surprised¡­ but honored to be accepted.¡± She bowed deeply and concealed her face with her cowl, walking up to stand quietly beside the Goblin.


    There were a few mutters in the crowd about ¡®monsters¡¯ but then, a new figure stepped forward.


    He was a serious-looking young blond man with an athletic build, dressed in leather armor and carrying a pair of curved swords sheathed on his back. Beside him stood a stocky boy wearing glasses and a pretty woman carrying a bow.


    ¡°Aiden, what are you doing?¡± the mayor asked.


    ¡°We talked about this, father; I think the Adventurers Guild offer is a smart one.¡±


    As soon as he revealed his relationship, Ali could instantly see the resemblance. While the mayor was far from athletic, they shared the same eyes and a strong similarity in the line of the jaw.


    The mayor let it go with the briefest of nods and a wave of his hand, but Ali could see he disapproved of his son¡¯s choice. Ali frowned again. It was strange that the mayor had approved her proposal, but clearly didn¡¯t believe in it enough to approve of his son taking the offer.  Ali didn¡¯t know, and the subtle maneuverings of social or political situations like this one usually eluded her.


    As if Aiden¡¯s acceptance was the final stamp of credibility needed, Ali immediately received a quick stream of people signing up until she had a full group. Just as she had hoped, she seemed to draw people from all backgrounds, several of whom had been even waiting in the crowd behind the supposed official applicants and had decided to join her unexpected offer. One or two wore the torn and dilapidated clothing of the slums, contrasting strongly with Aiden and his expensive gear.


    Ali noticed Malika hovering protectively as they approached.


    ¡°I¡¯m Aiden Turner, although I suppose you already figured that out.¡± Aiden introduced himself with the smooth eloquence of someone well-practiced at the social graces. ¡°These are my friends Flynn and Kaitlyn. My father didn¡¯t exactly approve of me choosing your offer.¡±


    ¡°I hope it won¡¯t cause trouble for you,¡± Ali said. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I hope not, but it¡¯s also not his choice to make. I know he wanted to do Vivian Ross a favor, but he is skeptical of your shrine.¡±


    ¡°It works and this isn¡¯t a competition,¡± Malika said bluntly.


    Aiden smiled, ¡°People around here trust Vivian.¡±


    Perhaps hearing the unspoken ¡®but not you, Street Rat,¡¯ Malika¡¯s expression soured further, but before she could argue the point, Flynn put in, ¡°We¡¯re in, thank you.¡±


    With the matter settled, Ali decided that Aiden¡¯s explanation answered at least one of her questions. Vivian Ross must have called in a favor with the mayor to make this all happen.


    ***


    The trip through the sewer and down to the shrine was uneventful. Ali¡¯s band of candidates mostly stared in amazement at her trees growing underground in the dark and chatting quietly among themselves. Basil, in particular, spent most of his time staring at every tuft of grass, each mushroom, and every tree, expressing quiet amazement to Mato as they traversed the cavern. Ali feared her gardening skills would not meet his expert approval.


    The Goblin, Havok, kept up a running commentary that seemed to be a loud and excited stream of consciousness that was entirely unaffected by whether anyone was listening or not. The Dragonkin girl, who had revealed her name to be Kav¨¦, and the girl from the slums kept to themselves, walking in silence, while Aiden and his friends chatted quietly. It was an eclectic group and Ali was rather excited to see what classes they would unlock. She desperately hoped it would be a spectacular success, but her treacherous imagination kept insisting that they would all probably unlock the most mundane of classes, rendering her offer worthless.


    At the shrine, it was a simple matter of a couple of minutes to unlock each of them so that they were able to earn class experience. Vivian Ross divided them quickly into two groups ¨C the five seeking combat classes, and the seven that were hoping for merchant, crafting, or artisan classes.


    ¡°Calen and Mato will escort you all back to town,¡± Ali told the non-combat group. ¡°I understand your non-combat trials can sometimes take a couple of days. Once you get the notification that you have unlocked a class, please make an appointment at the Adventurers Guild and I will bring you back to the shrine to finish your class advancement.¡±


    There was an undercurrent of excitement among the non-combat classes as it became apparent to them that the offer was no joke, and the shrine itself was real, looming tall right before them. Their notifications and status now showed they were able to earn experience.


    ¡°It will take more than a few days for me, Ali,¡± Ryn apologized. ¡°The shopkeeper is still on a trip. Is it ok to unlock it later?¡±


    ¡°However long it takes is fine, Ryn.¡±


    ¡°This one, too, will take longer,¡± Kav¨¦ said, her voice low and speaking draconic.


    Ali looked at her for a moment, but she continued.


    ¡°None of the blacksmiths would take a Dragonkin apprentice.¡±


    ¡°All of them denied you because they were afraid?¡± Ali¡¯s opinion of the Myrin¡¯s Keep blacksmiths dropped even further.


    ¡°One declined to talk to me because he is broke and grumpy.¡±


    ¡°Thuli? The Dwarf?¡± The description matched Ali¡¯s experience perfectly.


    ¡°That would be the one.¡±


    ¡°Maybe wait with me? Malika and I can take you to the Dwarf and put in a good word for you. Hopefully, we can get him to agree to conduct your trial.¡±


    Ali obviously couldn¡¯t guarantee that she could convince the Dwarf, but she was certain he was in a better mood now. And if Thuli hadn¡¯t been put off by her race, then she was confident she could at least make him consider it. Myrin¡¯s Keep was not exactly welcoming to those its fine citizens saw as outsiders.


    ¡°This one would be deeply grateful,¡± Kav¨¦ bowed again.


    Calen and Mato left with the rest of the non-combat aspirants, escorting them to town, leaving Ali with just the five who required a combat trial.


    ¡°How should we do this?¡± Ali asked Vivian. ¡°The sewer has slimes and a few Goblins for them to fight.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Vivian said. ¡°I highly recommend the five of you group up for this. Aiden, perhaps you can take the lead? Approaching your combat trial as a group will drastically improve your chances of survival.¡±


    ¡°Ok, but some of them don¡¯t have weapons. It will be difficult to keep them alive if they can¡¯t fight.¡± Aiden pointed out, gesturing to the girl standing off to the side by herself.


    Ali turned to see the gaunt and dirty girl from the slums shifting awkwardly as if embarrassed to be drawing attention to herself. Her dark hair was a tangled mess and she had nothing but the torn clothes she was wearing. Not even shoes.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± Ali asked, and the girl looked up at her as if surprised that Ali would care.


    ¡°Devan, miss. I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t have any equipment.¡±


    ¡°Devan, there¡¯s a pile of equipment over there by the tent. Please feel free to help yourself to anything that will help you. I suggest you take a set of leather armor also if you can find something that fits.¡±


    Devan shifted awkwardly in place for a moment, ¡°Um¡­ maybe? Just a dagger?¡±


    The girl seemed timid, and Ali briefly wondered why she was seeking a combat class at all. But then she remembered Calen was also a bit shy, and he was remarkably effective. Although he wasn¡¯t quite as shy as Devan seemed to be.


    ¡°Here, I¡¯ll help you find something.¡± The girl with the bow stepped up to take her hand. Kaitlyn, Ali recalled ¨C one of Aiden¡¯s friends.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a weapon to fight with either?¡± Ali turned to the Goblin.


    ¡°No, Miss Aliandra. Havok has no weapon.¡± He seemed crestfallen at the admission.


    she thought. ¡°Your name is Havok?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said and shifted uncomfortably, looking down at his feet. ¡°Not like Sneeze, warrior needs powerful name. I want to be Havok. With a K.¡±


    ¡°Your real name is Sneeze?¡± she asked to the sound of a few chuckles from the people around.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said dejectedly. ¡°Father sneezed when Havok born. Mother thought it too funny and named Sneeze. Not good name for warrior.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you also look through the pile and choose a sword or something?¡± Ali pointed over at the equipment pile where Kaitlyn was busy helping Devan into a shabby piece of leather armor.


    ¡°Havok doesn¡¯t want to owe Miss Aliandra more.¡±


    His surprising reticence stumped Ali. She didn¡¯t want to force him, but he would most certainly need a weapon for the trial.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you borrow it?¡± Malika suggested, coming to her rescue. ¡°Once you earn your class and better equipment, you can give it to someone who needs it.¡±


    ¡°Give?¡± Havok asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Malika said. ¡°Among my people, the greatest warriors are the ones who have the power to help others who are weaker than themselves.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± his face lit up again. ¡°Miss Malika is wise. Havok will be powerful and help everyone!¡± He scampered off to scrabble in the pile of equipment with great enthusiasm and energy, emerging with a rusty sword and an expression that told everyone this was the greatest treasure in the world.


    Ali watched as the ragtag band of would-be adventurer hopefuls left to meet their trial.


    ¡°I really hope he does well,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Ali answered. It was a strange feeling setting them all on their way, and Ali felt a deep sense of responsibility for putting them all at risk, even though it was the only way for them to earn their classes and advance.


    ¡°Ali, you might want to make a couple more Goblins or something,¡± Malika said suddenly. ¡°The novices from the guild were down here the other day and cleared out quite a few of your creatures.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± It wouldn¡¯t do to have the candidates roaming around the sewers finding nothing they could fight. Ali quickly pulled out her Grimoire and summoned several Goblins, grateful for the new advancement that allowed her to explicitly choose the low-leveled Skirmishers and Scavengers.


    ¡°Is level five too high for them?¡± Ali asked, eyeing one of the Skirmishers. The Starving Alpha had been a real challenge before they had all earned their classes.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t risk it,¡± Malika said.


    Even Vivian nodded her agreement, so Ali obliged by unsummoning it. She didn¡¯t want to kill the candidates by setting them against an unreasonable challenge.


    As soon as she had equipped them all with appropriate gear, she sent them off. ¡°I just really hope I don¡¯t kill anyone,¡± Ali said as her new minions vanished up into the sewers.


    Vivian Ross glanced at her with an unreadable expression for several moments before she turned and touched the shrine.


    ¡°Thank you for showing me this, Aliandra,¡± she said. ¡°I think I will go keep an eye on our candidates, just in case they get in over their heads.¡±


    And then she was off, vanishing with the unfathomable speed of a high-level warrior, and Ali breathed a little easier knowing she would be looking out for the candidates she had just sent to their trial.


    ***


    Ali stepped across the threshold into a transformed smithy. She had several hours before even the luckiest candidates would need the services of her shrine, and so she had decided to bring Kav¨¦ to visit Thuli.


    ¡°You were right. His mood has improved,¡± Kav¨¦ observed, stepping into the smithy. The enchantments had all been recharged, and the sounds of the entrance chimes rang out loudly through the brightly lit smithy, contending briefly with the clanging of steel against steel. An intense dry heat wafted in from the forge area, and a few moments later, the powerful Dwarf stepped into the room wearing a singed leather apron and carrying an enormous hammer. He stank of sweat and the heavy odor of molten steel.


    ¡°Hi Aliandra, Malika. It¡¯s good to see ya in my smithy once again.¡± Thuli¡¯s eyes glanced sideways at Kav¨¦¡¯s cowled form before returning to Ali. ¡°What can I do for ya this fine day?¡±


    ¡°This is Kav¨¦,¡± Ali introduced her, and Kav¨¦ obliged by removing her cowl and bowing to Thuli. ¡°I unlocked her experience this morning at my shrine. She would like to become a blacksmith, but none of the smithies would accept her.¡±


    ¡°Aye, because of what she is, I bet. Insensitive, speciesist twats, the lot of them,¡± Thuli declared loudly, jabbing his chest with his thumb for emphasis.


    Ali wouldn¡¯t personally have put it quite so bluntly, but she certainly agreed with the sentiment. She was tired of being accused of being a ¡®monster-race¡¯ herself, and she couldn¡¯t imagine the resistance Kav¨¦ would get as a widely feared member of the Dragonkin race.


    ¡°But I cannot take on an apprentice. As ya already know, I¡¯m broke, and I simply cannot afford it,¡± Thuli continued. ¡°I¡¯m sorry lass,¡± he directed the last part to Kav¨¦.


    ¡°Would you at least be able to conduct her trial so she can earn a class?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Aye, that I can do,¡± Thuli replied. ¡°Come, lass, let¡¯s choose you a hammer. And bring those scraps of iron with you. And then get a bucket from that closet and bring some coal.¡±


    Kav¨¦ scrambled to follow Thuli¡¯s rapid-fire instructions, leaving her cape hastily discarded on the floor.


    Malika retrieved the cape, folded it, and placed it on the table. Ali watched in fascination as the sounds of forging filled the room, and the deep blackish-red of Thuli¡¯s ember magic poured out from his body in waves. They sweated over the glowing forge as Thuli enthusiastically put Kav¨¦ to work, racing around on errands, or hammering at the anvil until her arms were trembling. But she had that gleam of excitement in her eyes and it never faltered for a moment.


    ¡°I got it!¡± Kav¨¦ suddenly exclaimed, her voice filled with awe and wonder. It had taken barely more than an hour of intense activity. ¡°It says my natural class is ¡®blacksmith¡¯.¡±


    Thuli put down the glowing red piece of iron he was holding in his bare hands and grinned at Kav¨¦. ¡°Good work, lass.¡±


    ¡°Congratulations, Kav¨¦,¡± Ali said. ¡°Don¡¯t choose that class yet, let¡¯s get you to the shrine first, so you can see your other choices.¡±


    To Ali¡¯s surprise, Thuli closed and locked the doors to his smithy, clearly intending to accompany them to the shrine. She just smiled to herself. For someone who had given up on interacting with the world, he certainly seemed rather invested in witnessing Kav¨¦¡¯s class advancement. Could she allow herself to hope this might still end well?


    Nobody had returned to the shrine yet, other than Mato and Calen, so Ali stepped up to the shrine, inviting Kav¨¦ and Thuli to join her.


    ¡°Kav¨¦, I suggest you try the latent mana affinity option first. If you have a mana affinity, this will give you access to class choices that are potentially much more powerful, drawing on your mana. If not, you still get several class options to choose from, by using the other shrine option afterward.¡±


    The girl nodded and stepped up to the shrine with a serious expression on her face.


    ¡°Good luck, lass,¡± Thuli encouraged her with a broad wink.


    She placed her scaled hand upon the stone, and a deep hum filled the air, starting with a high pitch, but rapidly descending to the lower registers, causing powerful vibrations to ripple through the ground and shaking Ali to her bones.


    Dense streams of quicksilver-like mana flowed from Kav¨¦¡¯s body, pouring out from her arms, torso, and head, rapidly forming into shimmering globules of shining metal that floated in the air, slowly circling her body. The shapes twisted in the dim light, reflecting the shrine and the trees as they morphed into disks, cubes, spikes, and myriad other forms before finally settling back into spheres.


    The hum abruptly ceased, and the mirror-like spheres of steel fell to the ground, bouncing and rolling about.


    ¡°This one has steel affinity mana,¡± Kav¨¦ declared breathlessly, silver eyes wide in surprise. Suddenly, she gasped, ¡°It used fifty-thousand mana? This one is sorry!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ok Kav¨¦, that¡¯s how much it costs. There is more than enough for everyone.¡± Her expression slowly recovered as Ali reassured her that she hadn¡¯t done anything bad.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try the class chooser? That one normally costs thirty-five thousand.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± she answered, placing a hand on the shrine once again.


    Ali left her at the shrine and walked over to where Thuli was standing. ¡°Why don¡¯t you help her choose? There are a lot of choices, and it can be confusing all at once.¡±


    Thuli glanced at her in surprise, but then grunted and stumped off to join Kav¨¦.


    The two of them huddled by the shrine chatting for almost ten minutes before they finally returned, crossing the mossy ground in thoughtful silence. Eagerly, Ali Identified them as they came on.


    ¡°Congratulations on your class,¡± Ali said. ¡°I hope you got something that makes you happy.¡±


    Kav¨¦ bowed deeply. ¡°This one is profoundly grateful for this opportunity. This one has become a Steelshaper.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one of the strongest blacksmithing classes I have ever laid eyes upon!¡± Thuli exclaimed, clearly excited for her.


    ¡°This one is aware she cannot be your apprentice but asks only for the opportunity to watch you work,¡± Kav¨¦ asked. Her tone seemed as close to begging as she could manage without actually kneeling on the floor. ¡°This one does not require anything more than a bench in the forge to sleep.¡±


    ¡°No, lass. If you are serious enough to camp in the forge without pay just to watch me work, then we should do this properly. I cannot pay you, but if you insist on learning, you will have the best instruction that is within my power to give. You have my word,¡± Thuli declared.


    Thuli¡¯s eyes shone in the darkness, and the veins on his arms began to glow with the red of molten iron. He reached out his hand and an extraordinarily complex and intricate construct of his ember mana manifested in the space between them. He gestured with his hand pushing it toward her.


    Ali couldn¡¯t be quite certain, but accounting for the differences due to Thuli¡¯s ember affinity, it certainly looked a lot like what Lydia had done when she had imbued her work with her mana.


    Kav¨¦ stared at it with wide round eyes. ¡°Are¡­ are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes lass, I gave my word,¡± Thuli said, his mana-filled eyes staring at her intently. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to accept it.¡±


    She made a movement, and Thuli¡¯s mana settled on her, forming a kernel that sunk deep within her chest.


    ¡°Thank you, master,¡± she said.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll have none o¡¯ that master stuff,¡± Thuli said, looking rather embarrassed. ¡°You can call me Thuli like everyone else. And I will call you Kav¨¦. You will work hard and learn from me, and I will teach you everything I know. But I don¡¯t own you or have any authority beyond that.¡±


    Kav¨¦ rose from her bow. ¡°Thank you¡­ Thuli.¡±


    ¡°Was that your mana signature?¡± Ali asked, curiosity burning within her.


    ¡°Aye, it is a Mentorship Tithe enchant very similar to the mana signature I put on my work. Except this goes on her class experience. Whenever she learns something, her mana can draw from mine, providing additional skill options and advances that are aligned with my class and experience. It is by far the fastest and best way to mentor a student, but many crafters are stingy with it because they can give only a limited number of them, and the arrangement affects the teacher as much as the apprentice.¡±


    ¡°This one is grateful for your trust.¡±


    ¡°Teaching is much like crafting an item,¡± Thuli told her, as the two of them turned to leave. ¡°And just like crafting, I don¡¯t believe in half-measures, only the best work is acceptable. One day you will have your own apprentice, and then you will understand.¡±

 Chapter 74: Librarian

    Chapter 74: LibrarianVivian Ross Vivian hopped through the shattered hole in the sewer floor, cushioning the impact with her legs as she landed in the cavern below. She had lived in Myrin¡¯s Keep for a couple of years now, and she had not had even the slightest inkling that something like this existed below the town.


    She waited as the five applicants shimmied down the rope, chatting excitedly among themselves. Their first encounter with the monsters in the sewer had been predictably rough, but they had surprised Vivian with how quickly they adapted, and by the time they had unlocked their classes, their team was able to deal with all the threats they encountered with reasonable efficiency, which was how they earned their experience and unlock so quickly. Sure, they were green as fresh grass, but her experienced eye saw potential here.


    The mayor¡¯s son, Aiden, seemed to have a natural aptitude for leadership. Or perhaps the group members simply understood the value of teamwork. But even the Goblin and the girl from the slums had quickly slotted into their assigned roles, and by the end, Vivian would never have said they had first met their companions a scant few hours before.


    Vivian reminded herself, worried about getting attached ¨C but she hated to admit she was desperate for recruits. In the last class advancement, she had recruited only a few new members, most going to the garrison or the Town Watch instead ¨C and one of her newest, Katie Brockworth, had turned up dead in an alleyway just two days ago. Stabbed in the back and left with a literal calling card picturing a finger pressed across lips tucked into her bloody robe. She would track down the murderer and end them.


    Vivian frowned. Her guild was simply too new to have established a great reputation. If news of the murder got out, it would become next to impossible to attract good people. But hopefully this time, it would be different. She tried not to get her hopes up too much as she led them all back through the forest to the shrine.


    Her eyes settled on the enormous black obelisk and the intensely glowing runes inscribed on it, and the tiny Fae creature sitting beside it, waiting for their return. This was no ordinary shrine, she knew. The Pathfinder Guild that supplied the critical artifacts was far from able to create something this powerful. Originally modeled on the shrines grown by the highest-level sentient dungeons, the Pathfinder Guild had learned to duplicate the most essential features, spreading their constructed shrines to all corners of the continent. But what stood before her was most certainly an original ¨C a dungeon shrine.


    An involuntary shiver rushed through her body. She had seen one only once before, and it hadn¡¯t been nearly as big as this one. It had been moments before the dungeon had decimated her party, leaving her ¨C the sole survivor ¨C horribly injured. She had barely escaped with her life.


    It was a question she most certainly needed to investigate. But for now, she was eager to see what classes it could bestow on their five candidates.


    ¡°Who would like to go first?¡± Aliandra asked.


    There was a momentary pause while all of them glanced at each other.


    ¡°Havok go first!¡± the Goblin declared. ¡°Havok create havoc.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Mr. Havok. Let¡¯s see if we can get you a good class so you can be a powerful warrior. Use the mana affinity feature first, it has a chance to make you even stronger.¡±


    ¡°Ok, Miss Aliandra!¡± Havok¡¯s face lit up with a big smile hearing Aliandra use his preferred name, and he strode up to the shrine, resting his rusty sword and the shield he had acquired in the sewer against a rock before reaching out to touch the shrine with grubby green fingers.


    Vivian had no idea what to expect, but the runes on the shrine dimmed briefly before it emitted a deep, bone-shaking thrumming noise that shook the entire Grove. A carpet of yellow-white flames erupted from the moss around the Goblin¡¯s feet, burning without consuming, flooding the Grove with a powerful scent of incense accented with the soft undertone of warm caramel. An enormous pillar of yellow-white light burst forth, transfixing the Goblin and lifting his tiny body clean off the ground, leaving him suspended in a vibrating torrent of mana and energy. His mouth was open and moving as if he were screaming, but no sounds could be heard.


    Suddenly, the light cut off, the thrumming noise faded, and the Goblin dropped to the ground amid the still-flickering tongues of flame. He groaned, obviously shaken, and clambered to his feet frantically looking around, but after a nod from Aliandra, he once again placed his hand on the shrine ¨C a touch more tentatively this time.


    The runes dimmed one more time, somewhat anticlimactically, and Havok removed his hand, slowly walking over to retrieve his discarded sword and shield.


    ¡°What did you get, Havok?¡± Aiden asked while their entire group stared at him with anxious curiosity.


    The Goblin looked up at them and raised his shield. A sudden flare of yellow light burst out, manifesting as a brilliant shield of mana overlaying the mundane one of chipped and scratched wood. His rusty sword burst into yellow-white flames.


    ¡°Havok is Holy Knight!¡± he declared and broke into a huge grin of excitement. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Vivian thought in amazement, recognizing the Holy Shield and Consecration he had just used. People spent years as acolytes to various temples and orders trying to earn a similar class, and the Goblin had just pulled one out of the shrine like it was the easiest thing in the world. Well, not that easy, judging by the curl of smoke wafting out of his left ear.


    The group cheered for him and suddenly they were all lining up to use the shrine, with exclamations of excitement as they unlocked their classes and affinities, and cheers of congratulations as each person earned their class.


    Vivian stared, openly dumbfounded as each candidate unlocked potent mana affinities followed by a ridiculous class.


    Vivian couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. She had thought Aliandra and her group to be the anomaly of the century when she first evaluated them, but this group standing before her looked to be every bit as remarkable. Every single person had an affinity-enhanced class.


    As the excitement slowly tempered into a quieter conversation, Aiden turned to her.


    ¡°Vivian Ross, could you please tell us about the guild? I assume that¡¯s why you¡¯re here, right?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± she admitted, collecting herself and picking her proverbial jaw up from where it had hit the floor earlier. She felt bruised having just been a spectator.


    she thought. But she would need to handle this carefully.


    ¡°Membership to my guild is optional, but it is available to each of you if you would like.¡± She knew from hard-won experience that if she were the one pushing, she would end up with entitled people who refused to work hard and didn¡¯t cooperate ¨C and that was the death of a guild. The commitment had to be genuine and offered freely for it to be worth anything. Unfortunately, that way was the slowest way to build a guild, especially one starting out with little to no reputation. Even worse if Mieriel was right and Katie¡¯s death was a sign they were being targeted by a new assassin.


    ¡°With normal guilds, level ten is the minimum to join, and counts as bronze rank,¡± Vivian continued. ¡°I waive that requirement and allow people to join immediately at novice rank. I believe in solid training and hard work to progress, and the guild provides instruction and lectures on adventuring as part of your membership. You will also gain access to the quest and jobs board at level ten, allowing you to earn money with your class.¡±


    She paused, considering what else she might say to convince them, without forcing the issue either way.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to make a decision immediately ¨C the option will remain open for you if you wish to think about it.¡±


    ¡°We all got pretty good classes, didn¡¯t we?¡± Aiden asked, pursing his lips in thought.


    Vivian had heard it all before. He was the son of the mayor, and he had an Ice Swordsman class ¨C in most guilds in the kingdom, he could write his own charter.


    ¡°Yes, you guys have incredible classes.¡±


    Vivian had allowed herself to hope too much, and now she felt thoroughly let down.


    ¡°Havok will join guild! Havok get strong and take jobs to help people!¡±


    Vivian blinked at the excitable Goblin for a moment.


    ¡°I would like to join too.¡± This time it was the girl from the slums, Devan, dressed in her rags, now splattered with blood and ooze. ¡°I would like to earn some money, and maybe buy a better dagger.¡±


    Vivian couldn¡¯t believe it. The girl had landed a Wind Blade rogue class, and her ambition was to buy a slightly better weapon.


    ¡°We would like to join too,¡± Aiden said after exchanging glances with his two friends. ¡°And I was wondering if we could keep this group as our party? We seemed¡­ good together?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you were. You may sign up as a group if you all agree,¡± Vivian said, but inside, her mind was reeling.


    All five had asked to join the guild, asking for no special treatment in return. Each of them was smiling, seemingly excited by the prospect. A piece of her wanted to scream that it was too good to be true, but nobody changed their minds, all of them happily falling in beside her as she turned to lead them back to town, her voice explaining the signup process without much input from her mind.


    ¡°Thank you, Aliandra,¡± she said, turning to the Fae who was looking just as happy as she felt. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know when the others make their appointments.¡±


    Vivian swallowed as she turned away.


    Aliandra


    It had only taken two days for all the crafter and merchant candidates to complete their trials and Ali had happily taken each of them to the shrine one at a time to choose their classes. Not all of them had revealed latent mana affinities using the shrine, but every single one of them had found a class that excited them among the list of options her shrine had offered.


    ¡°Here we go,¡± Ali said, coming to a stop before the shrine.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you have all this growing down here,¡± Basil said, his eyes never resting as they darted among the trees and mushrooms.


    Ali shrugged and smiled at him. ¡°Was your trial easy?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, Eliyen made me work harder than she ever had!¡± he said, and then he paused. ¡°Wait, I have something for you.¡± He carefully unslung the small pack he was carrying and slowly pulled out three carefully wrapped clay pots.


    Ali could already see the mana wafting outward even before he unwrapped them. ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a gift for you,¡± Basil said, unwrapping the pots and handing them to her. ¡°For your collection.¡±


    Each pot was filled with a dark brown potting soil and from the center sprouted a clump of sword-like blue leaves, leaking a strong bluish-purple mana into the surrounding air.


    Blue Mana Grass ¨C Grass ¨C level 11 (Arcane)


    ¡°You got me some arcane grass!¡± Ali exclaimed.


    ¡°It¡¯s incredibly difficult to cultivate,¡± Basil said, twisting his mouth to the side. ¡°Eliyen made me germinate them for my trial. They can be processed into ingredients for mid-range mana potions, so they¡¯re always in high demand.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you could grow a level eleven mana plant without a class,¡± Ali said, taking each pot and setting them down carefully on the stone path.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Basil said ruefully, scratching his head and further mussing up his tousled brown hair. ¡°But when Eliyen heard I wanted to give them to you as a gift, she helped me finish growing them. That¡¯s why we took a little longer.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Basil,¡± Ali said. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get your class unlocked. First use the mana affinity feature.¡± Ali activated the shrine for him.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Basil said, his face suddenly serious. He reached his hand to touch the shrine and then a few moments later, a cascade of vibrant green mana burst from his body. A rush of tiny wildflowers rippled across the ground at his feet in a blooming wave, filling the air with the heady scent of jasmine. Illusory vines made from mana shot up from the ground, filling the air with an explosion of green leaves and aromatic, woody scents.


    ¡°Oh, my!¡± Basil exclaimed, his breathing coming fast. ¡°I got a nature affinity!¡±


    ¡°Surprised, are you?¡± Ali laughed, watching as the vines and flowers slowly faded. ¡°I¡¯ve unlocked the class selection too, take your time.¡±


    Ali turned to the pots on the ground and carefully deconstructed each of them.


    she thought, recalling how Basil had categorized them. Scanning the Grove, she selected a large boulder protruding from the ground beside a heavy oak and began to create her grasses, grateful that she could select the proper variant directly now.


    She planted several clusters of it nestled up against the rock, fascinated to discover that the mana the grass emitted had somehow changed to her signature golden color instead of the original purple.


    ¡°That looks great,¡± Basil said, walking up to join her. ¡°I tried so hard to find something that matched your affinities.¡±


    ¡°You done?¡± Ali asked. ¡°Get something you like?¡± It was such a thoughtful gift. Ali could already see the welling fount of arcane mana generated by the blue-bladed grass slipping into the weave of her domain, augmenting and strengthening it, just like the Glowcaps.


    ¡°I love my class!¡± he exclaimed.


    Ali looked up and identified him.


    she thought. Fully eight out of eleven candidates had unlocked a latent mana affinity, and Ali¡¯s mind stubbornly insisted that meant the pendulum needed to swing the other way ¨C that Ryn would fail to get something good. The thought filled her with anxiety even though she understood chance did not work that way.


    she told her mind. There wasn¡¯t anything she could do about it, and Ryn¡¯s boss was only due back in a week anyway. She put it out of her mind, resolving to enjoy her time on their regular lunch date today. She had finished the last book all too quickly, and now she was looking forward to chatting about it.


    ¡°Come, Basil,¡± she said, calling her minions over. ¡°Let me escort you back up to town.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Hi, Ryn,¡± Ali called out into the bookshop, gazing around but not seeing her friend anywhere.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right there, Ali,¡± a voice called out from between several closely-set bookshelves. Ryn always seemed to be reorganizing the entire store, and there were books piled on boxes and laid out carefully on the floor in various heaps, clearly in the middle of the sorting process. The Kings and Emperors board that seemed to be perpetually midgame was showing what appeared to be the late stages of an epic battle.


    ¡°Hi, Ali,¡± Ryn said, finally emerging from behind the book piles. ¡°I got you a present.¡± She offered a stylish paper bag with two handles.


    ¡°What is it for?¡± Ali asked, accepting the bag, and looking inside. She gasped in surprise at what she found. Carefully, she pulled out the heavy Monster Compendium. ¡°Ryn, this is too expensive!¡± She couldn¡¯t deny that she coveted this book, but honestly, what was Ryn thinking?


    ¡°I wanted to get you something to say thank you for the shrine, and for thinking of me.¡±


    ¡°But you haven¡¯t even gotten your class yet? What if it doesn¡¯t turn out well?¡± She blurted her fears out without thinking, and then instantly wished she could pull the words back.


    ¡°Nonsense, it¡¯s the thought that counts, and I really appreciate it. Besides, I get a store discount and you¡¯ve been drooling over that book every time you come over. It would make me happy for you to have it.¡±


    Ali hovered momentarily between wanting to argue and wanting to keep the book, in the end deciding that she couldn¡¯t reject the gift and potentially hurt Ryn¡¯s feelings.


    ¡°Thank you! I love it.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Ryn answered with a mischievous grin. ¡°You can be a little obvious sometimes, you know?¡±


    ¡°That bad?¡± Ali asked, but she knew it was true.


    Ryn just chuckled as she walked over to the table and laid out some teacups and cookies beside the gameboard.


    ¡°What are you studying?¡± Ali asked, pointing at the Kings and Emperors set as she took a seat. Every time she visited the board was set in some new configuration.


    ¡°The Elorthian royal defense strategy today,¡± Ryn answered. ¡°Do you play?¡±


    ¡°I know the rules,¡± Ali answered. She wasn¡¯t familiar with the defense Ryn had named, but then she wasn¡¯t familiar with the Elorthians either ¨C perhaps they had come after her time. At least she was familiar enough to read the board and understand the position.


    ¡°I can reset the board if you want to play,¡± Ryn said, and Ali was surprised to see the intensity in her friend¡¯s eyes ¨C an intensity that was almost as great as when she spoke of her favorite books.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Ali answered, but then as Ryn set the board, she noticed something amiss. ¡°You left out some of your pieces.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the handicap,¡± Ryn answered.


    ¡°You have nine fewer pieces, that seems a little excessive?¡± Ali said. she thought. This would be the first time they played, and although Ali wasn¡¯t an expert, she wasn¡¯t a beginner either. A nine-piece advantage was the largest handicap that could be given.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m just used to giving everyone a nine-piece advantage,¡± Ryn answered quickly, her face registering sudden distress, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to come across as rude.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± Ali answered, quickly trying to assuage Ryn¡¯s mortification. She liked Ryn and if she had an inflated opinion of her skill at her favorite game, Ali didn¡¯t mind too much.


    But no more than five moves into the game, Ali realized that the nine-piece advantage she had been given was nowhere near enough. Somehow, Ryn¡¯s play was dominant from the start and Ali immediately found herself on the defensive and losing ground. But the look in her friend¡¯s eyes was not one of gloating, but rather a pure joy and happiness that Ali found was beginning to affect her too, despite her quick losses.


    They spent the next half hour enjoying tea and cookies, while Ali lost repeatedly ¨C but in turn, she grilled Ryn for everything she had felt about the characters in the book she had just read, and what the ending had really meant.


    ¡°Hey Ali, can I ask you a favor?¡± Ali was getting ready to leave when Ryn stopped her.


    ¡°Sure, what do you need?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve mentioned the library a bunch and¡­ well, I was wondering if you¡¯d take me to see it? It sounds so grand!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a mess at the moment.¡± Ali hadn¡¯t been in the library since her fiasco with her book imprint, and she wasn¡¯t quite sure she was ready to confront whatever feelings lurked in there for her.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok if you don¡¯t want to,¡± Ryn demurred. But Ali could tell she had set her heart on it.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll take you,¡± she said. It was just some annoying feelings anyway, and if it made Ryn happy, well that¡¯s how friends should treat each other. ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a long walk. And a rope climb.¡±


    But Ryn was already beaming.


    The walk itself was pretty uneventful, and her barrier magic made the descent down the ventilation shaft much easier, but Ali still collected several of her Kobolds to escort them. Habit. It paid to be prepared, and despite Calen¡¯s scouting, there were still many caverns and passages that led to places unknown.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry it¡¯s in such bad shape,¡± Ali said, leading the way up the mossy carpet she had planted to the huge, shattered stone doors. ¡°I think it¡¯s going to take a lot of work to repair. Come on in!¡± Now that she was here, showing Ryn, she wondered what she had been so afraid of. Ryn¡¯s awe and wonder as she gazed up at the library made it all worthwhile.


    But right as they entered, Ryn stumbled, tumbling to the ground and staring about in shock.


    ¡°Ryn! Are you ok?¡± Ali hurried over to help her up, berating herself for not having cleaned off all the bone encrustations on the floors.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­¡± Ryn said, pausing while she stared off into the distance. In a small voice, she added, ¡°I just got offered a class¡­¡±


    ¡°You did?¡±


    ¡°Yes, right as we walked in. It says my natural class is Librarian. Do you think I should take it?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Ali was not going to let Ryn take the natural class without trying the shrine first. ¡°I know it¡¯s a hassle, but we should get you to the shrine so you can see all your options.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ryn said, picking herself up and dusting off her dress.


    While Ryn put a good face on it, Ali could tell she was getting more and more nervous as they got closer to the shrine.


    ¡°What if there are no good classes?¡± she asked finally as they arrived.


    ¡°There will be,¡± Ali said firmly. She had worried about exactly the same thing, but she refused to add to Ryn¡¯s anxiety. Selecting a class was stressful enough already, after all, it was a permanent change that would affect her entire life.


    ¡°Put your hand on the shrine, and use the ability for latent mana affinities first,¡± Ali instructed, activating the shrine for her.


    Ryn placed her hand, and a long silence stretched out through the Grove, spiking Ali¡¯s anxiety. Just as she was certain it had failed, the runes dimmed, and a deep sonorous chime sounded across the Grove. Brilliant arcing bolts of golden mana shot out from Ryn¡¯s chest and arms, wreathed in flames of deep violet. The mana tugged at Ali¡¯s heart and her mind as flickers of half-remembered events cascaded through her like fragmented dreams or glimpses of other lives.


    Just when the intensity of sound and mana reached a crescendo, it suddenly stopped, dropping Ryn back to the mossy ground in a boneless heap.


    Ali rushed over immediately, but Ryn slowly sat up.


    ¡°That was intense! I got¡­ arcane mana? And divination?¡±


    ¡°You got two affinities?¡± Ali could scarcely believe it. Multiple affinities were rare ¨C even rarer among humans. And divination mana was one of the rarest and most challenging mana affinities she had heard of.


    Ryn nodded, slowly getting to her feet, and allowing Ali to help.


    ¡°Do you want to rest for a bit?¡±


    ¡°No, I want to see what classes there are,¡± Ryn said, a determined look on her face now.


    ¡°Ok.¡± Ali activated the shrine one more time and Ryn got that far-off look in her eyes as she examined her options.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of choices, Ali,¡± she said.


    ¡°You should read them all.¡±


    ¡°I already did. I have a reading skill, remember? Ali, there¡¯s a class called Knowledge Seeker, and it says it¡¯s a Librarian class that was unlocked for discovering one of the great libraries.¡± Her voice was filled with awe and wonder. ¡°It uses both arcane and divination mana. Do you think I should take it? Can I take it?¡±


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°I love it!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s a dream come true.¡±


    ¡°Then you should definitely choose it,¡± Ali answered. After all, liking your class was the most important part. A consideration that Ali hadn¡¯t had the luxury of indulging in at the time she had chosen.


    Ryn¡¯s eyes unfocused as she concentrated and then she said, ¡°I get a skill for memorizing, and organizing information, and one that helps reading and studying, and¡­ OH! I can fly!¡±


    ¡°Show me!¡± Ali answered, enjoying Ryn¡¯s excitement just as much as she had her own discovery of flying.


    Ryn concentrated for a moment and two transparent golden butterfly wings appeared from her back shimmering and insubstantial, bordered with a deep purple glow.


    Ali cheered while Ryn tested her wings, flying around but staying close to the ground while she got used to it.


    ¡°Ali, I got a teleport spell too. I can set any library I visit as a teleport destination and travel there. I only have one location to start with. I know it¡¯s a long walk, but do you mind if we go back to the library so I can set my first teleport there?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ali said. She didn¡¯t mind the walk, and now that Ryn had her class, she had a lot of questions about her skills. As they walked, Ali identified her.


    ¡°Ali, why does a librarian class get wings?¡± Ryn asked as they walked through the giant doors again.


    ¡°Have you seen this library?¡± Ali asked, sending her barriers higher up the walls to illuminate the many-story-tall shelves with their circular walkways and ladders ascending hundreds of feet into the air. ¡°Back when it was in use, librarians and clerks would need teleportation, flying, or telekinesis spells to retrieve books for people.¡±


    Ryn stared upward in awe.


    ¡°Come on!¡± Ali said, hopping on one of her barriers. ¡°Let¡¯s fly!¡± Now that they could both fly, Ali decided Ryn needed a proper tour, getting the feel for the sheer enormity that was the grand library. While she was initially scared and cautious, Ryn rapidly got the hang of her wings, and after a while, she was darting back and forth making adventurous dips and loops, although when one almost ended in disaster, she became much more cautious.


    They paused together, hovering in the center of the atrium.


    ¡°I have one more spell, but I¡¯m unsure how to use it,¡± Ryn said.


    ¡°What does it do?¡± Ali asked.


    Ryn shared the skill with Ali, the text appearing as violet light trimmed with an outline of gold.


    Seek Knowledge ¨C level 1


    Mana: The seeker will show the path to the knowledge you most desire or need. Recharge: 24 hours.


    Divination, Area, Knowledge, Intelligence


    ¡°That seems very vague,¡± Ali said thoughtfully. ¡°It  named after your class, so maybe it¡¯s a signature skill of some kind? It doesn¡¯t seem like it could hurt. Maybe just try it?¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± she said.


    Jagged tendrils of violet mana exploded out of Ryn like lightning feelers crackling out across the enormous library in all directions, arcing to shelves and walls and floor. The strange phenomenon continued for about ten seconds and suddenly an intense golden core of light shot out filling a single branch as if to form a pure mana lightning strike into the wall across on the second floor.


    Ryn gasped, out of breath for a few moments. ¡°I saw a book,¡± she said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see,¡± Ali said excitedly, giving Ryn a few moments to catch her breath. They both flew across the huge atrium towards the spot Ryn¡¯s spell had struck.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing here,¡± Ryn said, looking about in confusion. ¡°I thought I saw a book ¨C I¡¯m sure I saw one.¡±


    There really was nothing there. Just a stone wall. Ali examined it closely, paying extra attention to her Arcane Insight, running her fingers along the wall just to be sure, but she couldn¡¯t find anything out of the ordinary.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Ali said. ¡°Let me try something.¡± The wall bothered her. There was  there. Not even ambient mana.


    She activated her deconstruction magic while resting her palm flat against the stone wall. The light of her magic twisted and warped strangely making the stone shimmer and ripple. Ali stared at it curiously ¨C stone didn¡¯t normally behave that way. Not even when she deconstructed it. She was about to say something when it vanished without warning.


    It did not explode into motes of mana, as she had expected. Nor did she receive the usual flood of knowledge pouring into her mind. Instead, the stone simply vanished, revealing a small shelf set into the wall with a glass door covering the front. There was a hole in the glass the size of her palm, and the complex runic script etched across the glass fizzled and spat with leaking energy where her magic had deleted a critical piece.


    ¡°An illusion?¡± Ryn gasped.


    ¡°I think so,¡± Ali said. And if she wasn¡¯t mistaken, a layer of high-potency protection runes which had just been deactivated.


    Ali reached out and tugged at the glass door, making it swing open, revealing a single book within. It was a heavy tome, bound with thick black leather and steel edge caps. Silver runes were inlaid into the cover and spine of the book, glowing with what Ali guessed was preservation magic.


    she thought. She reached out and laboriously lifted the heavy book so she and Ryn could see the cover.


    .


    It was titled in Ancient Dal¡¯mohran, so Ali translated it for Ryn. Her eyes traced the silver letters, but she froze when she encountered the author¡¯s name right below the title.


    .


    She had always known he had been a prominent magical researcher before he had turned to the undead Lich he was now, but simply seeing his name in print, in her hand, sent chills of fear surging through her body and mind. Quickly, she stored the dangerous book, shivering as Ryn looked on with a concerned expression.


    Calen¡¯s voice echoed through the atrium, ¡°Ali, are you in here?¡± The walls and shelves started to light up as his magic slowly drifted out over the space.


    ¡°Down here,¡± Ali called out, shaking off the vision of the Blind Lich conjured by her overactive imagination.


    ¡°Mato says dinner will be ready soon,¡± Calen shouted down. ¡°Oh, hi Ryn, you are welcome to join us.¡±


    ¡°I should head home,¡± she answered. ¡°I want to tell my mom about my new class!¡± She turned back to Ali, ¡°Thank you so much for showing me your library, and for my class, and everything! You can tell me about the book later.¡±


    Ali and Ryn flew back and joined Calen. Then the three of them walked back together so that Ryn could return safely back to the town.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to practice your skills,¡± Ali told her as she waved goodbye.


    she thought with a shudder. It felt like it was burning a hole in the back of her mind, through the storage enchantment in her ring.

 Chapter 75: A Dangerous Class

    Chapter 75: A Dangerous ClassAlexander GrayAlexander sat quietly surveying the dingy tavern, almost deserted in the midafternoon. Lyton did not have much in the way of proper amenities, but at least they had an adequate ale. He was currently the only patron, and he had had to reassure the waitress that his tailored suit did not mean that he was a noble, and she could simply address him as ¡®sir¡¯. The ¡®my lords¡¯ were getting annoying ¨C just now the useless girl was probably slacking off in the kitchen rather than fetching him a well-deserved tankard.


    The rough wooden door slammed open with an abrupt bang, surprisingly remaining attached to its hinges, and in strode a handsome man with short blonde hair, blue eyes, and an expensive white robe.


    Unlike himself, Roderik actually was nobility, which is what made him such a useful asset. Who else would have the connections to acquire the vial he needed on such short notice?


    ¡°What the fuck do you want Dreamcloud extract for? Are you trying to kill an entire village?¡± While his voice sounded angry, Roderik¡¯s eyes danced with a barely suppressed excitement at the idea.


    Alexander thought, reminding himself to be civil. He was, after all, a ranking member of the Shadow Council.


    ¡°I just want to knock out one Dryad.¡± It was crucial to his plan that she be unconscious for a couple of days before he used her for his purpose ¨C and setting it up was going to be the culmination of a rather devious and exquisite plan. He was quite proud of it.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just use Valerian root like normal people?¡±


    ¡°She has at least a third-tier evolved class.¡± He had done his research before he had come to Lyton, and, while it was difficult to find accurate data, he had been thorough. The Dryad inhabiting the Lirasian Forest was an ancient recluse, and almost certainly close to level three hundred ¨C if the rumors were to be believed. It was she who would be the unwitting mouse that sniffed out the cheese for him.


    ¡°Are you fucking crazy?¡± Roderik stared at him in shock.


    ¡°As you¡¯re well aware, our Master does not set tasks of little or no consequence.¡±


    ¡°One thousand gold,¡± Roderik demanded, producing a delicate vial containing a softly glowing liquid of the deepest violet.


    It was the only thing that would work for his plan. He was certain that the Dryad would be resistant to anything less. But Roderik was definitely trying to pull one over on him with the demand for a thousand gold ¨C probably banking on him being desperate.


    ¡°One hundred,¡± he countered, holding back his trump card to heighten the effect. If he knew one thing about Roderik, it was his single-minded focus ¨C such a simple negotiation device would not work on most of his associates, but in this case, it would be more than enough to sway the likes of Roderik.


    ¡°Do you know what I had to go through to get this? One thousand, not a single gold lower.¡± Roderik frowned, and Alexander couldn¡¯t help but compare him to a sulky teenager.


    ¡°One hundred, and you can have this entire village. I just need a few unclassed youths for my Sacrifice magic like last time.¡±


    ¡°You mean that?¡± Roderik paused in surprise, a sudden gleam of greed dancing in his eyes. He licked his lips lightly.


    Without a word, Alexander summoned a pouch with one hundred gold coins and dropped it on the table with a heavy thud, knowing that the deal was sealed.


    ¡°Your ale, sir,¡± the waitress interrupted, arriving with a large wooden tankard and a smile for the new arrival. ¡°My lord ¨C¡±


    The temperature at the table suddenly dropped. There was a soft whooshing noise and a sickening squelch. A wooden tankard clattered across the ground splashing ale in all directions. The waitress blinked, staring down in stupefaction at the thick lance of ice protruding from her chest before toppling sideways and hitting the rough wooden floor with a dull thump.


    Alexander thought, staring in annoyance at his ale lying now on the floor, mingling with the blood of the waitress. He pulsed a little mana into his second ring, storing the Dreamcloud extract.


    ¡°Just because we¡¯re friends, Alexander, I should let you know Dreamcloud won¡¯t work on the Dryad,¡± Roderik said with a smirk.


    ¡°What?¡± Alexander exclaimed.


    ¡°They¡¯re almost immune to plant extracts and poisons,¡± Roderik said.


    ¡°Fuck, are you trying to screw me over?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± Roderik said. ¡°How about this: if you throw in the full thousand gold, I will get something far more potent from the Shadow Council. Something guaranteed to take out a three-mark Dryad. Something crafted by the Master¡­¡±


    ¡°The Master?¡± Alexander whispered, eyes suddenly widening.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Roderik said.


    Wordlessly Alexander dropped the rest of the gold in his waiting hand.


    ¡°I can have it here by tomorrow,¡± Roderik announced, making the pouch of gold disappear before he sprinted out of the inn like a kid excited to play hide-and-seek.


    Alexander slowly smiled as the sounds of screams and wet thuds rose from outside. Roderik had not the slightest inkling of nuance or subtlety. At least his plan was coming together.


    Still lamenting his spilled ale, he got up and raised the skeleton from the body of the waitress before sending a mental call to the zombie trolls he had left hiding in the woods and stepping out into the main street.


    he thought, turning his gaze to the dense wood of the Lirasian Forest.


    Vivian Ross


    Vivian sat on the couch in the guild hall studying her notes. Her lecture on strategy and group dynamics had been a great success with the newest novices all attending, and most of them asking good questions. Havok had been a bit of a handful, but even he seemed to be absorbing the finer points of combat strategy like a sponge.


    Ignoring for a moment the incongruous image of a Goblin paladin wielding a rusty sword enchanted with holy flames, the five recruits had been a huge windfall for the guild, particularly after the recent loss of Katie. Devan and Havok didn¡¯t have homes, but there were bunks downstairs, and both seemed highly motivated to level up and begin earning their keep.


    The only thing that was still bugging her was the enigma of Aliandra.


    She knew that questioning good fortune was a recipe for disappointment, but somehow, she just couldn¡¯t let it go. Aliandra had, after all, taken a group of classless people, some of them society¡¯s worst rejects, and given them both mana affinities and potent combat classes. In fact, nine of twelve people had received magical affinities in the end.


    And that was not all. In addition to a shrine that burnt through hundreds of thousands of mana, if not millions, Aliandra had equipped the candidates with weapons and then created monsters for them to fight, manufacturing a highly effective combat trial to ensure they unlocked excellent classes.


    Aliandra had the entire package, the ability to create combat classes from ordinary people ¨C whenever she wanted ¨C and was already a member of the guild.


    , she told herself sourly.Browsing the guild shop, was the person who could single-handedly populate the entire guild with advanced classes.


    she worried at the issue, like a dog with a bone.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the new guys, aren¡¯t you?¡± The overly loud voice of Braden called out across the guild hall and Aiden looked up at his approach.


    ¡°Yup, we just joined, I¡¯m Aiden,¡± he answered as Vivian tried to tune out the background voices.


    ¡°I¡¯m Braden. You should join us leveling down in the dungeon! It¡¯s great experience.¡±


    ¡°Dungeon?¡± Aiden¡¯s surprise echoed her own.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not really a dungeon, we just like to pretend. But the sewers have real monsters and they¡¯re great for leveling up. Also, they seem to respawn quickly so you can go down there often to grind out some experience.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thanks for the tip! We got our combat trial in there.¡±


    The two continued their banter, but Vivian sat stunned as if struck by a bolt of lightning.


    All the evidence was there, right in front of her. The dungeon shrine, the incredibly dense mana. The magically grown biome ¨C trees did not grow underground in the darkness. The monsters defending the sewers. There were even traps.


    The cold grasp of icy fingers closed around her heart as the certainty of it settled in with the weight of a millstone made of ice-cold granite. Vivian stood up slowly. ¡°Mieriel, may I see you in the meeting room for a moment? It¡¯s urgent.¡±


    She spun on her heel and strode to the meeting room with Mieriel hurrying along behind.


    ¡°Please close the door,¡± she said, and as soon as Mieriel shut it, she continued, lowering her voice just in case the wards were not enough.


    ¡°I need your skills. Aliandra is a dungeon, and we need to get to the bottom of this now. Before it¡¯s too late.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Mieriel asked, suddenly serious, her face paler than normal.


    ¡°As sure as I can be without your skills. Bring the boy Calen in here, we need to start with him.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡± She turned and left the room.


    Mieriel


    As soon as Calen entered the room and sat down, Mieriel began channeling her Augmented Deduction, feeling her mind grow clearer as her magic enhanced her focus and faculties. She reached out with the subtle tendrils of Memory Coercion, gently suggesting to Calen¡¯s mind that whatever happened was not important enough to remember. It was a subtle dance of mind magic that had to be perfect to avoid raising the subject¡¯s suspicion, but Mieriel¡¯s life depended on her using this skill to hide her identity daily, and she was extremely proficient with it.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± Calen asked, already ignoring her and focusing on Vivian.


    Mieriel cast her Convincing Story skill, her mind magic flowing out to convince Calen¡¯s mind that she spoke with authority.


    ¡°The Guildmaster just has a few questions, and I want you to answer them as honestly as possible, ok?¡±


    Calen looked up at her in surprise, and as soon as their eyes connected, she cast Charm Person, feeling their minds connect. It was the most delicate of skills. If he suspected foul play, or didn¡¯t already trust her, it would backfire spectacularly. With great care, she layered her magic into his mind, gently eroding his natural defenses and his resistances faded.


    ¡°He¡¯s ready,¡± she said. It was this skill that had earned the hate of her hometown and gotten her tossed into a dungeon to be food for the monsters.


    Vivian knew the drill. After all, they had performed this routine enough times that Vivian knew intuitively how to ask the questions in a way that wouldn¡¯t evoke suspicion and break her fragile charm magic.


    ¡°I remember you told me you had a skill for identifying dungeons,¡± Vivian began, her voice friendly and calm, even though Mieriel could feel the palpable tension behind her fa?ade.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Calen answered, and she could feel his belief in the truth of what he was saying through her Empathy skill.


    ¡°You used it when you explored the Goblin dungeon for me, right?¡± Vivian asked.


    ¡°Yes, but there was no dungeon there.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to ask you, have you noticed anything unusual with your skill around your friends?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes. I noticed that every time I go down into Ali¡¯s domain, my skill tells me it¡¯s a dungeon.¡± Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mieriel caught Vivian¡¯s eyes, but Calen continued.


    ¡°At first, I didn¡¯t believe it, because it¡¯s Ali, you know? We were in the middle of this other dungeon ¨C the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra. It¡¯s incredible, did you know it¡¯s the real ruins of the ancient city?¡±


    ¡°That is amazing,¡± Vivian said. ¡°What do you believe about your skill and Aliandra now?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m certain she is a dungeon. We all had a talk about it, but we decided not to tell her. She has had enough trauma already, and we didn¡¯t want to burden her with that too.¡±


    ¡°I see, thank you Calen. You can go join your friends now.¡±


    Mieriel let her skills drop as soon as he left. Calen¡¯s emotions clearly told her that he was sincerely worried about his friend, and he was eager to help Vivian with all her questions. He believed the truth of everything he had said.


    ¡°I knew it,¡± Vivian said, clenching her teeth. ¡°I knew it was too good to be true.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Get Aliandra in here, we need to verify it at the source. We need to find out when she¡¯s planning to destroy the town and how to stop it.¡±


    ¡°She will be harder than Calen,¡± Mieriel warned. She didn¡¯t know exactly what it was, but Aliandra¡¯s mind was very hard to shift. Either she had a mental defense skill, or her wisdom was incredibly high or enhanced.


    ¡°We just need her for a few minutes, can you do that?¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Mieriel answered, straightening her shoulders. She retrieved a mana potion and downed it before she left to invite Aliandra to her interrogation.


    ***


    ¡°Vivian, stop.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t stop, we have to find out the truth! Why did you ask her to sleep? Wake her up.¡±


    ¡°Vivian, you¡¯ve interrogated the girl till she¡¯s ready to break down. She can¡¯t take any more.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand how she can still be resisting.¡±


    ¡°Vivian, she isn¡¯t resisting. I told you that already. Everything she said is true.¡± Mieriel¡¯s heart had broken when she heard Aliandra spilling her tale about the Blind Lich and the death of her mother and father. Connected to Aliandra¡¯s mind with her magic, she had her pain, she had lived it with her. The tears Aliandra had spilled onto the table as she desperately recounted her life were not even nearly enough.


    ¡°She¡¯s a dungeon. Why are you being so soft, Mieriel?¡±


    ¡°Vivian, ¡± she yelled, finally snapping Vivian out of her single-minded focus as she stared at Mieriel in surprise. ¡°You forget, I¡¯m her mind when you do this. I can feel what she feels. She doesn¡¯t know. She really doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a dungeon, Mieriel. We cannot let her roam free. Dungeons are evil, devious, and incredibly dangerous. If we don¡¯t stop this here, we will be too late to prevent the disaster when it happens! And it will happen! We both know that.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯ll kill her? Just because she has a dangerous class?¡± Mieriel managed through clenched teeth.


    ¡°Yes. I have no choice.¡± Righteous anger and fear poured from Vivian¡¯s heart like a storm.


    ¡°A dangerous class, like a Mind Mage?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s eyes shot up connecting with hers, but this time Mieriel held her gaze, refusing to look away.


    ¡°I remember when they came for me,¡± Mieriel whispered. ¡°When they wanted to kill me because I have a dangerous class. Mind Mages are too dangerous, they said, when they tossed me into that dungeon, naked and bleeding, food for the monsters.¡± Mieriel held her locked gaze until she felt the flutter of uncertainty in Vivian¡¯s anger. ¡°I will never forget the sight of my savior ¨C my knight in shining armor ¨C fighting her way down into the depths of that dungeon to save me. Do you remember what she said?¡±


    ¡°She never did anything wrong. She doesn¡¯t deserve to die.¡± Vivian answered quietly, echoing the words she had spoken all those years ago. ¡°Damn dungeons!¡±


    ¡°Vivian, don¡¯t turn into those people you stood against. I couldn¡¯t bear it, you¡¯re better than they were. This Fae girl has a dangerous class, just like me, and she doesn¡¯t even know it. She deserves a chance.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry Mieriel. I¡¯ve lost so many good people to dungeons, and I¡¯m terrified to lose the few I have left. I don¡¯t want to lose you, too.¡±


    ¡°Nor do I want to see you turn into the monsters you stood up to,¡± Mieriel said, holding firm. Vivian was stubborn, and this was the only way to make her see. But inside she was scared, too. She still had nightmares of the warped and twisted monsters that had lurked in that dungeon.


    ¡°Can you take her to her friends? Make sure they take care of her? I need some time¡­ time to think,¡± Vivian said, her voice rough and subdued and her face blanched to the color of a sheet. Her heart was a maelstrom of conflicting, agonizing emotions. Self-loathing and guilt mingled with fear and anger to crash up against her Empathy. For all her skills, Mieriel had no idea where Vivian might land in the end.


    Bending down, Mieriel drew the small, frail Fae into her arms and carried her out into the guild hall.


    ¡°What did you guys do to her?¡± Malika asked, leaping out of the couch and snatching Aliandra from her arms.


    ¡°She¡¯s just exhausted and needs some rest, will you take care of her for me?¡± Mieriel asked, channeling a little mana to increase the weight of her words, and layering in a little of her Misdirect Attention skill, drawing Malika¡¯s attention to Aliandra instead of herself. She wove a little of her Memory Coercion more broadly to encourage their minds to forget.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll take her home,¡± Malika said, turning her back and walking to the door.


    ***


    Malika


    ¡°There is definitely something fishy about her. I don¡¯t trust her at all!¡± Malika was adamant about it. Something was off-kilter. They had most certainly done something to Ali ¨C and that made her furious.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean. Mieriel is nice ¨C she seems perfectly trustworthy,¡± Calen answered.


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem. She¡¯s too nice.¡±


    ¡°You just don¡¯t trust anyone,¡± Mato chipped in. He was already making some soup at their campfire, just in case Ali woke up.


    ¡°Yes. Other than you guys, I don¡¯t trust anyone.¡±


    ¡°See, you should try trusting people more. That¡¯s what normal people do,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re getting it. I don¡¯t trust normally. So why do I feel that Mieriel is as trustworthy as you guys? I don¡¯t even know her well enough to know her last name.¡± It was honestly the strangest feeling. Every time she thought about Mieriel, which was strangely infrequently, she felt uneasy. But when she was in the guild hall, Malika felt like she could trust her with anything.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Calen said with a soft voice. ¡°That¡¯s what you mean.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s weird.¡±


    ¡°So, a normal person wouldn¡¯t notice someone messing with their trust because they trust many people by default. But for you, that trustworthiness is incongruous against the backdrop of a default distrust?¡±


    ¡°Yup, but I don¡¯t know what we can do about it if she¡¯s fucking with us.¡±


    At least Calen was smart enough to figure out what she meant. It had been hard enough to explain it even to herself. The minute the words came from her mouth, she realized the truth. Mieriel was dangerous. She had hurt Ali. Hurt her! What surprised her most was the sudden rage, the vengeful thoughts, that had her picturing wrapping her fingers around that  woman¡¯s neck! No. She was not Tala and never would be ¨C but damn, she would ¨C


    ¡°I have a few ideas for this kind of thing,¡± Calen said, pulling out his notebook.


    ¡°Like¡­ what kind of things?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°We plan things out down here, and we write it down in the book. Then we try it out up there and compare notes after the fact. The notebook will remind us of what we planned in case we¡¯re made to forget anything,¡± Calen explained.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten anything,¡± Mato said firmly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve Identified Mieriel?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Mato answered confidently.


    ¡°What level is she? What kind of class does she have?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s ¡­¡± Mato blinked. ¡°I know I¡¯ve identified her¡­¡± A look of surprise and confusion flickered across his face. ¡°I can¡¯t ¨C why can¡¯t I remember?¡±


    ¡°Yes, same for me,¡± Calen said, writing something down in his notebook. ¡°That¡¯s our first test. Can we Identify her and remember what we see?¡±


    ¡°How do we fight something like that?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Wisdom is the mental fortitude attribute,¡± Calen said. ¡°When we go through the remainder of the dungeon, and level up, you should all spend points on wisdom. Especially you and Ali.¡±


    ¡°Wisdom will help?¡± Malika asked. If it was just a matter of spending some more points that was something she was definitely going to do. Wisdom was one of her class¡¯s primary attributes.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Calen said. ¡°And Ali should wear her adventuring gear that mom made for her. Magic resistance will help a lot too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell her when she recovers,¡± Malika said. If wisdom and magic resistance were their defenses, she¡¯d keep an eye out when she visited Weldin too. Perhaps a few items could help.


    Malika thought. Mieriel would not get away with this. She and Vivian were up to no good, she knew it! If they suspected her, why hadn¡¯t they just killed her?

 Chapter 76: Ruins of Dal’mohra: Suspended City

    Chapter 76: Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra: Suspended City- Excerpt from Nevyn Eld, University of Dal¡¯mohra.


    Aliandra


    Ali put the dangerous book down and rubbed her temples. The headache throbbed unpleasantly under her fingertips, refusing to ease up, and she was not quite sure if it was from studying or if she was still recovering from her fainting spell at the guild. She wasn¡¯t quite sure what to make of Malika¡¯s rather shocking theory about Mieriel, but she would definitely be more cautious around her from now on ¨C and wisdom was a smart investment for her class anyway.


    She had been feeling a little better and had eventually plucked up the courage to start reading the book that she and Ryn had uncovered in the library. A book that filled her with both anxious excitement and chilling dread. The last remaining intact book from the Grand Library Arcana, potentially full of insight into the domain aspect of her class, and a powerful link to her past. But she could never forget the Blind Lich who had killed her family and destroyed the city ¨C even though this book had been written way back when Nevyn Eld was still a human researcher at the university.


    Ali had hoped to find some resolution to her conflicted emotions within its pages, but all she had found were complex and dense theories, dipping deeply into many taboo subjects, including the use of dungeon magic.


    The library had had a notorious section of heavily restricted tomes and manuals on the second level, guarded by high-ranking clerks and librarians, and powerful wards. Being unclassed at the time, and not strong enough to survive among the more powerful tomes, Ali had never seen it. Given the protection runes, the illusion, the subject matter, and even the author, she was absolutely certain this book had been one of those forbidden works. While she didn¡¯t understand even half of what she had read so far, the overwhelming arrogance in the superiority of his intellect that she had seen displayed by the Blind Lich came through clearly in the tone of the work sitting open on her lap. Still, it was her only source of information on one of the most profound and fundamental aspects of her own class ¨C her domain.


    She studied her mana filling the air and the ground all around her, slowly emanating from the arcane grass and mushrooms, and the verdant moss, and spread high into the air by the boughs of the huge oak and maple trees.


    The book had described an underlying structure ¨C a mesh or lattice ¨C that propagated the domain throughout the affected area. To her mana sight, it appeared as an extraordinarily complex fine weave as the arcane and nature mana entwined and entangled in a never repeating, but ordered, three-dimensional web throughout the Grove. It was extraordinary that her skills and class could create such a thing without her having the slightest understanding how it worked, or even being able to clearly perceive all the intricate details hovering before her.


    According to the book, the structure was a manifestation of herself, in much the same way as a fingerprint or a mana signature was unique to each person, and that, without a connection to her, the entire thing would unravel, fray, and die. Were her domain and herself one and the same? Connected on such a fundamental level that one would wither and die without the other?


    Off to the side, Mato¡¯s Sanctuary aura pulsed slowly, visible as a soft and vibrant green that emanated from his body, filling the immediately surrounding area with the unique mana and structure of his domain. His skill was so remarkably different from hers that, without the book, and the domain trait attribution on his skill, she would never have guessed them to be similar. His skill was always centered on him, following him around wherever he went. The weave seemed more organic, chaotic, and coarse, flowing through the space like growing roots or vines.


    she thought, dismissing the notification as soon as it appeared. Mato¡¯s domain filled the area around his tent, but it didn¡¯t displace her domain, somehow overlapping through the same space. She referred back to the chapter she had just read which described the structure and propagation of the mana weave, trying to understand the dense and abstract theory.


    Subtle waves of glowing energy were carried outward by his domain, flowing through the tendrils of his weave to be absorbed by the plants within its range, causing them to pulse with vitality. There had been a convoluted passage in the book explaining how the domain structure facilitated the extension of mana and magic into the affected area. While she hadn¡¯t understood much of it, Ali was absolutely certain she was at this very moment watching precisely that in action. She was literally watching Mato¡¯s Sanctuary aura distributing the energy of his potent regeneration skill to the plants around him ¨C and all this activity going on entirely without conscious effort while he was sleeping.


    Ali shut the book, storing it in her ring, and took a deep breath, trying to use Malika¡¯s breathing exercises to ease her still throbbing headache. The others would wake soon, and they had all decided to go exploring today.


    she thought, retrieving several Kobold bows from her ring. She had no idea what they would be facing, and so she had decided to try some of her archer Kobolds this time ¨C a way to increase the diversity of her forces.


    Her Grimoire was full, but it wasn¡¯t a difficult decision ¨C she replaced the imprint for bone with the new one she had just learned, and then set about summoning a balanced army.


    ***


    Ali stood on the second floor of the library, facing the enormous stone doors that led out into what was once the industrial and commercial level of her home ¨C Dal¡¯mohra. It was dark down here, and without Calen¡¯s magic, all she would have been able to see was the thick mana. The doors were sealed in dense layers of encrusted bone, but there was no mistaking the creepy prickling of the dark bone and death mana that seeped through, spilling out into the library and dripping off the floor down into the dark atrium behind her.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure the dungeon is still alive in there,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Yes, my skill can already identify it,¡± Calen confirmed.


    ¡°Everyone have a recall potion?¡± Malika asked, getting nods all around. It was only the fifth time she had asked, but Ali didn¡¯t complain ¨C she was just as nervous.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m starting,¡± Ali said, hopping onto a barrier and levitating herself to the door, aiming her deconstruction magic at the bone-encrusted ancient hinges that were larger than her entire body.


    When she had freed the hinges and cleared as much of the bone as she could, Mato transformed into his Bear Form and threw all his considerable weight and strength against the heavy stone. For a while, all she could hear was his heavy breathing, and the scraping of his claws tearing at the bone-covered floor. Then a loud crack echoed through the library and chunks of bone, dust, and debris began to rain down on the bear as he redoubled his efforts. With a loud grinding and crunching noise, the door moved, spilling a torrent of dust and dense dungeon mana into the room as it creaked wider and wider.


    A chill wind whistled mournfully through the opening, carrying the heavy scent of death along with the soft hints of dust and rot.


    Wide enough now for him to enter, Mato vanished through the doorway, followed closely by Calen and Malika. Ali sent her minions through first ¨C a ragtag bunch chosen mostly to cover all the bases for whatever they might find on the other side. Ali stepped through and stood staring as her eyes began to adjust.


    The dungeon¡¯s mana was immense, pressing in on her with an unmistakable prickling sensation that caused her to shiver involuntarily even though it wasn¡¯t particularly cold. All around her, dense formations of bone jutted out from the misshapen remains of what had once been the administration buildings and the seat of government for the city. Substantially larger and higher-level Blackened Deathcap mushrooms sprouted everywhere, oozing an excessive amount of death affinity mana into the air.


    As her gaze ranged further, she was surprised to find she could actually see the giant concentric suspended rings that comprised the backbone of the city ¨C the spine upon which everything was built ¨C outlined by a soft shifting yellow and green light that illuminated it from below. Covering the entire surface of the three concentric rings, the ominous dark mana of the dungeon welled up, spilling over the edges, and between the floating bridges that connected the rings, to drift endlessly downward into the abyss below.


    ¡°This is amazing¡­ to think we can see this¡­¡± Calen¡¯s voice trailed off, filled with awe and wonder. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I wish you could have seen it before,¡± Ali said.


    Bone crunched underfoot as everyone took in the sight of the dungeon and the ruins.


    ¡°Whatever took out that section of the city above got this level too,¡± Calen said, gazing off to the north. The central ring had a large section that was simply missing in the direction he was facing, and of the outer ring, only half remained, the edges where the ring had shattered were left jagged and broken, jutting out over the emptiness.


    ¡°There is something out there,¡± Calen said, shading his eyes with his hands, whatever good that would do down here so far below ground. ¡°Bats, I think. Big ones¡­ and something else¡­¡±


    It was frankly quite astounding how good his eyes were. Ali couldn¡¯t even see anything moving, let alone identify what it might be.


    ¡°Are we just going to stand around and look? This is a dungeon, it probably has monsters we should be fighting,¡± Mato said.


    A loud grinding and the snapping of shattered bone reverberated from a darkened alleyway up ahead, followed by an inhuman screech.


    ¡°Spitter Drone!¡± Calen shouted, pulling out his bow and firing.


    ¡°This doorway!¡± Malika yelled, darting toward a bone-encrusted building as several tons of angry armored bone elemental shot out into the open plaza, spraying vile-smelling liquid in all directions.


    Ali threw up a barrier just in time to deflect the brunt of the ossifying spray before it hit her, leaping backward reflexively as the heavy domed gray carapace smashed into the too-narrow open doorway, sending a spray of splintered bone and rock flying toward her.


    ¡°¡± Ali commanded, trying to catch her breath from her unplanned athletic maneuver. There was definitely a bruise on her hip already. Her minions responded immediately, most of them charging into the house after the giant monster, Malika, and Mato.


    ¡°Firebolts now,¡± she added, directing her mages to open fire and sending a stream of arcane bolts into the chaotic interior to mingle with the lightning flashes and bursts of soul magic from within.


    She kept a close eye on the monster, alert for its devastating magic, but she found herself to be surprisingly calm. Surprise attack notwithstanding, she found it easy to slip into their well-practiced routine, and in record time she was calling for fireballs. It was remarkable how a few levels improved their damage output.


    As Ali called out the explosion, she studied the magic, now much clearer to her than before. Her resolution and acuity had both improved with the increased skill level and additional attribute points in perception. She blocked the doorway with a barrier, watching curiously as the layers of bone encrusting the walls of the house were blown off when the monster¡¯s corpse exploded.


    ¡°Add! Piercer Scorpion!¡± Calen called out, ¡®pointing¡¯ to it with a speeding incandescent arrow.


    Mato¡¯s heavier form tore at the bone layers on the ground as he propelled himself at great speed to crash into the monster with a roar. It instantly wheeled to attack him.


    Ali organized her minions, getting them engaged in the fight as quickly as she could.


    ¡°Another! Mato, behind you!¡± Calen called the second incoming scorpion.


    Ali thought. The monsters kept coming, attracted by the noise of battle and the explosive release of mana. But with each additional monster, Calen simply called it out, and Mato used his Challenging Roar to taunt it to attack him. Her shamans kept up the assault with their lightning magic, and whenever there were two or three, Ali would slip into their Skeletal Wyvern routine, dropping fireballs on the pack and making certain Mato was getting a heal between each strike.


    Ali lost count of the number of monsters they killed, but silence finally returned, and she found they had moved across the entire inner ring and were now quite close to the edge, overlooking the broad gap into the abyss separating them from the suspended second ring set slightly below.


    ¡°Can we rest a little?¡± she asked. Her own mana pool was still almost full, recovered periodically during the long-running fight by the simple expedient of deconstructing whatever corpse she could reach, but her minions were running low, and that ¨C particularly for her healers ¨C was not something she wanted to ignore.


    ¡°How many did we just kill?¡± Malika asked, a little out of breath, exactly echoing Ali¡¯s thoughts. Previously, these bone elementals had been incredibly challenging to take on, even one at a time, with a long rest in between. With just the advancement of a few levels, they had torn through a host of them, sometimes fighting two or three simultaneously, and they had come out at the other end breathing a little heavier and needing to take a bit of a mana break.


    ¡°Sixteen, if you don¡¯t count the Spitter Drones,¡± Calen answered.


    Mato


    Mato stood near the edge, gazing down into the darkness below. The dim greenish-yellow light filtered upward but whatever lay down there was well beyond his ability to make out. It smelled though, of rot and growth, a stark contrast to the dry bone dust that covered everything up here. There was no railing or wall, just the treacherous-looking bone stuff layered on top of the underlying stone of the enormous supporting platform that held hundreds of encrusted buildings in various stages of ruin. Off to the side was what looked like a giant toppled statue, but it was hard to tell what lay beneath all the layers encrusting it, attaching it to the floor.


    The ground shivered lightly underfoot.


    He looked down when it happened again. The vibrations grew progressively more powerful in a regular rhythmic pattern.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Malika exclaimed, noticing the effect.


    As dust and small loose chunks of bone began to bounce, Mato looked up catching a flash of white down one of the adjacent alleys. He didn¡¯t wait, shapeshifting immediately to his Bear Form. When the monster stepped out of the shadows, he was ready.


    But it was pure white and towered at least twice the size of every bone elemental they had faced so far, its spear-tipped limbs thicker than his leg, its stinger gleaming with unnatural sharpness as it quivered upright, ready to strike.


    Mato charged without hesitation on all four paws, tearing across the clear space at high speed. Survival Instinct flared as the spears blurred into action, stabbing down viciously. He triggered his Brutal Combat block a hair before the spears even moved, reacting to the premonition of danger rather than relying on his vision to track the immense speed. But as the spears ripped through the stone pavement, the ground beneath him erupted with a devastating pincushion of stout yard-long spears of bone, impaling him through the ribs from below.


    He roared in pain but still managed to imbue his voice with his Challenging Roar skill, while he twisted, snapping the spears of bone, and spraying his blood across the ground.


    ¡°Mato, it¡¯s a boss! Be careful!¡± Calen yelled.


    he thought, settling his focus on his Survival Instinct as it began screaming for his attention. He swiped at the monster, spending mana to empower his strike using Brutal Restoration, but his heavy paw bounced off the dense armor while the nature magic of his Brutal Restoration barely penetrated to do the minimum damage.


    Suddenly, the heals from the Kobolds landed, beginning to slowly force the shattered pieces of the spears out of his body, but he was already bracing against more as the giant scorpion of bone lashed out, making bone explode from the walls and the ground wherever it struck.


    Mato roared, lowering his center at the last possible moment avoiding the powerful tail strike that punched clean through a stone wall sending shards of bone and rock ricocheting off his armor.


    He narrowed his eyes against the brilliant flash of lightning, delaying his attack slightly to better exploit the damage the magic would do.


    Again, the urgent awareness of Survival Instinct burst in his mind as the scorpion¡¯s tail raised and he recognized the potent bone magical attack.


    ¡°It¡¯s using magic!¡± Ali¡¯s voice carried clear across the battlefield.


    He calmed himself a little ¨C these attacks were well-telegraphed and easy to avoid. But instead of the expected spear of bone, the ground exploded with a violent eruption of bone spears and shards in a nova that shot out in all directions, picking him up and flinging him ten yards to bounce off a wall.


    ¡°Calen! No!¡± Ali screamed, and for a brief moment, Mato saw his childhood friend impaled through the stomach by a large spear of bone, suspended in the air out over the darkness with nothing but yawning emptiness below to catch his fall.

 Chapter 77: Aerial Battle

    Chapter 77: Aerial BattleAliandraPerched atop her barrier, Ali had seen the entire thing go down. When the giant Piercer Scorpion had raised its tail skyward, she had expected the usual formation of the magic that summoned its devastating Bone Spear attack. However, the array of bone affinity mana had created a vastly broader spell formation, drawing heavily from the domain around it to suffuse it with intense power.


    The exploding nova of bone spines had exceeded even her wildest expectations, tearing through her minions, Mato, Malika, and even the very ground in an instant, tossing everything aside as if it were all chaff.


    The wave of exploding bone spikes flashed by ¨C some even shooting high enough to scrape and scratch at the underside of her hovering barrier before ebbing away on the trailing side of the surging wave. There was a sickening wet thud behind her, and by the time she turned, Calen was already falling, trailing blood from a giant sliver of crimson-smeared white bone impaled through his stomach.


    ¡°Calen! No!¡±


    For an instant, Calen seemed to float, momentarily stationary with his hand extended forward reaching, stretching toward safety that was just beyond his grasp. Ali stared in horror as his body began to fall, slipping away into the vast emptiness that separated the suspended city rings.


    Without a thought for the consequences, she threw herself into the void after him, accelerating her barrier to a full freefall with the reckless haste of desperation. She reached toward his falling body, outlined clearly by the glow of his mana in the vast darkness, and summoned a barrier. But in those brief moments, he had already fallen too far, and her golden barrier missed its mark, unable to bridge the distance.


    Ali flipped her barrier, tipping herself headfirst into the darkness, and with a surge of will, she made it propel her downward, accelerating faster than the pull of gravity. She summoned another barrier, tantalizingly close, but still, she didn¡¯t quite have the reach she needed. The air tore past her face, pressing her skin down and whipping her hair back as she pushed her body to an even greater speed, descending like a golden meteor, desperately willing herself to close the gap.


    On her third attempt, her barrier reached his body, summoned right under him, and with great effort and gritted teeth, she matched the speed of the barrier to his descent, not wanting to crush him with a sudden impact against a wall of magic. She pulled as if she were reeling in a line, bleeding momentum from his falling body causing him to grow rapidly larger as their relative speed changed and she finally reached him.


    Ali immediately released the barrier pushing her downward and summoned a new one ahead of her to slow her reckless plummeting fall until finally the pressure of the air on her face subsided and her hair dropped back to her shoulders.


    She was suspended in the vast darkness, lit from below by the golden glow of the barriers that supported them and the soft ambient magic that emanated from far below. In the distance above, silhouetted by brief flickers of white and red she could make out the outline of the suspended rings of the ruined city, and the dark mana that poured from it in an endless cascade. Calen breathed heavily and clutched at the spear through his middle, a small pool of blood forming on the barrier.


    Her eyes flickered nervously, checking the darkness all around her. Never in her life had she been forced to truly grasp the immensity of Dal¡¯mohra and the vastness of the city levels. All she could see below was a distant, indistinct green and yellow glow.


    He retrieved a vial of dimly glowing red liquid and downed it before grabbing the bone spear with two blood-slicked hands. With a scream of pain, Calen yanked at the spear with all his strength, drawing it clear through his own body before he collapsed back onto the support of her barrier and let the spear tumble away into the emptiness below.


    ¡°Calen! Are you ¨C¡±


    ¡°Nice catch, Ali¡­¡± His voice was hoarse but urgent. ¡°Incoming!¡±


    Ali¡¯s eyes anxiously scoured the darkness, but what Calen had seen eluded her for several long moments before the large bulk of a flying shape blotted out the flickering light of the still-raging magic battle far above. The shape vanished, and then another appeared, again blocking the light, and suddenly she saw it. Not with her eyes, but with her magic. Circling ominously above were two large reptilian shapes outlined by the virulent green mana that emanated from their bodies.


    As the forms gathered their wings to their flanks to dive, Ali reached for her barrier magic, but she was already using all her capacity just holding her and Calen from falling.


    ¡°Hold on!¡± she yelled, as the sleek, muscular wyverns dove toward them, giving him almost no time to react before she banked hard with an aggressive evasive maneuver.


    The wyvern¡¯s wings flared reacting to her movement and halting its plummeting descent with a display of breathtaking power and agility. As she came around, it was there, emerald scales gleaming by the light of her magic, rippling from the powerful action of the muscles beneath, almost close enough to touch. A reptilian eye, glowing with emerald-green magic, fixed on her as it flew by. The scaled head turned on its long sinuous neck, maw agape baring more vicious canines than she could count, and, in a rapid flicker of magic, a spray of green jetted out drenching her and her barrier in a corrosive liquid that burned her eyes and nose.


    +3 Poison damage per second.


    Poison ¨C Duration: 10 minutes. Count: 1


    Her body felt suddenly weak and shaky as the poison took hold, rapidly draining her meager two hundred and seventy health.


    An incandescent arrow suddenly sprouted from the wyvern¡¯s flank, and it let out a screech of pain, falling away into the darkness below.


    ¡°Ali! Go! Get us out of here!¡± Calen shouted. He crouched on one knee in the center of the barrier, bow out, and light magic blazing forth in the darkness.


    Ali did not need to be told twice. Grabbing onto the edge of her barrier with all her strength, she launched them upward toward the dubious safety of the ruined city above. A whooshing noise startled her as the second wyvern swooped past, barely missing with its poison breath. Arrows whistled by, but she paid them no heed, trusting Calen¡¯s aim.


    She dodged, swooped, and weaved as she threw them hurtling through the darkness, desperately trying to avoid the two hunting wyverns that had marked them as prey.


    She screamed her thoughts out via her connection to her minions, desperately reaching for the security of her creatures and their protection, but they were too far to reach. She tried again and again as the monstrous hunters tracked their jagged, zigzagging ascent.


    Suddenly, the darkness split with the thunderclap and intense brilliance of a Lightning Bolt, sending one of the wyverns wheeling away, trailing blood and smoke from its sinuous tail. The air lit with the staccato red flashes of firebolts raining down as she and Calen finally crested over the rim of the inner city ring.


    A deafening roar ripped through the sky as the other wyvern shot up from below, spraying toxic poison that splashed across the plaza, catching her and all her minions in its deadly rain.


    +3 Poison damage per second.


    Poison ¨C Duration: 10 minutes. Count: 2


    Ali doubled over in pain as the poison coursed through her, mingling with the poison that was already ravaging her body and doubling the rate at which she was dying. With six damage per second, she knew she had barely thirty seconds left to live.


    Scrambling to retrieve an expensive health potion, she downed it as fast as she could, dropping herself and Calen to the ground and throwing up a barrier just in time to block another virulent green jet from the two wheeling wyverns. Ali thought, frowning at the injured wyvern still trailing a little smoke in its wake.


    ¡°Ali! Calen! Are you ok?¡± Malika¡¯s voice shouted from somewhere behind her. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Poison! Bad!¡± she managed, her attention fully locked on the two aggressive reptiles dive-bombing her and Calen with their poison and talons.


    A touch on her shoulder drew her attention before the surge of Malika¡¯s mana burned through her, reversing the ravaging effects of the poison on her body before she danced over to Calen to do the same to him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get any closer,¡± Malika said. ¡°That Bone Nova is deadly.¡±


    ¡°I sort of noticed,¡± Calen said, his lips twisting. ¡°Ali¡­ thanks again.¡±


    For a moment Malika¡¯s words confused Ali, but then she glanced around, finally taking in her surroundings. She had been so focused on the wyverns and surviving that she had entirely forgotten what had been going on right before they fell.


    Mato had moved the giant Piercer Scorpion off to the side, back up to a wall. With every strike, the ground shook and bone shards and spikes exploded. He tanked it by himself with all her minions standing haphazardly at range, some firing at the bone elemental, and some now shooting into the air at the wyverns.


    ¡°Incoming! More!¡± Calen¡¯s shout seized her attention. Rising from the darkness from which they had just flown was a brilliantly incandescent ¡®v¡¯ shaped formation of objects slowly gliding through the air like a flock of migrating birds. The formation was made of an array of slender triangular sword-like glass shards that shone with an intensity that could only be light magic.


    In her haste, she counted about thirty of the strange creatures as the entire squadron wheeled slowly in the air as if lining up in a delicate sky ballet. Each shard gracefully peeled away from the formation in rapid succession, shooting forward with a sound like a whip-crack, leaving blurred trailing afterimages in her vision.


    The Glimmer Shards attacked everything indiscriminately, two crashed into her barrier, bouncing off, while several sliced into the flying wyverns causing screeches and roars of pain. Shards bounced off the Piercer Scorpion with clinks and plinking noises while others slammed into Mato and her minions as the entire formation blasted a deadly rain of blades across the entire battlefield.


    They lay on the ground or impaling their targets for a few moments, before they violently wrenched themselves free, hovering before shooting back to regroup in the sky above.


    Ali sucked in a breath.


    A brilliant pillar of golden light flared out from her Kobold Acolyte as it triggered its powerful healing enhancement in a desperate attempt to repair the extensive injuries and damage inflicted by the aerial assault and the powerful poison now afflicting most of her minions. The soft, soothing holy magic of her Acolyte settled on her, and her mind found space to calm down and focus.


    Amid the chaos of the suddenly four-way melee, Ali spent her moment of stillness and calm to evaluate. With healing magic, she wasn¡¯t immediately about to die, but the sheer amount of damage was going to overload Malika and her Acolytes rapidly. They still had a monstrous bone elemental boss to deal with, along with two wyverns spraying poison indiscriminately, and whatever these new Glimmer Shard things were.


    ¡°Stop healing the rogues and warriors,¡± Ali instructed. It was the first conclusion she reached in that moment. The only grounded enemy was the Piercer Scorpion and not even Malika was engaging it in melee, preferring to dodge in for the occasional heal and remain beyond the range of the devastating Bone Nova attack. Her rogues were all poisoned and simply wasting the mana of her Acolytes ¨C unable to meaningfully engage with any of their foes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the shards,¡± she told Calen. While the shards were attacking their foes, they weren¡¯t hurting the scorpion, instead causing more damage to her minions and friends with their chaotic attacks. There were a lot of them for Calen¡¯s bow to find. But it was the tight wheeling formation that gave her an idea.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Calen answered. ¡°I¡¯ll get the wyverns.¡±


    ¡°Totems on the scorpion,¡± Ali said, directing her shamans to change their focus. ¡°Lightning Bolts at the wyverns.¡± She continued organizing her forces, directing her lone surviving archer and the Bone Mage to the wyverns also, while Malika danced among her minions adopting the role of full-time healer.


    Ali studied the Glimmer Shards gathering in the sky as they lined up their next attack. Fireballs took several seconds so she would need to anticipate the perfect moment. Ali simply hedged, signaling each mage to begin at a slightly staggered time. It would be tight, but she would rather strike just a little early than too late. The speed with which they attacked was so high that even slightly late would result in a detonation in an empty sky.


    The first fireball shot out, soaring into the air, leading the pack of Glimmer Shards. The second fireball launched, and then the third, balls of flame launched into the darkness like the commencement of the Fall Festival fireworks show.


    The first detonation ripped through the sky, slightly ahead of the formation, the flames and concussion reaching perhaps half of the creatures. The second detonated dead center enveloping the entire formation. There were several rapid flashes as the Glimmer Shards began to launch, leaving trails and vortices through the expanding cloud of red flame and smoke. The third fireball detonated at the back of the formation, and shards of glass began to fall out of the sky.


    Her timing had certainly not been perfect, but there were only nine remaining shards shooting from the flames.


    The pressure of Calen¡¯s magic suddenly surged beside Ali, like heat billowing from a freshly opened forge. Intricate markings of pure light-affinity mana formed on his arms and face, extending down his neck. His eyes flared with incandescent radiance as his bow fired an intense tracer stream of arrows out across the battlefield to hammer into the wyvern circling the Piercer Scorpion boss and raining poison down on it and Mato while they battled below.


    Ali reacted instantly, adding her Arcane Bolts to Calen¡¯s boosted magic arrows, and calling for Lightning Bolts and whatever else her minions could muster. It took about fifteen seconds of concentrated fire before the emerald-scaled wyvern faltered, falling out of the sky in an uncontrolled spiral, trailing smoke, blood, and spraying poison everywhere, to land with a crash in the middle of her shamans¡¯ nova totems. With a blurring strike of its tail, the Piercer Scorpion decapitated the stricken creature in an instant.


    she thought sarcastically.


    Ali¡¯s attention ranged widely across the field. Her Kobold Acolyte¡¯s holy magic began to fade as the Glimmer Shards circled, reforming their formation with their decimated numbers. Mato was holding his own against the thumping crash of the monstrous attacks while the combination of healing magics kept him from dying from the assault.


    Calen¡¯s arrows switched instantly to the second wyvern, and Ali followed his lead, sending her magic, along with that of her minions soaring into the air, while simultaneously watching the remnants of the shards for a good opportunity to strike. She struggled to split her awareness in so many different ways while still focusing well enough to keep track of what she needed to respond to, certain that somehow, she was missing something important.


    Right as the Glimmer Shards resumed their formation, she instructed her Fire Mages to strike. But as soon as she did, one of her mages collapsed. Followed immediately after by her archer and a Bone Mage dropping to the ground. Without the powerful healing boost granted by the pillar of light, her Acolytes were simply unable to keep up with the relentless poison.


    she willed with all her heart.


    ¡°Fire!¡±


    Two fireballs lofted into the air, and one more Bone Mage collapsed immediately after. Two massive detonations of flame and smoke exploded in the air and again glass shards rained down onto the battlefield. This time, only a single Glimmer Shard emerged from the smoke and fire, shooting down to bounce off the thick armor of the Piercer Scorpion.


    Calen¡¯s brilliant light faded, but it was enough. High in the air, the stricken wyvern circled lower and lower, struggling with a crippled wing before crash-landing heavily on the ground where Ali¡¯s remaining shamans quickly destroyed it.


    ¡°Everyone on the scorpion,¡± Calen instructed.


    ¡°How¡¯s your mana?¡± Ali asked of the Acolyte standing beside her.


    ¡°It is gone, Ancient Mistress,¡± she replied.


    Retrieving two mana potions, Ali handed one to each of her Acolytes, ignoring the cost of the expensive consumables she was burning on her minions before fixing the remaining Glimmer Shard in her mind and burning it down with her Arcane Bolts.


    From just beyond the range of the Piercer Scorpion¡¯s deadly Bone Nova, they unleashed everything they had on the powerful elemental boss, sending bone chips and splinters flying in a continual rain of magic as the minutes stretched on longer and longer. Even with the mana potions, her Acolytes still ran low.


    ¡°I am out of mana, Ancient Mistress,¡± a Fire Mage announced.


    ¡°Stop healing him,¡± she instructed. Her Acolytes¡¯ mana was at a premium, and she had to prioritize Mato. A Fire Mage without mana wasn¡¯t worth healing, and she was out of potions. Within seconds the Kobold collapsed, leaving her with only two Acolytes, one Fire Mage, and one Storm Shaman.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep them alive,¡± Malika said, pausing briefly beside her. ¡°Just concentrate on Mato, we need your magic to get through that bone armor.¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± Calen said, handing her several mana potions. Quickly Ali distributed them among her remaining minions, caring nothing for the sheer amount of money her summoned monsters were guzzling.


    Finally, her shaman¡¯s Lightning Bolt opened a crack large enough that it didn¡¯t immediately close up, and she called for the Fireball. she thought. Her Fire Mage was almost out of mana, and they had no more potions. But the fireball flew true, blasting deep into the rent in the bone armor.


    With a muffled thump, the fire magic detonated within the elemental, sending a spiderweb of cracks ripping through the outer carapace and gouts of flame spraying from the new gaps between its freshly sundered armor plates.


    ¡°I¡¯m out of mana,¡± her mage declared and toppled over finally succumbing to the poison, subjecting Ali to the disturbing sensation of losing the Empowered Summoner boost to her intelligence attribute.


    The Piercer Scorpion froze, standing completely still for several long seconds. A bolt of lightning crackled as Malika and Calen unloaded their attacks at the monster. Then its legs abruptly buckled and it crashed to the ground. A few moments later, Ali heard the sweet sound of her notification chime.


    Ignoring the chime, Ali swooped toward her companions. Notifications could wait. ¡°Everyone alright?¡± she called.


    Malika faked a big yawn. ¡°Simple.¡±

 Chapter 78: Silver Rank

    Chapter 78: Silver RankMato Mato¡¯s paws ached. Technically, his whole body ached, and now that he was back in his Beastkin form he no longer had claws. But it was the persistent smashing of his paws into bone armor that had repeatedly been demonstrated to be denser and harder than stone that lingered in his mind. He was hard-pressed not to imagine himself as a child shaking a rattle, the way he had flailed at that elemental scorpion.


    He had been left to contend with the monstrous Piercer Scorpion boss, mostly on his own with just Malika and the Kobolds¡¯ healing magic to sustain him while he was repeatedly impaled, smashed, and crushed by the monster¡¯s potent bone magic. Getting poisoned by a wyvern halfway through the fight was barely even worth mentioning.


    But none of that mattered.


    His worried glance settled briefly on Calen who was sitting quietly by himself. Mato had never felt fear like he had when Calen had fallen over the edge and he had to watch, powerless to help. He had never felt such a surge of joy when Calen had emerged from the darkness atop a glowing disk of magic, bow firing, like a hero in a cheesy fantasy story emerging from the abyss to slay the dragon.


    But this was not a story, and while his friend was notoriously quiet at the best of times, Mato could see the hooded, disconnected look as Calen struggled to come to terms with his close brush with death. He wished he had the eloquent words of wisdom to share that would be just the thing Calen needed to overcome fear and the sense of mortality he must be feeling right now, but he knew from long experience that getting involved would simply make things worse for Calen. His friend always needed to process things on his own.


    Instead, Mato turned to his notifications to fill the gap of silence as his friends simply sat about, sprawled out among the shattered bone spikes and rubble, shell-shocked after the challenging four-way battle. The corpses of Ali¡¯s Kobolds lay strewn about in puddles of lurid green poison and the stench of fire and scorched lightning contended with the dungeon¡¯s background reek of death. Accidentally dragging extra monsters into a boss fight was the kind of mistake the Guildmaster had warned them would kill inexperienced adventurers nine times out of ten. But Mato couldn¡¯t see how they could have done any better after Ali had to risk herself to save Calen. Dragging the Wyverns and the Glimmer Shards up out of the darkness with them had been unavoidable.


    He glanced inward, taking the opportunity to check his notifications.


    But the glowing green lines of text continued.


    Hawk Form


    Stamina: Shapeshift into a hawk. You gain Ambush, Flying, Tracking, and enhanced perception.


    Nature, Shapeshift, Buff, Perception


    Battle Trance


    Every time you are hit, stamina regeneration is increased by  %. Duration: 2 seconds.


    Physical, Melee, Endurance


    Thorny Hide


    Mana: When shapeshifted, your hide bristles with needle-sharp thorns doing damage to anyone that strikes you.


    Magic, Defense, Wisdom


    ¡°I got level thirty,¡± Mato said, sparking excitement and exclamations from Malika and Ali, but Calen still seemed downcast even though he glanced up at the announcement.


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± Ali said. ¡°Did you get some good skills?¡±


    Mato had grown to enjoy their little ritual of sharing skill advances and unlocks. His expectations initially had been that he would manage his own growth in isolation, and his friends would obviously do theirs. But even though he wasn¡¯t one for crunching numbers, he found enormous value in hearing the perspective of his friends before he made his choices. And he enjoyed the sense of growth that came from any of them adding a new skill or ability that helped in combat.


    He shared his three new skill choices with them. He already knew it would come down to the Thorny Hide and the Battle Trance ¨C his first and second choices. Changing into a hawk wouldn¡¯t help him fight much as the form seemed to be focused more on scouting and observation.


    ¡°Battle Trance, please,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Why?¡± Battle Trance simply improved his stamina regeneration every time he got hit. Yet, for some reason, Malika was actually requesting that.


    ¡°You get hit a lot, and your aura shares your regeneration, right? That means when I¡¯m fighting next to you, I¡¯ll get much more stamina regeneration. It does work like that, right? Calen?¡±  Malika asked, trying to draw Calen into the discussion.


    ¡°It should,¡± Calen answered, before returning to his downcast gaze, staring at the ground. More than anything, his disinterest and disengagement even in a discussion of skills worried Mato.


    But that simple observation changed the skill for him. If Battle Trance really did improve the stamina regeneration he shared with Malika, then she would become substantially more effective too. ¡°It should affect Ali¡¯s rogues, too, I guess?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not,¡± Malika said.


    They went back and forth discussing the relative merits of each skill for a while, but the deciding factor for him was Malika¡¯s observation that he could share Battle Trance using his aura, and the fact that Thorny Hide would probably have been worthless in the fight against the Piercer Scorpion because physical spikes would simply not penetrate the incredibly dense armor it had.


    Excited to test out the new skill, he selected Battle Trance.


    He considered the battle carefully. He spent ten points on it. He wanted to spend ten each on strength and vitality too, but that would not help Survival Instinct. Nor any of his wisdom trait skills. He allocated three points to wisdom and one to perception, and then split the remainder ¨C eight each ¨C between strength and vitality.


    As soon as his attribute points were committed to his class, his chime sounded again. Sitting up straighter, he read the notification in a rush.


    Bestial Combat ¨C level 21


    Requires: Shapeshifted form.


    You are proficient at fighting while shapeshifted, using natural weapons and forms.


    Stamina: Block a Melee attack reducing damage taken proportional to strength and skill. Blocked attacks cannot cause critical damage.


    Health: Empower a Physical, Melee attack to do weapon damage +124% . Empowered attacks rend your opponent¡¯s armor applying a 5% reduction per hit. Duration: 30 seconds.


    Physical, Melee, Defense, Mastery, Support, Strength


    ¡°I got something else,¡± Mato said, schooling himself to reread the details of the advancement he was being offered as carefully as he could.


    His skill was offering him a new melee attack enhancement, but he would need to spend his health to power it.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about this¡­¡± he shared it with everyone. A skill that he had to put his own life into sounded rather dangerous.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s really good,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Is it? I have to spend my health to attack?¡±


    ¡°You can pass on the advance if you don¡¯t like it, and it will probably advance in a different direction soon,¡± Ali suggested. ¡°But it looks like it might be good.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very strong, Mato,¡± Calen said, looking up from his despondency, and Mato suddenly saw a spark of his usual interest and intelligent curiosity glimmering in his eyes. He felt like he could take the advance right then and there if it meant Calen¡¯s sudden depression was permanently banished. Instead, he waited, inviting Calen to continue.


    ¡°According to the Adventurer¡¯s Guide, abilities powered by life force are generally rare, but quite powerful. Remember your Primal Rage gave enormous power for lost health? This skill is much stronger than that.¡±


    Mato looked at the advance again. He had not thought to compare it to Primal Rage ¨C a skill he had tried to put well behind him ¨C a chapter of his growth he would prefer to forget. But he hadn¡¯t worried about losing health when he was using that skill.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand, Calen,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. Look at it this way. The raw damage increase is higher than your old Primal Rage, and the armor rend effect is going to benefit everything you have. You will hit harder, and your Brutal Restoration will be bigger. Everyone else hitting the monster will hit harder too, so you will be creating an enormous advantage for both me and Malika. Against a monster like that Piercer Scorpion, it puts us back in the fight. Even Ali¡¯s rogues, warriors, and Bugbears will become useful again.¡±


    ¡°It depends on how much it costs, though?¡± Mato asked. But Calen¡¯s comments had already changed how he was looking at this advance. It could be quite exciting provided it had a reasonable cost. More importantly, it had to be amazing to draw Calen out of his funk.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s expensive, it¡¯s likely worth it,¡± Calen said, his voice becoming progressively more animated and excited. ¡°You will recover it from the increases to your restoration, and you¡¯re almost always getting heals these days. I¡¯d have to do the math, but at the rate you¡¯re sucking up heals and restoring yourself ¨C you¡¯d have to manage it, of course, but you do have the biggest health pool of all of us for a reason.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, because I¡¯m too big to miss?¡±


    Ali¡¯s involuntary squeal of amusement was a delight.


    They went back and forth exploring the implications, but Mato had already decided to take the new advance. He was simply happy to see Calen¡¯s excitement and his energy as he pulled out his notebook to make elaborate calculations and work out the tradeoffs.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it and see what the cost is?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Ok.¡± It was his plan anyway, so he accepted the skill advance for Bestial Combat and then shifted into Bear Form to activate the ability to enhance a Swipe attack in the air.


    A sudden sharp pain stabbed through his chest, near his heart, as his health was ripped away in an instant, causing his paws to glow with a dull reddish light as he swiped at nothing. Thoughtfully, he transformed back.


    ¡°Almost ninety health,¡± he said, feeling the soft holy magic of Ali¡¯s Acolyte suffusing his body and repairing the health he had just spent. The pain had been sharp and unexpected, but it wouldn¡¯t be enough to affect his combat.


    ¡°About five percent of your total?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°I guess.¡± It was expensive for an attack, but the enhanced power he had felt in his Swipe made him eager to test it in battle.


    ***


    Malika


    Malika listened quietly to the rest of the discussion between Mato and Calen, trying to process her feelings. It seemed Mato had grown substantially more powerful for unlocking a skill at level thirty and earning a potent skill advance.


    She still didn¡¯t quite ¡®get¡¯ Mato. His intentions always seemed good, but sometimes his impulsiveness seemed so frustratingly self-centered. As if he simply didn¡¯t care for anyone but himself, making decisions on the spur of the moment based entirely on how he felt, rather than weighing up the risks beforehand.


    Then he surprised her with decisions like choosing Battle Trance because she requested it. It was a great skill, and she would never have recommended it purely for selfish reasons, so she didn¡¯t feel guilty. And she was certain he had chosen it because he thought it was the best option¡­ but it was abundantly clear that the interaction of his regeneration, and how it would help her in particular, had weighed heavily in his evaluation, and ultimately tipped the balance in favor of picking it.


    She glanced at her notifications for the fight against the elemental Piercer Scorpion boss.


    The results seemed uninspiring compared to what Mato had shared, and she had to remind herself that she had not unlocked any new skills yet, nor had she reached any breakpoints. But the keen pang of jealousy was pretty obvious to her. Was she being steadily punished for not continuing in the tank role? Sighing, she put that behind her. It was done. Why could she not just be happy for Mato¡¯s big advance?


    At least she had thirty attribute points to spend ¨C although she always wanted to spend them on everything. Picking her main priorities first, she spent nine each on wisdom and dexterity. After considering it for a moment, she spent five on endurance next to help her general resilience, Soul Armor skill, and Second Wind. she thought, dropping two points into that. Which left her four for vitality with her final point going into strength to help her punches and kicks hit harder.


    she thought, pressing her lips firmly into a line.


    On a hunch, she used Appraise on the corpse of the Piercer Scorpion.


    Mana: Combine 3 Lesser Bone Essence into one Bone Essence


    Value: 5 gold


    Reagent ¨C Mana Essence


    At least the essence lurking within the corpse would go a long way to defraying the cost of all the potions they¡¯d ended up using.


    For what it was, her growth from the fight was excellent ¨C she had reached level twenty-seven, and her skills were improving nicely. The Piercer Scorpion had been a challenging fight for her, pushing her healing and defensive skills to the limit while she dodged the Bone Nova and kept Mato alive for the entire duration Ali was out saving Calen from being blasted over the edge. And later, trying to keep all Ali¡¯s minions standing against the ravages of Wyvern Poison had left her running ragged for most of the fight.


    Hopefully, now that Mato had gained an armor rend advancement, she would be able to lend her Martial Arts to physical fights against monsters like that in the future. It wasn¡¯t helping her jealousy much though, considering her biggest power improvements this time around would come from Mato¡¯s two skills, rather than anything she had earned.


    she reminded herself, taking some measure of pride in knowing she had taken on a challenging and critical role, and executed it as efficiently as she could.


    she thought after a moment, realizing that the Guildmaster¡¯s assessment of her class¡¯s versatility was spot on. Maybe she needed to speak to Vivian again about how to maximize her potential ¨C but the bigger question was, could they trust the seasoned warrior after whatever it was that they had done to Ali? Malika gritted her teeth. No, this Street Rat would not forget that betrayal in a hurry.


    Aliandra


    Her magic shimmered as the splintered pieces of the bizarre Glimmer Shard elemental evaporated into mana.


    she thought, watching as her Grimoire enthusiastically inscribed a few new pages full of dense tiny runes. If Calen and Mato had been right, the light-affinity elemental should also prove just as incompatible with her mana as the bone ones had been.


    ¡°Let us know when you¡¯re finished,¡± Malika called out. The poison had taken ages to expire, and even Malika had run out of mana and stamina before the end, resulting in Ali losing her remaining minions. Exhaustion from the long battle on top of their close call had killed everybody¡¯s enthusiasm for exploring the ruins further ¨C they had decided to call it a day and maybe come back tomorrow.


    Ali had a few monster corpses to take care of, but before she did that, she took the time to summon a fresh Kobold Fire Mage, just so that she could reactivate Empowered Summoner and boost her intelligence once again.


    She paused before laying a hand on the sinuous neck of the emerald-green Poison Wyvern. Even in death, the creature radiated power and intimidation, every centimeter from the talons to the deadly fangs proclaimed him an apex predator. The scales felt smooth and hard beneath her fingertips, still warm to the touch. She deconstructed him and his wingmate before moving on to the Piercer Scorpion.


    Two chimes sounded as her magic evaporated the giant bone scorpion, and several hundred mana vanished into her greedy Sage of Learning.


    Ali still hadn¡¯t figured out what this strange notification meant, but clearly, her Sage of Learning was involved. Again, the descriptions of whatever her skill had analyzed were tantalizingly evocative of the boss and the abilities it had displayed in combat, but so terse she had no idea how to figure out what it might be for, or even where she might look for clues.


    ¡°I¡¯m done,¡± she announced, and everyone got up to return to their camp via the library. She could feel the exhaustion setting in as her body finally realized she was no longer in immediate danger, and it was certainly the smart choice to call it a day.


    She had a ton of notifications to browse through, but first¡­


    ¡°Calen, I got two more of those strange notifications,¡± she said, falling in beside him. She shared the two notifications as he retrieved his notebook to write them down.


    ¡°Nova Strike sounds like it could be that area bone attack it was doing. Still no clues from your class?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Nothing so far.¡± After the Skeletal Wyvern, they had agreed that she should keep looking for any signs that something might have changed with her class, but even after trying to examine every single part of her status, nothing had revealed itself. He did seem to agree with her though, that the names seemed to imply something that Sage of Learning was doing with the skills the boss had displayed. She was convinced that her Magical Analysis advance for Sage of Learning was the root cause for this phenomenon. But it bothered her that her skill was providing some advantage that she couldn¡¯t understand or use.


    ¡°Ali¡­ thank you for saving me,¡± Calen said, abruptly changing the subject. ¡°I really thought I was going to die.¡±


    The depth of seriousness in his voice and sudden change of direction caught her a little off guard, and she glanced at him and then moved along, examining the spot of ground between her toes for a while.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know if I could get to you in time. But I couldn¡¯t just let you fall.¡± The words sounded woefully inadequate to describe the horror of seeing him plummeting, just beyond the reach of her barrier, and the reckless powered dive she had to resort to, desperately trying to reach him.


    He simply nodded, and somehow Ali knew he understood.


    ***


    Ali dropped herself to the mossy ground beside the cookfire, wondering how Mato was able to find the energy to make food. But he had insisted that cooking was relaxing for him, so she hadn¡¯t complained. Besides, she was already starving, and Mato could do things with vegetables that had to be magical.


    Ali had been so concerned about poison and the strange notifications from her deconstruction of the boss that she had not noticed she had crossed the threshold to unlock a new skill. Not even listening to Mato describe his unlock had been enough to jog her memory.


    Biting her tongue, she read on.


    Summon Familiar


    The familiar gains a class related to your abilities and will level with you. Your familiar receives a bonus to whichever of your attributes is the highest. Once per day, your familiar can use one of your skills ignoring any recharge. You can mentally communicate with your familiar regardless of distance.


    Mana: Summon or dismiss an arcane familiar.


    Arcane, Minion, Intelligence


    Domain Mastery


    You can manipulate the structure and mana of your domain. All your magic within your domain is empowered by the domain itself.


    Mana: Adjust the shape and composition of any non-living material that is part of your domain. Range: Domain.


    Nature, Arcane, Mastery, Domain, Intelligence


    Rampant Growth


    Mana: Cause rampant growth in any plant in range. Simply grow plants faster, or use them to slow, impede, or even damage your enemies. Range: 10 meters.


    Nature, Area, Wisdom


    She couldn¡¯t help but giggle at the last one. It sounded like some high-speed gardening skill. Basil would love it.


    ¡°I got some skills too,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Congratulations both of you on reaching silver!¡± Malika said. Silver rank at the guild supposedly came with more privileges ¨C privileges that were presumably not that useful until the guild grew a bit ¨C but it included an upgraded guild ring. Also, they could now take higher-ranked jobs, if they showed up. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ali shared her three new skills, triggering some engaged discussion.


    ¡°Rampant Growth looks like a Druid spell,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°Looks like I got it because of that first sewer rat I killed,¡± Ali said, remembering her first encounter with a monster.


    ¡°Familiar looks cool,¡± Malika said. ¡°Especially if the creature has a good class and can level quickly.¡±


    ¡°Will it be cute though?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Ali, asking the important questions,¡± Mato chuckled. ¡°Awww, is it fluffy? Does it have long, silky ears?¡±


    ¡°Mato! What are you talking about? What good are skills if the creature isn¡¯t cute?¡±


    ¡°Says the person who likes summoning Goblins and Kobolds?¡± he countered.


    ¡°Hey! They¡¯re cute!¡± That spawned a round of laughter.


    The Goblins were quite ugly ¨C especially the feral-looking Bugbears. She frowned for a moment, realizing that really none of her creatures were cute, with perhaps the exception of her Kobold Acolyte. Some, like the Toxic Slimes, were downright nasty. Maybe her familiar would be a fat, slimy toad?


    ¡°Anyway. I think Domain Mastery sounds the strongest. Even if it¡¯s a little vague. I¡¯m not entirely sure what exactly it¡¯ll do,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°You can always just try it out,¡± Malika said.


    As soon as Ali selected Domain Mastery, a pulse shot out from her, rippling through the mana of her domain before she felt it pass out of sight, down the shaft, and out all the way to the library far underground. It was the same domain, but yet, somehow different, almost as if it were waiting for something. She studied it with her Arcane Insight, but other than the vague impression that it was now somehow¡­ more, she had no idea what had happened.


    Cautiously she reached out and poked at it with her mind, and to her surprise, her domain mana bent in response to her inexpert will. She released her mental pressure, and it bounced back to normal, rippling a little before settling.


    She twisted and bent it a little more, watching the swirls and tendrils of her mana reacting to her will. It was pretty, and rather interesting to see, but what it might do was anyone¡¯s guess.


    ¡°I can bend my domain mana, but I have no idea what I would even do with that,¡± she said.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try the transmute thing?¡± Calen suggested, pointing at a log near the fireplace.


    Ali fixed the log in her mind and fed some mana to her new skill. She could sense the shape clearly, so she exerted a little pressure. To her surprise, the log bent smoothly, adjusting to her will in the same way that her mana had. With relative ease, she shaped it into a flat disk, and then back into a log before she transitioned it into a cube.


    The skill had a clear limitation in that she was unable to change the size of the object. Making it smaller simply caused the mass to bulge out the sides like squashing a slime. Carefully she shaped the log into a small bench.


    ¡°That seems useful,¡± Calen approved.


    she thought, trying to figure out what her skill meant when it suggested she could change the composition. But as she considered the concept, she felt her skill respond, and suddenly her Grimoire appeared, flipping to the chapter imprint for stone.


    Ali focused on the imprint, and suddenly her mind was filled with a cascade of possibilities. With a simple thought and a little mana, her wooden bench transformed into granite. With another thought, she shifted it to shale. But the subtle interaction between her Grimoire and her new Domain Mastery offered more. Pouring extra mana into her imprint, she found she could intuitively feed new stone into her creation while simultaneously shaping it with her Domain Mastery. It took a mere few minutes to create a large stone sculpture of a stag with proud antlers. If she had still had the bone imprint, she was convinced she could have transmuted it to that. Lacking the imprint for wood, Ali found herself unable to transform the sculpture back into its original form. The other imprints for creatures, items, or plants didn¡¯t seem to work when she tested them.


    ¡°It looks like I can transform anything into one of the material imprints in my Grimoire,¡± Ali told Calen, waiting for him to finish writing. ¡°It also doesn¡¯t seem to work on living stuff.¡± Ali had tried, and failed, to bend one of the trees.


    Ali carefully reshaped the stag into a bird and then transformed it back into granite.


    She had all but forgotten her Sculpting skill in the craziness of her current life, and the notification caused a rush of memories from her past. She had often turned to her sculpture as a way to relax and create.


    Finally, she turned to her new attribute points, spending twelve on intelligence and eleven on wisdom to boost her mana and primary spells. The remaining seven she spent on perception, earning a marked increase in the clarity of her mana sight.


    ***

 Chapter 79: Mitigations for Poison

    Chapter 79: Mitigations for PoisonCalen Calen sat quietly on what had once been a log and was now a granite bench taking in the warmth of Mato¡¯s cookfire and listening to the banter of conversation around him. The food was good, as always. More than good. It was just that his stomach still seemed to be irritated after all that poison.


    He glanced over at Ali who had returned to playing with the unusual glass-shard creatures they had fought.


    He had come close to dying several times before, but nothing had hit him quite so hard as being impaled through the stomach with a spear of bone and tossed over the edge into the darkness like an insignificant bug.


    That he owed his life to Ali¡¯s quick thinking was obvious. But he understood just how much she had had to risk to even have a chance to reach him, and just how close they had both come to dying. For her to have had a chance, she had to have reacted instantly, throwing herself into danger to save him without a second thought or even the slightest hesitation. It felt like a heavy burden on his heart.


    For quite a while afterward, he had simply been stunned by how fast it had happened, and how little there was that he could have done. His friends had been trying to coax him out of his shock, by appealing to his interest in new skills. Even knowing what they were doing, he was grateful, because he did actually feel better.


    It was clear to him not just by the level of his class, but even more so by the need to be rescued, and the fact that he had no power to save himself.


    He worried at the thought incessantly while carefully deciding how to distribute his hard-earned attribute points. He needed every single one. He consulted his notebook, finding a note he had left for himself. The problem was he didn¡¯t have enough wisdom to really matter, and his class didn¡¯t really use it directly. Ali and Malika would need to be their mental ¡®tanks¡¯, so to speak. Still, he allocated two points for wisdom, vitality, and endurance, splitting the remainder evenly among dexterity, perception, and intelligence.


    Aliandra


    Ali summoned another ten Glimmer Shards. As she had expected, the elementals of light magic were summoned dead, just like the bone elementals she had learned before. And yet she was still fascinated by them. For one thing, every time she summoned one, she got ten of them at the same time.


    By all accounts, these creatures shouldn¡¯t even have been ¡®alive¡¯ in the first place. There was nothing about them that could even move, and their structure resembled an incredibly hard glass more than any kind of living creature she had ever seen.


    She drew back her finger hastily as the incredibly sharp razor edge of the squat triangular-shaped monster sliced her before she even had time to react.


    Malika leaned over and touched her, and her finger stopped bleeding in a tiny flash of healing magic.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ali replied.


    ¡°So, what are we going to do about the poisons?¡± Malika asked, her question pitched to the entire group.


    Ali studied her dead Glimmer Shards arrayed on the ground before her, focusing more on her Arcane Insight for a moment. she decided, after examining the structure. They were similarly transparent creations of pure mana and seemed just as hard.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the poison is that much of a problem,¡± Mato answered.


    ¡°I had two stacks, and I came within fifteen seconds of dying,¡± Ali answered.


    ¡°How is that even possible? That¡¯s only six damage a second,¡± Mato replied.


    ¡°I only have two hundred and seventy health.¡± It would have been much safer if she could reliably block the poison breath but flying herself and Calen simultaneously had left her with no extra capacity to block. Even when she could use her barriers for protection, the toxic liquid sprayed by the wyverns splashed everywhere making her barriers less than effective.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mato said, his response filled with a sudden realization of the true scope of the problem.


    ¡°Maybe we can get some antidote potions?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°If you solve everything with potions, Morwynne Fizzlebang is going to be your friend for life,¡± Malika said. ¡°Aren¡¯t those quite expensive, though?¡± It was a bit of a rhetorical question, all of them knew that potions were generally expensive.


    ¡°What about those pesky things?¡± Mato asked, pointing at the Glimmer Shards Ali had created.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we will have to contend with those again,¡± Calen said. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure the wyverns and those shards are not dungeon monsters. That¡¯s why they were all attacking each other. We must have attracted them from below when I fell.¡±


    Ali studied the shape of the Glimmer Shard while they talked.  She initiated her barrier magic, trying to match the shape of the creature in front of her. What came out was¡­ well, it wasn¡¯t close. It looked like a blunt elongated disk. She dismissed it in frustration. She was so used to creating her barrier in the default disk shape that she was having trouble imagining how the magic could create anything different, even though she was sure it was possible. She tried again, but it was debatable if the new attempt was any better than the last.


    But her Sage of Learning seemed to be doing something in the background. At least she was losing some extra mana to it on each attempt.


    ¡°Mato, does your book describe any curing spells?¡± she asked. Clearly, her mind was still worrying about the poisons, unwilling to be satisfied with just the antidote idea.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± he answered, rummaging around in his pack. He was the only one of them who still carried a conventional pack, as it conveniently disappeared every time he transformed for combat, reappearing later entirely unharmed. He produced the book and began browsing through it.


    Ali attempted to duplicate the shard once again, trying to grip the magic through the raw force of her willpower. As she did, her Sage drew in some more of her mana, while her domain seemed to be trying to interfere with her barrier spell. The result would not be mistaken for a copy; however, it  different.  she observed, being quite generous with her critique. She tried to recall what she had done differently this time.


    There was definitely something strange happening with her magic. She wasn¡¯t certain if her domain was actually doing something, or if her Sage was just trying to show her something, but she decided she would try one more time, and see if she could fully focus on it.


    Mato handed her the book, open to a chapter titled ¡®Cure Spells¡¯. But Ali¡¯s hand failed to reach the book as she gasped in surprise. As her barrier formed under the influence of her will trying to force it into the unfamiliar shape of a Glimmer Shard, she clearly saw the mana of her domain reacting. Then her chime sounded loudly in her mind.


    Barrier ¨C level 24


    Mana: Summon a small arcane barrier shield. The barrier is a freeform arcane magic surface that resists physical and magic damage. You can move your barriers freely.


    Domain: Barriers created within your domain may be supported by domain mana making them permanent.


    Arcane, Defense, Movement, Domain, Intelligence


    ¡°What is it?¡± Mato asked, still holding the book for her.


    ¡°One moment, something happened,¡± Ali answered, rapidly reading through the notifications. Ali had never seen a spell cost indicated as ¡®domain¡¯, but she had watched the interaction between her domain and her barrier, and she thought she had a good idea of what it might mean.


    Quickly, she summoned a new barrier, using a familiar flat disk shape for convenience, and connected with the new ability she had just been shown. As she shaped her skill in her mind, she simply reached out for her domain mana using her new Domain Mastery and pulled it in, weaving it through her skill instead of spending her mana normally.


    With a snap, and gasps of surprise from her friends, a gigantic barrier disk popped into existence before her, a huge hovering wall of golden energy. Many times her normal maximum barrier capacity, it seemed denser and brighter too, drawing in nearby domain mana to support the construct.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°I just got this,¡± she said, sharing the synergy notification.


    ¡°You can cast the barrier¡­ with your domain?¡± Calen asked, his voice sounding excited and incredulous at the same time. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I just made that without using any of my own mana,¡± Ali said, pointing at the barrier that was still hovering in the air. Technically, her domain was her mana, but her mana pool hadn¡¯t been reduced to create it. She was doing nothing to keep the barrier there ¨C it was being sustained entirely by a trickle of mana from the domain itself.


    ¡°That¡¯s impressive, Ali,¡± Malika said, tapping the glowing construct. ¡°May I punch it?¡±


    Ali chuckled as she nodded.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    ¡°Your first thought when you find something new is to punch it,¡± Ali answered, drawing laughter from both Calen and Mato, and a grin from Malika.


    ¡°Of course, how else can you really get to know something?¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡± Mato agreed.


    She drew back a fist and hit the barrier. The crack of her punch sounded through their camp, but the barrier stood unchanged.


    Ali was curious to see how her barrier performed, but no reaction was a little more than she had hoped for.


    Malika¡¯s body flared with her unique soul mana as she activated her powerful skills. Ali struggled to keep track of the rapid flurry of punches and flashes of Malika¡¯s Soul Strike, but when she finally stopped hitting the barrier, it still stood. There was a small circular crack at the epicenter of Malika¡¯s attack, but even that was slowly closing as the barrier repaired itself with an influx of domain mana.


    ¡°That¡¯s impressive,¡± Malika approved. ¡°I think Calen might be able to get through it, but only if he goes all out with that crazy new skill of his ¨C Righteous Fury.¡±


    Malika was very powerful, and she had barely scratched the new barrier.


    Ali wondered. Her usual barriers had been unmovable until the skill advanced the first time, and ever since, she had been using her barrier as a tool to fly. In fact, the skill even displayed a Movement trait now. She stepped forward, placing her hand on the enormous golden wall of magic and it moved instantly and smoothly in response to her will, as if it weighed nothing. She tilted it over until it was horizontal, about a step above the ground, and released her control. The barrier stuck in place, as immovable as a stone formation.


    Ali climbed up onto it and walked around.  she thought.


    She raised it several meters through the air, like an elevator, and then tested out her normal barriers, creating a small one to fly back down. Her capacity to summon her usual barriers was entirely unaffected by the giant permanent barrier floating in the air.


    ***


    ¡°Sorry about that, I got distracted,¡± Ali said, finally returning to her spot and taking the book Mato had offered.


    ¡°No problem,¡± he answered. ¡°That¡¯s a cool barrier.¡±


    Ali smiled at him and then began to study the book, already opened to a chapter titled ¡®Cure Spells¡¯.


    ¡°This looks perfect,¡± Ali said. The spell wasn¡¯t too high level for her to learn either.


    ¡°The only issue,¡± Calen said, ¡°is how to convince the wyverns to fight near the runic circle. They seem to fly around a lot, and the circle will take time to make.¡±


    ¡°It seems worth trying,¡± Malika interjected. ¡°If nothing else, we can retreat to it and heal if things go badly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worried that if things go badly, it will be so fast that we cannot make it back,¡± Calen said. ¡°What if we get three or four of them? Remember that even a recall potion won¡¯t help us against poison, we would just die in the teleport room.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s better to have the circle and not need it than need one and not have it,¡± Ali said. Besides, it wouldn¡¯t be an enormous mana cost to set it up near the battlefield. She would just need to have the time to inscribe it before monsters showed up.


    ¡°I like that idea,¡± Malika agreed. ¡°Better safe than sorry.¡±


    Ali tuned out the continuing discussion, turning her attention wholly to the book before her, and began to learn Cure Poison using her Sage of Learning¡¯s powerful magic to accelerate her studies. The world around her dimmed and faded as her magically empowered focus and attention locked on to the book and the enhanced words standing out on the page. Her sense of time disappeared as she felt her universe become just her mind and the pages of the text she was reading.


    She looked up a few moments later, as if she had just blinked, and saw that the others were sparring off to the side and the campsite had been cleaned up. She found a covered bowl of stew by her side.


    she thought realizing that she had not even heard the chime. She sampled her stew, finding it had cooled quite substantially, but it was still quite tasty and, as if the taste of food had woken her body, she suddenly realized she was starving. She finished the whole bowl while she used her Inspiration and let her mana regenerate. .


    She got up and found a clear space to practice her new magic, and as soon as Runic Script began to flow, her attention was caught once again by a familiar reaction in the surrounding mana of her domain.


    Trying not to distract herself too much, she studied the effect with her Arcane Insight and focused on creating her Cure Poison circle. As usual, it took her several tries to master the inscription itself, but this time she didn¡¯t have to refer back to the book at all, correcting all her errors on the fly.


    The inscribed magic was expensive, but she had managed to learn a high-level version of the spell. Her mind was still following the twists and swirls of mana that she had created, comparing the interaction with her domain from her barrier magic to what she saw in front of her.


    She hovered there on the cusp of understanding for several delicate moments, before she suddenly made a connection, the feeling of how she had wielded her Domain Mastery skill to link to her barrier, and the tricky difference between it and her Runic Script skill.


    Runic Script ¨C level 12


    You are proficient with runic magic.


    Languages: Ancient Dal¡¯mohran, Elvish, Dwarven.


    Mana: Inscribe a runic circle with your mana. Reserve: by level.


    Domain: Runic magic written within your domain may be supported by domain mana and will not decay.


    Arcane, Domain, Knowledge, Intelligence


    Ali grinned as she heard the notification, knowing exactly what it would say, even before she read it. She already knew exactly how it would work, and she set herself the task of creating another circle ¨C this time by wielding her domain mana instead.


    Glowing softly under her Arcane Insight, what was remarkable about this runic circle was what had not appeared in her notifications.


    She released her first circle, watching it dissipate and her mana return to her pool, slowly recovering. But the second circle was connected directly to her domain, drawing mana from the abundant nature mana her plants were emitting to sustain itself without any reservation whatsoever.


    Obviously, she immediately examined every other skill she had, but so far, nothing else seemed to interact with her domain in the same way.


    On the surface of it, her new skill had seemed worth it, but it had immediately improved both Runic Script and Barrier, and with those synergies, the advantage seemed far larger. Her domain-enhanced barrier had been very impressive.


    ***


    They had stopped by the guild briefly to check the store, but Weldin Thriftpenny had not expanded his inventory enough to carry antidote potions yet, and Ali had gotten a rather unsettling vibe from Mieriel. She couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on it ¨C other than Calen and Malika¡¯s suspicions ¨C but she was grateful that they decided not to stay.


    It took just a few minutes to walk from the guild to Pretty Powerful Potions, where Ali immediately noticed that the shattered window and broken door had been repaired, and both had received a fresh coat of paint. There was even a new sign above the door with a bubbling vial depicted with a rather expensive-looking animated illusion enchantment.


    Ali thought, recalling the blood and shards of glass on the now perfectly clean sidewalk where she and Malika had found the owner left to die by the thugs of the Town Watch.


    There was no entrance chime to greet them, but there was a loud bang from the other end of the shop, a puff of lilac smoke, and some rather colorful swearing from behind one of the counters. A couple of points of mana trickled into Sage of Learning as it identified a few novel insults to add to her understanding of the Dwarven and Elvish languages.


    The shop had obviously had a rather expensive overhaul. Any sign of vandalism and robbery had been thoroughly purged and every centimeter of every surface was now covered with complicated apparatus. Tiny artifacts producing different colored flame were heating beakers and vials and leaking different flavors of mana to drift and mingle in the air. Pots bubbled, cauldrons simmered, fluid ran through coiled glass tubing while a violet condensate dripped on the floor. Over in the far corner, the lilac smoke drifted up towards a vent in the ceiling. Strange and wondrous scents mingled with acrid chemical smells to create an unsettling medley of olfactory assault.


    Ali wondered how often something blew up in here, or if it was just a safety mechanism to clear the chaotic mingling of outgassing, mana, and even the occasional surprising snowflakes.


    ¡°Hi there! Sorry about the oops! I¡¯m Morwynne Fizzlebang, what brings you to my shop today?¡±


    All Ali could see over the tops of the bubbling vials and cauldrons were the two shocking pink high ponytails as the Gnome ran out from behind whatever concoction she was making.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you guys! Sorry about the noise!¡±


    Ali almost didn¡¯t recognize her, even though she was the only Gnome she knew with pink hair. She wore several different colored adjustable goggles and monocles covering most of her face, and over the entire contraption, she had a sturdy-looking face shield. There was lilac soot over everything, the face visor, her tank top, and her gloves.


    She pulled up the visor of the face shield and wiped her face, getting soot over everything. As she wended her way between the packed tables, she bumped something, knocking it to the floor with a crash of broken glass. She unleashed another torrent of colorful invective in Common, Elvish, and some other language Ali hadn¡¯t heard before.


    ¡°That was going to be my big breakthrough¡­ oh well. What brings you to my store today?¡±


    Ali got the distinct impression that this kind of accident had happened half a dozen times already today.


    ¡°Mana potions, maybe?¡± she asked, looking expectantly at Calen.


    ¡°Do you have any poison antidote potions?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Ooh! What kind of poison?¡±


    ¡°Poison affinity wyvern. It breathes this toxic green liquid that splashes everywhere. The poison stacks and lasts about ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Aah, good, nothing exotic.¡± Morwynne nodded her head and ducked under one of the tables, scrabbling about and muttering curses under her breath for a few moments before she emerged with a box. She opened it, revealing several vials of something green and viscous carefully secured and packed.


    Antidote Potion ¨C level 18 (Nature)


    Consume: Attempt to cure toxins, venom, or poisons afflicting you. Duration: 30 seconds.


    Potion


    ¡°Now remember,¡± Morwynne said, her tone suddenly reminding Ali of a lecturer she had once had, ¡°if the poison is higher level than the potion, it will remove them much slower, or even just weaken them. So don¡¯t complain if it isn¡¯t as effective as it sounds!¡±


    ¡°Looks perfect,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Anything else I can offer you?¡±


    Calen said, ¡°No, that was it, thank you.¡±


    Morwynne quirked an eyebrow at him.


    ¡°Ok, maybe a dozen mana potions,¡± he relented.


    With a beaming grin, Morwynne produced a tray of blue mana potions from a drawer and exchanged them for a handful of coins. ¡°Thanks for stopping by!¡± she said with what Ali was beginning to realize was her typical energy level.


    As they turned to leave, Ali heard a crash and some more swearing and saw that Morwynne had tripped over one of the boxes she had upended in her search for their potions.


    ¡°Is she always like that?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Mato answered with a smile ¡°She¡¯s something of a legend in this town. And as scatterbrained as she appears, the potions always work.¡±

 Chapter 80: Stun Bat

    Chapter 80: Stun Bat


    , by Lyeneru Silverleaf, Elven Pathfinders Guild.


    Mato


    Mato shifted impatiently from paw to paw, peering intently into the darkness. He was getting better at seeing down here, Survival Instinct progressively enhancing his natural senses as it leveled up.


    He felt it through the ground first ¨C the telltale rhythmic vibration of a heavy elemental of bone running fast. In the distance up ahead, the light flickered and suddenly, he could hear the thudding crunch of bone as Calen emerged from behind a ruined building at a dead sprint, his light magic hovering above him and his catch.


    Mato growled, inching forward, but mindful of the range limits of the healers¡¯ magic. The Piercer Scorpion was gaining on Calen, inch by inch, but his friend had calculated his pull correctly. As soon as he got into range, Mato charged.


    He thrilled with the rush as his movement skill accelerated his massive body across the ripped and torn flagstones, until he crashed into the powerful elemental, unleashing his Challenging Roar. He looked up at the scorpion¡¯s spears ¨C its main attack weapon ¨C judging the timing carefully. As soon as Survival Instinct prickled in the back of his mind, he blocked, left and right, damping the damage and diverting the spear strikes with his armored shoulders to crash through the stone underfoot. Even though he had successfully blocked both attacks, the Piercer Scorpion¡¯s strikes were so deadly that a substantial amount of damage bypassed his guard. And as he felt the strikes, he also felt something else.


    Despite the blurring speed of the Piercer Scorpion¡¯s coiled strike, his mind stilled, suddenly calm and somehow serene in the face of the deadly attack. And with it, the sensation of his regeneration stepped up in two distinct jumps. It was the first time he had experienced it, and it was unlike anything he had imagined from the terse text description. While it conveyed no material advantage in combat, other than the stamina regeneration boost, he felt as if his mind had expanded somehow, creating an enormous amount of space within which he could choose how to fight ¨C free of extraneous distractions. He blocked effortlessly.


    It was not just Battle Trance he was trying out for the first time. He had earned the Living Rend advancement for Bestial Combat too, and now that he had experienced the Battle Trance, he was eager to see what he could do with Bestial Combat.


    He attacked with his empowered Swipe, simultaneously feeding mana to Brutal Restoration and health to his Bestial Combat¡¯s new advance. The health was ripped away from within him in a piercing pang, powering his magic.  Instead of his claws bouncing ineffectively off the dense bone armor exoskeleton, he crushed and pulverized the plates with each double-enhanced melee strike. His restoration magic settled within him, infusing his muscles and bones with the energy of his nature magic. It pulsed, a shocking rush of power that coursed through his body ¨C a visceral response to the new strength of his attack.


    At the first taste of the Acolyte¡¯s healing magic, Mato struck again, and once again he maximized his Swipe with both his powerful enhancements. His life ripped away, powering an even greater attack crushing bone plates and sending a satisfying shower of splinters and fragments spraying into the air in front of his face.


    Just as Calen had predicted, his Living Rend would progressively weaken the armor of whatever he attacked, making subsequent attacks more and more powerful. Keeping a close eye on his health and the state of the healing magic supporting him, he struck again.


    In a blink, an incandescent arrow buried itself inside a sundered gash in the armor, leaving only the fletching showing, and Malika appeared out of nowhere, striking with her flurry of punches, sending more and more shards of bone flying. He roared another challenge to ensure the monster would not get distracted, but he could see the huge, happy grin on Malika¡¯s face as her strikes landed effectively, rather than being denied by the previously impervious bone armor.


    He bared his fangs in a broad bear smile, becoming more and more aggressive with his new powerful skill advance, spending his health more and more freely as he learned to balance his restoration and trust the healing from the Acolytes.


    Calen


    ¡°That¡¯s the last one,¡± Calen announced as the latest in the seemingly endless stream of dungeon bone elementals collapsed to the ground. They had been at it for a couple of hours non-stop, and Calen had to admit Mato¡¯s new skill was incredible. He had been pulling the monsters from the ruined city¡¯s inner ring one at a time ¨C nothing like the first day¡¯s chaotic running battle ¨C but they were still putting them down much faster. As soon as Mato engaged, the bone armor began to shred, and his arrows could find gaps through the previously impervious bone plates. Sure, he had to aim better, but the combination of his dexterity and Eyes of the Archon made that a cinch. Mostly. One rebounding arrow had taken a chunk out of Malika¡¯s left ear on the way past and he had received a deserved earful.


    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± Mato asked, having shifted out of his Bear Form.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t get close enough to be certain, but there are quite a few flying things around the bridge leading to the second ring. It looks like a vulnerable crossing, and I don¡¯t want to fight anything on the bridge, so I¡¯ll try bringing everything here.¡±


    He shivered, remembering the stark terror of falling off the suspended ruins and into the darkness, and he had absolutely zero intention of risking that a second time.


    ¡°Wyverns?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Yes, as far as I could see. It looks like some of them and some giant bats fighting with the dungeon monsters. I¡¯m guessing they¡¯re flying up from whatever is down below.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make my cure circle, then,¡± Ali said. They had set up an elaborate plan for how they intended to deal with the flying monsters, and most importantly, the poison. Ali was already hard at work inscribing the Runic Circle she had learned, and she would mark it clearly so that everyone could see it. Everyone had a couple of antidote potions for emergencies, and Ali had even spent several hours with him training her minions¡¯ archery skills.


    Once the runic circle was complete, Calen gave Ali a few pointers on how to best take advantage of the ruined buildings when placing her archers before he headed out into the darkness once more.


    ***


    Calen sprinted out in total silence, wrapping the shadows and darkness around his body with his Eclipse skill. The central plaza around the library and most of the ruined buildings on the inner ring that had been crawling with bone elementals ¨C drones and scorpions ¨C were all now eerily quiet as he sprinted through.


    This whole level of the Dal¡¯mohran ruins was honestly a miracle of magic and engineering. They had emerged from the enormous cylindrical pillar of the library onto a broad stone plaza ¨C a disk of foundation stone half the size of Myrin¡¯s Keep that encircled the library and upon which were endless ruined buildings in various stages of collapse.


    Past the edge of the plaza was the abyss into which he had fallen. But beyond that again, suspended in the darkness, was an enormous stone ring that bore the ruins of another city¡¯s-worth of buildings. It hovered there, defying gravity, hanging from giant stone pillars that seemed woefully inadequate to the task, connected to the plaza by arched bridges. And yet, it still stood after three thousand years of neglect and ruin. Incredible. Such was the power of the ancients.


    Past the middle ring hovered yet another lower ring, half shattered, and bearing some truly enormous stone constructs, the likes of which he couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom. He couldn¡¯t wait to get close enough to explore them.


    As he drew closer to the narrow stone bridge that spanned the gulf between the inner plaza and the middle ring suspended in the darkness below, he pulled up and stopped, scanning the skies and the open spaces. He could make out wheeling forms flying through the darkness, some looking like the giant bats he had seen before, and others sporting the emerald-green scales of the poison wyverns. They engaged in combat with other flying forms or divebombed the ruined buildings crawling with monsters below them.


    The thought sent a chill through him as his eyes began picking out the details. Many of the flying shapes wheeling overhead in an aerial battle with the bats and wyverns appeared to be skeletons. These were not quite the size of the raid boss they had awoken in the library, but they were clearly the same kind of monster. Milling about on the ground in the central ring below ¨C like ants on a disturbed nest ¨C he could make out shambling corpses and skeletons shooting arrows or magic at the wheeling creatures above. The corpses of wyverns and bats on the ground bore silent testament to the success of the dungeon¡¯s undead horde. The streaks of blood dragged across the bone-encrusted pavement presented a chilling indicator, pointing to a potential source for all the undead.


    He squinted, urgently consulting his Explorer skill, but his advanced identification insisted that these were ¡®only¡¯ dungeon spawned monsters, and they weren¡¯t about to walk into the secret lair of a Necromancer or worse. Then, he glanced guiltily at Ali.


    Carefully, he studied the chaotic formation of the ongoing battle. As soon as he fired on something, his presence would be revealed, and he did not want to attract more than the very minimum number of monsters.


    His eyes picked out a group of three shapes flying far overhead. Two sleek, graceful wyverns flew lazy circles, followed by the agile jagged flitting trajectory of a bat. Each circle moved them closer and closer to his position, and soon enough¡­


    He nocked an arrow, sighting down the shaft with his enhanced eyesight. It would be close, but with his enhanced range, he should be able to make the shot. As the monsters drew closer, he relaxed, holding the bowstring taut till the last possible moment. And then he let it fly.


    The arrow shot from his bow with a brief swooshing noise, and he held it carefully in his mind, waiting as it soared up into the darkness. As soon as it was close enough, he unleashed his light magic enchantment and a brilliant flare of light shone out from the sky. The arrow slammed into the flank of the bat, eliciting a shrill screech and all three monsters instantly turned and dived.


    Calen turned and sprinted down the ancient street. It was quite a run back to the waiting group, and he hoped that the monsters would not lose interest halfway there.


    As he reached the end of the first street, the air about him suddenly shimmered and an intense wave of dizziness crashed through his mind. His vision blackened around the edges, vibrating angrily as his field of vision shrunk to nothing.


    He came to; his face pressed down into the stony ground, his head feeling like it was about to burst with pain. He groaned, but a deep roar behind him made him spring to his feet in a flash, ignoring the shooting pain stabbing through his head.


    A searing blast of liquid sprayed across his back, splashing everywhere, burning at his eyes and tearing at his lungs.


    +3 Poison damage per second.


    Poison ¨C Duration: 10 minutes. Count: 1


    Ignoring the pain, Calen forced his battered and poisoned body into a sprint. The bat swooped down and opened its mouth letting out what looked like a silent scream. The air rippled and shimmered as the attack tore past him, plucking at his arm and sending waves of pain and dizziness coursing through him far out of proportion to the physical attack.


    He charged down the street, dodging around a house to avoid another stream of poison. He pulled out an antidote potion. He was already taking nine damage per second, and it was far enough to run that not even the health potion he had in his ring would save him.


    He downed the green liquid, forcing himself not to gag at the foul taste. A flicker of wings in his peripheral vision sent him diving for the dubious cover of a ruined building, and the space he had just occupied shimmered with the bat¡¯s almost invisible ultrasonic attack.


    His chime sounded.


    He sprinted out of his hiding spot and down the street, making evasive direction changes whenever he could. He knew it would slow him down, but another stun would be fatal. As he turned the corner, a twin jet of toxic green splashed across the wall beside him sending a deadly spray showering into the air. He ducked into a darkened doorway and dove out of the window and into the street on the other side as the shadowy bat darted overhead.


    He sprinted along the next alleyway, leaping over broken spines and ridges of bone, and dodging sideways to avoid another sweeping wyvern attack. His zigzag path through the buildings was the only reason he hadn¡¯t been hit, but it made the path back take a lot more time.


    Time he did not have.


    94¡­


    He ducked inside a house while the bat and the two wyverns circled overhead. With one stack of poison removed and the others doing reduced damage, he had a little more time. Calen glanced out of the window, but his three pursuers were simply circling overhead, waiting for him to emerge.


    he realized. His health was still dropping, and they seemed content to stake out his hiding spot.


    He was rapidly approaching the danger zone, where any hit would become instantly fatal. He sprang from a side door, dodging around a house he recalled from his scouting earlier, but he wasn¡¯t quite quick enough ¨C the shimmer in the air sent a jolt of pain ripping through his arm and spraying his blood on the wall as he rushed past. Gritting his teeth, he forced the waves of dizziness down.


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    Calen careened around the corner onto the last street and sprinted for his life. In the distance, he could see his friends waiting.


    He knew it with a sense of certain dread. The wyverns and the bat were still in hot pursuit, and he could still feel the searing toxins tearing him apart from the inside. Still, he ran, sprinting as fast as he could, his breathing already ragged.


    He was still more than fifty yards out.


    With a thunderous roar, Mato charged him, tearing across the open square and sending dust flying with the force of his accelerated speed.


    He looked at his friend sadly and felt the pulse of the poison.


    He had definitely felt the poison tearing at him ¨C in fact, it was still doing so. But his health refused to budge. Mato spun as he sprinted past and began following him even though he was falling behind.


    He slowed down a touch, making sure he didn¡¯t outrun his friend. He had forgotten Mato¡¯s incredible ability to redirect damage to himself. As long as he remained close enough¡­


    Malika was also in motion, sprinting across the square to join them, sending searing healing through his body and he finally reached the marked Runic Circle and stopped within it, amid the storm of arrows, bone spears, lightning, fire, and arcane magic that Ali unleashed toward the monsters closing in.


    The soft warmth of holy magic settled into his body, like the kiss of a warm sun on his skin, and his health surged, his arm knit itself back together, and his headache ebbed and faded.


    He mentally sent a thank-you to all his friends for saving him. Again. He retrieved his bow from his ring and began unleashing his arrows.


    Mato


    Mato stood in the middle of the battlefield while all the action raged on in the air above, well out of reach. After the first near disaster, they had moved their ambush spot much closer to the bridge and made certain Calen had a few more antidote potions. This had radically improved the safety of their fights and now they were tearing through the bats and wyverns rapidly.


    He angrily watched the latest group wheel around, diving toward Ali¡¯s minions or Calen to attack. They didn¡¯t even bother with him, even standing in the open.


    It was humiliating. His only useful skill in this battle was Arboreal Sanctuary. And while he had saved Calen with it during the first fight, he was now relegated to rushing around the battlefield, giving whichever of Ali¡¯s minions had been hit with poison a little extra time to get a heal. He stooped down and scooped up a fist-sized rock. Winding up, he threw it at the annoying bat with all his might. It made a satisfyingly loud whoosh and vanished from sight, but the pesky bat simply dodged, taunting him with a shrill screech.


    He tossed several more, but he just didn¡¯t have the dexterity or skills for ranged combat. Frustrated, he switched to Bear Form, simply to have access to his Charge skill.


    Even the idea of floating high above the safety of the ground on a flimsy transparent disk made his stomach lurch uncomfortably.


    As if in answer to his prayer, a large crack of lightning lit up the sky and one of the bats spiraled out of control, crashing to the ground nearby.


    With a surge of excitement, Mato charged, tearing toward the downed monster and his chance to finally be useful in this terrible fight.


    The bat turned to face him, and he received a chilling premonition of danger before the air rippled and shimmered, sending pain stabbing through his mind.


    Awareness crashed back into his consciousness. Mato found himself spread-eagled on the ground with a splitting headache. He opened his eyes just in time to see the bat taking off, returning to the air beyond his reach.

 Chapter 81: Dealing With Wyverns

    Chapter 81: Dealing With WyvernsAliandraAli¡¯s mana flowed, shaping the elegant glowing runes in the center of the new, smaller square Calen had chosen for them today. It wasn¡¯t as defensible as their last spot, but after fighting for most of yesterday, they had been able to make up a lot of ground. In the distance, between the buildings, Ali could make out the slender stone bridge that arched out across the void to the second, slightly lower ring, silhouetted against the soft dim glow that filtered up from below.


    With a familiar snap, her Runic Circle closed, and she surveyed her work. She had decided to make one Cure Poison circle and one Inspiration circle. Some of the fights had been drawn-out affairs ¨C battles of attrition ¨C where a little extra mana might have come in very handy.


    ¡°Ok, ready,¡± she announced, and Calen¡¯s lithe body shimmered, blending with the shadows as he began to run, seen only by the soft floating wisps of mana that shrouded his form from view.


    Ali surveyed the disposition of her minions, but everything seemed ready. Calen had been amazing, giving up an hour of his sleep last night just to help train her archery via her Martial Insight. He had also taught her how to approach ¡®strategic deployment¡¯ ¨C as he called it ¨C from the perspective of an archer. Each one of her minions had been carefully assigned a spot inside a building shooting out of a door or window, or with a nearby wall or corner to hide behind ¨C all spread out widely enough that a single spray of poison could not hit more than one of her minions at a time, and yet close enough to be easily accessible to Malika and her Acolyte healers.


    While she waited, Ali summoned her Grimoire and began creating arrows. With a couple of Kobold archers in her forces and Calen all shooting arrows up into the sky, and often losing them over the edge of the ring, they ran out faster than she had anticipated, and so she took any downtime to make sure everyone stayed fully stocked.


    Her Grimoire rippled as it added a new chapter to the end.


    Above the distant bridge, an arrow soared rapidly into the sky, a brilliant flare against the darkness, signaling that Calen had found a mark. Quickly Ali put her Grimoire away and summoned a precautionary barrier, happy that her practice copying the Glimmer Shards allowed her enough control to shape the barrier taller than it was wide to better cover her entire body.


    Ali shook her head, trying to dislodge the gut-wrenching sense of dread that threatened to send her into a panic. The monsters soaring above Calen¡¯s agile form darting back and forth as he sprinted along the ground were all undead ¨C and even though Calen had warned them, and she had expected it from the death mana affinity of the dungeon ¨C she still struggled to face undead without fear.


    While not quite as large, the Skeletal Wyvern looked identical to the terrifying monster they had faced in the depths of the library atrium. Skeletal wings soared through the air as if they could hold its bulk aloft, even though there was no wing surface between the slender long bones. She could see clear through its ribcage past the bony ridges and plates of armor. Filling the gaps between the bones and trailing behind the monster was a dark pulsating miasma of green mana that traced its distinctive, threatening outline.


    The two bats that zipped back and forth looked identical to the bats they had been facing previously, with the exception that their flesh showed great rents of unhealed wounds that seeped a putrid goo, and parts of their wings had holes and tears. As they dove and darted through the air, their shimmering sonic attacks buffeted the ground, barely missing Calen and raising clouds of dust wherever they struck.


    ¡°,¡± Ali commanded, focused on the Skeletal Wyvern first, and her minions responded to her will with an instant barrage that filled the air with magic and arrows. But she immediately saw the problem ¨C while her mages and shamans were unaffected, most of the arrows were passing clean the wyvern.


    ¡°Bats first,¡± Calen said, breathing heavily as he skidded to a dramatic stop beside her. Swirls and glyphs of radiant light crawled across his skin and seared out from his eyes, ignited by his incredible Righteous Fury. His arrows burned a rapid-fire tracer stream into the sky, slamming into the nearest zombie bat.


    ¡° Ali redirected her minions to follow Calen¡¯s lead, and they rapidly turned the decaying bat into an undead zombie pincushion. With most of their battles, Calen¡¯s powerful skill was sufficient to take out a single bat all on his own, with time left over to move to a second target. But the zombie bat proved substantially more robust, taking the full duration of his skill, all the arrows of her Kobolds, and her continuous stream of Arcane Bolts, before they finally grounded it, still screeching and thrashing about.


    she thought, watching him charge the downed monster with a bloodthirsty roar.


    ¡°Next target,¡± Calen said, shifting his shining arrows to the second bat, clearly happy to leave the flailing grounded monster to Mato to finish off. Mato¡¯s happiness showed in the way his finishing Swipe lifted the creature right off the ground and flung it aside in a lifeless heap.


    she thought happily, surprised at herself. No, she no longer feared him.


    With a thought, Ali summoned a barrier above her Acolyte, deflecting the poison spray from the swooping Skeletal Wyvern, and then retargeted her minions onto the second bat while trying not to choke on the toxic stench of the green fluid sizzling on the ground. Mentally fixing it as her target was becoming an automatic skill, and her Arcane Bolts soared into the sky, barely taking any of her focus from directing her minions and blocking with her barrier. The agile zombie bat highlighted the value of her Arcane Bolt skill in Ali¡¯s mind. With her archers and mages, she had to anticipate the trajectory of the bat ¨C a tricky undertaking given its rapid and unpredictable darting direction changes ¨C and fire ahead of where it might be when the spell or arrow arrived. Fully half, if not more, of her minions¡¯ shots missed. But her Arcane Bolts always hit ¨C if not on the first pass, they would gracefully arc around and chase the bat indefinitely as long as she kept her focus. she reminded herself. Her bolts only lasted so long, but it was easily more than enough for what she needed here.


    She ignored the chime of the first bat dying, focusing on tracking the Skeletal Wyvern as it swooped, splashing poison against the entire front of a building, and catching her Kobold Bone Mage before it could duck behind cover. Quickly, she moved her poisoned Kobold to the cure circle while shifting her barrier around to catch the next stream of poison aimed at one of her Acolytes.


    In the background, she heard a chime and a crash as her Arcane Bolt skill target vanished from her mind. Quickly, she shifted to the Skeletal Wyvern, struggling to find any way for her archers to hit it. It took several long moments of frustration before she simply gave up.


    ¡°she instructed, watching the incendiary balls of fire shooting up into the dark sky directly into the path of the swooping undead monster. she decided, watching the flame blossoming in the air and raining down crackling gobs of fire to the deafening repeated thumps of the explosions.


    Calen


    Calen stood quietly on the apex of the arched stone bridge, suspended midway between the inner-city ring behind him, and the enormous spread of the partial ring of stone and buildings that lay suspended in the air below, connected by the tiny sliver of stone he stood upon.


    Even ruined as it was, the sight of uncountable tons of slate and granite suspended in the air by the ingenuity of the ancient Dwarven crafters left him in awe. Sprawling out along the stone ring was the entire industrial district of a major city, large multi-story buildings in various states of disrepair and ruin, many of which were now covered by bone and crawling with undead monsters.


    Calen had always found spatial perception came easy to him, and now enhanced by his powerful Explorer skill, he found it easy to see the entire three-dimensional layout of the city captured in his mind. The magic of the suspended rings was anchored to the enormously tall pillars that extended up through each ring and the roof above, coinciding exactly with the ventilation shaft and similar constructions rising from the residential level above. Presumably, they extended even further downward into whatever lay below. Even the grand library acted as an enormous city-scaled structural pillar that rose through the center of it all. Whoever had conceived of this place had certainly had an extraordinary vision.


    His acute vision picked up more bats and wyverns circling in the distance. After the better part of two days fighting them, they had finally cleared the bridge and reached the second ring. Initially, most of the monsters he had brought back for his team to fight were not even dungeon creatures ¨C somehow the bats and the wyverns came from outside the dungeon and were fighting endlessly with the dungeon itself. However, as he progressed, more and more of the monsters were undead ¨C zombies or skeletons ¨C and on this his Explorer was clear, those were most certainly the minions of this Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra dungeon.


    He waited, studying the rooftops of the buildings below. The stillness in the air made it impossible for him to forget they were in an underground cavern, regardless of how big it was. So much of the surface below was covered with bone spikes and ridges that some buildings appeared to be little more than gray lumps. While the way forward was clear, he still waited, patience coming easily to him as he stood and observed within the shroud of his Eclipse stealth. It would not do to advance prematurely and run afoul of a wandering patrol of bats or wyverns, especially if, as he suspected, the creatures in this new section of the city would be even more powerful than before.


    He trained his eyes on a problematic group of four bats that seemed to venture close enough that they might cause problems. For several minutes he studied their path and habits before pulling out his bow and nocking an arrow.


    He waited, while the bats turned another great circle in the sky, and then he drew his arrow, sighting along the shaft while he judged the distance. For a few moments, he simply stood still, not even breathing, while the bats flew on silent wings. At the perfect moment, he triggered his increased range and loosed his arrow to the sky, aimed to intersect the lead undead bat¡¯s path as it flew toward him. He held his position until the last possible moment before igniting his arrow with the brilliant flare of light magic. The warped screech of the zombified bat chilled him to the bone, even though it was by now quite a familiar sound. He turned and darted away, pushing his speed to the utmost, making the most of his enhanced dexterity and the speed enchantment on his boots to stay ahead of his pursuers, dodging to the side whenever they tried to hit him with their sonic scream attacks.


    He sprinted around a corner, turning, and firing back at the bats before ducking behind the cover of the building. There had been several times when he had lost the interest of his quarry before he had reached their prepared ambush site, and he had had to go back and start over. He wasn¡¯t about to let that happen again.


    He sprinted the last stretch flat out, pulling up near Ali in the square.


    ¡°Four zombie bats,¡± he announced, glancing at Mato tossing his head in frustration. ¡°Throw a house at them,¡± he suggested.


    The bear made an unamused growl deep in his throat.


    From the windows and doorways arrows, firebolts, lightning, and even spears of bone flew up to meet the bats as they swooped into the square to fight.


    Calen activated his Righteous Fury immediately. Against the agility of these bats, his potent magic enhancement skill was his best chance of downing one of their foes as soon as possible, and substantially reducing the danger. His mana burned within his veins as his magic surged. The entire battlefield slowed, crystallizing into preternatural clarity as his Blessing of the Dawn supercharged both his dexterity and perception, and his Eyes of the Archon was enhanced. He unleashed a veritable storm of arrows powered by his light magic, not bothering to delay it. While his Righteous Fury was up, he didn¡¯t hold back, burning through his mana at a phenomenal rate. His arrows tore a continuous tracer line slamming into the bat as it began dodging and diving to try and avoid his assault. With his enhanced reaction speed, he saw the bat moving almost in slow motion allowing him to hit with almost two-thirds of his shots.


    With a few good hits with Lightning Bolts and the full fury of his burning mana, the bat faltered, spiraling down to hit the ground with a loud thump, and the cracking of bone. Injuries that he knew wouldn¡¯t stop the monster from attacking anything nearby. He ignored it, hearing Mato¡¯s roar and thundering charge, instead retrieving a mana potion and downing it in a smooth practiced move before turning to the next bat and resuming his attacks intent on eking out every last second of his powerful buff before it expired.


    He managed a respectable number of hits before the light in his eyes dimmed, and the world around him seemed to speed up back to normal.


    he thought, stepping over his discarded empty mana potion vial and into Ali¡¯s Inspiration circle. he thought ruefully. He had had to rely on Ali to afford his last batch of mana potions, and she was even supplying him with all his arrows, so he didn¡¯t have to buy those too. The only consolation was that with his relatively small mana pool, he didn¡¯t have to buy the more expensive mana potions.


    While he waited for his mana to refill, he cast an eye across the battlefield, paying careful attention to Ali¡¯s new Kobold archers.  he thought, satisfied. When Ali had asked him for help, their technique had been best described as mediocre. But she had studied his advice and technique with impressive diligence, and Calen could see the dramatic improvement.


    he thought, checking his mana level. Picking the bat targeted by Ali¡¯s Arcane Bolts, he began firing.


    As the final bat spiraled down to the ground, taking several more of his arrows on the way down, Calen heard several chimes sounding.  He hadn¡¯t bothered with the notifications all morning, but several chimes together like that usually meant something worth looking at.


    Quickly, Calen spent two points each on vitality, dexterity, perception, intelligence, and wisdom, shotgunning all the attributes he used evenly ¨C but that wasn¡¯t the last notification. Hurriedly, he read on, having to stifle a chortle of satisfaction.


    Blinding Flash


    Mana: Cause an extremely bright flash when your arrow hits, blinding nearby targets. Range: 20 feet.


    Light, Area, Ranged, Intelligence


    Armor Piercing


    Stamina: Your arrows will pierce armor, ignoring a percentage of the target¡¯s armor value.


    Physical, Ranged, Dexterity


    Mote of Light


    Mana


    : Attach a Mote of Light to your arrow, fixing it at the destination


    Light, Ranged, Intelligence


    Grappling Shot


    Mana: Bind your target with light magic, pinning it to the ground and impeding its movement.


    Light, Ranged, Intelligence


    Calen smiled seeing his new advance, and he almost picked his anticipated Armor Piercing, before he suddenly noticed the new entry in his list of choices.


    The skill sounded almost deceptively simple, but it would change everything for him. In her book, Lyeneru always stressed the importance of strong kiting skills. If you wanted a monster to chase you, you either had to be faster than it, or you had to make it slower than you. According to her, control skills that prevented your enemy from reaching you were vastly more useful from the perspective of usable, practical tactics in combat. And here was a skill that he could use with his bow, presumably stopping or at least slowing creatures.


    He took a longing look at the Armor Piercing advance he had been waiting for. It was still an extraordinarily strong choice.


    he thought, considering how much that skill had enhanced his damage. It spoke for the value of armor piercing, but it also suggested he might be able to wait a little longer, relying on his friend instead. He examined Grappling Shot once more.


    he suddenly realized. Many trap skills placed something on the ground that needed to be stepped on for them to activate. But this would be delivered by his arrow.


    ***


    Calen didn¡¯t have to wait too long this time, a group of two skeletal wyverns and three zombie bats swooped over his vantage point on the bridge. Following the same pattern, he enchanted increased range and fired, adding his light damage right before his arrow hit the lead wyvern. He turned and sprinted, using a weaving path to avoid the poison spray. Bats by themselves were easier to outrun, and once he had learned to anticipate it, their narrow-focused ultrasonic stun was not particularly difficult to avoid. It was the wyverns with their poison spray he had to be careful of ¨C a broad arc that splashed everywhere ¨C and even the splash caused poison damage. He ducked and evaded his way down the street taking the shortest path back to their waiting ambush.


    ¡°Two wyverns and three bats,¡± he announced, as he sprinted through their position. Mato¡¯s typical response was a furry frown.


    Calen turned amid the storm of magic and arrows unleashed by Ali and her minions, stopping beside the solid bulk of Mato¡¯s bear. He nocked one of the Arrows of Accuracy to his bowstring and drew, sighting down the dark gleaming arrow shaft at the unnatural flying skeleton of a wyvern. He enchanted his arrow with Grappling Shot and loosed it into the sky, to the pull of a substantial chunk of mana vanishing into his magic.


    He would need to be careful and strategic with this new skill ¨C and probably he would need more mana potions. Again.


    His arrow soared into the sky, trailing a thin chain that seemed to be made entirely from pure light energy. The arrow flew true, apparently unimpeded by the trailing chain that seemed to attach itself to the ground by his feet. As soon as his arrow struck, the chain surged out, wrapping itself rapidly around the skeletal wyvern before snapping taut. The wyvern let out a furious roar as the chain dragged it bodily to the ground, despite its thrashing and struggling.


    ¡°Ooh!¡± Ali exclaimed from behind him, as Mato roared with what Calen imagined was unrestrained joy.


    Calen dove to the side as the wyvern crashed into the ground right beside his feet.


    +3 Poison damage per second.


    Poison ¨C Duration: 10 minutes. Count: 1


    He had been poisoned just by proximity to the undead monster. Quickly, he scrambled out of the way of the thrashing bony wings, tail, and the furious spray of poison that shot out in all directions. Calen ran for the cure poison circle, hearing the crunch of bear claws tearing through bone, and the rapid flash and crack of Malika¡¯s strikes.


    Calen downed a mana potion and examined his handiwork. For about twenty seconds, the Wyvern remained bound to the ground by the chains of his magic. But, all too soon, the chain of light shimmered and evaporated into tiny sparkles of light freeing the monster. Immediately, it swept its wings downward and leapt into the sky, but although Mato¡¯s frustrated roar throbbed nearby at his prey escaping, it was clear that even just the short amount of focused time he and Malika had spent on it had left it battered and broken.


    A sarcastic grin curved his lips.


    Leaving the slower, damaged wyvern to Ali and her minions, Calen sprinted over to Mato and shot the second skeletal wyvern. Once again, his mana drained into the skill as if he had pulled out a plug, forming the thin, but strong binding chain, and dragged the undead creature to the ground.


    Having learned his lesson the first time, Calen was well clear by the time it crashed to the ground and straight into Mato¡¯s waiting Swipe, which cuffed its head so hard the monster was left looking backward for a second.


    Calen smiled, thoroughly enjoying the enthusiasm with which Mato was tearing into the skeletal wyvern, clearly venting two days of frustration against a foe that was finally in range of his paws.


    ***


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 Chapter 82: Running Battle

    Chapter 82: Running BattleAliandraAli took the last step off the stone bridge, alighting on the time-worn gray flagstones of the central ring. To the north, she could see the jagged edge where about a quarter of the ring was simply missing, a great empty swathe of darkness where once had been a thriving district, ripped away by an ancient catastrophe to presumably fall shattered to the ground far below.


    ¡°This is so incredible,¡± Calen said, breathlessly.


    ¡°It looks so different,¡± Ali answered. She had just been down here ¨C only several weeks ago, her mind insisted, blatantly ignoring the intervening millennia she had not personally experienced ¨C and the jarring shift to darkness, ruins, and undeath unnerved her in a way that made her question her very existence, or purpose.  her mind insisted.


    ¡°I wish I could have seen it intact,¡± Calen said. ¡°Before whatever it was that blew up half of the rings.¡±


    ¡°It was beautiful,¡± Ali whispered.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Malika asked, tapping her right foot impatiently.


    ¡°That building first,¡± Calen said, pointing.


    Ali recognized the building just ahead as the remains of a research lab she had visited not a week before the calamity, delivering books from the library. Now, half of it lay crushed by an unexplained disaster, covered by a dense layer of the dungeon¡¯s bone. The building crawled with undead; dozens of skeletons and zombies creeping around with movements that no one could ever mistake for the living. Skitterers and other tiny white bone creatures scattered out of their way, hiding in buildings or under the giant, pitch-black mushrooms, only to return as they passed to resume their strange, unknown purposes.


    ¡°Can I put the runic circle here?¡± Ali asked, pointing to a spot in the center of the cleared area Calen had led them to ¨C a tiny beachhead of safety amid the surrounding sea of undead monsters and ruins.


    ¡°That''ll work,¡± Calen replied. It was a rather unremarkable spot, distinguished from the rest of the granite flagstones underfoot by being relatively free of bone.


    She got to work, finding her Runic Script for her Cure Poison spell coming much quicker with so much practice. From here on out, it would be a lot harder to use her magic circles, she was inscribing these simply as a backup ¨C a failsafe if their incursion into the second ring failed. The buildings were set so close together, that in all likelihood they would be facing a running battle that would take them to the next major street or clearing before they would be able to take a break. They expected it to be much like their first experience with the inner ring, where monsters kept joining the battle in an unending stream, but this time, they would do it with purpose and a clear plan. Ali understood the reasoning, the strategy was required simply due to the density and number of monsters, but she could still feel her heartbeat beginning to grow louder, quicker within her chest as she readied her minions.


    She finished up hastily, ¡°I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll chase that zombie bat off the roof, and then after that, you guys go in,¡± Calen said, speaking to Mato and Malika. ¡°Ali and I will meet you on the roof.¡± Their strategy was necessarily simple because they didn¡¯t know the distribution of monsters they faced, nor the exact layout of the building. She and Calen would remain outside laying down covering fire ¨C a strategy Ali had just learned about ¨C while Mato and Malika would poke the hornet¡¯s nest by charging through the front door and finding a way to the roof, if possible, attempting to draw all the undead along with them.


    ¡°Ok, sounds good,¡± Malika said. She and Calen had spent ages hashing out a hundred contingencies in case their plan didn¡¯t work.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Mato said, his words ending in a rough growl as his magic warped his body into his favorite form.


    Light magic swirled around Calen¡¯s hands, imbuing his bow and the nocked arrow with a strikingly beautiful formation of shining mana before the delicate chain of light shot out across the clearing, angled to strike the zombie bat wheeling just above the building. It screeched as the deceptively powerful magic chain dragged it over the side to crash down on the stone several stories below.


    Mato was on it in an instant, and the battle was joined.


    ¡°Ali commanded her minions, trying desperately to ignore the flurry of noise and activity that they had just provoked from within the ruined walls, and the putrid stench of zombie flesh being shredded by bear claws.


    The combined firepower of her friends and all her minions finished off the zombie bat just as the first skeletons burst out, charging from the shadowy doorway.


    Ali tried to ignore her distracting thoughts, prompting her to clarify what it meant to ¡®kill¡¯ an undead creature that was already dead.


    Mato had already crashed through the emerging skeletons and was rushing toward the doorway with Malika beside him, roaring his Taunt.


    ¡°she said, speaking Goblin to her Storm Shamans. In close quarters, few of her other minions would be effective, but the shamans would be ideal to help Malika and Mato when they ran into heavier resistance.


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± they said in chorus, rushing into the building behind Malika. Immediately, brilliant flashes of lightning magic could be seen lighting up the dark windows and doorways. She heard a feminine scream and a sharp clattering of bones as Malika must have almost exploded a skeleton.


    As the others disappeared inside the building, Ali summoned the largest barrier she could muster, cramming Calen and as many of her Kobolds onto it as she could before levitating the entire thing into the air, hovering level with the second-story windows. It took a surprising amount of her willpower to lift the barrier with the weight of all her minions, but she gritted her teeth and pushed ahead.


    As Ali levitated up the side of the building, a movement in the darkness through the windows on the third floor caught her eye. Judging by the lightning and soul magic she could see through the stone building, Malika and her shamans had just made it to the second floor, so whatever was in there wasn¡¯t friendly.


    ¡°¡± Ali told her mages, getting a couple of chirps and wicked smiles in response. She raised the barrier higher while their summoned flames intensified. With a swoosh and sizzle, the incendiary spells launched from her improvised floating artillery platform shot through the dark window, illuminating the interior briefly before the detonations ripped through the shambling shapes within, knocking chunks of loose stone and shattered bone from the walls to clatter down into the street below. Fire sprayed out of the windows, tossing debris and even a couple of blazing bodies with it, and as the glow died down, Ali noted with satisfaction that nothing moved within.


    Using her barrier as an elevator, she willed it to take their group right to the top. Ali stepped out onto the flat roof and began arranging her minions as they disembarked so that they would have the best shot at the open trapdoor and stairwell that led down into the bowels of the ruins below. Calen scanned the air briefly for any aerial danger while Ali tracked their friends¡¯ progress deep within the ancient Dwarven stonework by the steady flickers and flashes of mana visible through the solid granite walls thanks to Arcane Insight. The building began to tremble and shake as the crashing of combat and the muffled cracks of lightning grew progressively louder.


    With an abrupt crescendo of noise, Mato burst out from the stairwell and onto the roof, trampling several luckless skeletons beneath his paws, immediately followed by Malika and a horde of monsters. Ali identified them at once.


    Some of the undead skeletons and mages must have once been Elves or Humans, judging by size. Most were clad in mismatched bone armor and wielding weapons of bone, but there were a sizeable number of Eimuuran steel pieces in evidence, obvious by their distinctive reddish-black gleam. Several Kobold zombies emerged, bringing with them the overpowering stench of rot and death. But interspersed among the dead were several live Kobolds ¨C a haphazard group of dungeon-spawn that seemed to have no rhyme or reason to their makeup.


    Every creature focused on killing Mato as he wheeled about to face them, thundering his challenge again. Briefly Ali¡¯s nape crawled. That was one impressive chunk of bear.


    ¡°¡± Ali commanded, without further hesitation. There were probably around thirty monsters; trying to pick them off one at a time was simply not an option. She crouched behind her golden barrier, focused entirely on directing her minions, summoning lightning totems in the center of the pack, healing Mato with her Acolytes, and dropping sequential Fireballs on top of the undead.


    ¡°They¡¯re not dying,¡± Calen noted, after a few moments of unleashing his arrows into the magical onslaught.


    ¡°What?¡± Ali gasped.The center of the rooftop had turned into a chaotic explosion of magic, filled with so many different types of mana and attacks that Ali was struggling to keep track of what was even going on. But, to her dismay, the expected death of all the monsters failed to materialize. Even after the fifth fireball, she had only managed to down two of the living Kobold rogues ¨C none of the undead had even faltered.


    She focused intently, ignoring the flickers of lightning, the detonations of fire, Malika¡¯s soul magic, Mato¡¯s nature mana, Calen¡¯s shining arrows, and even the holy magic of her Acolytes. There were several unusual formations of ice magic from a couple of skeletal mages. And then she saw it. A potent formation of dark black mana condensed into an orb gripped in the talons of a black-robed Kobold, that seemed to suck energy and life away from any living monsters in the vicinity. The talons opened, releasing the orb, and it flew into the center of the conflagration and exploded, a concussion of death magic that she had not noticed amid the continuous Fireballs.


    With a chilling certainty, Ali knew it was true. The explosion of death mana was being absorbed, taken up by the skeletons and zombies as they scrambled to their feet with renewed vigor.


    ¡°Calen! The Kobold Death Mage at the back is healing them!¡± Ali yelled. She redirected all her archers and her own Arcane Bolts in a desperate attempt to kill the mage. Beside her, Calen flared with the brilliant incandescence of his Righteous Fury sending his arrows screaming across the rooftop into the small Kobold healing the undead from its hiding spot by the stairwell. In a matter of seconds, the Death Mage dropped to the ground, a smoking pincushion, and suddenly, like marionettes with severed strings, the undead began to collapse to the deafening explosions of fire and lightning.


    Ali stopped her enthusiastic Fire Mages, redirecting her minions to mop up the stragglers.  A few of the skeletal mages had been outside the range and were missed by the fireballs. But the concentrated firepower of all her minions made short work of them.


    Ali mopped her forehead with the back of her hand. ¡°Done?¡±


    ¡°Hardly. We aggroed the next building over,¡± Calen announced, his voice calm, but still conveying the urgency of the situation. ¡°Incoming.¡±


    Sure enough, the next building was crawling with activity, skeletons, zombies, and Kobolds already spilling out of the windows and doorways, drawn by the sound of their combat. And here, finally, Ali fully understood the genius of Calen and Malika¡¯s plan. Most of her minions were ranged ¨C mages and archers. Quickly, she lined them up beside Calen at the edge of the rooftop, yelling, ¡°If it moves, shoot it!¡±


    Both Mato and Calen snort-laughed at her high-pitched tone.


    ¡°Whatever works,¡± Malika grinned.


    Blushing, Ali formed her barrier elevator for Malika, Mato, and her shamans, and lowered them down to the ground to face the incoming horde while she rushed to deconstruct anything she could lay her hands on in preparation for the second wave.


    Mato


    Mato charged off the barrier before it even touched down, tearing across the street and smashing into the undead monsters spewing forth from the doorway, roaring a challenge to reduce their strength and ensure they all focused on him instead of running rampant and causing chaos. Rearing up onto his hind legs, he Swiped left and right to clear himself a space to fight in.


    There were a few larger skeletons among the masses ¨C raised remnants of Humans or Elves, and even a few stocky shapes that may once have been Dwarves. All of them wore pieces of bone plate armor or the dark Dwarven Eimuuran steel, just like his own. His Swipe crashed through everything, crushing bone and crumpling armor, empowered with his Bestial Combat and the energy imparted by his spent life force. The raking attacks were perfectly suited for striking multiple closely bunched monsters simultaneously. He was getting used to the tearing pain whenever he used his ability, and it hardly bothered him anymore. Much more important was judging how much he could spend without putting himself at undue risk. While his Brutal Restoration restored a substantial amount of health, it trickled in over thirty seconds, and a lot could happen in a battle in the short span of a few moments.


    He blocked several particularly dangerous strikes from slashing bone swords, opting to let his armor and bear hide take the brunt of the other attacks. The burning surge of healing through his body told him Malika had arrived, and he could press forward. Without her by his side, his attack would have failed in minutes, a meaningless death in a dungeon deep underground.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Malika said, punching an undead Kobold so hard in the throat, its spine snapped with a sharp report. ¡°I¡¯ll follow you.¡±


    He shifted sideways, pulling the pack of skeletons with him, placing himself beside the gossamer glowing chain that catapulted upward, snagging a bat out of the sky and dragging the struggling creature to the ground with a crash that splintered two skeletons from the force of the impact. Mato roared, lashing out with an empowered Swipe that tore through the lightly armored bat hide as if it were paper. The blood that sprayed across his face and the skeletons he was fighting surprised him for a moment ¨C it had been a while since one of these had been alive instead of the more common, putrid rotting zombies.


    Mato sensed the incoming fireball before he even felt the heat. As his Survival Instinct leveled, he was beginning to gain more and more subtlety with his perception ¨C and telling the difference between a fireball and a sword without being able to see it was a remarkable advantage. The detonation sent bones and rotting flesh flying before Malika seized the chance to top him up with a quick heal.


    The chain of light expired, and the bat frantically launched itself into the air to get away, despite its grave injuries. Mato ignored it, content for the moment that he had enough monsters to engage with, and charged through the doorway and into the darkened room within the ruined building, dragging the remnants of the monsters along with him through the hail of fire and arrows. His enhanced senses adjusted quickly, picking out the roaming forms of several zombies and skeletons that still wandered within.


    Suddenly, a magical wall of bone sprouted out of the floor with a creaking crunch that set his teeth on edge. He charged, relying on his mass and momentum to crash through a section of the bone wall, sending dust and shards flying and the Kobold mage on the far stairs scurrying upward and out of sight.


    His Survival Instinct warned him of the attack, but it was already too late. Multiple darts slammed into his flank, several of them bouncing off his heavy armor, but a couple were placed perfectly to deliver their poison.


    +3 Poison damage per second.


    Poison ¨C Duration: 10 minutes. Count: 1


    Immediately, three squat Dwarven skeletons emerged from the swirling dust and darkness, wearing plate armor and wielding shields and swords of that same reddish-black steel. He swiped crosswise hitting all three of them with a powerful blow, feeling the stabbing pain as his attack ripped through their armor. A touch of Malika¡¯s healing and the long slow pulse of his restoration magic began counteracting the damage of the poison as he shifted sideways, pulling his enemies further into the room.


    His job was not to kill them all, merely to collect them and rush to the top of the building again. But as he reached the stairs, Survival Instinct screamed at him, and he desperately tried to guess which direction to block. He lucked out, blocking one of the two rogue ambushers, but the second stabbed from the shadows, burying its darkly glinting dagger deep between his ribs. The burst of pain was so extreme he stumbled, crashing into the wall. He roared a challenge, realizing belatedly that he should have done that to reduce the rogue¡¯s strength at the first sign of danger.


    he thought, noticing Malika had collected the skeletal and Kobold mages from the corners and was sprinting toward him, dodging bolts of magic. ¡°Second floor, go!¡± she yelled. ¡°Heal incoming!¡±


    Mato charged up the stairs with Malika close behind, only to run face-first into a wall of bone that sprang up out of nowhere. A large barrel tipped into the stairwell from above, pouring copious quantities of toxic green liquid over his head and shoulders ¨C a liquid that looked suspiciously like wyvern spit.


    A distant detonation sounded from somewhere far above, rocking the foundations of the walls and triggering a pained screech from beyond the stairs. Mato swiped at the wall of bone, spending the health to tear it to shreds with his claws while Malika¡¯s magic topped him up once again. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With their enemies still hot on their heels, he and Malika raced up the stairs into a broad open second level, lit by the still-flickering gobs of flame ¨C remnants of one of Ali¡¯s fireballs. Corpses lay everywhere, burnt past recognition. Whether they had been undead or not, Mato didn¡¯t much care; instead, he charged the still-moving figures in the far corner.


    His Swipe tore into the bone-studded leather armor the warriors were wearing, much softer targets than the usual plate armor, but the longswords set his danger sense off, tearing great slices through even his dense hide.


    Another bone wall appeared between him and the mages huddled in the corner, and he heard a thump and a muffled curse from Malika.


    ¡°Fucking wall,¡± she grumbled. ¡°I can¡¯t see shit.¡±


    He was just debating how he could corral the monsters chasing him, the new ones, and still hit the wall, when Malika backed up two steps, then raced up the sheer bone barrier and leapt over the top.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring the mages,¡± she said, freeing Mato to drag the monsters he had already secured off to the stairwell again while stealing a little of the damage she incurred to himself to give her an edge.


    Mato took to the stairs again, charging upward after verifying by the sound of her breathing that Malika was just behind him. The two of them emerged onto the roof with a veritable horde of Kobolds and skeletons right on their heels. Ali and Calen were already firing at skeletal wyverns overhead, so he simply rounded up all the monsters, trying to create the tightest pack he could. Calen would appreciate it; he did like to be efficient.


    ¡°Ali, we¡¯re ready,¡± Malika called out.


    The first fireball struck, detonating almost on top of Mato. The flame seared his flesh, burning his fur up in a flash of sulfurous stench that burned at his lungs. The holy magic of an Acolyte and Malika¡¯s simultaneous searing surge healed him to full in an instant. Mato thought. This strategy worked, but he didn¡¯t have to like it.


    In the second between the fireball and the blinding flashes of lightning, Calen¡¯s shining chain dragged a skeletal wyvern down into the crush. Blinded by flame, Mato Swiped to his left flank, guided entirely by Survival Instinct and memory, claws shredding through bone and scales as the wyvern crashed to the ground.


    One of the most annoying things about the skeletal wyverns ¨C apart from the flying ¨C was the fact that mere proximity was enough to be afflicted with their poison magic. This time, though, the wyvern did not escape. The constant barrage of lightning and fireballs destroyed everything that wasn¡¯t getting constantly healed.


    ¡°Incoming, next building,¡± Calen announced, and within a few moments, Mato was being lowered to the ground to repeat the entire exercise once more.

 Chapter 83: Dungeon Treasure

    Chapter 83: Dungeon TreasureMatoBack in his Beastkin body, Mato rotated his shoulders with a groan, before stretching his legs and arms one at a time. He had been fighting nonstop for more than two hours and he felt amazing. Well, sore, but amazing. The constant rush of charging through buildings, smashing his skills against the armor of the undead, and dragging them up to the fireballs only to begin again was a rush he couldn¡¯t begin to explain. Even the frustration of flying monsters getting away could not take away how happy he felt.


    He was a little tired, though. He had not been able to take a break the entire time, and even with Battle Trance, his stamina was beginning to run low. He walked down the stairs to the ground floor of the last building they had cleared as they searched for a secure spot to rest.


    As he reached the bottom and finally sank to the cold, unyielding stone, he was surprised by a sudden chime. he thought bringing up the notifications.


    (Specialized for damage output as a shapeshifter, your base Swipe damage in shapeshifted form is increased by +  %)


    (Stamina: A master at battlefield control, you take advantage of your enemy¡¯s distraction. Whenever you are in range of a creature and it attacks someone else, or tries to leave your range, you can instantaneously retaliate for weapon damage +  %. +20% chance to do critical damage. 100% chance to cast level  Grasping Roots on hit. Conditional Trigger.)


    S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He carefully read through the two advancements offered. . The Damage Specialist appealed to his sensibilities ¨C simple and reliable. Swipe damage already scaled by skill level and strength ¨C at his current abilities it was worth +155%. Damage Specialist would push that up to +310%, doubling it. Given how frequently he used Swipe, that would be very welcome.


    Battle Master looked a lot more complex, although he was at least half certain it was strong. The damage multiplier was very high ¨C scaling off of double his strength ¨C and he would get a bonus to critical damage. The downside seemed to be that he couldn¡¯t use it whenever he wanted.


    It was just the kind of skill Calen would love to dissect.


    ¡°Hey, I got a skill advance, I need to choose between two options,¡± he said, getting a cascade of interested curiosity on the previously weary faces of his friends. He quickly shared it with them.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s your answer to fliers,¡± Calen said instantly.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Battle Master. Look at the requirements to unlock it ¨C two of them talk about flying creatures. My guess is this skill is a tank¡¯s answer to anything with an escape skill like flying. Once I ground a wyvern or bat, you will trigger that every time it tries to take off. If you hit, it can¡¯t fly away because you just rooted it to the ground.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± All the pieces were there, and once Calen had put it all together for him, he suddenly saw just how strong the skill really was. He had been thinking about it all wrong. ¡°It¡¯s a control skill!¡±


    ¡°The Damage Specialist is strong,¡± Malika suggested, ¡°but for tanking, I¡¯ve never heard of anything as good as that Battle Master. Instant retaliation with a damage boost and a way to control monsters ¨C not just the flying ones ¨C trying to leave. I think that¡¯s your best option.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been reading a bunch about combat in the Adventurer¡¯s Guide,¡± Ali said. ¡°Isn¡¯t one of the biggest problems for tanks that sentient enemies ignore them and can resist Taunts with high wisdom?¡±


    Mato nodded, and then it suddenly dawned on him what Ali was getting at. ¡°Oh, you mean that even a smart enemy will have to conclude that he has to attack me because attacking someone else will get him punished?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a really good point,¡± Calen said, nodding his head approvingly at Ali.


    ¡°That¡¯s good enough for me,¡± Mato said, selecting the advance.


    Swipe ¨C level 20


    Stamina: A slashing attack that hits all enemies directly in front of you for weapon damage +155% .


    Stamina: A master at battlefield control, you take advantage of your enemy¡¯s distraction. Whenever you are in range of a creature and it attacks someone else, or tries to leave your range, you can instantaneously retaliate for weapon damage +290% . +20% chance to do critical damage. 100% chance to cast level 20  Grasping Roots on hit. Conditional Trigger.


    Physical, Melee, Area, Strength


    Aliandra


    Ali sat on the cold marble floor, grateful to take a moment for a breather. She had been fighting nonstop since the morning, and within the error of her underground time sense, it was now probably somewhere a little past midday. There were minions to resummon, notifications to check, and a broad range of chores, but she simply ignored it all for a while and zoned out.


    From the outside, looking at the ruined and bone-plastered building, it had been hard to be certain, but the cold marble she was sitting on made it clear she was inside one of the city vaults. One of the smaller ones to be sure ¨C the main one had been to the north ¨C missing now, along with a large section of the city, casualties of some unfathomably immense outpouring of destructive magic.


    Their relentless charge through the commercial core of Dal¡¯mohra ¨C now ruined and serving as strongholds for the undead ¨C had certainly been efficient. They had made enormous progress. But many of her skills required focus and concentration ¨C and keeping that up for hours on end without a break took a toll on her that couldn¡¯t be attributed to mere physical tiredness. She was beginning to agree that Martial Insight was one of her strongest skills, however, it was also the one that required her to split her concentration and focus the most, and if she were lazy, she squandered the opportunity to grow her skill, and substantially reduced the effectiveness of her minions in combat.


    Eventually, her mind turned to her notifications, and the familiar pressure behind her brow that informed her in no uncertain terms that her Grimoire was awaiting a decision.


    Ali¡¯s Grimoire was almost full, with only a single chapter available. She considered the rest of her imprints carefully, but even though her elemental imprint was basically useless, she still wanted to study it ¨C especially the strange Glimmer Shards. There was no way she was giving up her book imprint after all it had cost to get it. She still held out hope that she might eventually be able to use it.


    She sat up straighter, shaking her head to clear her mind a little. The zombies were disgusting, and she similarly had little desire to summon skeletons. But at least there had been a couple of skeletal mages with an ice affinity which seemed interesting. It was a simple extrapolation from her experience with the elementals. What little she knew of necromancy told her that the undead were animated by death affinity mana, and she didn¡¯t have that.


    she thought. She did have a bit of an intellectual curiosity, so she pulled out her Grimoire and chose the imprint for undead skeletons.


    As soon as it finished inscribing the imprint, she scanned through the variants. she thought, pausing at the imprint for a skeletal Ice Mage. But as she had guessed, she summoned an intact skeleton that briefly stood about as tall as Malika before it collapsed in a pile of distinctly non-animate bones. She got a few unusual looks from her friends, but she ignored them for now, trying out all the other variants, verifying that none of them would actually work. One thing that was rather surprising though, was that the imprint included the Skeletal Wyvern ¨C with a poison mana affinity. However, it too seemed to require death mana to animate it, and she deconstructed the massive pile of bones she had created after her unsuccessful attempt.


    ¡°New imprint?¡± Calen asked curiously.


    ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t think my mana is compatible with undead,¡± Ali confirmed. Her companions exchanged strange glances that she almost commented on, but decided not to. Of course she hated undead! Couldn¡¯t they see that?


    Discarding the skeleton imprint, she replaced it with the one for zombies. To her surprise, a couple of Kobold skeletal variants remained, shifting to attach to the Kobold imprint. But the change seemed cosmetic, not allowing her to support them with her magic. The zombies also summoned dead, rather than undead ¨C appearing as rotted corpses. She hastily deconstructed her experiments as soon as the putrid stench of her creation hit her nostrils.


    ¡°I can learn the Giant Bat or the Poison Wyvern,¡± Ali said. ¡°Which do you think seems better?¡±


    ¡°Too bad you can¡¯t get both,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°I think the bats are pretty agile, and the stun attack is seriously scary,¡± Calen said. ¡°They will probably work better on the undead than poison.¡±


    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s true,¡± Mato agreed. ¡°The skeletons seem immune.¡±


    ¡°The wyvern seems like the better long-term choice,¡± Malika countered. ¡°Poison is a good damage type, and we won¡¯t always be fighting undead.¡±


    ¡°The wyvern is pretty,¡± Ali said. It really was a magnificent beast. Even though she had been terrified at the time, seeing the wyvern flying right beside her as she tried to rescue Calen had been a sight that left a powerful impression on her.


    ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s what you¡¯re basing your decision on?¡± Mato said, chuckling as he shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. They seem about equal, otherwise.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one additional factor,¡± Malika said. ¡°The wyvern scales are valuable as materials for leather or scale crafting.¡±


    ¡°See, that¡¯s a respectable reason. You could make good money with them,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°Good thing that¡¯s the pretty one, then,¡± Ali retorted to the sound of Mato¡¯s laughter. It was a decent reason and a way to differentiate between her two choices, but she was glad that it came out in favor of the wyvern.


    She discarded the Giant Bat imprint and committed the Poison Wyvern to her Grimoire.


    Eager to see her new monster, she summoned one.


    It was a gorgeous creature. Ali admired the long, sleek, dangerous reptilian predator, perched on its two powerful clawed legs and stretching its broad wings. Its reptilian face turned toward Ali and two sets of eyelids blinked across its intelligent-looking glittering green eyes as it watched her.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s something,¡± Mato said with a low whistle of approval.


    Ali reached out her hand and ran her fingers along the gleaming emerald scales, feeling the warm smoothness under her fingertips.


    While she knew wyverns were not true dragons, lacking the front limbs of their brethren, and generally being smaller and nimbler, they were still apex predators and her new minion looked like she knew it. Even her Kobolds knew it, most of them stopping and staring, some even making gestures of respect towards the wyvern, and her for creating it.


    ¡°Shall we continue?¡± Mato seemed excited to get back to the fighting, but Ali felt reluctant to give up her rest quite so soon.


    ¡°I think we should explore this building a little more. I¡¯m pretty sure it was one of the city vaults,¡± she said. ¡°There should be a secure room somewhere.¡± It was unlikely that anything of value had survived for so long, and probably the dungeon had consumed everything ages ago, but each time she recognized a building or a street, Ali felt the sharp connection to her past, tinged with sadness for what it had become.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go check it out,¡± Calen said, springing to his feet, and vanishing into the darkness for a few minutes while Ali tried a few of her breathing exercises hoping to find a little more mental alertness in the familiar patterns of relaxation.


    ¡°There¡¯s a doorway leading down from the stairwell, but¡­ it¡¯s locked,¡± Calen paused, seeming a little awkward before continuing. ¡°Um¡­ Malika, would you mind trying to unlock it? I¡¯d like to see what¡¯s down there...¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± she agreed, much more readily than Ali expected.


    ¡°I could bash it,¡± Mato suggested.


    ¡°No, I think I¡¯ve got it,¡± Malika declined, with an eye roll that had Mato chuckling and pretending to flex his biceps.


    Ali scrambled to her feet, curiosity winning out over her tiredness ¨C or perhaps her exercises really had helped ¨C and followed Calen as he led the way to an imposing heavy stone door set into the wall at the base of the stairwell. It was covered in dust which he had already brushed out of a recessed handle and keyhole.


    she thought. However, Malika had already produced a professional-looking lockpicking kit ¨C a sleek black leather case with several implements bearing subtle enchantments inscribed on them.


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like that skill?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like that I was forced to learn it,¡± Malika said, grimacing and frowning at the same time. ¡°People should be able to choose their path, and picking locks is not normally the behavior of decent folk.¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°But it did save me and Calen on the Kel¡¯darran caravan. I figured if I have the skill I may as well do it properly. Relying on a dead guard with a bloody hairpin isn¡¯t pleasant or smart. Provided I don¡¯t do anything illegal with it, I think it¡¯s ok.¡± While she was talking, she inserted the blackened steel tools into the lock and moved them around with deft and complex gestures while a subtle interplay of mana flowed into the lock in response to the lock-picking tools¡¯ enchantments and her skill.


    Her response made it sound like she was trying to rationalize it to herself, but it still surprised Ali. Malika had been so morally opposed to anything to do with crime and thievery when she had first met her, and yet here she was showing clear evidence that she had spent her hard-earned gold on what looked like an expensive set of lockpicks. It seemed obvious to Ali that the skill should be ok, provided she didn¡¯t do anything bad with it, but then again, she had no experience with being forced into taking an unwanted skill by criminals threatening violence and permanent harm.


    A few moments later there was a muffled click, and Malika withdrew her tools. She stepped back allowing Mato to use his strength to open the heavy door. There was a grinding noise of stone-on-stone and a squeal as ancient hinges protested loudly, but Mato managed to lever the door open wide with some overdone manly grunting and showers of fine black powder.


    A set of stone stairs descended into the darkness, covered with a thick carpet of dust, undisturbed for centuries. Ali summoned a small circular barrier for protection.  It didn¡¯t look like anything living ¨C or even dead ¨C had passed this way since the fall of Dal¡¯mohra, but she wasn¡¯t taking any chances. Calen¡¯s light floated down the stairs, bobbing and weaving gently and they all trooped down with Mato in the lead. Ali told her Kobold and Goblin minions to follow her, leaving the larger wyvern behind. It wouldn¡¯t fit through the narrow passage anyway.


    At the bottom of the stairs, Ali found an expansive room, its features slowly revealed as the bobbing light moved away toward the center. The thick layer of dust made it hard to tell, but the floor seemed to be made of a polished stone. Several marble stone pillars gleamed green in the light of Calen¡¯s magic ¨C even a few lying broken on the ground. Whatever had once been in here had long decayed away, undisturbed for thousands of years. Ancient cobwebs drooped, hanging heavily from the pillars and ceiling, but the ubiquitous bone from the surrounding dungeon was conspicuously absent. Clearly, this room had been sealed before the dungeon and its monsters had even existed.


    ¡°Over here,¡± Calen said, drawing her attention to a vault door set into the marble wall, and then coughing as his movement disturbed the dust. The giant circular door was inset into the stone and covered with hundreds of protective runes, most of them dark and devoid of mana, but a few of them still glowed in her Arcane Insight.


    ¡°This looks more complicated,¡± Malika said, moving up to examine the lock.


    ¡°Some of the protective runes are still active,¡± Ali warned. She wasn¡¯t quite certain what they would do, damaged and aged as they were, but there might still be potency to some of the defenses.


    ¡°I¡¯d still like to try.¡±


    ¡°Ok, if you¡¯re careful,¡± Ali nodded, summoning a barrier between Malika¡¯s head and chest and the door, just in case, leaving space for her to access the lock itself. Everyone took a few steps backward and Malika began her deft lockpicking, a look of complete focus in her eyes.


    The runes on the doorway flared, releasing their mana in an explosion, more deafening for being confined to a stone room. Ali¡¯s barrier shattered into a thousand shards and the powerful blast knocked her to the ground even from halfway across the room. As she tumbled, Malika¡¯s body, launched by the close proximity to the blast, flew clear over her head to crash up against the wall on the far side of the room.


    Horrified, Ali turned, but she found Malika gracefully landing on her feet, brushing debris from her clothing.


    ¡°Thanks for the barrier, Ali, it should be open now,¡± she said, acting as if nothing remarkable had happened.


    Actually, she had taken some blast damage despite the distance. She brushed at some of the black scorch marks on the front of her clothing.


    ¡°Nice trick,¡± Mato said.


    The vault chamber was surprisingly spacious, containing many stone tables, alcoves, and stands. However, the passage of time had not been kind to anything that wasn¡¯t stone. There were piles of decayed and tattered remnants littered everywhere. Ali levitated to a display of something that looked like it may once have been a book, but it crumbled at the slightest touch. Several stone and ceramic figurines had survived, but Malika said they had value only as collectors¡¯ items and probably weren¡¯t even worth carrying back to town.


    At an alcove set into the wall, Ali found a small chest, the metal bindings heavily corroded. As she reached over to open it, it too crumbled into dust, the wood having not survived aging in the vault. A pile of gold coins spilled out onto the stone surface making a cascade of clinking as the coins bounced and rolled on the stone, unnaturally loud in the confines of the vault.


    ¡°I found something,¡± Ali announced, but her announcement was not needed to get their attention ¨C they were all already staring in her direction.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of gold coins,¡± Calen observed.


    ¡°Exactly five hundred.¡± The lack of hesitation and the precision and confidence of Malika¡¯s assessment took Ali by surprise, and she just stared at her friend for a moment.


    ¡°Appraise,¡± Malika explained, shrugging her answer to Ali¡¯s unasked question. ¡°They¡¯re ancient coins too, so they will be difficult to use unless we find a money changer or a collector.¡±


    ¡°What should we do with them?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°How about a hundred each, and one hundred for a group fund?¡± Ali suggested. The group fund idea had just come to her as a flash of inspiration, mainly as a way of easing her friends¡¯ anxiety about who owed whom money. Some of their group had skills that made their adventuring inexpensive or even profitable, like herself. Others, like Calen, constantly had to spend money on consumables just to function. Yet they all relied on each other, and much of what they¡¯d earned so far was a group effort. Also, with a group fund, Ali could contribute money she made using her Grimoire whenever it ran low without her friends needing to pay her back.


    ¡°That sounds fair,¡± Malika said. ¡°We could also pay back the potions we used from the group fund.¡±


    ¡°I vote for Malika to manage the group funds,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Why me?¡± Malika began.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Mato snorted like it was a foregone conclusion.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Malika began to object but fell silent, clearly floored by the instant agreement from everyone.


    ¡°You have the best skills for negotiating and evaluating gear,¡± Ali explained. It went without saying that the most important reason was everyone implicitly trusted Malika to be fair.


    ¡°Ok.¡± Malika relented, quickly dividing up the coins and giving each person their share.


    They explored the rest of the vault, searching for anything valuable or of use, but aside from a few small stone knickknacks, little had survived the passage of time.


    Ali thought, brushing the dust off a broken section of one of the marble pillars while the others finished up exploring. The section she had exposed gleamed a gorgeous green, laced through with a delicate tracery of white veins. Surreptitiously, she ran her mana through her fingertips.


    she thought, smiling as the pretty stone ignited her imagination.

 Chapter 84: Armory

    Chapter 84: ArmoryMatoMato eagerly watched the Skeletal Wyvern circling lazily above the stone ruins drawing slowly closer, a barely visible swirl of greenish mist trailing from its wings. According to Ali, it was a manifestation of its poison mana ¨C a toxic aura ¨C and the reason he kept being poisoned just by being close to the monsters.


    His anticipation was entirely due to his desire to test out his new Swipe: Battle Master advance, and Calen¡¯s ready acceptance of his proposal of a field test. They stood amidst the strewn rubble of what had once been a large building, now completely destroyed, in an uncommon moment of quiet ¨C the lull between the bouts of mad chaos and destruction when they charged through the undead-infested buildings.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Yup!¡± he said.


    Calen stepped up next to him, nocking a long arrow to his bow. In a single smooth action, he drew and fired, sending a trailing chain of light flying into the dark sky. Despite seeing it so many times, Mato was yet again impressed with his friend¡¯s accuracy. The arrow flew true to the mark, and the magical chain entangled the powerful wyvern snarling its bone wings, instantly drawing taut and dragging it toward the ground.


    ¡°Nice shot,¡± Mato observed.


    The wyvern shrieked and struggled against the magical bonds, circling lower and lower as the grappling chain of magic reeled it in. Mato shifted his form and as soon as his foe touched down, he charged ¨C his magic accelerating his mass into the wyvern with a crash. While it was bigger than he was, he definitely had it beaten in sheer weight.  he thought as his impact knocked the wyvern back several feet. It immediately reared up, slashing him with its talons before being dragged back to the ground by the chain.


    +3 Poison damage per second


    Poison ¨C Duration: 10 minutes. Count: 1


    As soon as the toxic miasma touched him, he felt his life begin to drain, and simultaneously an immediate sense of enhanced mental focus as Battle Trance activated from the damage and his stamina began to regenerate.


    he thought. It was almost as if the world around him was suddenly muted, holding its breath, drawing himself and his opponent into an almost startlingly enhanced clarity. He was still getting used to the mental component of his Battle Trance, and he had been surprised to find that the skill was very liberal with what it considered to be a valid trigger. Seemingly anything that damaged him would trigger it ¨C including poisons, or damage he transferred to himself with Arboreal Sanctuary.


    He refocused, spending health and mana to maximize his opening attack. His Swipe struck the wyvern under the left wing, staggering it as the bone armor fractured and splintered under his powerful strike. One thing was for certain ¨C with the enhanced mental clarity, he had to watch out for overthinking during battle.


    He settled in, focusing his mind on his potent battle senses as his skill warned him of the vicious tail strike just in time for him to block some of the damage. He attacked again, working to build up his restoration and tear through as much of the monster¡¯s armor as he could.


    The wyvern retaliated with a spray of green poison from between its bony jaws. He had long since given up on trying to avoid that attack, simply taking the increase in poison damage, and relying on his Brutal Restoration and high vitality to endure it.


    As it was the focus of his test, Mato noticed the exact instant when Calen¡¯s chain disintegrated into tiny motes of light, drifting softly into the surrounding darkness before fading away. The skeletal wyvern clearly noticed too and immediately spread its bony wings and launched itself into the air with a dismissive screech.


    Immediately, he sensed the opportunity as his Swipe: Battle Master skill pulsed in his mind. He reared up and swiped downwards feeling a shocking rush of power and momentum in his strike. His clawed paw slammed into the wyvern, tearing long gashes across the bony flank, and slamming it back to the ground to the tune of a painful grunt. Instantly, dozens of tough, gnarled brown roots attached to the stone sprang up and entwined the wyvern¡¯s legs and tail, even growing in through its ribcage, preventing it from fleeing.


    Not even the belated realization that he had missed an opportunity to use the overpowering strike to fuel even more of his Brutal Restoration dented his elation at being able to face his foe on an even footing.


    The wyvern roared in frustration and lashed out, striking Malika with its tail. Mato transferred most of the damage from the attack to himself using his Arboreal Sanctuary skill, and as he did, he felt his Swipe: Battle Master trigger again. Not questioning it, Mato retaliated instantly, this time fully empowering the strike with both Brutal Restoration and Bestial Combat, striking the wyvern on the wing and shattering the bone in a spray of splinters. His restoration magic spiked sharply from the sheer power of his attack, and more roots sprang from the stone, tangling with the wyvern¡¯s legs, ensuring it could not fly away.


    Undead were not reputed to be particularly smart, and the skeletal wyvern was no exception, persistently trying to escape and allowing him to finish the battle quickly with a few powerful, well-placed retaliatory strikes.


    ¡°Wow, that was impressive!¡± Ali said, congratulating him. ¡°You killed it by yourself, and so quickly.¡±


    ¡°The roots make it a very strong control skill,¡± Calen said, thoughtfully writing in his notebook.


    ¡°That strike looks incredibly powerful,¡± Malika said. ¡°Did you forget to enhance the first one?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Mato answered as he transformed back so he could speak. It had been such a novel trigger for the skill that he had simply seized on it in the moment and forgotten his two support skills. But every single one afterward he had spent the health and mana gladly, for the sheer power and effectiveness of the attack. ¡°And it has a high crit rate, the killing blow was a crit and it felt like cracking an egg.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have that much dexterity for crits, though?¡± Calen queried.


    ¡°It seems to use strength, more like a crushing blow than a precision attack.¡± It was about the best way he could explain how the attack felt when it landed. His power had been enhanced as if his strength had suddenly doubled, and the bone under his paw had shattered like eggshells from the impact of his strike. He had certainly not been thinking about the exact perfect location to hit, focused only on hitting with all his might.


    Mindful of new notifications, he said, ¡°Give me a second.¡±


    The sound of his level notification chime was the perfect adornment to an excellent fight. While most of his skill increases were the results of long hours slogging through the ruined buildings, rather than this single solo challenge against a skeletal wyvern, Mato felt a certain satisfaction at the timely synchronicity. He quickly distributed his ten points as evenly as he could among vitality, endurance, perception, and wisdom.


    Dusting off his hands, he cracked his neck and said, ¡°Right, what¡¯s next? Undead pancakes?¡±


    ¡°Yuck,¡± Ali said pointedly.


    Malika snickered, ¡°I vote we fire the cook.¡±


    Malika


    Malika thought, reflecting on her situation, once again fighting deep inside one of the buildings.


    The problem was that she couldn¡¯t see a thing. Calen had his crazy eyes that could see in almost total darkness, and Mato had his Survival Instinct, which also enhanced his regular senses. Even Ali could ¡®see¡¯ using her mana sight. But here she was, stuck in a pitch-dark underground dungeon, inside a ruined, bone-covered building, with nothing more than her ordinary un-enhanced human eyes.


    She, an Ahn Khen descendent, was the only person in their group without any enhanced senses. The irony was definitely not lost on her.


    she thought, charging in the direction of the sound of Mato¡¯s roar. Her head cracked hard against the magical wall of bone that some stupid Kobold had cast in the darkness. It was the third time so far ¨C just in this building. She stepped back and launched herself upward, sprinting up the side of the wall with two rapid steps and vaulting into a flip over the top and the darkness beyond.


    A sudden flicker of red flared in the dark and she instantly got her bearings. Landing lightly on her feet, she slapped Mato¡¯s flank with a hand as she sprinted past him and his cozy huddle of skeletons, healing him back to maximum.


    ¡°I got the Fire Mage!¡± Mato, of course, couldn¡¯t answer her, but she knew he adjusted his strategy when she provided him with more information. She punched the mage, and by the light of its firebolt, kicked the two other skeletons lurking in the darkness before turning and sprinting back to where she could hear Mato dragging the skeletons up the stairs almost as if they were leashed to his bear tail.


    She punched again, hitting the skeletons beside Mato, adding Soul Strike, not because she needed to kill them, but more so that she could make out the stairs by the flash of her magic, and not trip and fall on her face again.


    she realized, dropping another heal on Mato. She would have to watch him a little more closely when they finally reached the top.


    Malika burst out of the stairwell onto the rooftop, and into the beautiful light cast by Calen¡¯s magic, with a horde of skeletons and Kobolds on her heels. Suddenly able to see, she quickly scanned the monsters for any particularly dangerous variants, but this time there were no healers ¨C neither the holy nor the death kind.


    ¡°Fireball!¡± Ali called out, and simultaneously steel lightning nova totems landed by her feet in the center of the monster group, while an intense red glow lit the jagged stone of the rooftop.


    Malika slapped Mato again, erasing the damage his restoration had not been able to cope with before she dodged sideways out of the path of Ali¡¯s magic. She took a moment to sweep a skeleton¡¯s legs out from beneath it before crushing another bony ribcage with a satisfyingly crunchy elbow strike. While it staggered, she kicked it squarely in the sternum, knocking it backward into the path of Ali¡¯s next Fireball.


    Bone fragments flew and gobs of fire rained down as Malika dodged back in to heal Mato, using her Divine Step to accelerate her run so that she would take less damage from the lightning novas. She landed her heal with a quick touch and then healed herself as she dodged out, just in time to avoid the brunt of the second fireball. One more round, and she was stepping over the charred and burnt fragments of skeletons and corpses as they crumpled, smoking to the ground.


    ¡°Easy!¡± Mato said, transforming back to his regular form.


    She smiled though, because he was right, this was getting a lot easier with practice.


    she added, hearing her chimes go off.


    Malika divided six points evenly into endurance, perception, and wisdom, dropping the remaining four into dexterity. Realizing what she¡¯d just thought, she pressed her fist against her mouth.


    No, there was no instant heal for that kind of pain.


    Aliandra


    Ali collapsed to the stone floor, propping her back up against the polished stone wall beside Malika. She was bone-weary, in the kind of numb haze that came from continual focus and concentration and hours of continually powering spells with her mana. She would need to take the time to resummon some of her minions if they were going to continue, but she desperately hoped they would decide to go home and get some rest. Either way, the summoning could wait for a bit.


    The end of the ring had seemed so close, so they had decided to press on and finish it ¨C but the fighting had gone on for hours, drawn out by an influx of undead from the unexplored underground basements as they passed. By the time they had reached the ruined armory, she was spent.


    ¡°I¡¯m done,¡± she wheezed. She had made several mistakes in the last battle, and it had cost over half her minions, making the battle last substantially longer than it would have otherwise.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Malika answered, sounding at least as tired as she felt. Mato just grunted from his spot lying on the stone, and Calen was nowhere to be found, having vanished to scout out the building. Ali had no idea where he found the energy.


    It was an achievement, though. Beyond the ruined walls of the armory, seen through the shattered window frame, Ali could make out the jagged edge of the granite foundation of the city ring where it had been snapped clean through, causing about a third of the entire structure to vanish like some gargantuan monster had simply taken a bite out of the city before slipping back to whichever eldritch realm it called home. Reaching the end of the ring meant they would be able to take a break, and when they returned, they planned to tackle the third and final ring.


    ¡°I hope the dungeon doesn¡¯t respawn everything while we rest,¡± Ali sighed. The city was so different now ¨C almost unrecognizable compared to her memories ¨C a broken dark ruin filled with undead and monsters. A dungeon that needed culling before they could even liberate the remains of what had once been a vibrant city full of life, magic, and learning. Her home.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Malika said, clearly too weary to summon more words.


    Ali had to remind herself that it was gone several times a day. It simply didn¡¯t feel real sometimes. While killing the monsters, and undead, destroying the dungeon, and liberating her home gave her a sense of purpose, it was hard for her to recognize that even after they succeeded, at best she would have liberated a pile of ancient broken stone. Her home was gone ¨C gone for millennia now ¨C and without the people, magic, books, and everything, all she would have liberated would be a ruin. A curiosity for the explorers, archeologists, and historians of this age.


    ¡°Do you want a cookie?¡± Mato said, rolling back up to sitting.


    ¡°Are you for real?¡± Ali asked, perking up.


    ¡°I have chocolate chip cookies in here,¡± he said, rummaging around in his pack, before producing his incredible treasure. ¡°Just chocolate, or chocolate with nuts?¡±


    ¡°Ten of each!¡±


    ¡°Huh. Even Ancient Mistresses should start with one.¡±


    Making a great show of begrudging the action, Mato dropped a chunky cookie onto her palm. Ali bit delicately into the chocolate goodness, sighed so hard she physically shuddered, and then before she could even blink, it was gone, and Mato was chuckling.


    ¡°Hey, I found something down below!¡± Calen said, returning suddenly, catching Ali¡¯s attention with his unexpected excitement.


    ¡°What is it?¡± She looked up to see him shifting quickly out of the shadows as his magic faded from his shrouded form.


    ¡°Aah, you¡¯ve got to see it!¡± His motes of light sprang up from his hands floating upward toward the ceiling, filling the room with brightness as he eagerly beckoned to them to follow.


    ¡°Catch,¡± Mato said, tossing him a cookie which he snatched out of the air with a deft hand and a raised eyebrow, but when he realized what he¡¯d caught, a grin crossed his face.


    Ali levered herself up to standing wearily and decided that walking might be less work than using her barrier magic. She followed Calen down the long winding stone stairs he had found at the back of the room for much longer than she would have liked, before emerging into a dark room with a polished stone floor.


    she thought, observing the small detail before Calen¡¯s lights floated out into the giant expanse of the room, and what she saw took her breath away. As the lights reached the distant walls, they revealed rows and rows of reddish-black steel shapes gleaming with the characteristic dark of Eimuuran steel. Everything at ground level was gone, stripped bare, but hanging from the walls, beyond the reach of the undead, the glory of the finest work of Dal¡¯mohra¡¯s legendary forges was still proudly on display.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Malika exclaimed quietly, staring at the rows and rows of halberds, swords, daggers, maces, axes, and armor. ¡°Can you imagine showing this room to Thuli?¡±


    ¡°I think he might have a heart attack,¡± Mato answered, chuckling as he stepped deeper into the armory.


    In that moment, Ali felt a small surge of pride rekindled within her. Her home might be lost forever, and her path forward unclear, but even the ruins of what had once been, still held the power to impress her and her friends. Tiredness forgotten, she walked into the room and summoned a large barrier in front of Malika who was staring up at the equipment displayed well out of reach with a look of longing on her face.


    Ali hopped onto the barrier and invited Malika to join her, enjoying how her expression suddenly changed to excitement as she suddenly understood what Ali intended. With a simple gesture of her reinvigorated will, she flew them both up to the displays and stopped within reach of a set of beautifully crafted longswords. With clear reverence mixed with excitement, Malika lifted one off the wall mounting and turned it over in her hands.


    ¡°This is incredible,¡± she whispered.


    ***


    ¡°Ali, do you want any of this gear for your Grimoire?¡± Malika asked. They had spent half an hour flying around the armory collecting whatever Malika had wanted, and now they were sitting on the floor in the middle of the enormous armory surrounded by an array of weapons and armor, carefully organized by type and function. Eimuuran steel to one side, bone weapons and armor to the other.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this all quite valuable?¡± Ali asked. She had expected Malika would want to sell most of it.


    ¡°Yes, it is. I¡¯ve been discarding the poor quality and broken stuff and even just keeping the good items ¨C only, I¡¯m out of storage space. Even all this bone equipment the dungeon created is at least masterwork quality. Anything you can learn and make later is another piece I don¡¯t have to carry back. And it will make you stronger, too.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any free chapters, but I can learn the swords, armor, and shields at least,¡± Ali answered. That would cover quite a lot of the gear Malika had collected, and hopefully, between the four of them, they would be able to carry the rest. At least, committing the shields and plate armor to her Grimoire would take care of most of the heaviest stuff.


    Ali¡¯s imprints exploded with new information, and as the runes flowed into the inscriptions, her magic manifested more and more pages, growing the size of her Grimoire visibly as she deleted hundreds of kilograms of steel and bone. What remained were the vambraces, helms, sabatons, and weapons she had no imprint space for ¨C and several items that were of unknown level ¨C higher than she thought she could learn at her current skill level.


    ¡°Thanks, Ali, that¡¯s much better,¡± Malika said, beginning to divvy up the most valuable remaining gear to each of them so they could help store it all, the majority going to Mato who had both a mundane pack and his storage ring. ¡°We really need to get you two the upgraded guild ring soon. It¡¯s supposed to come with a lot more storage capacity.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that tomorrow,¡± Mato agreed. ¡°I need to stop by Thuli¡¯s and get some repairs for my armor.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something strange over here,¡± Calen called out, interrupting the conversation. ¡°I can¡¯t quite make it out.¡± He had his small dagger out and was poking and prodding at an unremarkable section of wall and scrutinizing it closely under the light of his magic, and presumably with his potent perception skill.


    Curious, Ali walked over to join him, but she couldn¡¯t see much of anything strange.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything?¡±


    ¡°Look at this,¡± he said, jabbing his dagger at a different section of the wall than the one he had been examining, making a clinking, scraping sound as the metal blade stabbed tiny chips and scratches in the polished stone finish.


    ¡°So?¡± Ali wasn¡¯t quite sure what he was getting at with this demonstration.


    ¡°Now look at this part,¡± he said, repeating the same exercise on the section of wall he had been studying so intently. The sounds were the same, but when he dusted the wall with his hand, Ali suddenly saw what had caught his attention. Something was off about the entire wall, the dagger had left no marks, and even besides that, it seemed that the polished stone looked just a tiny bit too perfect.


    ¡°I saw something like this in the library,¡± Ali said, her interest suddenly piqued. Focusing on the ambient mana, she noticed a similar lack of mana flowing through the space before her ¨C an effect so subtle that she had simply not noticed it before Calen had drawn her attention to it with his dagger experiment.


    ¡°That one was a very sophisticated illusion, it even masked the mana signature¡­¡± Ali trailed off as she focused her deconstruction magic on the unusual area of the wall. As before, her magic seemed to shimmer and disappear as it came into contact with the wall, as the illusion suppressed her sight of her own magic. After a few seconds, the space around the wall twisted impossibly and then snapped back to reality with a puff of disrupted ancient mana and a sense of shattering an invisible magical formation.


    The plain, unadorned section of the wall was gone, and in its place was an exquisitely crafted door of the same marble as the wall. Not seeing any further magical formations, Ali reached out and tried the handle, but it refused to budge.


    ¡°Here, let me try,¡± Malika said, stepping forward with her fancy lockpicking tools already in her hands. For someone who ostensibly didn¡¯t enjoy burglary, Malika was certainly getting a lot of practice with her lockpicking today. It took only a few moments of poking and twisting before the door made an audible click and swung open with a loud grinding sound ¨C and fortunately, no explosion this time.


    Beyond the doorway lay a small dusty room filled with stone tables and alcoves ¨C many of which stood empty or filled with indistinctly shaped piles of dust that may once have been something on display.


    However, not everything had succumbed to the passage of time. On the wall were a couple of pieces of armor, a shield, and a few weapons that gleamed with the characteristic color of Eimuuran steel, but there was an additional swirl of unfamiliar black mana that Ali had never encountered before telling her that there was something different about these pieces.


    ¡°What is this place?¡± Ali asked. The armory had not been one of her common hangout spots, and so she had absolutely no idea what they might find in the regular space, let alone some secret vault hidden by an illusion and a locked door.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s the secret operations armory, or something similar,¡± Malika answered.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Most governments have spies and covert agents for secret work. Probably this place is for their equipment. The gear in here seems tailored for specific purposes, and not the kind of stuff you might advertise to the general public. Here, look at these.¡± Malika drew her attention to a set of daggers arrayed on a stone table, and as she brushed some of the dust off, Ali saw the gleam of the metal and the black wisps of mana that seemed to hungrily absorb any light that fell upon them.


    Eimuuran Darksteel Dagger ¨C level 25 (Shadow)


    Damage: Piercing, Physical, Shadow


    Additional Shadow damage on hit


    Mana: Cloak your dagger with obscuring shadows


    Requirements: 88 Dexterity


    One Handed ¨C Dagger ¨C Eimuuran Darksteel


    ¡°Darksteel?¡± Ali asked, examining the blade. At least her identify told her what the unfamiliar mana was.


    ¡°Everything in here is Darksteel ¨C it¡¯s a type of metal that is ideal for shadow magic enchantments. And the craftsmanship is excellent. Here, let me show you.¡± Malika picked up one of the daggers, and with a little infusion of her mana, the blade, hilt, and even half of Malika¡¯s arm was instantly shrouded by an ever-shifting cloak of shadows that warped as she waved her arm back and forth, making the blade impossible to pin down visually. Even with her mana sight, Ali struggled to track it.


    ¡°It¡¯s an assassin¡¯s weapon,¡± Malika said. ¡°Not that I would endorse assassination, but they should be very good for your rogues, especially attacking with ambush from stealth.¡±


    Ali thought, examining the blade after Malika handed it back to her. At least there were several of them and the level ranges overlapped with at least her highest-level rogues.


    Ali looked up to find Malika staring at a black metal-bound staff hanging on the wall.


    ¡°You ok?¡± sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Malika said, brushing off a thought. But then she seemed to reconsider and continued. ¡°It¡¯s a perfect monk staff. My dad used to use staves, and he would have loved something like this.¡±


    Ironwood Staff of Shadows ¨C level 37 (Shadow)


    Damage: Blunt, Physical


    Additional Shadow damage on hit


    +10% chance to block


    Mana: Cloak your staff with obscuring shadows


    Requirements: Dexterity 130


    Two Handed ¨C Quarterstaff ¨C Ironwood


    ¡°That has three enchants on it!¡± Ali exclaimed. She had heard of such prodigious feats of crafting, but she had never personally seen such a thing.


    ¡°Yes, this is a very valuable weapon. It''s an uncommon grade item.¡±


    ¡°You should take it if it reminds you of your father,¡± Ali said. She had her father¡¯s shrine, and silly as it sounded, simply having something she could touch that reminded her of her parents had helped her manage her feelings ¨C feelings of being disconnected from her family and the safety of her past world.


    ¡°My skills all require me to be unarmed,¡± Malika said, her hands finally reaching for the staff and lifting it from its mounting on the wall. ¡°But I¡¯m sure Weldin will give us enough money to pay for a whole lot of potions.¡± She turned and grinned at Ali before storing the staff and moving on to the next display.


    ¡°Why is so much of this room just dust?¡± Ali asked as she watched Malika collect up the few remaining pieces.


    ¡°Government secret ops probably employed a lot of rogues, and most of them don¡¯t have the strength for plate armor. The bulk of what was in here was probably leather, and that doesn¡¯t last as long as enchanted steel.¡±


    This was an aspect of Dal¡¯mohra that had been entirely outside her awareness growing up. The idea of a secret force of rogues carrying out missions in the shadows seemed scary. It immediately called to mind several ¨C admittedly popular ¨C stories of deception and corruption in the urban underworld as spies and agents vied for influence and power with the tools of intrigue and murder that Ryn had recommended to her. Ali shivered, glad that she had not had to deal with anything like that in real life.

 Chapter 85: Bounty

    Chapter 85: BountyAliandraAli stared in amazement at a smithy transformed. She and her friends had stopped by Thuli¡¯s smithy to get some repair work done on Mato''s armor, and Ali had wanted to check in to see how Kav¨¦ was doing in her new apprenticeship, but as soon as they entered, Ali had to stop and stare. She had thought it transformed the last time she had stopped by to introduce Kav¨¦ and Thuli, but what she found was on another level.


    The entire smithy was clean. It sparkled. And there was a distinct energy, a productivity, a deep sense of purpose to the room, seen in everything from the carefully stacked iron ingots to the organized displays of swords and daggers on the walls. Even the ringing of the hammer striking the anvil in the back felt like the sounds of something important being crafted. She wrinkled her nose at the fresh tangs of molten metal and almost summoned a barrier as a great arc of green sparks shot across the floor. How did it even smell healthier? Someone was whistling.


    As Ali gazed through the arched opening into the back, she saw Kav¨¦ striking at a piece of red-hot steel with a heavy hammer while Thuli stood beside her offering instruction and pointers. Kav¨¦ pursed her mouth and whistled again, raising the hammer with a cheerful yet focused air.


    Either she was working very hard, or Thuli was a gifted teacher. Or both, she corrected herself hastily.


    ¡°See how the mana is all snarled up here? We can line it up better.¡±


    ¡°Like this?¡±


    ¡°Aye, and now use your steel shaping to straighten it out a little more.¡±


    ¡°Ok, this one can see it now¡­¡±


    ¡°Just remember to put ya back into the strike, otherwise it won¡¯t do anything. Snarls like this can be stubborn.¡±


    Kav¨¦ belted the visibly glowing piece with a powerful strike that sent sparks skittering across the stone floor, and Ali saw the mana bending from the skill-assisted hammer blow.


    ¡°Aye, that¡¯s it right there. Why don¡¯t ya finish up this sword and I¡¯ll go greet our guests?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Thuli,¡± she said, turning to glance back through the archway and then grinning and waving as she caught sight of Ali and Mato.


    ¡°Hi Aliandra,¡± Thuli said, a beaming grin on his face as he emerged from the sweltering room, waves of shimmering heat slowly fading from his body as his magic slowly ebbed away. He nodded a greeting to the others as he caught sight of them.


    Of all the things that had changed, the smile on the previously grumpy Dwarf¡¯s face was the greatest. Ali was stunned at how much more vigorous and healthy he looked, and the spring in his step as he walked over was unmistakable. She couldn¡¯t help grinning in response.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± Ali asked, returning Kav¨¦¡¯s wave before she returned to her project.


    ¡°I paid off my debt today!¡± Thuli declared. ¡°And it¡¯s all thanks to yer generosity.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think we gave you enough steel to pay it off completely.¡±


    ¡°I made a breakthrough studying those pieces. It¡¯s not Eimuuran steel yet, but it was enough to land a commission from the Garrison Commander¡¯s office for a large order of swords. And I got a couple of levels from discovering the process.¡±


    He retrieved a sword from his storage and showed her.


    Fireforged Sword ¨C level 28 (Fire)


    Damage: Slashing, Physical, Fire


    Added Fire damage on hit.


    +24 Strength.


    Requirements: Strength 98


    One Handed ¨C Sword ¨C Fireforged Steel S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The sword blade was silver with the unmistakable reddish glow of fire mana. Ali was no expert, but it looked quite impressive.


    ¡°You made a magic-grade sword for the garrison guards?¡± Ali asked. She was guessing the grade by the number of enchantments, but it seemed a fairly reliable one to make. ¡°You¡¯re going to be popular. Well done!¡±


    ¡°Aye.¡± Thuli wrinkled his large nose, making his beard shake. ¡°It¡¯s a little too good, perhaps.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°The other blacksmiths are convinced I have an out-of-town sponsor. They¡¯re even trying to get Hadrik Goldbeard to force me to give up your identity. Fortunately, we Dwarves are stubborn by nature, and he hasn¡¯t caved to their demands.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Ali said, handing the blade back to him. ¡°Yes, I¡¯d prefer to remain anonymous if possible.¡± She was just happy to see his success had secured his forge and smithy for the foreseeable future.


    ¡°Of course, lassie.¡±


    ¡°How is Kav¨¦ doing?¡± Ali asked, watching the fascinating flow of silvery strands of steel mana she was working in the background.


    ¡°That girl is amazing! She is such a hard worker, she learns fast, and her class is incredible. She will easily surpass me one day, mark my words. She camped in the back room, she never complains, and she polished the entire smithy on her first day. I mean just look at this place!¡±


    Ali smiled at Thuli¡¯s proud boasting about his apprentice, happy to see that the two of them were getting along well.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell the lass, I want it to be a surprise, but she will get her first paycheck at the end of the week,¡± Thuli finished, with a happy smile. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m sure ya didn¡¯t come by for a spot of idle chitchat ¨C what can I do for ya?¡±


    ¡°I was wondering if these might be useful for your studies?¡± Ali asked, pulling out two newly created Eimuuran Darksteel daggers ¨C copies of the ones she had learned in the armory yesterday. She also laid out some plate armor pieces, a sword, and a shield.


    Thuli¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of all the Eimuuran steel on his table. Carefully he inspected each piece, stopping in surprise at the daggers. ¡°I didn¡¯t know the techniques could be applied to Darksteel. This is really something.¡± He looked over at Ali. ¡°Yes, I can definitely use this, and I can even pay ya this time.¡±


    ¡°Bonus,¡± Mato deadpanned.


    Thuli shot him a filthy look. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll test your head with my hammer, lad!¡±


    ¡°A jest, a jest,¡± Mato chuckled, holding out his hands peaceably. ¡°I¡¯m just glad to see this forge bubbling and clanging again.¡±


    ¡°Not like hitting him in the head would do anything anyway,¡± Malika muttered, just loud enough for everyone to hear.


    ¡°Hah!¡± the Dwarf snorted.


    ¡°Can you include the cost of repairs for Mato¡¯s armor?¡± Ali asked. They haggled over the price for a little, but Ali trusted him, and so they came to a rather quick agreement, after which Thuli took Mato aside to begin working on his armor.


    The din of hammering ceased, and Kav¨¦ appeared from the back room, laying the finished sword on the table before she came over to Ali.


    ¡°This one has a gift for you,¡± she said using Draconic, and then immediately vanished through a side door, emerging a few moments later with a wooden tray with several pots on it, each one growing a small jasmine plant. Ali instantly recognized it by the beautiful scent of the tiny white flowers.


    ¡°What is this for?¡± Ali asked, surprised by the unexpected gesture.


    ¡°This one has a class, and a teacher, thanks to you. The herbalist boy, Basil, said this would be a gift you might like.¡± Kav¨¦ spoke quickly with a fidgeting that betrayed her anxiety at offering the gift. ¡°Do you like it? This one loves the scent of jasmine, and Basil said you would learn to grow it.¡±


    ¡°I love it, Kav¨¦, thank you!¡±


    The dragonkin girl smiled with a few too many sharp pointy teeth showing, but Ali was already used to her Kobolds, and she simply smiled back.


    ¡°This one would like to see it¡­ your magic?¡± Kav¨¦ asked eagerly.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ali answered, manifesting her Grimoire at once and deconstructing each of the plants.


    With a thought, she poured mana into the new variant and created a new jasmine plant in one of the now empty pots.


    ¡°Your magic is beautiful,¡± Kav¨¦ exclaimed.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ali answered.


    ¡°Aliandra, why does your Draconic sound like a Kobold?¡± Kav¨¦ asked, glancing back and forth as if someone might overhear.


    Ali didn¡¯t feel threatened though, it was more that the girl was simply extremely straightforward. Ali answered in kind, ¡°I learned it from a Kobold.¡±


    ¡°This one can give you lessons, it is not good to speak like a Kobold.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali smiled. Language lessons sounded fun.


    ¡°Kav¨¦, let¡¯s see your sword,¡± Thuli said, his booming voice interrupting their conversation, and Kav¨¦ rushed back to the table to retrieve her work and show it to him, standing anxiously by while he inspected the weapon.


    ¡°Good job,¡± he finally declared. ¡°Next time I will show you how to forge it a little stronger by using more heat in the final step. Now, why don¡¯t you put these Eimuuran pieces in the safe and I¡¯ll show you how to study them later.¡±


    Kav¨¦ bowed and collected the items, barely able to conceal her excitement as she touched the steel, a flicker of her silvery mana caressing it as she rushed off to pack them away.


    Mieriel


    Mieriel glanced up from her work at the sounds of footsteps approaching. It was late, and the guild was quiet ¨C the perfect time for catching up on her administrative chores. She smiled at the sight of Vivian striding across the hall, but the instant she stepped onto the carpet, a roiling, gloomy sense of despair mingled with fury crashed up against her Empathy skill and her smile shriveled up and blew away.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Kelvin,¡± Vivian said, her face stony and eyes hard. She dropped herself into the seat in front of Mieriel¡¯s desk with a grunt, not bothering to keep up the fa?ade of the leader in the quiet of the empty guild hall. ¡°Killed in his bed.¡±


    ¡°So, the Silent Assassin is real?¡± Mieriel asked, but she knew her question was redundant. This was the third victim now.


    ¡°The same calling card and same method of death,¡± Vivian said. ¡°And they¡¯re targeting us.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± While Vivian looked angry, the chaotic emotions rolling off of her told a far more personal story, the despair tinged with frustration and hurt.


    ¡°This has Hawkhurst¡¯s stench all over it,¡± Vivian said curtly. ¡°It must be retaliation for changing my vote to Brand for the council¡¯s defense budget.¡±


    ¡°Should I¡­¡± Mieriel began, and then she swallowed. In a town like Myrin¡¯s Keep, it would be suicide to get caught digging around with her skills. She and Vivian had agreed she should keep a low profile after the last time. What she and Vivian had done to that girl still gnawed at her. It was one thing to take a stand for dangerous classes, but if she became the very nightmare people feared¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to risk yourself¡­¡± Vivian said, but the surge of hope that blossomed within her heart was as clear as a lighthouse in the night.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do some scouting at the usual haunts,¡± Mieriel said softly, catching her breath.


    ¡°Please be very, very careful,¡± Vivian said.


    She just nodded, packing away her papers. She shuddered; not entirely sure she deserved it.


    ***


    Mieriel crossed the street and entered the alleyway. It was dark, and most certainly not a safe neighborhood. She lifted the hem of her dress ¨C her favorite of Lydia¡¯s creations ¨C to avoid dragging it through the filth that covered the cobblestones. She had not been here in ages, but her nose wrinkled at the unforgettable stench which had not improved one bit since the last time.


    A shadowy figure moved in the darkness up ahead, turning suspicious eyes her way. She fed just a little more mana to her Inconspicuous Presence and felt the man¡¯s eyes slide across her as if she was no more than another battered trashcan littering the dark recesses of the alley before he moved on to whatever nefarious purpose brought him out at this hour.


    She paused in a dark alcove across from the entrance to the Crooked Crown, waiting for the sounds of his footsteps to fade away. This was her third stop for the night.


    She hated that her class was most useful for situations like this ¨C where risky covert work was the last line before disaster or death. Vivian regularly ran interference for her with the Town Council ¨C there were several people with high enough levels to resist her magic and identify her class. By vouching for her, Vivian kept them from turning her over to the crown. In return, she would ferret out information for Vivian wherever it lay ¨C from the extravagant parties of the nobles to the seediest dens of thieves and assassins.


    she thought, having grown progressively more jaded over the years as her activities had taught her that the worst of the crime in this town happened not in the slums, but in the fancy parties, perpetrated by those with wealth and power, and few morals.


    Her awareness slipped briefly into her storage enchantment, finding the items she required, and then with a deft trick ¨C one honed over many hours of deliberate practice, a trick that had saved her life several times ¨C she instantly switched her elegant gown with the outfit of a barmaid and walked across the street to the bar. By the time she scaled the three short stairs, she had settled into her practiced barmaid disguise, including readying the substituted notifications she would broadcast to any minds that used Identify.


    She paused at the rickety wooden door with its garish yellow paint. From prior visits, she knew this fine establishment to be bankrolled by Kieran Mori, a front that served as a meeting place for the more illicit circles of the Myrin¡¯s Keep underworld. Taking a sharp breath to steady herself, she pulled open the door and stepped in, colliding with the acidic stench of vomit and ale. The raucous noise of drunk patrons and the chaotic storm of emotional energy washed over her Empathy skill as she plunged through the feelings of the room.


    Reflexively, she reached out with Misdirect Attention, directing the lecherous intent of several drunk patrons back to the buxom waitress at the back, and feeding her Inconspicuous Presence a bit more mana to make it stick. Then she walked over to the bar and picked up a rag and a tray with several mugs of ale on it.


    A room full of drunk people was scarcely a challenge for her ¨C only the bartender required her full attention before he too forgot she existed. But this was not her target ¨C the real action in the Crooked Crown took place downstairs. She strode confidently ¨C and entirely unnoticed ¨C across the filthy wooden floor of the bar and took the stairwell leading downward.


    The door was guarded, but as usual, it was a rogue with a pitifully low wisdom attribute and too much faith in his mediocre stealth skill. Mieriel could easily pick him out by the sound of his breathing and the stench of alcohol on his breath. Sometimes Heightened Perception was more of a bane than a boon, forcing her to endure the man¡¯s foul reek. Even without her enhanced senses, his emotions bubbled over like a pulsing beacon, revealed to her via Empathy.


    She simply walked forward and opened the door, running Inconspicuous Presence continuously while convincing his mind that he was vastly more interested in the noise from above than her, and he might as well just forget she had been there with a deft application of her Misdirect Attention and Memory Coercion.


    She slipped through the door and emerged into the basement area, alert for any signs that someone had noticed her. A few patrons huddled over half-filled tankards, but it was a quieter, broody atmosphere, a dark place where semi-legal ¨C or often downright illegal ¨C deals might go down in an alcove over an untouched ale. She had been here many times over the years, and she knew her way around.


    The sudden sense of surprise caught her attention, but she controlled her reaction. Slowly, she turned, holding her tray of ales up, and caught the eyes of a black-cloaked man staring in her direction.


    She pulsed her mana into Misdirect Attention, while simultaneously walking over and placing an ale in front of someone and retrieving the empty mug. She had discovered very early on that her magic worked even on those much higher level than her own, provided she looked, and acted, the way they expected. She was dressed as a barmaid, acting as a barmaid, and now her Misdirect Attention reached out to instruct his mind to notice she was only a barmaid, and to forget what he had just seen with his Identify skill. She smiled demurely in his direction and wiped down the table perfunctorily before he shook his head and returned to scanning the rest of the crowd suspiciously.


    Inwardly, Mieriel breathed a sigh of relief before she continued on her way, passing the jobs board which was the purpose of her visit. While a barmaid studying jobs suitable for thugs, thieves, and assassins would break character, she simply glanced at the board and memorized it by using her mind magic on herself ¨C the simple trick of reversing her Memory Coercion skill to force her mind to remember. The picture of the entire job board appeared in her mind and would remain there, available for her to look at for several days if she wished.


    Carefully, she continued to make her way around the room, keeping up her act and straining her senses.


    ¡°What do you think of this Silent Assassin business?¡± someone murmured.


    Mieriel¡¯s ears pricked up instantly, and she slowed her feet. In a dark alcove, two hooded figures were hunched over, spilling tension into the air.


    ¡°Shh! Do you want to get us killed?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember Jorgen was going to find out about the Silent Assassin?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°He turned up in an alleyway with a spear through the heart like fresh meat on a skewer.¡±


    ¡°Mori¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you fool! Do you want to get impaled?¡±


    The argument was beginning to draw attention, so Mieriel sidled off, slipping out the door and returning up the stairs. She dropped the tray off at the bar and left, beginning to walk home while carefully examining her haul in her mind.


    The board had contained the typical mishmash of illegal activities, announcements for gambling events, trade of illicit goods and slaves, bounties for assassinations, or goods to be ¡®acquired¡¯ by any means. There was nothing explicit about the Silent Assassin or¡­


    Suddenly she stopped, an entirely unexpected job posting catching her attention.


    Putting out a hit or a contract on someone was still illegal even in Myrin¡¯s Keep. But the undisclosed name did not fool her in the slightest. And it was his style, too ¨C she had not the slightest doubt about that.


    It was just about the worst time for this. Vivian was still uncertain about Aliandra, and now there was a contract out on her life by none other than Kieran Mori ¨C the captain of the Town Watch.


    She frowned momentarily. It was just that Mieriel had no idea how Vivian would react. Vivian had good reason to fear dungeons, and Aliandra was that. But a horrid, twisting queasiness gripped her gut at the thought of hurting Aliandra again. she thought, firming her lips as if framing the statement she would make to the stubborn Guildmaster.


    Aliandra


    Ali and Mato returned to their new camp in the library, arriving before Malika and Calen who seemed to be taking much longer with their errands. Mato busied himself with the cookfire, leaving Ali to her own devices.


    The library still felt desolate and dark, her domain mana penetrating only a little past the doorway where she had grown some moss. The rest of the space still lay much as they had found it when it was guarded by the Skeletal Wyvern ¨C bone shards and layers of ridges and spines coated most of the available surfaces, and whatever wasn¡¯t covered lay shattered and decayed in the cloying darkness.


    Only one thing seemed to have improved ¨C there had been no bone worms or bone skitterers ever since she had severed part of the dungeon¡¯s mana by deconstructing the spire.


    she thought, staring up at the soaring shelves, walkways, and broken ladders along the walls.


    With a sense of purpose, she set to her task. Hopping up on a conjured barrier disk, she summoned her Grimoire and flew off to the soaring inner wall and the thousands of ancient shelves carved into the stone. Levitating on her barrier, she began growing her new jasmine up the walls, trailing wherever the ladders and walkways had been. Every time she ran out of mana, she simply deconstructed several shelves worth of encrusted bone and decayed books and then continued. After a while, she alternated with ivy before returning to the beautiful flowers and scent of the jasmine.


    By the time she had finished with the outer wall of the upper level, most of the first sections had already established her domain mana. She hovered near one, deciding to try her new Domain Mastery skill. Reaching out with her will, she found she could target quite a substantial area of the encrusted bone. She simply visualized changing its structure to a whole lot of unconnected tiny particles and the entire broad section of encrusted bone collapsed, falling as dust to the ground below.


    she thought marveling at how little mana it had taken. She flew back and forth repeating the process to quickly reveal the wall and the shelves beneath the bone.


    Ali repeated the process, growing her ivy and jasmine up the inner walls and pillars surrounding the atrium. She even included the spiral stair. As soon as her domain mana infused that space, she turned all the bone into dust, watching it fall away into the darkness at the bottom of the atrium.


    she thought. But she had a skill now that could solve that problem. Once again flying around on her barrier she created a ring of barrier panels suspended in the air around the rim of the atrium. It was a simple matter to extend her barriers to be large enough and anchor them to the mana of her domain, so she didn¡¯t have to maintain them. She tilted them to provide better lighting for the space. she thought as the golden glow illuminated the upper library level.


    She selected the chapter for her stone imprint and began to summon granite. Her imprint did not allow enough customization, but when combined with Domain Mastery, she was able to quickly sculpt the stone into large planters filled with powdered rock. After that, it was a simple matter to fill them with Blue Mana Grass, Common Glowcap mushrooms, and Verdant Moss ¨C all her affinity plants that generated her domain.


    Inspired by her success with the stone and Domain Mastery, Ali began experimenting with her green marble stone variant and her Sculpting skill. Digging through her memories, she began to create statues of various creatures she had seen her father summon, using the green marble as her medium and Domain Mastery as her chisel to sculpt. The green marble was a gorgeous stone for sculpting, and particularly suited for the nature-themed creatures she was making.


    ¡°Oh, I love it!¡± Malika¡¯s voice broke her concentration, and she glanced over to find her friend had returned and was smelling the jasmine flowers adorning the walls.


    ¡°I like the lights,¡± Calen added, nodding appreciatively.


    ¡°The statues are the coolest,¡± Mato declared. ¡°Also, lunch is ready. A Beastkin cannot live on sweet aromas alone.¡±


    ¡°Wow, is there a girlfriend we need to know about?¡± Malika needled at once.


    Mato turned a fine shade of tomato-red. ¡°No ¨C right, Calen?¡±


    ¡°You just need the right girl to smell your cooking,¡± he said, making a swooning gesture with his fingers.


    ¡°Ali, how about you start? These jokers obviously aren¡¯t hungry,¡± Mato suggested.


    Ali realized she was starving. As she sat to wait for Mato to dish up food, she remembered something.


    Curious, she sent her awareness inward, calling up the notifications.


    Ali realized that her work in the library must have paid off handsomely, giving three levels in her newest Domain Mastery skill. The long hours of re-inscribing her cure poison circle while they exterminated the undead wherever they could root them out in the ruined city provided a substantial boost to her Runic Script, and one more very welcome class level. Without waiting, she spent five points on wisdom to grow her mana pool, and then three on intelligence. The final two points went to perception, noticeably improving the clarity of her mana sight.

 Chapter 86: The Outer City Ring

    Chapter 86: The Outer City RingAliandraAli stood on the final bridge, rubbing her arms to ward off the chill of the stale air as she gazed out over the outer ring of the ruined city. Reaching the bridge had been easier than she had expected ¨C the dungeon had only respawned a few of the undead and bone elementals in the inner and central rings, and those had been easy for them to kill, isolated as they were.


    From her vantage point on the basalt-lined bridge arching down to join with the lower-set outer ring, it was clear, even in the darkness, that the final city ring had suffered the most in that ancient battle. It was not a place anyone but the engineers and miners had frequented when it was functional, but fully half of what had once been the power backbone of the city was now gone, snapped off in the conflict, leaving jagged edges of the heavy stone foundations jutting out into the darkness. Only three of the giant mana condensers ¨C massive gray stone pyramids the size of several city blocks, with featureless sloped edges and a snub top ¨C remained among the ruins of what had once been an unbroken ring of busy industry: the pinnacle of magical engineering. Remarkably, two of the condensers still glowed intensely in her mana sight, even after all this time, but the mana fluctuated and pulsed erratically, clearly no longer operating properly.


    ¡°I see a few bone elementals and a lot of undead,¡± Calen said, carefully scanning the expanse of the ring below. ¡°Lots of heaps and piles to hide behind, and something strange over by that pyramid thing.¡±


    ¡°The pyramids are the mana condensers,¡± Ali explained. It was still too far for her to see what Calen had observed near them, and the light from her mana sight was intense. ¡°They used to stack up ore here to be smelted. Being right next to the power generators provided some advantage, I think.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think those piles are ore,¡± Calen answered slowly. ¡°Looks more like skeletons or bodies. I wonder if this is where the dungeon monsters have been dragging the corpses of the bats and wyverns they kill?¡±


    ¡°Why would they do that?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Do you think there¡¯s a necromancer in here?¡± Malika asked. ¡°There¡¯s an awful lot of undead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how we find out without exploring further,¡± Calen said. ¡°So far, my skill is telling me that all the undead have been dungeon spawns, but we don¡¯t know what might be waiting up ahead.¡±


    ¡°Is everyone ready?¡± Mato asked, impatient for action as always.


    ¡°Give me a few minutes to change my minions,¡± Ali answered. If it was mostly undead and elementals, she wanted to replace most of her archers with Fire Mages and shamans. she recalled. The fact that it had death mana affinity sat uneasily with her, but the smart choice was knowing and understanding all the resources she had at her disposal. There was nothing for it, she needed to see the Kobold ¡®Death¡¯s Acolyte¡¯ in action. The open space of the third ring, and their ability to have Calen split out small groups of monsters, would make it the perfect grounds to test a new minion.


    ¡°How many wyverns do you see?¡± Ali asked. She had been making cure poison circles for the entire time they had been fighting in the central ring, but recently they were mostly being used to clear a few poisons from Mato whenever they got the chance to pause.


    ¡°Not many, actually,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Ok, let me know if you see a group somewhere,¡± Ali answered, deciding to dispense with the circles and use the mana reservation she freed up for the new Kobold instead.


    As soon as she was done, Calen lured the first Piercer Scorpion to Mato¡¯s position with a highly accurate shot, and the battle commenced. It was a single monster, so Ali¡¯s concentration and focus were not even remotely challenged. She organized her minions following her well-practiced plan and then turned her attention to her newest Kobold. It stood beside her leaking an ominous black mana, awaiting her orders.


    ¡°What can you do?¡±Ali asked in Draconic.


    ¡°Death Rupture, Ancient Mistress,¡± the Kobold answered.


    ¡°Show me,¡± she instructed, suddenly wondering what Kav¨¦ had meant that her Draconic sounded like the Kobolds. It was different to how the Dragonkin girl spoke, but Ali had initially assumed that was simply the function of different biology, but the Dragonkin wasn¡¯t all that different from her, other than her scales, larger size, and a few extra canines. Yet, Kav¨¦¡¯s speech lacked the chirping quality of the Kobolds, and she used clumsy and archaic forms of self-reference in her speech patterns.


    Ali¡¯s rambling thoughts were suddenly interrupted as the Death¡¯s Acolyte summoned its magic, drawing darkly glowing black mana from within itself to form a dense black ball of swirling magic that hovered above its clawed hand. The energy sucked at the surroundings, drawing in light, and spinning as it grew. Ali¡¯s skin prickled from the chilling proximity to the intense spell as her nostrils filled with the faint scent of dry dustiness and crypt-like death.


    Ali shivered, filled with a remembered terror as her mind instantly provided an image that had been burned into her heart ¨C the image of the Blind Lich summoning a spell just like this to shoot at her mother.


    Ali told herself firmly. While the magic her Kobold summoned was similar, it was substantially smaller and less powerful than what she remembered from the Lich, but she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the spell was sucking at her life force as it pulsed ominously in her Kobold¡¯s hand, in the same way that the Lich¡¯s magic had withered the surrounding grass and trees.


    The bolt shot out across the battlefield and slammed into the side of the huge bone elemental, black mana tearing at the bone, decaying it to dust in an instant. A pulse of death magic rippled out from the impact, coursing through the monster and everything nearby ¨C almost imperceptible but for her mana sight. Instantly, she witnessed the reaction of magic; Malika¡¯s healing shone as an intense blue-white beacon within her body, followed almost instantly by the yellow-gold of her Kobold¡¯s holy magic settling into Mato¡¯s huge frame.


    ¡°Your Death Rupture spell has the Area trait?¡± Ali asked. The question was somewhat redundant given the evidence she had just witnessed, but she was a little surprised by the resulting pulse of death following the magic.


    ¡°Yes, Ancient Mistress,¡± the Kobold answered, bowing to her.


    It didn¡¯t look quite as strong as her Fireballs. she thought.


    Calen was already firing at the next pack of undead skeletons as they shifted a little further onto their small beachhead on the outer ring.


    ¡°Why do you not attack?¡± Ali asked, noticing that her Death¡¯s Acolyte was simply standing beside her again.


    ¡°I cannot, Ancient Mistress,¡± the Kobold replied.


    ¡°Why? Are you out of mana?¡±


    ¡°No, they are undead.¡±


    ¡°You cannot attack undead?¡±


    ¡°My magic only damages the living. It heals the undead,¡± the Kobold explained, looking like it was about to cower in shame.


    ¡°I see,¡± Ali answered. , she thought. In the chaotic charge, tearing through the buildings on the second ring, they had encountered several of these Death¡¯s Acolytes, and the skeletons and zombies had refused to die until the Acolytes were taken care of. In the rush, she hadn¡¯t spent a lot of time considering it, but it made sense. This Death Rupture spell was an area-damage death magic attack, that simultaneously damaged the living and healed the undead. Perfect for a dungeon like this which summoned undead.


    In the hands of a necromancer, this would likely be a ridiculous spell. While necromancy had been frowned upon in the scholarly circles of Dal¡¯mohra, it seemed that it wasn¡¯t quite as anathema then as it was in this era. It was going to prove to be quite difficult to put her newest minion to use, especially down here.


    On the other hand, Ali had more than enough personal reasons to fear and despise death magic, even though she could now wield it through one of her minions. And she most certainly would not be waltzing through town with one of these in tow ¨C at least, if she valued her life.


    Not wanting to take the time to summon a replacement, she instructed the Acolyte to stand by whenever they had a pack of undead to fight, and even when they were fighting elementals, she was still not certain the damage was worth hitting her friends.


    Calen kept their pace slow and steady, favoring caution when pulling monsters as they made their way toward the first major landmark ¨C one of the mana condensers. They even killed several Spitter Drones without the benefit of a building to hide inside ¨C discovering that Ali¡¯s barrier was now strong enough to block the blast of the dying bone elemental¡¯s Corpse Explosion. Here, at least, the Death¡¯s Acolyte proved useful, boring holes in the bone armor with its death magic and contributing to the final explosive destruction.


    ¡°We¡¯re clear to the pyramid,¡± Calen announced. ¡°The mana condenser?¡±


    The hulking construct of stone loomed above them, a massive squat snub-topped pyramid that would tower over all the multi-story buildings on the second ring. It pulsed chaotically, leaking an intensely glowing viscous yellow liquid that pooled up against the base of the condenser and slowly flowed out over the edge of the ring, falling into the darkness below.


    ¡°What is that stuff?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s liquid mana,¡± Ali answered. It had taken a few moments to figure it out, but it had connected in her mind when she recalled what it was the condensers were for. This one seemed to be light affinity mana and probably had been used to literally keep the lights on in the city, and the crops growing.


    ¡°Incoming!¡± Calen¡¯s urgent shout snapped her attention from the condenser itself to the pools of light mana at the base. The intensity of the light made it difficult to see what exactly was moving, but her Identify had no such trouble.


    Ali backed up away from the brightly glowing yellow shapes that rippled and wobbled their way across the stone, clearly attracted to something about them. She summoned her barrier, having no idea what they were capable of and absolutely no desire to make herself a test subject.


    Mato, of course, had no such qualms, immediately charging the entire pack of slimes ¨C each about a one-meter diameter amorphous blob that seemed to grow and extrude itself in multiple simultaneous directions just to move.


    ¡°I count twenty,¡± Calen called out. ¡°No, twenty-two.¡±


    Mato roared, and the entire pack of slimes shivered, pausing briefly in unison before extruding their way directly toward him. He Swiped as soon as they closed, but they instantly retaliated by blasting a conical spray of the most intensely incandescent particles Ali had ever seen. Particles that floated in the air and caught on Mato¡¯s fur. She blinked at the afterimages that left her almost blinded even from a distance.


    Relying almost entirely on her mana sight, and the intensely glowing outlines of the slimes, Ali saw them attacking Malika and Mato with blobby pseudopods that extended and disappeared from their bodies, seemingly at random. Some of them were even trying to ingest parts of their bodies while simultaneously lashing out chaotically. They reacted with frenzied fervor every time Malika healed, or Mato roared.


    Ali realized, seeing Mato and Malika flailing about, barely connecting with their foes. Another incandescent spray took out her vision again ¨C before it even had a chance to fully clear.


    ¡°Fireball strategy,¡± Ali yelled, knowing they would all understand. With so many monsters in play, she needed to leverage her area damage magic, and for that, Mato and Malika hardly needed to see.


    ¡°One, two, three, ¡­ four,¡± Ali counted off her Fire Mages, and at the last moment, she added her Death¡¯s Acolyte in as the fourth slot in the rotation. Then she quickly assigned her healer Acolytes their order before she began.


    ¡°she called out in Draconic. ¡°¡± she added in Goblin for her shamans.


    She had no idea how the Kobolds were able to still see, but the glowing mana of the first Fireball shot true, detonating in an intense concussion of red flame, followed by the deafening thump, and vibration through the stone. A wave of heat blasted out, felt even at her substantial distance. While her barrier did nothing to defend against the light attacks of the slimes, at least it could protect her from the blast.


    In the midst of the ball of fire magic, Malika¡¯s blue-white glow of healing magic flashed twice. Immediately, totems landed in the center and began pulsing intense white lightning magic, vying with the conical spray of the slimes for the title of most annoyingly bright magic. Ali just gave up and closed her eyes, relying entirely on her mana sight to track the battle. Two more Fireballs detonated, punctuated with Lightning Bolts, and then the ominous pulse of death magic sealed the deal, triggering a noisy cascade of chimes in Ali¡¯s mind.


    As her vision slowly cleared, Ali could make out Malika and Mato stumbling around in the midst of a quiet battlefield covered with yellow, glowing slime and gobs of still-burning flame.


    ¡°You guys ok?¡±


    ¡°Still can¡¯t see.¡±


    ¡°Fucking glow-slimes.¡±


    ¡°No adds, we¡¯re clear,¡± Calen called out.


    ¡°Why are you not blind?¡± Mato groused.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t seem to affect me much,¡± he answered. ¡°But my affinity is light also, so maybe that helped.¡±


    ¡°I hate you. And you too, Ali, I barely had to lift a paw. Yawn!¡±


    Ali chuckled at Mato¡¯s frustration while she carefully picked her way across the battlefield deconstructing everything she could find.


    ¡°You just learned them, didn¡¯t you?¡± Mato asked as her Grimoire sprung open to inscribe the variant update.


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°I hate you with extra sauce on top. I hate these slimes; I still can¡¯t see anything. It¡¯s like having the world¡¯s worst case of sunspots.¡±


    ¡°Here, let me heal you again, I think it might help.¡±


    ***


    Ali stared at the ominous piles of bones and corpses that towered above them. They reminded her a little of the piles of bone up in the forest cavern, surrounding her shrine, but these were vastly larger. Around every pile, new zombies crawled, or skeletal mages and warriors crept.


    Ali had unsummoned her Death¡¯s Acolyte Kobold minion to replace it with two of the new Luminous Slimes but now she was beginning to regret it. While they could fight the undead ¨C unlike the Acolyte ¨C she found that she had to monitor them continuously because they couldn¡¯t follow complex instructions like her Kobolds. She had to regularly remind them not to use their blinding spray, making Mato curse grumpily every time she forgot.


    ¡°Something big up ahead,¡± Calen cautioned, and as she rounded the corner, Ali saw what he had found.


    Nestled in a natural clearing between the enormous piles of bone was a scene of unholy reverence. In the center, a large prism of midnight-black stone hovered, slowly rotating in place. It bathed a surrounding group of kneeling undead in waves of dark and powerful mana. Beside the artifact, and within a surrounding circle of kneeling skeletons, two gaunt figures made obeisance on one knee, heads bowed, radiating an aura of ominous purpose and power.


    Although she was not close enough to study it, similarities compared to her shrine were remarkable. It was constructed with the same stone and was interacting with the domain. But it hovered more than two meters above the ground as if lording its presence over the reverent undead, and the mana and runic magic inscribed upon its surface was death and bone.


    ¡°This must be the dungeon core,¡± Calen said, his tone quietly warning of imminent danger. ¡°Those Wights are raid bosses, and a high level at that.¡±


    Ali snapped her attention to the two larger kneeling figures, feeling the chill of apprehension as she studied their emaciated forms.


    ¡°By ¡®dungeon core¡¯ do you mean the Wights? Or the artifact?¡± Ali asked. ¡°Do we even know how to destroy a dungeon?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Calen admitted. ¡°But there¡¯s no more dungeon beyond here, and if we want to kill it for good, we have to defeat the last boss regardless.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Mato asked. ¡°We just run in and hit them?¡±


    ¡°These are greater undead,¡± Malika said. ¡°We need to be extremely careful.¡±


    Wights, unlike the zombies and skeletons, were a form of undead that retained their ego. Despite her mounting anxiety and trepidation, Ali studied the two undead monsters carefully. The Bone Wight¡¯s slate gray flesh was covered by bone armor that writhed and rippled slowly with the infusion of its bone affinity mana, forming ridges and spines that slowly faded and reformed with an unsettling unlife. It had two bone swords slung across his back, and two more fastened to its armor at the waist.


    The Death Wight¡¯s long wispy white hair flowed and shifted in the currents of mana, along with the tattered remains of its black robes. The energy of undeath glowed from its spectral eyes while death mana rolled out from its body in continuous waves.


    ¡°What¡­ should we do?¡± Ali whispered.


    Calen


    ¡°What can you see with your mana sight?¡± Calen asked. The two Wights would almost certainly come together, and so would all the skeletons. Other than telling him the Wights were raid-level threats, and undead, his Explorer skill wasn¡¯t giving him much more to go on. If the Wights were substantially higher level than they were, there was a good chance they would need to run.


    ¡°The Bone Wight¡¯s mana is animating its armor and weapons,¡± Ali answered. Her observation clearly explained the disconcertingly ¡®alive¡¯ armor the monster was wearing.


    ¡°The Death Wight is emitting an aura of death mana to a range of ten meters¡­ uh, thirty feet.¡± Ali continued. Calen frowned. Likely, the aura would cause continuous damage and that might become a problem for Mato and Malika.


    ¡°I think we can assume the bone one is melee and the death one is a caster,¡± Calen concluded. ¡°Mato can tank the Bone Wight, and I think we should target the death one first.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to do both at the same time?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can separate them.¡±


    ¡°Ok, everyone ready?¡±


    ¡°Make sure you have a Recall Potion handy,¡± Malika whispered.


    ¡°Ok, Mato, go, I¡¯ll shoot the Death Wight after you engage,¡± Calen said. He might not be able to separate them to fight one at a time, but he could pull the Death Wight away from the skeletons and the Bone Wight so they could kill it faster. As Mato transformed, he summoned his bow and nocked an arrow, sighting down the shaft at the kneeling Death Wight.


    As Mato¡¯s huge bulk slammed through the skeletons, knocking several of them sprawling, chaos erupted around the floating stone obelisk as the undead reacted to the roaring bear. The Bone Wight leapt to its feet, shouting something in a chillingly ethereal voice, and drew two swords to strike. The Death Wight turned sharply, but before it could take any action, Calen¡¯s brilliantly shining arrow struck it in the emaciated ribs visible through the tears in its robe.


    A sepulchral hiss echoed all around as the Wight Mage turned to fix its dark glowing eyes on him. With withered undead lips pulled back in a grimace that revealed blackened, needle-like teeth, it levitated into the air, waving gaunt skeletal hands in the patterns of a ritual.


    Calen fired again, striking the hovering Wight in the leg. Several black bolts of energy burst out from the Wight as it finished its ritual, lofting up into the air and rapidly descending into the piles of bones.


    ¡°It summoned more skeletons!¡± Ali yelled from behind.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get them,¡± Malika answered. Their plan was already being warped beyond recognition. Clearly, Malika couldn¡¯t help them with a flying monster, unless he used Grappling Shot, but rounding up skeletons was an effective role given that they now knew it could summon them.


    Calen fired another shot. This time, the Death Wight fixed him with a malevolent stare and made a swirling gesture with its hand, seeming to pull something black and ethereal from the aether ¨C something that let out an unending, bone-chilling scream. He identified it at once.


    Without warning, the spirit tore across the battlefield toward him as Calen fired another arrow, but his arrow passed clean through the spirit without any apparent effect, leaving him to face the very angry undead spirit bearing down on him without an effective attack.


    Barely had the thought begun to form when a golden glowing barrier snapped into place and the spirit slammed into it, bouncing off. With an extraordinary burst of speed, the translucent death spirit dodged around the barrier, lashing at him viciously. Some part of it hit his arm, but instead of a tactile contact, it passed right through his flesh with a sharp biting pain, leaving the area partially numb. It wheeled about for another pass, bouncing off a new barrier as Ali strove to block the spirit. As it zipped around the barrier, Calen dodged. Then, he found himself dodging again twice more in quick succession as the nimble spirit darted back and forth keeping up with his evasive maneuvers.


    It bit him again, this time passing through his calf and making him stumble from the sudden brief numbness. He dodged back and tried to shoot again, trying to shake off the uncanny chill, but once again his arrow passed harmlessly through the wraith. With his next arrow, the wraith froze, shivering in place while its howling scream intensified.  The shivering intensified to a pulse and then it exploded, darkness blasting outward in a surge of pain as the energy passed right through him.


    Maximum health is reduced by 1%


    Affliction. Count: 1


    Calen shuddered in horror at the sensation of having his life force ripped from him in an explosion of undeath. Deliberately, he clenched his fists as he stared upwards, deep in thought.


    Flying high above him in the darkness, the Death Wight¡¯s sinister laughter echoed through the whole battlefield as its hands began once again to move in the pattern of its summoning ritual. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 87: Bone and Death: Twin Wights

    Chapter 87: Bone and Death: Twin Wights


    , by Lyeneru Silverleaf, Elven Pathfinders Guild.


    Aliandra


    Ali¡¯s attention flickered across the battlefield with a frantic urgency, trying to pay attention to everything at once. She took a deep breath. Off to the far side, bone mana flared, and nature magic responded as Mato faced off with the Bone Wight in a devastating clash of blurring swords and crushing claws. But as powerful as the impacts were, and as terrifying as the sight of Mato¡¯s blood spraying into the air was, right now, all he needed was the attention of her Acolyte healers.


    Two skeletons were desperately trying to claw their way through her barrier to get to her, banging rusty swords against it as she shifted its position to keep them at bay. With a flurry of punches, Malika snagged their attention and sprinted back to her spot below the flying Death Wight where she was tanking six other skeletons in a high-speed dance of blocking and counterstrikes that Ali could barely follow, while her healing magic pulsed periodically in bright flares.


    she thought, feeling the pressure on her drop dramatically. She glanced at her small army, mind racing for options.


    A surge of death mana from above preceded another Volatile Wraith flying out from the Wight¡¯s hand. Calen¡¯s arrows had not been able to hit it, but she was ready to try her magic.


    ¡°Ali instructed her mages and shamans, firing Arcane Bolts at the screaming Volatile Wraith.


    ¡°Be careful, Ali, it has a Life Drain attack,¡± Calen said.


    Whatever that was did not sound pleasant. Fortunately, her Arcane Bolts seemed to actually strike the ethereal spirit, so she kept shooting as the wraith circled Calen, darting in and out to attack him around the barrier she kept shoving in its way. Suddenly, the wraith simply exploded, filling the area with a short-range pulse of death mana that quickly expired. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°We need to kill that flying Wight, and fast!¡± Calen said, his voice sounding more urgent and worried than Ali had expected. His body flared with mana as he spent his potent Righteous Fury skill, loosing a veritable storm of glowing arrows into the sky.


    Ali quickly redirected her bolts to the Death Wight and checked in with her minions to make sure the firebolts and lightning bolts were all on target, while it continued lobbing its death magic rituals and summoning Volatile Wraiths.


    ¡°I need help,¡± Malika shouted, her voice leaking unfamiliar tension and stress.


    The urgency in Malika¡¯s voice captured Ali¡¯s attention wholly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re not dying!¡± Malika yelled.


    Ali watched aghast, as another Kobold skeleton and the bones of a Sewer Rat stirred from the pile, crawling out and lurching across the flagstones to join the battle. The Kobold skeleton scooped up a rusty sword on the way. The nova totems were correctly placed, pulsing their lightning into the group of skeletons ¨C Ali had made her shamans drop them at the outset and simply forgotten about them. Malika, of course, had healing and all she needed was an extra helping hand with area damage.


    But when she glanced over, Malika was tanking a horde of skeletons ¨C many more than Ali had expected. Skeletons that seemed to be invulnerable to the lightning magic of the pair of Lightning Nova totems. The blue-white flashes of Malika¡¯s healing spell flickered continuously trying to keep up with all the damage she was taking from sword strikes she simply didn¡¯t have time to block, stray Volatile Wraiths, and the lightning novas.


    Ali suddenly noticed the ten-meter radius pulsing aura of death magic continuously emanating from the flying Death Wight. It sparkled with midnight-black energy and small eddies and vortices of death mana seemed to be continuously absorbed by the skeletons as they stood in the lightning trying to kill Malika.


    ¡°Malika, move them!¡± Ali shouted urgently, as she suddenly made the connection between the death magic pulse her Kobold Death¡¯s Acolyte had used and the aura that was pulsing out and healing all the skeletons. ¡°The aura is healing them.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Calen exclaimed. ¡°Mato, move the Bone Wight further away. Thirty feet! Malika, drag the skeletons past Mato if you can, and take advantage of his retaliation.¡± Calen spat out ideas and suggestions all the while not missing a single shot at the flying Death Wight. It was a remarkable idea, and one Ali would never have thought of as she tended to think with magic rather than might. But Calen had recalled Mato¡¯s ability perfectly and figured out how they might take advantage of it in an instant.


    ¡°Help heal her,¡±Ali instructed her Acolytes, pleased to see the magic of their long duration heals quickly settling in on Malika¡¯s body as she danced her way out of the death aura, dragging her host of skeletons with her. The longer duration heals were much slower, but vastly more efficient in terms of mana, and would provide substantial healing over time. Just the kind of thing Malika would need ¨C her heal seemed ideal for instant bursts and emergencies.


    Ali sent the next command mentally to her two Luminous Slimes, not taking any chances with her instructions. Blinding Malika or Mato right now would be a disaster ¨C and she was nearly certain that the skeletons didn¡¯t need eyes to see. she thought, making note of one more thing she needed to pay attention to.


    ¡°Move the totems over there,¡±Ali continued organizing her minions, instructing the Goblin shamans to relocate the totems to where Malika was dragging the skeletons. ¡°Get in there and fight too but shoot lightning at the flying Wight.¡± Often when she was overloaded and had too many things to think of, she reverted to treating her shamans as extra ranged mages, keeping them back and just using their totems, lightning bolts, and curses. But they were excellent melee fighters and throwing them into the fray was going to help way more than holding them back out of harm¡¯s way.


    With a quick thought to reinforce her command to the slimes not to blind anyone, Ali turned her attention fully to the Death Wight. Calen seemed to be struggling as the Wight was chain-summoning Volatile Wraiths to attack him. They didn¡¯t last particularly long, but their explosive demise seemed quite damaging, and Calen was darting back and forth trying, only somewhat successfully, to dodge the agile, high-speed spirits.


    She hadn¡¯t been particularly successful at blocking them before, but now they had her full attention. She summoned two barriers and devoting just enough focus to keep her arcane bolts soaring skyward, she set to the task of blocking as many Volatile Wraith attacks as she could.


    Mato


    Mato¡¯s danger sense prickled, and he blocked, taking the overhead strike on the armor covering his shoulder before returning the attack with a Swipe that tore through the Bone Wight¡¯s armor. Instantly the rent in the armor began to close as the bone ridges and plates on the undead¡¯s chest writhed and crawled with unnatural energy.


    This monster was an affront to nature, an abomination, and Mato was grateful for the opportunity to rid the world of it once and for all. Survival Instinct jolted his attention as the Wight unleashed a powerful slash. Both blurring blades were enhanced with the magical energy of a potent skill that the monster seemed to use almost without fail every thirty seconds. Mato blocked one strike and took the second on his flank. The ultra-sharp gleaming sword sliced through his flesh, leaving a trail of corrupting mana that rapidly turned the wounded muscle into bone. Mato gritted his teeth and attacked, knowing he was going to shatter the ossified flesh and rip a much larger wound in his body.


    Pain lanced through him along with the horrific sensation of his own muscles and flesh cracking and shattering as it fell to the ground. The soft warmth of holy magic followed shortly after, gently beginning to heal him while his Restoration continued to pulse constantly.


    ¡°Mato, skeletons!¡± Malika¡¯s voice called out from behind him.


    He grinned and set himself. This was the part he enjoyed most. Malika sprinted into view with a train of skeletons chasing her. As they ran by, intent on killing her, he felt the telltale urgency of his Battle Master triggering. He didn¡¯t hesitate, applying both Brutal Restoration and Bestial Combat enhancements to his strike. The instantaneous blow smashed a skeleton to the ground, sending fragments of bone flying. Even as he did so, he triggered his block.


    He had discovered, really quickly, that the Bone Wight had an almost identical ability ¨C with the minor exception that instead of roots, his would summon a cage of bone spikes to trap whatever he hit. Whenever Mato struck a skeleton, the Wight would retaliate. The enormously powerful strike of the bone sword slammed into his armor as he shouldered the blade to the side, taking only a portion of the damage. But the increase in the potency of his Brutal Restoration healing from his strike would more than cover the damage.


    His skill triggered on the second skeleton, and he was ready, again spending mana and health like it was free, he struck with as much power as he could create. His Survival Instinct screamed but he was already blocking the retaliation.


    The high-speed exchange of retaliatory strikes continued for three seconds, during which Mato had rooted seven skeletons, and ended when he failed to block the Wight¡¯s retaliation. As the blade bit deep turning flesh to bone, spines of bone erupted from the ground, trapping him and encasing him in a prison-cage. Through the bars, he saw Malika dodging the retaliation strike aimed at her as she left the strike zone.


    Mato roared, taunting all the left-over skeletons to attack him, and then swiped at the bone cage, again spending health to empower his Bestial Combat: Living Rend. It had been a happy discovery that his skill found the bars of the bone prison close enough to armor that it would work just fine. Bone shattered, sundered by his armor destruction skill, freeing him in time to block the next attack from the Bone Wight.


    Carefully, Mato shifted his body backward, step by step until he was standing in the middle of the Lightning Novas. Shifting backward also had the side effect of dragging the skeletons with him, bunching them all. He took immediate advantage of the positioning by using his Swipe to hit all the monsters in front of him, applying his enhancements to maximum effect. Again, his Brutal Restoration buff surged, adding healing proportional to the damage he did to everything before him. The more monsters his claws found, the higher it went. Secure in his healing, he attacked again, ignoring the next strike from the Bone Wight¡¯s sharp blades, and spending health to increase his armor damage. Bone pieces flew with the power of his strike and skeletons began dropping, finished off by the continuous field of lightning damage he was standing in.


    Mato prepared to block the regular thirty-second power attack, but it never came.


    A great scream echoed through the battlefield, a scream that cut through his mind like a sword, raising the hair on the back of his neck. The scream slowly faded as if coming from someone falling into an infinite abyss. The Bone Wight froze in place.


    ¡°Death Wight down,¡± Calen announced.


    A deathly black bolt of energy shot into the frozen Wight, and something changed. The bone armor thickened and expanded as the Wight grew taller and broader. Two skeletal arms of thick off-white bone sprouted from its back, behind the shoulders. The new arms reached down and drew the two remaining swords that hung at the Wight¡¯s waist. It opened its now darkly glowing eyes and fixed Mato with a hateful stare as it made all four swords flare with a black mist that trailed behind as wisps of cold, dark magic as they moved into position.


    he thought.


    The Bone Wight raised its swords skyward and let out a bone-rattling shriek as a powerful aura blasted out from it in all directions, sucking at Mato¡¯s life. All around him, seemingly at random, bone spike prisons sprung from the ground grabbing at the air before sinking back into the stony ground.


    Survival Instinct screamed silently within him as the swords blurred into action. He blocked as best he could, but there were four blades, and they were suddenly much faster. His blood sprayed into the air as the bone swords bit deep turning his wounds into bone, but this time with the added decay of death ripping deep into his body.


    Maximum health is reduced by 1%


    Affliction. Count: 1


    Malika


    Malika charged the undead monstrosity, sensing the power of the death magic aura as soon as she entered the zone. The moment the flying Death Wight died, the remaining Wight had simply sprouted extra arms and grown another three feet taller.


    she thought, dodging as a ring of bone spikes burst from the ground and snapped closed on her just vacated location, like a macabre bone mouth emerging from the ground to feed.


    She sprinted up to the back of the Wight and landed a quick sequence of kicks and punches, bruising her knuckles and shins on the dense armor, but still releasing her Soul Strike each time. She reached out to Mato and pulsed her healing into his body, grimacing at the cracking and popping as whole chunks of ossified flesh were ejected from his wounds as her healing magic closed them.


    An overpowering strike of a bone blade bit deep into her shoulder, coming from nowhere and driving her to her knees in a fountain of blood. As the bone spines snapped closed around her, she felt the Wight¡¯s magic decaying her wound, and the creeping, pulling sensation of her flesh slowly turning to bone within it.


    She hadn¡¯t expected to be hit like that, and so she hadn¡¯t been watching attentively enough to dodge a strike. Malika healed herself, gritting her teeth against the pain as her magic purged the wound of decayed and ossified flesh. As terrifying as the life drain was, she couldn¡¯t afford to slow down without putting her friends at considerable risk. She had already lost sixteen percent to the explosions of Volatile Wraiths, and if she lost too much more, she would struggle to take a hit safely. She just hoped there was some way to undo the loss.


    The bone spines pinning her in place shattered as Mato¡¯s claws ripped through the cage, freeing her with just enough time to dodge sideways, but her drawing an attack was sufficient to trigger Mato¡¯s retaliation, as evidenced by the powerful smashing Swipe and the roots that sprung up from the ground. Malika was quickly losing track of the complex interplay of retaliation between Mato and the Wight, but she could appreciate the skill and precision of each of the strikes. The Wight seemed to be uncannily accurate with its bone swords, while Mato was leading with raw strength and power, even though his attacks were also delivered with skillful poise.


    A bone prison snapped shut right beside her, catching one of the glowing slimes, but it simply flowed out of the prison as if it wasn¡¯t even an inconvenience, continuing to strike with extrusions of its body.


    Malika ignored it; her attention was instead suddenly caught by the bolts of black energy flying out from the Wight.


    ¡°It¡¯s raising more skeletons!¡± Ali¡¯s voice confirmed what she had already guessed, and she sprinted off to catch the newly summoned undead while dodging the parting strike from the Wight.


    She punched the first skeleton she found, racing to collect the rest. Scanning the battlefield, she counted six this time, two of them near Ali and the healers. She would need to be quick. She poured stamina into Divine Step, accelerating her sprint and rounding up the next two skeletons before she charged across to the two closing in on Ali. With a round kick, she collected both of them before they could cause any trouble and began sprinting back to Mato to deliver her payload.


    Suddenly Malika wasn¡¯t sure anymore. She had felt the death aura over by the empowered Wight, and if Ali was right, that aura was what had been healing the undead at the beginning of the fight.


    ¡°Ali, is that the same aura?¡± she called out, dodging two strikes and blocking a third. She focused on the attacks, her arms striking out counterattacks and blocking wherever she could.


    ¡°What?¡± Ali called out in surprise. ¡°Oh¡­ yes.¡±


    ¡°Kill the skeletons here, then,¡± Malika decided. Bringing them to Mato would be worse than useless if they couldn¡¯t be killed in the aura. She would just have to tank them herself.


    ¡°Can you handle the lightning?¡± Ali asked, sounding rather concerned.


    ¡°Yes, and one or two fireballs,¡± she said with way more confidence than she felt. It wasn¡¯t like she had much of a choice, she simply had to. Without the extra damage from the Fire Mages, she was unlikely to be able to kill them fast enough to round up the next set of summons when they came.


    ¡°Ok.¡±


    The sharp ringing of steel hitting stone pierced the cacophony of battle as two totems dropped right beside her. Malika¡¯s muscles spasmed the instant the Lightning Nova tore through her body, but it affected the skeletons busy trying to stab her with mismatched weapons just as much. Holy magic trickled through her body as Ali¡¯s Acolytes began to heal her. The lightning pulsed again, and then again. Malika pulsed some of her healing and blocked a sword by knocking the flat of the blade with the palm of her hand.


    ¡°Fireball.¡±


    The warning gave her just one second before the concussion of heat blasted her off her feet. Her skin bubbled and blackened and her hair vaporized. Malika sprang back to her feet, healing magic flowing without holding back. No sooner was she up than she heard the same warning.


    ¡°Fireball.¡±


    In spite of herself she flinched, but this time she kept her feet against the powerful explosion of flame. At the same time the fire rocked her body, the soft soothing magic of a holy healing spell filtered through her, repairing the burns faster than she sustained them.


    Looking around quickly in the aftermath, she found two skeletons still standing, so she unleashed her Soul Strike empowered kicks, knocking them back into the lightning novas and they didn¡¯t get back up.


    ¡°It¡¯s raising more skeletons,¡± Calen called out, and sure enough bolts of black energy flashed out into the giant piles of bones. Malika sprinted off, quickly memorizing where each of them had landed.

 Chapter 88: Haunted by the Past

    Chapter 88: Haunted by the PastAliandraAli was sure Malika wasn¡¯t nearly as certain about her ability to survive the damage as she had sounded ¨C and had only said it that confidently so that she wouldn¡¯t worry. But she chose to take Malika¡¯s word for it, trusting her judgment. She did, however, load her up with extra healing magic before she called for fireballs, just to be safe.


    Ali kept a close eye on the chaos of the magic she had unleashed, sorting the exploding fire mana from the pulsing lightning, and concentrating on the dense bright kernel of soul and holy magic right in the center of the conflagration. But Malika came out unscathed, quickly destroying the remaining skeletons before rushing off to pick up the new ones just raised.


    Ali released a breath she hadn¡¯t remembered holding and returned her attention to the blurring blades of the four-armed monstrosity before her.


    As if an undead Wight that could summon other undead wasn¡¯t enough of a monstrosity already.


    Ali focused her minions on doing as much damage to the monster that was ripping chunks of flesh and sprays of blood from the bear before it as possible. Ali kept her mind calm, consoling herself with the reminder that he had enormous health, armor, and endurance, and she was literally keeping him alive with her Kobold Acolytes. She took a deep breath.


    Something bizarre happened when the Death Wight died. It had simply fallen from the sky with an unholy scream, but the mana had changed. Something dense and black had flown from the dying Wight and embedded itself into the unliving one, and suddenly it had grown larger and sprouted an extra set of powerful skeletal arms. But the most profound change had not been visible to the mundane senses. The bone and death mana had collided and merged somehow, resulting in a Wight Monstrosity with both affinities. Ali could see the bone and death mana of its aura causing the bone prisons to snap randomly at whatever was nearby. Mato would regularly get trapped, but he had his way of smashing himself free, and Ali¡¯s two Luminous Slimes would often get trapped too, but for them, it was less than a minor inconvenience, they simply smooshed themselves between the bone spines as easily as she would walk through a doorway.


    Ali, however ¨C she would be crushed like a bug if she got hit with anything from a monster that powerful. Shivering briefly, she summoned another barrier in front of herself, hoping it would be strong enough to protect her from those stray bolts of death magic.


    Beside her, Calen¡¯s magic surged powerfully as he activated his Righteous Fury a second time. ¡°I¡¯m going all out,¡± he announced.


    She hadn¡¯t been paying close attention to the passage of time, but she had memorized Calen¡¯s recharge timer.


    ¡°How is your mana?¡± Ali asked in Draconic.


    ¡°Getting low, Ancient Mistress.¡±


    ¡°Almost out, Ancient Mistress.¡±


    ¡°Drink this,¡± she told them. Not even considering the cost, Ali retrieved two of the most powerful mana potions she had in her ring and handed one each to her Acolytes. If even one of them ran out of mana, Mato would die quickly ¨C and shortly after, they would all die, depending on how fast they could use the recall potions. Ali shivered, not wanting to think about any of that ¨C no, the mana potions were a small cost to pay. Right now, making better-laid plans on when and how to retreat sounded like an excellent idea.


    ¡°Cast Restoration on Malika,¡± she instructed. Over time she was becoming more and more familiar with her minions¡¯ abilities. Restoration was the long heal-over-time spell her Acolytes were so fond of using. With Malika approaching the totems with a new set of skeletons, she wanted her to be safely topped up, while she directed her mages in the now-familiar rotation.


    ¡°Fireball,¡± she called out to warn Malika. Fire magic exploded right on top of her friend. Malika was knocked to the ground again, which made Ali¡¯s heart skip a beat, but she was still moving ¨C seen by the outline of holy and soul magic healing.


    ¡°Fireball.¡± The second ball of destruction detonated, knocking more than a dozen skeletons down, and this time, only Malika rose from the inferno.


    Ali redirected her minions back to the Wight, instructing her mages to switch to Firebolt again. They tended to prefer their most powerful magic, sometimes in entirely inappropriate situations, and she was not about to take any chances with it. Reminded by her thoughts, she reinforced her instructions to her slimes for the hundredth time during this battle. They were annoying to babysit, but she had to admit they had lasted the entire fight so far, hitting the Wight continually without dying or getting trapped or needing saving. They were her highest-level minion after all.


    A complex formation of lightning formed, settling in on the Wight as her shamans refreshed their lightning vulnerability curse, followed by the intense brightness of their Lightning Bolts, which they often used to blow their way out of the bone prisons. Their maces sparked with lightning as they clubbed the Wight in the back.


    she thought. Even though the Wight had grown substantially more powerful, one less of them to worry about gave Ali a sense of confidence. As long as her minions didn¡¯t run out of mana, it looked like they had everything under control.


    Ali deconstructed a skeleton to refresh some of her mana as Calen¡¯s intense burning mana began to fade and then turned to set up the next fireball rotation as Malika dragged some more skeletons to the totems.


    In that instant, several bone prisons sprang up around the Wight, snapping closed on her shamans, slimes, and on Mato. This had already happened many times during the fight, but always someone would block, dodge, or avoid it. This time, however, for a brief moment, every single melee member was trapped simultaneously. With a powerful overhead strike, two bone blades crashed down, trailing a mist of death magic, slicing clean through one of her Goblin Storm Shamans while he was pinned in the prison. The Wight spun ¨C a powerful twist with its two right-hand blades ¨C cleaving through the rest of the minions, sending bone, blood, and slime flying in a gruesome arc. Both Ali¡¯s slimes and the remaining shaman collapsed, bisected by the bone blades enhanced by two affinities of magic and the potent strength of the powerful Wight.


    It all happened in an instant, and before Mato was able to shatter his prison, the Wight ¨C now unchallenged ¨C sprang forward charging with extraordinary speed toward Calen, whose Righteous Fury had just expired.


    ¡°Calen, run!¡± Ali screamed, seeing the monstrous undead tearing across the battlefield. The monster was at least twice the size of Calen, and Ali knew without even thinking that the quiet, unassuming Half-elf would be pulverized in an instant. Ali felt the bite of the death affinity aura as it washed over her, and the sudden snap of bone spikes closing around her body. She struggled futilely against the iron-hard bone spines with what little strength she had while first one, and then the other of her Acolytes flared with pillars of golden holy light as they pushed their healing magic to the extreme, struggling to keep up with the sudden increase in damage inflicted on everyone by the Wight¡¯s dangerous aura.


    Calen ran, but to her horror, he ran the wrong way. He dodged the shooting spines of a bone prison, but he ran almost directly toward the charging Wight and its four dangerous bone swords. ¡°The other way!¡±Ali screamed as she watched the impending collision that could only end with Calen sliced up like the bloody remains of her shamans lying in pieces on the stone ground.


    Unable to move, Ali saw them drawing closer, and then suddenly Calen jerked sideways, tipping his body and leaping over a knee-height slicing blade while simultaneously ducking under the neck-height one scissoring the other way. By some miracle of agility, his body passed cleanly between the two blades and he landed on one foot, continuing his flat-out sprint. In desperation, Ali threw a barrier between him and the Wight, catching the third sword in a shattering blast of golden glowing splinters a hand¡¯s width before it cleaved into his spine.


    Then, Ali heard the furious, raw roar of a bear charging into the fray, bellowing in a primal fury. A single realization crystallized in her mind.


    As the Wight turned to chase its prey, Mato reared up and struck with both paws, a blow so powerful that the Wight was driven to its knees. Thick roots sprang up from the stony ground, twisting and constricting as they twined around the Wight¡¯s sinewy feet and legs. The bear¡¯s great roar echoed out through the battlefield, and the Wight turned to face him, but so did all the skeletons Malika was tanking.


    ¡°¡± Ali commanded her minions as she regained her wits and the shock passed. She was still trapped, but there was no reason for her minions to stand and die in the death and bone aura. Those who were not struggling with bone prisons moved back and the fight stabilized once again. Mato was now tanking skeletons as well as the Wight and there was no way Ali was going to be able to kill them.


    ¡°Ignore the skeletons and target only the Wight,¡± Calen called over as if reading her mind.


    While the death magic aura was painful and she had no hope of escaping from the bone prison, Ali could feel the slow pulse of the holy magic restoration keeping her alive, and so she did what she could. She instructed her remaining minions to resume attacking, began firing Arcane Bolts, and started deconstructing the bone prison that had her pinned in place.


    By the time she had freed herself, the horde of skeletons had doubled in size, and Malika was unleashing a fury of kicks and punches into the back of the Wight, having given up on tanking the summoned skeletons. Black bolts of vile death magic exploded out from the Wight as it summoned more skeletons.


    Ali thought desperately as the death magic sunk into the piles of bones and skeletons stood up in droves, too many to even count, and began to charge into battle.


    Suddenly, the Wight thundered, ¡°¡±


    The heavily accented Dal¡¯mohran sliced into her consciousness like a glacial dagger strike an instant before the Wight collapsed to the ground. Ali¡¯s mental target for Arcane Bolt evaporated as the chime sounded in her mind.


    Chilled to the bone, she stared for several long seconds as the body of the Wight lay twisted upon the ground, slowly reverting to its original form as the extra pair of bone arms crumbled from its back, turning to dust before it finally sunk in. Ali shivered and rubbed her arms, unable to shake the impact of its words. She had to check her notifications to be certain.


    ¡°Fireball,¡± Ali called out as she finally accepted the incomprehensible fact that they had just beaten the Wight, and all that remained was its left-over skeleton minions. Meantime, all within her was ice. The Blind Lich lived ¨C surely, this must be proof?


    ***


    Ali rushed across the battered and skeleton-strewn stone and stared up at the floating obelisk of stone and its glowing death magic runic inscriptions.


    Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra (Bone / Death)


    Owner: Twin Wights


    Teleportation Locus


    Mana Siphon


    Shrine ¨C Artifact S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The similarity between this artifact and her shrine was obvious, but Ali had never seen another. This one was levitating; borne aloft by the power of the domain mana she could see all around her.


    Suddenly she noticed the mana signature and shuddered reflexively at the memory of the Blind Lich, his appearance, his aura of dread, and his horrifying purpose.


    Ali stood still, transfixed by her terrifying memories playing through her mind. But the shrine pulsed once. Twice. A ripple shot out through the domain and a vast whirlpool of mana began swirling, accelerating as it was drawn into the shrine.


    On the ground, projected in glowing black, a runic circle appeared, and the shrine began to thrum with the power of the mana it was drawing in.


    In her curiosity, Ali studied the runes, relying on Runic Script to read the circle on the ground. After a few seconds, it came to her. It was a little different than the one in the Novaspark Academy of Magic, this one being a locus created entirely from death magic.


    It was a teleportation locus. A locus created entirely from death magic, projected by an artifact that had Nevyn Eld¡¯s mana signature. These thoughts collided in her mind simultaneously, all leading to a single, inescapable conclusion.


    ¡°Hide! Something is coming!¡±


    Ali shot past her friends¡¯ surprised looks, driven by a dread certainty, a premonition of danger that had its icy claws buried deep within her heart. ¡°Quickly!¡± She cared not one bit that her voice cracked with her mounting panic.


    She rounded the corner and touched down behind a massive pile of bones, with a surge of relief at the sight of her three friends right behind her.


    ¡°What is it, Ali?¡± Malika asked, sounding worried as they hunkered down behind cover.


    ¡°It¡¯s a teleportation locus.¡±


    From below the levitating shrine, the vortex of mana grew more and more turbulent, and suddenly a giant bolt of black lightning shot down from the black stone shrine, striking the stone with a violent thunderclap.


    Before she could even reach into her storage ring for her recall potion, the familiar waves of magical dread and fear slammed into her mind ¨C before the smoke and mana had even cleared. Her muscles trembled and she clamped her jaws to hold back a scream, tasting the metallic flavor of her blood as she bit herself.


    Suddenly was there. The tall figure floated just above the ground on a roiling black mist of magical energy. Skin so dark as to be sucking the light and energy from the world around him. His imposing red robes and the crimson blindfold adorned with shining silvery runes were exactly as she remembered them in her nightmares.


    Malika¡¯s fingers dug painfully into her upper arm with the hiss of a sharply drawn inbreath.


    ¡°Lich.¡± It was a whisper almost as quiet as a thought, but the Lich stopped dead, his head snapping directly toward them as if he could see them through the crimson, rune-embroidered blindfold.


    Ali froze in place, holding her breath, desperately wishing she could silence her pounding heart as the weight of a thousand nightmares ground her into dust. Her throat thickened and her head spun as the crushing despair of his fearful presence broke over her like a mountainous wave. Her body trembled, nerveless and unable to move. Her mind quailed as her will abandoned her, scrambling to hide off in a dark corner at the back of her mind. The moment stretched out forever as the Lich remained suspended in place with an unnatural stillness.


    After what seemed like an eternity had passed, the skeletally gaunt face turned, seemingly studying the dead Wight lying on the ground despite the blindfold, while the edges of his robes and the black mist below his waist began shifting and flapping as if reacting to a ghostly wind.


    Then he turned, facing the shrine, and Ali slowly took another breath while Malika¡¯s fingers eased their bruising grip.


    The Lich floated up and touched the shrine with a bony hand, causing several rapid magical formations to appear and disappear. The vortex of mana accelerated dramatically, causing his robes to whip back and forth in a storm ¨C being sucked into the dark glowing black prism, as best she could tell.


    Abruptly, it all ceased, the shrine suddenly gone, leaving only the floating Lich in the silent darkness, all remaining traces of the bone and death domain mana vanished. With a second violent thunderclap and bolt of black lightning, the Lich vanished, and the withdrawal of the oppressive fear aura caused Ali to gasp and stumble, the sense of relief so painful, her chest felt as if it had been released from a monstrous clamp.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Malika asked, her voice filled with the same shakiness Ali felt.


    ¡°Nevyn Eld,¡± Ali whispered. ¡°The same Lich that killed my parents and destroyed Dal¡¯mohra.¡±


    Her friends hissed in realization.


    Ali had been horrified to see Nevyn Eld¡¯s name on the book she and Ryn had discovered, but she had all but convinced herself that it was simply an artifact of the past ¨C a leftover relic ¨C and it was only her that connected the trauma of her experience in the past to the book in the current age. But she had failed to grasp the significance of Nevyn Eld¡¯s mana signature on the shrine. Mana signatures did not survive the passing of their owners.


    Now there could be no doubt in her mind. Nevyn Eld was alive and well ¨C or at least, just as undead now as he had been three thousand years ago. Ali slowly sunk to the ground, wiping away the cold sweat of fear on her face.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Yes, I think so.¡± She knew the lie as soon as she spoke it. She was most certainly not ok, her body still shaking badly enough that she probably couldn¡¯t get up. ¡°That¡­ that was my worst nightmare. Right ¨C¡±


    Her voice cracked. To her shock and embarrassment, Ali found herself sobbing ¨C rough, wrenching gasps of horror that seemed to be torn from the depths of her own soul.


    ¡°I think he¡¯s gone for good,¡± Calen said, scanning the battlefield, standing beside Mato who was ready in Bear Form, growling. ¡°How did he not see us?¡±


    Malika put a comforting arm around her shoulders, but Ali couldn¡¯t quite tell which of them it was meant to comfort. She welcomed the simple closeness though, and her shaking began to subside. Ali had gained a class and many levels since her last encounter with the Lich, but it was only now that she appreciated how much her mother had been shielding her from his mind-influencing magic of dread and fear.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how he missed us,¡± Ali admitted, wiping her eyes. Calen was right, if he had seen them, they would be dead right now.


    After some time, she clambered to her feet and studied the now-silent battlefield once more. ¡°I was hoping to study that shrine,¡± she said, staring at the cracked stone below the empty space where the shrine had once hovered.


    ¡°I appraised it before he arrived,¡± Malika said. ¡°Does this help?¡±


    Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra


    Owner: Twin Wights


    Teleportation Locus


    Mana Siphon


    Mana: Deconstruct an unresisting or inanimate target, imprinting its structure. Range: Domain


    Mana: Summon an imprinted item or creature


    Mana: Apply a Domain Enhancement


    Mana: Recharge the shrine¡¯s mana reserve. 12,754/20,000


    Quality: Rare


    Value: Soulbound


    Shrine ¨C Artifact


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ why did I not see those abilities?¡± Ali asked.


    Malika said, ¡°Appraise lets me see the abilities only normally available to the owner. I can see your shrine¡¯s mana reserve, for example.¡±


    Ali studied the abilities on the shrine ¨C abilities entirely unlike the ones she had on hers, trying to figure out why the magic sounded so similar to her own Grimoire and Deconstruction, and yet so different. she thought, but there was simply not enough information for her to unravel the mystery.


    ¡°Perhaps I need to read more of Nevyn Eld¡¯s book,¡± Ali said out loud. It was something she had been avoiding. While it was a book ¨C and one of the few she had access to ¨C her uncharacteristic reticence to study Nevyn Eld¡¯s book had everything to do with who he was and her personal experience with his uncaring hatred and arrogance.


    ¡°At least the dungeon is definitely gone, there¡¯s none of its domain mana remaining,¡± Ali said. Not able to figure out anything more about the uncanny familiarity of the magic on the stolen shrine, Ali got up and deconstructed the corpse of the Bone Wight that had become a merged hybrid monstrosity of four arms and bone and death magic.


    Ali puzzled over the obscure message, convinced she was missing something important while she deconstructed the fallen corpse of the Death Wight. Even as she finished reading the first notification, a new one popped up:


    But this was a conclusion she had already decided, and she found herself no closer to understanding.


    Passing by, Calen squeezed her shoulder briefly. He said nothing, but she appreciated the simple gesture more than she could have said.


    After a while, she asked, ¡°Can we go home?¡± The sudden shock of seeing Nevyn Eld in person, experiencing his fearsome aura for the second time, and the relief of escaping undetected had taken an enormous toll on her energy and emotions. Ali wanted nothing more than to sleep, be in a familiar environment, and maybe forget about it all for a few moments.


    Calen turned, nodding. ¡°Yes. Come on, everyone. We¡¯ve all had a long day. This place will still be here tomorrow, and the dungeon is definitely gone.¡±


    She had been an insignificant bug under the pressure of his presence. No, worse, like a speck of dust.

 Chapter 89: Life Drain

    Chapter 89: Life DrainMalikaThe Twin Wights had been an incredibly difficult fight; a serious wakeup call. By all accounts she should be happy that they had defeated it ¨C and first try too. But Malika had only one thing on her mind.


    By now, Malika was quite used to her Healing Mantra being able to erase wounds like they were nothing more than painful dreams. It was a beautiful magic, and one she had truly come to rely on. No matter what, as long as she had stamina or mana, she could fix anything. Her biggest worry had been running empty, or taking so much damage all at once, that she simply couldn¡¯t react fast enough to save herself.


    But the Death Wight¡¯s magic had summoned the Volatile Wraiths which had drained her life. It wasn¡¯t every single time they hit, only occasionally, but she could feel the tearing, ripping deep inside that somehow clawed out her life-force leaving her feeling hollowed out and damaged. Then later, the viciously sharp and powerful slashes of the combined bone-and-death Wight monstrosity ¨C attacks that sucked the life out of her wounded flesh before turning it to bone. Voraciously hungry swords wreathed with the horrific twisted miasma of Life Drain. The drains had come much more frequently from the black mist-wreathed swords, enchanted with bone magic to increase sharpness and the chance to trigger the critical damage.


    It still remained half an hour after the battle ¨C a health total that was supposed to be four hundred and seventy still showed two hundred and ninety-one. All the way back to the relative safety of their camp she anxiously checked it, again and again, but nothing had changed. She had healed herself, and walked within Mato¡¯s regeneration aura, but still nothing had changed. She had even wasted a healing potion, but to no avail. Finally, she decided she must broach the subject.


    ¡°So, is this life drain ¡­ permanent?¡± She felt the sense of dread, as if putting words to her fear had suddenly made it more real.


    ¡°Calen mentioned life drain¡­¡± Ali answered. She looked so puzzled, Malika was certain that Ali hadn¡¯t been hit.


    ¡°That¡¯s a horrible thought,¡± Mato said. ¡°Mine is at fifty-three percent.¡±


    ¡°Mine is thirty-six,¡± Calen added.


    ¡°Wait, what are those percentages?¡± Ali asked, sounding worried.


    ¡°The Wight¡¯s Life Drain reduces maximum health by a cumulative one percent every time it hits. I think it¡¯s a critical damage effect,¡± Malika explained. She couldn¡¯t believe Ali hadn¡¯t gotten hit even once. But perhaps it was reasonable, Calen had been effectively tanking the flying Death Wight, and he had taken most of the fury of the Volatile Wraiths at the beginning. Malika only took blasts when she had to pull skeletons off him. It was at the end of the fight when she ran through the blades that she had gotten a substantial number of hits from the swords.


    ¡°You were tanking all that stuff at the end with less than half your health?¡± Ali sounded incredulous as she stared wide-eyed at Mato.


    ¡°Still less than half, it hasn¡¯t gone away.¡±


    ¡°It sounds a lot like my domain withdrawal,¡± Ali said, looking thoughtful. ¡°And that eventually goes away, but I need to be in my domain. You don¡¯t have a domain. A debuff then? But we killed the Wights, how is it still there? I ¨C I need to think about this.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not gone by morning, I think we should ask Vivian Ross about it. She¡¯s much more experienced than we are,¡± Calen suggested.


    As uneasy as she was about the guild¡¯s administrator, the Guildmaster had offered them solid advice when they were starting out and again when they had failed the first attempt at the Skeletal Wyvern. Despite her usual reticence to rely on anyone, Malika felt a burst of hope at Calen¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°Besides, we all reached silver rank, so we need to check in and get our ring upgrade,¡± Calen finished. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to spend some points on wisdom, everyone.¡±


    In her frantic obsession over her health and the drain, she had simply forgotten to check her progress in the aftermath of the fight.


    Sucking in a breath, she read her notifications.


    Her eyebrows nearly bounced off the cavern roof.


    She let the visible signs of progress sink in, reassuring her that even though her health was drained, she was still making substantial advances, growing her abilities and skills. Her role in the fight had mostly been playing catch for skeletons and tanking them until either Mato could pick them up or Ali could blast them. For that, all her defensive skills had grown substantially. It seemed to be a role her class was ideally suited for ¨C while she didn¡¯t have the armor Mato did, she did have a great suite of defensive skills ¨C armor, blocking with Martial Artist, evasion, and to round it all out she could heal herself and her movement skill did not have a recharge.


    Mindful of Calen¡¯s suggestion, she spent twelve points on wisdom, boosting her mental fortitude in case of mental attack. She followed that up with thirteen points in endurance and fifteen in dexterity, taking care of her primary attributes. With the remainder, she spent five on vitality, three on perception, and two on intelligence. Then she moved to the next set of notifications.


    Retaliate


    Stamina: Whenever you block, you can instantly retaliate with any Melee attack. You gain +20% chance to land a critical strike. Recharge: 5 seconds.


    Physical, Melee, Dexterity


    Soul Shield


    Stamina: Project your soul energy into a shield of force in front of you, deflecting any incoming damage. Damage taken reduces your stamina instead of health.


    Soul, Defense, Wisdom


    Malika suddenly stopped reading; eyes widening in surprise at the notification.


    Bloodline skills were the pride of the Ahn Khen ¨C unique skills passed down through their shared bloodline from the ancestors themselves. Villages were known to rate their relative social and cultural value by the number of bloodline skills they had produced. They did not always manifest, even for people who inherited the bloodline, so she had been taught not to expect one. But Bakahn village, where she had grown up, would grind to a halt to celebrate whenever anyone unlocked one. Several times, the celebrations she remembered had even attracted visitors from the nearby villages, too.


    Bloodline skills were considered to be a huge honor, but also responsibility, and the custodians of such skills were expected to hone them to the highest potential, developing their strength and power because it was believed that they might pass the more powerful versions to their descendants growing the strength of the bloodline itself. Many of the most powerful of these skills were now lost to the ravages of time and the decline of her people, but of the ones that remained, Malika knew most of them by heart. At least their initial presentation before their owners began to develop them.


    The question burned in her heart as she rapidly scanned the remaining blue-white glowing text hovering in her mind.


    Clarity


    Your proficiency with meditation is enhanced by your Ahn Khen bloodline. Your mind has reached a permanent state of clarity, during which mana and stamina regeneration is increased by + . Bonus is doubled if you sit and focus.


    Soul, Bloodline, Wisdom, Endurance


    There it was ¨C a bloodline skill. The text seemed to burn in her mind as if somehow it was written with more weight and significance. And it was not one she had ever heard of. She read it through again, a little confused.


    She didn¡¯t know what she had been expecting ¨C an attack skill, perhaps? Or maybe a potent defensive skill. Or even ¨C dare she hope ¨C one of the iconic eye-magic combat perception skills that had made her ancestors so feared in battle.


    Malika had never even imagined such a thing was possible. It seemed to be a variation of Meditation, and one that was only marginally improved at best. She had not expected to be staring at an actual bloodline skill, offered to her, and yet be so ¡­ underwhelmed.


    She pulled up her Meditation to compare.


    Meditation ¨C level 10


    Focus: Enter a meditative state during which mana and stamina regeneration is increased by +185%  Movement or using an active skill cancels your focus.


    Wisdom


    Clarity would increase her regeneration by a meager five percent. And she would need to level it up to ten before she got even that improvement!


    ¡°Did you get anything good for level thirty?¡± Ali asked, interrupting her confusion with her typical curiosity.


    Without comment, Malika simply shared her three new skills. Perhaps she could do better taking the shield skill. With Clarity being so weak, she might simply be forced to give up on her bloodline entirely.  Retaliate wasn¡¯t a bad skill on its own ¨C but, compared to Mato¡¯s version, it simply seemed all too lackluster. It had been a terrible day, and her worries about Life Drain, and now this inexplicable offer of a worthless bloodline skill¡­


    ¡°Malika! You got a bloodline skill! That¡¯s amazing!¡± Ali¡¯s sudden excitement clashed harshly with her morose mood. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It¡¯s not really that good,¡± Malika admitted, shaken by how close she had come to yelling at her friend. ¡°I was thinking I may have to take Soul Shield instead.¡± It seemed Ali had been distracted by the Bloodline trait, like she had when she first read it, and not actually understood the implications.


    ¡°What do you mean? It looks amazing! And it¡¯s a bloodline skill, don¡¯t those have the highest potential for growth?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only five percent better than Meditation. I have to give up a class skill slot for it, losing Meditation in the process. It would be something if I had unlocked one of the eye magic skills, or an attack,¡± Malika explained. It was nice that Ali was excited for her, but the skill was simply disappointing. Malika shared her Meditation description so that Ali could compare and understand.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re reading this skill right, Malika.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she snapped. Reaching out, she touched the Fae¡¯s arm. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Ah, alright. How I read it is that if you use this skill between combat like Meditation, it¡¯s more than twice as good. Your regeneration bonus is doubled if you¡¯re sitting and focusing. But it¡¯s a passive skill. See that there¡¯s no activation?¡±


    Malika hurriedly pulled up the description for Clarity again. Suddenly her perception of the skill was flipped on its head.


    ¡°It¡¯s an in-combat meditation, that doubles outside of combat?¡± she asked, as she wrapped her mind around the implications of the detail Ali had pointed out.


    ¡°That¡¯s how I read it,¡± Ali answered.


    ¡°Same,¡± Calen chipped in.


    ¡°Passive means I won¡¯t be able to turn it off?¡± This insight changed everything about the skill, but she still wasn¡¯t quite certain how to approach it. Especially with the comments about it affecting her state of mind.


    ¡°I can¡¯t turn my aura off,¡± Mato rumbled amiably. ¡°I¡¯ve started noticing the weeds grow when I walk past them in town.¡±


    Calen snorted, ¡°Weeds? Seriously?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t turn off my Arcane Insight either. Sometimes it causes trouble when there is too much magic going on around me.¡± Ali offered. ¡°If you¡¯re worried about it changing your mental state, just remember you have enough skill choices that you can try it out and change your mind later.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Malika hated the idea that something would mess with her mind, take away her control, or the essence of who she was. It was, she had to admit, part of the reason she had reacted so negatively to Mato¡¯s Berserk skill early on.


    ¡°You¡¯re worried because it changes your mental state permanently?¡± Ali asked, intuiting her fear with uncanny precision.


    Chewing on her lip in frustration, she nodded. The skill looked amazing now, but not being in control was a big thing to trust to an unknown magic.


    ¡°Do you like how you feel when you meditate?¡± Ali asked.


    she realized, figuring that Ali expected the skill to behave just like Meditation, but simply be always on. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m still in control when I meditate.¡±


    ¡°Then you should try it,¡± Ali said, sounding annoyingly confident and chipper about the whole situation. ¡°You know you can replace it with one of the other options if you don¡¯t like the way it makes you feel. Even a skill like Mato¡¯s Primal Rage was replaceable ¨C and that truly messed with his mind.¡±


    Mato grumbled, ¡°Don¡¯t remind me.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a chance it might make your mind tougher, too,¡± Calen added, pursing his lips thoughtfully.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Malika said, making her decision. It wasn¡¯t quite as easy as Ali said though ¨C the skill would replace Meditation. With a blend of nervousness and excitement, she picked her first bloodline skill.


    As soon as the skill choice was confirmed, she felt a sensation like a pebble dropping into the pool of her mind.


    There was a sound like the splash of a single drop of water and suddenly the world quietened down. She blinked, and in the stillness, she was aware of the sound that her eyelids made closing, the sensation of her eyelashes brushing against each other. The focus in her mind was incredible.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Ali sounded like she was speaking from an infinite distance away, and yet right beside her at the same time. The resonance of the sounds and shape of the words danced together in her mind. A subtle undercurrent of concern lay bare in Ali¡¯s tone. Details that she would usually have ignored snapped easily into focus.


    ¡°I think so,¡± Malika answered. ¡°It¡¯s pretty¡­ incredible.¡±


    Just like Ali had shared, Malika knew it would likely take some getting used to such a powerful shift in her experience.


    ***


    Calen


    Calen thought, studying the status of his class, and the life drain damage left from the Wight battle. He had suggested the Guildmaster might know something as if he was confident, but he worried that it was permanent. Or that the treatment would require expensive reagents or access to priests that were simply out of their range and means to afford.


    ¡°It¡¯s lucky we defeated the Wights on the first try,¡± he muttered. With this level of life drain, there would have been no way for them to survive a second attempt.


    ¡°You can say that again,¡± Malika chimed in.


    He glanced up, surprised that she had heard him, but then he turned his attention to the notifications from the fight. In the Lich drama that had ensued after they had killed the Wights and defeated the dungeon, he had not had the time.


    He let out a low whistle of appreciation.


    When Calen had pulled aggro on the Death Wight early in the fight, it had been on purpose. Not even the monster¡¯s surprise flying skill had bothered him. He had kept Grappling Shot primed for the duration of the fight ¨C only, Malika had never freed up from tanking skeletons, so it had been unnecessary. It was when the monster summoned wraiths that Calen had been certain he had made an awful mistake.


    In hindsight, though, he had actually turned out to be the ideal tank for the monster. Neither Malika nor Mato could reach it, and he could tank it from outside the death magic aura. He didn¡¯t have a lot of health, but it was far more than Ali ¨C at least before his life drain ¨C and he could dodge the Volatile Wraiths.


    He shuddered, recalling the chilling and horrifying sensation of the incorporeal undead wraiths passing through his body to unleash their painful bite. With the drain being a critical damage attribute ¨C something he was nearly certain of ¨C and a percentage reduction ¨C it actually worked out much better to spread it out over three people. If Mato or Malika had been able to tank it, they would have an additional thirty-six percent loss, and likely they would have died near the end of the fight when damage output substantially increased as the Bone Wight powered up.


    he mused, before reading on.


    His skills were growing nicely ¨C particularly his two archery related skills. It made sense, Radiant Archery, Arrows of Brilliance, and his use of Righteous Fury made up the bulk of his damage over the entire course of the fight. Carefully he noted down his skill growth in his notebook. After a moment¡¯s consideration, he added a note that he wanted to stock up on even more arrows, just in case.


    This was the one he was most excited for. He had been worried about his class, but his hopes lay in how it might grow as he unlocked new skills and advances.


    Stunning Shot


    Stamina: Fire a magical arrow, stunning your target for a few seconds. Stun chance increases with skill and critical strike chance.


    Physical, Ranged, Dexterity


    Mirage


    Mana: Create an illusion of yourself on the battlefield. It will mimic your actions. Duration: 30 seconds.


    Light, Illusion, Intelligence


    Azrael¡¯s Wings


    Mana: Create ethereal wings made of light magic. You can fly. Channeled.


    Light, Movement, Dexterity


    He knew he was being uncharacteristically impulsive, but his decision was instantaneous. This was so wildly beyond anything he could have hoped for, he had chills all over. Lyeneru Silverleaf was legendary for raining death down on her foes from the skies, borne aloft by her wings of flame. Now he would be just like her!


    He knew his decision was probably heavily biased by his experience falling from the inner ring, and needing to be saved by Ali, but he didn¡¯t care. He stood up and stepped outside the campfire circle, getting a few curious looks. Calen channeled a little mana into his new skill.


    His mana flowed from a central dense core of warmth deep behind his breastbone, surging backward into his shoulder blades and erupting outward from his back. There was a rush of unfamiliar power and understanding as his magic augmented his body, and a bright light filled the area around him.


    ¡°Wow! So cool!¡± Ali exclaimed, beaming from ear to ear.


    ¡°Woah!¡± Mato gasped.


    Malika breathed, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s really something, Calen.¡±


    He turned, and behind him, spread wide to either side was a pair of glowing wings of pure white light, shimmering, insubstantial, and slowly shifting as if reacting to an unfelt breeze. A potent energy of power and readiness flowed out from his back through the magical wings, and he found that he somehow already knew how to move with them.


    Responding easily to his will, he stretched his wings wide and then flared them softly downward feeling the magic lifting him gently into the air. He circled slowly, trying to get used to the feeling, but it was hard to keep the grin of sheer exhilaration from his face.


    ¡°Maybe keep close to the ground until you get used to it,¡± Malika suggested.


    It was a smart idea, he didn¡¯t want to fly into a tree because he lacked experience, and his skill was draining his mana. Falling out of the sky because he had run himself dry would not be a smart move. However, none of that mattered when he flew up higher and took off in a sudden high-speed swoop as he pushed his wings to see what he was capable of.


    Her mixed feelings were more than obvious, and he knew she held her tongue for his sake.


    Still, as he came about in an unsteady curve, laughter bubbled from his lips.


    ***

 Chapter 90: Ambush

    Chapter 90: Ambush- Excerpt fromby Evanna Quillmore, the Scribe


    Alexander Gray


    Alexander stalked deeper and deeper into the dense forest, hiding his discomfort and sense of vulnerability. Bringing his undead bodyguards would have made him safer but would obviously have undermined the Druid disguise he was wearing, courtesy of his Amulet of Natural Deception.


    His mind slipped into his storage enchantment yet again to inspect the tiny vial of innocuous-looking clear liquid.


    His mind¡¯s eye shifted to the instructions Roderik had provided along with the potion ¨C which fortunately included the potion¡¯s identification written out.


    Corrupted Essence of the Endless Nightmare ¨C level 232 (Death / Mind)


    Consume: 100% chance to inflict level 214 Nightmare Slumber corruption on consumption. 100% chance to inflict level 221 Mana Severance curse on consumption. Charges: 5/5


    Quality: Unique


    Potion ¨C Corrupted, Cursed


    his eyes lingered on the crafter attribution. Roderik had been right, this was far better than mere Dreamcloud extract.As he approached the glade, he transferred the vial to the pocket of his jacket and steeled himself for his task.


    ¡°There you are, Alexander dear. I was beginning to worry you¡¯d forgotten all about me.¡± Lirasia¡¯s voice resonated softly through the dense woods, sounding like it was carried to his ears by the unnatural rustling of leaves.


    He turned, schooling his face against the revulsion he felt on seeing her form rippling and twisting out of the heartwood of a thick oak tree. Somehow, he couldn¡¯t get over her transformation to her humanoid form. It was like sharp fingernails scraping their way down his spine.


    But he smiled. Here, in the depths of the forest, he was a Druid, and he loved nature. His life and his plan depended on it. His fingers brushed across the smooth, cold glass of the vial nestled in his pocket.


    ¡°There you are Lira, my love. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking of you for even a moment, how could I ever forget about you?¡± The lie came naturally to his lips, spoken with practiced fervor and passion. He had been so worried about this part of his plan, knowing that the Dryad was so ancient and supposedly wise. But she had fallen for his practiced charms, like so many other older and lonely women. All he had needed was a few kind words, a thoughtful gift, and to listen to her worries with a sympathetic ear. She had fallen for him, and in way less time than he had ever expected.


    ¡°Did you bring it?¡± she asked with a girlish excitement that belied her reputed centuries of age, alighting on the mossy ground, her bare feet causing an eruption of wildflowers among the sparse grass.


    ¡°I did, my sweet.¡±


    She clapped her hands in delight and pressed her leaf-clad body up against his in anticipation. It took all his control to prevent his body from communicating his disgust at the monster touching him, but he saved his disguise, and with an act of will he returned her embrace affectionately. After all, he was a Druid, and Druids loved nature. And he could take a bath later to rid himself of the earthy stench and the overwhelmingly cloying fragrance of new growth.


    Quickly, he retrieved the blanket, spreading it out upon the ground at the base of the tree, and began laying out the tea set, along with the expensive Elven tea she had requested. He had been stumped by her refusal of his prior offers for picnics and food, preferring to photosynthesize her sustenance, but her weakness was for tea, and with that discovery, he had finally found his way in.


    Quickly disarming her with the small talk of the newly enamored, he distracted her while he set the tea to steeping. Surreptitiously, he added two nearly invisible drops from the vial to her cup. Considering his mark and her supposed high class level ¨C she was a three-mark monster, after all ¨C he decided to make sure and added a third drop, carefully marking which cup it was. He shuddered to think what would happen if he mixed them up.


    ¡°Why are you so tense?¡± Lirasia asked, moving to massage his shoulders.


    He almost jumped out of his skin.


    He had been convinced his acting was perfect, but here, at the most critical moment, she had seen his tension.


    ¡°Aah¡­¡± he said, racking his brain for ideas. Not knowing what else to do he went with, ¡°That feels so good.¡± Then he continued, using a tried and tested technique of sharing something personal. ¡°I¡¯ve been stressed out lately. One of my friends seems to be having trouble controlling his temper and ends up hurting the people around us.¡± He didn¡¯t mention that Roderik¡¯s massacre of the village of Lyton had been his idea in the first place, and that temper had little to do with it.


    It was the best he had on short notice, but Lirasia seemed to buy it, continuing to massage his shoulders with fingers that, unbeknown to her, made his skin crawl. But he made himself lean into it and close his eyes, moaning softly in fake pleasure.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me all about it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to hear my problems,¡± he said, finally moving to pour the steeped tea into her cup and offering it to her, before pouring one for himself into a clean cup.


    ¡°Of course, you can tell me, I want to know everything about you,¡± she said.


    This was the most critical moment. If she sensed the Corrupted Essence lacing her cup, he would be unmasked ¨C and alone without his zombies in the middle of an angry Dryad¡¯s forest was not a healthy situation.


    ¡°Ok,¡± he said, timing his response to the moment she lifted the teacup to her lips. ¡°His name is Roderik, and he had a rather rough upbringing.¡± He was making up a story, he had no idea what Roderik¡¯s upbringing was like, but his distraction seemed to work, and she drank.


    He stared into her sparkling dark hazel eyes while he continued fabricating his story, watching with inner tense anxiety while she sipped again and again at the tea.


    He stretched the story longer and longer, becoming more and more worried as she continued sitting there, listening to him with rapt attention.


    Slowly her eyelids drooped, and he felt a surge of relief. She had almost finished the tea, with three drops of the Corrupted Essence, and only now it was beginning to work.


    Suddenly, she snapped her eyes open and sniffed suspiciously at her cup.


    ¡°A curse? Alexander, what is the meaning of this?¡± she demanded, rising to her feet.


    All around him, the oaks creaked, branches twisting, growing, reaching toward him. Light fled the dappled clearing and vines sprang up from the ground wrapping themselves around his arms and legs, and he called out in pain as they bound him tightly.


    ¡°Explain yourself!¡± she demanded, eyes flashing angrily, but then she stumbled, barely catching herself, looking at him through drooping eyelids. And then, all at once, she collapsed to the ground, and with her fall, all the branches and vines receded.


    He got to his feet, legs trembling with the rush of fear from his near brush with death at the hands of a vengeful forest spirit. The deception of the powerful always carried risk, and he had been willing to take it for the elevation of his status in the eyes of the Master, but in hindsight, he should have used the entire vial. He needed her alive, but risking her death would have been smarter than risking his own.


    he commanded, calling one of his giant troll zombies.


    Mato


    Mato was worried. More¡­ concerned, he decided. He sampled another spoonful of the meaty stew bubbling over the fire and wrinkled his nose.


    He hadn¡¯t done anything different with the spices. The only real issue was that he had run out of pepper, and he was annoyed he¡¯d forgotten to get more the last time he was in town. But bland wasn¡¯t exactly the right description either ¨C all the proper flavors were there ¨C rather, it seemed as though he had just noticed his usual recipe had been lacking something all along.


    He hoped he wasn¡¯t losing his touch. The others all seemed to be sitting around drooling, but they had all just come back starving from a boss fight, so that wasn¡¯t the best indication of proper culinary prowess. It was his potent perception skill that granted him an uncanny sense of incoming attacks, but it also enhanced all his mundane senses. And that included his taste.


    Normally he would have guessed that his taste being enhanced would lead him to require less flavor to be satisfied.  Still, somehow it enhanced his ability to understand the subtle balance of umami and vegetable flavors in the dish, and this one had simply come out somewhat lacking.


    While he would never get as good as those who had pure cooking or chef classes, there had to be someone in town who could give him lessons so he could level up his skill. He grinned ruefully.


    He put the ladle back into the stew to stir it and took a deep breath. A touch of an aroma reached his sensitive nose ¨C something earthy, intoxicating, yet so familiar he had ignored it. He sniffed again, catching another whiff of it. He glanced around ¨C it certainly wasn¡¯t his stew pot.


    His ruminations were interrupted by Calen taking off on wings of light and flying around the campfire. Ever since Mato had known him, Calen had dreamed of flight. Mato had never understood his passion for it ¨C vastly preferring to have his four paws firmly planted on solid ground. But after Calen¡¯s near brush with death, Mato couldn¡¯t help but smile, sharing in the uncharacteristically obvious joy and excitement as, for a few moments, his friend shed his typical reserved quiet nature, swooping around with his new magic.


    He tossed another pinch of salt into the pot and stirred while he consulted with his notifications.


    He quickly divided his points. Ten to vitality, twelve to strength, and thirteen to endurance. Then he added five points to perception to help out Survival Instinct and dropped the remaining ten into wisdom to help Arboreal Sanctuary, Natural Prowess, and Brutal Restoration.


    S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he thought. But then his nose caught that tantalizing scent again.


    His eyes roamed around the camp. Malika and Ali were over by the tents cheering Calen on as he tried out his new wings. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, just the old library with some moss growing on the floor. Ali had made some lights with her barrier magic that hovered up by the atrium. Jasmine and ivy grew up the walls where once there had been ladders leading to higher bookshelves. Some of the Blue Mana Grass and Common Glowcap mushrooms grew in planters, adding a little welcome glow to the ambiance.


    He glanced over at Ali. He skipped over to the planter and bent over, sniffing at the mushrooms growing there. His nostrils filled with a thick earthy aroma that made his stomach grumble and his saliva glands begin to work overtime.


    ¡°Uh, hey, Ali,¡± he said, standing up. ¡°Can I have a couple of mushrooms?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What for?¡±


    ¡°Dinner!¡±


    ¡°Sure, but don¡¯t take too many. They¡¯re making my domain and I¡¯ll have to replace them.¡±


    Miming a punch to her shoulder, Malika said, ¡°Come on, Ali, you can grow mushrooms in your sleep. If Mato¡¯s that excited, you can spare a few.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you don¡¯t want to meet me when I¡¯m hungry!¡± Ali threatened humorously.


    ¡°What are you going to do, cute me to death?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I mention that being cuter-than-thou is an ancient, feared and devastating Fae skill?¡± Ali declared, putting up tiny fists.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Mato called over, leaving them to their amusing bickering.


    Excited, he carefully plucked four glowing mushrooms from the planter and hopped back to the cookfire. He rinsed them in a bowl of water and then sliced them up and dumped them into the stew. By the time the ladle had gone around the pot twice, his nose already knew. Trembling just a little, he scooped up a taste and popped it in his mouth. The burst of mana-infused flavor was far beyond his wildest dreams. For a moment he was transported to a realm where all that existed was the flavor. Savory, mana-rich, earthy, and ¡­ It was a flavor he''d never imagined going with stew, but somehow it worked.


    he sighed.


    Aliandra


    Ali sat quietly beside her tent in the soft golden light cast by the hovering domain-bound barriers she had created yesterday, and the gentle blue glow of the mana grass she had summoned in planters created from her stone imprint and the versatile Domain Mastery skill she was still learning to use.


    It seemed like it was early morning ¨C before dawn perhaps ¨C but it was hard to tell in the unchanging underground library.


    she thought. There had been a time when that would have been beyond her means, but those days seemed well behind her now. Especially with all the gold they had found in the vault.


    They had been worried about it ¨C especially Malika and Calen. But she wouldn¡¯t know until they woke, so she busied herself checking on her class growth earned from the battle against the monstrous undead Wights that had been the final boss of the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra dungeon of bone and death. She had been so tired last night that she had simply ignored her notifications and passed out as soon as she had the chance.


    The Twin Wights had been dangerous ¨C there was no doubt ¨C and, as she had discovered afterward, the life drain had made it significantly more dangerous than she had even imagined at the time. As expected, most of her skill growth was in her combat and minion enhancement skills. Judiciously, she assigned her attribute points, allocating twenty each to wisdom and intelligence, and putting the remaining ten into perception. Then she pulled up her status, studying it carefully.


    She didn¡¯t have a lot to compare against, other than her friends, but she decided she was happy with her skill growth so far. She had come to realize that the others often gained more total skill increases per fight, simply because they had more applicable combat skills to use. It was rare that Ali found ways to use Runic Script, Sage of Learning, or her Grimoire of Summoning in critical ways during a fight. Especially if she didn¡¯t have time to set up.


    Those skills seemed to require study or training out of combat ¨C or took far too long to cast in battle. But she had found ways to grow them too, and she was quite happy to see most of her skills seemed to be keeping pace. Her biggest limit, as always, seemed to be her Grimoire of Summoning skill level. Too often, she had to skip or bypass potentially useful imprints because her Grimoire simply didn¡¯t have enough space.


    ¡°Morning, Ali.¡± Malika¡¯s greeting was quiet and somber as she came over and sat down beside her.


    ¡°Hi Malika, how¡¯s the drain this morning?¡± But simply by her mood, Ali could already tell nothing had changed.


    ¡°Same.¡± Malika sighed. ¡°I just hope Vivian Ross knows something that can help us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she does,¡± Ali answered. ¡°Or she can tell us who to ask.¡±


    ¡°I hope so too.¡±


    They sat together in silence for a few minutes. Malika seemed worried, but her breathing seemed calm, and she didn¡¯t seem nearly as frantic or scared as Ali remembered herself being when she was struggling with her domain withdrawal for the first time.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Ali finally asked, not able to quite figure out what Malika was feeling.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± Malika sat quietly for a few moments longer. ¡°I feel like I should be more anxious, but my mind insists on remaining calm. I¡¯m not sure how much is me and how much comes from Clarity. I¡¯m still trying to get used to it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve always been calm and rational. I think your skill is just strengthening a quality you already have, not changing you. We should talk to the Guildmaster before we decide if we need to worry about the drain,¡± Ali said, trying to console her friend. While she knew how stressful it could be to have your health torn away and not know when or if it might return, Malika seemed to be also struggling to process the mental changes that came with her new skill. Ali was certain the skill would be great, but she also appreciated some of the difficulties in adapting to a new passive skill.


    ¡°Thanks, Ali,¡± Malika said quietly, and judging by the small smile, Ali knew she had recognized Malika¡¯s primary worry.


    ¡°Oh, before I forget,¡± Malika said, pulling four swords from her ring and laying them down on the ground beside Ali. ¡°Can you learn these?¡±


    Bone Sword of the Wight ¨C level 41 (Bone)


    Damage: Slashing, Physical


    +27 Dexterity


    +5% Critical Strike chance


    Requirements: Dexterity 144


    One or Two Handed ¨C Longsword ¨C Bone


    Ali instantly recognized the four matching swords the Bone Wight had wielded. The long slender bone blades gleamed in the soft light, polished to a deadly-sharp sheen by the bone magic enchantment imbued into the blade. Ali studied the lattice of the magical formation, fascinated to see how the permanent enchantment was woven through the bone, resulting in a sword that exuded the deadliness of a tool for violence, honed to perfection by magic.


    ¡°Are you sure? Don¡¯t you want to sell them?¡± Ali liked to think that she wasn¡¯t much for swords and armor, but even she felt the powerful desire to have swords like these for her Kobolds. She was certain they would fetch a high price.


    ¡°I think our treatment might be expensive,¡± Malika said. ¡°These swords will be an incredible source of income if you can make them. Critical strike  dexterity on a longsword will make it highly sought after for many warriors, rogues, and fighters that specialize in accuracy and precision.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to actually make them until I reach level forty-one, though,¡± Ali reminded her. She wasn¡¯t even certain her Grimoire would let her learn them yet.


    ¡°Still, I think it¡¯s worth being able to make them in the long run. Our potion use is getting more and more expensive. I can use the gold coins we found to tide us over until you can make the more valuable weapons to sell.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡± Ali was convinced, and it sounded like Malika had thought this through carefully. Besides, she might find a minion that was high enough level to wield it effectively at some point. It took only three of the swords before Ali¡¯s Grimoire appeared and sucked up all the magical runes inscribing the variant sword onto its pages.


    ¡°I got it,¡± Ali said, breathing a short sigh of relief and pushing the last sword back toward Malika. ¡°Perhaps see if Weldin is excited about the last one?¡±


    ¡°I know he will be,¡± Malika said, storing the gleaming weapon. ¡°Commander Brand¡¯s people will buy this in a heartbeat.¡±


    Calen


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to try and identify her,¡± Calen said as they emerged from the sewers and Mato replaced the heavy iron grate. He looked over his notes in the notebook before putting it away, satisfied that he had everything organized correctly, and stepped out into the main street leading toward the Adventurers Guild. The air felt still and quiet, and the light was beginning to brighten as the sun¡¯s rays cast long early-morning shadows.


    ¡°I¡¯m wearing my best resistances,¡± Ali said.


    Calen nodded approvingly. If Mieriel was truly messing with their memories somehow, he might forget that they had made this plan. But he wouldn¡¯t forget to check his notebook and the notes he had written to himself. Failing to remember ¨C and knowing it ¨C would be evidence of a kind.


    He scanned the rooftops and the dark alley entrances automatically, noting just how little his eyes were bothered by the bright morning sunshine or the shadows, while practicing his control over the motes of light he had floating along with their group. It would probably have been a happy morning, but for the fact that he still felt weak, drained, and hollow inside. He had woken up early and checked at once, but his life drain had remained unchanged from the night before, and that had done nothing to ease his anxiety. The mystery surrounding the guild administrator was merely an additional complication amid a sea of problems.


    He tried to dismiss his worries, instead focusing on the happy chatter between Ali and Mato discussing food and spices, and making his motes track the roof line to hover over the various windows and doors as they walked by.


    It was as they turned the corner onto the street right in front of the Adventurers Guild. He was getting better at tracking the motes of light along the edges of the buildings and as it traversed the gap to the next building, he suddenly caught sight of a shadowy figure, barely visible, and crouched behind some boxes in the darkness of the alleyway.


    Calen dove forward, ramming the palm of his hand into the middle of Ali¡¯s back, sending her flying with a surprised shout. The crossbow bolt punched clean through his elbow, shattering bone and sending blood spraying up against the wall. He viewed it all with a bizarre kind of detachment in the moment before his brain registered the pain.


    He crashed to the ground, struggling to grasp at the rapidly fraying edges of his consciousness as the pain hammered into him with relentless fury. But he heard Mato¡¯s roar, and the instant golden light of Ali¡¯s barrier appeared, and he saw Malika¡¯s foot somehow springing away into a wave of darkness¡­


    The burning rush of healing magic jolted him back to consciousness as the shattered bones in his elbow twisted and writhed back into shape with a gruesome, cracking wrench. Calen screamed in agony.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Malika soothed. ¡°Give it a second.¡±


    Calen swore between his clenched teeth as the healing finished up. He glanced around urgently, but the street was quiet, and Malika had her hand on his arm, with Ali and Mato looking on with concerned expressions.


    ¡°That guy really wrecked your arm,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Crossbow assassin,¡± Calen answered, relieved to see that Ali was unharmed. It had been clear from the trajectory of the bolt, that the center of Ali¡¯s back had been the target. If Calen hadn¡¯t disrupted the stealth, likely they would have been looking at an Ambush. Even with the disruption of the Ambush itself, the assassin¡¯s attack had packed enough of a punch that the critical damage had almost removed his entire arm at the elbow. He flexed it a few times, suddenly far more appreciative that it was working.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t catch him,¡± Mato said, clearly angry. ¡°Too fast, he got away.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Calen.¡± Ali looked paler than usual.


    The real question was why she had been a target at all, in what looked very much like an organized assassination attempt.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get inside,¡± Malika said, moving forward with a determined stride. ¡°I¡¯ve got a few questions for our Guildmaster!¡±


    ¡°Damn right,¡± Mato growled, his tone making Calen glance at his friend in concern. The big Beastkin was nothing if not protective and it sounded as if he was taking this attack on Ali personally. That was fair enough, but they needed to keep Vivian on their side if at all possible.


    This promised to be an entertaining meeting.

 Chapter 90.5: Full Status Sheets

    Chapter 90.5: Full Status Sheets NotesThis is an optional chapter containing full status sheet dumps for the characters, along with the skill descriptions at the levels they reached right after defeating the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra dungeon and the Twin Wights.


    In the interests of keeping it as a useful reference, these sheets are presented with the Life Drain debuff stripped (showing the regular health totals).


    Also, Ali has kindly sorted her Grimoire imprints into the categories she currently perceives as the most interesting. Namely: materials that work with Domain Mastery, items she can make that cost no additional mana beyond the initial creation cost, plants (and fungi) that produce or distribute mana for her domain, and monsters that reserve a maintenance cost of mana while they remain alive.


    Mato is presented in Bear Form, which is his most commonly used form in combat. All the characters are shown with their normal combat skills enabled (boosting their attributes).


    Each skill is listed with a set of tags below it. These tags represent the attributes and traits that are most aligned with the skill, giving an indication for how that skill scales levels up. Skills tagged with intelligence, for example, typically have a scaling portion that makes them stronger proportional to investment in that attribute. However, they will also level up faster if you invest more into intelligence with your attribute points or gear. Earned experience is ¡®flavored¡¯ by the traits used to earn it, and when it matches the skill¡¯s traits, it will grow faster. Similarly, matching traits across skills, classes, and mentorships will again facilitate faster leveling.


    Skills can reference other skills by trait. For example, Malika¡¯s Soul Strike is a support skill that enhances another ¡®Melee¡¯ skill. It works on any of her skills tagged with the Melee trait, regardless of whether they are a class skill, general skill, or from some other source. Both of Mato¡¯s Bestial Combat and Brutal Restoration work on a Melee, Physical attack skill ¨C both traits are required.


    You may notice a few skills with ranges that increase with skill level. It¡¯s not typically called out explicitly in the description, but the default is an additive growth of +3% range per skill level ¨C i.e. (1 + skill *  base_range.


    General Skills are typically much simpler than class skills, so I didn¡¯t include all the descriptions ¨C just the ones that have been shown in the story so far. Same for granted or triggered skills. If the skills are not listed explicitly, assume a simple proficiency in whatever activity.


    Ali, of course, has all the skills by proxy, so I didn¡¯t include the most important skill for any nature/arcane mage: Fireball!


    Aliandra


    - Arcane Insight ¨C level 20


    You can see mana.


    Arcane, Perception


    - Arcane Bolt ¨C level 19


    Mana: Fire a small arcane bolt that accelerates and curves towards your mentally chosen target. Duration: 120 seconds.


    Arcane, Ranged, Channeled, Intelligence


    - Barrier ¨C level 27


    Mana: Summon an arcane barrier shield. The barrier is a freeform arcane magic surface that resists physical and magic damage. You can move your barriers freely.


    Domain: Barriers created within your domain may be supported by domain mana making them permanent.


    Arcane, Defense, Movement, Domain, Intelligence


    - Grimoire of Summoning ¨C level 21


    Mana: Release the mana from an unresisting or inanimate target, learning about its structure, and retaining some in your own mana pool. Requires continuous uninterrupted focus and the target is destroyed. Range: Touch.


    Mana: Manifest a magical Grimoire storing the runic imprint of any object you have fully understood. You may create or summon anything imprinted using the Grimoire as a focus. You may spend extra mana to influence the variation created. Control improves with skill level.


    Arcane, Nature, Minion, Channeled, Knowledge, Intelligence


    - Runic Script ¨C level 15


    You are proficient with runic magic.


    Languages: Ancient Dal¡¯mohran, Elvish, Dwarven.


    Mana: Inscribe a runic circle with your mana. Reserve: by level.


    Domain: Runic magic written within your domain may be supported by domain mana and will not decay.


    Arcane, Domain, Knowledge, Intelligence


    - Sage of Learning ¨C level 14


    Your ability to learn languages, magical systems, history, and similar academic knowledge is significantly enhanced. You have enhanced memory for the content you have studied.


    Mana: Channel mana and uninterrupted focus to enhance Sage of Learning while studying. Cognitive function, memory, and reading are enhanced in speed and clarity.


    Arcane, Knowledge, Channeled, Perception, Intelligence


    - Martial Insight ¨C level 20


    Your mana empowering summoned creatures now carries your accumulated experience. Your creatures gain +67%  to combat abilities. Martial Insight only gains experience when you observe your minions¡¯ combat.


    Nature, Minion, Mastery, Perception


    - Empowered Summoner ¨C level 18


    Mana: Your minions gain added nature damage on hit.


    Choose a Minion. You gain +76.75%  of their highest base attribute. Range: 23.1 meters. Reserve: 10%


    0: Replace a minion target for your attribute enhancement. Recharge: 1 hour.


    Nature, Minion, Buff, Intelligence


    - Domain Mastery ¨C level 4


    You can manipulate the structure and mana of your domain. All your magic within your domain is empowered by the domain itself.


    Mana: Adjust the shape and composition of any non-living material that is part of your domain.  Range: Domain.


    Nature, Arcane, Mastery, Domain, Intelligence


    Ancient


    You are more noticeable to perceptive people. This effect increases with age.


    Title


    Identify ¨C level 11


    Mana: Discern information about a creature or item up to level 48 . Synergizes with any relevant Perception, Knowledge, or Information skills.


    Synergy (Arcane Insight): Identify will show the type of mana for any visible magic effects.


    Synergy (Runic Script): Identify will show the level and basic function for runic magic.


    Knowledge, Perception


    Calen


    - Radiant Archery ¨C level 21


    You are proficient with a bow and ranged combat.


    Stamina: Attack with your bow. Your damage and accuracy are increased by +269% .


    Physical, Attack, Ranged, Dexterity


    - Arrows of Brilliance ¨C level 24


    You may enhance your next shot with up to 2  enhancements.


    Granted Enhancements: Light Damage, Increased Range, Grappling Shot


    Light, Physical, Ranged, Dexterity, Intelligence


    - Motes of Light ¨C level 12


    Mana: You can summon up to 2  motes that emit clear light and can dispel stealth effects. You can freely control the motes of light anywhere within your range. Duration: 22 minutes, Range: 680 feet.


    Light, Area, Intelligence


    - Explorer ¨C level 18


    You have enhanced spatial perception and perfect recall for places you have explored. You can discern important details about the places you are exploring and the creatures that inhabit them.


    Stamina: Use your enhanced perception to track your prey.


    Stamina: Move without leaving traces or making sounds.


    Knowledge, Movement, Stealth, Identify, Scouting, Tracking, Perception


    - Blessing of the Dawn ¨C level 16


    Mana: Your Dexterity, Perception, and Intelligence are increased by +64.5% . Reserve: 20%


    Light, Buff, Intelligence


    - Eclipse ¨C level 15


    Mana: You have stealth in shadowy or dark places.


    Light, Stealth, Illusion, Intelligence


    - Eyes of the Archon ¨C level 16


    You have greatly enhanced visual acuity, able to see in extremely low light.


    Light, Perception


    - Righteous Fury ¨C level 9


    Mana: Temporarily supercharge your mana amplifying all your magic by +122.9% . Your mana burns you. Duration: 30 seconds. Recharge: 15 minutes.


    Light, Intelligence


    - Azrael''s Wings ¨C level 1


    Mana: Create ethereal wings made of light magic. You can fly. Channeled.


    Light, Movement, Dexterity


    - [Locked]


    Granted Skills for Arrows of Brilliance:


    Increased Range ¨C level 24


    Stamina


    : Your range is increased by +240%


    Physical, Ranged, Dexterity


    Grappling Shot ¨C level 24


    Mana: Bind your target with light magic, pinning it to the ground and impeding its movement.


    Light, Ranged, Intelligence


    Malika


    - Martial Artist ¨C level 14


    Requires: Unarmed.


    You are proficient with unarmed and acrobatic martial arts fighting styles. Your reaction speed is enhanced.


    Stamina: Deliver a Melee Attack with any part of your body. Attack damage is increased by +253% .


    Stamina: Block or deflect a Melee attack reducing damage taken proportional to dexterity and skill. Blocked attacks cannot cause critical damage.


    Physical, Melee, Attack, Defense, Mastery, Dexterity


    - Soul Strike ¨C level 18


    Mana: Enhance a Melee Attack with your Soul magic, striking directly at the life energy of your opponent. A portion of this health is returned to you. Your Attack gains +201%  additional Soul damage. Range: Touch.


    Soul, Melee, Support, Wisdom


    - Healing Mantra ¨C level 19


    Mana: The connection between your body and soul is strong. Instantly regenerate mortal wounds and restore health to anyone you touch. Range: Touch.


    Soul, Melee, Healing, Wisdom


    - Perfect Body ¨C level 16


    Mana: Your Endurance, Dexterity, and Wisdom are increased by +64.7% . Reserve: 20%


    Soul, Buff, Wisdom


    - Soul Armor ¨C level 19


    Requires: No body armor or shield equipped.


    Mana: Your soul reinforces your body increasing your Armor by + 133 . Reserve: 10%


    Soul, Melee, Defense, Endurance


    - Enlightened Evasion ¨C level 18


    Requires: No body armor or shield equipped.


    Stamina: Your martial arts grants insight into avoiding physical attacks. Your Evasion is increased by +126 . Reserve: 10%


    Physical, Melee, Defense, Dexterity


    - Divine Step ¨C level 16


    Stamina: Channel your energy through your body and to the immediate environment around you to control your momentum, significantly increasing your combat and movement speed.


    Soul, Movement, Haste, Dexterity


    - Second Wind ¨C level 4


    Exchange mana to gain +68.4%  of the amount as stamina.


    Soul, Wisdom, Endurance


    - Clarity ¨C level 1


    Your proficiency with meditation is enhanced by your Ahn Khen bloodline. Your mind has reached a permanent state of clarity, during which mana and stamina regeneration is increased by +55% . Bonus is doubled if you sit and focus.


    Soul, Bloodline, Wisdom, Endurance


    - [Locked]


    Street Rat


    Your dexterity-based General Skills are slightly less noticeable.


    Title


    Appraise ¨C level 11


    Mana: Discern information about an item up to level 44 . Includes insight into hidden functions and an assessment of the value. Accuracy increases with skill level and relevant knowledge or experience.


    Knowledge, Perception


    Mato


    - Arboreal Sanctuary ¨C level 18


    You emit a spherical Sanctuary aura of nature magic centered on yourself. Range: 15.4 feet.


    Your natural health regeneration rate is increased by +125%  and you can recover even from critical injuries. Your regeneration is shared with allies (including animals, beasts, and plants). Range: Sanctuary.


    Mana: You can redirect damage from anyone to yourself. Range: Sanctuary.


    Nature, Domain, Area, Wisdom


    - Swipe ¨C level 23


    Stamina: A slashing attack that hits all enemies directly in front of you for weapon damage +180% .


    Stamina: A master at battlefield control, you take advantage of your enemy¡¯s distraction. Whenever you are in range of a creature and it attacks someone else, or tries to leave your range, you can instantaneously retaliate for weapon damage +337% . +20% chance to do critical damage. 100% chance to cast level 23  Grasping Roots on hit. Conditional Trigger.


    Physical, Melee, Area, Strength


    - Brutal Restoration ¨C level 24


    Mana: Enhance a Physical, Melee attack with additional nature damage. Gain +12.4%  of the supported attack¡¯s damage as health over 30 seconds.


    Nature, Melee, Healing, Support, Wisdom


    - Bear Form ¨C level 24


    Stamina: Shapeshift into a bear.


    Bear Form: Your hide provides +920  natural Armor.


    Granted Skills: Charge, Challenging Roar.


    Nature, Shapeshift, Buff, Endurance


    - Wolf Form ¨C level 4


    Stamina: Shapeshift into a wolf.


    Wolf Form: Your perception attribute is increased by +48% .


    Granted Skills: Hamstring, Pack Tactics, Tracking.


    Nature, Shapeshift, Buff, Dexterity


    - Bestial Combat ¨C level 24


    Requires: Shapeshifted form.


    You are proficient at fighting while shapeshifted, using natural weapons and forms.


    Stamina: Block a Melee attack, reducing damage taken proportional to strength and skill. Blocked attacks cannot cause critical damage.


    Health: Empower a Physical, Melee attack to do weapon damage +181% . Empowered attacks rend your opponent¡¯s armor applying a 5% reduction per hit. Duration: 30 seconds.


    Physical, Melee, Defense, Mastery, Support, Strength


    - Natural Prowess ¨C level 15


    Attributes most appropriate to your form are increased by +62% .


    Mana: Wisdom, Intelligence, and Perception are increased. Beastkin, Reserve: 20%


    Stamina: Endurance, Vitality, and Strength are increased. Bear Form, Reserve: 20%


    Stamina: Perception, Dexterity, and Strength are increased. Wolf Form, Reserve: 20%


    Nature, Buff, Wisdom


    - Survival Instinct ¨C level 15


    Your natural senses of sight, hearing, and smell are significantly enhanced. You have a sixth sense about incoming attacks, how much damage they will do, and how to move to mitigate the most damage. Range: Sanctuary.


    Nature, Physical, Perception


    - Battle Trance ¨C level 6


    Whenever you are hit, stamina regeneration is increased by +90% . Duration: 2 seconds.


    Melee, Physical, Endurance


    - [Locked]


    Triggered by Swipe on a retaliation ¨C the  advancement:


    Grasping Roots ¨C level 23


    Mana: Summon tough roots to hold, impede, or crush your target. Range: Touch.


    Nature, Ranged, Wisdom


    Granted Skills for Bear Form:


    Charge ¨C level 23


    Requires: Bear Form.


    Stamina: Charge at high-speed using your momentum to check or crush your opponent. Range: 50.7 feet. Recharge: 10 seconds.


    Physical, Melee, Movement, Strength


    Challenging Roar ¨C level 23


    Requires: Bear Form.


    Stamina: Challenge your enemies with a powerful roar. Each enemy is Taunted to attack you and receives a reduction to Strength. Range: 25.35 feet, Duration: 30 seconds. Recharge: 30 seconds.


    Physical, Melee, Area, Debuff, Taunt, Strength

 Chapter 91: Vivian’s Decision

    Chapter 91: Vivian¡¯s Decision- Giddy Clicksprocket, Jewelcrafter, Myrin¡¯s Keep.


    Aliandra


    Ali walked the rest of the way to the Adventurers Guild with the disconcerting prickling itch between her shoulder blades that kept making her turn around suddenly, certain someone was aiming at her back. It didn¡¯t help that she had barriers, nor that the others were also on the alert. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The crossbow bolt had been aimed at  back. If not for Calen¡¯s sharp eyes and quick reflexes, it would have been Ali¡¯s heart that exploded blood across the wall instead of Calen¡¯s arm. She had grown substantially stronger since then, but the shock of the surprise attack instantly transported her back to the level eight Fae, lost in the darkness, suffering from domain withdrawal, deathly afraid that just around the next corner a Kobold rogue would spring out of the shadows with a dagger aimed at her back and end it all before she even noticed.


    The sense of relief as the guild doors thudded shut behind her was palpable.


    Even with the traumatic events just outside fresh in her mind, Ali still recalled Calen¡¯s plan. As soon as they walked up to the reception desk, and the stylishly dressed Elvish administrator, Ali was on high alert.


    Mieriel glanced up with a frown. A subtle formation of magic formed around her eyes, and well before she was in range for Identify, Ali saw the magic gently touching Calen¡¯s head. To Ali¡¯s intense surprise, his alert vigilance vanished instantly as his body began to relax.


    Ali was certain she had never seen anything like it. But somehow there was a prickle of familiarity in the back of her mind. As if she couldn¡¯t remember some minor detail that might have been important.


    The magic flickered once more, and Mato relaxed, grinning at Calen, and then making a teasing comment.


    Mieriel¡¯s magic was most certainly affecting her friends. It flared again, substantially stronger as it settled on Malika. The formations pulsed as it seemed that Malika struggled against it before she too finally relented, and her body relaxed.


    Ali hesitated, pausing her approach.


    Suddenly it all made sense. That subtle magic, and the effect on her friends¡¯ attitudes and demeanor. Mieriel was attacking their minds! She met Mieriel¡¯s eyes and saw her mouth firm into a determined line as the magic flared once again.


    She wasn¡¯t quite far enough.


    A wave of disorientation and vertigo hit her, and she stumbled as she fought against the subtle but powerful magical forces assaulting her mind. Her will felt dragged down as if hooked to an anchor tossed overboard, her mind filled with trivial details, but she bore down, resisting the attack. A wave of ease crashed through her as she suddenly wondered why she was paying attention to this anyway, but in the moment, she recognized it as another attack, sapping her focus and willpower.


    Mieriel¡¯s frown deepened, and her magic intensified dramatically. Ali struggled against the onslaught, feeling her willpower and resolve slowly dissolving in the torrent.


    She pushed back as hard as she could.


    In a sudden flash, she saw herself in the meeting room with Vivian Ross, and Mieriel looking down on her. Her heart filled with a bottomless well of helplessness and grief, entirely at the mercy of the cold hard eyes of her captors. In the sudden rush of shock and despair, her will crumbled and shattered.


    She had the disturbing sensation of having suddenly forgotten something absolutely and critically important.


    ¡°Welcome! Congratulations on reaching silver rank!¡± Mieriel¡¯s cheerful voice cut through her inexplicably ragged breathing and dizziness. ¡°Would you like to upgrade your rings?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Something was still not quite right, but she couldn¡¯t put her finger on it. Even the cool and stylish Mieriel seemed to be flushed and had a thin sheen of sweat on her brow.


    ¡°We were ambushed outside the guild hall,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I haven¡¯t had a chance to tell you yet, but the Guildmaster has discovered that there is an assassination contract out on Malika and Aliandra.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Ali stammered. Who would want to kill her?


    ¡°We believe it¡¯s Kieran Mori, the stated reason is revenge for the deaths of Adrik and Edrik. There¡¯s a one gold reward for each of you.¡± Mieriel seemed horrified as she explained it.


    ¡°I thought we were done with them,¡± Malika said, a look of frustrated determination on her face.


    ***


    ¡°Nevyn Eld! Are you certain?¡± Vivian Ross¡¯s voice rang with shock and incredulity as she reacted to Ali¡¯s recounting of the final development of their tale.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. I¡¯ve met him before. Lich, pitch black undead flesh, aura of despair, and a scarlet blindfold.¡± While Ali managed a calm and controlled outward delivery, within her, a maelstrom of anger, frustration, fear, and grief erupted, crashing against the barriers of willpower she erected around her heart.


    Inexplicably, Mieriel flinched, trying unsuccessfully to hide her reaction behind a cough.


    Ali chose to ignore her and finish the tale. ¡°He appeared, and removed the dungeon shrine, teleporting away when he was done. The shrine had his mana signature on it. So, the dungeon is gone, and so is the Lich. We¡¯re stuck with the life drain and then we got ambushed on the way to the guild.¡± The tale sounded hard to believe even coming from her own mouth, but Vivian was still listening intently.


    ¡°This is serious,¡± Vivian said. ¡°If Nevyn Eld is on the move, I need to involve the Elven Council immediately. The Lich is an evil that is well beyond any of us ¨C if he returns, Myrin¡¯s Keep is doomed. We will all be raised as living dead to serve him.¡± Ali had never seen the Guildmaster anything but calm and collected, but right now she seemed shaken by their news. Having met the lich, and personally experienced his power, Ali had no doubt Vivian¡¯s assessment was the fearsome truth.


    It took a few moments, but the Guildmaster finally collected herself.


    ¡°You have done a great service eliminating the dungeon, so thank you. And congratulations on reaching silver rank to all of you.¡± Vivian¡¯s voice was back to normal, her uncertainty magically vanished.


    ¡°Life drain is a serious problem. I don¡¯t recommend leaving it untreated ¨C on its own it usually resolves in a couple of months, but sometimes it never fully heals. I recommend consulting with Eliyen Mistwood ¨C she¡¯s the town¡¯s most advanced herbalist. Also, with the hit out on you two, I recommend staying off the streets as much as possible until you recover. You¡¯re welcome to stay here at the guild if you need a place to stay.¡±


    Malika


    ¡°Hi, Weldin,¡± Malika said, walking into the open-plan guild store, her eyes rapidly evaluating and appraising the new wares she saw on display. The resourceful Gnome had been busy, and much of the junk they had sold him from the Goblins and Kobolds was gone, replaced with a variety of items suitable for adventuring that must have come from various crafters and epic deals with visiting merchants in the market. She was pleased to see several of Lydia¡¯s pieces prominently displayed on mannequins and a nice array of Thuli¡¯s daggers and swords.


    ¡°Malika! My favorite customer!¡± Weldin exclaimed, hobbling over to her, leaning heavily on his cane.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± she smiled. ¡°Everyone with money is your favorite customer.¡±


    ¡°True enough,¡± he said with a grin. ¡°But you have money, do you not?¡±


    she thought, laughing with him.


    ¡°I have something better,¡± she declared, dramatically.


    ¡°You have something to sell?¡± Weldin¡¯s good eye lit up with excitement and the anticipation of making a deal.


    ¡°I do indeed!¡±


    Malika slipped her mind into her brand-new silver guild ring, sorting through the items she had transferred from her old one. The new ring¡¯s storage was positively enormous, fully six times the capacity of the bronze ring. She only wished she had had it when they were stocking up in the armory. The Eimuuran steel was more valuable, but it was way heavier than the bone items that made up the bulk of her inventory.


    Now that the dungeon was truly dead, the undead monsters would not be respawned. Weldin had no idea Ali could some of the items, so they had an effectively unlimited supply. That was a card she would play as close to her chest as she could, for as long as she could.


    Silver Guild Ring ¨C level 30


    Owner: Malika


    Quests:


    Eliminate hostile Goblins in and around Myrin¡¯s Keep ¨C 0


    Eliminate hostile Kobolds in and around Myrin¡¯s Keep ¨C 0


    Mana: Store or retrieve an item. Capacity: 155 / 330lbs


    Quality: Magical


    Value: Soulbound


    Ring


    ¡°What do you think of this?¡± Malika asked, retrieving the Ironwood Staff of Shadows, twirling it in her hand, and activating the shadow enchantment feature briefly before setting it on the low table for Weldin to inspect. It was the opening act in her play, designed to hook the interest of her prey.


    ¡°Three enchantments, very nice. It will be the first uncommon-grade item for the store,¡± Weldin said calmly, but Malika could tell that he was excited by the gleam in his eye and the careful way he handled the staff.


    ¡°What do you want for it?¡± With the question, his voice turned serious and businesslike.


    ¡°Just because I trust you, how about I show you the rest of the items, and we can negotiate the whole deal?¡± Malika noted the happy smile on his face at her suggestion, but she had a rather practical reason for this approach. She was certain Weldin did not have the funds to buy all of it, and she would rather take a little less on the deal if she could motivate him to take a loan and move everything she had to sell. Selling their haul through the guild store came with some rather attractive benefits ¨C in addition to helping the guild, and saving her the hassle of working the public market, she would earn some nice discounts and preferential access to quests in the future.


    ¡°Ok, show me what else you want to try and entice me with,¡± Weldin said, taking the bait with a clearly affected dubious disinterest.


    Malika produced her trump card, summoning the level forty-one Bone Sword of the Wight and laying the gleaming enchanted blade carefully next to the Ironwood Staff of Shadows.


    Weldin coughed as he opened his mouth and closed it again, a look of pure avarice crossing his face before he quickly schooled his features. The look was there for such a brief moment, that Malika was certain anyone with slower reflexes would simply have missed it. Weldin Thriftpenny was a masterful merchant, but Malika knew she had him with this deal.


    With that settled, the rest of the exchange simply needed to play out. She began unloading equipment from her ring, armor, weapons, and arrows ¨C the selected spoils of an entire dungeon. She let his discomfort grow as she kept adding to the pile until she had everything laid out.


    She suggested a price for the entire pile, enjoying watching him squirm for a few moments while she imagined the machinations that must be going on through his mind as he struggled to come up with a way to close a deal well outside of his buying power and not let it slip out of the door to the marketplace.


    Only then did she dangle the final carrot ¨C the closing act of her carefully planned play.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need the money immediately, so how about I leave all this with you, and you leave the money for me in my guild account when you get it? Say in one week?¡± She gave him the sweetest smile she could conjure.


    ¡°Well played, Malika,¡± he said finally, accepting her offer. ¡°You win this round.¡±


    She grinned and shook his hand, closing the deal, knowing that even though she had won, with his savvy and skills, and just a little patience, he was going to make a fortune off what she had given him.


    Vivian Ross


    Vivian sat in silence, but within, her mind was racing with the implications of their recounting of their experiences underground.


    Vivian felt her stomach clench painfully with the fresh surge of anxiety and ¨C she was even able to admit it, fear ¨C that her thought spawned within her. She had never imagined the day she would sit in her meeting room, conversing with a living, breathing dungeon. She could taste the bile and bitterness as her body responded to the powerful emotions her memories dredged up.


    And yet Mieriel¡¯s simple words stabbed deep into her heart, twisting this way and that, a pain she simply could not resolve. Could she really kill Aliandra? She was a dungeon, and every fiber of her being told her to lash out and exterminate her before she destroyed everything. And yet, she was that incomprehensible impossibility ¨C a dungeon that hadn¡¯t yet hurt anyone.


    The phrase felt incongruous and impossible. An oxymoron.


    But when she imagined drawing her sword to kill the Fae, her heart filled with such intense self-loathing and guilt that she broke out in a cold sweat, hands trembling.


    Yet, somehow, Aliandra had brought a revelation of vastly more significance than a mere dungeon. The Lich. Nevyn Eld, the betrayer, and evil incarnate had appeared here. Could the vile entity be working through her? No, that did not seem possible either.


    ¡°She was telling the truth?¡± Vivian asked, swallowing to steady herself and gripping the tabletop to still her shaking. ¡°About the Lich?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mieriel¡¯s answer was short and carried no uncertainty. ¡°I have never experienced such overwhelming dread and fear as her memory of that experience.¡±


    Vivian fell silent once more, alone to wrestle with her thoughts. She was certain about one part of her path ¨C the Elven Council had to be informed. Only their Archmages and Pathfinders would be able to stand up to the evil of the Lich and his minions. But inviting their attention would come with consequences too, and she wasn¡¯t certain it would work out for the best interests of Myrin¡¯s Keep.


    ¡°What will you do about Mori¡¯s bounty?¡± Mieriel asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Vivian answered truthfully. It was not unheard of for the crooked captain of the Town Watch to put out hits on people he didn¡¯t like, but this time it was directed at her and her fledgling guild. Already she had lost several members and it seemed hardly a stretch to imagine Mori might be the one behind it all. On one hand, it would be so nice to have Mori take care of her dungeon problem without any personal involvement on her part, but¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m with you, whatever you decide,¡± Mieriel said. ¡°But politically, I think it would be a disaster to let him kill your highest-level adventurers.¡±


    ¡°For sure,¡± Vivian admitted. Mieriel¡¯s insights had steered her past so many traps and pitfalls that she simply didn¡¯t question the truth of it anymore. Aliandra and her group were now clearly the most advanced and successful members she had in this fledgling guild. If she were honest with herself, they had admirably stepped up to fill the role she had envisioned when she had first founded it. They were growing fast and becoming powerful members of the town. The fact that they had already performed valuable services defending the townsfolk against the Goblin siege and eliminating a dangerous dungeon underground was precisely the kind of vision she wanted for her guild.


    Mieriel was right, though. Allowing Kieran Mori to pick off her adventurers would hamstring the guild¡¯s autonomy and power forever, permanently hobbling it and snuffing out her vision for what she wanted to build.


    The conclusion twisted her gut once again, but it was inescapable. She found herself forced to protect a dungeon. It was either that or give up her vision for the guild and admit failure before she had even started.


    ¡°I will protect her. I can¡¯t let Kieran Mori take control.¡± Vivian finally spoke the words out loud, feeling a disturbing sense of fate settling on her shoulders as her resolution became crisper, more real somehow. But she knew deep in her heart that Mori was just an excuse. She couldn¡¯t kill Aliandra without also killing the person she had fought so hard to become.


    ¡°Then you will need to decide when to tell her,¡± Mieriel said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The next time she levels up, I will not be able to keep my secret.¡±


    ¡°This soon? How is that possible?¡± It had always been part of the plan they had made together, but it was an aspect Vivian had been certain would take much longer. At some point, the adventurers would level beyond Mieriel¡¯s skill level and her class and affinity would become known, but Mieriel¡¯s subtle magic usually worked against people substantially higher level than she was. She had hoped to be much more connected with the guild members before that happened so she could manage the shock appropriately.


    ¡°I scanned her with the panel¡¯s advanced Identify again. She¡¯s level thirty-seven, but she has more than four thousand mana. That is not possible for a normal class, she would need more than four hundred wisdom to support that amount of mana. The scanner thinks she has less than one hundred and fifty. She must have some aptitude or skill that boosts the effectiveness of her wisdom, which increases her willpower and resistance against my mind magic. Combined with the impressive work of Lydia Avery that she¡¯s wearing most of the time, she was very nearly able to resist me when they came in today. Also, I think she¡¯s beginning to recall our interrogation ¨C based on the emotions I was reading when she fought me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a problem.¡± Vivian was not certain exactly how Aliandra would react to the news, but she knew she would be pissed if it happened to her. She raised her fingers to massage her temples.


    ¡°I¡¯ll trust your judgment,¡± Mieriel said, deferring the decision. ¡°But if you want a chance to salvage the relationship, I recommend coming clean before she figures it out on her own.¡±


    ¡°I wish I had more time¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it so hard to accept her?¡±


    ¡°You remember what happened.¡±


    ¡°I do. But that wasn¡¯t her. She is one of your top adventurers. Not to mention that Aiden and Havok, and the entire group of new members are the result of her and her class shrine.¡±


    Mieriel was right. If she could just ignore the inconvenient fact of her being a dungeon, in all other ways Aliandra was a gift from the gods to an aspiring Guildmaster. She could mint new adventurers with incredible classes, she was a summoner who could learn new minions whenever she encountered them, and she was already well-established on a team with a track record of extraordinary successes against raid-level threats.


    And yet she simply couldn¡¯t shake it.


    She sighed, turning her mind to other, more urgent, issues. She would have to come back to the thorny problem of Aliandra ¨C after she¡¯d dealt with the terrifying appearance of the Blind Lich. She pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and began composing a letter.


    ¡°Can you drop this off at the Novaspark Academy of Magic?¡± Vivian asked, pushing her note across the table to Mieriel. ¡°Send it to Archmage Nathaniel Sunstrider directly. Please pay for a telepath or teleportation courier service.¡± It would be expensive, but the guild could now afford the cost, thanks to the small percentage they took from the store transactions and the guild fees for the increasingly popular quest board.


    ¡°The Pathfinder Guild?¡± Mieriel asked, storing the note.


    ¡°He¡¯s also a prominent member of the Elven Council. He will ensure they¡¯re informed about the presence of Nevyn Eld in Myrin¡¯s Keep.¡±


    ¡°Ok. I¡¯ll take care of it immediately.¡± One of the things Vivian loved about Mieriel was how she always grasped the importance of things intuitively. It came with her class, but it always made Vivian feel instantly understood.


    ¡°One more thing. Can you let Calen know I¡¯d like him to do a strategy lecture for the guild this week? If he¡¯s up for it.¡±


    Mieriel raised an eyebrow. ¡°Isn¡¯t he a bit shy?¡±


    ¡°He has a keen mind for tactics and strategy, and they have two raid fights under their belts. I want him to share his insights with the guild. It¡¯s time to begin growing the whole team. The earlier we cultivate the mindset of sharing valuable experience across groups, the faster the newbies will grow. I have a feeling it will be good for him too.¡± Calen would probably need a bit of a push, but this was a great opportunity to get him to come out of his shell a little.


    At least when it came to Calen, Malika, and Mato, Vivian had absolutely no doubt they were on track to becoming the backbone of an effective guild ¨C the kind of guild she had dreamed of building all along. All they would need was a little guidance and encouragement, and she was at least confident in her abilities to mentor effectively.

 Chapter 92: Eliyen’s Request

    Chapter 92: Eliyen¡¯s RequestAliandraAli paused to smell the beautiful climbing roses that graced the fence of Eliyen Mistwood¡¯s beautiful garden before they all went in. She was certain she would never tire of seeing the riotous array of plants, herbs, and trees all laid out in what appeared to be an entirely accidental natural harmony. It was at once a garden, and simultaneously a work of art.


    Given the bounties placed on her and Malika¡¯s heads, and the presumed interest of half the underground criminal world, they had decided to stick together for this venture across town, and Calen in particular had been extra vigilant with his motes of light and stealth skills. Still, nobody appeared to take a shot at her this time.


    The same elegantly written sign fastened to the door welcomed them to enter, so Ali knocked and opened the door. At the sound of the wind chimes, both Eliyen and Basil looked up from their work.


    ¡°Welcome back,¡± Eliyen¡¯s soft, clear voice greeted them as they entered the small shop that seemed to serve double duty as Eliyen¡¯s home. Basil grinned hugely behind her shoulder, obviously delighted to see them again but too shy to speak up.


    Eliyen¡¯s eyes flickered between the four of them, curiosity clear on her face, but she remained silent, waiting for them to initiate.


    ¡°Vivian Ross recommended your abilities for healing something difficult,¡± Ali began.


    ¡°Yes, I can see. Your friends bear the stench of the undead ¨C and not the lesser ones. You have tangled with something powerful and come to me for help with life drain?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Can you cure it?¡± Ali asked, immediately curious about how Eliyen could tell. From the lack of obvious mana formations flickering and changing, she guessed it was a passive perception skill of some kind.


    ¡°What you seek is an Elixir of Vitality Rejuvenation. I know the making of it, but unfortunately, I lack the most critical ingredient,¡± Eliyen said. A slight tightening of the skin around her eyes and firming of her jaw flickering across her face briefly before her features returned to their serene calm.


    ¡°Is it too expensive?¡± Malika asked. ¡°We¡¯re willing to pay.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of money,¡± Eliyen said, shifting her gaze to Malika as she spoke. ¡°The required reagent is called mana-purified water. It is the basis for many powerful cures and elixirs, but it is unfortunately rare and difficult to acquire. I do not have any left. Nor will you find any in this town or nearby for purchase. I¡¯m sorry.¡± She picked up a watering can and drizzled a little nourishing rain onto the unusually blue fern in a pot on the desk before her, delicately weaving her nature mana into the flow, and the plant began to gently grow under her attention. She cocked her head to the side curiously and then glanced at Mato with a flicker of a smile.


    ¡°Is there no way we can get some for you?¡± Ali asked, frustrated to be so close to a solution and yet blocked by an unexpected and impenetrable barrier.


    ¡°There is a dungeon deep in the northeastern mountainous area of the kingdom of Toria, near the town of Volle,¡± Eliyen explained. ¡°It is the only nearby source of mana-purified water for all the kingdoms in this part of the continent. It¡¯s an area without much in the way of natural resources but the town of Volle has always exploited this dungeon. Keeping an iron grip on the supply of such a valuable reagent has been the only thing that enabled them to maintain their wealth.¡±


    Drawing a deep breath, Eliyen continued, ¡°Every year I can purchase one permit, allowing me to send one person between level thirty and forty into the dungeon, and that entitles me to only ten vials of water. As you can imagine, I can¡¯t afford to squander such a scarce resource on something that might eventually resolve on its own. I¡¯m sorry I cannot be of help,¡± Eliyen finished.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Ali tried. The rules she had just explained seemed ridiculously specific.


    ¡°She can¡¯t help us,¡± Malika said, uncharacteristically interrupting her. ¡°Let¡¯s go ask the Guildmaster if there are other options.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said, glancing at her in surprise as they all got up to leave. It was frustrating to come all the way out here only to be turned away by some stupid restrictions. But Ali couldn¡¯t quite figure out why Malika was being so¡­ pushy. Malika was the most worried about the life drain. Shouldn¡¯t she be the one pushing the hardest to get Eliyen to relent?


    ¡°I do have a request,¡± Eliyen said, her voice stopping Ali¡¯s hand right before her fingers touched the doorknob. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a ghost of a smile flicker across Malika¡¯s face ¨C a smile that vanished entirely before she turned back to Eliyen.


    ¡°There is something I would ask of you, young Fae,¡± Eliyen said, looking directly at Ali. ¡°Basil informed me of the unique nature of your skills. If you choose to help me with this request, I will help you with the elixirs.¡±


    Careful to keep her face from showing anything unexpected, Ali accepted Eliyen¡¯s unspoken invitation to sit.


    ¡°As you can imagine,¡± Eliyen said, putting the watering can down and giving Ali her full attention, ¡°I despise the exploitation of this mana-purified water because it prevents the crafting of many life-saving elixirs, spreading much suffering across all the nearby kingdoms. There are not enough resources to make the potions, especially after the Goblin siege, and those that are created are way too expensive for the common folk.¡±


    ¡°The biggest secret to mana-purified water is that it is simply regular water, purified by the presence of a water-affinity mushroom that grows within it.¡±


    At least she was beginning to understand why she was involved in whatever Eliyen was about to propose. Her Grimoire and Eliyen¡¯s knowledge that she had learned to grow the Brown Stonecap mushrooms had to be part of the equation.


    ¡°The Torians check everyone who enters and leaves the dungeon, searching all their equipment and storage enchantments to ensure that nobody leaves with more than their allotted amount of water. They would quickly notice any mushrooms added to the inventory, should one try to take any out.¡±


    ¡°I propose that you use my permit to access the dungeon and search out the mushroom and learn it under the cover of collecting ten vials of water for me. I do not know precisely where in the dungeon they grow, so you will have to find it on your own. Once you learn it, I suggest you kill the dungeon, but even if you do not, return with the mushroom and we will grow them here. We can agree on how to harvest the water and share profits after you return. We will then be able to produce a constant supply of life-saving elixirs and potions while earning a lot of money in the process. Do this for me and I will pay for the teleportation to Volle and make you the elixirs to cure your friends.¡±


    ¡°That sounds doable,¡± Ali said, considering the proposal. She was excited about the idea of learning a new magical variant of a mushroom, and one that seemed so useful. And Eliyen¡¯s goal to provide more potions to more people seemed admirable.


    Something felt off about this proposal, and Ali wasn¡¯t sure exactly what it was.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re being entirely honest with us,¡± Malika said, her blunt response confirming Ali¡¯s reservations.


    Eliyen¡¯s expression instantly hardened. ¡°Curse your eyes, daughter of Ahn Khen.¡±


    ¡°I do not need the sight of my Ancestors to see through your flimsy story. I have been forced to work with enough real conmen vastly more skilled at lying and convincing people. You¡¯re simply not that good at it.¡± Malika matched her hard expression without backing down even slightly. Ali was a little frightened by the intensity flashing in Malika¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°How much are you spending on this venture? The permits and teleportation service alone must be very expensive. Yet you are living frugally as an herbalist in a border town. If you cared about the money, you would have a ready proposal for how we split the profits signed and agreed upon before even sharing the major details. Yet you don¡¯t seem to even care about the money or the fact we will be bankrupting a town in a different kingdom.¡±


    Basil gasped, his wide eyes darting between Malika and his mentor.


    Suddenly, Ali realized what had bothered her about the deal.  They were being asked to rob some town and destroy their monopoly market. Even if it was being abused for profit, they were not exactly doing something ethical either.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Eliyen said, clearly unhappy about being put on the spot by Malika¡¯s rapid dismantling of her entire story.


    Ali disliked the idea of Volle¡¯s market exploitation leading to suffering, and she despised the idea of being manipulated into taking over such an operation herself. But that still meant they were not going to get the Elixir of Vitality Rejuvenation.


    But the old Wood Elf didn¡¯t demand they leave immediately. Looking down at the plants around her, she began to tell her tale.


    ¡°A long time ago, I lived with a small clan of Wood Elves in the forests near this dungeon. It was when the kingdom was new. We harvested the water and local herbs and earned our simple living trading with the nearby towns. The local lord coveted the water as a resource and wished to exploit it, so he lured us out of our home with the promise of a signed agreement and while we were away, burned our homes and forest and captured and subjugated the dungeon.¡±


    Mato sighed, but Malika¡¯s expression remained unreadable. Ali wondered what horrors this simple retelling left unsaid.


    Eliyen sighed. ¡°My family and clan were made homeless and driven out. For many decades I plotted revenge on them, but I was never able to bring myself to do the necessary violence, and now most of them have since passed due to the passage of time. Ownership of the dungeon and the prosperity of Volle has been handed down within that lord¡¯s family ever since. Even after all this time, I still find myself unable to let it go. It sits poorly with my heart to know that they continue to exploit something that they earned using deception at the cost of my people¡¯s homes.¡±


    Judging from the hard look in her eye and the set of her mouth, Eliyen was leaving a lot unsaid.


    Eliyen looked at Malika, ¡°Your friend¡¯s ability is the first time I have found hope that I can resolve this injustice without violence and earn some closure at last. The ugly truth is the revenge in my heart. I do not want anyone to die, but I want to right the injustice of ill-gotten gains at the expense of my family. I cannot steal the dungeon, obviously, but making it worthless to them feels appropriate.¡±


    ¡°Even knowing my sad tale, I still beg of you to help me with this. You¡¯re right, I care not for the money or wealth. If you succeed, you may do what you wish with the mana-purified water. I ask only that you sell me enough at a reasonable price so that I can save people with my arts. I am forced to turn away people even more in need than you all the time, and it tears at my heart to do so because of the selfish exploitation of Volle¡¯s Dungeon for personal gain.¡±


    ¡°You should have led with that story,¡± Malika said. ¡°Thank you for telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you¡¯ve had to carry that for so long,¡± Ali answered. ¡°I¡¯d like to help.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to help even after hearing my need for selfish revenge?¡± Eliyen asked, clearly surprised at her response.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali answered. ¡°It seems like a good cause to me. If we succeed, more people will have access to important potions, right? I don¡¯t like that they are profiting at the expense of people¡¯s lives and health.¡± If there was a way to help everyone while also helping her friends get the elixirs, Ali would jump at the opportunity.


    ¡°If I do get the mushroom type and we make the mana-purified water, I can probably make a lot. I don¡¯t have any use for it, so you can take as much as you want, and maybe just give me a small fee so we can pay for potions and stuff.¡± Ali finished.


    ¡°Sheesh, you guys are both terrible at business,¡± Malika exclaimed. ¡°You know that stuff goes for more than a gold per vial?¡±


    ¡°But it will help people?¡± Ali answered. She knew what Malika was saying, but she didn¡¯t want to simply replace the Volle lord as the person exploiting people¡¯s suffering for money.


    Malika just rolled her eyes. ¡°You are both the same. You know you can save all the people and still make some money on the side? Anyway, why does Volle restrict entrance to the dungeon? Ali is going to have to do this on her own, right?¡±


    That was a detail that Ali had not picked up on.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Eliyen confirmed. ¡°It¡¯s their way of protecting their asset. Admitting people below thirty runs the risk of feeding the dungeon and letting it grow stronger. On the other hand, letting in higher-level people risks them plundering the dungeon and simply teleporting out to evade the taxes and restrictions. Groups are restricted because it would be too easy to destroy the entire dungeon. I¡¯m hoping Aliandra can manage it as a summoner.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s stupid too,¡± Malika responded, ¡°I would just harvest the water myself and sell the product, keeping the source secret.¡±


    ¡°Volle¡¯s lord claims that making it harder kept the market small and the prices high,¡± Eliyen said with a shrug. ¡°I think they¡¯re just lazy and this is an opportunity to make other people do the work.¡±


    ¡°If I were running this scheme, I¡¯d have to destroy it myself because it¡¯s so terrible,¡± Malika huffed. She seemed to be growing a little irate.


    They sat with Eliyen for another hour, going over the details of the plan. It was simply astonishing how much gold Eliyen was investing into this endeavor. She was fronting the cost of potions for the dungeon, retaining the expensive teleportation service to Volle, and not to mention the purchase of the various expensive Torian permits allowing entry to the dungeon itself.


    Malika had been spot-on with her observation. Eliyen was clearly not motivated by money. If Ali was successful, she would be walking out of the dungeon with all the spoils, and Eliyen couldn¡¯t do anything if she backed out of their informal agreement to share profits somehow.


    However, no matter how Ali used the gains, as long as she didn¡¯t sit on it and do nothing, Eliyen would still have succeeded in her goal of undermining the value of the dungeon. Perhaps she was more savvy than she seemed after all.


    One thing was certain. Without Malika, Ali would never have guessed any of this.


    ***


    Ali stood beside the large murky lake in the underground forest cavern, trying to drown a Kobold while Malika looked on, occasionally offering her opinion. Initially, Ali had been excited about Eliyen¡¯s request and the opportunity to make a difference. She would explore a new dungeon and unlock the secrets of mana-purified water, helping her friends overcome the debilitating effects of the Death Wight¡¯s life drain and at the same time make important potions much more widely available.


    However, learning that she would have to tackle the dungeon by herself, and then trying ¨C and failing ¨C to answer some of Malika¡¯s very practical questions about how she intended to approach the job had drastically eroded her confidence.


    Volle¡¯s Dungeon ¨C as it was known ¨C was apparently an aquatic dungeon. A series of caves, mostly submerged in water, infested with slime and ooze monsters. Eliyen had secured a crude hand-drawn map of the dungeon itself, which supposedly cost a hefty fifty silver if purchased in Volle. It seemed that the entire town¡¯s economy had been structured around extracting the most money from the dungeon in every way possible ¨C and gouging visitors on simple amenities and information was obviously fair game.


    It hadn¡¯t really dawned on Ali that her monsters would need to breathe underwater until Malika had pointed at the three Underwater Breathing potions Eliyen had provided and asked her how she planned on fighting. Which brought her ultimately to the shore of her lake and her quest to drown her Kobolds.


    ¡°Six minutes,¡± Calen said, somehow able to gauge time nearly exactly.


    Ali retrieved the distressed Kobold from the water before it actually died. Six minutes seemed quite impressive for the bedraggled and drenched Kobold, and Ali was quite certain that with her lower vitality, she wouldn¡¯t have lasted even half that long. But six minutes was woefully inadequate for traversing an underwater series of caverns with potential monster fights along the way.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she told the Kobold. Even though the summoned creature would have clearly followed her request to the death, the discomfort and sense of drowning she felt through her connection with the monster made her feel terrible about her tests.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ancient Mistress. This one is not strong enough.¡± The Kobold turned away, coughing up dirty water before looking down at his feet dejectedly. What made her feel infinitely worse about the drownings was the way the Kobold seemed depressed that she wouldn¡¯t let him actually die to satisfy her request ¨C as if he hadn¡¯t been able to try hard enough and was letting her down.


    ¡°What else you got?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°The only other minions I have are slimes,¡± Ali answered, wondering if there was some way she could find some underwater monsters to learn on short notice. Of all her potential minions, the sleek and powerful Poison Wyverns had lasted the longest, but ten minutes underwater was still woefully inadequate for this mission. And Malika had pointed out that their primary breath attack ¨C poison spray ¨C would probably be significantly less effective underwater too.


    Ali pursed her lips and quickly paged through her Grimoire finding the imprint for her oozes. She had only two options, and she was certain the Toxic Slime was way too low level for this job, regardless of whether it could survive underwater or not. She gathered her mana and chose the variant for the Luminous Slime and began to summon her next victim.


    There was a soft popping noise as the monster appeared, followed by a wet splat as it hit the mossy ground, its roundish body wobbling as it glowed. Slimes were nasty and gross monsters, amorphous blobs of moist or damp jelly-like substances that could self-animate in ways that sometimes made her stomach lurch. But compared to the Toxic Slimes, this Luminous Slime was much more to Ali¡¯s taste. She wouldn¡¯t go as far as calling it beautiful, but the light its semi-transparent body gave off was gentle and soothing. Seen from a distance, maybe with a substantial squint, it looked like a pleasant, happy glowing yellow squishy ball a little larger than herself.


    Ali sent her will to the creature, taking care to keep her instructions clear and simple. Slimes, she had found, were her least intelligent minions, and seemed unable to follow anything but the simplest of directions. But they did seem useful in their own way. While she had had to monitor them closely during the twin Wight battle, they had proved to be remarkably resilient, and entirely immune to being pinned down and trapped by the bone prisons.


    She visualized it entering the water and sitting at the bottom, and the creature responded immediately, stretching various pseudopod ¡®legs¡¯ in seemingly random directions to help propel, drag, slither, or pour itself across the ground and along the bottom of the water in the bizarre whole-body locomotion unique to slime monsters.


    she decided. It was the descriptive word for the way the slime was moving that seemed most appropriate.


    Ali watched as it simply sat there lighting up the murky lake from within. She felt no distress coming through her connection to the creature. Occasionally, she sent minor adjustments just to check if it was still able to respond.


    ¡°I think we have a winner,¡± Malika observed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it needs to breathe at all,¡± Ali agreed. Indeed, even the way it had oozed along the lake floor had seemed indistinguishable from its movement above water ¨C as if the monster was entirely indifferent to the environment in which it found itself. Ali sent it a command, and it released its incandescent spray of light motes. The entire lake shone with the intensity of the attack, but through the depth of murky water, it failed to blind Ali.


    ¡°Slimes are generally blind, aren¡¯t they?¡± Calen asked, looking up from his seat where he was studying his notes.


    ¡°I think so,¡± Ali answered. Her slimes had never seemed bothered by the intense spray of lights they could emit, so it was plausible they were perceiving the world in an entirely different way.


    ¡°Perhaps don¡¯t rely on that attack, then,¡± he finished. ¡°It might not work if everything you¡¯re fighting is another slime.¡±


    ¡°So, I have only one minion, and I can¡¯t use its primary attack.¡± This entire operation was looking less and less feasible the more she thought about it. ¡°I wish I could bring my Kobolds.¡± She had certainly gotten used to her versatile minions and having an answer for every occasion right there in her Grimoire was something she had begun to take for granted. Now, when she couldn¡¯t bring them, she suddenly realized how much of her power was directly related to having a good selection of minions.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you bring some?¡± Calen asked. For some reason, he seemed to be fidgeting more than usual, as if he were trying to suppress a nervous energy, but she simply chalked it up to him being shy about sharing his ideas.


    ¡°They can¡¯t breathe underwater.¡± She couldn¡¯t figure out what he was getting at. He was exceptionally smart, but the problem was really obvious, and he seemed to be ignoring it.


    ¡°You can¡¯t breathe underwater either,¡± he said, and suddenly Ali understood what he was getting at. ¡°Let¡¯s go talk to Morwynne Fizzlebang at the potion store. Maybe she has a few more underwater breathing potions you can buy. They will probably work on Kobolds or Goblins if you tell them to drink it.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s smart.¡± Ali hadn¡¯t considered the obvious solution, but it made sense. Her humanoid monsters were smart enough to use potions. It would be prohibitively expensive for sure, but for the added safety of bringing an Acolyte of Azryet to heal her, or a Storm Shaman, she was certainly willing to make the sacrifice. It would make an enormous difference.


    ¡°You¡¯re also ignoring one of your biggest advantages,¡± he continued, still fidgeting with the pages of his notebook. ¡°Your Grimoire. You¡¯ll be fighting in a dungeon with monsters that are adapted to the local conditions. As long as you can kill some monsters, you can learn them, and then you should have access to minions that can survive and fight underwater.¡±


    she smiled as new ideas began to simmer in her mind.


    Malika patted Calen¡¯s head. ¡°See how happy you made her? Good boy!¡±


    He screwed up his face into a hilarious grimace. ¡°Really?¡±


    ***


    Ali sat on a patch of springy moss, paging through her books, looking for any small inspiration she might have missed that could help her with her upcoming quest. The delicious-smelling aroma of Mato¡¯s cooking, a richly spiced tamarind stew, filled the Grove once more. Idly, she found herself wondering where he sourced all his ingredients. Never a slouch in cooking to start with, he was really starting to experiment these days and the results made her nose tingle and her mouth water.


    She glanced up when she felt Calen approaching.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± he began, shifting a little awkwardly.


    There was a flush of red coloring the normally pale skin of his face.


    ¡°Ali¡­ I¡­ I didn¡¯t really get a chance to say thank you for saving me. When I fell,¡± he said, stumbling over his words.


    she thought. She smiled up at him in a way that would hopefully reassure his anxiety and said, ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I know you would have done the same for me.¡± She still remembered the horror and dread as she had watched him topple from the inner ring of the ruined city. She couldn¡¯t imagine what life might be like right now if her desperate plummet to save him had failed.


    ¡°I got you something,¡± he said, the words almost tripping over each other as he blurted them out.


    She watched curiously as he pulled out an enchanted leather bag she hadn¡¯t seen before and set it on the ground a generous distance away from where she sat before pulsing a little of his mana into it the same way she used her ring¡¯s storage enchantment. Suddenly, there were three enormous objects, covered with soil and dirt, and from her vantage point looking up at them, she couldn¡¯t immediately tell what they were.


    ¡°I hope they¡¯re ok,¡± he said, none of his awkwardness having eased. In fact, he seemed even more worried, if that was possible.


    Wracked with curiosity now, she summoned her barrier disk and levitated into the air above the giant structures until she could get a clearer view.


    Lying sideways on the ground, she had been looking directly at the dirt and roots of the uprooted trees, but from the air, they were clearly cherry trees filled with beautiful pink blossoms.


    She flew over to Calen and hugged him. ¡°I love them! Thank you.¡± She could feel his blush intensifying, so she let him go and instead deconstructed the three trees he had brought.


    Immediately, she created one off to the side, next to the lake, surreptitiously noting that Calen was now smiling happily. The tree she created was smaller than the oaks or maples she was used to planting, but it was still tall and filled with beautiful deep pink blossoms.


    ¡°That is stunning,¡± Malika said admiring the tree.


    Ali thought, thoroughly enjoying the unexpected and thoughtful gift.


    ¡°Good job!¡± Mato said, slapping Calen on the back and making him stagger. ¡°It only took almost dying to get you to buy a girl flowers.¡±


    The poor Half-elf turned every color of the sunset as Mato and Malika hooted in tandem.


    ¡°Hey! It was a very thoughtful gift!¡± Ali protested, picking up a clump of moss and throwing it at Mato, hitting him on the chest.


    Everyone started laughing, even Calen joined in as Mato¡¯s joke seemed to finally dissolve his anxiety and nervousness.


    sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 93: Volle’s Dungeon

    Chapter 93: Volle¡¯s Dungeonby Bixi Bargainhunter, Silver Cog Trading Co.


    Aliandra


    The Novaspark Academy of Magic certainly looked impressive from the outside. It had expensive-looking metal window frames and built-in stone relief sculptures that must have required an exceptionally talented stone mage to create. It was the first time Ali was really noticing the building from the outside ¨C every other time she had been here, she had entered through the teleportation locus using the magic of a recall potion while escaping some imminent disaster.


    It was clear that the architect had envisioned this as the most important building in Myrin¡¯s Keep, if one discounted the city defenses, towering well above the surrounding structures. There were even several spires soaring to greater heights out of the roof ¨C Ali chalked it up to the stereotypical scholarly mage obsession with towers colliding with the elegant structure and design favored by the architects and stonemasons.


    It stood as an isolated and fortified bastion against the storms of crime and corruption that prevailed in Myrin¡¯s Keep, dedicated to magical study and education. In a way that was common in many similar towns, even back in her time, it also served as the hub of information and travel ¨C a nexus connecting the entire town to the outside world. Here it was that one would find the telepath classes connecting to the kingdom¡¯s information and news networks; the teleporters, both classes, and artifacts, that powered the most urgent of couriered letters, packages, and even the transport of people and merchant stock, provided one had enough gold.


    ¡°What are you guys going to do while I¡¯m gone?¡± Ali asked, suddenly realizing that everyone had been helping her to prepare, but she had no idea what they were all planning.


    ¡°Captain strategy professor here was retained by the Guildmaster herself to deliver a lecture to the newbies this week. So, he will be anxious and studying,¡± Mato said, nudging Calen with a good-natured smile on his face.


    Mato was clearly proud of Calen, and Calen was just as clearly embarrassed and uncomfortable by being unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight.


    ¡°Um¡­ I forgot to ask if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t want me to share about your skills? I have to talk about our two raid fights,¡± he said, fighting a little against a blush.


    ¡°I trust your judgment, Calen,¡± Ali said with a smile.


    ¡°Be safe, ok?¡± Malika said, giving her a quick hug before pushing the door open for her.


    ¡°You too,¡± Ali said, wishing her friends goodbye before she headed out on Eliyen¡¯s quest, hopefully to return with the reagent they needed to recover. It was awkward to have to travel everywhere in town as a group, but Ali appreciated the priority her friends had placed on each of them being safe, particularly with unknown assassins prowling around looking to score a quick bounty.


    Ali flew into the opulently styled lobby and joined one of the many lines to see the busy receptionists. She hovered about waist high to a human, mostly to ensure she didn¡¯t get stepped on or tripped over in the busy throng, rather than any need to be taller. A few people glanced at her in surprise, but most seemed to be intent upon their destinations.


    Soaring above her were high vaulted ceilings, buttressed by dark gray marble pillars. The polished stone floor was inlaid with delicate tracery, and artistic designs, and adorned with expensive-looking carpets, and even the reception desks seemed to be made of dark, mana-imbued, polished wood. It was as clear a statement of established wealth as any Ali had ever seen, and served to contrast just how new and basic the Adventurers Guild was ¨C simply by the comparison with their respective lobbies. But it was the abundance of magical enchantment that really caught Ali¡¯s attention. Everything leaked, oozed, effused, and shone magic ¨C as if the entire lobby had been the subject of generations of magical projects by graduating students. The walls had protection enchantments, cleaning enchantments, light enchantments, and hundreds of things Ali couldn¡¯t even guess at, forming a riot of color and motion in her mana sight.


    She presented her paperwork and was immediately and efficiently escorted by an intern to a private office somewhere deep in the bowels of the academy. Suddenly, her hurried guide vanished, and Ali found herself alone in an unfamiliar corridor, before a nondescript wooden door with a simple sign beside it.


    Ali reached up to knock, but before she even touched the door a soft chime sounded amid a burst of unusual mana that briefly bent and distorted the air around it.


    ¡°Please come in.¡± The voice sounded raspy and crackly, like the auditory equivalent of the texture of ancient parchment.


    Ali pushed the door open and flew in, finding herself in a small, extremely cluttered office lined with bookshelves and bizarre pieces of apparatus. Hovering above a desk covered with dog-eared books, unfinished scrolls, discarded pens, and dried-up ink was a wizened man with a shock of crazy untamed gray hair, wearing a rumpled rune-covered robe. All around him floated a cluster of books and scrolls like a flock of attending birds just waiting on his attention, or perhaps hovering over the desk unable to find space to land.


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± the old mage responded, squinting at the document she handed to him. ¡°Teleportation service, of course.¡± He looked at Ali with a smile that looked equal parts good-natured and manic.


    ¡°If you¡¯re ready, we can have this done snip snap!¡±


    Ali thought, nodding her answer to his question. But she couldn¡¯t deny she was excited to see his unusual space magic affinity in action. She just hoped he would be using his own skills, rather than some artifact to send her.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we have you stand in this ring here,¡± he said, indicating a spot on the cluttered floor. They both looked at the ground, and the mess down there, and then Ali met his eyes again raising an eyebrow in question.


    ¡°Oh, hmm¡­¡± he waved a hand and Ali was treated to the glorious pulse of his reality-bending mana radiating out from the center of the messy floor, pushing the discarded books and papers to the edge of the room and revealing a beautifully etched teleportation circle.


    ¡°Sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Ali answered with a happy smile, alighting in the center of the runic circle, quickly pulsing her Sage of Learning and Runic Script skills to memorize the unfamiliar runic structure.


    ¡°Right, maybe dismiss the sparkly golden disk? Just in case it interferes.¡±


    Ali obliged. Her barrier probably wouldn¡¯t interfere with his space magic, but it didn¡¯t hurt to be careful, especially considering the delicate nature of long-distance teleportation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see, where were you going again?¡± He consulted the paperwork, reinforcing Ali¡¯s association with eccentric absent-mindedness. ¡°Aah yes, Volle. Miserable town, that one. I don¡¯t recommend staying longer than you must.¡±


    Not quite able to suppress a smile, Ali followed the pulse of his unusual mana as it surged within him, erupting outward to pour energy into the runes inscribed around her feet.


    ¡°Hold onto your hat!¡± he announced with a gleeful grin, as his long wispy white hair began to float and wave in the currents of his magic.


    ¡°I¡¯m not wearing a¡­¡±


    There was a sickening lurch as the entire office bent inside out, and Ali was suddenly elsewhere.


    ¡°¡­hat.¡±


    ¡°That will be one silver for entering the town of Volle.¡± The voice sounded as scratchy as an irate cat and quite bored. ¡°And I¡¯ll need to know what business you have in town.¡±


    Ali shook off the lingering sense of disorientation and retrieved the silver and her permit papers while examining her memory of the shape and structure of Prof. Addlestone¡¯s impressive teleportation spell.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here for the dungeon. It¡¯s a mile out of town on the northern road. You can rent a cart for a reasonable price, or you can make your own way there.¡± The man took her silver and returned her permit along with a receipt for the entrance fee. ¡°Keep that receipt, the guards will want to see it. Destructive magic is strictly prohibited within the town.¡±


    Ali stored the papers in her spacious and mostly empty guild ring storage enchantment. Knowing that she would have to empty it for inspection, she had made sure to bring only the necessities for her mission, leaving everything else with Malika for safekeeping.


    As soon as she stepped outside the building, she was assaulted by the stench and sight of squalor.


    All the discussion with Eliyen, and her own ¨C admittedly inadequate ¨C research had led her to believe this town was wealthier than most. By all accounts, it was a town that had grown rich by exploiting the local dungeon and its rare reagent for decades. But everything around her was shabby, smelly, and run-down. While the building she had arrived in seemed to be in good repair, with tall imposing fences and guards, everything else was a borderline slum. The houses were run down, with boarded-over windows, some of them even constructed from mismatched and discarded pieces of wood. Potholes dotted the main road, having lain unrepaired long enough for weeds to be growing out of them.


    Every second building along the way was a vendor or shop with someone desperately trying to attract her attention to sell her cart rides, maps to the dungeon, or other equipment that she knew she didn¡¯t need. People were literally following her in a growing mob as she flew down the street, yelling for her to come back and buy their wares, claiming that the dungeon would surely eat her if she didn¡¯t have whatever worthless gimmick they were peddling.


    Ali felt awfully vulnerable and exposed, alone in an uncomfortable and unknown town, unable to rely on the protection of her minions. Given how paranoid those controlling the dungeon access seemed to be, with many obscure rules and permits, she had immediately decided she would need to pose as a regular mage to allay their fears that a summoner might be too strong and destroy their golden goose. This meant she had to make do without any of her minions until she was alone, and knowing she had a smart reason of course did nothing to calm her anxiety and fears for her safety.


    She hurried along toward the northern gate, grimacing as she waved off yet another overzealous merchant galloping after her down the street with shouted offers of an ¡®almost free¡¯ cart ride to the dungeon for the ¡®bargain price¡¯ of twenty silver.


    As she finally approached the north gate, the town changed dramatically. Well-constructed multi-story extravagant houses with well-tended gardens replaced the slums. Tall fences were patrolled by guards, and the annoying vendors vanished.


    Volle wealthy. But the wealth was confined to the few elites, leaving the rest of the town to scratch around in the dirt for crumbs and scraps. If any confirmation was needed, this backed up Eliyen¡¯s story clearer than words alone.


    It was with a great sense of relief that she left the town behind after showing the guards her paperwork. Out in the mountainous countryside, she could breathe a little easier, and the eccentric old wizard¡¯s comments about the town now made a whole lot more sense.


    She continued to follow the winding road in silence for a while, until she finally came upon an open canopy tent erected to the side with several people sitting at a table, clearly bored. There were several vendor tents further along and a couple of burly warrior-types that looked to be guarding the whole affair.


    Ali flew up to the table and presented her permit to the most official-looking fellow out of the trio, who yawned right in her face. He had at least three gold teeth and breath that would have staggered a Troll. Ali tried not to gag as he made a show of pawing through the paperwork and even checking the back of the permit, which was blank.


    ¡°This all seems to be in order,¡± the official finally admitted, as if pained in every bone of his body. ¡°Please empty your storage enchantments onto the table here. Remember, your signature on this permit is binding, you agree to not leave without inspection when you are done. There is a severe penalty for avoiding the inspection.¡±


    Ali thought, wondering how often people tried to skip their taxes and fees while she emptied her ring, placing her potions, papers, and the coins and empty vials she had brought for the mission onto the table for him to inspect. He carefully noted every item down in a journal, and if he noticed that she was traveling light, he made no comment. Instead, he pulled out a device and scanned her with it. It was disappointingly boring, and she guessed he was simply scanning her body for hidden storage enchantments.


    ¡°Good,¡± he announced when the device dinged, and Ali wondered if there was a central academy that trained officials in the important arts of being bored and disinterested. But then she decided she was being unkind ¨C she wasn¡¯t the one stuck doing a job eternally waiting at a tent to inspect the occasional dungeon delver ¨C and it was easy to tell that this guy was not one of the people actually profiting from the dungeon.


    ¡°You seem to be well equipped,¡± he said, indicating the underwater breathing potions and the map. ¡°If you need anything else, you can see one of the vendors on the way in. Follow that path till you enter the cave. There¡¯s nobody ahead of you, so you can go right on in. Remember, you can only take ten vials with you when you leave, any more will be confiscated and you will be heavily fined. Have a nice day.¡±


    The official spoke the last part without any pauses as if reciting something in a language he did not understand.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Ali re-stored her items in her ring and made her way along the path toward the cave entrance.


    ¡°Slime repellant. Only twenty-five silver.¡± Ali ignored the vendor who didn¡¯t even look up as she passed by.


    Finally, Ali found herself hovering in front of the two guards slouching beside a hole in the cliff face at the end of the pathway.


    ¡°Are you sure you can handle this? Don¡¯t get slimed in there, girlie,¡± one of the guards taunted. His companion glanced up snickering and fixing her with a look of caricaturish lewdness.


    Ali frowned at them, feeling gross all over, but all she got was a round of laughter.


    She set her shoulders, lifted her head, and simply flew past them and into the cave without looking back.


    The indifferent official had been the nicest person to her so far, and that was not a particularly high bar.


    She flew for several minutes through the long tunnel, following the conveniently placed lit torches, until she finally emerged into a spacious cavern. Soaring high above her head, the rocky ceiling was covered with stalactites that dripped water into the blue glowing pools that covered the ground. At the far end of the cavern, she could hear the roaring thunder of a waterfall as it cascaded down into a larger pool that, if the map was accurate, would be the entrance to the dungeon proper.


    Ali took a deep breath, listening to the sound of water. Nothing else permeated into this space, as if she were cut off from the world outside. She had imagined many emotions upon finally facing the dungeon by herself, but relief and calm had not been on her list. She wondered for a moment what it said about her that she felt more relaxed and at home on the threshold of an unknown dungeon than up in the human world above.


    The pool of water ahead of her glowed with a deep suffusion of dense water affinity mana, but all around the pool, she spied tendrils and trails of thick mana, as if laid down by slithering creatures that might emerge from the water. It was shot through with strange traces of other affinities and colors as it all shifted and twisted under her inspection.


    The official of Volle had told her she had several hours before they sent someone in to kick her out. In that time, she had to explore the dungeon, find the source of the water, and hunt down the mushrooms for Eliyen. All before her potions expired.


    She manifested her Grimoire of Summoning and began to create her minions.


    She used her Unsummon to ensure that the Kobold and Goblin minions were high-level variants, wanting to optimize her potion usage. But when it came to the slimes, she just kept summoning more till she used up her mana budget, caring more about quantity than level. The ten Luminous Slimes she summoned made for an impressive sight, an army of bright wobbly spherical shapes that simply sat there lighting up a large chunk of the cave. It remained to be seen how useful they would actually be.


    She hopped onto her barrier and flew closer to the entrance, with her mass of wobbly yellow jelly following along on the ground just below her. As she neared the waterfall, the mana became clearer.


    she thought, studying it for a few minutes. It reminded her a little of the bone and death domain of the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra dungeon, but it seemed much more fluid ¨C almost an amorphous structure of water mana, shot through with the trace elements she had seen before.


    She consulted the map and then retrieved her potions, drinking one herself, and then handed one each to her two Kobolds and Goblin and instructed them to drink also.


    Underwater Breathing ¨C level 15 (Water)


    Consume: You can breathe underwater. Duration: 2 hours.


    Potion ¨C Consumable


    The water in the pool was so clear that she could see all the way to the bottom, where a darker blue tunnel entrance led further into the dungeon itself. As she studied the mana, she suddenly saw a flicker of azure light ¨C a barely visible ripple in the water mana near the tunnel before it vanished.


    she thought, but she stepped forward into the pool, surprised to find the water was only slightly cool, almost refreshing as she submerged herself. There were a few uncomfortable moments where she struggled to breathe before the primitive parts of her brain insisting that she was insane and about to drown finally caught up with the fact that she was not actually dying.


    ¡°she instructed, and all her minions joined her in the water, sending bright light coursing out through the pool, illuminating all the edges and cracks in the rock.


    It took a few awkward moments for her to realize that sitting on her barrier was simply not going to work. She kept getting washed off by the weight and pressure of the water as she tried to ¡®fly¡¯. Instead, she created a smaller disk, and hung on to the edges with her hands, using her magic to drag herself through the water.


    she thought, diving down toward the tunnel at the bottom. She sent the slimes crawling through the passage ahead of her, and then she followed. It was a strange sensation breathing underwater, but the potion seemed to be working well. By happy coincidence, her choice of minions made the problem of seeing where she was going a rather definite non-issue.


    She followed the tunnel diagonally downward for a long way, the walls smoothed by the flow of water, until they finally emerged into an expansive underwater cavern, large enough that her slimes were unable to light the far wall.


    Ali noted. The walls were bare rock, smooth and devoid of any kind of life.


    Suddenly, she was blinded by an intense flash of blue light, causing her to jolt backward reflexively, releasing her barrier and casting herself adrift. A sharp, debilitating pain stabbed through her as something unseen pierced clean through her leg. In her panic she summoned a new barrier, instinctively trying to wrap it around herself in an attempt to block unseen attacks from any direction. The result was a lopsided, misshapen egg of magic that surrounded her but consumed her full capacity for barrier magic.


    She sensed a flare of mana from the side and another attack struck, this time silently bouncing off her hastily erected barrier. It was answered immediately by intense blasts of light magic that lingered incandescent in her mana sight.


    ¡°she instructed, sending the simplistic thought to her slimes using her connection while struggling to suppress the throbbing pain and the sensation of rising panic at being attacked by unknown monsters. The flares of intense light ceased as her slimes complied with her wishes.


    The soft glow of holy magic settled into her body as her Kobold Acolyte healed her wound. The magic pulsed through her slowly restoring her vision to normal.


    Ali could barely make out the transparent bluish monsters in the water. But the flickers and flashes of water affinity magic tearing through her Luminous Slimes and leaving tiny trails of yellow glowing liquid to drift along behind them from the impact of the high-speed bolts were clear in her mana sight.


    It was a disconcertingly furious but silent and almost invisible assault.


    ¡°she sent her intent through her connection to her Bone Mage. While her potion enabled her to breathe underwater, it did little else, and speaking was entirely impossible unless she wanted to have a mouthful of water. Her mage reacted with admirable speed, erecting a magical wall of bone between her beleaguered slimes and the ranged onslaught of water magic bolts from the Brine Oozes.


    ¡°,¡± she instructed her mage and her shaman. A high-speed projectile of white bone shot forth, puncturing one of the Brine Ooze creatures and leaving a trail of cavitation bubbles in its wake. Then her Storm Shaman broke the eerie silence with a thunderous bolt of lightning, vastly louder and more painful underwater than usual. Two of the Brine Oozes collapsed unresponsive, and her team of slimes overwhelmed the remaining injured ones quickly, tearing them apart with glowing pseudopods of light.


    Ali realized. Once she could understand what she was facing, the battle hadn¡¯t been particularly difficult. She resummoned her barrier-sled and flew herself past the slowly crumbling bone wall to the remnants of the battlefield. It was still, now, even in her mana-sight, only the slow pulse of holy magic remained, working to restore her injured slimes.


    She deconstructed the remains of the four Brine Ooze monsters, and for a brief moment, she felt a surge of panic as her Grimoire manifested underwater. But her book was made of magic, and she had worried needlessly. It was entirely unaffected by the water.


    It was time to begin implementing Calen¡¯s suggested strategy for overcoming this dungeon. His insight had been deceptively simple, and yet she was certain it would prove to be a remarkably effective strategy.


    With that, she summoned the newest ooze she had just committed to her Grimoire.


    Her new Brine Ooze floated in place, nearly invisible in the water, even though she could sense where it was, and her Luminous Slimes were still emitting decent amounts of light. Without the stress of battle, she studied the monster for a few minutes, noting how perfectly it was adapted to this environment, barely needing to move its body just to float there with the perfect camouflage. If she hadn¡¯t been able to see its water affinity mana, she was certain it would be invisible to her eyes.


    ¡°Ali instructed, directing her newest acquisition to the bone wall, and focusing her attention on the sight of the mana gathering within it. Water mana seemed to flow, its structure fluid and malleable. It collected rapidly within the body of the Brine Ooze, and then somehow it squeezed tight before shooting out with enormous speed, seen as barely more than a flicker or ripple through the water before it punched a hole in the bone wall.


    she thought, recognizing some similarities. She was certain that if the Brine Ooze fired it through the air, the high-pressure bolt would probably appear much like the firebolts her mages used, only transparent, blue, and substantially faster. While it didn¡¯t have the destructive power of fire and burning, it seemed more optimized for stealth and high-speed piercing damage.


    She would need to continue to study how the monster fought, but the similarity placed the Brine Ooze in the ¡®ranged magic spell¡¯ strategy spot in her mind. She would begin by using it like a mage with a simple ranged attack.


    She turned her gaze to the brilliant Luminous Slimes. With their dazzle attacks disabled, they were relegated to physical attacks. she thought. Ali gave up trying to categorize the fighting style of her slimes in terms of humanoid descriptions. Likening the slime-style to a fighting octopus would probably be more accurate, but not by much. Mentally, she labeled them as taking the tank or melee fighter slots in her strategy.


    Ali got moving again, remembering she was on a tight schedule with the duration of her potions and the Volle guards willing to kick her out if she took too long. The map had indicated an exit at the bottom of this cave, near the far wall, and she directed her slimes to search for it, following them as they explored downward, experimenting a bit with trying to duplicate and refine the spherical barrier shape she had accidentally created during the fight.


    About halfway through her descent, a flicker of water mana suddenly drew her attention to the rocky wall, and something vanished, sucked into a tiny crack, disappearing from her view before she even had a chance to truly see it. It was the same flicker of bluish light and barely visible ripple in the water that she had seen at the entrance to the dungeon, and it left her with the uncomfortable feeling that she was being watched, stalked by an unknown monster that lurked down here. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But it didn¡¯t come back, and soon Ali was swimming down through the exit tunnel among all her slimes, easily overpowering the occasional Brine Oozes that came at them one at a time.


    she thought. But the crudely drawn map had indicated some unspecified danger in some of the upcoming chambers. She would just have to remain vigilant.

 Chapter 94: Battle of the Steam Vents

    Chapter 94: Battle of the Steam VentsMato¡°I hope she¡¯s going to be ok,¡± Malika said, breaking the solemn mood as the three of them crossed the bridge in the middle of town.


    ¡°You can trust Ali,¡± Mato said. ¡°She¡¯s strong and resourceful.¡±


    ¡°I know, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I wish we could be out there helping her, too,¡± Calen put in. ¡°But this life drain is making us all vulnerable.¡±


    ¡°Ali will get the water, and then we¡¯ll get the elixirs, and everything will be back to normal,¡± Mato said, wincing at the wishful note in his prediction. ¡°Now, I need to go to the market to stock up on some spices and vegetables.¡±


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t split up,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s all go,¡± Calen agreed. ¡°And then maybe after, we can drop in at my mom¡¯s shop so I can let her know how I¡¯m doing?¡±


    ¡°Works for me,¡± Mato said, leading the way up the street toward the bustling market. He ignored most of the vendors, heading directly for his favorite. Rounding the corner, he couldn¡¯t help but grin as he saw the Rabbitkin hard at work. He was wearing a dark blue serviceable apron while he rapidly arranged carrots and heads of dark green lettuce with properly gloved hands. His long floppy ears twitched as he hummed a tune.


    ¡°Hi, Roger,¡± Mato said, striding up to the fruit and vegetable vendor, with the authoritative air of a Beastkin with a stewpot to fill. The man glanced up skittishly, whiskers twitching, but as soon as he saw Mato he smiled.


    ¡°Hi, Mato, what can I do for you? Need some apples? Just got a fresh batch in.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, I¡¯m good on apples for now, but I¡¯m very interested in that cassia bark,¡± he said, scanning the selection of spices on the side table but not finding what he was looking for.


    Roger twitched. ¡°Uh¡­ what cassia bark?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so coy, I can smell it!¡± Mato said, leaning in a little closer and sniffing.


    ¡°Sorry, it just came in and I had to pay through the nose for it,¡± Roger said. ¡°I was hoping to turn a profit by selling it to the Asterford house chef later tonight. I hope you understand.¡±


    ¡°Aah,¡± Mato said, thinking quickly. ¡°I don¡¯t need a lot, just a stick or two. How about we make a trade?¡± He used his ring and retrieved a bag of cherries he¡¯d picked from Ali¡¯s new tree.


    Behind him, Calen stiffened briefly, but Roger didn¡¯t notice, a frown appearing on his brow. ¡°We both know cherries aren¡¯t worth that much, Mato. Besides, I already have a whole box right here.¡±


    ¡°Aah, but these are dungeon-grown,¡± Mato whispered conspiratorially.


    Roger¡¯s eyebrows nearly left his face.


    ¡°No way. You don¡¯t have dungeon-grown cherries.¡±


    ¡°Here, try this,¡± Mato said, slipping a single cherry from the bag and offering it to him.


    Roger plucked the cherry from the palm of his hand with a dubious expression and then put it in his mouth. His eyes suddenly widened in shock, his whiskers twitching violently. ¡°Oh¡­ oh my,¡± he managed, seeming lost in a trance for a few moments, before finally swallowing. He smoothed down his apron and collected his wits. ¡°Two sticks, then?¡± he whispered, reaching under the counter.


    ¡°Two is perfect,¡± Mato said, exchanging his bag of cherries for the bark. All he needed now was a trip to the butcher and he had everything he needed for a perfect curry.


    ¡°Mato, you must tell me where you got these,¡± Roger said, holding the bag of cherries like he had a handful of gold.


    ¡°I promised not to reveal my source,¡± Mato said, tapping the side of his nose with a finger.


    ¡°Then at least stop by my store first whenever you get more, please?¡±


    ¡°I got you,¡± Mato said, ¡°we Beastkin need to stick together.¡± Then, he finished up his business by replenishing his stock of vegetables before they headed off to visit Calen¡¯s mother.


    ¡°You sold him cherries from Ali¡¯s trees?¡± Calen asked, his voice pitched low not to carry.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mato said. ¡°Dungeon-grown fruit is highly sought after for its incredible flavor. Besides, I asked her if I could take some before she left.¡±


    ¡°Is that wise?¡± Malika worried.


    ¡°Nobody knows where I got it from,¡± Mato said. ¡°How would they even find out?¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Aliandra


    Ali swam along the long, winding tunnel, following its twists and turns for about ten minutes before emerging through the roof of an enormous underwater cavern. She felt a brief sense of vertigo as she floated above a deep blue void that faded into darkness below as her mobile wobbly lights crawled along the roof above her or swam around nearby. The heaviness of water moving into and out of her lungs made breathing effortful and more than a little uncomfortable.


    In the water, her slimes seemed remarkably graceful, even considering their alien locomotion ¨C the Brine Ooze particularly so, undulating softly and flowing elegantly along as it moved. She studied the cavern carefully, but it was far too big to see much other than the smoothly worn nearby stone walls. She would have to move if she wanted to explore, and if she recalled correctly, the map had marked this area as ¡®dangerous¡¯ without specifying why.


    She paused, floating in place for a few moments while she considered her options against an unknown danger. But she was forced to conclude that she didn¡¯t have enough information, not unless she put herself out there. Deciding on a compromise, she committed some more of her mana, summoning two more Brine Oozes to add to her little army, reasoning that a little more variety of magic and attack roles might leave her better prepared for whatever surprise awaited.


    she told herself, grabbing onto her barrier and pulling herself downward into the dark blue water, willing her minions to follow beside her.


    She searched the walls, rocks, and crevices for signs of the skittish monstrous observer, but as she was distracted, she felt something soft brush up against the back of her neck briefly before vanishing. The warm sensation intensified, suddenly turning into a powerful stinging that almost made her cry out from the pain.


    +0.15 Poison damage per second.


    Poison ¨C Duration: 10 minutes. Count: 1


    All around her, the water began to move, as if alive. Tiny tendrils of mana flickered out, and ripples flowed and vanished. Another brushing sensation traced along her arm, followed by the same intense, stinging pain.


    +0.15 Poison damage per second.


    Poison ¨C Duration: 10 minutes. Count: 3


    Her eyes widened in shock as she suddenly realized she was surrounded by virtually invisible enemies. Hastily she summoned her barrier magic, struggling to form a complete sphere around herself as the water began to crawl with movement and her Kobolds and Goblin reacted to the pain.


    She could see them now ¨C outlined in traces of dimly glowing water-affinity mana ¨C tiny, transparent blue disk-like creatures the size and shape of an upside-down tea saucer, trailing long frond-like strands of tentacles below them that waved and flowed through the water, reaching out gently to caress their prey.


    They were very low-level, and the poison was not particularly strong, but the water was filled with the swarm, way too many to count. The tendrils trailing the tiny monsters glowed with water magic, and Ali was certain they were the source of the brushing sensation and the poison that stung way more than it had a right to. It had taken mere seconds, but she already had three stacks of the poison coursing through her veins.


    ¡°she called out the first thing that came to her mind. A surge of bone mana erupted from her Bone Mage and with a cracking and popping, a large structure of bones erupted before them, anchored to the nearby wall. At least for her healer, hiding behind it would be essential.


    she thought. Normally she would have blasted everything with a Fireball, but she had discarded the idea of fire magic underwater after her extensive affinity testing. Her new Brine Oozes were firing their almost invisible bolts through the water, and her Luminous Slimes were thrashing around with their pseudopods, but they were making little headway against the swarm¡¯s overwhelming numbers.


    ¡°¡± She squeezed her eyes shut as she called for the attack, and even through her eyelids, the light magic seared her retinas with its brilliance. When she stopped her slimes and looked around, it was clear that Stinging Jellies had ignored the light.


    ¡°¡± she commanded, trying everything her mind conjured in the hopes of finding something that would work. Her Goblin tossed the steel totem into the midst of the monsters, but it rapidly sunk, carried down to the bottom of the cavern somewhere far out of sight where it would be of no use to anyone.


    She was about to call a retreat when something crazy popped into her head.


    ¡°


    she instructed and was instantly grateful that her Storm Shaman was intelligent enough to understand her unconventional request. He swam out into the midst of the swarm, summoning the steel totem into his hand.


    ¡°¡± she told her Acolyte while hiding behind the wall of bone. Her Acolyte responded with a pulse of holy magic that shimmered around the Goblin swimming out front. Ali grimaced at the soft touches of poison tendrils lacing across her Goblin¡¯s head and shoulders.


    The totem pulsed a powerful sphere of crackling lightning magic that rippled out from the center, tearing through the Goblin holding it and all the swarm of Stinging Jellies trying to reach him. A chorus of chimes sounded before the totem pulsed again. The jellies thrashed and twisted in response to the potent attack, trying to get to the Goblin in the center of the Lightning Nova and poison him to death.


    Ali¡¯s skin prickled uncomfortably from the electrical discharges, the effect carried to her via the water, even at this distance.


    ¡°she instructed the rest of her minions, hoping that such a command wasn¡¯t too complicated for her Luminous Slimes. Using the little remaining capacity she had for her barrier, she summoned a blade, modeled on her practice emulating the Glimmer Shard, and waved it through the roiling waters. She barely had to aim; the crude blade of magic simply sliced through the dense swarm with every swipe, leaving a cascading chorus of chimes in its wake.


    The silent battle waged on and on for minutes. Ali even tried to target the Stinging Jellies with her Arcane Bolts, but she found retargeting and only hitting a single monster at a time was simply not worth the focus and the mana, reverting eventually to her blunter imitation Glimmer Shard as her weapon of choice. The lightning pulsed continuously, and she was beginning to wish she could disable the cacophony of chimes.


    Her Acolyte suddenly shone out with an intense pillar of holy magic and the speed and power of the healing spells landing on her Goblin Storm Shaman intensified dramatically. For thirty seconds the equilibrium was held, and the lightning pulsed, but as soon as the potent enhancement magic faded, her Goblin collapsed, perishing from the cumulative load of poison that he had racked up standing in the middle of the swarm.


    But the roiling waters had subsided dramatically, and as the corpse of the valiant Goblin shaman drifted down into the depths still clutching his totem in his hand, Ali could tell that the swarm had been broken. All that remained was for her slimes to mop up the remnants with their pseudopods and water bolts.


    she thought, eyeing the swarm-kill notification curiously while deconstructing whatever she could find to replenish her mana. Her Acolyte continued dispensing her holy magic to combat the lingering poison while it lasted.


    The map had indicated a cavern with some air up ahead, and Ali began directing her forces downward toward where the exit had been marked, pausing only to make her Luminous Slimes retrieve the corpse of her Goblin shaman. she thought. The tunnel curved around and opened into the bottom of a moderately sized cavern in a deep pool of water. Rising from the side was a ridge of rock that jutted out into the pocket of air that filled the top half of the cave. Ali levitated herself up and onto the rock along with her minions, happy to take a breather and wait out the poison.


    ¡°Let me know when you recover your mana,¡± she told her Acolyte. Ali summoned a replacement for her dead Goblin shaman, and then sat on the rock and pulled out her map. There were only a few more passages and caves left before she reached the bottom and the one marked with an ¡®X¡¯ which is where she assumed she would find the mana-purified water. Her path through the dungeon had been pretty direct, bypassing only a few side passages and dead ends. Hopefully, she wouldn¡¯t need to come back and explore them all.


    ¡°I am ready, Ancient Mistress,¡± her Kobold said after all the poisons had dropped and it had sat for several minutes in a pose of prayer.


    ¡°Good, let¡¯s continue,¡± she said, retrieving a spare Underwater Breathing Potion and handing it to her new Goblin shaman, before diving back into the water.


    The next several caves and tunnels were narrower and smaller, seeming rather cramped by comparison to the large spacious caverns from earlier. She encountered several more Stinging Jelly swarms and Brine Oozes, but with the limited space, their numbers were fewer and correspondingly much more manageable.


    Although Ali was careful to not get complacent. There was still much she didn¡¯t know about what might lurk in this dungeon ¨C and she knew of at least one thing she hadn¡¯t been fast enough to identify yet.


    It was on her approach to the second to last cavern that she started noticing the water getting warmer. The tunnel wound downward, meandering back and forth lazily, and as she swam along, the temperature rose to that of a nice warm bath. When the tunnel finally ended, she emerged swimming into the upper reaches of an enormously deep submerged water cavern. She gazed downward into the darkness, noticing some vague reddish glow from the distant depths.


    She began her descent, swimming downward slowly, with her minions flanking her as she kept her eyes, and all her senses alert for surprises. As they descended, the water began to grow uncomfortably warm and the glow near the bottom brightened to an angry red that reminded Ali uncomfortably of fireballs.


    A shimmering ripple and flicker of water-affinity mana bolts fired by her Brine Oozes alerted her to the attack before she even saw the swarm of Stinging Jellies. Reacting quickly, she summoned her barrier, and directed her minions, using the same strategy ¨C a creaking wall of bone and the shaman carrying the lightning nova totem like a torch.


    She was not particularly worried, the swarm wasn¡¯t as big as the first one she had encountered, and she had enough experience with these monsters now that she could avoid most of the damage. Even her shaman had only died on the first one.


    As her gaze drifted around the battlefield, it was drawn to a tiny flicker of gray mana in the depths of the cavern, contrasting against the dull reddish glow of the background.


    And again. Rising from the depths she saw what looked like a series of tiny bubbles, followed by soft popping noises. The bubbles rose, growing rapidly larger as they approached, and she had a sudden premonition of danger. Quickly, she moved her barrier to block them, studying the grayish swirling vapor as they drifted past.


    The bubbles rose, trickling around her slimes and they instantly began to recoil in pain. The bubbles didn¡¯t explode exactly, but they did burst into many tiny bubbles on contact, and they seemed to be dealing enormous amounts of damage.


    She urgently tried to maneuver her monsters away from the rising bubbles and her unknown attackers. A couple of her Luminous Slimes that were too slow to react collapsed like deflated water balloons, spilling luminous goo to drift away into the surrounding waters as their lights went out.


    Below their position, briefly illuminated by the staccato pulsed intensity of the lightning nova, Ali suddenly made out several grayish shapes swimming up toward them.


    ¡°¡± Large spines and ridges of bone suddenly sprouted from the nearby cavern wall below where Ali floated, her Bone Mage imposing a substantial and comfortingly solid barrier between them and the rising steam bubbles.


    .


    Most of the Stinging Jelly swarm seemed to be dead now, and Ali recalled her shaman to the protection of the wall. It would have to do for now, her Luminous Slimes could take care of the rest, her priority was the incoming flight of Scalding Slimes.


    ¡°¡± she focused her will directing her shaman, mage, and the Brine Oozes to all open fire on the rapidly closing enemy monsters, adding her Arcane Bolts to the mix, hoping to take at least one of them down before they closed the distance. Several more of the gray shapes swam into view, coming up from what seemed to be a glowing red vent below.


    A bone spear flew through the water, leaving a trail of cavitation bubbles, and impaled the slime Ali was shooting. It popped releasing a cloud of steam bubbles into the surrounding water, rising quickly to the bone wall which deflected them away from her creatures with an eerie hissing sound. Ali¡¯s bolts slammed into the next Scalding Slime and her barrier shard sliced the creature. The bright flash of her shaman¡¯s Lightning Bolt ripped through the monster and into the next, leaving a tingling feeling across Ali¡¯s skin as the discharge propagated through the water. It took only a few more bolts and it expired. The stream of steam bubbles rising was forming a sizzling curtain around them as more slimes joined the fray. A little worried, Ali had her Bone Mage create a second, backup wall just in case. Several of her Luminous Slimes fighting above were caught in the bubble stream and boiled, but the bubbles were also wiping out the remaining jellies at the same time. Ali recalled her Luminous Slimes, shocked to find she had only four remaining.


    Risking a little vulnerability, she switched to a smaller frontal barrier for protection and freed up enough capacity to control two more barrier shards. She found if she flew them in formation, they were easier to control while maintaining her focus on her Arcane Bolts and tracking what her minions were doing.


    As the Scalding Slimes approached the bone wall, they began to fire rippling bolts that shimmered through the flash-boiled water, shredding the bone wall and leaving trails of steam bubbles and loud cracking noises in their wake. Her Brine Oozes returned fire with a similar hail of bolts and ripples through the water, but though they had more range, the Scalding Slimes demonstrated an extraordinary amount of destructive power with their steam jets.


    ¡°¡± Ali instructed, urgency making her wish haste on her mage. Their seemingly solid protective bone wall was rapidly melting against the onslaught of steam. Large sections of the wall began to crack and break off, falling away into the depths below.


    Ali waved her shards of barrier magic inexpertly across the attacking slimes, not certain if she was having much effect, but at least her Arcane Bolts were landing. With a deafening underwater concussion, her shaman¡¯s Lightning Bolt tore through the attackers, frying two of them and unleashing an explosion of steam as they popped. Another large section of the bone wall cracked and fell away, releasing a massive curtain of trapped steam bubbles that rose rapidly toward Ali. She willed herself to the side by moving her barrier, pulling herself closer to the dubious safety of the rocky cavern wall as her bone cover rapidly shrunk and the steam bubbles began to slowly encroach their defensive position. Caught in the open, a couple of her slimes were engulfed by the rising cloud of deadly bubbles and were quickly scalded to death.


    Below her, Ali¡¯s Bone Mage had been fighting a valiant effort to patch up the bone wall, but he was caught in a blast of steam that sliced through his creation like butter, putting him out of commission for a while. The now-familiar pillar of holy magic flared around her Acolyte, a sure sign of her Kobold¡¯s desperate efforts to save someone. The three remaining Scalding Slimes were rapidly squeezing their way through the small cracks and holes in the bone wall, intent on destroying whatever they found inside with mindlessly relentless persistence.


    Ali shot her barrier shards at the hole, and bone and steam exploded as she killed the first slime halfway through. But the explosion blew the hole wide open, and as she struggled to target the remaining slimes with her Arcane Bolts, chaos erupted as bubbles filled the entire area, no longer constrained by the walls. The rapid cracking reports of steam jets deafened her ears as the slimes tore into her minions.


    she thought as an idea sprang into her mind. In the chaos, she didn¡¯t have the time to figure out which. But it wasn¡¯t like she had much choice.


    Inspired by her vision of the Bone Wight and his bone prisons, Ali summoned her spherical barrier, but instead of using its protection on herself, she enclosed one of the two remaining Scalding Slimes, trapping it in a prison of her magic and preventing its steam and jets from hitting anything. This unfortunately left her entirely unprotected and vulnerable to the torrents of bubbles. She could already feel steam scalding her skin and the reactive pulses of holy magic as her Acolyte noticed she was taking damage.


    ¡°¡± Ali directed her minions specifically to the free Scalding Slime, not trusting that her slimes would be smart enough to figure it out on their own. Then she focused all her remaining energy on Arcane Bolts, firing continuously.


    She flinched as the bubbles caressed her skin, searing her and peeling her flesh, only for it to be healed and steamed off once again. The Scalding Slime retaliated with a vicious volley of steam jets and a cascade of bubbles killing another of Ali¡¯s slimes before a direct hit with her shaman¡¯s Lightning Bolt and the boost of the lightning vulnerability curse caused it to explode.


    Ali screamed as a cloud of bubbles tore into her legs and arm, but her Acolyte was ready with her healing magic, repairing the damage as quickly as she could.


    Taking a few moments to recover, Ali noticed that her Acolyte¡¯s powerful pillar of light had expired and it was now bent in a pose of prayer, clearly trying to recover mana. The corpses of her minions floated around in the water nearby, boiled or scalded to death. Of her entire force, all that remained was one Brine Ooze, two Luminous Slimes, her shaman, and Acolyte.


    Ali frowned at the bubble of her barrier filled with a swirling grayish vapor that entirely obscured the monster lurking within. She moved her minions out of the path of the inevitable steam explosion and held on to her barrier for a few moments longer ¨C giving her healer a little extra time to recover mana, and herself time to deconstruct a corpse.


    She released her barrier magic, snapping it back as a disk in front of herself. There was a concussive crack and steam exploded from where the remaining Scalding Slime was, sending a flurry of bubbles rising beyond her sight. The slime attacked, aggressively shooting steam in all directions.


    Ali unleashed her Arcane Bolts and barrier shards and winced at the loud crack of lightning detonating underwater. One of her Luminous Slimes wrapped its pseudopods around the Scalding Slime and there was a sudden grappling fight of twisting, stretching, bending, and warping as the two amorphous monsters struggled unsuccessfully to pin each other down.


    Ali simply reinforced her command and continued firing her magic unabated, not caring if she hit her own slime or not. It was getting cooked anyway. But it was somewhat successful at keeping the monster in one spot, making it easier for her to land hits with the shards of her barriers. Ali could see her Acolyte¡¯s magic trying to keep the Luminous Slimes from being scalded to death, but the sudden bolt of lightning that tore through the furious melee made it all moot. There was a massive burst of steam bubbles and glowing yellow slime as both monsters exploded.


    The explosion was large enough to envelop her in the outer fringes of steam bubbles and she gritted her teeth against the searing pain, quickly adjusting her barrier to avoid further exposure while she waited for her Acolyte to heal her.


    Ali had tried to keep the number of her minions to the absolute minimum in order to save the enormous cost of the Underwater Breathing Potions. But floating in the searing heat of a cloud of superheated steam from a deadly slime, Ali was seriously questioning her priorities.


    Gritting her teeth, she began to deconstruct everything, loath to leave anything that might cause the dungeon to grow.

 Chapter 95: Guild Drama

    Chapter 95: Guild DramaCalenCalen was early for his presentation to the guild, and he sat in the auditorium trying to control his nerves as various guild members trickled in and took seats. He was fully prepared, perhaps more than he needed, but none of it impacted his anxiety. His hands were trembling, and he consciously unclenched his fingers before he crumpled his notes.


    He glanced down at his notes again, studying the strategy and thoughts he¡¯d already memorized. When he had heard the Guildmaster¡¯s request, he had simply said yes, without thinking, and now it was way too late to back out of it.


    His eyes flicked up to the rows of seats and the people filing in. He recognized several people. The new adventurers that had gained their classes using Ali¡¯s shrine were all sitting in a group together. The Gnomish water mage, Serendipity Puddlecrash, sat to the side by herself on a taller chair. Scattered through the room in small groups, or sitting alone, were the rest of the adventurers, a little more than a dozen in all, most of whom Calen had not met so far. He took a little comfort in the fact that, although he was the lowest level among his immediate friends, he now outleveled all the other adventurers in the guild besides the Guildmaster.


    The door opened, and Vivian Ross entered, and the hubbub in the room instantly quietened down as she took her position standing in front of the adventurers.


    ¡°Thank you all for coming,¡± she said. ¡°For today¡¯s lecture, we¡¯ll be doing things a little differently. I¡¯ve asked Calen to present two fights that his group figured out, and we¡¯ll discuss the strategy and proposals for how to improve.¡± With that, she invited Calen to come up to the front and gave him the room.


    ¡°I¡­ um, ¡­ hi¡­¡± It was not an auspicious beginning, but his carefully planned eloquence had vanished from where he had carefully placed it in his mind, just moments before.


    ¡°Why do we have to listen to this guy?¡±


    Calen froze at the sudden interruption; his entire prepared presentation vanished as his mind processed the annoyed voice. A hot flush of embarrassment rushed up his neck and into his face as he felt his heart pounding.


    ¡°Yeah, wasn¡¯t he just a novice last week?¡±


    ¡°This is dumb. I thought we were getting professional instruction.¡±


    Everything Calen had ever learned about speaking in public crashed into his mind all at once, overwhelming his ability to even process it. He could feel their eyes judging him, telling him he was not worth listening to. Who was he to teach them anyway? What did he know? They were right, he was just a beginner. He had even had to ask for the Guildmaster¡¯s help with strategy on the Skeletal Wyvern fight.


    ¡°Who all thinks it¡¯s a waste of time to listen to Calen¡¯s presentation?¡± The Guildmaster¡¯s voice cut through the grumpy chatter, bringing silence to the room. But rather than coming to his rescue, she was inviting them to reject him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste my time.¡±


    ¡°I want to know how Katie and Kelvin died. Are we being targeted? Is the Silent Assassin real?¡±


    ¡°You know the Town Watch pays their combat classes a salary? Maybe if you paid us, I¡¯d be willing to put up with listening to a novice.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Vivian said, cutting off the outburst with a resigned sigh.


    It was bad enough to be rejected in front of everyone, but was she really going to pay them to make them listen to him? That was just rubbing salt in the wounds.


    Vivian took a deep breath. ¡°I will not pay you guys,¡± Vivian said, and the excited anticipation on several faces vanished, replaced with stony expressions and frowns. ¡°There are more than enough jobs on the quest board to earn money if you wish to work. If you want to be paid just for having a combat class, you are welcome to turn your guild rings in to Mieriel on your way out. All your obligations to the Adventurers Guild will be canceled, and you can ask Kieran Mori or Commander Brand for a salary.¡±


    ¡°Are you kicking us out?¡± The speaker, a red-faced human, was on his feet and shouting.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like my conditions and my way of running the guild, the Town Watch will pay you a stipend. You all have enough levels and experience that you are guaranteed acceptance. If you choose to stay, you will need to earn your keep and follow my rules and policies. But you must choose now.¡±


    ¡°Fuck that.¡±


    ¡°This guild is too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m out.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be shanked in my sleep.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go get paid what we¡¯re worth.¡±


    Calen stared speechless as one after the other got up and left, pulling off their guild rings on the way out while grumbling and complaining. Some even threw the rings at Mieriel or on the floor at her feet.


    The door slammed shut, and silence descended on the room. Ten people had just walked out, leaving a bewildered-looking Serendipity Puddlecrash staring around in surprise. Calen stared stunned. Aiden wore a dark frown, but none of his group had left. Other than the Goblin, Havok, they did not look happy. On the other side of the room, the smaller group of Teagan, Willow, and Braden stared back at him in confusion. The only other remaining guild members were Mato and Malika.


    Calen glanced at Vivian, meeting a stony expression. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± he began. It had all exploded because he was the one to give the lecture and now the guild was broken. This guild was Vivian¡¯s pride and joy ¨C her life.


    ¡°Good riddance!¡± Mato yelled, banging his fist against the table in front of him, his loudness jarring as it ripped through the stunned silence.


    In the wake of his outburst, Vivian took a deep breath and rose to her feet. ¡°Calen, this is not your fault,¡± she said, addressing him directly. ¡°This has been brewing for months, and I needed to deal with it decisively. For what it¡¯s worth, I agree with Mato.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ half the guild just walked out? How are we going to grow?¡± For some reason, the Guildmaster seemed to be unperturbed by the disaster, and Calen was struggling to make his mind catch up to the rapid whiplash turns he had just been subjected to. ¡°Isn¡¯t this bad?¡±


    ¡°A few more left than I had hoped, but with this Silent Assassin targeting the guild, some fear is understandable,¡± Vivian said. ¡°So that everyone is on the same page, I have some very specific goals in mind for the guild which requires everyone to be engaged and onboard. I¡¯m sorry for using you to flush them out, but it was necessary.¡±


    ¡°Why send them to the Town Watch?¡± Calen asked. ¡°Aren¡¯t they part of the problem?¡±


    ¡°Most of them will join the guard under Commander Brand,¡± Vivian said, her eyes growing thoughtful. ¡°Safety in numbers. The thugs and bullies would have found the Town Watch regardless of anything I said. They¡¯re ¨C¡±


    ¡°Trash,¡± Mato blurted out, and Vivian nodded.


    ¡°There is no room for freeloaders here. But they¡¯ll soon find out that neither the Garrison nor the Town Watch will abide freeloaders, either,¡± she noted, with a certain grim satisfaction that Calen found sat very well with him indeed. ¡°This guild cannot grow with bad material, people who are just in it for money, easy fights, and loot have no place here. That bunch walking out will be the best thing that has happened to this guild, you will see.¡±


    ¡°So, you didn¡¯t need my talk? That was all fake?¡±


    Calen could see what Vivian was saying, but he was still trying to wade through the crush of confused feelings.


    ¡°No, your talk is essential. This is how I want the guild to work. Everyone contributes, we all learn from each other, regardless of level or experience or individual groups. Those guys who left could not accept that basic necessity and would simply be holding all the rest of you back. So, if you¡¯re up for it after all that, I¡¯d like you to present the Skeletal Wyvern and the Twin Wights you and your team defeated. Analyzing a raid boss encounter is exactly what we need.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re still novices,¡± Aiden said. ¡°Isn¡¯t a raid fight more than we can handle?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps for now. But learning the proper strategy and how to think about it early will save your life when the time comes,¡± Vivian answered. ¡°Calen, why don¡¯t you start with the Skeletal Wyvern encounter, but explain how it felt the first time you faced it before you had a strategy. I think everyone will benefit from understanding the difference between a planned encounter and a surprise.¡±


    ¡°Um, ok.¡± This was not what he had planned, but he remembered the encounter perfectly. He caught the encouraging looks from Malika and the thumbs-up gesture from Mato as he glanced up at the listeners. Then he began to describe their crazy introduction to the Skeletal Wyvern, from the Kobold fleeing into the boss to the train across the ruins before finally escaping using the Potion of Recall.


    Surprisingly, apart from a few hesitations at the start, the story flowed easily from his memory, and it helped that Mato and Malika chipped in a few important observations from their perspectives.


    When Calen finished his presentation, he glanced around at his audience. Everyone was quiet, and for a moment he worried that he would once again be ridiculed and embarrassed in front of everyone, but it was Vivian who broke the silence.


    ¡°Anyone have any thoughts?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m buying a Potion of Recall as soon as I get back upstairs,¡± Willow said to the sound of chuckles around the room. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good one,¡± Vivian said. ¡°Always having a reliable escape tool handy will save your lives more often than you can imagine.¡±


    ¡°Perception skills seem more important in raid fights,¡± Aiden offered. ¡°Without Aliandra¡¯s mana sight, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to avoid the dragon¡¯s spear breath.¡±


    ¡°Another great observation,¡± Vivian said, offering encouragement. ¡°Many people ¨C even experienced adventurers ¨C underestimate the value of a strong perception skill. A varied set of perceptions is critical to building a strong group.¡±


    ¡°I have Trap Detection,¡± Willow said. ¡°Is that a good one?¡±


    ¡°I have mana sight¡­¡±


    Like a sudden squall, a lively discussion about various perception skills broke out as everyone began discussing perception skills of all kinds.


    ¡°Havok thinks armor is important.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mato agreed. ¡°And, having a good blacksmith is key.¡±


    Calen finally smiled, feeling the tension draining out of him as the discussion began to gain momentum. Some of the ideas were rather surprisingly creative or inventive; Aiden, in particular, had some great thoughts about strategy and the best ways to learn the abilities of the boss they had fought. he thought, retrieving his notebook to jot a few of the better ones down.


    After about half an hour of deconstructing the fight, which Calen found himself thoroughly enjoying, Vivian encouraged him to present the Twin Wights fight.


    He smiled again as his storytelling gathered pace. This was the fight that he had found the most interesting ¨C and not just because he had gotten experience tanking. The boss had unusual abilities, and they had had to react just perfectly to learn and understand them on the fly to win.


    ¡°Wait, you guys got Life Drained? That¡¯s a thing?¡±


    Aliandra


    Ali swam around in the uncomfortably hot water dodging the floating remains of her shattered bone wall, deconstructing everything she could find to avoid feeding the dungeon. She specifically hunted down every single Scalding Slime corpse and deconstructed it.


    Anxious to rebuild her army, lest she be caught defenseless, Ali began summoning fresh monsters. It would take a while out of her potion timer, but there was no question she needed all the strength she could make. She began with her newest Scalding Slime. They had proved to be vastly more destructive and deadly than her Luminous Slimes and she was eager to add some of them to her side. As soon as the first Scalding Slime popped into existence, the familiar flash of blue mana caught her attention from the corner of her eye. Snapping her head around she was just in time to see something vanishing into another tiny hole with a puff of water affinity mana the only trace of its passage.


    There wasn¡¯t much more to the dungeon ¨C at least, according to the map ¨C with just one more cave to explore. But the map had also indicated that this cavern was safe, and that had proved to be laughably far from the truth. Whoever, or whatever, it was that was stalking her seemed somewhat skittish and shy, but Ali was beginning to form a suspicion as to what it was.


    Her mission, after securing the mushrooms and the mana-purified water, was to destroy this dungeon and deny its resources to the exploitation of Volle. Ali was certain that that part of her quest would require tracking down her elusive stalker.


    Calen had thought that a low-level dungeon like this one likely wasn¡¯t advanced enough to make boss monsters. If all she had to do was track down one last slime monster to finish it, this would be a relatively straightforward job from here on out. she told her thoughts.


    Pressing her lips together, Ali considered the dungeon as she swam down toward the heat of the steaming vents on the cavern floor, remaining vigilant just in case more Scalding Slimes were lurking in the now searingly hot water. Bubbles rose from the vents, making the water shimmer with dangerous heat. She had been worried about taking on an entire dungeon on her own, but everything so far had been mid-twenties or lower. Besides a few uncomfortable surprises, Ali and her minions had had the upper hand the whole time ¨C except for the Scalding Slimes, nothing had challenged her.


    Precisely the reason everything she had read ¨C both in the Adventurer¡¯s Guide and Calen¡¯s book by Lyeneru Silverleaf ¨C had strongly recommended against attempting to solo a dungeon. Both Vivian and her friends had been worried for her, but the constraints on entering Volle¡¯s dungeon were strictly enforced.


    She found the exit where the map said it should be, hidden under an overhang near the floor a little distance from the vents, and swam down through it. The rocky passage was lit by fewer Luminous Slimes now, but in their place, the dangerous Scalding Slimes now crawled and rippled along beside her.


    she thought as the tunnel let her exit into the bottom of a wide pool. To her surprise, no more monsters appeared to challenge her, and when she surfaced, she found herself in a wide-open cave. Several pools of still, clear water nestled haphazardly among the stalagmites and uneven boulders. She clambered up out of the pool and looked around, coughing water up out of her lungs and then enjoying breathing real air for a change ¨C albeit cool and dank air, thick with a harsh mineral odor and surprising hints of petrichor. The ground was rocky and wet, but the cavern seemed still and silent.


    The most striking feature was a single pool at the far end of the cave which glowed with a deep blue light and filled with the presence of a strong ambient mana. It illuminated the cave with mystical shimmering light, like an enchanted grotto.


    Ali retrieved one of her empty vials and picked her way over to the glowing pool. Dipping her hand into the clear water, she filled the vial and identified it.


    She quickly filled her remaining vials and stored them, completing her first objective. The reagent did not have a level; presumably, it would unlock its potency through some alchemical process.


    Ali was sure that everybody using the dungeon would stop here, having reached the end, and found the treasure. Even the map stopped here. She, however, was after something greater. Ali focused on her mana sight, trying to resolve what she was seeing. It seemed the water had an intrinsically high mana density, which was partly the cause of the glowing light. But, after a few minutes of peering into the pool, searching the bottom and sides for clues, she began to notice something curious.


    She had been studying the mana circulating within the water and almost failed to notice the density of the dungeon¡¯s domain increased toward the bottom of the magical pool.


    Following the trail her curiosity had revealed, she dove into the pool and swam down towards the bottom. The underwater silence was interrupted by the splash of her Goblin Shaman leaping in to protect her. Looking specifically for the domain mana now, she found that it manifested unevenly ¨C denser off to the side near a huge slab of jutting rock. Only when she reached the rock, did she notice a narrow opening tucked right underneath. It was barely big enough for her body to fit through, but any Human or Dwarf would have gotten stuck. Even the Kobolds were going to struggle. She eyed her Goblin shaman dubiously.


    ¡°¡± she called, deciding to proceed with just her slimes. Flanked by her minions, she entered the extremely narrow tunnel half swimming and half dragging herself through it. The water-worn rock walls pressed in close. Her slimes simply pressed their way in and around her with no concept of personal space, making the already narrow tunnel claustrophobically tight. But after several tight bends and turns, Ali learned she could just let them pull her along and finally, she found herself surfacing in a small pool of glowing water in a relatively tiny cave on the other side. Dotted throughout the shallow glowing pool, she could see mushrooms sprouting from the rocks and gravel underwater.


    Her curiosity piqued, she Identified them at once.


    The tiny mushrooms had slender stalks and circular caps. They were a creamy white color with dark gills, and on top of the cap, she saw tiny bubbles glowing a bluish-white color with water affinity mana.


    The water affinity mana rippled off the mushrooms, infusing the glowing water all around her in long, sedate pulsations. It was as if the mushrooms were breathing water and mana. This was definitely what she had come for.


    she thought, noticing the elusive flicker of blue mana disappearing behind a rock at the back of the cave. It would not do to leave something as dangerous as a dungeon behind, and she had no desire to allow Volle to continue to exploit this one at the expense of the townsfolk and all those people whom they had denied access to lifesaving potions. In her mind, they had lost the right to be the custodians of such a precious resource.


    She held her magic at the ready and studied the cave as she climbed out of the pool. It was rather tiny, no more than the size of a large dining room. The far wall seemed to be made of a smooth, polished black stone that glistened with moisture. Strewn across the floor, she found curious bits of driftwood, shells, shiny rocks, and even several old, discarded adventuring items. Rusted swords, daggers, snapped arrows, even something that might have once been a pan. It all lay haphazardly about among the stalagmites and boulders, like a child¡¯s room after boisterous playtime.


    Ali traced a careful path through the debris, flanked by her oozes, with one of her barriers summoned and ready in front of her. Whatever lurked behind the rock had ceased running, and she knew it was there by the pulsing blue mana it was emitting, even though it was concealed behind a boulder.


    With the utmost caution, Ali rounded the boulder, magic, and barrier at the ready. But what she saw brought her up short. Visually, there was nothing there except another boulder. A nondescript gray rock with a soft aura of blue mana pulsing all around it.


    ¡°Found you,¡± Ali whispered. It was a remarkable creature, perfectly camouflaged against the jagged ground. If she didn¡¯t have mana sight, Ali was certain she would never have even seen it. She summoned her mana and stretched out her arm to release her Arcane Bolts.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ kill¡­¡±

 Chapter 96: A Conversation with a Dungeon

    Chapter 96: A Conversation with a DungeonAliandraAli froze, mid-cast, stunned. She looked left and right, but there was nothing else in the entire cave. Just the anomalous mimic slime pretending ¨C exceptionally well ¨C to be a rock.


    ¡°No¡­ kill¡­ Plaes¡­ please?¡± Ali stared at the rock. But it had clearly spoken ¨C poorly ¨C in broken Elvish. It was begging for its life.


    The rock shivered, and a transformation rippled across its surface, turning it into a small round blob of semitransparent blue ooze that trembled, cowering in the corner.


    ¡°You are the dungeon?¡± Ali asked, finally finding her voice, and responding in Elvish.


    The mimic slime reacted instantly, recoiling from the sound of her voice and scrambling around, but it was cornered, there was nowhere to go. It stopped, pressing itself up against the wall as if trying to make itself even smaller, and then repeated itself in a quavering voice that seemed to be generated by vibrating its membrane, ¡°Please, not kill.¡±


    Ali took a deep breath and sat down on a rock. Yet here was one who had learned at least enough Elvish to speak and understood its situation well enough to know that begging for its life was its only remaining choice.


    Whatever it was, this monster was definitely an anomaly and Ali needed to get to the bottom of it before she could proceed with her task.


    ¡°Hi, my name is Aliandra,¡± she said, mentally instructing her minions to back off a bit, and she lowered her barrier, waiting to see what the monster would do.


    ¡°You don¡¯t kill?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to kill you,¡± Ali answered, trying to keep her voice soothing. ¡°What is your name?¡± Whatever the outcome of this encounter, Ali was quite certain she could not kill an intelligent, defenseless creature begging her to spare its life.


    ¡°I¡­ name?¡± the slime stretched a little and tipped the top part to the side in a gesture that looked remarkably like a humanoid tipping their head in curiosity or surprise. The bottom half of the slime rippled again, taking on the texture and color of the rock before reverting. Ali had no idea how to read the emotional state of a blob, but it certainly seemed bewildered and even a little confused.


    Ali smiled encouragingly, wondering if the slime could even see her, and repeated her question. ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Naia.¡± The slime answered. As if anticipating an attack, it sucked its entire body up into the corner and matched the shape and look of the wall so convincingly that if Ali hadn¡¯t known it was there, it might as well have been invisible.


    Ali stared at the bizarre creature. It had managed to surprise her again ¨C not only did it have a definite name, but the name was a common Wood Elf girl¡¯s name. One usually given to a child. Ali readjusted her companion¡¯s gender in her mind.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Naia,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°You¡­ Aliandra? You not kill Naia?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not going to kill you. Why are you down here?¡± Naia¡¯s single-minded obsession about ensuring she wasn¡¯t going to be killed seemed a little disturbing.


    Her anger started to rise, when suddenly she remembered that had been her purpose just a few moments ago.


    ¡°Live here,¡± Naia said. Slowly detaching herself from the wall, she formed a flattened round sphere out of her body. It seemed she was a little smaller than Ali if she judged by volume.


    ¡°This is your home?¡± It wasn¡¯t clear if Naia was referring to this tiny cave or the entire dungeon.


    ¡°Trapped, imprisoned,¡± Naia answered, her voice turning flatter, almost angry. The thin blue membrane around her body vibrated in response to her emotions.


    ¡°How long have you been here?¡±


    ¡°Naia not know. Hundred? Years?¡±


    Ali stared at the slime and glanced around the tiny cave. She had been trapped in a stasis spell for three thousand years, but she had not been conscious for most of that time. Being imprisoned in an underground cave for a hundred years sounded like a particularly vile form of torture.


    ¡°Who trapped you here?¡±


    ¡°The men.¡± Naia formed a delicate tendril, extruded from her body, and waved it vaguely in an upward direction, and Ali knew she was referring to people from Volle.


    ¡°And you made this dungeon?¡± Now that Naia was talking, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to confirm her suspicions.


    ¡°Yes, I am dungeon,¡± Naia answered. ¡°Like you.¡± She stretched her body a little toward Ali as if curious but afraid to approach.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a dungeon,¡± Ali answered, annoyed at Naia¡¯s presumption. This strange creature seemed to have an even stranger grasp of reality. But Ali felt sorry for her, being trapped for so long probably had warped her perceptions.


    Naia stretched her body, pulling herself along the ground toward the boulder she had been using as cover. She extruded a part of herself around, as if peering out from behind her protection, her body rippling and shifting to match the textures of the rocky ground, and pointed her little pseudopod toward Ali¡¯s minions, as if pointing out something obvious.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what you mean? Yes, I¡¯m a summoner. I can summon creatures too.¡±


    ¡°Aliandra¡­ Elvish not very good.¡± Naia shook what Ali would have called her ¡®head¡¯ region before it was reabsorbed back into the body.


    Ali frowned at the rebuke. Naia clearly had trouble speaking Elvish, and yet she had the temerity to criticize Ali¡¯s language? And call her a dungeon? What nonsense!


    Somehow, Naia read Ali¡¯s change in emotions, and she scrambled back to the corner, quivering in fear.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Naia,¡± Ali apologized, trying to soothe the skittish slime. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± Naia asked, tentatively.


    At least Ali still had some time before they sent people looking for her. Trying a bit of a different approach, Ali began to tell Naia the story of her life with her parents, the Grove, and even described the city of Dal¡¯mohra as she had known it. Seeing that Naia was calming down and listening with what seemed to be rapt attention, Ali continued sharing some of her experiences since waking up, eventually leading to the quest for the mushrooms that had brought her here. She carefully avoided some of the more painful experiences she had had, prudently leaving out Eliyen¡¯s request that she destroy the dungeon.


    ¡°You want mushrooms?¡± Naia¡¯s inquiry was filled with curiosity.


    ¡°Yes, I can learn to make them,¡± Ali answered. She didn¡¯t think it would hurt to share some details about her abilities. ¡°I can make them at home, and then make the mana-purified water.¡±


    ¡°The mushrooms are there. You can take.¡±


    And just like that, Ali¡¯s job was done. She wasn¡¯t about to kill Naia to destroy the dungeon, but Naia had just given her permission. All she needed to do was deconstruct some mushrooms and she could be on her way ¨C and her friends would have the elixirs they needed.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me about you?¡± Ali asked. She had no need to stay, but she felt reluctant to end their little conversation. After only a little encouragement, Naia began to tell her story.


    ¡°I used to live in¡­ creek and pond in the forest. I liked to play with¡­ the slimes,¡± she began, hesitatingly, wobbling a little at Ali before continuing.


    Ali nodded encouragingly, wondering how a slime with no eyes could ¡®see¡¯ her, or how she even interpreted her body language as ¡®looking¡¯. But Naia reacted to her physical conversation cues just as well as her verbal ones.


    ¡°Slimes and oozes are so pretty,¡± Naia said a little bashfully. ¡°I love them.¡±


    Ali thought, wondering just how long it had been since the creature had experienced a conversation.


    ¡°I got a class.¡± Naia wobbled a little, drawing closer to where Ali sat, her body rippling through textures and colors nervously. ¡°I was Slime Lord. I was so happy. I could make slimes and oozes. I make them grow. I play with them all the time. They carry my mana into the caves, and it becomes my home.¡±


    She paused for a moment, sitting in stillness. It had been the longest Naia had spoken for and Ali wondered if she was tired.


    ¡°Then they came,¡± she gestured vaguely upwards with an extruded pseudopod. ¡°They don¡¯t let me out to the forest and creek. Must stay here or die. There is no kill, eat, explore. Naia cannot learn¡­ or grow. They only send people like you,¡± Naia pointed at Ali for emphasis. ¡°Too strong for me. Everyone wants to kill me. So, I hide in here. It¡¯s too small for the big people to get me.¡±


    ¡°But your slimes are strong, especially the Scalding Slimes. Can¡¯t you fight back?¡±


    ¡°I killed one, once,¡± Naia said, her body instantly transforming into a rock again. ¡°They send very scary people, very strong. Naia very scared ¨C hide for weeks. Naia not kill, they don¡¯t come.¡±


    ¡°But you attacked me?¡± It made sense given the situation. The people guarding the entrance to the dungeon were much higher level than Naia, and they were ready to charge in and evict people who were not following the rules. Ali was certain they would have also been ready to subjugate Naia if she acted up. Ali looked sadly as she considered the plight of this forlorn creature, trying to pretend it was a rock so that the scary memories might go away.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Naia said, her expressive body shifting back to her natural blue. ¡°You scary. Small, can come in here. You kill my slimes and make. Ancient¡­ scary!¡± Her membrane shivered.


    Even just her presence was scary to this creature?


    ¡°Can¡¯t you find another way out?¡± Ali asked, trying to re-engage the scared slime.


    ¡°Freedom¡­¡± Naia let out a sound that was a remarkable mimicry of a despondent sigh, her blue membrane wobbling from the effort. ¡°Is behind hard rock.¡± Her pseudopod reached out and picked up the remains of a dagger from the ground, worn down to nothing more than a rusty stump. She lashed out with a sudden furious frustration, smacking the weapon repeatedly against the smooth black surface of the nearby wall. All that happened was a hollow echo that sounded through the cave and Naia cast the dagger to the ground and turned around, assuming the shape of her rock. Ali¡¯s eyes found the dagger among the discarded weapons, noticing only now that all of them were worn down to almost nothing. The smooth black rock wall was marked with a few pitifully small scratches.


    Ali¡¯s heart broke as she surveyed the evidence of decades of destroyed hope, frustration, and despair just by the worn and completely used-up tools.


    ¡°Adventurers lose things,¡± Naia said, indicating the worn gear on the ground, her voice calm again, accepting of her fate. ¡°I collect. Sometimes steal. But wall is too strong, Naia can¡¯t break.¡±


    The little slime sighed again. ¡°You get mushrooms? You leave. No kill Naia.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill you, Naia,¡± Ali repeated herself for the dozenth time. Somehow, she no longer minded reassuring Naia. ¡°You don¡¯t mind giving me the mushrooms?¡±


    ¡°You can have anything,¡± Naia answered despondently. ¡°Just leave me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Naia,¡± Ali said, getting up and returning to the pool of crystal-clear water. Visible below the surface of the crystal-clear pool was a forest of small mushrooms. She summoned her Grimoire and selected several different specimens to deconstruct.


    And with that, she had achieved her second quest objective. Now she could create the mushrooms back at home and Eliyen could have all the water she wanted.


    Behind her, she could feel Naia observing her from the safety of her rock, but to Ali¡¯s surprise, the small slime slithered her way, approaching cautiously, her body shifting and matching the ground as she moved.


    But it wasn¡¯t the mushrooms, or Ali and her Grimoire that had gotten Naia to leave her safety. The little slime wobbled and slithered up to Ali¡¯s much larger Luminous Slime, and then stopped. Tiny pseudopods reached out and poked the glowing slime, making its membrane wobble. Naia¡¯s body began to shift and twist, slowly growing lighter and yellower as she tried to copy the Luminous Slime. But Ali could see that she wasn¡¯t able to match the brilliant glow of light magic, and she gave up, reverting to blue with a dejected wobble.


    ¡°You like my slime?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Is pretty. So pretty¡­¡± Naia flopped, wobbling again. ¡°But can¡¯t copy.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Must eat, then can copy. But then Aliandra kill Naia.¡±


    It took her a few moments to realize what Naia was saying. It was a bizarre idea, but it seemed to be what she was saying. And she was paranoid about eating the slime because she thought Ali would kill her for it. The more she thought about it, the more her curiosity burned to know how Naia¡¯s magic would work.


    ¡°You can learn slimes by eating them?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But no new slimes for long time.¡± She sounded so sad.


    It must be hard for her to finally find a slime she didn¡¯t know and be afraid of being killed if she learned it. Ali pushed her Luminous Slime closer to Naia.


    ¡°Yours is so pretty,¡± Naia repeated.


    ¡°Do you want it?¡± Ali asked, feeling like she was standing on the precipice of doing something forbidden, but her curiosity wouldn¡¯t allow her to back down.


    ¡°You give slime?¡± Naia¡¯s voice was filled with incredulity and her blue membrane rippled rapidly.


    ¡°Why not? I learned your slimes, and you gave me the mushrooms,¡± Ali answered, committing herself fully. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Tentatively at first, several pseudopods grew out of Naia¡¯s body, reaching for the glowing Luminous Slime, but as they touched, Naia¡¯s body exploded with tendrils, growing, reaching, stretching. The smaller blue slime rapidly poured her body over the larger slime, stretching thinner and thinner to fully envelop it within her. When she was finally done, a thin layer of blue jelly completely covered Ali¡¯s Luminous Slime, altering the hue of the light shining through her body. Subtle, complex magical formations appeared within Naia, suddenly shooting tendrils into the monster enveloped within her.


    Suddenly, the membrane of the Luminous Slime popped, and the glowing fluid merged with Naia¡¯s enclosing body. Ali¡¯s mana connection snapped with a painful recoil.


    The now much larger slime writhed and twisted for a few moments, as the fluid within merged, and then it released a large cloud of mana, in what looked remarkably like a magical burp before Naia slowly began to shrink back down to her normal size once again.


    ¡°Thank you, Aliandra,¡± Naia said, her accent and language suddenly much better than before.


    ¡°You can speak better now?¡±


    ¡°New slimes give me more intelligence,¡± Naia explained.


    ¡°Can I see it?¡± Ali asked. Naia clearly had some skills similar to her own, and Ali was curious to see her summoning magic. Her class must be rather incredible ¨C Ali would love to have a skill that increased her intelligence every time she learned a new variant. But she supposed Naia¡¯s was restricted to slimes and oozes, and therefore having more potency might be a way to offset the limitations.


    Naia extruded a thick pseudopod and slowly expanded the end of it into a growing bulb. Within the blue ooze of the bulb, Ali witnessed a remarkable sight. A kernel of yellow began to form, glowing with the unmistakable mana signature of light affinity. As Naia¡¯s mana flowed through the extruded growing bulb within her body, it expanded further and further, taking on more and more of the characteristics of the Luminous Slime she had just consumed. When the bulb was about the same size as Naia¡¯s main body, the connecting pseudopod suddenly constricted, and then severed, leaving the bulb separate beside her. Naia¡¯s body reformed into her slightly flattened blue sphere, wobbling slightly, but the glowing yellow ball of slime continued to expand.


    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s amazing!¡± Ali had expected a spell or some kind of magic, similar to her own Grimoire, filled with runes and summoning. But Naia had simply turned part of her own body into the Luminous Slime and separated, forming the new slime from within herself. It was a summoning magic she would never have imagined, and yet entirely appropriate for a Slime summoner like Naia.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty,¡± Naia said. The little blue slime was circling her new creation, examining it carefully, touching it, poking it. Her obvious excitement and joy went a long way to alleviating Ali¡¯s guilt over having just given a dungeon a new monster.


    ¡°I have one more,¡± Ali told her, making the decision easily. If Naia got an intelligence increase from learning new slime variants, then sharing even her low-level Toxic Slime would probably be a huge help for her.


    Naia stopped caressing her new Luminous Slime and quivered expectantly as Ali used her Grimoire to summon a level two Toxic Slime.


    ¡°You can have this one too,¡± Ali encouraged, pushing the slime forward toward Naia when she didn¡¯t immediately respond. ¡°Be careful though, it¡¯s poisonous.¡±


    ¡°Slime is immune,¡± Naia said. As soon as Ali permitted, Naia¡¯s body flowed, reaching and grabbing until the nasty-looking greenish-brown Toxic Slime was fully ingested. Through the semi-transparent blue membrane, Ali was treated to the clear view of Naia¡¯s magic deconstructing the second slime, just as quickly as the first. In just a few minutes, Naia had finished her meal and had split off two brand new Toxic Slimes of her own.


    ¡°Aliandra, why are you helping me?¡± Naia asked. ¡°Nobody ever helps me. Are you going to kill me?¡± sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to kill you.¡± It was amazing how much her language suddenly improved after just having consumed another slime. But the poor creature was still terribly paranoid about being killed. ¡°And it¡¯s just fair, I learned your Scalding Slime, Brine Ooze, and Stinging Jelly. I think it¡¯s fair to give you my slimes. I¡¯m just amazed you found something as powerful as the Scalding Slime in here.¡±


    ¡°I evolved that one,¡± Naia said, a hint of pride in her voice. ¡°I put Brine Oozes in the steam vents for a week. Lots of them died, but I can evolve slimes¡­ sometimes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s clever,¡± Ali answered. In truth Naia¡¯s admission was remarkable. The ability to evolve new monsters seemed incredibly powerful, even if she was restricted to just slimes and oozes. If Naia ever got out of here, she might become a terrifyingly powerful force.


    ¡°Naia, what do you want?¡±


    ¡°You go. Leave without killing me.¡± But Ali couldn¡¯t miss the little pseudopod that reached for the black polished stone wall behind her.


    ¡°Would you like to be friends?¡± Ali asked, walking over to the wall, finally committing to the terrifying, forbidden thought that had been searing a hole in her heart since seeing the wrenching despair Naia had facing the impenetrable wall of black stone.


    ¡°Friends?¡±


    Ali studied the wall closely, reaching her hand out to rest on its smooth polished surface and using Identify.


    It was some form of magically imbued stone ¨C and higher level than Naia¡¯s class.


    ¡°Yes, friends. Help each other out and have chats now and then. Stuff like that.¡± Ali summoned her mana, activating her Deconstruction against the wall.


    As soon as her magic activated, Naia froze, her membrane quivering rapidly. Ali pushed her magic harder into the resistant, incredibly dense rock, feeling how her spell was ripping at the very fabric of the stone, tearing it apart, and converting it into mana. She couldn¡¯t imagine anything short of her potent deconstruction magic that would be able to destroy the mana-imbued stone.


    It took longer than she normally needed, and a surprisingly large amount of mana for a spell that was typically exceptionally cheap, but suddenly the black polished surface exploded outward in a cascade of mana, leaving a perfectly round hole about half a meter wide leading to the darkness and unknown beyond. The tiny cave was suddenly filled with the roar of an unseen waterfall from the other side, and a gust of cold, damp air buffeted Ali¡¯s face, blowing the floating motes of mana across the cave.


    Ali turned to the quivering slime. ¡°Well, shall we see what¡¯s on the other side?¡±

 Chapter 97: Naia

    Chapter 97: NaiaNaiaNaia¡¯s membrane quivered with agitation as the creature called Aliandra touched the impenetrable wall-with-no-cracks with one of her stiff tentacles and a bright intense beam of mana burned out, searing the stone.


    A vibration she had never imagined thrummed through the rock, sending quivers of excitement and terror through her as her senses felt the wall giving way to this strangely familiar-seeming power.


    There was an explosion of mana and instantly she could feel the shape of the wall had changed. Naia liked holes. The smaller the better. She could squeeze inside them and be safe from the scary people who sometimes came to hunt her.


    But this was a hole in wall. She was terrified. She had struggled for as long as she could remember, trying in vain to even scratch this wall. Aliandra had shown up with her oppressive aura of ancient power and torn a hole through it in seconds. But she didn¡¯t know what lay beyond. She couldn¡¯t even remember much of what was outside her dungeon.


    ¡°Well, shall we see what¡¯s on the other side?¡±


    Aliandra¡¯s word-vibrations came to her through the air and the rock, carrying information and thoughts she had long given up on in despair and frustration.


    Naia collected her wits. Ever since she had eaten the two new pretty slimes, her mind seemed more complex. Thoughts that she had never thought before swirled around in her consciousness, demanding her attention. She had been convinced Aliandra would kill her with her powerful magic, just like everyone else had tried to do, and yet, somehow, she was still alive. She felt the soft tremors to the side, and her new pretty slimes were still there, not vanished like a dream.


    Naia could remember the last time she had experienced something new. It had been when she evolved the Scalding Slime. She remembered how happy she had been then ¨C but that was so many years ago¡­


    The strange Aliandra vanished, squashing her strange body of stiffness and flesh through the hole. Naia briefly felt sorry for her disability, since squashing through holes with a slime body was perfect. What must it be like to be unable to bend or stretch?


    It was one of the strange concepts that had come to her after she ingested the Toxic Slime. Similar to Aliandra¡¯s word-vibration ¡®friends¡¯. Naia wasn¡¯t certain she truly understood what it meant, but Aliandra still hadn¡¯t killed her, and she had given Naia the priceless gift of two slimes.


    Suddenly, the Fae invader poked some of herself back through the hole, reaching a stiff tentacle out toward her.


    ¡°Come, Naia, come and see!¡±


    Her mind replayed the crushing despair of her prison, the endless years of yearning for freedom, the weirdly rigid appendage reaching toward her, and she chose. Her pseudopods shot out, latching onto the strange flesh filled with its sparkling gold and green mana, and she pulled herself up through the hole.


    Naia popped out the other side and landed on the hard rocky ground, instantly shifting her form to match, as the vibrations of the waterfall thrummed through her body.


    ¡°Look,¡± Aliandra spoke again, still holding onto her pseudopod with a warm hand. Naia decided that the sensation wasn¡¯t unpleasant, so she let her keep holding on. Besides, the deeply unfamiliar touch seemed to calm the vibrations within her.


    She She couldn¡¯t feel the shape of the cave in most directions. It was simply open past her range, and after so many years confined to her little cave where she could feel everything, she found the sensation of the wide unknown beyond her senses to be terrifying. She could feel the warmth from Aliandra¡¯s hand, the swish-swish of the ooze that flowed within her strange tubes, pushed about by the thumping of the busy thing in the center of her chest.


    Aliandra seemed calm, and Naia easily detected the powerful magic she wielded, formed into a disk in front of her. She reached out with the rest of her senses, sensing faint wisps of ambient mana way beyond her ability to feel the space. But it was her membrane that finally helped her The vibrations of the water resolved into a shape, thundering in the distance into a huge pool that was filled with water. And she felt things out in the space. Things that wriggled and crawled and hid in tiny crevices. With each vibration, her mind constructed the map of her new world.


    It was overwhelmingly large. Way bigger than her steam-vent cave. And she could feel the monsters crawling around inside it.


    ¡°The water is full of those mushrooms,¡± Aliandra said. ¡°And there are bats on the ceiling and fish in the water, which means that this place is connected to the outside.¡±


    Naia wasn¡¯t even sure if she knew what that was anymore. But she remembered it was a place that was even bigger than this cave.


    Suddenly, a fast-moving shape appeared in her shape-sense, sharp pulses of loud vibrations hammering into her membrane. She reacted instantly, withdrawing her pseudopod from Aliandra¡¯s hand and turning herself into a flat rock on the ground. The blazing disk of magic moved, and the shape smacked into it and fell to the ground.


    ¡°Can you fight?¡± Aliandra¡¯s voice penetrated her mental fear-fog like the long-forgotten dawn chasing away a morning mist.


    ¡°I fight.¡± Naia reached out with her mind and called her three slimes to her. They burst through the hole together, plopping onto the ground right beside her, and merging her mind with their senses, she attacked, launching pseudopods, and blasting strange dazzling magic from the Luminous Slime at the downed bat. She didn¡¯t know what it did, but the bat simply flapped along on the ground, so she decided the attack was good and did it again. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two Toxic Slimes were weak, but she reached with the Luminous Slime, extruding its body around the fallen struggling bat until she had it fully caught. Then she expanded the Luminous Slime to ingest the entire bat.


    A chime sounded in her mind, along with a flicker of a notification that she had not heard in a very long time.


    She gawped at the message for a bit before she asked. ¡°Can I eat it?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Can I eat the bat?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Aliandra answered, moving her mouth into the shape that meant happiness.


    Immediately, her Luminous Slime consumed the monster, and Naia felt the surge of mana released into it and flowing along the connection of mana she held with the slime, filling her.


    Naia slowed the fresh influx of mana, storing most of it in the Luminous Slime while she turned part of her own body into the steam affinity, and split off a new Scalding Slime. She let the mana flow back to her and did it again, making a second.


    Expanding her awareness to include her two new slimes, she flattened them up against the wall and began to climb rapidly to the ceiling, seeking out all the cracks and folds in the rock to speed her way. Her senses expanded as her slimes spread out, taking in more and more of the cavern.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know slimes could climb so well,¡± Aliandra said, still standing beside her.


    Naia felt a surge of pride hearing that her pretty slimes had impressed the ancient Fae.


    Way up above on the cavern roof, she felt the thump-thump of the roosting bats as their pump-thing pushed their red slime around in their weird bodies. She didn¡¯t know why they insisted on having this thing inside them, but it made hunting very easy. She stretched and flowed her Scalding Slime across the ceiling of the cave until her pseudopod reached out and encircled its leg.


    It screeched and took off, but she simply latched on and flowed more and more of her body onto the frantic creature. When she released her hold on the rock, she fell, shooting jets of superheated steam into the bat as it dropped. She felt the distinctive vibrations of falling into water both through the rock to her main body, and directly through the senses of her Scalding Slime. It sank quickly into the huge pool, shooting steam and grappling with the bat until it ceased struggling.


    She didn¡¯t hesitate, engulfing the corpse and consuming it immediately, feeling the rush as the mana flowed back to her. She could sense the flow of mana following the mana trail her slime had left during its climb up to the ceiling.


    She poured the new mana directly into making more slimes. First, she created another Scalding Slime, and then, intent on exploring the lake too, she created a dozen stinging jellies, ejecting them over the edge and into the water she now could see through her Scalding Slime¡¯s senses.


    Aliandra had said there were fish. And she wanted to know what fish tasted like.


    She paused for a moment to consider what was happening to her. Beside her, the thump-thump in Aliandra¡¯s chest seemed steady and the Fae was making encouraging vibrations.


    Above on the roof, her second Scalding Slime caught a bat, and she fought it all the way down, till it splashed into the water and died.


    Aliandra


    Ali watched Naia tearing through the cavern with a shocking escalation of power and energy as she rapidly devoured everything that moved. Whenever she consumed a monster, the mana pulsed along the trails her monsters left everywhere, returning to her as she huddled on the ledge beside her, still pretending to be a rock. But every time there was an influx of mana, she would grow a new slime from her body and send it off to explore or fight.


    But Naia¡¯s obvious excitement and joy at being free was worth it.


    Every time the mana pulsed along the trails, the tendrils thickened and strengthened, spreading the bulk of the mana harvested into the surrounding area, and Ali could quickly tell that this entire cavern would soon be filled with Naia¡¯s domain mana.


    Suddenly, Naia quivered, and then bounced up and down in a gesture that Ali was beginning to associate with extreme excitement.


    ¡°Aliandra! I gained a level!¡±


    ¡°Congratulations!¡± Ali exclaimed, sharing the excitement of what must have been a profoundly significant event for her little friend.


    ¡°I put some points into intelligence,¡± Naia said. ¡°So, we can talk better.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Ali said, ¡°Because there¡¯s something difficult I need to tell you.¡± Naia¡¯s progress was incredible, but Ali was well aware of just how vulnerable she was. If the Lord of Volle discovered she was growing, Naia would be exterminated in a heartbeat. And level twenty-five wasn¡¯t nearly enough if the guards outside were anything to go by.


    Naia stopped bouncing, but Ali was grateful she didn¡¯t ask if she was going to be killed for a change.


    ¡°I have to go soon. If I don¡¯t, the people will come to find me, and then they will find you and I don¡¯t want that.¡±


    ¡°I can hide,¡± Naia said, bouncing a few times.


    ¡°Yes, but you will need to be smarter. If they come back and find you gone, they will know that something is wrong and they will hunt you down and kill you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back in there,¡± Naia said, sounding forlorn. ¡°I want to be free. Please don¡¯t make me.¡±


    ¡°When they come down, they need to find everything in the caves exactly the same as always. Otherwise, they will be suspicious. The same slimes, the same levels. The same water where they expect it.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Naia said, sounding terribly depressed and even looking deflated.


    ¡°Naia, you don¡¯t have to be in the prison anymore. You can play out here and grow and have your new monsters. But keep the caves back there the same to protect your secret.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Suddenly Naia got it, and she perked up. ¡°Naia mimic¡­ old Naia?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Aliandra¡­ friend?¡± Naia said, reaching a pseudopod toward her.


    ¡°You can call me Ali, all my friends do,¡± she answered, taking the offered limb in her hand.


    ¡°Ali¡­¡± Naia tried it out. ¡°Ali, you came to get the mushrooms. Why?¡±


    A couple of thoughts collided in Ali¡¯s mind at the sudden question, not the least of which was how much Naia¡¯s growth in intelligence had pushed her to a clearly deeper understanding of what was happening to her. But Ali decided she was intelligent enough to understand the full story, so she shared how she had got this job, and how she came to be here. And why.


    ¡°You were going to kill me?¡± Naia asked, quivering again.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to as soon as I met you,¡± Ali explained, hoping her new friend would understand. ¡°I thought I would find a monster, but I found you. I can¡¯t kill you. You¡¯re my friend.¡±


    Naia mulled it over for a bit before she reached out with her pseudopod again.


    ¡°The mushrooms don¡¯t make the water,¡± Naia said suddenly.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ali had already learned the mushrooms and she had been ready to leave with her prize.


    ¡°Feel,¡± Naia said, drawing her toward the ledge overlooking the huge pool. ¡°Mushrooms in there, but it¡¯s not the water you want.¡±


    Ali studied the pool below them and sure enough, when she identified it, the water was just normal water. Extraordinarily pristine water with amazing clarity, and a beautiful blue color, but it didn¡¯t glow like the pool in the smaller cave.


    ¡°Before you go, I give you a present,¡± Naia said. Her body warped, producing several bulbous protrusions as she used her bizarre body-splitting skill to summon her creatures. Within each protrusion, a kernel of mana began to glow with a hauntingly deep blue light. Slowly they pinched off leaving the glowing oozes on the ground beside her, each one swelling till they were almost the size of Ali¡¯s head before they stopped growing and just sat there gently pulsing and shedding their intense blue light.


    ¡°I made these before I was imprisoned. There was a mana storm in the stream, and my slime evolved. If you put these slimes in pure water, they will make the mana-purified water you need. The mushrooms can clean the water, but only the slime can put the mana into it.¡±


    ¡°You want to give these to me?¡± Ali was astounded. Naia had guessed she wanted the mushrooms and connected them to the water, realizing that she didn¡¯t have all the pieces she needed. And she had simply offered to share.


    ¡°Yes. Friends. Help each other out. Stuff like that.¡± Naia said, making a remarkably good mimicry of Ali¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Thank you, Naia. That¡¯s very thoughtful.¡±


    Ali bent down and hugged Naia, feeling the squishy slime body bouncing up and down happily before she let her go.


    ¡°Come and visit me in Myrin¡¯s Keep if you learn to travel, and I¡¯ll try to come back and see you soon.¡±


    ***


    Ali had a lot on her mind as she swam back to the surface through the deserted underwater caves. For one thing, she was worried about Naia, and hated leaving her new friend all alone, even though she seemed to be having fun exploring and was now free.


    That was the big problem. Dungeons were evil monster factories that decimated towns and kingdoms and required progressively higher- and higher-level adventurers to subdue and destroy them. This was precisely what had gotten them in this situation in the first place ¨C destroying the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra as part of the Adventurers Guild had gotten her friends drained, and then she had taken this job to help them out.


    But in the process, she had taught a dungeon two new monsters, and freed it, letting it loose on the outside world. In her mind she could see Naia¡¯s incredible aggression and power as she was loosed in the large cavern, expanding, and growing until she could destroy everything.


    But she couldn¡¯t figure out where she had gone wrong. When she had thought of ¡®it¡¯ as a dungeon or a monster, it was easy to consider killing it. She would be doing the world a service by destroying it. Like taking out trash, only more dangerous.


    The moment she met Naia, she knew she couldn¡¯t kill her. She wouldn¡¯t have been able to live with her conscience if she had left knowing she could have freed her from such a horrible imprisonment.


    She surfaced out of the last pool, hopped onto the rocky ground, and unsummoned all her minions. It wouldn¡¯t do to have the guards realize what she had done. Any of it.


    Malika always seemed to have a clear understanding of what to do, and what was right or fair. She could hear Malika¡¯s voice saying something remarkably simple and suddenly things would be less murky in her mind.


    But all she could feel was Naia¡¯s happy bounce when she realized she was free, and the little squishy pseudopod that had reached for the comfort of her hand when she was afraid of the open space.


    ¡°You took long enough, girlie, did the big scary slimes get you?¡±


    ¡°You seem a little damp.¡±


    Ali purposefully ignored the rude guards and their crass laughter and checked out with the official at the tent before retrieving her Potion of Recall they had confiscated for ¡®safekeeping¡¯ and smashing it, perhaps with more vigor than strictly necessary, and whisking herself back to Myrin¡¯s Keep, glad to put the miserable environment of Volle behind her.


    Tala


    Tala sat on the rooftop of the Town Watch training grounds, enjoying the screams of pain and the groans and cries of the injured recruits as Kieran Mori laid into them with his typical unemotionally brutal training regimen.


    She remembered when it had been her down there, subjected to his ministrations. At her memories, her mouth twisted into a disapproving scowl.  These new recruits from the Adventurers Guild were weak and soft and needed every ounce of Kieran¡¯s discipline. It was a good thing he contracted them first, otherwise, Tala was certain none of them would still be here by morning.


    It had been a simple task Kieran had set her, and she had despised it at first as it took her away from her passion. Spreading rumors and stories did not move her the way blood spraying from her daggers did. But he had promised her a gold coin in bounty for each combat class she convinced to join the Watch. She tossed the satisfyingly heavy coin pouch and caught it again. All in all, it had been exceptionally profitable work ¨C and so easy. These so-called adventurers had been ripe for the plucking, ready to jump ship for the price of a little coin.


    All it had taken was a few choice assassinations and spreading the rumors of the Silent Assassin.


    There was a traveling merchant in town, according to her sources, and she did have a new job for later this evening. And she was eager to try out the new advance to her Mutilate skill.


    she thought happily as she activated her stealth and leaped down from the roof, marking fake ambush attacks on each recruit as she darted unseen across the training ground.

 Chapter 98: Lake

    Chapter 98: LakeAliandraAli coughed and waved her hand vigorously in front of her face to disperse the remnants of smoke from her recall potion. She glanced around at the familiar black marble floor with the inscribed runes of the teleportation locus slowly fading, the magical power that had transported her across kingdoms back to the Novaspark Academy receiving room dissipating into the dense stone.


    It was an odd thought. Myrin¡¯s Keep was certainly not the nice peaceful town that she would have liked as a home, nor was it the center of learning she had grown up in ¨C nor even the natural forest of her father¡¯s Grove. Presumably, she still had an illegal open contract out on her life. But after Volle, Ali felt a sense of relief at returning ¨C a homecoming, of a sort.


    she shivered.


    Yet so many vivid memories lived in her mind. Shivering again, Ali deliberately focused on her present.Her inbound teleportation from Volle was not cheap ¨C traveling such a distance with something as weak as a Potion of Recall required a large infusion of mana from the Novaspark Academy Locus. She quickly arranged for a message to be sent to her friends at the Adventurers Guild so that she wouldn¡¯t need to risk walking halfway across town by herself and then settled in to refill the mana reserves for the academy locus using her Inspiration.


    While she waited, she turned her attention to the gorgeously crafted runework inscribed into the marble floor. Whoever had made it had been a true artist. The runes were inlaid silver in a delicate flowing runic script set flush and smooth with the dark marble. The soft glow of purple arcane mana illuminated the entire construct, flaring with bursts of energy whenever someone arrived.


    For some reason, this simple, almost trivial development drove home a sense of personal progress and growth in a way that defeating monsters had never done. When she had first used this locus, the advanced runic magic had seemed so powerful and incomprehensibly advanced that she had only imagined she be able to understand it someday in a distant future.


    It would take some time for the message to reach her friends and for her mana to regenerate sufficiently to cover her teleportation debt. She eyed the runes with curiosity and a growing hunger to  The official was poring over his paperwork with the zeal of a dog enjoying its favorite bone, and nobody would be bothering her for a while. She snapped a barrier into the air and sat on it, elevating herself so her feet dangled over the runes, and then powered up her Sage of Learning¡¯s Study Trance. she thought, as her eyes and mana sight followed the sophisticated mana tracery through the runic structure with her Runic Script and Arcane Insight skills. After all, the official had given her permission to do just that the first time she had used the locus. She gave herself over to the total focus of her studying.


    ¡°Ali! You¡¯re back!¡±


    Ali blinked and slowly tore her gaze away from the runes to find Malika rushing toward her with a broad smile on her face, followed close behind by Calen and Mato.


    The Teleportation Locus shimmered like a mana-imbued picture in her mind, complete and entirely understood. She had no idea if it would prove useful, but she didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Hi, thanks for coming to get me,¡± Ali said, hopping off her barrier to greet her friends.


    ¡°Chewing up a few runes?¡± Calen grinned, his eyes darting to the runic circle as he guessed exactly why she¡¯d been so distracted.


    Mato began, ¡°She¡¯s just hungry ¨C¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Malika interrupted, giving her a quick hug. ¡°How did it go? Here, let me help you finish paying the mana for this and we can talk on the way back.¡±


    With Malika¡¯s extraordinary talent and her own mostly regenerated mana, they quickly settled up and headed out.


    ¡°I got it,¡± Ali told them, answering the pressing question on all of their minds. ¡°I just need to get back to the Grove and try it out on the lake.¡± She proceeded to tell them all about her adventures in Volle¡¯s Dungeon and about Naia, the Anomalous Mimic Slime who had made it.


    ¡°I¡¯m really conflicted now,¡± Ali said, after explaining how she had freed Naia from her imprisonment. They had just reached the shrine in the Grove, so Ali plopped herself down on a clean, dry rock and studied her friends¡¯ faces, worried that she would find horror or disapproval there. ¡°Dungeons are supposed to be a terrible scourge that are full of dangerous monsters like the Skeletal Wyvern or the Wights. But I just couldn¡¯t leave Naia imprisoned like that. Did I do something wrong? Malika, I really missed your perspective down there. What would you have done? If you found a dungeon that was also a person, and you felt you could trust them, would you have helped?¡±


    Her friends exchanged uncomfortable glances, and a complex set of emotions flickered across Malika¡¯s face. Knowing Malika¡¯s personal dungeon-related trauma, Ali was most anxious for her approval, but she was terrified that Malika would hate her for helping the dungeon. She didn¡¯t want to risk her friendship, but she couldn¡¯t see how she would have acted any differently.


    ¡°I would have helped, too,¡± Malika finally answered. She seemed conflicted and terribly uncomfortable and like she might be on the verge of saying more, but eventually she simply looked at Ali and said, ¡°I think you did the right thing.¡±


    A huge burden dropped from Ali¡¯s shoulders. Knowing Malika would have made the same decision felt liberating and knowing she didn¡¯t hate her for what she had done was a powerful sense of relief. Ali took a deep breath, settling the turmoil of emotions caused by the knot of worry finally untangling within her.


    ¡°So, what did you guys get up to? How was your lecture, Calen?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Lots of drama. Calen broke the guild,¡± Mato said, with a chuckle as Calen cleared his throat awkwardly and glanced down at the ground.


    ¡°What? What happened?¡±


    ¡°Half the guild walked out and joined the Garrison or the Town Watch. Calen¡¯s lecture was great though, he did amazing,¡± Malika explained. ¡°The newbies think Calen is some strategy god now, like a reincarnation of Lyeneru Silverleaf or something.¡± Then, between the three of them, they filled Ali in on the details of how it had happened.


    ¡°Wait, they joined the Town Watch? Isn¡¯t that bad?¡±


    ¡°Someone has been assassinating guild members, and the Town Watch started offering cash bonuses to join,¡± Malika said. ¡°Vivian leaned on the guild and the flakey members quit.¡± Malika went on to share the details of the exodus. ¡°She was actually pleased about it, right, Calen?¡±


    The Half-elf grunted guiltily.


    ¡°Right!¡± said Mato, wrestling his friend into a pretend headlock. ¡°, Calen?¡±


    ¡°Oof, get off,¡± he complained half-heartedly.


    Ali had imagined some kind of disaster when Mato mentioned drama, but once they explained what Vivian Ross had said, she began to understand. she thought. Strengthening the Town Watch wasn¡¯t something she would have done. But, if their recounting of the attitudes of the remaining adventurers stocking up on Potions of Recall, asking engaged and curious questions about combat strategy, and where to get better gear was anything to go on, the Guildmaster¡¯s strategy would probably result in much smarter and more prepared adventurers in the long run. Ali could certainly appreciate the value of proper training and preparation, given she had started with no understanding of combat, and without her friends, and later the guild, to help her, she would have probably died many times already.


    ¡°Ok, I need to get to work,¡± Ali announced, climbing onto her barrier. Her friends still needed the elixirs made, and the mana-purified water wasn¡¯t going to make itself. Alighting on the bank of her smelly and murky lake, she paused for a few moments to consider the problem.


    First, and in her opinion, most importantly, she inscribed a Cleanse runic circle on the bank of the lake. Then she summoned three Luminous Slimes and retrieved her last remaining Underwater Breathing potion from her ring storage. she thought, but she didn¡¯t want to take the time to travel back to the guild when she could help her friends right now. Wrinkling her nose at the necessity of what she was about to do, she downed the nasty potion and dove into the disgusting lake. While she could breathe easily, the potion did nothing to remove the taste of the stagnant waters, nor could it help with the greasy, slimy feel of it on her skin. She shuddered momentarily, and then struck out for the bottom, dragged along by her barrier magic with three Luminous Slimes in tow. She couldn¡¯t see much of anything down here, but the glow from her Luminous Slimes helped, and at least her mana sight was unimpaired by the murk, allowing her to clearly pick out where her slimes were on the lakebed.


    She opened her Grimoire and, guided entirely by mana sight, paged to the mushroom imprint, and began to summon her newest Psathyrella mushrooms. She summoned the tiny water-affinity mushrooms in broad swathes, as many as she could at a time, paying no heed to the mana cost. Whenever she ran low, she deconstructed anything she could find ¨C rocks and dirt from the lake floor, or even the murky, stagnant water itself. Her mana flowed and mushrooms sprouted as she fell into the zone, trying to cover as much of the lakebed as she could before her potion ran out.


    Ali looked at the notification for a moment, before deciding to dismiss it without adding it to her Grimoire. She couldn¡¯t think of a good use for being able to summon water ¨C especially the mucky stuff she had been using to refill her mana pool.


    Unexpectedly, she inhaled a lungful of water that she suddenly couldn¡¯t breathe. Amid the rising panic of drowning, she interrupted her magic, summoned a barrier, and shot up to the surface, choking and coughing up muck and dirty water.


    ¡°Hey, no dying out there!¡± Mato shouted.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Ali spluttered. ¡°Potion wore off.¡±


    In her focus, she had forgotten to keep track of her Underwater Breathing potion and it had expired while she was still at the bottom of the lake. She drew a ragged breath, spat out some more nasty water, and then made a beeline for her Cleanse runic circle, plopping herself down in the center with a wet splat and finally relaxing as the gentle prickle of the magic began to dissolve the stench and muck, and her clothes and body began to slowly dry off.


    Out in the lake though, the greenish-brown muck stirred. Water and sludge swirled lazily downward, and, deep beneath the surface, she could make out the cascade of blue water-affinity mana spreading out from the bottom where she had planted her mushrooms. Over the next few minutes, streaks of blue broke through the dirt, growing broader and wider like the sky revealed by dissipating storm clouds, until suddenly Ali could see clear through the lake to the rocky bottom and the forest of underwater mushrooms she had planted. The change was remarkable ¨C brownish-green sludge still poured into the lake from the tributaries, but it dissolved on contact with the larger body of water, leaving the vast expanse of the lake clear and blue. The change would take longer to percolate into the muck on the bottom and sides, she noticed, but this was a promising start.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s much better,¡± Mato said, staring out at the lake.


    But as Naia had predicted, the water was just water. Nicely purified by the water-affinity mushrooms.


    She got up, finally clean, and paged through her Grimoire till she reached the Ooze imprint and summoned one of the Aetheric Slimes Naia had taught her when she had understood Ali¡¯s quest. To her surprise, instead of one, her magic spellbook summoned six of them instead.


    Ali puzzled over the strange behavior of her magic as the small ooze creatures crawled and wobbled along at her feet. Even the mana reservation seemed in line with a single monster, but there were six almost identical monsters, and she hadn¡¯t been going for volume as she had with her mushrooms earlier. She couldn¡¯t figure it out, but they did seem smaller and perhaps weaker than her other minions around their level. And they did Identify as a swarm, like those Stinging Jellies.


    ¡°¡± she told them, shooing them toward the lake. Blobbing happily, the tiny blue monsters reminded Ali of Naia as they wobbled down the bank and into the water.


    ¡°Now what?¡± Malika asked. All her friends were watching intently.


    ¡°Now we wait, I guess¡­¡±Ali studied the lake carefully, watching the almost invisible blue slimes crawl around seemingly at random, exploring their new home. They left swirls of arcane mana behind that created eddies and currents in the ambient water affinity mana the mushrooms were producing, all of which was occurring within the weave of her domain that permeated the entire lake.


    She watched for several minutes, searching for any sign that it might be working, but she had no idea what she was looking for. For all she knew, it might take weeks. Naia hadn¡¯t explained much to her, so she began worrying that she hadn¡¯t done it right.


    As she was worrying, the swirls of mana within the lake began to synchronize, eddies and vortices began to flatten out and quieten down, and suddenly, the entire lake stilled, frozen, and unmoving as if waiting in anticipation. Deep in the center of the lake, a kernel of intense blue appeared. In the next instant, a shockwave rippled out from the center ¨C a silent explosion of mana that shot through the entire lake in a fraction of a second.


    Malika gasped.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Mato breathed.


    Slowly, as she watched, the water began to glow, turning a deep cerulean blue that quickly spread throughout the lake, lighting up the trees and the cavern around it with a beautiful rippling light. A glow that she recognized instantly.


    ¡°Wow, you don¡¯t see that every day,¡± Calen quipped.


    ¡°An Ancient Fae doing real magic?¡± Malika grinned. ¡°Astonishing, right?¡±


    Ali sat back, basking in the glow and enjoying the beauty of the lake. She didn¡¯t even need to check; she knew it was mana-purified water.


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool!¡± Mato said, his voice managing to be awestruck and excited at the same time.


    Ali turned to find her friends grinning in delight at the radiant blue light that now illuminated almost half the gigantic underground cavern.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± Malika said, making a large steel bucket appear in her hand and offering to help Ali fill it from the lake.


    ¡°Why do you have a bucket in your ring?¡± It was rather handy, she had to admit, but even though their new silver rings allowed much more storage, space wasn¡¯t free and there was almost always something better to put in there.


    ¡°I had Weldin find me one in the market so we could bring enough to impress Eliyen,¡± Malika answered.


    ¡°But¡­ how did you¡­?¡± Ali¡¯s question faltered, half-formed, as a grinning Malika winked at her and dunked the bucket in the lake.


    Ali had felt so unsure of herself when she had set out to face her first dungeon alone. She felt a lump in her throat and a tightness in her heart as she realized Malika had believed in her enough to buy the bucket before she had even returned.


    She identified the bucket, not because she needed to, but more to distract herself from her embarrassing feelings.


    ***


    ¡°Welcome back, Aliandra.¡± Eliyen¡¯s expression was calm and serene, as usual, but Ali could sense an expectancy that might be lurking just below the carefully schooled elven features. Even the lack of an explicit query about how her quest had gone hung waiting in the air, unasked.


    Ali retrieved the ten vials she had filled in the dungeon and placed them on the table. Not wanting to leave her hanging longer than necessary, Ali decided to start with what had not gone according to plan.


    ¡°I learned the mushrooms, but it turns out that they only clean the water, they do not create mana-purified water. And I chose not to kill the dungeon.¡±


    Eliyen¡¯s face fell, disappointed and sad, rather than angry or frustrated.


    ¡°But the dungeon shared the real secret, and I made this,¡± Ali said, making Malika¡¯s bucket full of mana-purified water appear on the work surface next to the vials.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Oh my!¡± Eliyen¡¯s face lit up with a smile of joy. ¡°Do you know how many potions I can make with that much? That¡¯s more than I could get in a decade! You will have your elixirs ¨C and know that your actions will save dozens of lives.¡±


    ¡°She made an entire lake of this stuff. You should see it, the glow lights up the entire cave,¡± Mato said.


    Eliyen¡¯s mouth opened and closed a few times, but all that came out was a choked spluttering and a cough. ¡°A¡­ lake?¡± she finally managed.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Mato answered, clearly enjoying the effect.


    ¡°Well, then¡­¡± Eliyen said, collecting herself with obvious effort. ¡°Maybe we can save a few more than a dozen. Basil, come and learn how to make the Elixir of Vitality Rejuvenation. It seems we will be making lots of them in the future. And you, my dear¡­¡± she said, turning back to Ali. ¡°I would love to hear the full story of your adventure. The dungeon you how to make this?¡±


    While Ali recounted her adventures with Volle¡¯s Dungeon and Naia, Eliyen¡¯s hands worked with practiced ease, retrieving dried herbs, roots, and various essences and tinctures that glowed with magical potency. Her movements were deft and precise, measuring and mixing with a continual flow of mana from her hands, and yet she never missed a word of Ali¡¯s tale. Basil sat in rapt study beside her writing notes as the small cauldron boiled, and the various tinctures stirred themselves with the mana the Elven herbalist added.


    She pulled out a small glowing green crystal, suffused with a dense nature affinity mana, and ground it up using an imbued mortar and pestle before measuring a minuscule quantity to add to her creation.


    Ali surreptitiously Identified it.


    By the time Ali finished up with her story, Eliyen filled three waiting vials with liquid from her magical brewed concoction, and the fluid slowly settled and began to glow with a soft green light.


    Elixir of Vitality Rejuvenation ¨C level 25 (Nature)


    Consume: A potent curative elixir capable of reversing severe maladies, poison, corruption, or diseases affecting vitality.


    Potion


    ¡°Take this with food. You should begin to see an improvement within a few hours. I recommend not doing anything too strenuous until you¡¯re fully healed ¨C which should take no more than a week. Come back and see me if it doesn¡¯t fully clear up by then.¡±


    ¡°A week?¡± Mato groaned, stretching his back.


    Calen said, ¡°You can perfect some of your recipes, see your family¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ali said, and her words were echoed by her friends as they each collected one of the elixirs.


    As she turned to leave, Eliyen stopped her, ¡°And Aliandra, please consider what sort of arrangement you would like for the water and let me know when you¡¯re ready. You have no idea how much good we can do with what you have achieved.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Why was she so shocked when Mato told her about the lake?¡± Ali asked. The lake shimmered and rippled with new, active energies, sending the cascading blue light out in all directions. It was certainly beautiful, and it was full of an important reagent. But for someone like Eliyen to react so strongly, Ali was sure she was missing some important implication.


    ¡°Remember when I told you the vials were worth about a gold each?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Ali answered. The rare mana-purified water was certainly an expensive reagent, making the elixirs all the more difficult to get. Ali¡¯s eyes traced the pretty blue patterns in the lake before her mind made the connection. ¡°Oh!¡± she exclaimed; her mind staggered by the volume of water in the serene blue lake with its shifting glowing light ¨C and how much it might all be worth.


    ¡°Depending on how you choose to structure your deal with Eliyen, you have a real chance of breaking the potion market. Some of those elixirs are going to become dirt cheap,¡± Malika answered.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°For the people needing potions, yes,¡± Malika said, thoughtfully. ¡°Provided the Herbalists and Alchemists can stay in business.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I just gained back some of my drained health!¡± Mato¡¯s exclamation was met with all-around excitement.


    It was definitive proof that the aged Elf¡¯s magic elixir was as potent as she had claimed. So much of the tension Ali hadn¡¯t even realized she¡¯d been holding vanished at the evidence that her friends were finally on the mend. Her solo experience in the dungeon had been successful but knowing that her friends would be fine was the final piece of the puzzle.


    She took a deep breath, staring out over her now beautiful lake with her happy friends. Content, Ali finally turned her attention inward and pulled up her notifications.


    She considered it for a few moments. Naia¡¯s minions had been surprisingly effective, but the combination of the low levels and there being no boss monsters probably meant the challenge hadn¡¯t been as hard as it had felt ¨C and she hadn¡¯t really defeated Naia in the end. But there were a few more golden glowing notifications waiting for her attention.


    Arcane Bolt ¨C level 20


    Mana: Fire up to 3  small arcane bolts that accelerate and curve toward your mentally chosen target. Bolts can be independently targeted.


    Arcane, Ranged, Channeled, Intelligence


    Ali studied the skill advance for her Arcane Bolt spell carefully. There was nothing subtle about it ¨C it was a straightforward power increase in her primary combat magic. Shooting three bolts at a time meant three times the power. The requirements were curious too, clearly the advancement was based on her ability to split her attention between multiple spell targets and monsters in combat ¨C a mental tool she had needed to practice extensively to manage her minions and her skills simultaneously. As her intelligence attribute had grown, her ability to pay attention to more things grew commensurately.


    That one seemed pretty obvious to her. Directing her minions to attack seemed to not quite fit the requirement. She simply sent her instructions to them to use their skills.


    She suddenly recalled the relentless Scalding Slimes tearing their way through her bone wall protections to get at her and shooting shards of her Barrier magic through the gap to puncture the aggressive oozes while simultaneously shooting with her Arcane Bolt spell.


    Her practice while trying to get her Barrier magic to emulate the Glimmer Shards seemed to have paid off, but she had done that mostly as an intellectual curiosity. She had not expected it to be useful or affect her personal growth at all ¨C and even in the battle, she had used it more out of desperation than any coherent purpose. Yet her work practicing her Barrier magic had somehow led to a powerful advancement for her Arcane Bolt skill.


    She had been thinking of her Barrier skill as purely a defensive tool in battle, nothing more than a hard wall that could be thrown in the way of incoming attacks. Arcane Bolt was her only attack skill ¨C but she already had ample evidence that her spells could be used in multiple ways. She regularly used her barrier to fly, and it had even gained the movement trait because of it. This was telling her there was more. Merely practicing using her skills in an unusual way had led to this powerful advance ¨C an unexpected interaction between two of her skills. It was something she had always read and knew about, but seeing it play out suddenly made it a lot clearer. Practicing shaping her barriers into shards for attack, or spheres for defense might be the thing that unlocked her skill growth, paying powerful dividends in the future.


    Seth


    The notification chime reached down into the dark recesses of Seth¡¯s mind, where he cowered quivering in horror and fear. The surprise of it shattered his fragile defenses, yanking his awareness back into the awful reality.


    He vaguely recalled he had been waiting for his class initiation to begin for several weeks now. Earning a Lumberjack or Logger class would have been such a boon for him and Gran. Only now, she was¡­ his mind shied away from what lay down that path, and his eyes avoided the crumpled heap lying unnaturally still on the ground.


    He stood out in the sun in what remained of Lyton¡¯s town square. His skin was already cracked and reddened from exposure to the sun. Beside him were four other youths from the town ¨C all from families he knew and had grown up with.


    The white-robed mage had descended on Lyton Town like a demon of ice, leaving behind a wake of frozen blood and broken bodies. He had knelt out there, not far from where he now stood, clutching Gran¡¯s body as the ice lance through her stomach had stolen her smile, and the kind wrinkles around her eyes. He had screamed, frustrated and furious in the face of overwhelming power and the senselessness of it all, powerless to turn the lances of ice from his own flesh. And yet, inexplicably, he was still alive. Instead of taking his pain, the mage had bound him to a pole.


    He blinked, his eyes blurred and filled with grit. From up ahead, a tall figure emerged from the forest. A figure dressed in an expensive tailored black suit. The ground shook. And then again, as if struck by something of immense weight.


    ¡°Put her over there,¡± the man said, his cultured and incongruously calm voice carrying clearly across the town square. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A giant figure emerged from the forest, dragging something behind it. Blackened tusks longer than Seth¡¯s forearm protruded from its rotting lower jaw. An enormous three-toed foot raised high into the air and when it came down the ground shook once more. Seth¡¯s breath died in his throat.


    The man strolled across the square toward Seth, his eyes studying the prisoners. ¡°Thank you, Roderik,¡± he said. ¡°These will do nicely.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± came the response as the terrifying Ice Mage rounded the corner.


    The man in the suit approached, and before Seth knew it, he produced a collar and snapped it shut around his throat. With a deft movement, Seth¡¯s bindings were cut, and he collapsed to the ground. He lay there for a moment, coughing in the dust.


    ¡°Get up,¡± the man commanded.


    But to Seth¡¯s horror, his body forced him to his feet at the man¡¯s words.


    ¡°Stay,¡± he commanded, and Seth found his body freezing in place as similar collars were attached around the necks of the other prisoners.


    ¡°Do you need me for anything else, Alexander?¡± Roderik asked. ¡°There are many demands on my time.¡±


    ¡°No, you can go. I have a lot of work to do.¡±


    ¡°Call if you need me,¡± Roderik said and promptly vanished.


    ¡°Time to get to work,¡± Alexander declared to nobody in particular and walked out into the square, pausing for a moment to glance down at Gran¡¯s crumpled body.


    ¡°¡± he said in a voice, suddenly deeper and thrumming with power.


    A scream bubbled up in Seth¡¯s throat as Gran¡¯s body twitched. It  from the inside, and before his very eyes, her bones ripped their way out of her body and stood up behind the man dripping gore onto the ground.


    ¡°You shut up,¡± Alexander said, and Seth¡¯s throat shut down on the scream against his will. ¡°You, bring me the bodies of everyone else,¡± he said, and the skeleton that had once been his Gran rushed off to do his bidding.


    Seth¡¯s mind fled into the darkness.


    ***


    ¡°You, come with me.¡±


    Seth¡¯s mind reconnected with reality at the disconcerting sensation of his body moving of its own accord. While his legs obeyed without his permission, following the necromancer, his mind screamed and railed against the compulsion that flowed from the collar, forcing his obedience.


    But his body followed to where a woman lay in a crumpled heap against a thick wooden stake that had been driven into the ground.


    ¡°Tie her up, and then feed her this.¡± In his hand was a vial of the darkest black liquid Seth had ever seen. He shuddered inwardly at the aura of evil leaking from the vial.


    Seth¡¯s hands reached to do as he was commanded, and his mind railed against the compulsion once again, but to no avail. He grasped the potion and the rope and began to tie the woman to the post.


    While his hands worked against his will, his mind was clear to observe what he was being forced to do. The person, or creature the necromancer had dragged unconscious out of the forest was easily the most beautiful person he had ever seen ¨C smooth clear skin of vibrant green, with leaves clothing her body and filling her hair, soft delicate features, and elfin ears. She looked regal, even laid out on the ground. He tried to be gentle, but the compulsion forced his hands to tighten the bonds.


    He removed the stopper from the vial, and immediately a dense black smoke began bubbling out of it, falling to the ground and seeping in. His nostrils were assailed by an indescribable stench, but still, his hands moved to lift the woman¡¯s head, open her mouth, and pour the vile fluid down her throat. Within seconds, dark patches and bruises broke out on her skin, and a couple of leaves in her hair began to wither and die. He felt sick to his stomach, realizing he was hurting her, perhaps killing her, in some horrific way.


    A loud tearing crack echoed out from the forest, snapping his head around. To his horror, he found the giant zombie troll walking out of the forest, dragging an enormous, uprooted oak, branches splintered, roots shedding soil.


    Even though Lyton was a logging town, they always respected the forest, drawing from the new growth, and replanting the trees that they harvested. Never, never would they cut one of the ancient oaks. Gran had always told him they needed to respect the forest spirit that made its home in the dangerous heart of the woods. If they left the big oaks, the spirit would tolerate their modest logging.


    But nothing reacted to the sacrilegious destruction of the ancient oak, and the zombie simply deposited it in the massive smoking hole the skeletons had dug, returning to the forest with heavy steps to get another.


    Suddenly, he looked down at the bound woman he had just poisoned in horror, urgently using his Identify skill as he had been taught.


    ***


    Seth¡¯s mind fled to his safe, dark corner while his body carried out the necromancer¡¯s bidding. He had been given the gruesome task of collecting the remains of the dead bodies of the villagers ¨C most of them ripped and torn apart by the violent extraction of their own animated skeletons. If he had been in control of his own body, he would have fled, thrown up, and screamed. Instead, his mind recoiled from the sight of the gory remains of his friends and neighbors, screaming inside that he had poisoned the ancient forest spirit that they had all so revered.


    When his mind finally re-emerged from hiding, he was standing again, watching the necromancer do something indescribably horrific with the remains of the flesh and the extracted ash from the giant oak trees burning in the pit. As he stood there, the zombies returned again and again, feeding the ancient, sacred trees to fuel the scorching fire, sending continuous black billowing smoke rising into the sky.


    It was too much. His mind retreated into numbness as the necromancer molded the dead flesh and the ash with his evil magic.


    ¡°You, come.¡±


    Seth stepped forward before his frightened mind could register the command. Several skeletons waited in a loose circle around the necromancer. He could no longer tell which was which. The necromancer, Alexander, lovingly caressed what could only be described as an abomination of flesh, reassembled into a chaos of horrifying nightmare. It was about the size of a dog, but there was no resemblance to anything wholesome or natural. A patchwork of random recognizable human parts stitched together in ways that made no sense.


    The necromancer stood up and gave him a happy smile, somehow still immaculately dressed in his suit. With a gesture, three skeletons gathered up three of the twitching flesh monsters.


    ¡°Take these out into the forest. Walk in that direction and release one of these Patchwork Horrors every hour, and then come back. Use the skeletons to carry them and defend yourself if needed. Make sure you take care of yourself ¨C I don¡¯t want to lose my sacrifice gang unnecessarily. Just before you release each one, feed it one of these potions.¡± He handed Seth three vials of a similar pitch-black liquid, just like the one he had fed to the Dryad. ¡°Any of the mouths will do.¡±


    Without the ability to resist, he set off with his skeleton retinue carrying their nightmare flesh monsters, while hearing the necromancer repeat the instructions with each of the other collared youths.


    His mind quavered and trembled, as he desperately tried to ignore the clacking of skeleton bones that followed him, and the abominations they carried. But the forest felt peaceful and quiet after the horror of the undead hive that the necromancer had raised from the ruins of Lyton Town.


    After what might have been an hour, he stopped. His feet were bleeding, but the compulsion did not care. One of the skeletons deposited a twitching patchwork flesh construction at his feet, and he knelt to feed it the potion. It took him a moment to find something that resembled a mouth, eventually deciding to split the potion between two openings that seemed to coincidentally have several human teeth each.


    He recoiled internally against the stench as he uncorked the vial, but his hands were steady as they poured the liquid in. For several moments nothing happened. Then the thing spasmed ¨C and to his horror, scrambled to its ¨C well limbs would have been generous. It had two isolated hands and one foot attached to various parts of its fleshy exterior. Three unconnected eyes sprang open, looking around with demented feverish urgency. An acrid black miasma began pouring from various orifices as it began to move.


    The monster scrambled its way over to the nearest tree, belching its miasma. Wherever the dense stuff settled, plants withered and blackened, dying in seconds.


    His compulsion made him stand, setting out in the direction he had been instructed. His collar did not care that it made him walk through the dense miasma clinging to the ground, ignoring his mind railing against the absolute tyranny of the necromancer¡¯s spoken command.


    His chime sounded as soon as he walked through the miasma, but he didn¡¯t need to read the notification to know he had been infected with something dire. It seeped into his flesh, spreading excruciating pain and blackening his skin in patches like the Dryad he had infected.


    -1% to maximum health


    +1 count per day


    10% chance to spread Undead Blight on contact


    If you die while infected, your body will be raised as a zombie


    Disease ¨C Count: 1


    It was only by the time needed to release the third monster that he somewhat recovered his wits. It happened when he automatically pushed a face-height branch out of the way and suddenly realized that the action had no relation to the compulsion from the collar.


    Cautiously, he began experimenting ¨C probing the limits of his freedom. Very quickly he discovered he couldn¡¯t bring his hands anywhere near the collar. Nor could he deviate from the path chosen for him by the necromancer. Any thought of throwing the vial away was simply ignored by his body, and if he pushed for it, he quickly earned himself a splitting headache. But minor changes seemed to be ignored. He could bend over, provided he didn¡¯t stop walking. He could move obstacles out of his way, and he could look around.


    Everywhere he looked, he found the lush and verdant growth of the ancient woods ¨C oak trees as big around as houses. It was a forest that had sustained the small logging village, and provided their livelihood ¨C and in return, they had respected the ancient woods. Yet Seth knew with certain dread that all of it would be gone in a few days, blighted, and destroyed by the Patchwork Horrors he was being made to set loose upon the revered forest.


    He hung his head in despair, trying not to look at all that would be destroyed by his handiwork, while the compulsion forced him onward. But in the depths of his anguish, his eyes caught sight of something lying on the trail a few yards ahead. Something small and round.


    For reasons entirely unknown to him, the acorn lit a tiny flicker of hope within his heart. Acorns were seeds, and seeds represented life and new growth. He had no idea what he was going to do with it, but he stooped down as the compulsion forced him to walk past and scooped up the acorn and put it in his pocket.


    A small, and perhaps meaningless gesture of defiance against his plight, but Seth kept his eyes on the trail, hoping that luck may allow another acorn to cross his path.

 Chapter 99: Guardian

    Chapter 99: GuardianAliandraThe complex weave of Ali¡¯s domain mana sparkled and rippled in her mana sight as she flew this way and that over the jumbled and shattered bone of the lowest level of the ruined library, inspecting her work. It leaked out of the ivy and jasmine growing up the walls and pillars and spilled from the many planters she had constructed to hold her mushrooms and grass.


    The power increase was so much more obvious with skills like Arcane Bolt, even just leveling up, let alone when she gained something like her Multishot advancement. When she learned a new minion or her barrier gained magical potency, her immediate combat ability drastically improved. Arcane Insight was a far more subtle magic ¨C a magic of perception, always allowing her to see ¨C and therefore understand ¨C magic all around her.  When she had first learned it, her domain had appeared as a bright, oversaturated bloom of light, blurry and indistinct, and even a little painful to her senses. Now she could resolve the fine, detailed structure, clearly seeing how the sparkling gold of her arcane mana wound around the viridian green of her nature mana, supporting, enhancing, pulsing with energy and detail.


    Ali hadn¡¯t spent a whole lot of time on the lowest floor of the library ¨C a shattered place of bone-covered wreckage. Even before the disaster, she had not had the clearance to visit this level ¨C for her own safety, mind you. She had only just extended her domain down here in preparation for their next exploration ¨C but the entire area was beginning to look more like a greenhouse than a library, and there was no sign of the ridiculous magical tomes that might have accidentally claimed the life of the unwarded and unclassed. If she had possessed Arcane Insight back then, this level would likely have appeared more intense than a mana storm.


    ¡°So, where is the door?¡± Mato asked, looking around.


    ¡°It should be over here,¡± she said, pointing to the heavily encrusted wall. Now that the others were completely healed, and the dangerous Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra dungeon had been destroyed, it was time to open the doors and explore whatever had become of the Dal¡¯mohran city¡¯s underground farms.


    The ingenuity of the Dal¡¯mohran mage-engineers had harnessed the incalculable power of two full mana condensers ¨C a complex blend of light and nature affinities ¨C turning the underground cavern below the suspended city into a breadbasket of verdant growth, easily capable of feeding the entire city, and establishing Dal¡¯mohra as an economic powerhouse, exporting the surplus to feed all the nearby kingdoms.


    By the clear light of Calen¡¯s floating magical orb, the full extent of the damage to the library was shown in stark relief. Whereas the upper floors had shapes resembling bookshelves, desks, and walls, preserved under the encrusting bone ¨C this floor looked devastated, like a bomb had turned everything into rubble. The dungeon had filled every nook and cranny, covered every boulder and rock with thick layers of bone, in a haphazard frozen blast of spines and ridges that jutted out from the walls and the floor. It wasn¡¯t just the door that was obscured ¨C Ali couldn¡¯t even see the stone comprising the walls or the floor anywhere.


    Now that it was her domain, rather than the domain of the former dungeon that permeated this space, she turned her attention to her Domain Mastery skill. Her mind roamed outward, carried by her mana weaving into and through the dense bone, till she could sense the walls of stone behind them. She twisted it in her mind, transmuting the structure of the bone from solid to disconnected granules, and an entire wall of bone fa?ade collapsed into powder and dust. Malika coughed, waving her hands at the billowing cloud. The empty stone shelves revealed behind the bone seemed unnaturally clean as if they had been frozen in time behind the encrustation, preserved through the ages. What books were revealed seemed brittle and crumbling, and all signs of the momentous magic that had once imbued them were obviously long gone ¨C stripped by the dungeon that had laid claim to the ruins or by the ages without proper care and maintenance.


    ¡°Not here,¡± Ali muttered.She had been certain the door was behind that section, but it was hard to get her bearings in this ruined and encased version of the library she had loved so much. She shifted to the right, repeating her trick, and another entire section of bone collapsed with a hissing sigh, forming large piles of bone sand on the ground, and kicking up more clouds of fine dust.


    Again, she missed, catching Mato this time in the clouds of dust. He coughed and backed up and Ali flew in to deconstruct some of the drifts and piles of bone dust. Using her Domain Mastery skill on such a scale burned lots of mana. She dismissed the prompt for her Grimoire to learn the bone imprint yet again and frowned as she scrutinized the walls.


    ¡°How about here?¡± Calen suggested.


    Dubiously, Ali approached the section Calen indicated, but, this time, as she approached, she felt the door. The subtle way her domain mana bent as it wove through the bone encrustation and the supporting stone walls hinted at the shape of the ancient hinges and giant stone arch impressed into the encasing bone. She shifted her target a little, covering the full doorway, and unleashed her magic. As the cloud of new dust slowly settled, a pair of giant stone doors emerged, set into a great archway of stone.


    ¡°There it is,¡± Mato said, stepping forward through the dust to reach for the ancient stone doors.


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty quick way to clean,¡± Calen agreed. ¡°I vote Ali for town sewage management and garbage disposal.¡±


    Mato chuckled, ¡°She¡¯d be a raid-level boss of cleaning, right?¡±


    Malika startled, and then nudged him in the ribs with an elbow. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ali protested, ¡°You¡¯re so mean!¡±


    Mato shifted and leaned against the doors, applying all his weight and brute strength. A few moments of growling ensued, followed by a loud crack. The grinding of ancient hinges echoed through the library as the enormous doors creaked ponderously outward with the reluctance of millennia.


    Beyond the stone doorway, sod and grass tore as the stone slab cut a wide arc through heavy overgrowth. A burst of hot, humid air gusted into the library, sending bone dust billowing out into the center of the atrium, setting Ali and her friends to fits of coughing and spluttering again. The moist, damp air carried with it the thick scent of compost, trees, and growth. With the gusting breeze came a flurry of golden glowing butterflies and luminous green nature wisps like a cloud of bright shining confetti into the dusty, dry darkness of the library. A tiny green frog hopped onto the freshly exposed flagstones of the library with a croaking call, and then turned and leapt back through the open doorway, vanishing from Ali¡¯s sight.


    But it was the cloying and oppressive dense surge of mana that demanded her attention, tearing through the archway in a riot of chaotic vortices and gusts, never settling for even a moment as it spilled forth from the open doorway pouring into the library. It pressed on her senses, crawling along her skin, and buffeting her body like tangible waves in the ocean.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Malika asked, her eyes narrowing at the sensations she couldn¡¯t see.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a domain¡­¡± Ali answered.She had never seen anything like it. Two distinct affinities of mana ¨C nature, and what had to be light affinity ¨C mingled chaotically, like oil and water. Separate until the churning vortices frothed it into tiny bubbles that seemingly blended into a foam for a while. But the affinities repelled each other, naturally separating out once again and bursting apart in a display of violent opposition.


    ¡°Wild mana zone, high density,¡± Calen said, sounding like he was reading something from his notification list.


    ¡°Explorer?¡± Ali asked. His scouting skill had proved to be very effective at extracting obscure information about the places they found themselves in.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± he said, his eyes scanning rapidly beyond the doorway.


    Ali ripped her gaze from the vista of twisting, writhing mana, staring out past Mato¡¯s back and into the space beyond. Brightly lit, seemingly by the glowing of the very air itself, she found herself staring at enormous ancient oak trees, gnarled boughs weighed down by the heavy overgrowth of vines, creepers, and dense moss. Darting among the branches and dense overgrowth were countless insects, wisps, butterflies, and innumerable things flitting about far too quickly for Ali to identify, all zipping and floating around in a chaotic display of energy and life. From deep within the dense jungle came the roars, screeches, and howls of battle, and the hunting of monsters, sending a shiver of primal fear through her, a fear of ravenous teeth and ripping claws, of hungry monsters chasing the small and weak ¨C entirely unlike the fear of death and unlife from the dungeon that had been above.


    ¡°Yeah, this doesn¡¯t look like farmland,¡± Mato said, now back in his Beastkin form, staring out through the open doors.


    Ali told herself firmly, casting her gaze across her assembled minions and her powerful friends.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any of that bone crud here,¡± Malika observed as she stepped forward to join Mato in the doorway.


    ¡°Probably because whatever is in here is stronger than that dungeon was,¡± Mato suggested with a grin on his face.


    ¡°Monster. Incoming¡­¡± Calen called out, his bow appearing in his hand.


    Emerging from the overgrowth among the trees up ahead was a shape so familiar that Ali gasped, transfixed in surprise. The ground shivered as it took a slow step with one of its thick front legs of dense wood and bark. Its gigantic body pressed up against one of the low-hanging limbs of the oak, and with a splintering crack, the branch was torn off, falling to the side entirely unnoticed by the hulking being.


    Ali gasped.


    Some of Ali¡¯s fondest childhood memories included her father summoning Forest Guardians, which she would ride, whooping in glee and excitement as they charged around the forest. The sudden gush of happy memories about her father and his magic collided with a fresh burst of grief, leaving her body trembling as the unexpected sight swept her away on a torrent of conflicting emotions. In a confused daze, she stepped forward into the forest, stretching a hand toward the familiar monster as its low-slung armored head turned to regard her with glowing green, deep-set eyes. Reaching as if touching it might make her memories real, might banish the grief in her heart, returning her to happier times.


    ¡°Ali?¡± Malika¡¯s gentle touch on her shoulder snapped her back to reality as the monster let out a deeply grating, ground-shaking roar that sent the flitting clouds of insects darting away for safety. The monster charged. Ali stumbled back and the ground bucked under her feet as the rushing monster plowed through trees, making them snap like kindling.


    Still reeling from surprise and the emotional whiplash, Ali managed to throw up a barrier ¨C a pitifully small glowing wall of golden magic that seemed inadequate in the face of the fury of the force of nature bearing down on her. The ground quaked and her body trembled under the shuddering vibrations of its powerful, grating, low-pitched roar. She stared, all but frozen, as the fun, exciting creature of her childhood turned into a monster of gigantic proportions, ripping down trees in its haste to kill her.


    From the left, a blur of reddish-brown fur, claws, and teeth charged in, roaring loudly. A great grinding crash rang out as brawn and flesh struck ancient bark and wood in a clash that sent sod and grass flying. The Forest Guardian loomed over Mato¡¯s normally enormous form, driving him back several meters with a titanic strike. Four furrows ripped through the damp earth as Mato struggled to hold his ground and a splash of blood splattered across Ali¡¯s barrier, making her flinch.


    Mato roared again, answering the challenge of the much larger wood elemental, imbuing his claws with the flickering viridian green of his mana as he lashed out. A loud thump and a grinding tear accompanied a rain of bark and splinters of wood that clattered across Ali¡¯s barrier as she stared aghast at the enormous, towering monster trying to tear her friend asunder.


    Ali¡¯s only warning was an abrupt surge of nature mana that erupted from the monster engaged in a furious battle with Mato, blasting out in a powerful aura that suddenly encompassed her, her friends, and all her minions, extending out to a range of at least ten meters in all directions. Acting entirely on instinct, she snapped her barrier into a sphere, fully encasing herself as the dirt below her feet began to writhe and churn, roots and vines erupting in explosive burgeoning germination of dense plant growth, reaching to grasp and entwine. Even the nearby already-snapped trees sprouted branches that twisted and bent, reaching to ensnare and spear anything within reach.


    Even as powerful as her barrier had grown, it began creaking ominously under the pressure of the thick gnarled roots growing rapidly around it. Beside her, both of her Kobold Acolytes burst into pillars of holy light as they used their emergency healing enhancement spell to pit their holy magic against the crushing weight of verdant plant growth. Of all her minions and friends, only Calen had escaped the crushing grasp, using his wings of pure light to hover above it, quickly withdrawing from the area and alighting on the ground beyond the range of the attack.


    She reached out to her Scalding Slimes ¨C the only monsters entirely unbothered by the grasping twisting vines ¨C and made them attack the rapidly growing vegetation around her barrier. They twisted their bodies, easily slipping out of the grasp of the crushing roots, shooting jets of potent steam that would have cooked her, but for her golden barrier. She tugged on it with her mind, and as her slimes severed the vines and roots, her bubble of magic suddenly shot up into the air, carrying her within. Quickly she shot across the chaotic battlefield, beyond the reaching grasp of the vines, landing beside Calen.


    ¡°We need to free them,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the healers first,¡± Ali agreed. Dropping her personal protection, she snapped a bubble of barrier magic around one of her Acolytes and tugged against the grasping roots. With a few quick jets of steam, she freed the Kobold and flew it to safety while it continued chain-casting its healing magic non-stop.


    ¡°Incoming Glimmer Shards,¡± Calen told her, pointing out the direction.


    As if the Forest Guardian and its rampant plant growth weren¡¯t enough, the flight of more than twenty glimmer shards was arcing a curving path as their formation flew toward their fight at high speed.


    Ali¡¯s mages were all bound in the plant growth, alive only because of the furious casting of her Acolytes under their powerful enhancement magic, and entirely unable to use anything but their quick firebolts. She would need her mages freed before she could take on the flying shards, but that would leave her second healer mired in the Forest Guardian¡¯s devastating growth spell.


    she decided quickly, throwing out her barrier to protect it, without having enough time to fully consider the full implications. Her Scalding Slimes made short work of the roots, and in seconds, they cut her second Acolyte free. Just as she got it out of the plants, the glowing formation of light magic shard elementals wheeled one more time and unleashed their characteristic synchronized attack, leaving blurred streaks of afterimages both in her vision and her mana sight. Ali memorized the view of their magic in action for later as the shards indiscriminately speared everything in sight, before simply slicing through the roots on their way back into the sky.


    Ali ignored the attack, distributing mana potions to her overworked Acolytes, relying on them to patch up everyone while she extracted a Kobold Fire Mage. As soon as her slimes freed the mage, she pointed his fireball magic at the skies.


    ¡°Something else is coming,¡± Calen called out. While his voice sounded calm, Ali caught the hint of urgency in his posture, and her heart began to race as she scoured the skies where he was looking.


    Ali was still in the middle of rescuing her last Fire Mage, and simultaneously directing fireballs into the sky, trying to time their attacks and the high-speed glimmer shards. It was not nearly as easy as she had believed from her first experience with them.  she thought, scanning the sky for whatever new thing Calen had spied.


    The new arrivals appeared to be two large floating disks of glowing translucent yellow that undulated gently in the air. Down the entire length of the monster was an orange spine that ended in a glowing circular mouth at the front end and a long trailing tail at the back.


    ¡°They¡¯re too far for my mages to hit,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°I can hit them.¡± As Calen said it, the rays both rotated, lining themselves up with the battlefield below. A bright orange-red glow of mana flared to life along the creatures¡¯ spines, intensifying dramatically.


    ¡°Magic attack,¡± Ali said, quickly summoning a protective barrier in front of herself, studying the attack with her mana sight. It was clearly some form of light magic, but the formation was like nothing she had seen before.


    Suddenly, the glow reached its peak, and twin beams of orange-red light fired down at the combatants struggling below, beams of such intensity that Ali winced in pain at the sight of it. One of the beams tore through several of Ali¡¯s still-trapped minions and sliced into the Forest Guardian, eliciting a furious pained roar from the monster. The second beam burned a deep glowing furrow through the ground as it sliced directly toward Ali.


    She rotated her barrier and crouched down behind it, barely in time to block the intense beam. But the beam passed clean through her barrier like light passing through a window, slicing through her ribs and into her chest with a sizzle of instantly cauterized flesh. A shadow crossed her vision as the world went dark.


    Ali came to with mud and grass pressed up against her face. The awful stench of burnt flesh filled her nose. Her dizziness and disorientation faded rapidly as the holy magic pulsed within her body, rapidly repairing her wound and banishing her pain. She sat up, to see the battle still raging around her, as Calen¡¯s intense glow slowly faded.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± Ali asked, running her hand across the burnt hole in her clothing, examining the unmarked skin below. ¡°What happened to the rays?¡±


    ¡°I got them.¡±


    Ali frowned. Beams of light magic would pass through her mostly transparent barrier magic; she could see through them after all. Lying crumpled on the ground in front of her barrier was the corpse of one of her mages, a still-smoking hole burnt clean through his chest from where he must have jumped between her and the beam from the Coruscant Ray at the last possible moment.


    She sent a silent thank-you to her minion and got up to survey the battlefield.  Everything else she had brought to the battle had died in the crush of aggressive plant growth or been sliced to pieces by the devastating beam attacks.


    In the center of the battle, Mato and Malika fought side-by-side while Ali¡¯s two Scalding Slimes jetted superheated steam at the Forest Guardian.


    The monster seemed entirely too healthy. Certainly, she and Calen had been distracted by the added light elemental attackers, but her slimes and Malika should have been able to at least do some visible damage. A flash of steam jetted out, ripping chunks of wood and bark from the flank of the huge elemental, and then she saw it. The soft glow of nature magic suffused the monster, slowly growing the jagged rip in its side closed.


    ¡°Is it regenerating?¡± she asked. While she had never really been in combat as a child and hadn¡¯t seen the Forest Guardians in action, her dad had certainly mentioned their regeneration magic.


    ¡°Yes, and fast!¡± Malika shouted.


    ¡°Calen, do you think we should fight it inside? The stone should limit its plant magic.¡± Ali hadn¡¯t had her mana sight when she had her plant growth cantrip, so she couldn¡¯t say for certain, but it sure looked a lot like her old magic skill, except vastly more potent.


    ¡°Good idea. Hey Mato, can you try bringing it into the library?¡±


    Mato shifted slowly, roots and vines snapping under the sheer brute force of his strength. The giant elemental followed him, and Ali began to back up also. A few moments later, she made her Scalding Slimes help untrap Mato instead of unleashing futile attacks at the guardian who was just going to regenerate it anyway.


    It was excruciatingly slow, moving within the area of rampant growth, but as soon as Mato crossed the threshold and into the stone-floored library, Ali¡¯s suspicion was confirmed. The growth ended at the doorway, and within the library, they were all suddenly free from entanglement.


    ¡°It¡¯s fully healed again,¡± Malika said.


    But within the confines of the library, they had much more freedom to move. Even though the monster was still healing itself, and its heavy attacks repeatedly slammed Mato into the walls, dislodging chunks of bone from each crashing impact, Ali felt a lot safer.


    Ali summoned her magic to do damage for the first time in the fight, sending all her barrier magic in slicing sweeping blade attacks, and firing three simultaneous Arcane Bolt streams. She no longer had any need to be defensive, so she didn¡¯t hold back.


    But after a few minutes, it became abundantly clear that they were not making much headway.


    Ali focused on her mana sight for a few moments, trying to understand what was going on. It took her a few moments to untangle the complex interplay of magic. The growth spell was still in effect, suffusing an area of about ten meters around the monster with nature magic, only it presumably found nothing in range to grow. But below that, there were two other magic effects. One which looked remarkably like Mato¡¯s regeneration aura, and another that flared occasionally in response to heavy damage.


    ¡°I think it has a healing spell  a regeneration aura,¡± Ali said thoughtfully. She didn¡¯t have much to compare it to, other than her holy Acolytes and Mato¡¯s skills, but her conclusion had to be close.


    ¡°It seems vulnerable to fire,¡± Malika said. ¡°Your mages are doing much more damage than us. Can you make more?¡±


    Ali looked again, this time at the attacks. Her arcane magic seemed to be doing damage just as quickly as her Scalding Slimes, but Malika may have identified something important. The firebolts were leaving smoking holes in the Forest Guardian¡¯s tough armor of bark and wood, the smoldering edges and repeated strikes seeming to slowly overwhelm the continuous, powerful regeneration. Of course, she realized that this was one of Mato¡¯s key skills and what made him so hugely effective as a tank ¨C but being on the other side of it was more than annoying.


    She shook away a persistent memory of her father¡¯s interplay with these Elementals. Everything had changed. She had friends to keep safe, she needed to focus.


    Deciding that they were going to be here long enough anyway, she put down her attacks and opened her Grimoire. Summoning took a while, so she had never really had much opportunity to use it mid-combat, but this situation called for more damage than their entire group could manage. She didn¡¯t care that the Fire Mage was below average in level, she simply put him to work shooting firebolts and began summoning another.


    It took five, and nearly fifteen minutes of continuous summoning, before Malika announced that they were beginning to make progress, and by then Calen was handing his mana potions to the Acolytes. Ali summoned one more mage and then returned to her attacks, adding her Arcane Bolts and the little extra from her barrier shards.


    Eventually, the Forest Guardian collapsed on the stone floor of the library amid a deluge of fractured bone pieces and dust dislodged from the walls by the force of the impact.


    ¡°Ali, are you ok?¡± Malika came over to check on her as soon as the notification sounded.


    ¡°I was stupid,¡± Ali said, feeling a sense of burning embarrassment as she recalled hiding behind her transparent barrier expecting protection from a light beam. ¡°My barrier is transparent, and the monster shoots light magic.¡±


    ¡°I meant that thing,¡± Malika said, pointing at the enormous corpse of wood and bark. ¡°You seemed shaken by it.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Ali looked up at it, towering above her even in death, feeling the melancholy of her nostalgia once again. ¡°This was my father¡¯s most powerful summon. He used to let me ride them when I was a kid.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ali,¡± Malika said. ¡°That must have been a harsh surprise.¡±


    Ali nodded, not trusting herself to speak right then.


    ¡°If it was your dad¡¯s minion, you should learn it,¡± Mato said, coming up to join them beside the corpse. ¡°Then you can remember him every time you use it to fight.¡±


    Ali¡¯s head snapped around in annoyance at his joking, but she drew up short of actually saying something at the sight of his sincere face.


    But as soon as she considered who Mato was, she realized he had meant it as a genuine tribute. Mato was definitely the sort of person who would consider battle to be a suitable tribute, and she could see him carrying a good friend¡¯s weapon or armor into battle to honor their memory.


    She reached out and touched the rough wooden corpse of the monster, feeling the tears well up in her eyes. She blinked them away and decided she liked Mato¡¯s idea. If it was all she had, she would treasure having her father¡¯s favorite summon in her Grimoire. All she needed was to find a couple more.


    Sighing, she channeled her deconstruction until the giant corpse vanished in a huge cloud of sparkling mana.


    Three glowing green crystals dropped from the center of the cloud, clinking against the stone as they bounced.


    But Ali immediately recognized the crystals suffused with intense nature affinity mana. It had been one of the magical reagents Eliyen had ground up when she was making the Elixir of Vitality Rejuvenation, except these were quite a bit larger, and the mana denser.


    ¡°Oh, wow,¡± Malika exclaimed, bending to pick one up and examine it. ¡°These are worth some real money.¡±


    ¡°Can we sell that to Eliyen? She can make more of those elixirs for people who need them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure we can,¡± Malika said, pursing her lips as she collected the other two. ¡°They¡¯re valuable enough that we probably need a commerce license.¡±


    ¡°That seems unfair. What use are they if we can¡¯t sell them?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what the guild merchant position is for,¡± Malika answered. ¡°Weldin¡¯s license is unlimited when it comes to anything sold by a registered adventurer. We can literally sell him anything ¨C as long as he wants to buy it ¨C and the town¡¯s merchant guilds can¡¯t do anything about it. I can talk to him ¨C we can make sure the essences are offered to Eliyen for a decent price.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. That¡¯s a little complicated.¡± A sudden thought occurred to her, so she asked, ¡°Am I going to need to worry about that when I sell Eliyen mana-purified water too?¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­ probably. I can talk to Weldin about that too, we¡¯ll figure it out.¡±

 Chapter 100: Brawlers

    Chapter 100: Brawlers- Excerpt from , Third Edition


    Aliandra


    Ali kept her eyes and her mana sight peeled for signs of any more Forest Guardians, but it was hard to make out anything against the riotous storm of chaotic ambient mana that billowed up out of the dense jungle.


    This lowest level of Dal¡¯mohra had once been flush with fields and orchards, producing a wealth of food to supply the city and its surroundings. Given the thousands of years that had passed, she had expected the nature and light mana orbs and enchantments sustaining the farmland to have failed, leaving an area dead and dark, much like the cavern in which she had awoken. However, it was anything but.


    The floating orbs of light were long gone, but it was not dark. The jungle itself glowed.


    ¡°Why is it so bright down here?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°The mana is so dense that it¡¯s glowing,¡± Ali answered. And that was not all. Everywhere she looked there were crawling creatures or flying insects ¨C and the vast majority of them shone with radiant white or yellow light, or glowed with deep viridian green, chartreuse, or various shades of jade.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see much of anything through this,¡± Calen groused.


    Indeed, the density of the gnarled trees, draped with heavy layers of vines, moss, and all sorts of aerial plants made searching for more Forest Guardians nearly impossible.


    Up ahead, Mato chuffed softly and slashed his claws across the trunk of an old oak, a variety Ali did not recognize.


    ¡°Thanks, Mato,¡± she smiled, flying up to the tree and deconstructing it before they pushed onward through the brush.


    ¡°Wait Mato, monsters,¡± Calen said.


    Ali froze, scanning the bushes and vines for whatever Calen had seen. He pointed, and through the branches she found herself squinting at something emitting an incredible radiance, far brighter than even the forest itself.


    Malika


    Malika squinted, trying to make out the shape of the monsters prowling among the trees up ahead. They had been following Calen¡¯s lead for only a few minutes through the muggy jungle before they had found trouble. It was hard to miss the intense blue-white light the pair of monsters were radiating, casting sharp moving shadows of trees and undergrowth as they slowly paced. They looked like some kind of aberrant, squat dog ¨C if dogs could weigh upward of eight hundred pounds, were more than twice as broad as they were tall, and shone like some sort of incandescent sun. Standing nearly as tall as she was at the shoulder, their front legs were thick and set wide. Their backs sloped down to shorter hind legs. The head was broad, and mostly jaw, composed almost entirely of fangs, with no sign of eyes or nose. Snaking up around from the thick shoulders were four tentacle-like limbs that flicked and twitched in various directions as if sampling the air. Their shapes were somewhat blurry as if furred by a shimmering heat mirage.


    ¡°Radiant Brawlers. Mid-thirties elementals ¨C and there are some oozes back there in the bushes,¡± Calen whispered.


    ¡°Light affinity,¡± Ali added.


    They lurked in the blinding effulgence in much the same way that rogues hid in shadows. The two bulky Radiant Brawlers were so bright that it was hard to make out the wobbly oozes even after she knew to look. Two of the oozes looked like the ones they had defeated on the floating rings on the second level. , she recalled. They were a known quantity, but she had never seen anything like the other three before ¨C they seemed to be at least four or five feet across, and almost entirely transparent. Suspended within their bodies were several fist-sized incandescent blobs of brilliant white light.


    Malika rubbed her eyes, already feeling the beginnings of a headache from staring at so much brightness.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Mato asked. ¡°Those brawlers look bitey. I can tank them with the oozes over by that oak.¡±


    ¡°Watch out that the Luminous Slimes don¡¯t completely dazzle you,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know what the Sparkling Oozes and the Radiant Brawlers do,¡± Calen reminded them, drawing a longsuffering growl from Mato. ¡°Be ready for anything.¡±


    Malika double-checked that all her skills were active before nodding. Not like she ever turned them off now. ¡°I¡¯m good to go. I¡¯ll pick up anything if you miss it.¡±


    Mato roared and barreled forward, tearing a broad gash through the undergrowth. Malika sprinted along the trampled path he left in his wake.


    She had almost reached the monsters when a shimmer caught her eye coming from the two Brawlers. Both their forms became indistinct, and in an instant, there were several images of each of them along a straight line between where they had been prowling and Ali and Calen waiting at the back. With a crash of claws against a magical barrier, they solidified, and the images began to fade. Distracted by the instantaneous move, Malika missed the incandescent spray of light from the oozes that blasted both her and Mato, blinding her in a flash.


    Her mind seemed unnaturally calm, given the giant melee monsters threatening her friends, and the fact that she was suddenly partially blinded. Going entirely off memory, she triggered her Divine Step and charged back the way she had just come, blinking to try and accelerate the recovery of her eyesight.


    She overshot, unable to properly gauge the distance, and slammed bodily into the back of one of the brawlers. Clumsy, but it achieved her objective ¨C both brawlers blurred with speed and light, wheeling to attack her with the whip-like tentacle limbs that shimmered and cracked as they struck from multiple angles.


    She winced, but not at the pain of the flurry of strikes hitting her face and arms ¨C somehow, incredibly, with each lashing strike, mana was ripped from her mana pool.


    If she didn¡¯t do something soon, she would be leeched dry before she knew it. Instantly put on the defensive by the insane flurry of attacks, Malika channeled more and more stamina into Divine Step, accelerating her movement in a desperate attempt to dodge and block faster.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± she yelled. Calen and Ali definitely did not have the armor or defenses to take a hit from these. In the distance she could hear Mato¡¯s frustrated roaring.


    The larger brawler on her left shimmered and blurred, making half a dozen images appear all around her. Before she could react, the image directly behind her solidified, biting down on her thigh with its enormous maw full of sharp teeth, tearing and ripping through her muscles, and spraying her blood across the damp grass.


    She gritted her teeth against the pain, pouring mana into her Healing Mantra while hammering her elbow down hard on the thing¡¯s head trying to dislodge it. It took the full power of her Martial Arts supported by Soul Strike to get it to let go, and in the process, the other brawler¡¯s lashing tentacles ripped away even more of her mana.


    Deciding that they couldn¡¯t steal her mana if she didn¡¯t have any, Malika activated Second Wind, instantly converting all her remaining free mana to stamina. she thought, unleashing a punch combination as the brawler that had mauled her leg darted away, feeling the welcome steady trickle of stolen health from her Soul Strike.


    ¡°Back up, Ali,¡± Malika said, accelerating herself to her maximum, while dodging and blocking every single attack the monsters unleashed. She had their complete attention now, but she didn¡¯t want Ali to take any chances by being too close. To her surprise, Ali seemed to be moving in slow motion, taking way too long to withdraw from the danger. Malika blocked another attack that might have struck Ali¡¯s barrier and she was about to tell her to hurry up, when she saw the incoming Firebolt from one of Ali¡¯s mages, also moving all too sluggishly and easily avoided by the brawler it was targeting as it blurred into images and teleported itself behind Malika.


    Unconsciously, Malika had pushed her haste as far as she could, struggling to keep up with the insane speed of the brawlers, but everyone around her was still moving at normal speed. She had simply not noticed because her own reflexes were similarly accelerated. Even Mato, over by the tree with his paws full of angry glowing oozes, seemed to be moving like molasses.


    She blocked again, a flurry of lashing attacks, missing one which struck her on the shoulder. Mana leeched, drawn out by the strange tentacle-like appendage, and to her horror, her Perfect Body skill suddenly expired.


    The sudden decrease of her attributes slowed her reflexes instantly and the brawlers suddenly accelerated beyond her ability to even react. In desperation she tried to reactivate her skill, but it wouldn¡¯t work. Changing tactics, she used Relentless and re-enabled Perfect Body using stamina instead. As her reactions suddenly accelerated, she began to block and dodge properly once again, flashing Healing Mantra to recover the sudden spike in damage.


    While she was unable to spend mana that was reserved for her skills, it seemed that the reservation was not a protection against the mana-leeching ability of the brawlers. When she emptied her mana pool with Second Wind, she had inadvertently made herself vulnerable to losing her skills when they leeched the mana reserved to maintain them. Malika was still running out of mana, unable to block or dodge everything that was thrown at her. Anticipating the problem before it manifested, she switched Soul Armor over to stamina also and then emptied the rest of her mana into stamina.


    The smaller brawler¡¯s tentacles lit up with a sudden incandescent intensity and Malika instinctively dove to the ground, executing a quick backflip to avoid the four sudden beams of intense blue-white light that shot out of each of its floating limbs. The beams swept across the battlefield in all directions, slicing through the terrain, trees, and anything else they touched.


    Ali cried out in pain and dropped to the ground behind her barrier, smoke curling up from a terrible burnt gouge through the muscle of her upper thigh.


    As much as she wanted to help, Malika was pinned down by these two monsters. Whichever way she dodged, they instantly followed. She could hardly even take her eyes off them to check to see if Ali was ok. Malika gritted her teeth and blocked again, burning stamina just to keep up. she reassured herself, dancing backward through the undergrowth to pull the two brawlers further away from her injured friend.


    ¡°Malika, above you!¡± Calen¡¯s shout caught her attention and she glanced upward to see an incandescent white ball arcing high through the branches of the trees toward her. The briefest moment her glance took was enough to get her hit three times before she snapped her focus back to dodging. She unleashed a quick jab into the nearest brawler and dodged sideways, putting it between her and the incoming projectile. As it hit the dirt, both brawlers shimmered into their teleport and Malika threw herself to the ground as whatever it was exploded with a deafening bang, filling the entire battlefield with an incandescent blinding light. A heavy shockwave slammed into her back and shoulders, followed instantly by a rain of dirt, sod, and shredded plant matter.


    She sprang to her feet, anxious, lest the monsters catch her while she was down. She pulsed Healing Mantra, burning the little mana she had managed to regenerate before the brawlers took it, and then dodged a flurry of attacks as one of the monsters charged her. The larger brawler began to glow from the tips of its tentacle limbs and Malika flew into a tumbling sequence of evasive flips and rolls as she recognized and tried to avoid the intense sweeping beams of light.


    One of the beams sliced into her left arm leaving a smoking, cauterized wound. She grimaced at the pain, but Clarity kept her mind focused, and she landed nimbly on her feet, dodging the aggressive follow-up attack, spending a little of her rapidly dwindling stamina on healing her arm. In the distance, she heard Mato roaring in pain, but there was nothing she could do for him.


    Clarity was simply astounding, regenerating both stamina and mana as if she were sitting to meditate. Undoubtedly it was the sole reason she was still able to fight. But as good as it was, she was still running out ¨C she had lost a critical amount of mana to the insanely fast leech attacks, four at a time per monster, and she was burning through her stamina at an incredible rate just to match speed with them. She retrieved one of the few mana potions she had stored in her ring and downed it between blocking attacks, continuously transferring the regenerating mana to stamina as soon as it appeared in her mana pool. It was an inefficient transfer, but anything was better than losing it to the monsters.


    , she urged herself.She had been pushing herself faster and faster, but that had a clear expiration. Honestly, even at their insane speed and multiple attacks, Malika was acclimating to the high-speed battle, and beginning to match speed with them. She studied her foes while she unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks timed in between blocking and dodging.


    She concentrated her focus, studying her two foes carefully, and then she moved. She predicted each move, dodging in response to each attack. As her final dodge took her into the range of the larger monster, she realized her mistake as the whip strike slashed across her cheek, spraying blood into the air.


    It wasn¡¯t a lot of damage, and she hadn¡¯t left any mana in her mana pool, but if she were forced to use her healing magic this often, she would run out of stamina too quickly. She ignored the wound, letting the blood run down her face, deciding to prioritize only injuries that impaired her speed or defenses, letting the slow trickle of health leeched by Soul Strike take care of the rest.


    She guessed it, but she didn¡¯t think she could be as precise as she would like. But right on cue, it blurred into its afterimages. She focused all her attention on her senses trying to catch the instant it materialized. She caught the subtle shimmer in the image out of the corner of her eye and executed a deep backbend, barely avoiding the attacks that sliced through the air inches above her face.


    Soaring through the air, another incandescent ball descended toward her, and she turned her backbend into a flip, landing flat on the ground right before the explosion ripped up the turf, launching clods of grass in all directions. Burning more of her precious stamina on a heal, she found the brawler that had just used its teleport was now leaking a glowing blue fluid from several wounds.


    Previously the brawlers had avoided the explosion with their teleport, but it looked like it had been caught in the blast with its escape skill on recharge. It was the first time she had seen real damage on one of them, and it gave her an idea.


    She attacked in a flurry of accelerated blows, several punches connecting with the creature while it was still staggered by the blast. She sprang up, leaping over the monster as the other re-engaged, lashing out with its four-way beam attacks.


    A glowing arrow shot past her ear, burying itself deep into the wounded brawler. A thunderous roar alerted her to Mato¡¯s incoming charge, while firebolts and other attacks began filling the air. Most of the attacks seemed comically slow and the brawlers effortlessly avoided them, but Ali¡¯s guided bolts seemed to land, and the Lightning Bolt from her shaman seemed instant as normal.


    In particular, Mato looked hilarious, flailing around awkwardly at the afterimages of the brawlers, but his regeneration aura was just as welcome as the warm pulse of holy magic settling in on Malika to heal the wounds she had been neglecting in order to save stamina. And then Mato began stealing damage from the hits she failed to block ¨C a truly ridiculous skill that allowed him to tank damage by proxy even if he couldn¡¯t see or keep up with the monsters at all.


    Malika powered her Divine Step, boosting her haste, and went on the offensive, taking risks now in favor of landing more hits, relying on her suddenly boosted regeneration to keep her in the fight, along with the support of the Kobold healers.


    She punched the brawler in the jaw just as it attempted to bite her, deflecting the attack. As the creature dodged sideways to avoid her kick, it ran into a suddenly appearing barrier and her kick connected. Unable to hit the monsters with her minions, Ali seemed to be resorting to pinning them down with her barriers and shooting Arcane Bolts instead. Without a second thought, Malika took advantage of the sturdy construct, running up the golden wall and executing a flip at the top, coming down with a vicious knee strike to the back of the monster¡¯s head. It collapsed to the ground in a shimmer of chaotic light images and the chime of the kill notification.


    But Malika didn¡¯t get any respite, immediately pulsing her healing magic as she failed to dodge a sudden beam of light magic that sliced through her leg and bit deep into the corpse below her. She sprang up into the air with a thrust of her good leg, landing on the back of the one remaining brawler. Wrapping her left arm around the whip-tentacles, she ignored the continuous leech while she grappled with it for leverage. Once she had them secure, she unleashed a brutal series of punches and elbow strikes into the back of its head while it struggled to dislodge her. It shimmered, and Malika¡¯s grip suddenly was air and afterimages as the monster teleported away. She hit the ground running, launching a series of kicks as the monster materialized right in front of her. Her foot connected with a solid strike to the side of its head as she traded blows with the monster, sending blue glowing fluid flying as it struggled against her magical onslaught.


    A final kick crushed its jaw from beneath, and Soul Strike pulsed brightly before the monster collapsed to the ground. The shimmer and glow slowly faded as her chime sounded.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Malika asked, looking to where Ali was still hiding behind her barrier. It had been agony to hear Ali scream in pain and not be able to rush over to heal her. But dragging the two elementals over to her friends would have put them in incredible danger.


    ¡°Yup, I¡¯m fine now. I just keep forgetting that light goes right through my barrier,¡± Ali said, her eyes dropping to her feet in chagrin. She dropped her barrier and walked over to join her by the corpse of the monster and Malika could see that whatever injury she had sustained had been long healed, the evidence remaining only as scorched marks on her clothing.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to need to talk to Lydia again soon.¡± Ali¡¯s expensive tailored armor was sporting several burns and rips which looked like they would need repair. But Ali just frowned briefly, concentrating, and suddenly the holes closed up and Malika remembered Lydia¡¯s armor creations could repair themselves with mana.


    ¡°You¡¯re so fast, I can barely see you now,¡± Ali said, looking up at her. ¡°I couldn¡¯t follow these monsters at all, only my Arcane Bolts could track them.¡±


    ¡°What are they anyway?¡± Malika poked the heavy, motionless corpse with her foot. The light was already much dimmer, and it was still leaking blue stuff from several wounds.


    ¡°Light elemental. Haste and teleport,¡± Calen said, joining them too. ¡°It¡¯s hard to figure out exactly what they¡¯re doing when they move so fast ¨C it felt like I was trying to shoot a jar full of angry dragonflies.¡±


    ¡°The whip-tentacle things can steal mana too,¡± Malika observed.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t see anything,¡± Mato grumbled, cracking his knuckles with a frustrated growl.


    ¡°Your dexterity is pretty low, right?¡± Calen asked him, getting a nod. ¡°Dexterity improves reaction speed, so it helps tremendously with this kind of monster. That and high perception.¡±


    ¡°But I Swiped the air so powerfully,¡± Mato mock-groaned.


    A grin overtook Calen¡¯s unusually intense stare. ¡°Sure, sure, and that waving business with your paws was you trying to knock them over with a whirlwind, right?¡±


    ¡°That or my beastly breath?¡±


    As they ribbed each other and chuckled through increasingly terrible jokes and puns, Malika¡¯s thoughts immediately returned to the middle of the battle when the brawler had drained her mana below the amount she needed to sustain her Perfect Body enhancement. The instant her skill failed, her reaction speed had dropped dramatically. Perfect Body enhanced her endurance and wisdom, but most importantly for this fight, it boosted dexterity by a lot. Calen was right, as usual. A little more dexterity wouldn¡¯t hurt her either.


    ¡°Would dexterity help me to attack something like that?¡± Ali asked, looking up as she finished deconstructing the Brawler¡¯s corpse. Three small motes of bright light persisted, floating in the air where the mana of the corpse dissipated.


    Mana: Combine 3 Lesser Radiant Essence into one Radiant Essence


    Value: 5 gold


    Reagent ¨C Mana Essence


    Malika stored the essences. She would need to do a little research with Weldin to find out who might be a good buyer for them.


    ¡°Yes, I think so,¡± Calen answered Ali. ¡°But I think it would be hard for a mage to prioritize dexterity over wisdom or intelligence most of the time.¡±


    ¡°I have a lot of skills that scale from higher dexterity,¡± Malika added. ¡°Each point I gain does a lot for me.¡± She gazed at the huge corpse of the remaining elemental. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you can make these, Ali?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± she answered. ¡°I would need an affinity for light magic.¡±


    ¡°Too bad, I was hoping you could make them as sparring partners,¡± she grinned.


    ¡°I thought I was the battle junkie,¡± Mato mumbled while Ali set about deconstructing everything in sight.


    ¡°Oh, what were the flying explosion things?¡± Malika asked, remembering the intensely brilliant explosions that she had had to try and dodge.


    ¡°The Sparkling Ooze spits those out and they blow up,¡± Mato explained, with a pained expression. ¡°It¡¯s super annoying when the other ones blind you and you take the explosion to the face.¡±


    ¡°I really want to make them,¡± Ali said with excitement.


    Malika smiled at Mato¡¯s exaggerated groan and sat down. ¡°Thanks for the regen aura and the damage transfer. That turned the battle for me,¡± she told him. The more she got to know him, the more she realized Mato craved being useful in a fight. She was certain he was hiding an enormous amount of frustration at spending half the battle flailing helplessly at foes that were too fast for him. As soon as she thanked him for his help, he suddenly relaxed and returned her smile.


    She calmed her mind further, focusing on her breathing for a few minutes, feeling the welcome sensation of her regeneration accelerating. With Clarity, the bonus for sitting and focusing, and the influence of Mato¡¯s regeneration aura, she wouldn¡¯t need too long to refill her mana. Looking inward, she began to read the blue-white glowing notifications.


    The last notification took her by surprise, but her parents had been the ones who encouraged her dance classes, saying that skillful and dexterous movements were all based on the same principles. Clearly, the system had thought her fighting style sufficiently graceful, or perhaps she had unconsciously used her dancing skills during the fight.


    The rest of her skill level gains seemed more normal, other than the fact that she had pushed herself to the limits on many of them and the sheer number of levels gained was impressive. She pursed her lips in thought for a moment and then spent four points on dexterity and two each on vitality, wisdom, and endurance.


    To her surprise, another notification popped up immediately and she caught her breath, reading through it in a rush.


    Soul Strike ¨C level 20


    Mana: Enhance a Melee Attack with your soul magic, striking directly at the health or mana of your opponent. A portion of this health or mana is returned to you. Your Attack gains +207% additional Soul damage Range: Touch.


    Soul, Melee, Support, Wisdom


    Malika thought, reading through it again. It wouldn¡¯t improve the amount of damage she dealt, if she understood the ¡®striking directly at the mana of your opponent¡¯ part, but she had just experienced how challenging it was to fight a monster that kept sapping her mana. She had Relentless as a defense against that ¨C an opponent relying on mana without something like her aptitude, or a very high regeneration rate, would be rendered helpless.


    ¡°Hey, what do you guys think of this?¡± she asked, sharing the offered advancement with her friends for a second opinion. However, unless they brought up something critical that she had missed, she was certain she wanted this.


    ¡°Wow, a denial attack!¡± Calen said, looking surprisingly excited. ¡°Situationally useful, but extremely powerful when used well. That would give our team some great new strategic options.¡±


    Malika thought, grinning widely at him. He suddenly found his toes incredibly interesting; Mato¡¯s gruff chuckle of realization made their friend blush richly.


    ¡°What¡¯s denial?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°If a monster consumes all your mana, you¡¯re not dead, but you can¡¯t do much,¡± Calen explained. ¡°I would be nearly worthless in combat without any mana. It¡¯s even worse if the monster steals the mana because then they can use it against you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s worse even than not being able to cast anything. These brawlers leeched the mana I had reserved to keep my Perfect Body and Soul Armor running. The enhancement skills dropped as soon as the reserved mana was less than the required amount.¡± Malika had gotten quite a big scare in the middle of the fight because of it.


    ¡°How do you even defend against that?¡± Ali looked horrified.


    ¡°Magic resistance, high regeneration, mana potions, stuff like that,¡± Calen suggested.


    ¡°Or just don¡¯t get hit,¡± Mato added.


    ¡°I used Relentless to swap my skills over to using stamina instead,¡± Malika said, ¡°and Second Wind to transfer any mana to stamina instead of letting the monsters have it. I spent most of that fight on zero mana. I think I¡¯m going to take this one, it sounds good.¡±


    ¡°It is good,¡± Calen said, nodding.


    ¡°Hey, Mato, can I test it out on you?¡± Malika said, accepting the advancement.


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said, grinning broadly, and swapped to his Bear Form.


    It didn¡¯t take long to figure it out. When she used Soul Strike, she had to choose between Mana Strike or Health Strike ¨C there seemed to be no way to choose both simultaneously. At least it was intuitive. With just a few quick punches, she verified that her magic damage was attacking his mana pool instead of his health, and she received a slow trickle of stolen mana instead of the usual stolen health.


    ¡°That¡¯s nasty,¡± Mato said after the test. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to duel you.¡±


    ¡°Can you do it without punching?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Yes, why?¡±


    ¡°I want to see how much resistance helps,¡± Ali answered.


    Malika reached out and touched Ali¡¯s arm with Soul Strike ¨C eliminating the physical damage component of her strike entirely. There was a flash of blue-white light as her skill triggered, and she felt the mana leeching back into her mana pool.


    ¡°Ouch! That feels awful,¡± Ali said, snatching her arm back with a gasp.


    ¡°Sorry. I got less than three-quarters of what I got from Mato,¡± Malika mused, watching her mana numbers closely.


    ¡°That¡¯s just about my magical resistance,¡± Ali confirmed.


    Calen said, ¡°Well, let¡¯s take a minute and then we should continue exploring.¡±


    ***


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 Chapter 101: The Wanderer

    Chapter 101: The WandererCalen Calen scanned the dense undergrowth, automatically keeping an eye on the jungle and the obvious threats lurking just out of sight. The air was filled with shrieks, howls, and the crash of battling monsters that percolated through the tangled trees. It had not taken more than a few minutes of hiking through this jungle for them to run into the Radiant Brawlers.


    ¡°We need to be more careful,¡± he said, as everyone finished recovering their mana.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Malika said, nodding emphatically.


    Calen was just grateful that Malika had a haste skill ¨C even with his high dexterity and advanced perception, he had still struggled to even track the fight with the brawlers, let alone hit one of them consistently. Perhaps if his arrows were faster, he might have stood a better chance. His mind ran through options relentlessly. Pin them down somehow? Trap them? How best to use Ali¡¯s barriers? Tease them out with an arrow up the snout? he thought, considering the featureless alien faces that contained nothing more than an oversized mouth with endless rows of teeth.


    For the sheer volume and range of monster noises he could hear, he would have expected to pick up something a little closer to their resting point. They had just had a battle here ¨C and a noisy one at that ¨C and he would have expected that after their twenty-minute rest, at least some creatures would have returned. But it was as if they sat in the eye of the storm ¨C dead quiet nearby, but beyond hearing range, chaos and violence reigned supreme. It was as if something was watching. The hair down the back of his neck and arms prickled uneasily.


    He glanced about, but all he could see were more dense trees with heavily laden boughs stooping toward the ground under their load of moss and vines.


    He scanned the trees intently, but he couldn¡¯t shake the unease and the sense of something lurking just beyond his senses.


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue,¡± Malika announced, getting up.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Ali said, gathering her minions into some semblance of a marching order.


    Calen decided, dismissing his worries. Once they got moving, he would be back to scouting and he would easily be able to answer his questions. He stood. But as he did, something caught his attention, a flash of white seen from the corner of his eye.


    He snapped his head to see. Deep among the trees, he caught a glimpse of a woman vanishing among the broad trunks. A broad-rimmed white hat was pulled low to conceal her face, and the ripple of a white cloak trailed in her wake, both contrasting with the practical leathers she wore on her tall, lean frame. She moved like the barest whisper of a breeze through the foliage, her skill and jungle-craft supreme.


    His heart began to race in his excitement. He had read of the legends of the elusive realm-walker, the patron deity of trackers, and hunters. A being so rare, most people dismissed her as a myth ¨C a story told and retold till people somehow began to believe it might be true.


    he thought as he realized he hadn¡¯t been quick enough with Explorer to identify her and make sure.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± Ali asked. ¡°She had a very unusual mana signature.¡±


    ¡°You saw her too?¡± Calen had been half-convinced she was a figment of his imagination, conjured from tiredness after the battle, mixed in with a large helping of muggy humidity and wishful thinking.


    ¡°White cape, fancy hat,¡± Ali confirmed.


    ¡°I think that was the legendary Wanderer ¨C uh, Demi-god and realm-walker. The patron deity of trackers and hunters. According to the stories, she is very selective about her followers, appearing to them at random, and setting a test to see if they are worthy of her patronage,¡± Calen said, quoting from the passages he had memorized in his youth.


    ¡°Really?¡± Ali asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yes, I used to dream of meeting her one day, but¡­¡± he trailed off as he recalled some of his more youthful dreams. He had read the story one day and spent the next several weeks searching everywhere for her. He remembered being mocked for it pretty severely.


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°I grew up, I guess? It was just a story.¡±


    ¡°And we both saw her?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Ali pursed her lips prettily, but he still felt the sass radiating off her. ¡°Why are you still here?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Clearly, whoever it was was real. If it really is this wanderer person from your story, the only one of us she would be interested in is you. Shouldn¡¯t you be off¡­ finding her?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Ali¡¯s words left him stunned and speechless. It had just never occurred to him to believe it. Yet, both of them had seen the woman, and the hat and cloak were exactly as described in the stories. So was the appearance at random in an unexplored territory. A chill ran down his spine as fiction shimmered into reality.


    Yet he stood there, frozen in indecision.


    ¡°We¡¯ll wait for you,¡± Malika said, joining the discussion.


    ¡°Just be careful, ok?¡± Mato added. ¡°The jungle is dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ uh¡­ you¡¯re all ok with this?¡± he stammered.


    ¡°You have stealth and you¡¯re fast,¡± Ali said. ¡°I¡¯d send some minions with you, but I doubt I have anything that can keep up.¡±


    ¡°Ok¡­ ok!¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll be back¡­ soon.¡± He dove into the jungle, sprinting in the direction the woman had left.


    While his mind still grappled with the absurdity of the encounter, suddenly finding himself alone in the raucous humid jungle triggered his instincts. Automatically, he activated both Eclipse and Explorer to conceal his movement and presence from ears or eyes as he slipped through the undergrowth without leaving even the slightest trace of his passing. Channeling a little stamina, he augmented his sight with his tracking senses and began scouring the dirt for signs of her passage.


    As soon as his Explorer tracking skill activated, his sharp eyes began to pick out the signs. There was nothing as obvious as an actual footprint, but a snapped twig on a bush, and a freshly overturned stone in the grass stood out as obviously as a written signpost. It was almost as if she wanted him to find her trail ¨C yes. She wouldn¡¯t be this careless. He sprinted onward, careful to keep his eyes on his surroundings and not just searching for tracks. He was alone in an unexplored jungle full of unknown monsters, after all, and he wasn¡¯t about to forget that.


    The trail took him to a small clearing, and he took a moment to survey it from cover before rushing in. His skin prickled and he felt the tiny drops of sweat trickling down his back in the overly humid air. The dank stench of unnatural growth pressed in on him like a heavy, wet blanket. The trail continued, clear to his enhanced perception, continuing right through the center of the clearing and out through the other side.


    But in the center of the clearing stood another monster of wood and bark ¨C a Forest Guardian ¨C surprisingly well camouflaged against the jungle¡¯s verdant backdrop of green and brown. His sharp eyes caught the wheeling shape of a Poison Wyvern circling above, searching for prey.


    He immediately Identified the Guardian.


    Calen snuck into the clearing, quiet and invisible to all but the most powerful perception skills. Quick as lightning, he rushed across the open grass, giving the enormous elemental a wide berth, lest its aura skills serve as a different mode of magical perception, relying heavily on Eclipse to keep him invisible to the wyverns flying overhead. He was sweating, and his heart pounded in his throat as he passed the elemental from a distance of less than thirty feet. This close, the monster was truly intimidating, standing taller at the shoulder than his full height, with a weight and bulk that dwarfed his own.


    But his skills miraculously kept him from being noticed, and a rush of relief surged through him as he returned to the tracks and left the monster behind, entering the relative safety and concealment of the dense jungle. He followed the trail carefully, at times losing it, but always picking it up again after a quick search in the nearby area.


    A flash of bright blue-white light from up ahead warned him of danger before he stumbled into the Radiant Brawler.


    There was only one, rooting around and uprooting bushes with broad jaws filled with far too many teeth, but Calen was by himself, and without Malika, he stood no chance. He paused. Again, the trail led him right past the elemental of light, but this time he felt the prickle of uncertainty crawling down his back. The monster had neither eyes nor ears, just a mouth, and those strange tentacles that could shoot powerful beams of light were waving in the air as if sampling it somehow.


    He had Eclipse, which made him virtually invisible. And Explorer allowed him to move silently. But not all monsters relied on vision or sound. Against something with more exotic forms of perception, he would be effectively unprotected and if anything had alternate perception skills, it would be this thing.


    Carefully, he judged where the trail led, and then began to circle around, giving the monster a wide berth. As he came within thirty yards of the monster, all four tentacles whipped sideways suddenly as the monster turned with a roar. Without hesitation, the shining elemental rippled and shimmered across the damp ground leaving a trail of afterimages in its wake.


    Calen bolted, dropping both his Eclipse and the silent movement from his Explorer skill as he sprinted off, dodging trees and hurdling bushes with low, skimming leaps. Entirely too close behind him, he could hear the terrifying ripping snap of trees and branches being broken, and the vibration of the heavy monster¡¯s bulk as it charged toward him. Calen had no illusions about being able to outrun a hasted monster. His wings sprouted from his back, and he shot up into the air. Aiming for a gap in the canopy, he twisted, spinning to the side, barely avoiding a lancing beam of light that tore through the tree branches, sending many of them plummeting to the ground below.


    In a rush of leaves and snapped twigs, he burst from the treetops, soaring out above the canopy, suspended above the strangely lit jungle and the darkness of the cavern and presumably the ruins of the suspended city above. He breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived.


    With a roar, the hunting wyvern ¨C or one just like it ¨C dove toward him and his incandescent wings, which he belatedly realized had been a bright, waving invitation to the local predator population. He swerved to the side, barely avoiding the spray of poison and the raking claws, and then he shot off as fast as his wings would take him. He was the intruder here, and the wyvern was hunting in his home territory. In just a few seconds, Calen was dodging again, spiraling to his left and diving recklessly toward the canopy. This time the monster was closer, and his back burned in the wake of the raking claws that ripped through his leather armor, slicing gashes in his flesh.


    With a frantic desperation, he turned his dive into a barely controlled plummet, pulling up only at the last moment to avoid being dashed on the tree branches, and then he zigzagged down through the trees, finally alighting on the ground once again, panting, with the warm sensation of his own blood and sweat running down his back.


    As he broke the line of sight to the wyvern under the canopy, he activated Eclipse and crouched behind a massive oak, scanning through the leafy branches for any sign of his pursuer. He huddled for a while, pressed up against the tree trunk and breathing heavily. After a few moments, when nothing came crashing through with claws and teeth intent on eating him, he emerged from his cover and looked around. There was no sign of the brawler, nor the wyvern. Nor could he see any of the tracks he had been following.


    He had just almost been eaten by two different monsters while running around alone in a dangerous jungle, chasing the elusive wisps of a fable ¨C the hope of a childhood story. He didn¡¯t even know if what he had seen was actually the Wanderer. For all he knew it could be an illusion created by a monster to lure him in and trap him.


    He tried to shake the worming claws of disappointment clutching at his heart. Carefully he reviewed his situation in his mind, visualizing the forest, and the path he had taken, mapping it all out carefully. If he was right, he had encountered the brawler several hundred yards to his left. He wasn¡¯t about to go poke it with a stick or anything that ridiculous, but the reference point was also where he had last had the trail.


    But he would have to go quite far out of his way to avoid another encounter with the Radiant Brawler, and he would only risk flying above the canopy if he had no other choice. he thought, his mind helpfully conjuring the trajectory of the trail he had been following on his mental map. He wrestled with his options for a few long minutes.


    he thought. He needed to either press on or go back. And the smarter choice was to go back and give up on this dangerous wild-goose chase.


    His curiosity was like a force of nature pulling him onward.


    Considering the directions carefully, he headed off toward where the trail might have gone, spending the mana and stamina to keep himself concealed. He crept through the jungle, relying heavily on his enhanced eyesight to search for signs of the lost trail. It took about twenty minutes and backtracking a few times to cover more ground before he finally saw it. Bent grass in a slight depression that was clearly the outline of a footprint. He had misjudged the trail slightly, but now that he had a reference point and also a direction, he ranged outward, searching for connecting signs that would confirm the trail.


    He knelt in the shade of a massive tree and picked up an acorn that had been pushed into the earth by something with weight. There were no other signs of footprints nearby, but something had stepped on the acorn.


    Suddenly sensing eyes on him, he looked up and found her sitting calmly on a branch, high above the trail. Her wide-brimmed hat shaded her face so completely that even his enhanced perception could not penetrate it to make out her features. But he knew she was studying him ¨C ignoring his stealth skill. Immediately he activated Explorer, keen on identifying her before she vanished again, but to his surprise, his skill failed to activate. It was as if she wasn¡¯t really there. Slowly, he got to his feet, dropping the acorn, and he bowed his head respectfully toward the being, still not certain if she was real ¨C the deity from his stories ¨C or a figment of his imagination, an illusion sent to confuse him.


    As his eyes came up once more, she dropped from the branch, her white cloak trailing behind her as she fell. But before she hit the ground, she vanished like the mist in a morning breeze. He rushed forward and when he reached the spot, all he found were signs that the trail continued onward.


    The mysterious person may be toying with him, but the trail before him seemed clear, so he pressed onward. A few minutes later, he emerged from the dense undergrowth into a second clearing. The trail led once again right to its center, but this time there was no monster waiting for him, just a small stone construction that looked a little like a shrine, just made from plain granite.


    Cautiously he approached, but nothing flew out of the sky to eat him, nor burst from the concealment of the grasses with a roar. In fact, the clearing was quiet, not even a breeze disturbing the grass.


    Shrine of the Wanderer


    Mana: Make an offering


    Shrine ¨C Artifact


    There was nothing else besides the mysterious stone shrine. Even the trail led right up to the shrine, but there it ended. Calen examined it carefully, but it seemed to be a simple construction of stone, about waist high. The only interesting feature was the hollow depression in the flat top and the offering function. That and the fact that, inexplicably, Explorer was able to identify it.


    He puzzled over the simple statement ¡®make an offering¡¯ for a while, but then he recalled a scene from one of his childhood stories. Reaching into his storage ring, he retrieved one of the gold Dal¡¯mohran coins from his rapidly shrinking share of the treasure they had discovered in the ruined vault. He turned it over the backs of his fingers, watching the gold flash in the light as he rolled it over and over. He flipped it high into the air, and as it came down to land in the hollow depression of the shrine, he gave the shrine some of his mana. Before the coin even reached the stone, it vanished, leaving behind a rapidly fading sparkle of light.


    Godly Patronage ¨C The Wanderer


    Traits: Tracking, Dexterity, Deity, Stealth, Explorer, Perception, Discovery, Movement, Luck


    Minor enhancement to Movement and Perception skills in uncharted or forgotten places.


    Mana: Offer an item of value as a request for the insights of the Wanderer.


    Enchantment ¨C Tithe


    Calen felt an inner shift as he accepted even before his notification sounded. Like something gently settling within the very core of his being, changing something profoundly fundamental, yet remarkably subtle. It was a gentle touch, leaving who he was entirely unchanged, and yet he felt somehow¡­ more.


    But his notification chime continued to sound, as if intent on celebrating his achievement.


    He stared at the glowing lines of text in surprise. There had been no monster battles, and nothing killed, but the trial had been difficult and challenged his skills and tracking ability, and his sense of direction and stealth too. It seemed that was enough in alignment with his class that he had gained experience for it.


    He had even gained a level in Cartography without drawing a map. He hadn¡¯t drawn the map physically, but it had been clearly present in his mind. He had already charted out how he would spend his points, so he assigned them quickly: three to dexterity, two each to wisdom and vitality, and one each to endurance, perception, and intelligence. It was roughly how important every attribute was to his build.


    His notification chime echoed in his mind yet again. He read curiously.


    Explorer ¨C level 20


    You have enhanced spatial perception and perfect recall for places you have explored. You can discern important details about the places you are exploring and the creatures that inhabit them.


    Stamina: Use your enhanced perception to track your prey.


    Stamina: Move without leaving traces or making sound.


    Mana: If you focus, you can sense the direction of a recently observed prey or target.


    Knowledge, Movement, Stealth, Tracking, Perception


    Just the fact of his passing the tracking trial the Wanderer had set for him, and the acceptance of her patronage, had already begun to influence the direction of his growth. Immediately, he was offered a tracking advancement.


    Calen admonished himself, concerned that his doubts may be interpreted as ingratitude. The skill advancement didn¡¯t give much insight into how long ¡®recently¡¯ referred to, but it seemed that he would be able to track things that he couldn¡¯t otherwise sense. Several times during his trial he had lost track of his quarry, and it took time to reacquire the trail. This new skill meant that, barring magical concealment, he wouldn¡¯t be able to lose a trail.


    He accepted the advance, and immediately tested it.


    He used the new skill, spending a little mana, and focusing on Ali. Instantly, he had an uncanny sense of precisely which direction she was from where he stood. He could point exactly to her through the intervening dense jungle. He had been out tracking for a little over an hour now, and this little test told him that was still within the appropriate range of time for his new skill to work. He tried it again on Mato and Malika, confirming that it worked just as well. Then he tried it with his mother as the focus, finding that even though he had last seen her almost a day ago, he could unerringly point in her direction. The Guildmaster, however, was indistinct and difficult to pinpoint.


    His testing would need to be tightened up before he was satisfied, but for now, he was happy to know the approximate range of time was well beyond what he had hoped for.


    On a whim, he focused on the woman with the white hat and cloak. What came back was confusing. He could sense the skill working, but the sense of her direction was somewhere his mind couldn¡¯t understand. It was a specific direction ¨C but nowhere he could point to. It was weirdly disorienting, but he chalked it up to normal for what he had experienced so far from her.


    As he stood, the stone shrine shimmered and vanished, leaving an unblemished carpet of grass behind, as if it had never existed.


    Focusing on his friends, he set out to return.


    Aliandra


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have let him go by himself,¡± Ali said as the Poison Wyvern faltered under the onslaught of lightning and fire magic and began to spiral down toward the ground trailing a dark cloud of smoke.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to be fine,¡± Malika said, but Ali could tell she was just as worried as she was.


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°Of all of us, he has the most escape skills. He can fly, he can run fast, he has stealth and silent movement. And, failing all that, he still has the recall potion,¡± Malika said. ¡°We have to trust him.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s been so long¡­¡± It had been over an hour. Several monsters had interrupted their camp, but nothing they couldn¡¯t handle among the three of them. This latest Poison Wyvern was probably the biggest threat that had appeared since his departure, and her mages and shamans had made short work of it. She had been the one to suggest Calen pursue his dream, but now she was having serious second thoughts.


    ¡°We would just have slowed him down,¡± Mato said, shifting back to Beastkin.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said, sighing heavily. She walked over to the smoking corpse of the wyvern.


    ¡°Hey, can you hold off on deconstructing that one?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°Why?¡± Ali asked, looking up in surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± Mato said, rubbing his belly. ¡°How do wyvern skewers sound?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re always hungry,¡± Ali groused, but Mato being Mato chased some of the worries into the corner of her mind. She grinned at him to show she wasn¡¯t that upset. ¡°Got some new spices you¡¯re planning to test on us?¡±


    He grinned, ¡°Would I?¡±


    Calen


    ¡°You got it, didn¡¯t you?¡± Mato said as soon as Calen walked into camp. Unsurprisingly his friend was confident in his guess, and equally unsurprisingly, he was cooking something that filled the air with a delicious aroma. One way to attract all the local predators, he supposed!


    ¡°I did,¡± he answered and then shared the patronage notification with them. Before they could swamp him in questions, he told the entire tale from beginning to end, with all of them listening raptly to what had transpired.


    ¡°Wow, a deity patronage!¡± Ali exclaimed.


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°I knew you had it in you,¡± Mato said, pumping a fist in the air and then handing him another skewer from the cookfire.


    ¡°Thanks guys,¡± he said, blushing just a little, and then his chime sounded with something new.


    +1 to Perception and Tracking skills.


    Blessing ¨C Duration: 1 day.


    ***


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 Chapter 102: The Swarm

    Chapter 102: The SwarmAliandraThey pressed on through the dense overgrown jungle, and the further they went, the more oppressive the roiling chaos of wild mana became. Before experiencing this jungle, Ali would have found it hard to imagine light affinity mana being oppressive, but it was certainly the best description she could come up with. It was thick, swirling in vortices around the trees, through the branches, and dense enough to cause the very air to glow softly with light.


    It was slow going, every few minutes they would encounter some or other monster and have to stop to fight it, but encountering a single wandering slime or elemental was usually fairly easy for their group to overcome. Even the Radiant Brawlers were becoming a little easier to manage now.


    But it was the Coruscant Rays that truly terrified her ¨C almost always announcing their presence with an attack that came from so far off that Ali seldom saw them before the beam of light struck her, passing clean through her barrier as if it were not even there. Her friends were quick to jump to her aid, of course, Malika healing the burns, and Calen shooting the monsters out of the air, but Ali hated being surprised, especially by unseen attacks that could easily take off a leg or an arm.


    ¡°This place is unnatural,¡± Mato grumbled, scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably.


    ¡°It feels better here,¡± Calen observed.


    Ali studied the mana as they went. It was no domain, but it was certainly becoming denser and denser, and even the balance of mana was changing. Progressively less nature-affinity mana boiled up around them, leading to less chaotic flow as the light-affinity mana began to dominate ¨C as if the two mana affinities represented antagonistic forces vying for control, a vast strategic conflict of territory and conquest.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s because of your affinity, Calen,¡± Ali said. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of light-affinity ambient mana around here. It¡¯s still very chaotic though.¡±


    Even the creatures she saw seemed to be affected, warped, or mutated by constant exposure to the excessive mana. She had seen at least three different species of spider with an abdomen that glowed with white or yellow light, like a firefly. There were slugs that emitted soft blue light patterns, butterflies that trailed golden glitter as they flew past, and even wisps ¨C creatures of pure light affinity mana. In an ordinary jungle, these adaptations would have gotten these creatures a quick ticket to some predator¡¯s stomach ¨C but here, where even the air was glowing, it seemed that being able to glow or shine served as functional camouflage.


    ¡°Over here, Ali,¡± Mato said, drawing Ali¡¯s attention to a new variety of vine growing on a tree. It adhered to the tree bark, climbing up to the highest branches with tiny green leaves. Every half a meter or so, a bud had formed, some of which were open, displaying flowers that glowed with a bright yellow-white light.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty!¡± Happily, Ali added it to her creeper imprint, along with a variety of new mosses and mushrooms, and even the occasional tree that Mato had found for her. While light-affinity plants may not necessarily help her with her domain, most of her cavern was dark, and the opportunity to learn a few glowing plants would certainly help with that. It seemed like a worthwhile tradeoff.


    A sudden flash of intense golden light caught her attention and as she snapped her eyes upward, she was treated to a beautiful display of aerobatic dance. Tiny golden-winged creatures were soaring and swooping through a swarm of glowing insects, their agile movement causing their tiny golden scales to gleam and flash in a mesmerizing, ever-changing display.


    ¡°Look!¡± Ali called out, pointing out the pretty monsters soaring among the branches above. There must have been over two dozen of them, but the swarm of insects was so large that they were barely making a dent in it.


    One of the tiny dragonets opened its mouth revealing tiny fangs and a dense, condensing ball of light-affinity mana ¨C a spell that reminded Ali of the Bone Spear breath attack of the Skeletal Wyvern ¨C only on a vastly smaller scale. But instead of spears, a dazzling cone of intense sparks of light flew out from its mouth. she thought, identifying the spell as one virtually identical to the primary attack of her Luminous Slime. Fortunately, it was small enough that it only left afterimages on her retinas, rather than blinding her entirely.


    But for the moth caught in the dragon¡¯s breath, it was all over. Stunned by the brilliant light, it failed to evade the hungry mouth, and with a snap and a crunch, the moth was dinner.


    ¡°True dragons,¡± Mato breathed, staring upward at the scene Ali had pointed out. She looked again, noticing the detail he was pointing out. The main outward difference between wyverns and the so-called ¡®true¡¯ dragons was in the number of limbs; dragons had four legs and a pair of wings, while wyverns had only hind legs and wings. Now that her attention had been called to it, Ali noticed the tiny dragonets had their front pair of legs tucked in alongside their bodies for more efficient flight.


    A shadow briefly darkened the aerial feeding display followed by a roar and a powerful jet of toxic green that drenched everything in its path as a large Poison Wyvern swooped in, fangs bared. One unlucky dragonet ended up in the wyvern¡¯s maw, its screech abruptly cut off by a brutal crunch and a spray of blood. Ali barely got her barrier up in time to protect herself from the jet of poison.


    ¡°Get it!¡± Mato exclaimed, his voice warped by the process of his body transformation.


    Calen¡¯s arrow was already flying toward the wyvern, his telltale glowing chain of light trailing behind. The wyvern screeched and thrashed as suddenly the hunter became the hunted, and Calen¡¯s magic sent it crashing to the ground in a furious thrashing of poison, fangs, and claws.


    But Mato was already there, roaring and slashing with his powerful forepaws.


    Ali checked on her healers quickly. Most of her minions had been caught in the initial blast of poison, and so her Acolytes were working hard, but they seemed to have the sudden glut of poison damage under control.


    A loud thump startled her as something splatted against her still-raised barrier, and slowly slid off. Something small with golden scales, leaving a trail of blood. Her stomach twisted as she recognized what it was. Another thump sounded behind her, and then more as it started raining dead dragonets ¨C those caught in the poison were simply too low-level to survive for long.


    ¡°Ali¡¯s minions obeyed her angry command instantly. She knew it was irrational to be angry. Especially considering that the monsters down here mixed just about as well as the mana affinities ¨C which could be equally characterized as aggressive rejection. But she had been enjoying watching the bright dragonets before the display had been so gruesomely interrupted. That she recognized the irony of enjoying watching the golden dragonets feeding on the insects, while simultaneously despising the Poison Wyvern for essentially doing the same thing was not lost on her. She grimaced. That observation didn¡¯t help one bit.


    She struggled with how she felt, and how she should feel, all the while shooting her triple stream of Arcane Bolts at the downed wyvern.


    When the wyvern finally collapsed, she finally admitted it to herself.


    She twisted her mouth in an expression of wry discontent. She hadn¡¯t thought of herself as shallow, but what else could it mean? Now everything was dead, and she just felt sad for the little creatures.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Malika asked, coming up behind her as she stared at the corpses of the dragonets on the ground.


    ¡°Just sad. They were so pretty.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you can learn them and then make some? I think they might like the forest you made.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Hmm¡­¡± She hadn¡¯t considered learning them, much too focused on collecting things that might have practical value in her Grimoire. These little dragonets had mostly been below level three, something that would have little value in combat. But they were dragons, and she already had a dragon as an imprint ¨C the Poison Wyvern. There was at least a decent chance she wouldn¡¯t need to spend a new chapter to learn this. She pursed her lips in thought.


    Reaching out, she began to deconstruct the fresh corpses, biting her lip as she concentrated and hoped.


    ¡°Got it!¡±Her heart leapt with excitement as soon as she saw her Grimoire react, and she immediately tried summoning one. To her surprise, as soon as her Grimoire¡¯s magic finished, nine of the tiny dragonets appeared fanning out in a riot of darting and swooping golden scales above her head. The little creatures cocked their tiny dragon heads to the side as she told them to follow, and they took to the air in a graceful formation.


    ¡°Wow, you have a whole flight of them!¡± Malika exclaimed, grinning.


    ¡°Looks like another swarm monster,¡± Ali said. She had a couple of them now, she just wished there was a manual on summoners and their skills so she could understand it better. They were delightful though, cavorting through the air like a school of golden flying fish.


    A certain rascal however, batted her eyelashes and cooed, ¡°And it helps that they¡¯re so pretty, right Ali?¡±


    ¡°Malika!¡±


    That was how she discovered that Bear Form Mato had a bear-worthy belly-laugh that threatened to shake the leaves off the trees around her. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ***


    ¡°Please be more careful, Ali,¡± Malika said.


    Ali sat on the ground, crushing the hem of her shirt in her fists and gritting her teeth against the pain while Malika healed her. Fortunately, Malika¡¯s magic was near instant, and it banished the pain just as quickly as her injuries. It had been a wandering Coruscant Ray again, and the surprise beam of light had nearly taken her arm off, burning clean down to the bone.


    ¡°Why is it always me?¡± she complained. She hadn¡¯t been keeping track, but it certainly felt like she was drawing a disproportionate number of their attacks. ¡°I¡¯m the smallest in this group. Shouldn¡¯t they shoot Mato some of the time? He¡¯s a much bigger target.¡±


    ¡°Oi,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°Maybe they can see your magic?¡± Calen suggested, stowing his bow as the notification chime signaled the death of the flying menace.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think of that,¡± she said. It was an angle she hadn¡¯t considered. She had taken to walking through the jungle with her barrier out and ready for any attack. It had come in handy a few times, but against the flying Coruscant Rays and their light beam attack, it was useless.  Her only defense was Lydia¡¯s work, which provided a substantial and welcome resistance to magical damage. It was entirely plausible that the elementals ¡®saw¡¯ magic directly ¨C they seemed to have no eyes, much like every other light-affinity monster they had encountered, other than the dragonets. The slimes had alternative senses ¨C talking with Naia had made that very clear, even if the lack of actual eyes didn¡¯t give it away. She didn¡¯t know how exactly they perceived the world, but it was unusual. Neither the Glimmer Shards nor the Coruscant Rays had any organs that could remotely be considered similar to eyes. Nor, for that matter, did the Radiant Brawlers.


    ¡°That might be it,¡± Malika mused.


    ¡°If I can see magic. I guess it¡¯s probably quite a common perception skill, especially among magical monsters,¡± Ali admitted. If that was the case, she had probably been painting a large target on herself visible from the skies.


    ¡°Maybe you can test it by putting your barrier ten feet to the side and see if they shoot that instead of you?¡± Calen suggested. ¡°It¡¯s not like your barrier is helping you right now.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Ali grumbled. ¡°And I think I¡¯m going to start hiding behind trees when we fight.¡±


    Ali got back to her feet, thanking Malika for healing her, and went to examine some strange moss Mato had found, while Calen vanished into the trees presumably to scout.


    Considering the problem of the Coruscant Rays, Ali decided to spend the relatively steep mana cost to summon a pair of Poison Wyverns. Not because the wyverns were particularly suited to killing the rays, but because they were her only creature even remotely capable of reaching them. None of her ground-based monsters had enough range to hit them, and the wyvern was her only flying monster. At least the only one capable of doing any real damage ¨C her gorgeous new Luminous Dragonets didn¡¯t count.


    She sent her two sleek, powerful wyverns up into the sky above the canopy to keep an eye out for flying threats.


    ¡°There¡¯s a fight up ahead,¡± Calen said, appearing out of nowhere as he let his stealth skill drop. ¡°Some slimes are attacking a Forest Guardian. They look about evenly matched.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go check it out,¡± Mato suggested, his face immediately lighting up at the prospect of combat.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see it too,¡± Ali said. Of course, Mato would be the one suggesting they investigate a fight, but Ali found she was also curious ¨C though for a different reason. If there was a chance to deconstruct her second Forest Guardian, that would be one closer to being able to make them herself.


    The first thing Ali noticed as they approached the clearing Calen had found was a small flight of Coruscant Rays hovering well beyond reach. Their potent beam attacks drew a continuous stream of sizzling bright lines between them and something unseen over the ridge. Even from this distance, the stench of burnt forest assailed her nose. They crept carefully up the ridge, all the more vulnerable because she had decided to forgo her protective barrier in case Calen¡¯s thought about magic perception was true.


    Cresting the rise, Ali gazed down upon a scene of violent clashing magic, unbridled mana-fueled plant growth, and terrifyingly powerful smashing attacks that shook the ground and nearby trees.


    The Forest Guardian might have been a little bigger than the first one, and it tugged at her emotions still, in complex ways. But instead of letting the feelings run rampant, she studied the combat, trying to learn as much as she could, even activating her Sage of Learning to try and gain a better understanding of the magic at play.


    Clustered about the Forest Guardian was a group of Luminous Slimes, firing their painfully bright dazzle attacks nearly continuously. At this distance, it was merely uncomfortable, and not debilitating to watch. The guardian seemed to be blinded, lashing out wildly, occasionally connecting to send one of the slimes flying. The aggressive roots and vines filling the area around the guardian twisted and grasped, but against the infinitely malleable slime anatomy, they proved to be completely ineffective.


    Along the crest of a far ridge, several Sparkling Oozes lurked, occasionally lobbing their blobs of incandescence into the center of the fray. The brilliant balls of light exploded on impact, far brighter and with less burning than their fire-affinity cousins. But it was the flight of Coruscant Rays that were dealing the bulk of the damage. Each intense beam cut swathes of destruction across the roots and vines, burning smoking holes through the guardian¡¯s tough wood and bark armor.


    ¡°The slimes seem immune to the beams,¡± Calen observed.


    ¡°They¡¯re also immune to the plants,¡± Ali offered. ¡°But the guardian is the only one regenerating health.¡± While it looked like the light monsters had the upper hand in the damage department ¨C and also being immune to the roots and some of them flying when the guardian was stuck on the ground, Ali knew firsthand just how potent the guardian¡¯s regeneration was. ¡°I think the guardian will outlast them.¡±


    ¡°You might be right,¡± Calen admitted, squinting his eyes as he studied the flight of aerial rays.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take them out,¡± Mato said, his eyes sparkling with excitement.


    ¡°How do we do it?¡± Malika asked. ¡°We are far away from the library, so we can¡¯t avoid the roots.¡±


    ¡°I can make some more Scalding Slimes and use firebolts to attack the guardian,¡± Ali suggested. Her slimes were just as good at avoiding the entangling roots, and the last time they had fought the guardian, her fire had been the clincher.


    ¡°How about Mato tanks the guardian, me and Ali¡¯s wyverns on the rays, and Malika, you tank the Sparkling Oozes on the ridge? Kill order is rays, slimes, and then the guardian,¡± Calen said, quickly proposing a strategy.


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Ali answered. It made sense, given their strengths and weaknesses. Keeping Malika away from the roots for as long as possible would allow her to retain her mobility and wiping out the slimes and rays first seemed smart.


    Malika and Mato both nodded in agreement, and she added, ¡°Best warm up your minions, Ali.¡±


    As quickly as her Grimoire allowed, Ali summoned several Scalding Slimes and another Fire Mage, using the ridge as cover to not give away their position.


    ¡°Ready,¡± she told them, waiting for Mato¡¯s familiar transformation before she moved over the ridge to follow.


    ¡°¡± she sent to her wyverns circling above, while visualizing the distant cluster of Coruscant Rays and their unceasing long-range assault on the Forest Guardian. The buzzing hum of their beam attacks was putting her teeth on edge. While not strictly necessary, she found that thinking in draconic helped her to convey the more subtle aspects of her commands. She sensed the immediate understanding of even the nuances behind her intent as the two wyverns shot off, excited for their hunt.


    With her uncanny speed, Malika was already among the Sparkling Oozes, punching and kicking up a storm. ¡°¡± Ali commanded, sending her Storm Shamans chasing after Malika, and then, deciding they had the monsters properly controlled, Ali began her assault, splitting her Arcane Bolt streams among three of the Sparkling Oozes while her Fire Mages responded with a volley of firebolts. While she had specifically made the Scalding Slimes to kill the Forest Guardian, there was no point in sending them to attack it until the full force of their firepower could be brought to bear ¨C it would just regenerate.


    That was her plan, at least. She summoned a barrier because it would at least work as a defense against the explosions and directed her Arcane Bolts around it as her shamans closed the distance. Without her say-so, the shamans dropped their Lightning Nova totems at the Forest Guardian¡¯s feet, catching both it and the Luminous Slimes in the pulsing rings of sparks. The loud crack of their Lightning Bolts cut through even the din of a full-on battle, ripping through the Sparkling Oozes with ease. They reacted by lobbing a volley of incandescent balls in all directions, and Ali had to hunker down behind her barrier, even blocking a few of the explosive attacks from landing on her mages and Acolytes. The detonations left her blinking and slightly off balance, but she maintained her focus, keeping her continuous stream of arcane magic flying across the grassy clearing.


    She checked in with her wyverns, but they seemed to be able to outmaneuver the Coruscant Rays in the air and didn¡¯t require her direct attention. One by one, the Sparkling Oozes fell to the onslaught of her minions. As she focused her Arcane Bolts on the single last remaining Sparkling Ooze, Calen¡¯s arrows joined her attacks and within a few moments, it collapsed in a wet puddle.


    ¡°Let me pull some of the Luminous Slimes out of the roots,¡± Calen said.


    The slimes looked quite a bit worse for wear, caught in the lightning novas and the collateral damage resulting from Mato and the Forest Guardian trading ground-shivering blows.


    Ali let Malika intercept the slimes as Calen pulled them out of the growth, assessing the changed battlefield. All the ranged monsters were down, so she redirected her wyverns and Scalding Slimes to join Mato in the assault on the Forest Guardian, keeping her shamans out of range of the roots to help Malika. Their weapons and shields sparked and crackled, and in response, the slimes filled the battlefield with their dazzling sparkles of light.


    ¡°Something is coming,¡± Calen shouted suddenly, his voice urgent and his eyes raised to the skies.


    ¡°What?¡± Ali raised her eyes, blinking against the afterimages from all the intense bright magic. But it was her ears that warned her of danger first; a low hissing sound that slowly built in volume and strength, as if something were drawing inexorably closer. Next, her mana sight made out a waterfall of brilliant droplets falling from the sky in a rain of intense light mana ¨C a magical stormfront on a scale she could scarcely believe.


    Then, her eyes recovered, and she started to make out the details. Above the sheeting rain was a cloud-like formation that moved like no cloud she had ever seen, billowing and churning almost as if it was breathing ¨C in fact, she realized belatedly, it might be. Her eyes dropped rapidly, assessing the damage below the phenomenon. The trees were hissing and smoking, leaves and small branches torn from their boughs, vines and moss stripped as they burned and melted away.


    Acting on instinct, she Identified the glowing cloud.


    There were thousands of them, a swarm beyond counting, each monster a small glowing disk that floated through the sky. So many were they, that the swarm seemed to mimic the clouds she had first mistaken them for. Whatever was raining down on the forest was either toxic or acidic, for it left a broad swathe of sizzling, blackened, and burnt vegetation in its wake.


    ¡°Barrier! Take cover ¨C uh, underneath!¡± Ali yelled, stumbling over her words as she summoned the largest barrier she could make to shield them from above. Calen dodged under the magical umbrella quickly, and Malika sprinted to make up the distance. She had barely reached the barrier when the leading stormfront of acid rain swept across the clearing, blackening and shriveling the grass, leaving only a smoking ruin behind. An acrid stench filled Ali¡¯s nostrils, causing her to cough and gasp for breath.


    ¡°Mato!¡± Ali yelled, but he was trapped, struggling to shed the guardian¡¯s roots and vines that bound him to the battle. As the rain swept over them, the growth began to sizzle and smoke, along with the two ferocious combatants still locked in mortal combat.


    ¡°He can¡¯t move,¡± Calen gasped in sudden realization. ¡°He¡¯s pinned down.¡±


    ¡°Heal Mato,¡± Ali yelled, suddenly realizing the extreme danger her friend was in, exposed under the destructive rain while simultaneously battling the Forest Guardian. Several of Ali¡¯s minions collapsed, unable to reach the safety of her barrier in time. She lost all her Scalding Slimes, and only two of her Fire Mages and a single shaman made it to safety.


    She glanced up nervously at her barrier, but it seemed to be holding up, brilliant yellow viscous fluid draining from it in rivulets and small waterfalls, searing the ground as it landed.


    ¡°It¡¯s damaging the guardian,¡± Calen said. ¡°Don¡¯t stop shooting.¡±


    Indeed, Ali suddenly saw the smoking holes burned through the bark armor and wooden plates protecting the monster. It was still regenerating furiously, but the onslaught of luminous yellow acid rain was relentless. ¡°Firebolts,¡± she called out, demonstrating her intent with her triple stream of Arcane Bolts. Her mages eagerly complied, firing bolt after bolt out into the storm, each one leaving blackened burns that tore into the monster of gnarled and animated wood.


    ¡°Mato, come!¡± Ali yelled, seeing that the rain had destroyed the roots and vines binding him.


    ¡°He can¡¯t,¡± Malika answered. ¡°If he brings it over here, we will die to the monster¡¯s root magic.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Mato must have realized that he was freed from the entangling roots long before she had. But that meant he had chosen to stay out in the searing rain. Ali redoubled her efforts, trying to kill the guardian as quickly as possible so that Mato would be able to flee from the agony of having his flesh melted and restored continuously.


    Her notification chime sounded and the Forest Guardian dropped, its body reduced to a smoking heap. Mato instantly turned and charged for their little huddle, joining them under the cover of her broad barrier. But there seemed to be no end to the swarm of jellyfish-like Lux Drifters passing slowly overhead.


    Mato and Malika stood there staring open-mouthed at the sky, helpless in the face of the aerial swarm. Even Calen had lowered his bow, not willing to waste arrows on an endeavor as useful as shooting a thunderstorm. But Ali was far from helpless.


    ¡°Fireballs,¡± she called, and her mages grinned wickedly, summoning their magic.


    The explosions detonated repeatedly in the skies, and burning monsters fell to the ground in a disgusting rain of splattering jellyfish corpses. But the swarm kept coming, oblivious to all her efforts. None of her minions could make the slightest impact as the swarm floated inexorably by; not the wyverns flying above, not the bolts of lightning, nor even the powerful fireballs that destroyed them by the dozens.


    ¡°There¡¯s too much of it¡­¡± Even in her mind, she had switched to thinking of the swarm as a quantity, not a host of individuals. It behaved like a natural disaster, and when it finally passed, taking the acid rain with it, all that remained was a broad, blackened path through the jungle, and a tiny spot of glowing golden barrier magic in the center, under which they had taken refuge. As the hissing and smoke faded into the distance, all that remained was the screeching of terrified monsters fleeing from the flying devastation, and the screams of pain of those unlucky ones caught in its path.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a flying ooze before,¡± Calen observed, as all four of them stared at the receding swarm.


    ¡°I felt so helpless facing those,¡± Malika said as the cloud vanished in the distance. She sat on the lone patch of grass in the sea of destruction that Ali¡¯s barrier umbrella had protected to begin her meditation.


    ¡°They were like a force of nature, nothing I did made the slightest bit of difference. Not even fireballs.¡± Ali had felt the same helplessness Malika described.


    Ali thought, recalling the swarm creatures she had fought in the underwater caverns of Naia¡¯s dungeon. Only there were a whole lot more of these ones, and the damage was incomparable.


    Ali pushed her barrier off to the side before dismissing it, and the acidic goop still pooled on it splattered safely to the ground some distance away. She walked over to a splattered, half-burnt jellyfish and examined it. It was a circular disk of jelly-like substance, mostly translucent and yellowish, almost the size of a human head. She glanced over at her friends for reference. she decided. Mato had a big head. The light-affinity mana imbued into the rim of the creature and surrounding the central circular ¡®mouth¡¯ was beginning to fade as the creature dimmed. On the underside of the monster were six sets of small gills that still leaked the yellowish mana-imbued acid.


    Careful not to splash acid on her fingers, Ali reached down to deconstruct it. She was excited to see how Naia reacted when she shared this new ooze, so she scoured the battlefield for more of them ¨C not that they were particularly difficult to find after her barrage of fireballs. Naia clearly loved her slimes and oozes, and even sharing just two new ones with her had very obviously boosted her intelligence.


    The thought suddenly stopped her cold. Was she happily contemplating giving a dungeon a monster that had just devastated an enormous section of an entire jungle? But her mind conjured Naia¡¯s happy bouncing form and her pure and simple excitement at learning the new slimes Ali had offered.


    Trying to sort through her conflicting feelings about her new friend, and what she should or shouldn¡¯t do, Ali systematically deconstructed everything she found on the battlefield.


    By comparison, the Sparkling Ooze seemed rather tame, and Ali felt less conflict as she considered sharing this one with the little blue Mimic Slime she had befriended.


    The huge monster of bark and dense wood ¨C at least what was left of it ¨C evaporated into mana before her. She had worried that she wouldn¡¯t encounter another ¨C that the one they had fought by the library might be the only one left. But Calen had mentioned seeing one on his way to the shrine of the Wanderer ¨C and this one had been a different level. The thought filled her with a powerful urge to set out and find it.


    ¡°I need one or two more Forest Guardians,¡± she said. She supposed that the extreme acid damage that this guardian had suffered might force her Grimoire to require more samples, but she wasn¡¯t certain.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll go look for tracks,¡± Calen offered.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 103: Haste and Mana

    Chapter 103: Haste and ManaAliandra ¡°What is that?¡± Ali asked as they crested a hill. High above them, shrouded in the vast empty darkness was something that could only be described as an unimaginably tall pillar of yellow-white light so bright that Ali squinted and blinked against its intensity. But blocking her sight with her hand or closing her eyes did not affect the power of the vision.


    It was the only challenging part of her Arcane Insight skill ¨C it provided the ability to see or perceive mana ¨C but she must be perceiving it directly with her mind. Even though she integrated the sense into her view of the world, closing her eyes did nothing to block her mana sight.


    ¡°Looks like a giant waterfall,¡± Calen said, moving to stand beside her, staring at the phenomenon with a look of intense curiosity in his eyes. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ali looked again, and indeed there was a flow to it. But it was not the thunderous plunge of a river, but the viscous flow of dripping honey, drifting downward so slowly it had to be barely denser than the air itself.


    ¡°Is that the light mana from the condenser?¡± she asked out loud, suddenly making the connection in her mind. On the outer ring of the suspended city ruins, she remembered seeing liquid mana pouring out over the edge right before they were attacked by the Luminous Slimes.


    ¡°It would be the right place,¡± Calen said, confirming her guess. ¡°It lines up exactly with the ruins above us.¡± It was astounding how good his eyes were, even in the dark. Ali couldn¡¯t even make out the shadow of the suspended city far above, and without mana sight, she probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to see the bulk of the slowly trickling waterfall either.


    ¡°I wonder what we will find at the bottom?¡± Ali had expected this ground level to have changed from the peaceful farmlands that she had remembered. But what they had found was far beyond even her wildest guesses. Mana had warped everything down here, and whatever was at the bottom of that waterfall had to be the epicenter of all the light affinity monsters and plants, and oppressive mana that was beginning to dominate all else the closer they got.


    ¡°Whatever it is, I¡¯m not seeing any nature-influenced creatures or plants anymore,¡± Calen answered. He was the one ranging ahead and scouting their path, and Ali trusted him to make the assessment better than she would ¨C however, she had also noticed the change in the ambient mana, and the lack of green wisps, or nature mana plants or creatures where they had been so prevalent before. Even the smell of the air had shifted from growth to the strange pungent scent of air burnt by the intense beams of light emitted by some of the light elementals.


    As they continued to trek through the forest, the number of encounters grew. Fortunately, they were mostly stray Coruscant Rays hovering above, or the sweeping attacks of the swarming Glimmer Shards, or the occasional ooze, all easily dispatched with minimal injuries. Of the dangerous Radiant Brawlers, they found no signs, and the natural disaster of swarming Lux Drifters remained a one-off encounter.


    The pillar of light slowly dominated the skies as they drew nearer, shining down on them through the breaks in the canopy. Ali found herself drawn to study the phenomenon, as she slowly came to understand the sheer size of it. It was deceptive at a distance ¨C the way it trickled down, almost floating in the air, gave it a misleading impression of a lack of substance or weight ¨C but as they closed in on it, the illusion was dispelled. It was larger than several city blocks in width, and the sheer amount of liquid mana slowly pouring down was simply staggering.


    As she crested another rise, Ali became convinced that it was a miracle that so much mana had not simply obliterated everything in the entire area. She paused near the top, suddenly intensely aware that the entire hidden valley, just out of view on the other side, was pulsing with an intense glow of light.


    She climbed up the ridge to the top and was suddenly struck with a splitting headache that shot up behind her eyes as the valley suddenly came into view. She winced, recoiling from the sheer intensity of light inflicted directly on her mind through her mana sight.


    ¡°Ali! What¡¯s wrong?¡± Malika caught her before she slipped.


    ¡°It¡¯s just very bright,¡± she answered, shaking her head softly and trying in vain to block her senses. ¡°I can¡¯t turn off mana sight, give me a moment to get used to it.¡± It was one of the most obvious downsides the scholars had warned of in many texts ¨C otherwise powerful passive skills could often become liabilities in situations where you would rather not have the skill. If she ever encountered a monster that could blind her with this kind of intensity, she knew she would be in significant trouble.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± Mato said, obviously seeing what she couldn¡¯t yet make out. ¡°The entire valley is filled with brilliantly glowing trees and there is an enormous pool of light in the center.¡±


    ¡°We should be careful,¡± Calen cautioned. ¡°Look at this¡­¡±


    The white glowing text of Calen¡¯s shared notification popped up in Ali¡¯s mind. She found she was easily able to read it even though her perception of the outside world still hadn¡¯t quite recovered.


    Pool of Light


    Affinity: Light (Wild Magic)


    Age: Ancient


    Known Creatures: Elemental, Ooze, Wisp


    Spawning Pool


    Ali had never heard of such a thing, but even with the most obvious interpretation, it explained much of what they had encountered in the enormous underground cavern so far.


    Her eyes, or rather, her mana sight, slowly recovered, and with that, she was finally able to see the valley spreading out below her. The sides were lined with a dense growth of pine trees with needles of pure light, while at the center of the valley lay the intensely radiant pool of pure mana. All through the air above it, dancing and swooping and darting were elemental wisps ranging from pure white to dense yellow or blue colors. Globs of intensely glowing mana slowly descended, part of the waterfall, and as they touched the surface of the pool they were absorbed without a ripple.


    ¡°Ali, you should learn these trees,¡± Mato said, drawing her attention to one of the nearby glowing pine trees.


    ¡°What is a Larch?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s an unusual conifer ¨C it happens to be deciduous. It can lose its needles and sometimes has a bright yellow color. Although this one seems to have needles made of pure light mana, so it¡¯s probably always yellow or white,¡± Mato explained. ¡°I think this might go well with your lake, helping to resolve the light problem.¡±


    she thought, examining the tree.  It wasn¡¯t quite as tall as some of the oaks she had made, and certainly not nearly as broad, but if she planted several together in a small stand, she could imagine it would create quite a bit of light.


    ¡°They are stunning!¡± she said. Eagerly, Ali placed her hand on the tree and deconstructed it, and then selected several more as they slowly made their way down the slope toward the pool. As normal, she tried to vary her choices as much as possible to give her Grimoire the broadest range of variance to commit to its pages. She wasn¡¯t quite certain it made a lot of difference, but at least for level spread, she knew she could only make variants at the levels she had learned, so she tried to select some of the highest and lowest-level trees available.


    The air buzzed and flittered, filled with wisps, and glowing butterflies, and in the distance over the pool she could even make out swooping shapes of larger creatures that circled up and away into the darkness, leaving trails of light in their wake.


    Her study was suddenly interrupted by the sensation of holy magic settling into her body, filling her with a sense of ease and healing. It was only then that she realized her health had been slowly draining away, point by point.


    ¡°The air is dangerous,¡± Malika said, meeting her gaze as her healing magic flickered through her body.


    But it wasn¡¯t quite the air that was the problem. It was the ambient mana, now so dense and thick that it was burning them with its power and potency. The closer they approached the spawning pool the more she could feel the burn on her skin, and deep within her lungs.


    ¡°If it gets too strong, we should back out,¡± Ali said, checking on her Acolytes. It seemed they were not struggling yet, and she was rather curious to see the pool, but not enough that she would risk too much danger for it.


    And suddenly there it was. The thicket of pine trees ¨C larches ¨C ended right beside the lake, and as she stepped out between the final trunks, the entire expanse of the lake spread out in front of her, utterly and eerily still. It glowed with a gorgeous, shimmering beauty like amber lit from within. It reminded her of the lake she had made but instead of mana-purified water it was filled with liquid light-affinity mana ¨C which was vastly more intense, fed continuously by the enormous waterfall running down from the unseen ruined condenser above.


    ¡°It¡¯s uncanny how there are no ripples or splashes,¡± Malika observed.


    ¡°Mana,¡± Ali explained, but in truth, she had never seen liquid mana like this before. She watched, mesmerized for quite some time, studying the surface of the lake and how the globs of liquid mana simply poured in without disturbing the smoothness. A sudden ripple disturbed the surface, looking surprisingly out of place. It churned and bulged upward, and then with a strange sucking noise, something rose out of the lake, hovering there for a moment in the glow. With a shiver through its round body, the brand new Coruscant Ray shook off the residual mana, dropping it to the once again smooth surface of the lake, took off into the air, and with a flick of its wings, spiraled around the giant waterfall and flew off into the darkness.


    ¡°We probably shouldn¡¯t stick around here long,¡± Malika said, interrupting her wandering thoughts, ¡°before that thing spawns something dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Ali should get one of those first,¡± Mato said, pointing to the bank, where one of the trees lay fallen half in and half out of the lake. All along its decaying bark grew mushrooms that glowed with an intense light, ranging from tiny to some that were as large as a dinner plate.


    ¡°Oh!¡± The mushrooms were rather pretty, and Ali could immediately imagine growing them all around her forest. She still liked her arcane mushrooms, but these were pretty too. she thought, recalling how plants with affinities other than arcane or nature seemed to suppress her domain in the immediate area they had been planted.


    ¡°Do you mind? It shouldn¡¯t take long,¡± Ali asked, turning to Malika.


    ¡°I think it should be ok, as long as you use your barrier and we come along to protect you just in case,¡± Malika answered, eyeing the surface of the lake suspiciously.


    Excited once again, Ali approached the downed tree and began deconstructing as many mushrooms as she could, working efficiently so that Malika didn¡¯t have to worry more than necessary. Whatever else she thought of this place with mana so intense it was burning her skin, it was certainly a treasure trove, expanding her repertoire of variants imprinted into her Grimoire.


    It was as she was deconstructing the fifth mushroom that the lake surface right beside her rippled and erupted as four tentacle-like appendages shot out toward her, glowing with power.


    Ali reflexively summoned a barrier, but it was Malika stepping in the way that saved her from the deadly beams of light that shot out, tearing through the ground and trees nearby, leaving smoking trails along Malika¡¯s body.


    Malika


    Malika hissed in pain as the intense, focused beams burned through her skin and muscles with the sudden scent of meat sizzling on a hot pan. She healed herself against the onslaught, shifting her body directly into the path of a beam to prevent the powerful magic from reaching Ali who was hiding behind a barrier that would be unable to protect her.


    She had been nervous about approaching the dangerous spawning pool, and so she had been staring right at it when the Radiant Brawler had spawned, disturbing the uncanny smoothness of the surface. As it burst out of the lake, she sprang into action instantly with Divine Step, barely fast enough to interpose herself between the attack and its obvious target. Overriding her instinct to dodge with Enlightened Evasion, to get intentionally burnt to the bone, had taken an act of will, but she knew she would survive facing the full power of the brawler head-on, whereas Ali, with her much lower health, might not have.


    The ¡®water¡¯ on the lake¡¯s surface rippled again.


    Two huge, squat forms emerged from the lake flanking the first one, tentacles reaching, massive jaws open displaying rows of sharp teeth, shedding gobs of liquid mana from their bodies. The intensity of their magic glowed powerfully, hurting her eyes, but she kept her focus knowing she would be the only one able to keep up with these monsters.


    It was the worst situation she could have imagined, sprung on her in an instant. The anxiety of anticipated pain mingled with uncertainty, creating an uncomfortable concoction that settled uneasily within her mind. But what choice did she have? Ali was still vulnerable, scrambling backward to safety, seemingly moving in slow motion as Malika¡¯s Martial Artist kicked in, seamlessly accelerating her reflexes to match the hasted elemental before her.


    She would just need to tank all of them until they had the opportunity to flee. But what such an opportunity might look like eluded her.


    Malika lashed out with a quick punch, connecting with the large jaw of the eyeless monster in front of her. Instantly its form blurred into the telltale afterimages as it teleported away to gain the advantage of distance. She ignored it, charging the two newcomers who were barely out of the lake by the time her flying kicks connected.


    Beside her, Mato roared his challenge, but the three Radiant Brawlers ignored him, either able to resist his Taunt, or simply not seeing him as any kind of competent threat. It made sense because they were dancing circles around his comparatively slow swipes, making him look like he was flailing blindly at a swarm of mosquitoes.


    She stepped up to the brawler Mato was trying to hit, unleashing two rapid kicks, and following them with a high-speed dodge-and-block exchange as it retaliated with whip-strikes of the powerful tentacles, and the grinding snap of its giant maw. She pushed her body to the absolute limits of her speed, barely able to hold her own against the onslaught. But despite how much her skills had grown, as soon as the third brawler entered the fray, she began to fall behind. Lashing attacks struck her arms and legs, drawing blood that arced through the air in slow sprays of crimson droplets as the monsters¡¯ magic clawed at her mana. She ducked and weaved, but the brilliant flares of the beam attacks seared through her muscles, burning her to the bone, disrupting her rhythm and speed as she was forced to heal her body in order to even move.


    The thought which should have been one of absolute terror, drifted across her calm mind. She was experiencing the emotions that came attached with the dark thoughts, but her Clarity kept her mind still and focused during battle. She was effectively on her own against three elementals, all of which were higher level, more powerful, and faster than she was. The only help she was able to rely on was the consistent pulse of holy healing magic Ali¡¯s minions were sending her way. If she let the brawlers reach the little Kobold Acolytes, it would all be over in a flash.


    An incandescent arrow trailing a chain of light whipped past her left ear, but the Brawler it had been aimed at effortlessly avoided it. Calen¡¯s unimpressed hiss clearly rued the waste of mana.


    She dodged again, spinning on a tight axis, before landing on one foot and ducking, avoiding the scathing beams before blocking a rapid set of lashing strikes.


    She glanced over at Mato who usually took the tanking role for their team. The swipes with his claws and his attempts to reach the monsters appeared ungainly and slow ¨C useless against the incredible haste of these glowing brawlers with their instantaneous beam attacks and flurries of whips and bites.


    She took another beam, this time to her back, unable to react to the brawler appearing behind her after a teleport. As the searing pain shot through her body, she desperately tried to turn to face the threat while healing herself. But she had left herself open and was instantly punished by the crunch of teeth through her arm as the nearest flanking monster¡¯s maw bit down, shattering bone.


    As she realized her mistake, she suddenly saw the glimmer of a way out.


    ¡°Mato, stay put!¡± she yelled, seeing his surprised expression growing on his bear face with comedic slowness.


    She unleashed a vicious low kick, with all her strength behind it, connecting with the nearest brawler¡¯s knee, and sprinted sideways, drawing the monsters with her, aiming carefully to draw her target right past Mato, while trying to recall the specifics of his potent retaliation skill.


    She drew the hasted elemental up to Mato, right past his face and still, it was too fast for him to connect with. But as she ran by, the monster kept its focus on her, ignoring Mato. His paw suddenly moved with unbelievable speed, blurred in her perception even under the influence of her haste, accelerated reflexes, and perception, connecting solidly with the brawler. The power of his strike drove the heavier monster bodily to the ground, causing it to stumble, and sending blue glowing blood spraying across her face from the sheer force of ripping claws. Roots sprang from the ground, ensnaring the monster, and in that instant, it blurred, teleporting to escape.


    Despite her dire circumstances, Malika grinned.  All she had to do was draw the monsters past Mato and she could abuse his retaliation skill to get more damage.


    The brawler that had teleported to escape the roots charged across the sandy lake shore, directly to Mato, laying into the slow bear with a fury of attacks that he was powerless to defend against.


    Malika charged in behind the monster, drawing the other two with her, hoping to use Mato¡¯s retaliation strike again. But this time, she unleashed her punches at the brawler attacking Mato, choosing to use her new Mana Strike advance. An electrifying rush of energy filled her mind as her punches connected, her magic no longer doing damage, but instead attacking the mana of the elemental directly, and leeching some of it away to replenish her own. The rush of new mana felt exhilarating as she immediately turned it into more stamina to fuel her Divine Step, and her punches and blocks.


    The Radiant Brawler reacted instantly, furiously rounding on her with lashing strikes. And the instant she drew the furious attention of the elemental away from Mato, his Battle Master retaliation struck again, blurring with speed and power and leaving the brawler trapped in the roots ¨C this time unable to teleport away until its escape skill recharged.


    Calen lost absolutely no time, peppering the pinned monster with incandescent arrows as Ali¡¯s swerving Arcane Bolts all homed in on the suddenly pinned monster.


    Malika sprinted away, drawing one of the other brawlers through the area of Mato¡¯s reach. He struck a second time, provoking the teleport to escape.


    But as the afterimages faded, and the teleporting monster manifested right into the path of a radiant arrow trailing a chain of light. Calen¡¯s binding magic wrapped around the monster, tethering it to the ground in an instant and suddenly the slippery elemental had to contend with the full onslaught of Ali¡¯s mages.


    Unexpectedly finding herself enjoying the encounter, she ducked and dodged as she worked on circling back toward Mato¡¯s position, weaving in her most cunning blocks and sidesteps as the monster chasing her caught up. Keeping her eyes on the greater battle, she ducked under a beam attack and rolled to her right side, seeing it slicing through trees in the distance. She felt the pressure, but it was clear that her discovery had greatly lessened the volume of attacks on her. Mato seemed to be enjoying walloping the pinned monster in front of him while it was unable to escape. She dodged a second beam but stood firm, taking the third aimed for her friends on her chest, healing against the searing burn that threatened to punch right through her.


    She took a brief moment to survey the battlefield, noting the slow-motion firebolts, arrows, and other magic flying around. Only Ali¡¯s arcane magic seemed to hit with any consistency.


    She decided it would likely be her most effective strategy. Something about her Mana Strike attack was threatening enough to the monsters that they were willing to ignore Mato to attack her when she used it, which gave her a good idea that they needed their mana and were willing to fight to keep it.


    she thought, considering how she might use every detail to her advantage.


    She launched herself toward Mato, drawing in a new target for him to hit, just as the first one finally teleported out of its entangling roots. As soon as Mato unleashed his retaliation, she chased down the escaped brawler, unleashing a flurry of punches, each strike sipping from its mana pool and provoking its ire. It worked almost like a Taunt.


    She continued ping-ponging the brawlers into Mato¡¯s reach, quickly becoming more proficient at timing their teleport recharge so that they couldn¡¯t escape as easily. Each time she had a few extra moments, she attacked the mana of the brawler that was still leaking blue blood from Mato¡¯s initial strike.


    It was a good ten minutes before she drew her target into Mato¡¯s range, punching it relentlessly, but as she did, suddenly the monster¡¯s glow dimmed substantially, and its movement slowed. Malika¡¯s punch landed, but she came back empty ¨C no exhilarating rush of stolen mana surging through her mind.


    She knew how it felt to have her own mana pool drained till her enhancement skills dropped, and it was satisfying to turn the tables on the brawlers. She didn¡¯t know how Mato was coping with the loss of mana, but he seemed to be doing just fine.


    She dodged out, seeing Calen¡¯s arrows easily tracking the no-longer hasted brawler, followed quickly by a host of magical attacks from Ali¡¯s minions.


    She turned her attention to her next opponent.


    ***


    Malika was exhausted after going all out for so long, but she smiled happily. The battle had required speed and tactical problem-solving, and she had quite enjoyed pushing her class to the maximum.


    ¡°That was a great idea,¡± Mato exclaimed happily as he grinned at her.


    ¡°You like being used like that?¡±


    ¡°Hell yes, I got to fight because of you!¡±


    she thought. But it did feel good to be critical to their little team¡¯s success, so she totally understood him.


    ¡°Nice work on anticipating the teleports, Calen,¡± she said.


    ¡°There¡¯s a bit of a trick to it, the way the afterimages flicker has a detectable pattern,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to teach me how to see that,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Malika agreed. ¡°Either way, it took a lot of the pressure off.¡±


    As Ali finished deconstructing the monsters, several small motes of brilliant light floated out from the dispersing mana of the brawlers.


    Mana: Combine 3 Lesser Radiant Essence into one Radiant Essence


    Value: 5 gold


    Reagent ¨C Mana Essence


    Malika quickly collected and stored them in her ring before they floated away. Belatedly, she remembered to check her notifications.


    Her class skills had grown dramatically from just one fight, and some of her lesser-used skills too.  But she supposed it made sense ¨C it had been a long fight, and she had been going all out the entire time ¨C and using haste, she attacked vastly more frequently. Divine Step and Second Wind had been crucial to her strategy, and they had grown the most.


    Keeping to her usual distribution, Malika assigned three of the points to dexterity, two each to wisdom, vitality, and endurance, and put the last point into perception. As soon as she finished distributing her points, her notification chime sounded once again.


    Making a hiss of satisfaction between her teeth that drew knowing grins from her companions, she checked the details at once.


    Divine Step ¨C level 20


    Stamina: Channel your energy through your body and to the immediate environment around you to control your momentum, significantly increasing your combat and movement speed.


    You can step, push, or jump off your own energy extended into the space around you.


    Soul, Movement, Haste, Dexterity


    ¡°Oh, this looks nice,¡± she said, sharing her Divine Step advancement with her friends. Fighting at maximum haste must have been unlocked in this fight just now, but the overhead strike kill had to have been her climbing the wall above Ali¡¯s fireball and dropping down to kill Edrik.


    ¡°Is that an air-walk  double-jump skill?¡± Calen asked, arriving at precisely the same conclusion she had.


    The way she read it, this advancement built upon the movement trait of her skill, allowing her to perform her acrobatic feats without necessarily requiring a wall. If she could jump off the air, she would be able to reach fairly impressive heights. But she presumed that with some practice and advancement, the ¡®step¡¯ part meant she might be able to run for short distances without any support.


    She quickly accepted the advancement, and then took a step, channeling her stamina into her new skill. Her foot found purchase in the air a little above the ground as the energy of her magic infused the space, and she stepped onto it, surprised that it didn¡¯t let her fall.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s impressive,¡± Ali exclaimed. ¡°Now you can fly, too!¡±


    ¡°I have to channel stamina into it continuously to avoid falling, so I can¡¯t do it indefinitely.¡± But she could run on air. She sprinted around for a few moments, getting used to the effect, finding the skill surprisingly intuitive to use.


    she thought, her mind already throwing dozens of ideas at her for how she could enhance her fighting style.


    ¡°Ali, are you alright?¡± Mato broke in, sounding worried.


    ¡°Feeling pretty woozy, actually,¡± she admitted.


    Malika grimaced. ¡°Woozy? You look terrible, actually. How about we get out of here? I could use some downtime too.¡±

 Chapter 104: Calligraphy Workbook

    Chapter 104: Calligraphy WorkbookAliandra Ali stretched and sat up, unhurriedly freeing herself from her sleeping bag, reflecting on just how much the small comforts of a good tent and warm sleeping gear had improved her quality of life.


    Yesterday she had gone to bed with a throbbing headache ¨C the result of cumulative stress and pressure of the intensely oppressive mana she had endured as they explored the lake of light and its ability to spawn elemental monsters. She had been feeling so out of it that she had not even checked her own notifications.


    she reflected, considering her experience with the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra respawning wolves on top of them as they explored. The qualities of the jungle seemed much wilder, chaotic, and less planned or purposeful than the two dungeons she had experienced so far. And yet, it was still a mana phenomenon that claimed an entire area, spawning dangerous monsters within it.


    she thought.


    She pursed her lips. In her eagerness to secure the Luminous Glowcap mushroom imprint, she had exposed herself and her friends to the dangers of the spawning pool. The battle against the brawlers by the lake of light had been challenging, but fortunately, Malika had been able to take care of the situation. Her tactical combat awareness had provided a rather remarkable solution to the problem of haste ¨C Ali had watched in amazement as her friend had learned to exploit Mato¡¯s skills to defeat the elementals in real time. Her personal involvement had been simple ¨C unable to keep up with the speed of battle, she had helped mop up the monsters as soon as Malika rendered them relatively helpless by draining their mana. But the whole situation could have been avoided if she had listened to Malika and ignored the pretty mushrooms in the first place.


    Ali assigned two points to perception and four each to intelligence and wisdom and then turned to the rest of her notifications, sorting through just the list of new variants she had learned. Undoubtedly, her Grimoire had shown the biggest source of growth in the rich jungle. Ignoring the many mundane trees, mushrooms, and mosses she had learned, she focused instead on just the variants with light mana affinities ¨C the variants she thought had the largest potential for practical use.


    The oozes were interesting, simply for the fact that she could share them with Naia. Besides that, Ali wasn¡¯t certain how she could take advantage of the swarming Lux Drifter, but it did have the ability to fly ¨C something she had come to learn was remarkably powerful in combat. The Sparkling Ooze attack seemed to be an alternative to fireball ¨C the standard fire version seemed more powerful, but having an alternative mana type might prove useful. Also, the Sparkling Oozes were substantially higher level than her Fire Mages.


    The elementals wouldn¡¯t be immediately useful to her, given she probably couldn¡¯t summon live ones. But she was eager to study them in the same way she had studied the Glimmer Shards ¨C who knew what she might unlock from them?


    But it was her new plants that held most of her immediate excitement. Emerging from her tent, she found their camp around the shrine to be quiet, other than her minions, only Malika was up, and she was keeping watch in meditation. Her eyes drifted to the obvious squishy lumps of dead Toxic Slimes that had crept into her domain overnight and had run afoul of her minions.


    Choosing not to disturb her friend, Ali hopped onto a barrier and slowly flew off toward the glowing blue lake with several of her minions following along to act as escorts. Since the destruction of the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra dungeon, there had been no more respawned dungeon monsters, however, more and more often of late, kobolds or slimes wandered into her domain and she woke to find occasional corpses littering the moss among her trees. She was well aware of how vulnerable she was without her minions, and so it was prudent to keep an escort at all times.


    Grounding herself on the bank of her lake, she idly reflected on how much more calming hers was compared to the aggressive intensity of the spawning pool they had found yesterday. Her lake was calm and clear, with soft ripples on the surface scattering the gentle blue glow all about. Deep within the pristine mana-purified water, she could clearly make out the knots of mana that represented her Aetheric Slimes swimming or crawling around on the bottom. She watched for a while as they wandered about and then summoned a new group and turned them loose on the lake. They barely cost any mana at all.


    She turned her attention to the surrounding terrain, choosing a promising spot next to the bank of the lake bordering up against a rocky wall. The hard-packed stony ground wasn¡¯t particularly suited to growing anything, so it was currently empty.


    Pouring mana into her newest skill, she began sculpting the terrain, flattening sections, and pulverizing rock, turning it into gravel and sand with the simple application of willpower and mana.


    she thought, examining the now-sloped ground critically. Summoning her Grimoire, she turned to the chapter for the stone imprint and began to summon what was likely her strongest stone ¨C the Aether-Fused Obsidian she had learned from Naia¡¯s dungeon. However, for this task, it wasn¡¯t the strength that she wanted. Ali was rather enamored by the midnight-black, vitreous rock, and how it might contrast with the light. She turned mana into stone, and bent it with her Domain Mastery, shaping and sculpting it into several large, layered terraces.


    When she was finally satisfied by the rapid terrain adjustment, Ali turned to the tree imprint, and filled the area, planting a dense stand of Radiant Larch trees, trying to emulate the density and growth patterns she had observed from the jungle valley. In a surprisingly short time, she had a respectable stand of trees that together put out an impressive amount of yellow-white light, contrasting well against the blue of the lake, and the stark black of the terrace walls.


    she thought as the notifications sounded in response to her efforts.


    Switching imprints, Ali filled the spaces between the trees with Luminous Glowcaps ¨C the mushrooms she had won for the cost of a probably unnecessary fight ¨C and Glow Moss. The new plants quickly hooked their mana into her domain structure, but as she had observed before, the incompatible mana affinity had the effect of suppressing her domain somewhat in the immediate area. It wasn¡¯t such a big deal though, she had space to spare, and she had already grown her domain capacity so far in excess of what she could add to her mana pool that she could probably afford a lot more areas like this without impacting her strength.


    she thought, examining the results of her labors. She found she didn¡¯t mind the interference with her domain one bit, and she was smiling happily when she returned to camp.


    There was no sign of the boys waking, so she took her time, deconstructing the corpses of monsters her minions had defeated overnight. When she settled herself down onto the moss carpet near the shrine, Malika looked up to greet her with a smile but immediately returned to the subject of her focused attention. Curious, Ali watched. Malika sat cross-legged with some paper across her lap. With great focus ¨C and the point of her tongue sticking out the corner of her mouth ¨C Malika was drawing repeated sequences of symbols that seemed to require painstaking attention to detail.


    ¡°What are you working on?¡± Ali asked, observing the next attempt to draw a difficult symbol, crammed into the only remaining open space on her page.


    ¡°Practicing my Calligraphy. I haven¡¯t had time to work on it in a while,¡± Malika said, taking exaggerated care to form the curve of the next symbol.


    ¡°What language is that?¡± The script had a beautiful curving flow to it that Ali found mesmerizing, and even the path of the pen seemed to evoke Malika¡¯s uniquely graceful, flowing style of combat.


    ¡°It¡¯s Ahn Khen ¨C the language of my ancestors.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you could teach me sometime?¡±


    Malika looked up at Ali for a moment with a strangely sad, wistful expression on her face. ¡°There are very few books left in the Ahn Khen language. In Bakahn Village, where I grew up, the children were taught to read and write in Common instead. It¡¯s far more useful. Ahn Khen is only taught at sixteen to those who wish to study the books of the Elders or the Nine Paths of Ahn Khen ¨C but so few copies are even left that the language is dying. The Elder who lived in Bakahn was one of the few entrusted with a surviving copy of the Nine Paths, and I had been looking forward to studying it when I was old enough. But the village was razed in the dungeon-break, and it was all lost, so all I have is a few children¡¯s rhymes.¡±


    She began a sing-song chant pointing at each symbol in turn, explaining how the rhyme enumerated the various basic punching and kicking techniques in her drills.


    Ali ignored the sensation of Sage of Learning depleting her mana pool, simply fascinated at the intonation and the rare intimate insight into the sadness of Malika¡¯s past life.


    Malika fell silent for a while and then tsked quietly as she turned the paper over several times, but finding no room for more practice, she made it, and her pen, vanish before settling back into her familiar meditation pose.


    Ali thought. Calen had complained that he was running low on mana potions again, Malika was clearly out of practice paper for her calligraphy, and Ali wanted to visit with Ryn. But Calen and Mato were both still asleep, and there was no urgency to wake them early. The underground jungle would certainly keep while the two slugabeds caught up on their beauty sleep.


    Ali sat quietly beside her friend and pulled out her Grimoire, making it hover in front of her ¨C just above her lap. If the boys were going to be a while, and Malika was going to meditate, she was going to take the opportunity to study her magic a little. It had been too long since she had really dug into the spell construction, and she had some of the most advanced inscribed runic magic at her disposal, simply waiting for her to take time aside from all the monster-slaying and exploring.


    She paged to the chapter on her elementals, thinking of studying some of the new ones she had just learned, but then she glanced back at Malika. With the nascent stirring of an idea in the back of her mind, she turned back to her book imprint. She stopped and stared at the chapter for a long moment. It had been a traumatic day when she had forced herself to learn this, and so far, it had provided no value. She had told herself she would keep it for study, and hopefully turn it into something worthwhile, but she knew she had been avoiding it.


    she thought, glancing at Malika once again and then back to the softly gleaming runes on the page in front of her.  Focusing on her mana sight, she activated her Sage of Learning, entering the study trance seamlessly as she began to feed mana into the imprint. For now, she simply watched it form, trying to understand the major flows and connections as the runic expressions leapt from the page, swirling, and combining in a stunning dance of nigh incomprehensible complexity.


    The spell completed, and a small, brown leather-bound book dropped into her lap, barely missing the hovering Grimoire. Without dropping her study trance, she picked up her creation and opened it, studying the text within. It was a complex jumbled mishmash of script and language ¨C some words recognizable as Dwarven or Elvish, but many were simply mixed combinations of many languages and alphabets.


    She focused her mind on recalling the shape of the magic as it had unfolded before her ¨C the enormous complexity somehow magically recorded within her memory in extraordinary detail, thanks to her Sage of Learning. It was like trying to untangle an entire ball of knotted twine using only her mind. In the end, she was only able to decipher a few tenuous connections using her powerful skill and the understanding that came from the Basic Customization advancement for her Grimoire. Figuring out how to stitch together an intelligible textbook or story seemed so far beyond her current capability that she felt a pang of sharp disappointment and despair before she reminded herself that she was after something vastly simpler.


    Regardless of how complex the magic was, she had the unique advantage of her Sage of Learning to enhance her memory and the connections or any patterns she could find. And most importantly, she could repeat the test as frequently as she wanted. So, she did just that, pouring her mana into making book after book, repeatedly studying the formation of the magic, drilling into the precise connections and how the text was created, how the variations interacted, and where it all came from. With each try, she teased apart the threads of the Gordian Knot just a little further and gained just a little more insight as to the construct she was studying.


    Ali took a deep breath, and turned on her Inspiration, sitting quietly for a moment as her mana replenished. To one side, she had a rather substantial pile of discarded books, all of which were worthless gibberish. But the size of the pile was an eloquent representation of her painstaking progress at understanding this spell.


    She had a second powerful tool to bring to bear on this problem. And it was wrapped up in her Grimoire¡¯s advancement ¨C she was able to modify the selection of variations with her skill. It was not something she felt in any way proficient at, but she could certainly change things in the middle of the construction. If she could repeatedly create more and more, while studying what exactly the ramifications of her changes were, she would be able to explore her skill in far more detail.


    Chuckling to herself at a mental picture of being buried under an avalanche of useless books, she set to work.


    Her first several attempts were disasters ¨C books without pages, books without covers, loose collections of decayed paper. Even one loose collection of unbound mana that simply disintegrated with a weak pop. But with each failure, she homed in on the regions of the imprint that affected the text that would go into the book, and she got better remarkably quickly. Her Sage of Learning began drawing more and more mana with each attempt but providing more and more insights, connections, and possibilities to try next.


    She made another book, warping the text variations, but still getting a garbled output. She studied the output of the book, tying the random text back to her memory of what had changed in the spell¡¯s construction before discarding it onto her ever-growing pile of failed attempts.


    Something in the last attempt had seemed to ¡®click¡¯ in her mind, although it seemed like a double-edged sword. If she was right, it meant her Grimoire had not stored the individual books separately ¨C the original meaning forever lost to the entropy in the encoding ¨C and her desire to unravel the mess was a fool¡¯s errand. But it also showed her how she could perhaps influence the text herself to reach her modest goal.


    The threads of understanding blended with the flickers of mana as she wielded her magic to create a new custom book. Holding all the moving pieces in her mind simultaneously strained her mental capacity immensely. Still, she simply leaned into her focus, enjoying the challenge of creating something new, understanding the pathways, and stitching it all back together into a new pattern.


    The sensory experience of creating with magic.


    The small book dropped into her lap, and she cautiously opened it, examining the results. Her heart leapt to find the first two pages blank, but it was not perfect. Everything else in the small book was still filled with gibberish. She examined her memory of the attempt, studying it, searching for the place where it might have gone wrong. And finally, she found it ¨C a small detail she had overlooked that had resulted in her customization being ignored for the remainder of the book.


    As she examined the mistake, several important structures in the magic of her imprint suddenly became clear to her. The way the text was created, the way it was transmitted to the construction becoming a part of the page ¨C even the way the cover was produced. She could see how she was simply at the precipice of an enormous valley of potential with her customization, most of it well beyond her current skill, but still visible as a perhaps lofty far-off goal to be achieved.


    she thought, pouring her mana into another book. This time she wielded her magic with clear purpose and precision, weaving the spells and runic constructions to create her will. When the proper moment arose, she seized it, pouring more mana into her Runic Script, and feeding it into the creation that was materializing before her. When the spell completed, she knew it was perfect, even without looking. The lines of magic were all understood, the connections were all in place, and it had snapped together correctly.


    But of course, she still seized the book instantly, excited to check her work. In her hands, she found a small brown bound book, full of blank pages, just like she had envisioned. As she closed it, she saw the softly glowing golden runes on the cover ¨C the magical script she had injected using her Runic Script ¨C spelling out ¡®Malika¡¯. She smiled at the result, excited that it had worked, and even more so, that it looked remarkably elegant. The runes picking out Malika¡¯s name were not organized in any formal magical construction but were imbued with her arcane mana. They glowed softly golden in the same way that many authors of magical texts chose to demonstrate the value of the content within.


    Ali had been well-trained for research and study. A single success was easily attributed to fluke or chance. So, without much thought, she channeled her mana into replicating her new understanding by creating a second blank book with Malika¡¯s name inscribed on the cover. The second book was completed perfectly. She was making extensive use of customization to suppress the natural text in the book, but she had made no effort to influence any of the other variant properties, so this second book turned out to be much larger, with many more pages, bound with a blue scaled leather that looked like it might have come from some kind of lizard or wyvern. Again, the runes on the front cover representing Malika¡¯s name glowed with the soft light of her mana, and she quickly verified that the entire book had been created blank.


    Ali thought, carefully setting both of her successes on the ground in front of Malika for her to find when she was done with her meditation and then she deconstructed the entire large pile of her failed attempts and sat back closing her eyes while waiting for Inspiration to restore her mana.


    Relaxing quietly, she smiled. She was no longer using her Sage of Learning, but she still reflected on the memory of the complex spell construction she had wrought. Four skill increases were a substantial gain for a single study session, but, more importantly, Ali could sense a powerful new grasp of what her Grimoire customization was potentially capable of. She had inserted her Runic Script on a hunch, based on how she had understood the magical construction in a moment of inspiration. She knew she was barely scratching the surface of understanding, but the potential of what she had achieved seemed unlimited. With enough study, how much could she change?


    The tantalizing thought sent a thrill of excitement through her, like opening the door to a fresh spring morning, and the excitement of discovering what might be out there.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Malika¡¯s surprised exclamation pulled Ali out of her reverie, and she looked over to find Malika turning one of the books over in her hands.


    ¡°I was studying my magic and that came out. I thought you could use it for your calligraphy.¡±


    ¡°Ali, it has my name on it,¡± Malika said, holding it up and pointing to the glowing runes. ¡°You made this on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali admitted, feeling a little embarrassed. ¡°I saw you struggling to find space on your paper, so I thought I would try. I didn¡¯t know if I could do it, so I didn¡¯t tell you. But it worked!¡± Ali couldn¡¯t keep the excitement out of her voice at the end. The fact that she had been able to turn her book imprint into something useful had meant more than she had expected ¨C even something as trivial as a blank workbook for Malika to practice calligraphy.


    ¡°That¡¯s really thoughtful, thank you,¡± Malika said. And before Ali could wonder if she really meant it, Malika¡¯s pen appeared in her hand and she opened the larger book, immediately returning to her calligraphy practice.


    ***


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 Chapter 105: The Herbalist’s Choice

    Chapter 105: The Herbalist¡¯s ChoiceEliyen Mistwood Eliyen¡¯s hands and mana flowed in the precise, familiar patterns of the skills she had been using daily for more than a century, tending to the shrubs and herbs in her garden ¨C the small space of peace she had carved out amid the urban stress of Myrin¡¯s Keep that she had come, out of necessity, to call her home. The dappled light of the late dawn sun filtered through the branches of the trees she had grown from seedlings to chase away the remnants of dew beading their leaves.


    It was not that the plants needed her tender care and adjustment, but it was a place of quiet for her to think. With the developments of the last few days, she had a lot weighing on her mind.


    She idly adjusted the mana flows between several of the plants and pruned a few dead twigs from a nearby bush. The plants communicated emotions of contentment and peacefulness in the slow measured way plants always did as the garden settled back into harmonious balance. She studied the flows of mana and the subtle interactions and interplay through the garden, pursing her lips and nodding in satisfaction. The itch of the minor imbalances to the ecosystem of her safe space slowly faded. She sighed.


    Her hands continued to flicker across the bushes, pruning and cleaning automatically without thought, healing the scars, and encouraging new growth with deft applications of her nature magic.


    When her shameful heart, full of vengeance, had been revealed by the Ahn Khen girl, Eliyen had been certain her scheme had been wrecked, but somehow Aliandra had accepted anyway.


    Eliyen had not considered it much at the time, but she was always mistrustful of those who claimed to want to do good for its own sake. Others may find her to be cynical, perhaps, but it was a truth wrested from pain and betrayal.


    Yet when Aliandra had dangled the possibility of revenge and closure before her, she had ignored all her decades of experience. She had given her word to a stranger and bankrupted herself on the endeavor. All the signs had been there, and yet she had chosen to ignore them. She snorted. She was no youth, barely past her fifth decade.


    She stored a few trimmings and sprigs that she could use for her tinctures and extracts, examining the bush before moving on to the next one. With a few days to think, and consider the implications, the worry had begun to creep in. For several weeks, now, she had noticed a growing, pervasive sense of mana welling up from somewhere, influencing the growth of her plants. Stories from Basil, and his unfortunate choice of class, and various other unrelated odds-and-ends had been circling in her mind, trying to find a place to sprout.


    This morning, before dawn, she had finally unpacked her wooden staff from where it had lain unused in her bedroom for decades and made the journey through the sewers and down into the surprisingly vast underground forest below, following the trail of the mana. The descent into the dense domain had filled her with a fear she had not experienced in ages. Despite her relatively high level and her staff, she was still a non-combat herbalist, and one did not easily forget the unmistakable, overwhelming pressure of the dense structured mana of a dungeon. Aliandra¡¯s domain was filled with the richness of life and nature but carried a backbone of sparkling golden arcane mana that sent prickles and jolts through her senses. Mana propagated by the Blue Mana Grass Basil had gifted her, now growing everywhere she could see, and the Common Glowcaps that dotted the vast, dark cavern.


    But no monsters had leaped from the shadows to maul her. Instead, she had found herself standing on the bank of a glowing blue lake filled with the tiny mushrooms she had sent Aliandra questing for. All about were trees, mushrooms, and moss in surprising varieties ¨C including a luminous bright stand of trees with beautifully fluted trunks that glowed with the intensity of daylight.


    Aliandra had certainly fulfilled her end of their bargain and brought the mana-purified water to this town.


    The evidence was incontrovertible, and yet even now Eliyen¡¯s mind struggled with the enormity of her unbelievable discovery. She had struggled to believe it the first time Aliandra had related her conversation with Volle¡¯s dungeon, but now she had seen it with her own eyes. It flew in the face of everything she had believed, everything she had been taught.


    Eliyen continued moving among the plants in her little garden, collecting the necessary clippings and cuttings as her mind continued to wrestle with her dilemma. Her heart told her that the Fae was trustworthy and sincere, but years of experience told her that dungeons were tricky, fickle, and infinitely dangerous.


    She hadn¡¯t known that Aliandra was a dungeon when she had sent her out on her quest ¨C she hadn¡¯t appreciated the danger she was getting herself into.


    She swallowed uncomfortably.Even if it meant danger to herself, her word was sacred. Going back on her promise would betray the core of who she was.


    Her youth had been filled with dreams of helping people, easing their suffering by providing much-needed potions and elixirs ¨C the fruits of her labor and skill. Life had instead handed her suffering, and hardship, and hardened her heart by leaking in vengeance, anger, and frustration. Somehow, the shiny dreams of youth had become tarnished and damaged with the passage of years and the collision with the harsh reality of the world. Here she was, in Myrin¡¯s Keep, without enough wealth to make any difference at all, struggling to keep afloat amid the predatory taxes of the Town Watch, and the interest on her loans. Her sole achievement of the last decade had been her scheme of vengeance against Volle.


    Her attention returned to the present and the garden that provided her with an anchor, her safe space, knowing that without securing a profitable arrangement with Aliandra, she would lose it all to her creditors.


    The thought appeared in her mind like a startling chime, causing her to pause mid-action, her pruning tool frozen for several long seconds. It would certainly explain her friends and the lack of monsters in her forest.


    she finally decided. There would be mayhem, and worse, if word got out.


    She needed the mana-purified water for the potions she planned to make. It was a modest vision, but if she could secure a good agreement, Myrin¡¯s Keep would become the source of some of the most sought-after elixirs and potions, saving lives throughout the nearby towns and cities ¨C a small homage to her youthful dream. And she would keep her garden.


    ¡°Basil,¡± she called out as she entered the house. ¡°Please fetch my paper and ink.¡± Aliandra had said she could be contacted through the Adventurers Guild if she wasn¡¯t otherwise available, and it was time to write the Guildmaster a note. She considered how she should approach it, mind racing. There was no way Vivian Ross did not know what Aliandra was. Eliyen shuddered briefly.


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± came the dejected sound of Basil¡¯s voice from the back room.


    Eliyen sighed in exasperation. Ever since she had berated the boy for choosing his class without consulting her, he had reverted to this very formal address and despondent attitude.


    Basil was the sensitive type, and he had been so excited to be able to choose a rare herbalist class. Eliyen recalled the almost childlike joy he had had when he shared the details with her.


    she asked herself for the thousandth time.


    It had been weeks since he had earned his class and he still had been unable to earn a single level ¨C nothing they had tried had allowed him to gain any experience at all.


    She looked at his downcast eyes, and the paper and ink as he laid them out on her desk with unnecessary care and precision. Suddenly, two thoughts connected in her mind.


    she thought as she sat down. But the idea wouldn¡¯t let go of her. she reminded herself ¨C certainly not ones of this magnitude. He had been in a dungeon, collecting mushrooms from the dungeon, and unlocked his class from the dungeon. Aliandra was the reason for this class.


    she thought, her pen poised above the paper without writing. Feeding a dungeon was a sin. She couldn¡¯t believe she was intending to do it purposefully. She shuddered softly with the thrill of fear, and ¡­ excitement?


    ¡°Basil,¡± she began ¨C but she stopped when she saw him twitch. She put her pen down and looked at the morose boy.


    ¡°Here¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do,¡± she said, trying to keep her voice kind. He was a good kid, and he just wanted to do well, but he had certainly landed himself in a pickle with his overreach for a powerful class.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to ask Guildmaster Vivian Ross to accept you as a member of the Adventurers Guild.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ getting rid of me?¡± Basil¡¯s eyes snapped up to meet hers, filled with anguish, and Eliyen felt a pang of pain and guilt. She didn¡¯t mean to hurt him, but he was being overly sensitive.


    ¡°No, you are still my apprentice,¡± she said, breathing deeply and channeling patience, but his face looked like she had just ripped his entire world out from under his feet.


    ¡°Basil, this is not a punishment. I think this is the best way to help you with your class. If we play it correctly, it will help us close a good deal with your friend Aliandra. We can help her and us at the same time, but I won¡¯t make you do it if you don¡¯t want to.¡± The strands of the complex web were rapidly coming together in her mind, and the solution was beginning to take shape.


    ¡°I¡¯m confused?¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Basil, you have a powerful class,¡± she continued. ¡°I¡¯ve seen similar classes before. At the highest levels, you will be able to grow and harvest the most powerful herbs and plants, in the most dangerous locations. The problem is you cannot level up ¨C most people with your type of class are allied with powerful organizations and use entire adventurer groups to level up. You simply don¡¯t have access to that here. The only other options are to stagnate with an unusable class, or you will be used by those who seek to profit off you.¡±


    ¡°Joining the Adventurers Guild would allow you to learn how to be a non-combat support class for an adventurer group. You will get training and support from the combat classes, and you will use your skills to help support them. If you do that in a dungeon, you will level up in relative safety, protected by the adventurers you are supporting.¡±


    Basil¡¯s expression changed, his eyes finally recovering a little of his natural curiosity and interest. ¡°Why would they want me? I can¡¯t fight.¡±


    ¡°A good herbalist support class in a nature dungeon can triple the return on investment for the entire group simply by what you can harvest. If you invest in your Combat Herbalism skill and study your recipes, you will be able to provide them with the ideal potions for any situation.¡±


    ¡°Ahh,¡± he said, his eyes brightening.


    ¡°Also, Aliandra will not be able to sell the mana-purified water to us directly because she does not have a merchant license. She can sell it to that Weldin Thriftpenny who runs the guild store, but then we will have to buy it at market price. This way, you can collect the water, take our share as an adventurer, and sell any extra to the guild store. This will be our cut of the deal ¨C our advantage for setting it all up. We will offer Aliandra a percentage of the potions we make, and you will offer to plant some plants in her forest for her ¨C I have a feeling she will value that more than the money.¡±


    ¡°And they¡¯ll agree to this?¡±


    ¡°Vivian Ross, through the guild store and Weldin Thriftpenny, will become the main supplier for mana-purified water for this half of the continent. Especially if they undercut Volle¡¯s prices. They¡¯ll definitely agree.¡±


    A complex sequence of emotions played across Basil¡¯s features, mirroring his churning thoughts, before he finally answered, ¡°What plants should I offer?¡±


    ¡°Here, I have some seeds. When you plant them, use your class skills to grow them in that underground forest. I think it will be good to practice in an area of dense mana.¡± She wasn¡¯t about to tell Basil ¨C the fewer people that knew about Aliandra, the longer their deal would be allowed to proceed. She pulled open a few drawers, pausing in thought before selecting several packages and adding them to a pile on the table in front of Basil.


    He collected them carefully, and then his eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Mystic Bluebells? Arc Lilies? I thought these only grow in dungeons?¡± The two small seed packets in his hands had cost a literal fortune, and she had been sitting on them for years, hoping to find a way to cultivate them.


    ¡°I think with your skills and the density of the mana down in that cave, it has a chance of working,¡± Eliyen answered. Not to mention that if they could grow them, they would have access to incredibly potent reagents for some rare elixirs now that she had a steady source of mana-purified water. The Minor Precognition potions she could make from the Mystic Bluebells were highly sought-after tanking potions and would fetch a tidy sum if she could figure out a way of getting them to the right markets. Lesser Clairvoyance was just icing on the cake. She could obviously make Elixir of Lightning Resistance from the Arc Lilies, but it was the Rapid Striking haste potion she was betting on. Not to mention the number of things Alchemists could do with her lightning tinctures meant she would have a reliable buyer in Morwynne Fizzlebang.


    ¡°But they¡¯re so rare and expensive,¡± Basil objected, his hand shaking as he held the tiny packets of seeds.


    ¡°I think it is worth the experiment,¡± Eliyen answered. If it helped unlock his class problems, that alone would be worth the cost. If she succeeded in seeding the dungeon and securing a source for these flowers, she would easily make the cost back many times over. Forcing a smile onto her lips, she joked, ¡°Don¡¯t lose them down a sewer, now.¡±


    He clutched the packages to his chest, ¡°No, never!¡±


    Eliyen sighed. Even her attempt at levity had just fallen flat. ¡°Look, you¡¯re my apprentice and we need to find you a way to grow, Basil ¨C literally and figuratively, if I may be so blunt. I really think this is for the best.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Basil said, finally relenting. ¡°But why Common Red Poppy and Forest Daisy, then? They don¡¯t have any use or value as ingredients.¡±


    ¡°Aliandra admired those from my garden, so I thought it would be a nice gift.¡± He didn¡¯t exactly look happy, but he was no longer actively morose. Eliyen was certain, now, that this plan would work. She just had to convince Aliandra, which should be easy, and Vivian Ross, which seemed much more challenging.


    She turned finally to the paper and the letter of introduction she needed to write.


    Aliandra


    Ali was in good spirits as she left the guild with Basil in tow. She had spent much of the morning with Ryn, discussing books over tea and cookies, and when she had returned to the guild, Basil had been there waiting for her ¨C a lovely surprise.


    The worries about negotiating a deal with Eliyen had been hanging over her head, but she hadn¡¯t had the time to think about it much since she had returned from Naia¡¯s dungeon. She had been so relieved when Basil had come with a generous offer already prepared. She would get a small cut of any potions or elixirs that Eliyen and Basil made with water harvested from her lake. There was a provision for Basil to plant some varieties of wildflowers in her cavern which, if they grew properly, she should eventually be able to learn. He was also on the hook to source any interesting plants for her in the future, provided the agreement was still active. It was a clause that Malika had said might be a little too vague, but Ali decided she trusted Basil enough for it to work.


    ¡°And so, I joined the guild,¡± Basil finished explaining, proudly showing off his new guild ring. The plan was supposed to help Basil with his class problems, but he hadn¡¯t mentioned exactly what the issue was. By his obvious anxiety when he mentioned it, and the fact that he was still level one, she had to conclude it must be a serious issue. The letter he had shown her explained that Eliyen wanted him to try his skills in the mana-rich environment of her domain ¨C which was simultaneously a technically detailed explanation, and one that told her nothing about the problem, but Ali was happy if their agreement helped him too.


    Ali led him down the brand-new staircase she had made that morning using her barrier magic, replacing the rope leading down from the rockfall into the cavern. It had been a trivial matter to attach the individual barrier stairs to her domain, fixing them in place in the air. She had yet to encounter any limit to how many barriers she could make in her domain, and certainly, the glowing spiral staircase had been quite easy to construct.


    ¡°The lake glows!¡± Basil exclaimed in awe as they arrived in the forest cavern. ¡°What are those shining trees? And¡­ are those new mushrooms? You have wisps here? You have to tell me everything! Uh ¨C¡± spots of color leaped into his cheeks at her answering smile ¡°¨C please? I don¡¯t mean to be a bother or anything.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not.¡±


    Ali flew him down to the bank of the lake, and their excursion turned into an impromptu tour of her new light-affinity plants and the lake itself. Ali happily agreed to let Basil collect a few of her new mushrooms and some of the Glow Moss for him to experiment with later.


    ¡°What will you need to plant your garden?¡± Ali asked. She had been overjoyed when Basil mentioned Eliyen had sent him over with an assortment of wildflower seeds. As much as she loved her trees and mushrooms, wildflowers would add a beautiful injection of color that the cavern currently lacked.


    ¡°A spot that¡¯s not in the way? Perhaps a small alcove or a sheltered spot near the water?¡± Basil looked around. ¡°It might be nice to have one of those trees nearby to give it light.¡±


    Selecting a rocky outcrop near the river where it flowed into the lake, she carved out a ten-meter-wide alcove filled with sand. Her new and powerful Domain Mastery skill made the job quick and easy, and she copied her previous efforts, buttressing and fortifying the edges with terraces of rock and stone from her Grimoire imprint. Once she was done, she created a couple of Radiant Larch trees encircling the space, as if it were a natural clearing in a pine forest. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    .


    ¡°How does this look, Basil?¡±


    ¡°This is perfect,¡± Basil said, examining the space. ¡°Do you have any preferences for what I grow? Eliyen made some selections she thought you¡¯d like, but some of them are probably things she would want as an herbalist.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you like,¡± Ali answered. She was just happy she would be getting some flowers. If Eliyen had selected them, they would likely be beautiful, even if they were functional too.


    ¡°Well, this space will make a cozy garden,¡± Basil said. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± He knelt in the dirt and got to work.


    The packets and containers of seeds he produced were meticulously labeled. His mana gently reached out toward the ground as he began to prepare it with some of the tools he had brought. He laid out the garden, choosing several different areas for each species, and then began planting the seeds. Rather than displacing her domain, the delicate tendrils of his nature magic seemed to work with her mana to achieve their results, as if it was subtly nudging her domain to assist him.


    ¡°Your magic looks very gentle,¡± Ali told him, earning a shy smile from the boy, as he continued his work.


    Finally, Basil stood up. ¡°If this works, the plants should grow quickly. Perhaps check on them tomorrow?¡± Gone were any hints of anxiety and stress when he had discussed his class, replaced with what Ali thought might be cautious optimism, or even a little flicker of hope, and a happy grin at being able to create a garden for her.


    Before Ali escorted him back to the guild, they stopped by the lake and made sure he filled up on the mana-purified water he would need for Eliyen¡¯s potions.


    ***


    Ali woke with a start to the sound of several chimes going off, and the bright light of her Grimoire manifesting on its own.


    It had never done that before. She scrambled up to a seated position, finding that her Grimoire was simply floating in the air waiting for her, open to a blank chapter.


    Hurriedly, she checked her notifications.


    It took a few moments for her sleep-addled brain to connect the messages to Basil¡¯s work from yesterday. Riding a rising sense of excitement, she skipped out of her tent, summoned her floating disk, and flew off into the forest cavern to check on the garden. When she swooped in over the alcove that they had carefully prepared, the bare soil had vanished, replaced with a garden of flowers in full bloom. Each section Basil had planted had sprouted overnight, bursting in a chaotic riot of different colors, and yet all seeming to somehow fit within a grander pattern, a property of Eliyen¡¯s garden she had so admired. There was a grassy section with white and yellow daisies and another with a sea of red poppies. A circular patch of Azure Cornflowers contrasting the red, and off to the sides, patches of softly glowing bluebells, and sparking lilies.


    Amazed, she stared at the overnight flower garden. Her domain mana flowed through the plants as if she had created them herself. Several of the flowers were even emitting their own unique mana.


    She still felt that she didn¡¯t fully understand her own complex magical abilities, but having her Grimoire react to add a new imprint without needing her to deconstruct anything was so far out of her expectation that she was still struggling to figure out why it had even worked.


    She alighted on the ground and stepped up a little closer to examine the flowers, recognizing the small patch of poppies Eliyen had in the corner near the gate, and the little yellow daisies nestled up against the oak tree she had on her path. Except, with the advantage of abundant space, her garden had many more flowers, covering a broad area with color.


    she thought, stopping in front of the patch of bluebells. Her domain mana was filtering into the plants in the usual way, but it was being transformed into strange wisps of deep violet that shimmered and shifted.


    Now that she saw it, she was suddenly reminded of the feel of Ryn¡¯s class mana. Her friend had a potent arcane affinity, but she had a similar secondary affinity with divination that had fascinated Ali. She studied the swirling mana for a long while, wondering what Eliyen had been thinking to offer this flower. Divination was extraordinarily rare, and whatever this flower was, it was probably a highly sought-after crafting component.


    Ali walked over to the other side to examine another curiosity. Small groups of lilies had sprouted, softly glowing with the silvery-white mana of her shamans. Every now and then, tiny little arcs of electricity would flicker, coalescing and crawling along the lilies before dripping to the ground and dissipating in a shower of tiny sparks.


    She pondered the unexpected imprints for a while, before opening her Grimoire and recording a new chapter for the wildflowers. It was clear that Eliyen¡¯s selection had been masterfully chosen. She had provided a beautiful array of flowers that Ali immediately fell in love with, and she must have seen it as an opportunity to use Ali to grow something difficult that would benefit her herbalism craft at the same time.


    Massaging her stomach as the realization seemed to slither around in her gut, Ali considered the implications ¨C it did seem in character for the scheming Wood Elf ¨C but Ali found that she didn¡¯t mind being used like this. She had only wanted something pretty, and Eliyen¡¯s selections were all perfect. The potential benefit of growing and selling the flowers was well above and beyond what she had asked for ¨C and cooperating with Eliyen¡¯s scheme would benefit her, too.


    Whatever the explanation was, they were all gorgeous and it was with a rush of excitement that she returned to their camp and began to explore her new flowers by making them fill in little gaps among the moss and trees.


    Basil


    Basil sat bolt upright in bed with a start and no small amount of panic, the sound of his notification chimes going off constantly.


    He glanced around anxiously for any clue to the source of the commotion. All he found was the quiet darkness of his room in the middle of the night. Eliyen was out in the garden, as usual.


    With no small amount of trepidation, he opened his notifications.


    Basil stared, stupefied as he read through the notifications nestled there in his mind-garden. The shining words gleamed brightly, and the climbing roses were already twining through the letters, blossoming with new growth and fresh buds. It took him a few moments to even realize that these were notifications about class and skill increases ¨C his new class and skills.


    A surge of happiness and excitement made his heartbeat quicken as he began to understand the significance of the notifications.


    If that was even possible. But he was most certainly no longer stuck at level one.


    His class was a dungeon-related class, that had been the entire problem in the first place, and the main reason why Eliyen was mad at him. He couldn¡¯t level up because his class required that he earn his experience in a dungeon. The thought percolated through his still sleep-muddled mind for a few moments with a sense of rising alarm.


    He sprang from his bed and rushed for the door, slamming it open. ¡°We have to help Ali!¡± he shouted to the surprised Eliyen. ¡°There¡¯s a dungeon down there! She¡¯s in danger!¡±


    He looked at the calm face of Eliyen as she just sat patiently ¨C as if waiting for something. Like she did when he was being particularly dense with his studies, and he had missed something obvious.


    Puzzled, he paused and took a breath, and his mind caught up. He had watched Ali excavate the flower garden in minutes, and she had created all the trees around it. Stone and rock had flowed like water to her whim and design. It had been  mana he had sensed so strongly in the forest cavern.


    ¡°Ali¡­  the dungeon?¡± he whispered, barely able to vocalize the thought as the terrifying realization suddenly sunk in. ¡°That¡¯s why you wanted me to try my skills in her forest.¡± Everything Eliyen had set up suddenly made sense ¨C the offer of the wildflower garden, the choice of rare dungeon plants, joining the guild, his class¡­


    Eliyen smiled a small smile and nodded at him. ¡°I hope you also realize why you cannot tell anyone about this?¡±


    He opened his mouth to speak and then shut it again.  He didn¡¯t have to answer his own question, he knew the answer, and it wasn¡¯t a pleasant thought.


    ¡°You cannot tell her you know either.¡±


    took him by surprise. ¡°I trust her.¡± Whatever she was, Ali had been kind to him; she had even helped save him from those Goblins. He owed her his life.


    ¡°She seems to be honest and straightforward,¡± Eliyen said. ¡°But anyone knowing her secret is a real risk to her life. And she must know that.¡±


    Basil shifted uncomfortably. The implications gave him the chills. He couldn¡¯t imagine that from the kind Fae he knew, but then again, he hadn¡¯t known she was a dungeon all along.


    Eliyen paused and gave him a significant look.


    ¡°You are level three now. You have just demonstrated that an alternative path exists for your development. Allied with a cooperating dungeon, you could advance quickly. I would still recommend resetting your class in favor of a more normal one, but there is a real danger of wrecking your advancement permanently. In the end, it¡¯s your choice. You must decide how much you trust Aliandra because you will be dependent on her to level up ¨C at least, until you gain enough strength to stand on your own. At least as a member of the Adventurers Guild, you will eventually have other options to level with them when they delve into other¡­ less friendly dungeons.¡±


    Her voice softened a bit. ¡°I have never seen such cooperation between an herbalist and a dungeon. I must admit I¡¯m curious to see what could come of it. It¡¯s a big risk, but I will support whichever decision you make.¡±


    Basil sat with all the conflict and uncertainty in his heart for a long while. Not being able to ask Ali rankled ¨C it made him feel like he was using his friend. However, his thoughts kept returning to the happy smile he had seen on Ali¡¯s face when she showed him her new tree, and when he explained he could grow flowers in the garden, and he knew what his choice would be.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 106: A Necromancer’s Deception

    Chapter 106: A Necromancer¡¯s DeceptionSethSeth trudged onward, his legs in excruciating pain both from the unrelenting pace set by their tormentor seated high upon his zombie horse and from the encroaching blight that was progressively eating him from within. He hadn¡¯t found many opportunities to check ¨C the collar¡¯s compulsion was seldom relaxed for any reason ¨C but when he had finally rolled up his trouser leg, he had been horrified to find black weeping sores and withering flesh.


    He had spent several days with his skeleton minders, distributing blighted patchwork horrors throughout the forest, and what the abominations were doing to the trees and animals was identical to what seemed to be happening to his legs. He walked because he had no choice, enduring the agony because he was not permitted to do otherwise.


    One of the other captured youths had collapsed yesterday when they had finally left the forest and begun to cross the plains. His leg had been entirely withered away by the blight, and the necromancer had simply ripped his wailing soul from his body with some horrific dark spell, raising his instantly dead body as a zombie instead. Seth¡¯s mind had fled to its dark hole for several hours, and after that, he had resolved not to fall under any circumstances.


    He had finally learned the name of their tormentor, the necromancer. The Dryad, who was being dragged along the path by her bindings behind one of the zombies had finally woken. She had woken screaming, desolate wails filled with heart-wrenching loss and betrayal, until Alexander had the zombie beat her unconscious.


    When she finally awoke a second time, she cursed Alexander, trying to use her magic, but whatever poison he had fed her seemed to make her creations fizzle, or come out already withered and dead. Now, she was tied to a post in their camp, simply weeping. She seemed weak, lost, and inconsolable ¨C and Seth found within his heart a wrenching guilt.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be busy, do not disturb me. And don¡¯t leave the camp.¡± Alexander commanded, addressing the remaining prisoners, all of them wearing the same collars, sporting the black marks of the blight infection. He had called them his sacrifice gang and instructed them to be joyful that they would be killed to further his power. He seemed to actually believe he was doing them a great service by allowing them to serve him with their lives. Seth had never loathed someone with as much passion as he did Alexander. Gran always used to say that nobody in this world was truly evil ¨C that everybody had redeeming features. he thought, grateful only that she was gone and did not have to endure this alongside him.


    As he left, Seth suddenly realized Alexander had made a rare mistake. Seldom did he leave them unsupervised without a command like ¡®don¡¯t move¡¯. His instruction, ¡®don¡¯t leave the camp,¡¯ left Seth with a surprising amount of freedom. Immediately, he reached for his collar, but as normal, it was as if his hands refused to budge past a certain point. Similarly, he couldn¡¯t even move when he tried to free his companions.


    He glanced around the camp, careful in case the necromancer was still watching, but he found no sign of him. Their camp, such as it was, had been established in the remains of a logging town smaller even than Lyton ¨C the former inhabitants already culled to feed Alexander Gray¡¯s growing army. There were five crude stone buildings, one of which was the mill. Careful not to attract too much attention, he walked over to the larger building, searching for a hiding spot. He knew he was going to die, but he retrieved the acorns from his pockets, tossing two or three that had become blighted and hiding the small remaining handful in the stone woodshed, before walking back to his spot.


    Halfway back to his group, he glanced over at the weeping Dryad, still firmly bound to the stake. The zombies were standing nearby, but he had learned that they were unable to act unless Alexander directly commanded them. Feeling his heart in his throat, Seth cautiously made his way over to the woman. At every painful step, he fully expected something or someone to angrily confront him, but nothing happened. The camp remained quiet ¨C seemingly without volition absent the necromancer himself. Not even his companion prisoners bothered to look his way, presumably having given in to despair.


    He crouched down and examined the Dryad. She was in remarkably poor shape, already covered with black sores and withered skin. She bore terrible scrapes and bruises from being dragged and beaten relentlessly. And she was dying. Seth was no healer, but the graying leaves in her hair and the dark lines pulsing just below her skin told him she was suffering and wouldn¡¯t last long in the camp. He had no idea if she would fare well on her own, but if it were him, anything would be better than here.


    ¡°Will you beat me too?¡± The Dryad¡¯s hoarse whisper caught him by surprise, but although he tried, his throat spasmed shut when he tried to answer.


    With quick movements, hidden by his body, he quickly untied the ropes binding her, and stepped back, trying to walk back to his spot nonchalantly. To his immense surprise, nothing leapt out to kill him, and when he finally returned to his place waiting with the sacrifice group, he turned and glanced back.


    The Dryad¡¯s eyes bore into him, with an unreadable expression. But she no longer wept. With a slow nod to him, she quietly got up and vanished into the brush surrounding the camp.


    he thought, sending the benediction after her disappearing form. He might not be able to save himself but saving ¨C at least, trying to save her ¨C lifted a weight of guilt off his shoulders, and for a short while, he felt a little better.


    Alexander Gray


    Alexander released the senses of his zombie troll and smiled to himself. His plan was unfolding perfectly ¨C like clockwork. He had judged the boy to be one of those personalities that desperately wanted to do good ¨C a white knight at heart ¨C and he had just been proved right.


    He required Lirasia to be free, but she needed to believe it was not by his hand, and the boy had just played his unwitting part in this charade perfectly. Lirasia, infected with the blight, the Master¡¯s curse, and suffering several days of Domain Withdrawal from her beloved forest, would be starving for high-density nature mana. With his destruction of her home, she had nowhere to return to ¨C the once great Lirasian forest was now a potent source of death affinity mana and undead blight, rather than nature.


    And hence his plan. She could detect high-density nature mana somehow ¨C of this he was certain. She would flee, and like a starving rat, lead him directly to the dungeon¡¯s nature mana she so craved, cementing his elevation to importance in the Shadow Council. Perhaps he might even catch the eye of the Master, Nevyn Eld.


    All he had to do was follow her right to it ¨C and for that, he had the perfect tool. It was perhaps his most potent skill, and one he hadn¡¯t fully mastered, but for this task, it would be perfect.


    He retrieved the corpses of two gray wolves, killed by his zombies back in the forest, and dumped them out on the ground in front of him.


    ¡°


    ,¡± he commanded, feeding his skill a substantial chunk of mana. Instead of raising them as mindless zombies or skeletons, he raised them as Specters. Partially incorporeal, the wolves stood, glowering at him with intelligence and cunning.


    ¡°¡± he commanded, and they immediately slunk away into the bush, barely stirring the leaves, their padded feet making not even the slightest sound. He followed them with his mind for a while, watching through their eyes, experiencing the scent of the blighted trail they immediately picked up, before releasing the connection. That was the advantage of specters ¨C they were Greater Undead, capable of retaining both intelligence and their class and skills. They were infinitely more useful than zombies and skeletons. He could give them complex commands to carry out, and in this case, they would retain their perception and tracking skills ¨C invaluable in the pursuit of his goals.


    It was too bad his minions were so expensive to maintain.


    Once his rat led him to the dungeon, he would follow with his blight and his army of undead and seize the entire area for his own. Nevyn Eld was sure to be pleased.


    He smiled.


    Calen


    Blended with the shadows and standing up against a densely mossed oak, Calen let his eyes range across the lush growth of the valley up ahead, taking in the terrain, marking good spots for cover, and keeping an eye out for any movement or dangerous monsters.


    His Explorer skill itched. He had been struggling to pinpoint exactly how he might describe the feeling, but ¡®itched¡¯ seemed to come closest. While his eyes took in the gnarled ancient oaks, laden with moss and vines, and the myriad creatures that made their homes in the damp nooks and crannies of the branches, his Explorer skill prickled in the back of his mind, reminding him constantly that this place was no normal jungle.


    The constant vigilance wore at him, drawing his mind into a backdrop of anxiety and stress, always searching for how the jungle would spring a surprise on him ¨C something unexpected and deadly.


    he thought, taking a deep breath to shake off the worry. They had decided to try the opposite direction from the library entrance, moving away from the spawning pool of light, and the further Calen scouted, the more he noticed the dramatic difference. Gone were the golden butterflies and shining bugs, replaced now with wisps of green mana flitting among the trees, tiny frogs and beetles that crawled and hopped, snakes and birds ¨C all subtly warped by the chaotic dense mana of the jungle ¨C all of them an unsubtle reminder to his jangled senses that he didn¡¯t understand this place.


    Quickly, he pivoted on his heel, making his way back to the others, tracking his own path through the forest entirely by memory and the sense of direction to his friends that came from his new Sense Prey tracking advance. With a few moments of comparative relaxation in his alertness, his mind returned to the problem that had been bothering him for a couple of days now.


    He had passed the strange deity¡¯s trial and tracked his way through the dangers to find the shrine, and his offer had surprisingly been accepted. He was still ecstatic that he had earned a godly patronage, still barely able to believe it was even real. But that had led to his conundrum. He had a patronage, and he had no idea how to use it.


    Godly Patronage ¨C The Wanderer


    Traits


    : Tracking, Dexterity, Deity, Stealth, Explorer, Perception, Discovery, Movement, Luck


    Minor enhancement to Movement and Perception skills in uncharted or forgotten places.


    Mana: Offer an item of value as a request for the insights of the Wanderer.


    Enchantment ¨C Tithe


    He studied the patronage enchantment for the hundredth time. The enhancement to his movement and perception had been quite noticeable ¨C while it did nothing in town, down here in this chaotic and forgotten jungle, his senses were most certainly enhanced, as was his speed moving through the jungle.


    But he had wasted tons of mana trying to figure out the active ability to request insight. It behaved much like a skill did ¨C perhaps closest in feel to one of his general skills like Identify. He could intuitively understand how to power it with his mana, but nothing happened. His mana was consumed, but he had no idea if it was working or not. He tried once again, but his mana simply disappeared.


    The crux of the problem was he didn¡¯t understand how to ¡®offer an item¡¯ or even what constituted one of value. Nor what form the insight would take, and whether he would be able to recognize it when it happened. His eyes were drawn once again to the trait list, hovering on the last one.


    Ultimately, this seemed to be the problem. The scarce few legends about the Wanderer suggested that she would appear at her whim, helping or hindering without much rhyme or reason. Leading to the idea that she might be the favored patron of dice and cards and other endeavors of luck. Perhaps he couldn¡¯t figure it out because he simply wasn¡¯t that lucky?


    He rounded an enormous tree to find his friends fully absorbed in watching a strange creature crawling along a large branch. It seemed to be an amorphous mound of green fronds that acted as limbs carrying it along in slow, measured locomotion. In its wake, it left a lush growth of moss where the branch had previously been bare.


    ¡°It¡¯s really cute,¡± Ali said, captivated by the animated mossy mound.


    Reacting instantly to the sound of her voice, the moss creature leapt from the branch with shocking speed, revealing a hidden mouth full of sharp teeth.


    In a flash, Calen drew his bow and released, striking the monster midway to Ali¡¯s head with an incandescent arrow that yanked it from its attack path, pinning it to the tree behind it.


    He stopped for a moment, bow still held ready, mistrustful of the surprisingly easy kill. But nothing else moved or leapt out to attack them, so he let his skills drop.


    ¡°Ooh, the legendary hunter returns to save us from the scary monster!¡± Mato laughed.


    Inwardly, Calen rolled his eyes. While Mato might cope with surprise and stress with humor, he sometimes found it a little annoying. At least he had anticipated a more dangerous threat and his surprise had been that it was too easy ¨C the other way around would have been a real problem.


    ¡°I found the path through the next valley,¡± he said, ignoring Mato¡¯s joke and retrieving the surprisingly dense Moss Creeper from where he had pinned it to the tree, handing it to Ali who indicated she wanted it for her magic.


    As soon as Ali was done, he led the way deeper into the jungle, keeping his eyes peeled for danger while his thoughts returned to the problems of his patronage once again.


    ¡°What¡¯s bothering you?¡± Mato¡¯s voice startled him out of his worries, and he glanced over at his friend. Mato made a palm-up querying gesture with his left hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± he replied quickly, looking back at the trail. He had known Mato for years, and his typical approach to the emotions and feelings of others had all the finesse of a stampede of blind oxen. However, at times he could be annoyingly perceptive ¨C usually, exactly when Calen appreciated it least.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Mato snorted, heavy on the disbelief.


    ¡°Your comment was a little unkind,¡± Calen finally admitted.


    ¡°What, the legendary hunter?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Sometimes he wondered how his friend could be so dense. Or at least consider that others might take his comments a different way than he did.


    ¡°But you have a godly patronage. Nobody else does.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and I can¡¯t figure out how to use it.¡± And there it was, the surge of embarrassment and shame. Yes, he had done the unthinkable and earned the patronage of the Wanderer. And now Mato had forced him to admit he wasn¡¯t smart enough to figure out how to use it. It stung.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Mato said, sounding so remorseful Calen felt as if he had kicked a puppy. ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Just¡­ forget it,¡± Calen answered, turning on his Explorer skill to see if there were any monster tracks he might have missed earlier, though he had carefully studied the ground both ways.


    ¡°What happens when you try it?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Nothing, my mana just vanishes.¡± Now everyone was curious, and the subject would be impossible to avoid.


    ¡°What did you offer?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Whatever I have in my ring,¡± he answered. He could tell they were just trying to help, but he really wished they would just let it drop. ¡°I think I¡¯m just unlucky, and the Wanderer is a patron of the Luck trait.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you flip a coin?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that¡¯s how you activated the shrine?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± He pulled out another of the Dal¡¯mohran gold coins, glancing at the gleaming coin with its ancient imprint still fresh on its surface. Flipping it into the air, he channeled his mana into the patron enchantment.


    The coin flipped end over end, easily tracked with his heightened reflexes and enhanced perception, but as it reached the apex, it simply vanished with a barely audible pop and a shower of sparks.


    +12 to Dexterity.


    +8% to Movement speed.


    Blessing ¨C Duration: 3 hours.


    It was such a complicated rush of conflicting emotions that he struggled to unravel them for quite a few moments, staring at the notification and the spot where the gold coin vanished. He felt his face heating up so fast he¡¯d start leaking steam in a second.


    ¡°Nice!¡± Mato brought him back to reality.


    ¡°Did it work?¡± Ali asked, with barely suppressed excitement.


    ¡°It worked,¡± he answered, sharing the buff he had just received.


    ¡°That¡¯s impressive,¡± Malika said. ¡°I¡¯m jealous! I want a movement speed enhancement too.¡±


    ¡°I feel stupid,¡± he admitted finally. The relief that his achievement would be useful warred with his frustration that it had taken Ali to figure out the trick.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t figure it out myself.¡±


    ¡°You would have figured it out soon enough,¡± Ali responded with a casual confidence that he certainly didn¡¯t feel.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°Brain that size?¡± Malika scoffed. ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°You figured out the shrine itself, and that had even fewer clues,¡± the Fae explained earnestly. ¡°I¡¯m sure it wouldn¡¯t have taken more than a day or two without help. You would have systematically worked through everything you knew, and you would have ended up with the shrine and tried that.¡±


    ¡°I guess so,¡± he answered, surprised at how well Ali knew his mental process already. He had been about to get out his notebook and start enumerating everything he had heard or experienced related to the Wanderer, so she likely would have been proved correct too.


    ¡°It¡¯s an expensive enhancement though,¡± he finally added. A gold coin each time would bankrupt him even faster than his need to fund his mana potions.


    ¡°Seems worth it,¡± Malika answered. ¡°Not for everything, but for the harder fights.¡±


    As usual, Malika had a clear insight into the tactical value of these things. One gold in his storage wouldn¡¯t do him any good, whereas the movement and dexterity boost on a challenging fight might save his life. But now he had more questions than he had started with. Either way, it was likely to be an expensive ability to test. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 107: Kites Fly

    Chapter 107: Kites FlyCalen The trail that Calen led them along wound deeper and deeper into the verdant overgrowth of the jungle till he finally found the valley again. It was still densely grown with trees, but a game path ran through the middle of it, and the ridges on either side seemed entirely impassable. The massive, gnarled trunks and broad boughs weighed down by thick moss and heavy vines clearly spoke to the thousands of years this jungle had lain undisturbed.


    Keeping a careful watch for danger, he entered the valley. His eyes flitted from side to side, tracking the riot of movement and struggling to assess threats quickly enough. Most of what he saw were frogs, bugs, beetles, or snakes. Some of them were no doubt venomous, but nothing leapt out to attack them on sight. Every now and then he would catch sight of wyverns wheeling high overhead, but with the dense canopy between them, they were never noticed.


    The effects of his Blessing of the Wanderer were remarkable ¨C synergizing well with his gear and skills ¨C resulting in a sense of ease of movement through the forest. He was faster, sharper, and quicker to react, and with the movement speed enhancements from both the blessing and his boots buffing even his walking speed, he found he had to stop more frequently than he expected so that his friends did not fall behind.


    Rounding a particularly aged oak, the trail led into a wide clearing, filled with grasses and low shrubs that Ali was already eyeing for their potential. He paused, scanning the area. Out and about among the grasses, he spied three strange-looking creatures rooting and scratching in the dirt. Creatures that seemed more plant than monster, a little bigger than house cats, but their bodies were made of gnarled and twisted wood with branches and twigs sticking out haphazardly. They had four legs that resembled squat branches, a vine-like tail, and a scruff of bright pink petals along their backs and heads, forming something like a crest.


    Swinging slowly, sloth-like through the branches at the edges of the clearing were several much larger Moss Creeper monsters. The strangely amorphous climbing mounds of moss paused periodically to engage in strangely inscrutable moss-creature activities, and when they moved on, they left behind them heavy patches of moss and fronds that hung from the tree branches.


    A shrill screech pierced the calm, and the neck scruffs of pink petals flared on the strange plant monsters, telling him they had been seen.


    ¡°Plant monsters, nature damage,¡± he announced.


    ¡°On it,¡± Mato said, shifting immediately as the hostile plants rushed forward. Mato charged to intercept them as Calen ducked sideways to get a better line for his arrows.


    ¡°They¡¯re using magic,¡± Ali¡¯s voice came from behind him as she joined the combat.


    All around Mato, the ground erupted with plant growth. Tiny leaves sprang up through the grass forming brightly colored buds. They shivered and clawed their way open and suddenly the entire circle around the monsters, Mato, and Malika bloomed in a brilliant pink sea of flowers.


    He had expected something like the Forest Guardian ¨C grasping roots or vines reaching to attack. But this was a flower patch¡­


    The entire circle of tiny flowers shivered in unison as if propagating a shockwave from the epicenter of the fight. Petals shot up and out in an astonishingly abundant explosion of pink that filled the air. In seconds, the entire battlefield was obscured in a dense cloud of flying petals.


    Within the dense cloud, all he could perceive were the crashes and thumps, shrill shrieks, and exclamations of blind combat. He stood there waiting, bow drawn, unable to find a target for his arrows.


    ¡°Mato, that¡¯s me!¡± Malika¡¯s voice shouted from the petal storm, followed quickly by several thumps and crashes.


    Suddenly, Malika somersaulted out of the dense cloud of petals, a branch-like creature writhing, biting, and scratching in her grasp.


    As soon as Malika landed, more flowers began to sprout, but Calen was already shooting, adding his arrows to the flurry of magic Ali aimed at Malika¡¯s catch, too. Several shots were all he was allowed before the air exploded with pink petals, and again he had to wait for Malika to drag the monster out of its protective cloud.


    ¡°Argh, I can¡¯t see anything,¡± he grumbled.


    ¡°Me neither,¡± Ali said, her eyes narrowed in razor-sharp focus. ¡°But it¡¯s pretty.¡±


    He glanced at her in frustration, but he couldn¡¯t honestly argue. It was a swirling cloud of pretty pink nastiness.


    It was frustratingly slow work, waiting for Malika to wade in, and grapple blindly with the monsters before dragging them out into the open for a brief few moments before they had to repeat the process. But the strategy seemed sound, so Calen forced himself to wait patiently, trying to optimize the number of arrows he could fire in the short window of time when he had a clear line of sight.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing they¡¯re small,¡±he said when the last one perished and they moved to finish off the much easier Moss Creepers.


    ¡°Appropriately named,¡± Ali said, looking down on the corpses of the petal monsters, before deconstructing them.


    ¡°Frustrating is what they are,¡± Malika agreed. ¡°Being blinded sucks.¡±


    Calen certainly appreciated her point of view. Both he and Malika were limited to normal perceptions, and they were both easily blinded. Even though his perception skill was quite potent, it was still vision-based. Mato and Ali both had a secondary perception skill that worked differently from normal senses and thus clouds of petals or similar obscuring effects probably bothered them a lot less. His Explorer¡¯s Sense Prey was quite useful for finding monsters in the jungle, but he wasn¡¯t accurate enough with it yet to shoot into a cloud and not hit his friends.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of this clearing,¡± he said, looking up at the dangerous wheeling forms of the wyverns circling above. They hadn¡¯t been noticed yet, but it was probably not smart to tempt fate.


    Back under the relative safety of the thick canopy of trees, he trickled mana into his Explorer skill, beginning to see the signs that something large had passed this way. Branches and twigs were freshly snapped, deep indentations in the damp mossy ground ¨C all helpfully highlighted with his enhanced perception.


    He wasn¡¯t certain, but of all the monsters they had encountered so far, the giant elementals of wood and bark fit the signs the best. It seemed to be following the same path they were ¨C extra-cautious now, he drew his companions¡¯ attention to the tracks and explained what he suspected.


    The trail led to a rocky outcrop and a break in the trees, and somewhere beyond, Calen heard the shuffling and stomping of something heavy.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to scout up ahead quickly,¡± he whispered, activating Eclipse and vanishing into the shadows. Carefully using Explorer to mask the sound of his movement, he ventured out, dodging plants and rocks with ease. As the trees opened, he found he had an unobstructed view of a small clearing near a large jutting rocky outcropping. In the space up ahead, he saw the unmistakable hulking shape of the Forest Guardian, shuffling and stomping on four legs that resembled tree trunks more than limbs. It seemed to be grazing on the grasses, surrounded by three of the strangest creatures Calen had ever seen.


    Category: Monster


    Threat Level: Normal


    Monster Type: Fungus


    Damage: Physical, Nature.


    Calen pressed up against a large tree trunk, barely moving while he studied the monsters. The guardian was familiar to him ¨C enormous plates of bark and heavy wood protected the massive elemental and, from beneath heavy wooden brow-ridges in the low-slung head, its viridian eyes glowed with palpable intelligence. The ground shuddered every time it moved.


    Making full use of his enhanced vision, Calen studied the curious fungus creatures. Each of the three monsters was a little taller than waist-high, with a dark leathery violet-greenish color. Shaped a bit like an oversized mushroom, they had slender stems with a broad cap on top. Three small legs extended from the bottom of the stem, giving the monster a shuffling, but stable, symmetrical triangular base. The legs seemed to dig into the ground whenever the monster stopped walking. Three large arm-like limbs extended from beneath the cap, long enough to brush the ground, and, as he observed, they were prone to using the arms to help with locomotion, resulting in a shambling, shuffling gait. A thick carpet of tiny glowing violet mushrooms sprouted from the top of its heavy leathery mushroom cap giving it the distinct impression of coarse glowing hair.


    Careful to keep fueling his Eclipse stealth skill and his silent movement, he backed away from the clearing, grateful for his patron¡¯s blessing enhancing his dexterity and making him more agile as he reached the overgrown trail.


    ¡°The path is blocked up ahead by a rocky outcrop,¡± he said, as he rejoined his friends still a fair way back on the trail and explained in detail what he had seen. ¡°Normally my Explorer would give me some idea of their capabilities, but it¡¯s all twisted and confused here. It just warns of nature damage.¡± The Spore Spreaders worried him, clearly unnatural and warped by the bizarre magic of this area, he could hardly even imagine what dangers they may present. Especially after having experienced the totally bizarre, but surprisingly effective petal storm from the Floral Menaces.


    ¡°We can talk forever, but we won¡¯t know until we attack,¡± Mato said. ¡°We know the Guardian; I can tank that, and you guys figure out the fungus creatures first?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably the best we can do,¡± Malika agreed. ¡°What levels are they?¡±


    ¡°The guardian is forty. The mushrooms are lower, twelve, fifteen, and nineteen,¡± Calen said, pursing his lips in thought. ¡°Based on the last fight, we should be ready to be blinded by spores or something. Or maybe poison?¡±


    ¡°I can handle a little poison with healing from Malika and Ali¡¯s Acolytes,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°That seems doable,¡± Malika said. ¡°Being blind is annoying, but we made it work.¡±


    Calen was used to Mato and his fight-seeking behavior, but if Malika was on board, then it probably wasn¡¯t just his friend being overly enthusiastic. He glanced over at Ali for a moment. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, this would be Ali¡¯s third guardian, and there was a good chance she would be able to summon them after the fight. The potential to substantially increase their team¡¯s power seemed worth the risk of the unknown fungus monsters.


    He carefully set himself up on a rise with a good view of the rocky outcropping and the monsters below as the others prepared and Mato transformed.


    The impossibly low-pitched and loud roar characteristic of the Forest Guardians met Mato¡¯s charge, shaking leaves and branches, and sending tremors of vibration pulsing through his body carried by the very air. He held his bow ready, alert for anything strange as Mato collided with the much more massive wood elemental, roaring a challenge of his own. As expected, the entire area around Mato and the guardian erupted in a chaotic explosion of roots and vines, the result of the monster¡¯s potent melee control magic. It was certainly a good thing that Ali had replaced all her melee monsters with slimes.


    Judging that Mato had taken control of that front, Calen unleashed his arrows, aiming at one of the Spore Spreaders. Their goal would be to eliminate them as soon as possible while remaining alert for unexpected danger. His arrows punched through the monster¡¯s mushroom cap, leaving clearly visible holes that immediately began shrinking and closing.


    As the next arrow struck, the strange fungus monster froze, quivering violently, and slammed all three powerful-looking arms into the ground, making a bizarre tripod among the writhing roots. All through the roots, grasses, and vines, tiny violet mushrooms began to spring up, visible clearly in his enhanced vision and by the subtle glow of magic.


    In the back of his mind, he recognized how similar it looked to the petal attack, but with mushrooms instead of little flowers. He quickly used Explorer to Identify the new growing mushrooms, leveraging the extended range of his Eyes of the Archon to compensate for the distance.


    ¡°It¡¯s growing mushrooms,¡± he called out, not entirely sure what they might be able to do about it, but somehow certain it was important.


    The planted Spore Spreader began to hum, and the mushrooms on its cap ¨C and those spread across the battlefield ¨C began to glow intensely, greatly swelling in size. With a dramatic popping sound like a huge sheet of cloth being torn in two, the entire field of mushrooms exploded, releasing a dense violet cloud of spores.


    For a brief moment, he was relieved that the cloud attack wasn¡¯t nearly as opaque as the petal storm.


    And then Mato and Malika collapsed, Mato¡¯s body twisting and warping as his limp body reverted to his normal Beastkin form. Instantly, the Forest Guardian unleashed its fury on Mato and Malika¡¯s bodies, stomping and biting, while the roots twisted and crushed, making their bloodied and limp bodies flop grotesquely, while their blood sprayed across the verdant plants.


    The rushing burn of his mana igniting filled him with pain as Calen activated Righteous Fury without even thinking. The entire battlefield slowed, as his mana enhanced all his skills and perceptions. He could see the individual droplets of Mato¡¯s blood spraying into the air, and the ugly twisting crunch as Malika¡¯s arm snapped under the weight of the elemental¡¯s stomp ¨C all in excruciating clarity. His arrows flew in an intensely shining hail as he squandered his mana in reckless desperation, barely even considering aim, relying entirely on his supercharged mana to lend him power and speed.


    The giant elemental let out an earthshaking roar, wheeling and suddenly accelerating to high speed as it used a rush skill to charge him, closing thirty feet in an instant, and leaving Calen facing the suddenly much closer monster.


    He could feel the high-speed thump of his heart over the sound of the monster¡¯s roar and the shaking of the earth as he stared down several thousand pounds of fury which would most certainly turn him into paste if it connected.


    He had been intending to draw the ire of the monster, to lure it away from Mato and Malika. The problem was that he had succeeded, and in his urgency, he hadn¡¯t thought through the rest of his plan. He didn¡¯t have the resilience, durability, or defense skills they did, so he didn¡¯t stand a chance.


    He turned and ran for his life.


    He managed to reach the edge of the rocky outcropping when he felt his mana calm down, and the world around him sped up to normal.


    It was obvious, but explicitly thinking the words to himself had the effect of letting him catch up to the enormity of the runaway disaster he was participating in. If he was to survive, not only would he have to outrun the monster, and figure out a way to escape or kill it, but he would also have to outrun the aura of plant growth. Leaving aside the unimaginable possibility of actually killing it by himself, he simply needed to survive.


    he thought, barely slowing as he retrieved a mana potion and downed it in a single gulp, his mind slowly calming down to a high state of panic. It would take a bit for the potion to restore enough mana, and he just needed to survive till then.


    He could feel the ground shaking with the insane weight of the monster behind him, and the sharp reports of branches snapping and splinters flying did nothing to ease his mind. The only thing that was keeping him out of reach of his pursuer was the Blessing of the Wanderer and the increase in his movement speed.


    he realized as his mental warning told him that the guardian¡¯s Rush skill was probably close to recharged.


    Almost precisely thirty seconds after the guardian had used it, Calen heard the thunderous roar of the Rush and the sudden burst of branches ripping and tearing not far behind him ¨C not far at all. Risking a glance back over his shoulder, he found the roots and vines reaching for him, missing by a scant foot or two.


    His mind raced frantically, desperately searching for any ideas that had even the slightest chance of working. He veered in a long slow arc around the rocky outcrop while the monster continued to pursue him. he knew he had less than thirty seconds before he would be crushed under the trampling feet of the giant elemental.


    His frantic, frenzied over thinking mind threw progressively more and more ridiculous and improbable ideas at him until suddenly something clicked. Without waiting to think it through, he took a step onto a boulder, leaped into the air with a spin, and as his body faced backward toward the now terrifyingly close monster, he loosed an arrow, choosing the Grappling Shot skill. He had been using this magic to ground wyverns and bats, and he was under no illusions that he could actually trap something of such powerful brute strength and weight, but he didn¡¯t need much ¨C gaining a few yards would be something.


    His chain of light shot out, striking the Forest Guardian in the shoulder between the heavy plates of bark and wood, while the gnarled roots and vines reached toward him from the ground as his body arced through the air. With a flurry of activity, the chain wound itself around the huge elemental, and Calen was treated to the sight of it being yanked to a sudden stop as his body barely cleared the plant growth magic, and his foot touched down on the ground. He was sprinting away even before he had completely landed, and within seconds there was a great commotion as the Forest Guardian freed itself by ripping his magic out of the ground through sheer brute strength, tearing up huge chunks of earth and rock in the process.


    There were several moments when he was certain the vines would reach his flying feet, but he had made it, and he had bought himself a little more than ten yards. He was not out of the woods, so to speak, but at least he had a little breathing room. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He turned the corner again and saw Ali up ahead on the rise, crouched beside the prone forms of Mato and Malika, her Kobold Acolytes actively healing. Somehow, in the intensity, he had lost track of the fact that he was running around the rocky outcropping, and he had come full circle, leading the elemental straight at his friend. Genius.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± he yelled as he continued sprinting by.


    His mental warning alerted him just as the roar of the guardian¡¯s Rush skill ripped through the clearing. Calen dodged to the side reflexively and darted away.


    His dodge had placed him out in the open and now he was vulnerable to being cut off, especially as he couldn¡¯t cut through the aura of plant growth without being trapped and trampled.


    Quickly he checked his mana, which was still being slowly regenerated by his mana potion. He waited for another second before he activated his Azrael¡¯s Wings skill. Mana poured into the skill, and his glowing white wings of ephemeral light erupted out from his back, lifting him into the air. Desperate to take advantage of the few moments of mana he had, he cut across the path of the guardian, aiming for the rugged rocky wall he had been running alongside before. The guardian roared a challenge and gave chase, but he was high enough to avoid the aura, landing as soon as he was clear, conserving just enough mana that he would be able to use his Grappling Shot again.


    Calen would never have imagined he would find himself running for his life, while simultaneously computing relative trajectories, tracking a thirty-second recharge, and calculating optimal mana usage. His brain felt like it was on fire. But the monster was still behind him, and he was ¨C somehow ¨C still alive.


    He sprinted around the rocky outcropping ¨C a large hill-like collection of boulders and overgrown trees ¨C settling into something of a pattern. He leaped again, spinning in the air and using Grappling Shot to gain a few seconds before sprinting away.


    While he was able to keep ahead of the monster with his movement speed, dexterity, and the occasional use of his other skills, he was slowly running out of stamina. He had made absolutely no progress on figuring out how to escape or, even more improbably, killing the monster. The biggest issue was if he escaped, it would likely return and kill Ali, who could fly away, and Mato and Malika, who could not.


    Something to get out of the situation, or to overcome the charging monster¡¯s regeneration. His mental warning told him the Rush skill was almost ready, so he angled away from the safety of the rocks. So far, every time the monster used Rush, it traveled insanely fast, but in a straight line. He was banking on it not being able to turn due to the physics of momentum, but wary of any other magical trickery that might come into play. The thunderous roar shook the ground, splintering trees as the monster used its skill right on time.


    Calen dodged back towards the rock wall. He felt a rush of raw satisfaction as the giant elemental charged away from the rocky outcrop while he ducked the other way and the gap between them widened dramatically. It wheeled and turned, sending clods of dirt and grass flying as it redirected its considerable momentum in an unbelievably short distance.


    He had managed to gain a moment of breathing room by faking the monster out, causing it to charge away from him with its Rush skill, and saved his mana, which he might need for his Grappling Shot or wings. He downed another mana potion right as the first one expired, sprinting around the corner and firing his Grappling Shot backward as the monster cleared the turn.


    ¡°I killed the mushrooms! Can you keep that thing busy for a bit longer?¡± Ali shouted, catching him by surprise as he rounded the rocks and found himself back at the starting point once again. His glance caught sight of Mato and Malika lying on the ground beside Ali and some of her Kobold healers. They were not stirring, but to his great relief, even at this distance he could tell they were both breathing and most of their injuries seemed to have been healed already.


    ¡°Sure, no problem!¡± he yelled back as he dodged out away from the rock, preempting the guardian¡¯s Rush skill and drawing it out so that he could dodge the other way at the perfect moment and still be on his circuit.


    But he knew that whatever scheme Ali was cooking up was his only chance of getting out of this with his friends all alive. He just hoped it would be ready before he ran out of stamina or made an unrecoverable error.


    As he began the next circuit, he reflected on his strategy. Timing the Rush skill with a fake out gained him the most distance for the least cost ¨C only the little stamina needed to run full speed. Grappling Shot was his next most effective tool, costing almost as much mana as he was regenerating from his potions. Flight was his least effective ¨C requiring him to channel mana in quantities he couldn¡¯t afford, but it was also likely his most powerful escape tool, provided he could recover enough mana before he ran out of stamina, and Ali could do something to save Mato and Malika.


    He finally rounded the rock again, and saw Ali up on the ridge, surveying the battlefield with focused attention.


    ¡°Drag it under the outcrop!¡± she yelled down at him, pointing.


    Following the direction of her small hand, he found a rock that was jutting out over the path he would be taking. He likely wouldn¡¯t have passed directly under it without Ali requesting it, but it didn¡¯t seem that far out of his way. As he approached, his eyes picked out the oozes stuck to the rock in various positions, softly wobbling and writhing as they hung there, most of them on the underside of the rock.


    Ali wasn¡¯t thinking of a way to escape, she meant to kill the monster. Her choice of the Scalding Slimes looked like a perfect strategy. Calen sprinted closer to the rock wall, passing directly under the overhang, and, judging the timing precisely, he executed his leap-and-spin tactic, firing Grappling Shot at the Forest Guardian, pinning it directly below Ali¡¯s trap.


    Ali didn¡¯t hesitate to take advantage of the window of opportunity, and he heard several squelching splats as the slimes fell from the overhang, landing directly on the Forest Guardian, followed by the hissing of high-pressure steam jetting out of the slimes and roars of fury.


    He glanced worriedly at his stamina as he began his fourth circuit. he decided. At that point he would be at the mercy of fate, if Ali¡¯s slimes could do enough damage during the circuit to kill the monster, overcoming its regeneration, he would be safe. If not¡­


    By the time he was halfway around, he knew Ali could not have picked a better monster for this job. As he spun in the air, firing his Grappling Shot, he could see the Scalding Slimes had torn great holes in the wood-and-bark armor and the Forest Guardian looked decidedly worse for wear.


    By the time he reached the final stretch, he knew it wasn¡¯t enough. He just hoped Ali would be able to survive it when his stamina finally ran out. He had used every single trick he had learned to eke out the last of his resources, but he was running on empty. He rounded the final corner with zero mana, and only five points of stamina remaining.


    But the sight that greeted him almost made him falter. Up on the ridge, Ali stood with an expression of absolute concentration, sweat pouring from her face as she discarded an empty potion vial on the ground. She was shooting her Arcane Bolts into the air, but instead of a normal stream of three, there was a brilliant cloud with hundreds of magical bolts zipping across from the ridge where she was standing toward the overhang, where a lone slime still clung to the rock.


    Just before the bolts hit the slime, they all flipped around in midair and shot back the way they had come, straight for Ali.


    The enormity of what she had done sent a jolt of hope through him as he burned the last remnants of his stamina to kite the wounded Forest Guardian to the overhang, and the trap Ali had laid for it.


    Right before he reached the spot, all the bolts flipped again, tearing across the battlefield toward the slime hanging high above, like a demented horde of angry golden hornets, but this time, instead of turning around, they suddenly all took a rapid curving dive, and thousands of bolts slammed into the Forest Guardian in a glorious golden tornado of destruction.


    Amid the roar, sizzle, and shuddering of the ground, Calen¡¯s notification sounded. With a final heave, the ground bucked as the huge Elemental collapsed, and Calen¡¯s knees buckled as he sagged into a heap of his own, his breathing ragged, completely spent.


    ***


    ¡°How are they doing?¡± he asked, looking down at Mato and Malika as they lay there unmoving. There seemed to be a lot of drying blood, but they looked otherwise unharmed.


    ¡°I think they¡¯re going to be ok,¡± Ali answered. ¡°The Dreamcloud spores seemed to act like poison with the side effect of knocking you out. I had to keep healing them the entire time, pretty nasty stuff.¡±


    ¡°I think we should camp here for a bit, at least till they wake up. I don¡¯t think I can handle another fight like that.¡± While his mana and stamina were regenerating, it would certainly be a while before he was back in fighting shape.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we recall back?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t get the potions out of Malika or Mato¡¯s rings, and I don¡¯t think we have enough between the two of us,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°It was lucky you got that movement speed on your blessing,¡± Ali said, looking at him thoughtfully.


    It truly was good fortune, and while he was certain that could not be how the Luck trait worked, if he didn¡¯t know any better, he would have been one hundred percent convinced all the stories and legends about the patron deity of luck were true after today.


    Calen sat beside his unconscious friends, feeling like all the juice had been wrung out of him, but he could not be happier that they, and he, had survived the harrowing battle. It was one thing when he could easily pinpoint strategic or tactical mistakes so that he could learn to be better ¨C but in this fight, he couldn¡¯t imagine a way he should have acted differently. There was no doubt that the Forest Guardian would have trampled Mato and Malika to death in seconds, and so his attacking the monster to gain its attention had been a necessary move. Everything from there on had flowed from the simple need to stay alive. Still, he had needed to rely on Ali¡¯s crazy plan working.


    ¡°You know, we can¡¯t keep doing this,¡± Calen said after his breath began to steady.


    ¡°Doing what?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°So many close calls.¡±


    ¡°But we won, does it matter?¡± Ali asked, pausing her efforts to clean up the battlefield to look his way.


    ¡°Even with fair dice, if you throw them often enough you will get snake eyes,¡± Calen said. ¡°The odds were definitely not in our favor for that last battle. Sure, we might be getting strong faster, but we can¡¯t be so reckless.¡±


    ¡°I see what you mean,¡± Ali answered, sitting down again. ¡°What can we do? It¡¯s not like we can control the circumstances, and we do need risk to grow.¡±


    ¡°I think we can be smarter at anticipating problems and having a plan to deal with things that come up,¡± Calen said, but Ali was right ¨C planning for the unexpected was fraught with difficulty. ¡°At least we should each carry enough recall potions to save the whole team,¡± he said, gesturing at the still-unconscious Mato and Malika. ¡°We can¡¯t be forced into fights because someone gets knocked out and we can¡¯t access their rings.¡±


    ¡°That seems smart,¡± Ali nodded. ¡°And I¡¯m sure Malika will have thoughts when she wakes up.¡±


    ¡°Good idea,¡± Calen said, and then turned his attention to his notifications.


    ¡°Did you get them?¡± Calen asked, watching Ali deconstruct the corpses they had defeated.


    ¡°The Spore Spreaders and the Violet Dreamcloud, but not the Guardian yet.¡± She seemed saddened by the last one, but Calen knew the Forest Guardian held a lot of significance for her, and he also knew it would just be a matter of time.


    Knowing that she was a dungeon was one thing, but seeing her walking around, systematically adding every challenging monster they fought to her repertoire had a much deeper and more visceral impact. The guardian and the spreaders together had been extremely dangerous, and Ali could already make half of the combination.


    He turned his attention to the rest of his notifications.


    It was a substantial number of skill levels gained for one fight, but it seemed appropriate. He had run himself out of both mana and stamina desperately using everything to gain advantage. He divided his points; four into dexterity, three to perception, two into intelligence, and the last point he put into shoring up his lowest attribute: strength. Immediately, a further notification made him sit up straighter.


    Eyes of the Archon ¨C level 20


    Greatly enhanced visual acuity, able to see in extremely low light.


    Mana: Your vision is enhanced for long-distance viewing or aiming. Enter a state of focused awareness which enhances the range and acuity of all Perception skills. Movement cancels the effect.


    Light, Perception


    He studied the advance offered to him, noticing that, for the second time, his skill growth was being strongly influenced by his chosen patron deity. He could decline it and wait for a different direction, but he now understood why patronages ¨C deities, mentorships, or even commander tithes ¨C were so important, and why many scholars recommended not accepting anything that wasn¡¯t exactly in line with your goals. Choosing one that was poorly aligned with desired class growth and direction could be a disaster.


    He accepted the advance. While he hadn¡¯t really thought through the compatibility, and simply had gone with his feelings when he accepted it, the traits and focus of the Wanderer¡¯s patronage seemed to be an exceptional fit for what he wanted. Sniper Sight was already exciting, and he immediately tried it out.


    His vision immediately telescoped out into the jungle, creating a dizzying, disorienting sensation that he had suddenly moved a lot closer. While his vision scoped in, he could sense the stillness and calm of his focus being enhanced to an almost frightening intensity. His breathing slowed, and he could even hear his own heartbeat through the tiny blood vessels in his ears. On the branch of the distant oak, nestled among the fronds of damp moss, he inspected a tiny tree frog, moisture-beaded green skin blending perfectly with its surroundings, and only the red of its feet standing out as they clutched at the moss and bark. It twitched, and Calen followed the rapid unfurling of its tongue lashing out to snag a bug back into its mouth. The sudden twitch through its body caused a few droplets of water to fly off its head in a glistening, ephemeral spray.


    Category: Creature


    Threat Level: None


    Creature Type: Frog


    Damage: Negligible


    He released his focus, vision snapping back to normal in a dizzying rush. Even his Explorer skill had been enhanced by the new advance ¨C while he was scoped in with the new telescopic sight advance, he was able to use it to Identify the frog as if he were standing right beside it.


    On its surface, the advance seemed ideal for a sniper-style stealth archer with ambush skills, and while he still hoped to unlock an ambush skill to use with his Eclipse, he knew he would be using this new perception skill advance for many things. Scouting or tracking from a distance, or even the air would be simple. Making long-range shots like the ones he needed against the Coruscant Rays became a lot easier if he could see further.


    he thought, happy with his choice ¨C both the skill advancement and the direction his patron deity¡¯s influence was showing him.


    ***


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 108: Level 40

    Chapter 108: Level 40- Conversation via Sending Panel between Kieran Mori and the Silent Assassin, Tala Kane.


    Aliandra


    Ali¡¯s two Kobold Acolytes bowed their heads and clasped their hands in a pose she had come to recognize as their regeneration skill ¨C and she knew that the poison had finally expired. Mato and Malika still lay unconscious on the springy grass, but their breathing seemed to have settled into a much healthier rhythm, and the hard-working Kobolds no longer saw the need to heal them continually.


    She let out a soft sigh of relief and watched Calen slowly make his way over to where she had flopped down on the ground, still up on her ridge ¨C the spot she had chosen for its good view of the battlefield.


    ¡°How are they doing?¡± Calen asked, joining her on the grass.


    ¡°I think they¡¯re going to be ok,¡± she answered. ¡°It seems to be a poison with the side effect of knocking you out. My Kobolds nearly ran out of mana keeping them alive.¡± She glanced at her Acolytes, but they were still calmly regenerating their mana and seemed to have no further urgency about healing. She finally released the mana reserved for her frantically inscribed Cure Poison runic circle and watched the glowing magic fade.


    The battle itself had seemed easy enough when they had first engaged. But the Spore Spreader monsters, and their popping Violet Dreamclouds, had instantly knocked Mato and Malika out, turning the battle on its head. Only Calen¡¯s quick thinking had saved Mato and Malika from being trampled, crushed under the immense weight and fury of the rampaging Forest Guardian. Caught too far out of range for her barriers, she had been forced to watch the disaster unfold ¨C and, while her slimes were somehow unaffected by the spores and the rampant growth, they were nowhere near powerful enough to tank the guardian.


    ¡°That was some good strategy with the Scalding Slimes,¡± Calen said, continuing their quiet conversation. ¡°And whatever craziness you cooked up with your Arcane Bolts¡­ you saved my life. Our lives.¡±


    Ali blushed, squirming.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ali murmured, accepting his compliment, but in truth, she had felt anything but strategic and smart. Mostly, she had been reacting to the shock of seeing Mato and Malika being stomped. Immediately followed by the nail-biting, heart-pounding race between Calen and the relentless mountain of wood and bark. How he had managed to remain one step ahead of those grinding jaws and writhing roots she could scarcely imagine.


    ¡°Thanks for having our backs,¡± he added, doubling down, and intensifying her blush. ¡°How did you even find the time to use your Grimoire? And what made you think of steam?¡±


    ¡°I summoned them while you were circling the rock pile,¡± Ali admitted. When he had vanished behind the rocks and overgrowth, she had been left with nothing but the horrific sounds of the chase and no way to help. In that moment she had despaired of ever seeing the quiet, shy Half-elf again. Normally her Grimoire was far too slow to summon minions during battle, but there had been nothing else she could do, so she had resorted to that. Her Wyverns¡¯ poison seemed ineffective against the nature elemental, and her Fire Mages or Storm Shamans couldn¡¯t run fast enough to keep up with it. It was while she was racking her brain for anything that might work that she recalled the scene in Naia¡¯s dungeon. ¡°Naia was very efficient with the Scalding Slimes,¡± Ali admitted. ¡°That¡¯s what gave me the idea.¡±


    ¡°Well, making the steam slimes ride the Guardian was brilliant,¡± Calen said. ¡°They were devastating.¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Ali nodded, just happy it had worked out.


    ¡°How did you manage that trick with your Bolts? C¡¯mon, you can¡¯t leave me in the dark here,¡± Calen said, leaning in a little closer.


    ¡°Do you remember that testing we did on Arcane Bolt to figure out its range?¡± Ali asked. She had always thought Calen was overly pedantic about writing down every skill and advance, studying the limits, and testing everything exhaustively.


    ¡°Yup, we learned it has a two-minute time limit, not a distance limit¡­ wait, that¡¯s what you used?¡± Calen said, suddenly sitting up in surprise.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali nodded. ¡°And I can retarget them mentally. I ping-ponged the bolts between the slime on the overhang and myself, keeping as many in flight as possible.¡± It had been an act of inspired desperation, something she had fumbled her way into by accident and urgency. She was just grateful it had worked so well.


    Calen let out a low whistle. ¡°Two minutes, three bolts per shot¡­¡± he muttered, his face screwed up in computation for a few moments before his eyes widened. ¡°You had nearly five hundred bolts in the air at once?¡± S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Probably only about three hundred of them hit,¡± Ali said, nodding. ¡°Lots of them expired on the way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous,¡± Calen said. ¡°No math involved?¡±


    She snorted mildly, ¡°How? There wasn¡¯t any time, Calen.¡±


    ¡°You just winged it?¡±


    ¡°It was such a last-ditch thing,¡± Ali observed, ¡°I was out of mana so fast. If you¡¯d been just a little later, it wouldn¡¯t have worked.¡± It had been so close. Before she got stuck in a spiral of self-critique, she got up and decided that doing something productive would set her mind back to rights. She could work on improving for next time.


    She studied the strange three-limbed mushroom monster lying burnt on the ground. Her mages had been good for one thing ¨C destroying these. Plant magic affinity, by most accounts she had read, was a rare, specialized form of nature magic ¨C one that worked only with plants and plant growth, but due to the extreme specialization, the effects were supposed to be that much more powerful.


    She deconstructed it, and then the rest of them and the few Violet Dreamcloud mushrooms that remained.


    She looked at her Grimoire curiously. She had long given up on figuring out how it categorized things, but lately, it had been extra weird. At least in her mind, she had been separating the imprints into broad categories; materials, equipment, plants, and monsters ¨C but now her Grimoire was insisting on putting monsters in plant imprints and her precarious understanding of how her magic worked had just come crashing down.


    The two notifications from the previous battle just served to reinforce the issue.


    It seemed weird, but her Grimoire certainly seemed to think so.


    ¡°How long do you think before they wake up?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Ali said. ¡°They don¡¯t need healing anymore.¡±


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m going to scout a bit while we wait,¡± Calen said, getting to his feet.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said, turning her thoughts to the three new monster imprints she had learned, variants of her plant categories. With nothing better to do, she pored over the runes. There was a tantalizing similarity between the three of them, but, stubbornly, the runes refused to divulge their secrets to her eyes. she decided. Familiarizing herself with her imprints and her monsters would allow her to make smarter choices.


    She started with the Moss Creeper ¨C summoning two of them. The green monsters that appeared could best be described as mounds or clumps of fine-stranded plant matter. One of her new minions appeared as a level sixteen monster, a mound that took her up to her thighs. The second was much smaller ¨C level four ¨C and the size of a small ball.


    They flopped around a little, not doing very much until she sent them a mental nudge. Their movement seemed to have been concocted from an ill-advised merging of a sloth and an ooze ¨C moss-covered protrusions moved within their bodies to grasp and pull the monster across the grassy dirt. Ali watched in fascination as the larger one reached a small boulder, entirely covering it with its body, and then began to use a nature affinity skill. A trickle of mana twisted and bent, shaping a formation that, for a second time, evoked a tantalizing sense of familiarity. When the monster was done, it moved off unhurriedly, searching for another spot, leaving the previously bare boulder covered in dense mossy growth.


    Ali thought. Studying its magic was fascinating in and of itself, but other than that, it didn¡¯t provide a whole lot of options for combat, unless it had abilities it couldn¡¯t show.


    Ali turned her attention back to the hovering Grimoire, summoning two more monsters, a Spore Spreader, and a Floral Menace. At least the gnarled, woody Floral Menace had a pretty pink scruff of petals ¨C the Spore Spreader looked like a misshapen and mutated, oversized mushroom. These two she understood in terms of combat capabilities ¨C it was rather that their abilities might take some careful planning to apply in a combat situation.


    Nevertheless, she put them through their paces, studying their magic as they grew violet mushrooms and pink flowers. She had put them a little way apart from their group, just to be safe, but even at this distance, she could tell that whatever magic they were doing seemed familiar to her, once again.


    She wasn¡¯t quite sure why this had caught her attention, but without anything more to go on, she finally decided that it was simply the nature of a skill that summoned plants. How different could they be? One summoned flowers and the other summoned mushrooms, but besides that, there had to be some common structure to the skills she was observing.


    Finally, tiring of her studies, she unsummoned the new monsters, freeing her mana for combat, and turned her eyes to the enormous bulk of the still-smoking Forest Guardian, trying to suppress the complex surge of emotions rising within her. It was a terrifying monster, especially when it was trying to maul or crush her friends. But she felt a conflicting nostalgia even from the giant corpse of wood and bark, battered and destroyed from the steam and her arcane magic. It had been a harsh wakeup call to be forcibly reminded that it was a monster capable of crushing them when her mind had been filled with the memory of her father¡¯s gentle touch as he helped her up onto the back of a Forest Guardian so that she could ride it around the forest for fun.


    She flew over and began to deconstruct it, unable to fully contain the bubbling excitement of her anticipation. But to her dismay, when the monster¡¯s corpse exploded into sparkles and motes of mana, drifting away on the light breeze, her Grimoire did not appear, and she did not hear the notification telling her that she had learned something new.


    she told herself, trying to assuage her disappointment, while trying to ignore the voice in the back of her mind that was wondering if this monster had some peculiarity that prevented her from ever learning it ¨C like the light or bone elementals her magic couldn¡¯t bring to life.


    ¡°Did you get them?¡± Calen asked as she returned.


    ¡°The Spore Spreaders and the Violet Dreamcloud, but not the guardian yet.¡± She couldn¡¯t keep the disappointment from her voice, but even learning the strange tripod mushroom monster was a sort of progress. The fact that she couldn¡¯t immediately think of a good use for it was probably just a failure of imagination due to her exhaustion.


    To take her mind off it, she turned to her notifications, finding, much to her surprise, that the fight had been enough to earn a class level.


    The nice round number appeared before her, masquerading as normal and mundane, but it was filled with significance and meaning. She was no longer the weak research assistant, terrified to face a rat. Forty with a combat class meant she was likely considered ¡®powerful¡¯ by most people in the town, if not the kingdom. If her class didn¡¯t deviate from the normal pattern, it should come with her final skill unlock, a potentially significant milestone in her growth.


    She pursed her lips carefully and spent one point on vitality and two points on dexterity. The rest she spent on her primary attributes; five into intelligence and two into wisdom for more mana. She turned the parchment page in her mind to reveal the rest of her notifications.


    Grimoire of Summoning was a skill she constantly struggled to level up, especially as a major portion of her growth was tied up in the number of imprint chapters she had earned. Early on, simply using deconstruction in combat had been sufficient for substantial growth, but summoning monsters was a long process, and it was hard to find time to use it mid-battle, so she rarely got experience for using it under dangerous circumstances.


    In this fight, she had been forced to summon slimes in combat and her skill growth clearly reflected that.


    Minion Teleport


    Mana: Instantly swap location with any minion. Range: 15 meters. Recharge: 10 seconds.


    Arcane, Movement, Minion, Intelligence


    Arcane Recall


    You are proficient with Arcane magic. You gain +  % to spell power, spell haste, mana control, and mental reaction speed with Arcane magic.


    Mana: Ignore the recharge for any Magic skill, spell, or triggered ability. Your magic is cast instantly. Recharge: 24 hours.


    Arcane, Metamagic, Mastery, Intelligence


    Avatar


    Mana: You may possess one of your summoned creatures, greatly increasing its power. You are absorbed into its body for the duration. If your creature dies, your body is ejected unharmed. Recharge: 3 hours.


    Nature, Minion, Wisdom


    ¡°Ugh¡­ what happened?¡± Mato groaned, stirring finally. He sat up, holding his head while looking around.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake! You both got knocked out by the poisonous mushrooms,¡± Ali answered, noticing Malika¡¯s eyes flickering open before she squeezed them shut again as if in pain.


    ¡°How am I not dead?¡± Ali could see Mato¡¯s eyes lingering on the torn-up grass and dirt where he had been tanking the guardian before Ali had her minions drag him and Malika to safety. His eyes then switched to the enormous boulders and piles of upturned soil left by the Forest Guardian when it had ripped Calen¡¯s magic chains out of the ground to free itself.


    ¡°Calen¡¯s quick thinking,¡± Ali said. In truth, her respect for the introverted boy had grown enormously. She had always respected him, of course, but the unhesitating way he had thrown himself into harm¡¯s way to save the others left her powerfully moved. He had done it without a plan to save himself. She might have expected an unthinking selfless action from Mato ¨C but understanding a little about how Calen¡¯s mind worked, he had to have known just how bad his chances of surviving were, and yet he had chosen to do it anyway.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Mato said, looking over at Calen who was jogging over to join them.


    ¡°Yes, I appreciate it,¡± Malika managed.


    ¡°It was nothing,¡± Calen deflected, seeming back to his usual self, embarrassed to be the center of attention.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I heal this awful headache?¡± Malika asked, her magic flickering a few times before it subsided.


    ¡°Probably the aftereffects of the poison, my Kobolds had to heal you both for ages,¡± Ali said. Seeing that the others were not going to be moving much for a while, and knowing Calen was unlikely to take the initiative, she explained what had happened while they were unconscious.


    ¡°Calen kited it?¡± Malika¡¯s voice was a mix of incredulity and admiration.


    ¡°Yup, for the entire battle.¡± Ali had finally encountered the use of adventurer jargon that she had understood. There was a chapter in the Adventurer¡¯s Guide that explained various strategies, and this ¡®kiting¡¯ was one of them. It meant the ability to attract a monster¡¯s attention from range, and, through clever use of terrain, skills, agility, and speed, ensure that you always remained beyond its reach while retaining its undivided attention. It was occasionally used as a substitute for a tank, but the book had cautioned that it had an extremely high skill requirement, with very little room for error.


    ¡°I nearly ran out of stamina,¡± Calen said, clearly still subdued by his near brush with death. ¡°Do you feel ok?¡±


    Malika nodded, ¡°I think so. Just got a nasty headache and I feel like I got run over by one of those things.¡±


    ¡°You did get run over by one of those things,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°I think we need a few minutes to rest,¡± Malika said, flopping back down onto the ground.


    ¡°I hit level forty,¡± Ali said. ¡°If you feel up for it, I could use some advice on choosing a skill.¡±


    ¡°Oh, congratulations,¡± Malika exclaimed quietly, still cradling her head as if it might explode at any moment. ¡°What did you get?¡±


    Ali shared her three new skill offerings with the others. Her heart raced the most when she read the description of Minion Teleport. She had always been fascinated by teleportation magic in all its infinite variety. She would often sit in the library simply watching the clerks and visitors using their magic to browse. Her offering seemed unique to her nature as a summoner ¨C something she hadn¡¯t seen in action before, filling her with a fresh sense of intense curiosity. But Avatar looked ridiculously powerful for a summoner, and Arcane Recall seemed to be the very essence of arcane combat magic ¨C a powerful tactical meta-magic spell.


    ¡°Those requirements are insane,¡± Mato answered. ¡°When did you do more than a thousand damage in a second?¡±


    ¡°I killed the guardian with a couple of hundred simultaneous Arcane Bolts,¡± Ali answered. It had to be that ¨C nothing else she had ever tried would have come even close. The requirements to unlock Arcane Recall were particularly impressive ¨C besides the instantaneous damage achievement, her efforts to repurpose her barrier magic into flying shards for attacking had been one of the major factors in unlocking it. The mana infusion had to be related to her time spent locked in her mother¡¯s barrier.


    ¡°Those all look amazing, Ali,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to pick,¡± Ali answered honestly. If she went purely by feeling, she would take the teleport, but it was hard to tell which was the better skill.


    ¡°Avatar looks like a pure power skill,¡± Mato said, voicing his preference. ¡°Can you imagine if you get one of those Forest Guardians and use Avatar on that?¡±


    ¡°I agree. You¡¯d be able to trample all your enemies,¡± Calen said. Both Malika and Mato winced.


    For once Ali agreed with Mato¡¯s skill preferences. Normally he picked without subtlety, opting for the most directly combat-oriented damage increase. But for a summoner, Avatar seemed to give her the option of safely joining the fight in person.  would fight as whatever minion she picked, and the power increase would need to be tested, but it seemed that even if her minion died while she was using it as her Avatar, she would simply be ejected, and she could continue fighting as herself. Like most minion-trait magic, it would get stronger as she collected more interesting or powerful minions ¨C like the Forest Guardian. Likely she would need to learn to fight in whatever role her selected minion was suited for ¨C but she was already doing that for Martial Insight, and she was certain her powerful enhancement skill would work with Avatar.


    Seeing no reason not to, she tested it out. Affixing Avatar as her final skill, she spent the substantial mana cost and suddenly she her Kobold Acolyte.


    She flexed her talons and glanced around feeling the strange way her vision had changed to match the reptilian creature¡¯s senses.  Her friends stared at her with interest as she explored her new body. She had some familiarity with Kobold physiology from her Martial Insight, but this was far more personal. She had fangs too. She ran the Acolyte through its paces, testing a bunch of skills Calen suggested before she eventually ran out of ideas.


    ¡°Um¡­ how do I get out of this?¡± she said.


    ¡°I could kill it,¡± Mato offered. ¡°It said you go back.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m not sure I want to experience dying.¡±


    ¡°Does it last the full three hours?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Looks like it might,¡± Ali said. She checked the description and then pulsed her mana into the skill again and her perspective lurched momentarily, a disconcerting sensation of separation from herself. She blinked, realizing she was back in her own body, staring at the Acolyte.


    ¡°How was it?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ good,¡± Ali said. ¡°I think it would be a lot better with a stronger minion, and a bunch of skill levels.¡± The power increase hadn¡¯t been all that noticeable at level one, but presumably that would improve. Mato had been right ¨C it would be impressive if only she had access to a Forest Guardian.


    ¡°Your other choices look strong too,¡± Malika observed.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Calen said. ¡°Minion Teleport and Arcane Recall look incredibly useful in combat. Your Grimoire of Summoning is Arcane right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali confirmed. That was the main reason she considered Arcane Recall to be powerful. She would be able to summon a monster in combat instantaneously. Even if it were just one, such an ace up her sleeve could turn the tide of a risky fight, like the one they had just survived. The skill was so clear, she didn¡¯t even need to test it out to know exactly how it would function ¨C it was mostly passive with the bonus of allowing her to instantly use any arcane skill.


    ¡°How do you feel, Ali?¡± Malika asked, looking up at her.


    ¡°I think Arcane Recall is amazing. Any arcane mage would love it. Especially with the slow Arcane skills I have. I could instantly summon a creature to help, or presumably instantly create a runic circle,¡± she said as she considered the spell. ¡°It seems to be the smart choice.¡±


    Calen nodded at her assessment.


    ¡°But¡­¡± she paused, considering her feelings carefully, ¡°I have always loved teleportation magic.¡±


    ¡°How would you feel if you didn¡¯t take the Minion Teleport?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°I think I would be sad,¡± Ali answered truthfully.


    ¡°I think you should go with your heart,¡± Malika said. ¡°My parents always told me to pick what you¡¯re passionate about. When your heart and soul are in alignment, your true potential can shine.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there are any bad choices,¡± Calen added. ¡°Anything you pick is going to be great. But consider this; Arcane Recall can only be used once per day. Minion Teleport will be available as a local escape skill for every fight. And you can always work on developing your skill to grow the range.¡±


    ¡°You can change your mind later, too,¡± Mato offered.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll try this out for now,¡± Ali answered, feeling instant relief that her decision had ended up aligning with what she had wanted. She selected Minion Teleport for her final skill slot.


    The spell was instant, one moment she was sitting by her friends connecting her mana to the skill, and the next she was suddenly on the side, having instantaneously swapped places with her Acolyte several meters away. It looked up at her in surprise, and Ali just laughed happily.


    It was clearly a combat-oriented teleport spell ¨C with such a short recharge, she would be able to use it frequently, but it was unlikely to eliminate the need to carry recall potions for her escape tool. She had already memorized the Novaspark Academy locus, and all skills could be grown.


    As soon as the ten seconds expired, she used it again, switching back, returning to the circle of her friends.


    ¡°You look happy,¡± Malika said, smiling at her.


    ¡°I am!¡± And she could even feel the grin growing on her face.


    Ali spent the next hour or so while her friends recovered familiarizing herself with her new teleport skill ¨C but mostly it was an excuse to play with it.

 Chapter 109: Forest Guardian

    Chapter 109: Forest GuardianAliandraAli trudged along with her friends as Calen led them deeper into the jungle, carefully pondering the wild, chaotic nature-affinity mana that infused everything around her. It roiled, twisted, and washed across them as they moved, dense enough to appear murky to her mana sight. Gone were all but the faintest vestiges of the light affinity mana they had encountered in the other direction, and so too were the majority of the light-affinity bugs, monsters, and elementals. Apart from the occasional appearance of flying creatures above the canopy, down here in the dense, damp overgrown jungle, nature ruled with a cloying, sweaty, moss-ridden grip.


    ¡°This place is like a sauna,¡± Mato grumbled.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going back till we find Ali another Guardian,¡± Malika replied, wiping sweat from her brow.


    It had taken about an hour of rest before Mato and Malika had felt well enough to continue, and now the two of them seemed entirely back to normal ¨C at least, they were energetic enough to be discussing various strategies for handling the Forest Guardians Calen was off hunting for them.


    ¡°Thanks for trying,¡± Ali said. She hadn¡¯t expected everyone to be so enthusiastic about finding her the final Forest Guardian to deconstruct that might earn her the imprint, but all it had taken was a simple mention that she was close before everyone wanted to be involved. Exploration was all good and well, she supposed, but having the shared goal of hunting a guardian for her book seemed to breathe a bit of energetic excitement into her friends.


    ¡°Not a problem, Ali. It¡¯ll be fun!¡± Mato declared, swiping his hand at the cloud of pebble-sized green beetles that were buzzing around his head.


    Ali ducked sharply as a glowing nature wisp zipped past, almost colliding with her face. The tiny glowing mana creatures were becoming noticeably more numerous, often clustering by the dozens in trees where the mana density was marginally higher. Ali had even witnessed several spontaneously manifesting directly from the ambient mana itself ¨C an event that, as far as she knew, was something rare enough that few scholars had ever witnessed it.


    ¡°I wish it wasn¡¯t quite so humid and mucky down here,¡±she said, brushing the gossamer threads of another spiderweb from her face and hair for the thousandth time, wondering if she would ever again be clean and dry. Amid the raucous, incessant calls of the insects and frogs, the cloying humid air that felt like breathing pea soup, and the muddy dirt and moss they trudged through, Ali began to believe she would be hallucinating visions of the bathhouse before much longer.


    It was right when she was imagining immersing herself slowly in a hot tub of water that Calen suddenly reappeared, startling her into stepping ankle-deep into a puddle of mud. At least it couldn¡¯t make her any dirtier than before.


    ¡°I found a Forest Guardian for you, up ahead by a small pond,¡± Calen announced. ¡°But there¡¯s a problem.¡±


    ¡°More mushroom guys?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°No, the flower ones, but the problem is there are two Guardians.¡±


    ¡°Two?¡± Ali exclaimed. The giant regenerating elementals were dangerous enough on their own, and yet, she wanted to make them so much she could almost taste it.


    ¡°That might be problematic,¡± Malika said, echoing Ali¡¯s concerns. ¡°It¡¯ll be hard enough fighting blind in the petal storm, but I¡¯m not sure if we have enough firepower to kill two Guardians healing each other. We might want to skip them.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re level thirty-eight and thirty-six,¡± Calen added. ¡°It¡¯s not a lot lower, but they¡¯re the lowest-level Guardians we¡¯ve seen so far.¡±


    ¡°What if I make a couple more Fire Mages and fireball the petals? Fire seems to work well against the guardians too.¡± Ali knew she wasn¡¯t exactly objective in this discussion, but she also didn¡¯t want to spend another hour trudging through the jungle and potentially not finding the guardian she needed for her Grimoire. Especially when these two were right here.


    ¡°What happened to the Ali who was terrified of fireballing Mato?¡± Malika asked with an amused grin on her face.


    ¡°He can take it,¡± Ali replied, drawing a deep chuckle and a mock-buffet from the big Beastkin. ¡°Seriously though, I think it¡¯s our best shot, they¡¯re all made of wood, so fire seems to be the best choice. It might even help with the roots and vines.¡±


    ¡°Oi, I¡¯m the one who has to tank the fireballs with my face,¡± Mato grumbled.


    ¡°Do you really mind?¡± Ali asked. She had carefully considered her options, and she had concluded that fire was very much the right choice. Storm Shamans dealt good damage with their lightning, but they were less effective when they couldn¡¯t fight in melee range. The nature elementals seemed immune to her wyvern¡¯s poison breath so they were out too. No, fireball was definitely the best solution, so why were her friends laughing?


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t mind, I say we try it,¡± Mato chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll take getting burnt a bit over being blind the whole fight.¡±


    ¡°Just call it out as usual so I can dodge out of the blast radius,¡± Malika said finally relenting. ¡°And maybe make another healer, it¡¯s hard enough to move around in all that plant growth. I can separate out the Floral Menaces and tank them outside the regeneration auras if Mato can tank both the elementals.¡±


    ¡°Works for me,¡± Mato said.


    And just like that, they made their decision. Ali summoned a couple more Fire Mages and an Acolyte as an undercurrent of excitement began to build within her. Excitement that she might soon have the guardian, but simultaneously nervous that her desire might be getting them in a little over their heads. She double-checked her inventory to make sure her Potion of Recall was easily accessible. As soon as she was ready, they followed Calen to a clearing up ahead where he had scouted their prey.


    In the dappled light, two slightly smaller Forest Guardians slowly patrolled beside a small creek. Smaller, but only relative to their enormous kin. Scampering around their giant stump-like feet were six of the woody Floral Menace flower monsters. They were indistinguishable from the ones they had faced previously other than the fact that some of them sported purple petal scruffs instead of pink, a difference that Ali was almost certain wouldn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to move them much,¡± Mato said, quietly surveying the monsters out past the trees they were crouched behind.


    ¡°I think just tank them over there by the pond,¡± Calen suggested. ¡°That should give us enough room. Ali and I can set up here.¡±


    Ali nodded. The spot Calen had selected was a little elevated and there was a nice break in the trees giving clear visibility onto what would soon become the battlefield.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Mato answered, his body twisting and reforming, growing more massive. His transformation magic seemed to ripple out from his core, reshaping him from within, as if it were somehow twisting his muscles and bones.


    Ali thought, studying the effect closely, trying to catch a glimpse of how it worked. Every time her Arcane Insight or Sage of Learning grew, she felt she could unravel a little more of the details of the everyday magic her friends were wielding. However, while this ability was clearly related to Mato¡¯s nature affinity, the way it worked was mostly hidden from her sight. From what Mato had shared, Ali knew his shapeshifting ability was powered by stamina, not mana ¨C a so-called ¡®martial ability¡¯. While it was clearly magic, her senses and perception skills were blind to the workings of stamina.


    In moments, his transformation into a heavy, large bear was complete, and he triggered another skill powered by the invisible energy of his stamina, causing him to accelerate his massive bulk out into the clearing, engaging the monsters there with a roar and a crash, joined moments later by Malika, sprinting in right behind him.


    ¡°Spread out, Firebolt the Floral Menace,¡± Ali instructed, speaking draconic for the benefit of her mages, and picking a common target. Her potent army of Kobold pyromaniacs quickly scrambled into a loose curved formation, each of them flaring with the angry red of fire mana.


    ¡°she commanded mentally, sending her intent to the several Scalding Slimes waiting beside her. Her army was rather specifically tailored for this fight. Slimes were immune to roots, and so she had no other melee minions. Her only other minion type was the group of three Acolytes of Azryet standing loosely around her, already supporting Mato and Malika with their holy healing magic without needing her explicit command.


    She made a few minor adjustments, ensuring her minions remained within range of her enhancement auras while she studied the magic flowing through the battlefield. One handy side-effect of her Arcane Insight was she could see the glow of her Empowered Summoner and the flickers of green nature damage it granted her minions when they were in range.  She could also see the pervasive twin auras of the Forest Guardians ¨C regeneration and growth ¨C denser and more potent now with two of them. And flowing like a trill above it all, was the trickle of nature magic infusing the ground with the growth of countless tiny wildflowers.


    Ali studied the magic closely, waiting for the telltale trigger, and sure enough, as soon as the sea of wildflowers had finished sprouting, mana flared sharply from the Floral Menace monsters, and the entire battlefield erupted into a dense cloud of pink and purple petals that instantly obscured everything.


    ¡°Fireball!¡± Ali¡¯s warning also served as her mental command to the grinning Kobold Fire Mage she had selected. Flame and mana condensed quickly, forming into the easily recognizable roiling ball of fire before shooting out across the battlefield and into the center of the petal storm. Malika¡¯s lithe, agile body emerged from the cloud in a high backflip at the same instant that the fireball entered the storm and for a fraction of a second Ali began to smile at how elegantly she had judged the timing.


    Deep within the heart of the petal storm, a malevolent all-consuming red blaze ignited, cutting through the petals. A shocking, angry flame burst with an intensity that left the entire clearing darkened and rendered Malika a mere silhouette suspended against the backlit radiant glow.


    Ali¡¯s eyes widened as her nascent smile warped into surprise and shock. A pressure wave of dust, ash, and flame blasted out through the cloud, and she had barely enough time to throw a barrier up in front of her before the explosion ripped through the entire clearing. Her ears burst painfully as her barrier cracked instantly. Malika vanished and all her minions were knocked to the ground as the jungle rang with the flash-blast of flame.


    Ali rolled over and sat up. She couldn¡¯t hear a thing unless she counted the painful ringing inside her head from where her sense of hearing had once been. The clearing was a scene of total devastation, burned grass and tree branches lay smoking on the ground, dotted among pockets of still-burning flame. Mato still struggled against the two Forest Guardians out where the small pond used to be, amid a soft rain of ash and slowly dissipating smoke. There was no sign of any of the Floral Menaces, nor her slimes, and as she gazed about, she found her Kobolds slowly stirring and getting to their feet. One of her Acolytes glanced her way, and Ali saw the formation of her holy restoration spell before she felt the gentle healing magic begin to work to restore her hearing and the seared burns on her skin.


    ¡°Heal Mato,¡± she managed, her voice distorted by her damaged hearing. Slowly she clambered to her feet and stared at the ragged remnants of the barrier magic that had saved her from serious injury. It had been quite a while since she had encountered anything powerful enough to break her magic.


    Malika dropped out of a tree nearby, landing on the balls of her feet, and sprinted off to join Mato. As the holy magic pulsed within her, the ringing slowly faded, replaced by the roars, thumps, and crashes of combat.


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    Whatever had just happened had been way more powerful than just a regular fireball, and she had seen absolutely no sign of forewarning in her mana sight. The entire clearing had been incinerated by the blast, enough heat and flame to clear the vegetation, vaporize the pond, and kill all the lower-level monsters and minions in the area instantly.


    Her eyes were drawn again to the softly floating ash, falling like gray snow, and in a sudden flash of clarity, she understood. The air had been filled with petals in an enormous cloud of easily ignited fuel. Her Fireball had simply been the spark that ignited the conflagration.


    ¡°Ali, adds! Behind you!¡±


    At the urgent sound of Calen¡¯s shout, and the intense surge in his mana as he triggered Righteous Fury, Ali spun about to find several of the misshapen Spore Spreaders lumbering out of the jungle undergrowth directly toward her on their strangely awkward three-armed gait. Violet mushrooms were already sprouting from the ground all around them. From the shuffling sounds deeper in the jungle, more were inbound, clearly drawn by the empowered fireball explosion she had detonated.


    She threw up a barrier, knowing it would be no help against the spores as the monsters planted themselves, quivering, in the middle of the glowing sea of mushrooms. Suddenly she remembered her brand-new spell. With a thought, and a few points of mana, she instantaneously switched places with her farthest Fire Mage, right as the Violet Dreamclouds began to burst. Two of her mages caught in the circle collapsed instantly, unconscious as the spore cloud billowed up from the exploding mushroom carpet.


    ¡°Fireballs,¡± Ali commanded. Her two unconscious mages would be out of commission for longer than the duration of the fight, so it was worthless trying to recover them. Instead, all her remaining mages readied their magic.  Ali thought. She didn¡¯t trust it though, putting up a new barrier anyway, but she did unleash her arcane bolt streams, picking separate targets for each, adding her personal damage to the intense stream of Calen¡¯s overcharged arrows.


    The simultaneous proximate detonations of the fireballs burst her eardrums for the second time this fight, sending pain lancing deep into her head, but her barrier magic protected her from the brunt of the flame and resulting shockwave. The cloud of spores had been incinerated, but fortunately, she hadn¡¯t set off an unprecedented monstrous detonation this time. But within the cloud of flame and slowly clearing smoke, she could still see the magic of the fungus monsters summoning more mushrooms, and still more joining the fray.


    ¡°Again,¡± she instructed ¨C a command which was met with eager and excited smiles and flaring fire mana. The only nice thing about the unexpectedly large fireball earlier was that it had wiped out most of the monsters instantly, leaving just the massive guardians alive.


    She called for more and more volleys of fireballs as the horde of Spore Spreaders continued pouring out from the jungle, weaving her arcing Arcane Bolt streams around Calen¡¯s arrows and through the fire and smoke.


    Ali glanced back at Mato, but it seemed that Malika was keeping him alive through the distraction.


    Her Fire Mages had to be running low ¨C their Fireballs were not exactly cheap, and while she couldn¡¯t tell exactly how much mana they were using, just the potency and size of the mana formations they created with their magic told her it was a lot.


    ¡°That¡¯s the last one,¡± Calen said suddenly, downing a mana potion, and drawing her attention to the now still undergrowth between the trees beyond the expanse of charred ground and burned corpses. ¡°Lower-level guardian first.¡±


    Ali turned her attention back to the central fight ¨C a titanic battle between the bear and the much more massive Forest Guardians, with Malika dancing around in between punching and healing. The battle was a broad circle of verdant growth amid the charred and devastated ruins of the jungle clearing. Both Mato and Malika appeared to be struggling with the grasping roots and vines blanketing the area with new life ¨C although Malika was having a better time of things, her light steps dancing off the air more often than not to avoid the roots.


    ¡°Firebolts.¡± The two Forest Guardians appeared to be in perfect health, having rapidly regenerated any damage sustained from the massive blast and whatever damage Mato and Malika were dishing out.


    But the Forest Guardian seemed entirely unaffected. The firebolts were landing, and they were ripping holes in the bark armor and the dense wood, leaving smoking holes in their wake. The problem was the holes were closing up in seconds, wood twisting and growing over the damage, filling the holes and leaving the monster in pristine health even under the continuous bombardment of magic and arrows.


    Ali studied her beleaguered forces. ¡°I¡¯m not delivering enough damage,¡± she said. She had lost more than half her minions already, two mages to the mushrooms, and all her Scalding Slimes to the explosion. Her four remaining mages needed time to recover their mana before they could let loose.


    ¡°Can you make some more?¡± Calen asked.


    she thought, her mind returning to their first encounter with a Forest Guardian. She had had to summon mages mid-combat because their entire damage output had been insufficient to overcome the regeneration aura. They had all leveled up since then, and the elementals were a little lower level, but against two of those auras, even Ali could see the firebolts were not leaving any lasting damage in the face of the double regeneration aura.


    Even when she had killed the kited guardian with her arcane bolt storm, she had required several minutes of steam-jet assault to bring its health down to a range where her attack could finish it off. She didn¡¯t have that luxury here.


    ¡°I need time to summon more mages.¡± But of course, she was low on mana too. A quick mental perspective shift confirmed that she was down to only two mana potions.


    ¡°I have about six minutes on my recharge,¡± Calen offered.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Ali retrieved her two mana potions, making her decision. When Calen¡¯s Righteous Fury became available, she would need as much damage as she could muster.


    ¡°Mato, Malika, conserve your resources,¡± Calen yelled, sharing their strategy shift. ¡°Malika, target their mana.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Malika shouted back, and the flickers of her punches shifted to a deeper blue color.


    Quickly, Ali organized her remaining forces, setting up a rotation of one-off, and two-on for her Acolytes, to allow them to rotate with their mana regeneration skill. She handed the two highest-level Fire Mages a mana potion each, instructing them to drink and conserve mana for now, and then scrambled across the charred ground in search of Spore Spreader corpses, filling up her mana pool by deconstructing several of them.


    Ignoring the crashes and roars of combat, she pulled out her Grimoire and focused on her magic, intent on summoning as many Kobold Fire Mages as she could manage in the short time available.


    ¡°Ready,¡± Calen called out, much sooner than Ali would have liked. She had managed two more mages, and her Grimoire was still glowing with the magic that would construct the third.


    ¡°Almost there,¡± she told him, urging him to hold off for a little longer. Even though her new powerful Customization upgrade seemed to be allowing her to bias her summoning toward higher-level variants, the two mages she had just summoned were unlikely to be enough to clinch the battle. While Calen waited, her magic flared, and with a rush of mana, it completed.


    she thought, as she saw the level of her newest summon. It brought her total to seven mages. She made a mental note to study her Grimoire customization in more detail to see if she could learn greater control over the monster level produced. If she was going to continue being forced to summon monsters in combat, she needed to find a way to reduce the randomness ¨C gambling with her power was certain to get them killed at some point.


    ¡°Go,¡± Ali said. She hadn¡¯t expected to have the time to make gear for her new mages, but somehow all three Fire Mages had appeared wearing some sort of robe she recognized from her Grimoire. she reminded herself.


    Calen flipped a gold coin into the air, making it vanish in a tiny shower of sparks, before he ignited the mana inside himself, his Righteous Fury making his body shine like a mini-sun in Ali¡¯s mana sight.


    ¡°¡± Ali commanded, reinforcing her draconic words with the full sense of both meanings, and the urgent need to go all out. She followed her own commands, unleashing three streams of Arcane Bolts at the targeted Forest Guardian, and eschewing even her own protection in favor of sharpened shards of barrier magic, trying desperately to eke out the most damage she was capable of.


    Firebolts flew in a constant barrage, making the wood elemental smoke and burn. Even Malika had leapt up on top of the Forest Guardian¡¯s back unleashing a fury of flickering punches, giving up entirely on healing in favor of draining as much of the elemental¡¯s mana as she could. But it all came down to Calen¡¯s powerful skill, and the thirty seconds of fury and the devastating hail of arrows. If they failed to do enough damage, the monster would simply heal again.


    She couldn¡¯t help counting the seconds, as she burned through her mana with reckless abandon. They were definitely hurting the monster now, massive rents appeared in the armor due to Mato¡¯s powerful strikes, immediately exploited by Calen and her Fire Mages for additional damage. Smoke billowed up from the many holes bored into its flanks by fire magic. But as the seconds ticked by, the monster remained standing.


    Abruptly, the intense flare of light to her side dimmed, and at the same moment, the Forest Guardian roared in fury, spinning toward Calen whose skill had just expired.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Calen exclaimed.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t enough?¡± Ali gasped. She couldn¡¯t believe it ¨C the monster had to be nearly dead ¨C it looked so battered and burnt that it seemed like it should just fall over. Instead, it charged toward Calen, suddenly deciding that he was the most dangerous threat.


    In the briefest fraction of a second when it threw itself forward, Mato¡¯s paw blurred, connecting with the ripping, tearing sound of a tree trunk splitting. The giant Forest Guardian managed two earth-shaking steps toward Calen before its entire bulk came crashing to the ground, tearing a deep furrow several meters long in the scorched earth before the thick roots from Mato¡¯s skill halted its momentum.


    Ali¡¯s notification chime sounded.


    Calen let out a shuddering sigh of relief.


    ¡°Oh, thank goodness,¡± Ali whispered. While the fight was by no means over, and they would still need to defeat the final guardian without the aid of Calen¡¯s Righteous Fury, at least now they would not need to contend with two simultaneous regeneration auras.


    ¡°Thought I was going to have to run again for a minute there,¡± Calen observed.


    Malika leapt up off the fallen Guardian and unleashed her relentless attacks upon the remaining Elemental.


    ¡°Switch,¡± Ali commanded, and as her mages retargeted to the final Forest Guardian, she settled in for a long fight. Even against the full power of all her Fire Mages, and their damage, Ali could see the pulsing of the Forest Guardian¡¯s potent regeneration aura as it worked relentlessly to recover the damage they were inflicting.


    But eventually, they wore it down.


    ¡°About time,¡± Malika said, her voice sounding just as exhausted as Ali felt.


    ¡°Man, these things are nuts,¡± Mato answered, transforming back to his normal self. ¡°That first one must have been running on one health point or¡­ I don¡¯t know. It took a crazy amount of damage.¡±


    ¡°They sure are unreasonably robust,¡± Calen agreed.


    It had taken everything they could throw at the monsters, and they had barely succeeded. Without Mato¡¯s retaliation, they might not have killed the first Guardian at all.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Ali told them. ¡°I thought we had enough damage to kill two. Perhaps we shouldn¡¯t try that again until we¡¯re a bit stronger?¡± The fight had been an unnecessary risk due to her eagerness to gain the Forest Guardian imprint. The smarter choice would have been patience. ¡°We should have waited till Calen scouted out a single monster.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, Ali.¡± Malika gave her a tired smile. ¡°Yes, it was close, but we all agreed to the fight.¡±


    ¡°Well? What are you waiting for?¡± Mato said, looking at Ali with an expression of anticipation. Ali returned his gaze, puzzled at his meaning, and then he simply pointed at the giant corpse behind him. ¡°Go get it?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± With a sudden surge of excitement, as she remembered the purpose for their taking the risk on this fight, she rushed over to where Mato stood, and deconstructed the massive elemental, impatiently urging her magic to go faster.


    She had so many emotions riding on this that she struggled to even identify what exactly she was feeling. So much hinged on whether she could even learn it, or if it would summon properly.


    ¡°I got the imprint¡­¡± Instead of calming her down, her success pushed her emotions to an almost unbearable intensity.


    She had so many examples of imprints that had proved to be an enormous disappointment. Her Piercer Scorpions that summoned dead, or all the light elementals she had learned that she was unable to use. Even the skeleton imprint she had tried had been a failure. She didn¡¯t want to think about the trauma she had felt over her book imprint.


    She opened her Grimoire and turned to the Elemental chapter; acutely aware she was the center of attention. Everyone was invested in this, and Ali wasn¡¯t sure what she would do when it failed.


    she forced herself to admit the possibility of it succeeding and channeled her magic.


    It was perhaps the longest several minutes she could remember experiencing. She kept her focus on her magic, trying to pretend her emotions were not there, but her body was trembling by the time her magic finally finished, and tears pricked at the corner of her eyes.


    The giant Elemental appeared with an abrupt suddenness that made Ali take an involuntary step backward. It towered over her, truly an intimidating presence so close. A heavy draw settled onto her mana pool. She stared at the monstrous elemental for several moments, fully expecting it to collapse, evaporate, or somehow vanish. The enormous head turned slowly toward her, setting her heart pounding in her chest, and the deep-set glowing green eyes fixed her with their gaze. From deep within the monster¡¯s massive body, a low-pitched rumble emerged, felt within her body as a tactile pressure vibration through the very air, sending flickers of fear and apprehension through her.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Calen whispered.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Mato yelled, dancing about on the charred ground.


    For a moment, Ali saw the memory of her father standing next to the creature and she thought her heart would break. She choked up and her eyes welled with tears, but she blinked them back, allowing the memory to slowly fade. All that remained was his memory and the legacy of his enormous Elementals that were now hers to summon.


    ¡°Good work, Ali,¡± Malika said, regarding her with knowing eyes.


    ¡°Thanks, Malika,¡± Ali managed through the lump in her throat.


    She walked toward it and reached out and touched the rough, thick protective bark on the monster¡¯s deferentially lowered head ¨C a head that dwarfed her entire body.

 Chapter 110: Bamboo Forest

    Chapter 110: Bamboo ForestLirasia


    -1% to maximum health


    +1 count per day


    10% chance to spread Undead Blight on contact


    If you die while infected, your body will be raised as a zombie


    Disease ¨C Count: 23


    Lira stumbled for the umpteenth time; her faltering consciousness jerked back to reality by the threat of falling. The white waters of the Myrin River rapids roared ceaselessly beside her, filling the air with damp spray and slicking the rocks beneath her feet. She reached instinctively for her magic again, but it slipped from her grasp, held in abeyance just out of reach by the awful Mana Severance curse Alexander had inflicted upon her.


    Worse still was the corruption of death magic that had taken root within her, twisting and warping her mind. She wasn¡¯t certain exactly how long she had been walking ¨C her consciousness shifted, drifting somewhere between awareness and stupor. Nightmare Slumber fed incessant whispers of insanity into the back of her mind, dragging her down to the dark embrace of the terrifying phantasms ¨C and every time she succumbed, she woke weaker, her mind¡¯s defenses eroded by the corruption. Soon she would no longer wake.


    -10% to maximum health.


    Affliction ¨C Duration: Indefinite. Count: 4


    Everything was excruciating pain. She doubled over as the immediate spasm wracked a body already ravaged by blight and poison, her bruised and battered face twisting in agony. But nothing came close to the sting of betrayal, withdrawal, and the dreadful raw wound in her heart where the soothing sense of her forest had once nestled. She would rather have had her arms or legs torn off by that zombie troll than lose her forest. But it was gone ¨C she could no longer feel the connection to its mana and her domain ¨C the forest that had been her home, her life, for thousands of years. Gone forever.


    Furious, she brushed the unwanted tears from her eyes.


    She clenched her teeth in anger and frustration. How had she been so blind to his deception? To the fact that he was a Necromancer? She was over four thousand years old, not some simple village girl, hanging on to the false promises and stories of some local knight. Yet she had fallen for his handsome face and pretty words just the same. Her fury lent some measure of strength to her blight-ridden body, and she pressed on.


    A water-slicked stone rolled underfoot, and she stumbled again.


    Her mind returned unbidden to the horror and grief of waking to the sight of her beloved forest consumed by the blight. She had felt the remnants dying, filled no longer with the animals she had grown to love, but with the stench of foul undeath. She was not a vindictive person, but she wished with all her being to live to see his downfall. To see him pay for destroying everything she loved and driving her, cursed and dying, from her home. For the first time in millennia, she yearned for the tools of violence rather than her class¡¯s delicate magic of growth and nurturing.


    It was perhaps a mercy that it would all end in a few days. She did not relish the thought that she would become one of the undead, serving him after she passed from the life she barely clung to now, but if she didn¡¯t find a new home soon, she would certainly perish from the withdrawal.


    She reached with her senses, communing with the plants as she made her painstaking way along the riverbank, and to her surprise, her magic responded to her will. they reassured her. She gritted her teeth and pressed on, driven only by the images and impressions of the dense nature mana the plants told of further to the north.


    It was cruelly far. There was no real chance, but it was the only choice she had. Maybe she could claim it, save herself, and make a new home.


    Or perhaps it would simply vanish like a mirage in the desert, taunting her with the illusion of water.


    As she stumbled onward, her mind returned once again to the strange boy who had released her from her tormentor.


    Aliandra


    Ali sat cross-legged, perched on her new favorite spot atop the broad back of her Forest Guardian, holding tightly to the ridges of bark armor for support as they pressed on through the jungle. Its scent of old wood, sap, and new growth filled her lungs, shooting right to her core in the way that only smells steeped in nostalgia could. She studied the passing trees and overgrowth from her elevated vantage point beside several of her Kobold minions sitting on the rough bark armor that shook with the powerful rhythm of her elemental¡¯s slow, plodding gait. She was grateful to be high enough up that, in the moments when her emotions threatened to overwhelm her, she wasn¡¯t forced to share her tears.


    Her friends seemed to be in good spirits, chatting away with each other, somehow intuitively grasping her need for a little space to be with her memories. She smiled though, hearing the pride they had at having helped her earn this Forest Guardian ¨C it had truly been a team effort, and Ali felt an outpouring of gratitude to them and their enthusiasm for helping her to grow stronger.


    she instructed, directing her Forest Guardian to follow the game trail, tracking roughly in the direction of the slowly increasing mana density ¨C the direction of maximum curiosity for both her and Calen. Each lumbering step of her massive steed sent tremors through her body, shaking the bushes and trees beside the trail and she cautioned her newly reformed minion army following along beside them to be alert in case the sound of their passage attracted any monstrous attention.


    When she had resummoned her Kobolds after the last fight, she had discovered that if she allowed her Grimoire free rein to take extra mana, it would summon her monsters with already created gear ¨C clearly something new from when her Customization had advanced. While still random, the gear choices seemed heavily biased toward what the minion could use ¨C her mages had all been summoned with an assortment of robes, while her Storm Shaman appeared with a chain shirt, a shield, and a sword. The levels and selections were not optimal, nor was the choice of sword for her shaman, but this development was certainly going to save her a lot of time ¨C and she could still do it manually if she cared.


    she thought, laying a hand on the Forest Guardian and trying to imagine what it might be like to be such a monster, seeing through its eyes, and walking around with its body temporarily her own. She wasn¡¯t having second thoughts about her skill choice ¨C but Avatar had seemed extraordinarily powerful, and she had just earned the guardian ¨C she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what it might have been like with such a powerful form.


    ¡°Ali, how much is your health regeneration right now?¡± Calen asked from down below, walking beside the guardian¡¯s front leg. He had his notebook out, but his eyes were still vigilantly scanning the surrounding jungle.


    Health Regeneration


    +125% Sanctuary.


    +639% Forest Guardian.


    Total: +764%


    ¡°Here you go,¡± she said, sharing her numbers with him, still floored by the sheer amount of regeneration her guardian projected. Like most classes, her base health regeneration was zero, meaning that she required healing magic ¨C an Acolyte, Priest, or a potion of some kind ¨C to recover from any injuries. With Mato providing his Sanctuary aura, and her Forest Guardian¡¯s stupendous regeneration aura, she would ¨C by her quick calculation ¨C regenerate her full health in as little as seven minutes. Not that it mattered a whole lot to her ¨C she had measured the Forest Guardian¡¯s aura to extend out a bit more than five meters from its immense bulk ¨C exceptionally effective for Mato, Malika, and whatever melee minions she chose to make, but Ali was unlikely to personally benefit from the aura.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡¯s curious. Your percentage is different,¡± Calen said, pausing to scribble a few things, somehow still walking with agility and poise even while writing. ¡°Perhaps because you have a higher class level than the guardian? The rest of us are getting exactly seven hundred percent from the aura, so¡­ three percent reduction per extra level, maybe?¡± It seemed Calen had found a new puzzle, and he appeared to be quite absorbed in solving it. The numbers he had guessed seemed to work but Ali was content to wait till she had the free time to summon several guardians and examine the differences directly.


    ¡°It¡¯s impressively high still, even compared to Mato¡¯s Sanctuary aura,¡± she added, trying to get a feel for exactly how this might affect her strategy and the choices for which minions she would bring to combat. Her shamans and rogues were certainly going to benefit enormously in any fight involving close melee, taking a lot of the load off her healers. Bugbears too, but she hadn¡¯t made those in a while ¨C given the levels of what they were up against, she found her slimes and oozes to be far more effective. Currently, her minions numbered only a single Storm Shaman, but several Scalding Slimes, all of which could benefit provided she kept them close to the guardian.


    ¡°Mato¡¯s aura improves mana and stamina too, so it¡¯s arguably more powerful,¡± Malika chimed in.


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Ali agreed. She had certainly benefited from his shared mana regeneration whenever she could be close enough ¨C typically only during post-combat recovery. ¡°Does this mean I can prioritize area damage more?¡± It certainly seemed like her opportunities to use her favorite fireball attacks had just grown substantially.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not secretly a Fire Mage, Ali?¡± Mato asked, chuckling from down below.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    The dense trees, moss, and undergrowth of the hot, humid jungle slowly began to give way to clumps and stands of bamboo, and soon Ali found herself riding through a dim forest of dizzyingly tall, giant green stalks sprouting through a thick layer of decaying leaves that carpeted the ground. The raucous calls of insects and the crashes and roars of distant monsters hunting slowly faded away, leaving a muted calm, perhaps expectant atmosphere. Even the heavy thumps and vibrations of her Forest Guardian¡¯s stride were muffled by the thick, springy layer of rotting vegetation.


    But it was the appearance of the ambient mana that attracted her attention instantly. If the roiling, chaotic nature mana in the jungle was like a sea in the middle of the storm, here in the bamboo forest, it was like a deep lake ¨C still, heavy, and dense. Quiet, but flowing smoothly. The bamboo itself appeared to be drawing in ambient mana and sending it flowing upward in a vast upwelling current into the dense canopy of leaves well beyond Ali¡¯s ability to see.


    Like everything else in this strange place, the bamboo had been warped by the glut of abundant ambient mana. Many of the giant stems were well over a meter in diameter, making them appear like giant branchless tree trunks, rather than grass. The entire forest seemed to be exerting a soothing pressure on the underlying ambient mana. Ali thought, her mind instantly filled with possibilities for applying it to her domain ¨C nature affinity plants generated her domain mana, and this Living Bamboo was simply enormous.


    She created a barrier and flew herself down to the ground, inspecting the bamboo up close.


    ¡°You going to learn that?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s got a nature mana affinity, so I think it will be very helpful,¡± she said. She had been so disappointed when her oaks and maples had not worked to grow the density of her domain, but this bamboo might just do the trick.


    ¡°It¡¯s a great idea, see how peaceful it looks?¡± Mato said, smiling. ¡°See how it seems to attract the wisps? Maybe you can duplicate this atmosphere in the cavern somewhere?¡±


    ¡°That would be great,¡± Ali said. A little deeper into the forest, visible past the edge of the trail they walked, the bamboo forest was lit with the glow of hundreds of glowworms and wisps sedately floating and hovering about, seeming to follow the currents of the mana. High above, she could even see the occasional flashes of light and brief glimpses of golden scales that had to come from the luminous dragonets hunting for dinner ¨C the sole remaining remnants of the previously plentiful light affinity creatures.


    ¡°It would be nice to Meditate in a forest like this,¡± Malika said.


    It was certainly pretty and peaceful, and Ali could easily see a nice large bamboo stand somewhere between the lake and the shrine. Being able to relax in such a space whenever she wanted sounded perfect, and it seemed that Mato would be excited to help her build it. She reached out, placing her hand on one of the bamboo stems, and triggered her deconstruction.


    ¡°Ow!¡± she cried out aloud as a stinging jolt of pain stabbed through her leg, rudely ripping her away from the introspective thoughts of a peaceful imagined forest and disrupting her magic.


    +1.25 Poison damage per second.


    Poison ¨C Duration: 10 minutes. Count: 1


    In an instant, the angry rumbling hulk of her Forest Guardian was hovering protectively over her, and all her minions were suddenly ready for battle.


    Protruding from her leg amid a trickle of fresh blood staining her clothes was a thin sliver of wood ¨C a dart or a thorn that pierced deep into the muscle. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she grabbed it firmly and yanked, pulling the spike free. In her hand, she held a surprisingly long, needle-sharp dart of wood that dripped amber with her own blood and stained with a dark green sticky sap. She stumbled a bit as her leg gave out when she put weight on it, the pain and the poison making her muscles tremble.


    ¡°Poison,¡± she warned. Collecting her wits, she put up a barrier in the direction of the spike, just in time to hear a rapid sequence of swishes and cracks as multiple wooden needles splintered against the magic of her barrier before falling to the ground. A dark viscous green stain remained where the projectiles had struck her barrier, slowly dripping down the impenetrable golden wall with the consistency of honey or syrup. She crouched behind her barrier, scanning the bamboo forest for clues to the danger as she let the soft pulse of her Acolyte¡¯s magic fight the poison.


    ¡°There!¡± Calen¡¯s call was matched with the tracer-like shot of his glowing arrow flying between the bamboo and slamming into a most bizarre creature. Previously invisible, Ali had only been able to see it because of Calen¡¯s attack, and if she lost sight of it for a moment, she was certain she would be unable to find it again. The monster¡¯s body, if it could be called that, was a stick of bamboo almost as thick as her arm and a little over a meter long. Sprouting from it were six long segmented legs and various twigs and leaves. An ungainly, oversized bamboo stick insect. Its camouflage was so good in this environment, that the only thing Ali could fault was the fact that the body was horizontal, not vertical like the Living Bamboo stalks ¨C and that the flow of mana through its body didn¡¯t quite match its surroundings.


    A brief flicker of nature magic stirred within the Bamboo Crawler¡¯s stem, and something shot out at high speed with an audible . Calen dodged sideways and the projectile smashed into the bamboo right behind him. Difficult to see as it was, it reminded Ali of a diagram of a blowgun she had once discovered during a fun research project. A camouflaged, self-guided blowgun made from bamboo.


    ¡°Take cover!¡± Malika shouted, darting between the bamboo stalks.


    From behind the protection of her barrier, Ali let loose her Arcane Bolts, a triple-stream of magic that arced up and over her barrier to thread the bamboo and smash into the strange monster that had attacked her. The dark, glowing red of flame danced among the nearby bamboo trunks as Ali¡¯s Fire Mages retaliated, unleashing the odor of smoke and brimstone into the peaceful forest. Unbidden, her Forest Guardian charged, its huge bulk accelerated by its Rush skill, leaving a wake of smashed and uprooted bamboo. But the Bamboo Crawler fell from its perch before Mato and the Forest Guardian could even make the distance, dead from the hail of arrows, bolts, and fire they had unleashed through the peaceful forest.


    Ali limped over to where the monster lay, her leg still numb from the slowly fading poison.


    ¡°Sniper-type monster. I think it has decent stealth too¡­ I couldn¡¯t see it until it attacked,¡± Calen said, staring down at the crumpled and burnt heap of bamboo sticks that was the corpse of the monster. He poked at it with his foot a few times as if to check that it was dead before he let Ali have it.


    Strewn about the strange monster¡¯s former perch were the golden corpses of a half-dozen Luminous Dragonets, each one impaled with a slender wooden stake. ¡°It must hunt the little dragons,¡± Ali observed while her deconstruction skill did its work. She took her time, deconstructing all the tiny brightly-scaled dragonet corpses and the knobby Bamboo Crawler before securing a few more samples of the Living Bamboo while her friends kept watch for her.


    ¡°Which way?¡± Calen asked her. Normally he would be the one picking out the path, but it was her mana sight they were using to figure out the direction of what they hoped would be the source of the heavy nature mana.


    ¡°Back that way,¡± Ali pointed, indicating the trail they had been following. While the mana seemed to flow more calmly here, she only had to glance around to see the increase in density in that direction.


    They set off once more, but this time Ali kept her barrier magic active, hopefully able to intercept any surprise attacks. But it was Calen who kept them safe, sending his motes of light ranging out ahead of them to flush out the stealthy snipers, and his incredibly acute vision to point them out before they could shoot.


    ***


    Ali¡¯s Forest Guardian slowed, coming to a halt at the edge of the dense bamboo forest. From her spot high up on its back, she could make out the trail meandering down the slope to the banks of a viridian green lake below, nestled in a terraced hollow, up against a vast mountain of rough rock and shattered stone. The entire surface of the lake bubbled, erupting in geyser-like explosions of dense mana that shot tens of meters into the air before cascading down to the surface to pour off into the forest like a tsunami of mana. But to her mundane vision, the pool was quiet and still, with only the light of thousands of slowly rising wisps indicating the otherwise invisible churn and chaos visible to her mana sight.


    ¡°Another spawning pool,¡± Calen said, quietly identifying the phenomenon. Ali¡¯s Identify skill failed to activate on the terrain, but she could see the obvious similarities compared to the pool of light and radiance they had previously discovered.


    ¡°That¡¯s liquid nature mana,¡± Ali added, her skin prickling even at this distance. The air was filled with the cloying dense scent of growth mixed with rot as the evaporating mana continuously billowed out from the lake. This time, there was no dripping waterfall from on high, so Ali cast around trying to identify the source, and there she found it. On the far side of the lake, part of the mountain of boulders and ragged stone and almost fully covered by overgrowth, she suddenly recognized the shape of a mana condenser. The giant pyramid structure had split ¨C fractured into several pieces ¨C and dense, glowing liquid mana seeped out through the cracks, forming small streams and rivulets that flowed down into the lake.


    ¡°That¡¯s the remains of the city,¡± she said as her mind suddenly snapped to a wider perspective, taking in the entire mountain of broken stone and shards of rock.


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re right!¡± Calen exclaimed, his gaze snapping upward to where the suspended rings of the ruined city should be, but Ali¡¯s eyes were not good enough to pierce that far.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s crazy," Mato said.


    Ali didn¡¯t need to see the ruins to recognize the debris of the shattered upper levels of the city that had fallen here. Nestled among the rock and the overgrowth she could clearly see the shattered black shards, remnants of the magical stone foundations of the rings above, and even shattered, the mana condenser was uniquely recognizable. It was the sheer size of the mountain of rubble and overgrowth that had kept her from initially connecting it to its origin.


    Spawning from the surface of the lake, or crawling out onto the muddy banks, was a continuous stream of strangely warped insects, frogs, snakes, and occasionally larger monsters brought into being by the unthinking chaotic power of the concentrated mana and ejected into the forest like some kind of waste byproduct of the lake itself.


    Roaming the banks was the largest Forest Guardian Ali had ever seen. Perhaps a third larger than the one she was riding, it slowly wandered around the lake, pausing to drink directly from the glowing green mana. Mana this concentrated was dangerous, affecting whatever it touched in strange ways. That much was obvious by the very nature of the jungle and its inhabitants. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°That¡¯s a higher level than the Wights,¡± Ali said, flying down and glancing over at Malika.


    ¡°We¡¯ve leveled since then,¡± Mato countered.


    It was true. While Ali didn¡¯t necessarily feel that different, she had gained eight class levels and quite a few skill levels since engaging the twin undead Wights to defeat the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra ¨C and this monster wasn¡¯t a raid-level threat or a boss.


    ¡°I think we can do it,¡± Malika answered, thoughtfully. ¡°What do you think, Calen?¡±


    ¡°Ali has a Guardian now, that should make a big difference,¡± he said. ¡°And there¡¯s only one of them this time. I¡¯d hate to think what regeneration that thing puts out.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali answered, double-checking her minions. She had one Storm Shaman which she would send in with the Scalding Slimes. Hopefully, between Mato¡¯s and the Forest Guardian¡¯s auras, they¡¯d have enough to keep her shaman alive among the roots and vines. The remainder of her forces were Acolytes and Fire Mages. she thought, deciding she didn¡¯t need to make any changes.


    Ali commanded, levitating herself up off her Forest Guardian¡¯s back. It raised its head in a deep throaty roar that caused the ground to tremble, the vibration in the air thrumming powerfully through her body. It charged. Stunned for a moment by the visceral sensation of its raw power felt from such proximity, Ali stared as it crashed into the larger enemy guardian with incomprehensible strength and violence.


    It would take her shaman and oozes a little longer to reach the melee, but it seemed Mato had the monster well locked down.  she said, and her Fire Mages cackled with glee as they prepared to unleash their favorite attack spells.


    Volleys of firebolts lanced out across the open beach between the bamboo and the mana lake, striking the giant Forest Guardian in a thumping, sizzling salvo of destruction, leaving curling wisps of smoke and scorched holes in the bark armor. Ali kept her barrier at the ready and added her Arcane Bolts to the barrage.


    ¡°Steady,¡± Calen said, loosing arrow after arrow in a glowing stream.


    Ali thought. While the Forest Guardian was indeed huge, Mato seemed to be handling the damage just fine. The area around the dueling Forest Guardians exploded with writhing plants and roots as the two auras of nature magic collided in a daunting display of nature¡¯s fury. The Scalding Slimes ignored it all, slipping through the tangled growth like it wasn¡¯t even there and flowing up the Forest Guardian¡¯s legs to unleash near-invisible white jets of high-pressure steam into its back.


    ¡°Your oozes are the perfect counter to that growth magic,¡± Calen observed, his eyes studying the fight unfolding before them.


    Ali nodded, just about to add her thoughts when a sharp crack sounded from right beside her. She whipped her head around, finding a telltale green stain slowly dripping down the middle of her barrier. There was a soft rapid staccato puffing noise and three of her Kobold mages stumbled, clutching injured limbs with wooden needles protruding from their scales.


    ¡°Calen, Bamboo Crawlers!¡± she yelled, and Calen spun about, his eyes stabbing into the dappled bamboo forest behind them.


    ¡°Shit, there¡¯s a lot of them,¡± he said, his bowstring already singing. ¡°Mato, Malika, beware!¡±


    Ali instructed, drawing all her Kobolds together and feeding more mana to her Barrier to grow it as she twisted it around for maximum cover.


    ¡°Are they attracted by noise?¡± Ali asked. Her eyes were nowhere near as good as Calen¡¯s, but now that they had fought several of these Bamboo Crawlers, she knew what to look for. By the soft shimmers in the ambient mana, there were at least half a dozen of them lurking in the forest.


    ¡°Mana, I think,¡± Calen spat from between his teeth. ¡°They don¡¯t have ears.¡±


    Ali ignored the melee with the guardians down by the pool, instinctively knowing the Bamboo Crawlers would destroy them if left unchecked. Poison might not do lots of upfront damage but left to stack up, it would rapidly get out of hand.


    She picked a target for her mages and added her Arcane Bolts, as she and Calen worked to clear the unwelcome additions to their battle.


    ¡°Something¡¯s coming out of the pool!¡± Malika yelled.


    ¡°Shit, now what?¡± Calen said, his head swiveling around.


    Malika¡¯s voice had sounded superficially calm, but Ali knew her well. Hurriedly, she glanced over to where they were fighting by the lake. The green liquid mana swirled and shifted, and a dark green and brown amorphous blob slowly hauled itself out of the water. Its body extended temporary pseudopod limbs in all directions, shifting and warping as it moved.


    ¡°Holy shit, that¡¯s big!¡± Calen exclaimed.

 Chapter 111: How Bad Can One Ooze Be?

    Chapter 111: How Bad Can One Ooze Be?AliandraAli stared at the wobbling mass hauling itself out of the nature-affinity spawning pool.


    It was by far the largest ooze Ali had ever seen ¨C just as vile as her Toxic Slimes ¨C only it was almost half the size of the Forest Guardian. With heavy, mushy splatting thumps, it dragged its wobbly bulk up the bank, green liquid from the pool cascading off its constantly changing form with a powerful formation of poison-affinity mana swirling within its enormous body. It lurched in a motion reminiscent of a cat throwing up a hairball, which struck Ali as odd because, if anything could be said to look opposite a cat, that creature was it. A ball of greenish-brown sludge shot out from the Spitter and slammed into Mato, latching onto him.


    The Toxic Spitter lurched again and shot out three more creatures with a rapid


    ¡°Did it just summon slimes?¡± Ali asked, incredulously.


    ¡°Looks like it. We need to finish off these Bamboo Crawlers fast,¡± Calen said, breaking through her distraction.


    ¡°Right.¡± Ali picked three Bamboo Crawlers and split her Arcane Bolt magic, shooting all three of them simultaneously. Calen unleashed his Righteous Fury in an effort to burn through the monsters as quickly as possible.


    Ali commanded, and her mages began to blast the bamboo forest apart.


    When Ali finally returned to the melee, she found a scene of pure chaos. More than three or four dozen little slime creatures were mobbing Mato and Malika and her own melee monsters. The giant Toxic Spitter sprayed out five more in quick succession, visibly shrinking as it did so, but its form seemed to swell rapidly, regaining its original bulk in moments.


    ¡°Is it healing what it spat out?¡± she asked aloud.She couldn¡¯t tell exactly what was going on in the chaotic clash of mana, but the giant ooze shrank whenever it spat out a Toxic Slime. Shortly after, the monster regrew. ¡°The Forest Guardian is healing it!¡±


    ¡°Crap,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Ali, fireball the slimes, we¡¯re getting overwhelmed by poisons!¡± Malika shouted, her voice cracking with urgency as she pummeled dozens of Toxic Slimes while struggling continuously to free herself from the ever-grasping roots.


    Ali didn¡¯t have to be asked twice. Without much ado, she set up the familiar fireball rotation, staggering the mages¡¯ spells carefully to give enough time to heal between detonations.


    The first Fireball landed with a deafening bang. Flaming bits of toxic goop sizzled through the air leaving trails of smoke, a splattering rain of fire that clung to whatever it hit. Roots caught fire and the Forest Guardians roared in anger. The second Fireball flew, landing right after the healing magic of the Acolytes topped up Mato. Dense black smoke began to billow up out of the battlefield as the explosion intensified the flames. Several pieces of goop splatted up against Ali¡¯s barrier, clinging like glue. She coughed as the foul stench of burning slime assaulted her senses, so potent that it made her eyes water.


    But the situation on the battlefield seemed unchanged. Several Toxic Slimes had been blown to pieces by the force of the blasts, but most of them shrugged off the fire, shedding burnt slime as if it were dirty clothing, appearing to simply regenerate the damage. A few seconds later, the enormous Toxic Spitter horked up another volley of new slimes to replace the few Ali had killed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not working!¡± The fireballs were powerful, but she was effectively trying to burn a huge pile of wet sludge the consistency of thick mud, and fire was certainly not ideal for that. Within the potent regeneration aura of the Forest Guardian, the slimes were simply recovering their health and continuing unharmed. In fact, her fireballs seemed to be doing vastly more damage to her friends instead.


    ¡°The poison is killing us! Mato is getting very hard to heal,¡± Malika yelled.


    ¡°The guardian is healing everything!¡± Ali yelled back. Mato and Malika were certainly in dire straits, but Ali had no idea what she could do.


    ¡°We have to kill the guardian first,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°We can¡¯t survive that long!¡± Malika shouted back.


    As the urgent exchange went back and forth, Ali¡¯s attention was suddenly drawn to the Toxic Spitter and the powerful surge of mana that rippled through its enormous body. The wobbly, muddy goop shivered, pulsing with power, and then stretched in opposite directions. Her eyes widened in realization. The center of the ooze monster was constricted, pulled by opposing forces until suddenly it split, causing ripples to ricochet back and forth through the two remaining halves.


    It took a moment for Ali to realize what had happened, and then chilling implications slammed into her mind with the power of certainty and doom. ¡°There¡¯s two of them!¡± she yelled. They were in trouble before, but the Toxic Spitter had just split itself into two halves ¨C two entirely separate monsters half the size of the original. Then they began to swell and grow, fed by the potent regeneration aura pumped out by the Forest Guardian.


    ¡°We need to run!¡± Malika yelled.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just die in the locus room,¡± Calen shouted. ¡°We need to deal with the poison!¡±


    ¡°I need a minute. Can you hold out for that long?¡± Ali yelled. As soon as the two halves reached their full size, they would be spitting new slimes at twice the rate, and her friends were going to be overwhelmed.


    ¡°It¡¯d better be something good!¡± Malika yelled back, the strain of fighting against the roots while kicking, punching, and healing clear in her voice.


    With haste born of urgency, Ali rushed through her priority list. She made her Storm Shaman drop his Lightning Nova totem in the middle of the slime pit. At least lightning seemed to work much better than fire against what was effectively animated sludge, and it seemed easier to heal her friends through the nova than fireballs. Next, she called her Scalding Slimes off from attacking the guardian and set them to thinning the horde of smaller toxic slimes with their steam jets. Her slimes seemed immune to the stacking poison effects, so they were not drawing much of her Acolytes¡¯ healing power. Then she switched her Fire Mages to firebolts, instructing them to shoot the Toxic Spitters in the hopes that the damage would slow down their healing and consequentially, the rate at which they could manufacture more slimes.


    She swooped in closer, choosing a flat spot on the beach, and pivoted her barrier to protect herself while she cleared her mind to focus on her Runic Script skill.  She had never created a circle in under a minute and everything relied on her getting it right first try. She took a deep breath and dismissed her worries, focusing instead on her memory of the Cure Poison circle. She knelt in the dirt and began to write, channeling her mana like ink into the relatively smooth sand.


    There was yelling and shouting in the background, but she tuned it out, focusing on keeping her mana flow perfectly constant, increasing and decreasing the pressure as she worked her way through the complex runic structure. About halfway through, one of her Acolytes burst into intense light, radiant holy magic shining out like a beacon of hope. She ignored it, focusing on the next tricky section. She couldn¡¯t afford the time to go back and fix it. Her mana snapped, and her mind registered the loss of her shaman. She pushed the information into the background, concentrating on the next rune sequence, filling it in as quickly as she dared. It was a supreme balancing act, a trade between her desire to rush and save her friends, and her experience that slow and deliberate work would result in fewer mistakes.


    The second Acolyte flared with intense magic, followed immediately by Calen¡¯s powerful radiant skill igniting his mana. She knew it, could feel it, and she pushed her frustration that she couldn¡¯t help down into the recesses of her mind. Her circle was much wider than she had attempted in the past, and that decision had cost her time, but she was closing in on the last arc, and she would need full focus to link it.


    There was a tactile snapping sensation in her mana as the circle closed.


    ¡°Mato! Poison circle here!¡± Ali yelled out as soon as she confirmed the notification and the successful completion of her spell.


    Mato roared in confirmation, but although he was strong enough to tear the roots, more and more kept tangling with his paws, preventing all but the slowest progress through the rampant growth.


    The third Acolyte triggered her potent healing enhancement, flaring brilliantly in Ali¡¯s mana sight, a visual reminder of how dire the situation was. There were no more enhancements after this one, and it lasted thirty seconds at most. When it ended, they would be at the mercy of the poison and whatever normal healing they could manage.


    ¡°He¡¯s not going to make it,¡± Calen said, his voice unnaturally calm.


    Mato had managed to move the Forest Guardian no more than two or three meters.


    ¡°Fireball!¡± Ali yelled, sending the command to her highest-level mage, and repeating it in common to give her friends the necessary warning to prepare. Malika¡¯s eyes widened, but she just shifted, planting herself right beside Mato. Blue-white mana pulsed through her and into Mato moments before the intense ball of flame sizzled out across the beach and slammed into the flank of the Forest Guardian. The concussion was deafening, and the splats of the pieces of shredded slime could be felt more than heard, but Ali wasn¡¯t interested in that, her eyes entirely focused on the roots and vines sprouting from the ground beneath the giant pillar of smoke and flame.


    Seared and torn by the explosion, the roots momentarily released their hold, and Mato responded instantly. His charge took him past the boundary of the magic runic circle, tearing across the beach to where Ali was standing. In an almost instantaneous chain reaction, first the enemy Forest Guardian, and then her own triggered their Rush skills, chasing the Bear in a thunderous pursuit.


    Ali¡¯s eyes widened, stunned by the sight of mountains of monstrous wood bearing down on her with magically accelerated speed. With barely a thought, she triggered Minion Teleport, switching places with one of her Fire Mages, and scrambling backward to create more distance. Only then did she realize that she could ill afford to lose her mage either, and summoned a barrier underneath it, shooting it above the battlefield ¨C a precaution she should probably have taken the instant she completed her circle.


    Toxic Slimes flew outward in an explosion of slime tossed in all directions by the barreling charges of the three enormous beings ¨C the bear, followed by the two guardians. The entire battlefield of slime, and the now three Toxic Spitters, shifted and crawled in a grotesque writhing, wobbling reaction to the changing battle, shifting as one, and bearing down on Mato as he finally arrived in the circle and wheeled about to face the monsters.


    Mato


    Mato roared, taunting the sea of slimes to attack him.


    The notifications chimed continuously in the background, a frantic dirge that heralded his imminent death. Individually, the poisons were hardly worth thinking about, so low-level that he could quite easily ignore them. Often, he outright resisted the damage. But there were so many stacked up now that his health was in a precipitous freefall, held up by the lifeline that was the rapid and continuous healing from the Kobold Acolytes and Malika fighting beside him.


    He Swiped again, feeding his mana into Brutal Restoration. He dared not add his Bestial Combat, though ¨C his health situation was way too precarious to spend that much of it to increase his damage. But therein lay the problem ¨C without the extra damage, he was suffering with much-reduced healing from his own magic, serving only to compound the problem.


    His paw Swiped through the sea of slimes, slowing only on contact with the heavily armored Forest Guardian. Slimes flew, catapulted out over the battlefield by the power of his strike, but there were so many more crawling in to take their place. The wall of slimes surrounding him was several deep, threatening to consume him entirely.


    A sudden potent surge in the power of the incoming healing magic told him that the second Kobold had used its emergency healing enhancement. He was intimately familiar with the skill, knowing exactly how long it would last, and precisely how much faster the heals would land. He Swiped again, this time risking Bestial Combat, trusting in the power of the Kobold¡¯s magic. The health was torn away, fueling a much more powerful strike, making his life dip terrifyingly quickly, but the Kobold¡¯s healing spell was right on time.


    He killed several of the small Toxic Slimes outright, shredded by his empowered strike, and Malika was right there to take care of those which survived. But for the ones that were catapulted out into the battlefield, they would simply return, already healed by the guardian¡¯s aura.


    ¡°Mato! Poison circle here!¡± Ali yelled.


    He let out a thunderous roar to tell her he had heard and strained against the roots binding him to the ground, ripping them to shreds. He flexed, tearing vines up from the sandy beach as he moved, dragging the guardian with him, but before he had taken more than even a single step, the roots were twisting and grasping, dragging him to a halt. He swiped again, clearing a few slimes out of his way, and ripped at the roots to take another step all the while trying to ignore the continuous chiming of new poison notifications.


    The healing quickened, and Mato knew that the final Kobold had resorted to emergency measures to keep him alive.


    The accelerated healing would last no more than thirty seconds, provided the little Kobold had mana, and he was fighting for every step ¨C Ali seeming unreachable, an infinite distance away.


    ¡°Fireball!¡± Ali yelled.


    His health spiraled down rapidly, and he was helpless to do anything about it, entirely at the mercy of the healers, and the timing of what would be a powerful explosion. He heard the sizzling flight of the magic ball of fire, and in the instant before it struck, he felt the twin surge of magic ¨C holy and soul ¨C one gently caressing, and the other tearing through his body in a dramatic contrast of healing, leaving him momentarily full, right as the fireball exploded.


    Guided by Survival Instinct, he closed his eyes just in time for the explosion, and his nostrils were filled with the stench of seared slime and his own scorched fur, while his flesh crisped and burnt in an instant, his body buffeted by the enormous detonation.


    But he sensed the instant the roots weakened, burned and shattered by the potent magic. He wheeled on his hind paws, heedless of the massive Forest Guardian, and charged, accelerating rapidly across the scorched beach toward Ali. In a fraction of a second, his body cleared the boundary of the aura of plant growth, and he continued running as fast as he was able to where she marked the runic circle with her body.


    Frantically, he roared at her.From behind him, he could already feel the ground-shaking charge as the guardians immediately gave pursuit, and for a moment he realized Ali was staring at him in shock. But before he reached her, she suddenly vanished, replaced by a Kobold blinking in surprise. Less than a second later, a golden barrier appeared beneath the Kobold and tossed him into the air.


    Mato skidded to a halt on the otherwise unremarkable stretch of beach where Ali had been standing.


    His half-formed question was interrupted by a sudden burst of notifications confirming that he was indeed in the right spot.


    The notifications began chiming in quick succession, all removals, surprising him with the speed and quantity. And he suddenly recalled that antidotes were more effective if they were much higher level than the poisons they were removing.


    While the two guardians were almost on top of him, the slimes were far slower and would take a bit longer to reach him.  he decided as the poison removal chimes continued unabated. He set himself, lowering his center of gravity and bracing his paws, and unleashed his most potent Challenging Roar ¨C perhaps more to bolster his own courage than for its Taunt effect ¨C accepting the charge of the massive Forest Guardian with a shoulder block before he lashed out with a Swipe. He felt the regeneration aura boosting his own as Ali¡¯s guardian crashed into the back of the wild one, and the annoying roots began grappling with him once more.


    But his health was stabilizing quickly, benefiting greatly from the window of time he had created by charging away from the slimes.


    ¡°Mato¡¯s health is stabilizing, let¡¯s kill the guardian quickly,¡± Malika shouted.


    ¡°On it,¡± Calen answered.


    A volley of golden Arcane Bolts whizzed by his ear, slamming into the Forest Guardian¡¯s chest and shoulders.


    In the few moments that remained on the last Kobold¡¯s holy enhancement, Mato spent his health to power his attack. His claws struck, shredding through the armor plates, leaving great tears through the bark and deep into the wood below, spraying sap into the air from the force of the strike. His Brutal Restoration pulsed powerfully, adding to the healing that was finally stabilizing his health against the still huge, but quickly reducing poison damage. The jagged gashes in the bark armor would be easy for Malika and Calen to exploit. he thought, powering a second strike as the slimes finally began to reach his new position.


    ¡°The ooze is splitting again!¡± Ali called out.


    ¡°Ignore it, the guardian is the key,¡± Calen answered.


    Mato simply roared, taunting all the monsters around him, reminding them that he was the target of their fury. He used it often, making sure none of the newly spawned oozes would wander off and attack the healers. It cost a lot of stamina to use it that way, but if there was one thing he wasn¡¯t short of in this fight, it would be stamina ¨C Battle Trance had never once dropped below five stacks since the oozes began attacking.


    ¡°My Acolytes need mana. Malika, can you cover Mato?¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Malika yelled. ¡°I have more stamina than I know what to do with.¡±


    Inwardly, Mato chuckled, recalling that his Battle Trance boosted the regeneration aura he was sharing with Malika.


    His friends continued to shout back and forth, coordinating the diverse aspects of the fight that he wasn¡¯t involved in. He did sense the change in the healer rotation, though. The female Kobold Acolyte¡¯s magic was withdrawn, easily identified by the distinctive power and cadence to her spells. She was the highest-level Acolyte Ali had made, and Mato had come to rely on the precision of her spells. But everyone needed mana. he corrected, feeling the burn of Malika¡¯s inexhaustible healing magic replace the Kobold Acolyte¡¯s efforts.


    He hunkered down, mostly ignoring the walls of oozes trying to overwhelm him, relying on the collateral area damage of his Swipe skill to take care of them, instead focused on making sure he kept at least two to three Living Rends on the guardian at all times. Now that the poison wasn¡¯t running rampant and out of control, he could afford the health cost to ensure they could efficiently damage the monster. It was still challenging, and he was still timing the health cost by predicting the healers¡¯ spells, but he was getting so much more familiar with that.


    After what seemed like an age, he Swiped another fully empowered attack, and the guardian trembled, collapsing to one knee, and then suddenly gave out with a crash that bounced most of the Toxic Slimes into the air for a moment.


    Mato roared, letting his frustration thunder up and out through his vibrating throat. The roots subsided as the giant monster died and he finally turned his attention to the enormous horde of slime monsters, swiping furiously with both forepaws. There were an unbelievable number of them, but on the second strike, Mato immediately felt the difference. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Instead of his Swipes being healed between strikes, the slime monsters remained damaged, dying to a subsequent strike, collapsing in droves as his much higher-level attack skills tore them to shreds.


    And after several minutes, he could tell that the horde was visibly thinning. Beyond the walls of slime monsters, the Toxic Spitters were still spitting up new monsters, but while there were now five of them, the rate at which they were churning out slimes had slowed to a crawl.


    He grinned a toothy grin as he confirmed what he had suspected for most of the fight. It was a slog, and while he was no longer pinned to the ground, Mato resolutely refused to budge from his poison-curing runic circle. He had no idea if he could ever find it again under the sludge and goop if he moved.


    He leaned into his attacks, ignoring the burning of his overused muscles. It was a pain that would quickly be taken care of by his rapidly regenerating stamina, and he was eager to get through the remaining oozes.


    Surprisingly, it took less time than he expected to clear the Toxic Slimes ¨C the low-level monsters died far more rapidly without the support of the regeneration aura. Ali even began tossing in the occasional Fireball to thin the ranks. By the time the last one was dead, all the giant Toxic Spitters were slamming him with their pseudopods, no longer able to spawn new slimes. A few minutes of focused fire later, they too splattered to the ground, punctured, and popped, dumping their foul-smelling goop everywhere.


    He wrinkled his nose, remaining in the circle to wait for it to finish cleansing him of the remaining poisons. He was tired and drenched, and he smelled like burnt slime. He shook his body, causing slime juice to fly off his fur in all directions.


    ¡°Hey, stop that!¡± Malika exclaimed, holding up her hands to block the flying slime. She may as well have been trying to stop a rainstorm with her fingers, her hair was plastered to her head, and everything was wet and covered in gobs of slime. ¡°Seriously, Mato?¡±


    He dropped his Bear Form, switching back to Beastkin so that he could have a chuckle at Malika¡¯s expense, but his transformation magic did nothing to clean the goop from his body, and he found himself equally bedraggled.


    he thought and plopped himself down on the ground with a wet splat and opened his notifications.


    ¡°Holy shit, we did it,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Mato said, offering her a fist bump. ¡°Ali¡¯s circle was clutch.¡±


    ¡°You can say that again,¡± Malika said, punching his fist with a final flash of searing healing magic.


    ¡°What was that about my circle?¡± Ali asked, grinning.


    ¡°It was ok,¡± Mato offered. ¡°Not too bad for a few hurried doodles¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±

 Chapter 112: A Fancy Rock

    Chapter 112: A Fancy Rock- Excerpt from


    Aliandra


    Ali flew over to where Mato and Malika were sitting in the middle of her Cure Poison runic circle, still drawing occasional heals from her Acolytes. She studied the devastation on the beach below her, grateful that she didn¡¯t have to wade through it like Mato and Malika. Most of the remaining gobs of flame had guttered, quenched by the amorphous sea of goop and slime.


    ¡°Well, that was disgusting,¡± Malika announced. She looked bedraggled and extremely unhappy, wringing toxic brown and green sludge out of her shirt while it slowly dripped off her nose and ears. Above the battlefield, the stench of toxic and scorched slime was almost overpowering.


    ¡°Maybe we should call it a day and go get cleaned up? We can wash off in my lake and I can make a Cleanse circle,¡± Ali suggested, scanning the corpses. She wanted to deconstruct the Guardian ¨C it had been much higher level than the ones she had inscribed so far, and even though she wouldn¡¯t be able to make it till she reached level fifty, she wanted to take the opportunity to secure whatever improvements her Grimoire could record.


    Perhaps it wasn¡¯t a good idea to give Naia every slime or ooze she found, but Ali discovered she didn¡¯t mind. Besides, she had the chapter reserved for them already and she may as well learn it ¨C just in case she needed them herself. The combinations of the guardians plus the petal monsters, or the guardians with the spitter oozes had got her thinking that she could do much better with her minion combinations if she deliberately designed groups with abilities that worked together.


    ¡°I wish we had a bath,¡± Malika said, rising to her feet and squelching around in the ooze, remaining within the boundary of the glowing runic circle.


    ¡°Maybe we can make tomorrow a town day?¡± Ali suggested.


    ¡°That would be great. This big lug over here doesn¡¯t know how bad he smells,¡± Malika said, slapping Mato on the shoulder. It made a wet splat sound.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m the one with the enhanced senses, I smell better than you,¡± he objected.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Ali, can you hurry? I think we shouldn¡¯t stick around this pool any longer than needed,¡± Calen said, conspicuously remaining outside the radius of the slime apocalypse.


    ¡°Ok, let me just get the slimes and the guardian before we go.¡± Ali lowered her barrier beside the mountainous corpse of the Forest Guardian and extended her hand to touch its flank triggering her deconstruction. She grimaced as her hand came into contact with the slime that covered the monster, but she finished her spell, nonetheless.


    A cascade of glowing green crystals fell from the corpse as it vanished.


    ¡°Ooh, five essences!¡± Ali said as her Grimoire flickered with the light of new runic spell segments.It was a remarkable haul ¨C she hadn¡¯t paid much attention to what Malika had said these sold for, but she definitely remembered the happy smile of satisfaction on her face when she concluded the deal with Weldin. Bringing these back to town would certainly help Eliyen and Basil with their herbalism and potions. Ali reached down and plucked them out of the sludge and flew over to offer them to Malika.


    ¡°Oh! Nice! That almost makes this worth it,¡± Malika said with a wry grin, but Ali could tell she was quite happy.


    ¡°Your magic is handy, Ali,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to go digging through the corpses to find cores and essences,¡± he offered.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t think of that. Is that how other people do it?¡± she asked. It took much longer than she expected to find the corpses of the Toxic Spitter oozes under all the slime and sludge, and eventually, she had to resort to Identify to find the last one. By the time she was done, her arms were covered in goop, and she was beginning to crave a hot bath too.


    ¡°Ali, come look at this,¡± Calen said.


    Ali turned to find Calen hovering on his stunning radiant wings of light, examining something near the shattered and splintered remains of the mana condenser embedded in the enormous mountain of rubble that had fallen from the city above thousands of years ago.


    She flew across the green mana lake, bumping into the wisps and glowing insects that bubbled up from its surface, joining Calen where he hovered. The form of the enormous pyramid of stone was still clear from the pieces, but the whole structure had been cracked, splitting it into several bulky fragments. From deep within the splits and fissures, a dense green mist billowed ¨C lit from within ¨C and thick, green liquid mana dripped continuously from the remnants of the ancient artifact, pooling into tiny rivulets that merged and flowed down into the lake itself.


    ¡°This must supply the mana in the lake,¡± she mused, studying it closely.


    ¡°I think so,¡± Calen said. ¡°What is that?¡± He pointed downward at a sheared crack, wider than Mato in his Bear Form. Strewn about the bottom of the crevice, visible through the shifting mist, were stones and rocks ¨C intensely glowing rubble from the remains of the interior of the condenser. ¡°Explorer can¡¯t Identify it.¡±


    Ali knew exactly what it was. After all, her studies had included the field of magical engineering under the premier Dal¡¯mohran School of Artificers at the university. She Identified it.


    ¡°We need to get some of that,¡± Ali said ¨C sharing the results of her Identify with him ¨C but it was easier said than done. The green mist was the result of mana sublimating out of the oversaturated magicite, and mana of that density was extremely dangerous.


    ¡°You know what Magicite is?¡±


    ¡°Magicite is a synthetic crystalline rock developed by the Dal¡¯mohran School of Artificers to store mana. It¡¯s used by artificers for making artifacts and magical devices. Anything that stores mana for later use or can be recharged; mana batteries, wands, even this mana condenser.¡± It was a rather simple statement that did no justice to the importance of the gem-like glowing stone. Without a doubt, the entire field of magic engineering would not be possible without it.


    Ali quickly split her barrier and ferried one of her Acolytes across the lake to join them.


    ¡°How is your mana?¡± she asked.


    ¡°More than half,¡± the Kobold answered.


    ¡°Heal me while I go in there,¡± Ali instructed.


    ¡°As you wish, Ancient Mistress.¡±


    ¡°Is that safe?¡± Calen asked, looking dubiously at the green billowing clouds that slowly dissipated below them. ¡°Why don¡¯t you send in a minion instead?¡±


    ¡°No, but it should be ok if I don¡¯t take too long,¡± Ali lowered herself into the crevice, holding her breath as long as possible, feeling the mana searing her skin as she neared the glowing rocks. The entire wall of the crevice, on both sides, radiated mana into the crevice.


    As Ali alighted on the bottom of the crevice, she was forced to breathe, filling her lungs with excruciating pain. Even the lining inside her nose was seared by the pungent ozone smell of the mana that was tearing at her skin, eyes, and lungs. Immediately, holy magic filled her, struggling to reverse the damage and repair the sensitive membranes, skin, and organs, only for them to burn once again.


    The dense mana was corroding her body, despite the healing. But she needed to choose the samples herself and her own senses were ideal for this task. She cast about in the haze and quickly selected several glowing rocks of various sizes, preferring ones with fewer flaws and purer mana flows, storing them in her ring. She hissed at the searing sensation of mana burning her fingers, but the pain was hardly unmanageable. She hopped on her barrier and flew back up and out of the green smoke and billowing mana. As soon as she emerged from the crevice, the holy magic healing her began to win and the pain subsided.


    ¡°You got enough?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Enough for now, let¡¯s go,¡± she said. If she needed more, she could organize another expedition down here when they leveled up further, and monsters like the Toxic Spitter emerging from the lake wouldn¡¯t bother them so much. At that point, she could just excavate the entire crevice with her minions. But she was almost certain she had enough samples and wouldn¡¯t need to return any time soon.


    ***


    When they finally reached the shrine, Ali got right to work, channeling her mana into the pattern for a Cleanse circle, while the boys ran off to take a dive into the lake.


    ¡°You go first,¡± Ali said, inviting Malika to use the circle as soon as it was complete.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who had to fight in the goo,¡± Ali answered. While she was sweaty and dirty and would love nothing more than to relax while her magic circle cleaned her, Malika was clearly in dire need of emergency cleaning, and she didn¡¯t need to offer twice.


    By the time Malika was clean, the boys had returned from their dip in the lake, looking and smelling substantially better, but Ali still offered Mato the Cleanse circle next, given that he would be cooking dinner.


    Finally, it was her turn, and she sat cross-legged in the center of the circle, closing her eyes. She was tired after a full day in the humid jungle and while it wasn¡¯t as nice as an actual hot bath, the tingling sensation of arcane magic dissolving the dirt and grime from her skin, clothes, and hair was heavenly. She sighed in bliss, feeling rejuvenated by the simple pleasure of being clean.


    When she returned to the campfire, the others were already discussing the day, and what they had fought, and how the battles had gone. Many ideas bounced back and forth on how they might have handled things better, but Ali¡¯s mind was distracted by the delicious aroma of whatever Mato was cooking.


    ¡°What do you think we should do about the spawning pools?¡± Ali asked. It seemed Mato would still be a few minutes cooking dinner, so she sat and joined in the conversation. They had dismantled the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra dungeon by destroying the domain, killing the Wights, and having Nevyn Eld show up to steal the dungeon shrine. It had left the entire area permanently cleared and far safer ¨C but Ali couldn¡¯t see how they might achieve that in the jungle ¨C the lakes were simply too big, and the mana too dangerous to remove.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve been able to kill everything we found in there,¡± Malika started.


    ¡°Except for the Lux Drifter swarm,¡± Calen reminded her.


    ¡°There were some difficult fights,¡± Mato admitted as he dipped his spoon into the cooking pot and took a sample.


    ¡°Well, yes,¡± Malika agreed. ¡°But it seems to be an incredible training opportunity. We could probably just fight monsters in there until all of us reach fifty.¡±


    ¡°You to go another round with that slime monster?¡± Ali asked. ¡°Think of what it¡¯ll do to your hair!¡±


    Mato chuckled at that, but Calen¡¯s hand twitched toward his silvery hair with a look of pure disgust on his face.


    ¡°No, but training is important,¡± Malika said.


    Ali had been considering the jungle something that they would need to clear out, completely wiping out all the monsters like the city ruins above. But the fact of continuous replenishment via the two spawning pools made that an almost impossible task. She had definitely been thinking of it as a training ground.


    And yet, even with her adversarial position toward the jungle and its inhabitants, she couldn¡¯t deny that their forays out into the wilds had been surprisingly profitable for all of them. She summoned her Grimoire, noting that her progress was visible simply by the size and thickness of her magical tome. She had left her Forest Guardian ¨C her most powerful minion ¨C down in the library to block the entrance to the jungle. But besides him, she had learned several plant monsters, oozes, a veritable horde of trees, vines, and moss varieties, and even added several new elementals to her book for future study. The nature affinity Living Bamboo was going to make expanding her domain far faster.


    Ali retrieved one of the glowing gem-like rocks from her storage ring, dropping it to the mossy ground as its oversaturated mana leakage seared her skin.


    ¡°Careful,¡± Malika said, hopping up to heal her quickly, and then freezing as she saw what it was that Ali had retrieved. ¡°Ali! That¡¯s magicite!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, nodding as she studied the mana leaking from the fist-sized crystal. It seemed to be interacting directly with her domain, but not with any negative effects she could see. Instead, her moss seemed to be happily absorbing the excess nature affinity mana and re-emitting it to reinforce her domain.


    ¡°Where did you find that? It¡¯s worth a fortune!¡±


    ¡°Calen found it in the remains of the shattered condenser. Why is it worth a fortune?¡± While the synthetic stone was incredibly useful for its property of storing mana, and even converting affinities to the type it could store ¨C the entire reason Ali had wanted to experiment with it ¨C she remembered it being quite plentiful. Whenever she had needed some for her practical examinations, all it took was a request form submitted to the school supplies office, and they gave her as much as she wanted. She hadn¡¯t even needed to return it.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s so rare, and every artificer needs more than they can get,¡± Malika said, her eyes still wide and glued to the green crystal.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t they just make more?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Make more?¡± Malika stared at her as if she had just said that mana didn¡¯t exist. ¡°Ali, artificers and scholars have been searching for a way to make it for centuries. Most people believe it¡¯s impossible.¡±


    ¡°Where do they get it from, then?¡± Ali asked. ¡°The Novaspark Academy had a mana battery powering the teleportation locus ¨C that must be made with Arcanite. And they were selling wands and other magical items that have to be using shards of magicite to power their effects.¡±


    ¡°Artificers cannibalize it from found artifacts or recycle it from items that are no longer needed,¡± Malika explained.


    ¡°Occasionally, high-level adventurer teams retrieve a sliver from some dungeon,¡± Calen added. ¡°But it always makes the news because it¡¯s so rare.¡±


    ¡°They forgot how to make it?¡± Ali asked, incredulously. It made some sort of sense. Dal¡¯mohra had existed more than three thousand years ago ¨C more than enough time for many esoteric skills and techniques to fall from wider knowledge and become forgotten, barely remembered legends. Still, having to recycle magicite meant an enormously restricted supply. She looked at the glowing chunk still emitting green mist on the ground in front of her.


    ¡°I guess so,¡± Calen admitted. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know it could be made.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not going to work for me,¡± Ali said. ¡°I want to experiment a lot.¡± She had recovered enough samples that she could attempt to learn it. But this was where she was grateful for her studies ¨C she recalled the safety procedures for working with magicite. Destroying charged magicite would release all the mana stored in it.


    She summoned a barrier in front of her before she deconstructed the rock. As soon as her spell finished, there was a loud bang, spraying bits of moss and dirt in all directions. The golden wall of her barrier protected her body and her friends in the campsite from the explosive concussion ¨C which might not have hurt so much, but it would definitely have ruined dinner.


    ¡°Hey, warn us next time you blow something up,¡± Mato chided, clicking his tongue disapprovingly as he waved a ladle in her direction. ¡°I might spoil your dinner, you know.¡±


    ¡°You destroyed it¡­¡± Malika looked a little green, and Ali suddenly realized that her friend must have thought that was the only piece she had.


    ¡°It was the mana stored in it ¨C it gets released all at once,¡± Ali explained, retrieving another, larger piece, inwardly grinning at the sight of Malika¡¯s eyes widening even further in surprise.


    ¡°How much of that do you have?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Enough to learn it, and a few more pieces for you to sell.¡±


    ¡°You can learn it?¡± Malika seemed incredulous.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I can. It¡¯s just a rock with a crystalline lattice mana structure,¡± she said. Sure enough, after destroying four samples ¨C and warning her friends this time ¨C her Grimoire responded.


    To test it, she immediately summoned a bunch of magicite, using her Domain Mastery to mold it into shape. When she was done, she had made a perfectly cubic semi-translucent gray rock. The edges were smooth, as if polished.


    ¡°Why is it gray?¡± Malika asked, after a couple of failed attempts to speak.


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t absorbed any mana yet. If we leave it around, it should absorb ambient mana, charging it up. When it¡¯s full it should glow noticeably ¨C but not nearly as bright as the ones I recovered. Those are dangerously overfull.¡± Ali retrieved the rest of the magicite, dumping it on the ground beside the one she had just made, enjoying the effect it was having on Malika.


    ¡°If we leave these overnight, they should leak enough mana into the environment that they will be safe to take to town and sell.¡± Ali made a few more uncharged pieces and nestled them in among the others, knowing they would charge faster in the presence of so much leaked mana.


    ¡°Nature isn¡¯t the most valuable type,¡± Malika said, finally recovering. ¡°But they¡¯re still worth a fortune. Ali, with that and the lake, you could quite easily break the economy of the whole town. No, the entire kingdom.¡±


    ¡°If we sell it through Weldin, the town should get its taxes, right? Isn¡¯t that the purpose of having a guild merchant?¡± Malika was right, probably the most valuable magicite affinity would be arcane ¨C Arcanite ¨C but she had no idea how to find some of that. But she might be able to recover some light affinity magicite from the condenser up on the second city ring.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the theory. But with something so rare and sought-after like magicite, if we dump a lot on the market, people will go crazy. We should probably sell one or two pieces and wait a bit,¡± Malika said, her surprise giving way to a more thoughtful expression.


    ¡°Maybe you can use Weldin to help you with that? He probably has a decent idea of what the market could support,¡± Calen suggested.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, I¡¯ll talk to him tomorrow,¡± Malika answered.


    While the economy was a concern, Ali didn¡¯t mind much. Magicite was a fascinating substance, and she was quite interested in studying it now that she was armed with Arcane Insight and Sage of Learning. It wasn¡¯t the Grand Library Arcana, but she wanted to check to see if Ryn had any books on the subject or knew where to find them. And if Malika was right, she could now afford to buy them.


    Alexander Gray


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s near Myrin¡¯s Keep.¡± Alexander studied Roderik¡¯s expression carefully. He seemed excited, which nearly always meant someone was dead or dying ¨C or he was anticipating inflicting pain on some unfortunate soul. He just wished the man wasn¡¯t so¡­ impulsive and thoughtless. It was too bad he ranked higher in the Shadow Council and was technically Alexander¡¯s superior.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s Myrin¡¯s Keep,¡± Roderik replied, his eyes betraying a restless energy.


    Lirasia had been moving in a remarkably straight line across the countryside since he had released her, and she was heading right for the border town, following the banks of the Myrin River. Alexander had figured the dungeon had to be nestled in the mountains nearby ¨C a spot he could simply discover with his spectral wolves and enter, capturing it before the town was any the wiser.


    ¡°How do you know?¡± Alexander asked. He was certain the town already knew about his presence from the wake of blight and the new undead he had left behind him. If they didn¡¯t, it wouldn¡¯t take long ¨C but he had been planning on using the distraction he had been required to create for his purposes, too. If the dungeon was within the town, though, that would be remarkably inconvenient. Myrin¡¯s Keep was no Lyton ¨C it had a garrison and several high-level combat classes. People that even he would need to be wary of.


    ¡°One of the newest members in the fucking Adventurers Guild supposedly has a shrine,¡± Roderik declared. ¡°A real dungeon shrine, not one of those Elvish knockoffs.¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Alexander¡¯s eyes snapped back to Roderik in surprise. It was a preposterous claim, but Roderik was not one for subterfuge and deception. His mind was uncomplicated and straightforward, but the presence of a shrine in the town lent a lot of credibility to his crazy claims.


    ¡°Come, Alexander, let¡¯s not waste time. I found someone who got their class from that shrine, I want you to ask them,¡± Roderik announced. Unleashing his restless energy, the noble retrieved a corpse from storage, dumping it on the ground. It was a young man, obviously new to their class, dressed like a merchant, with a characteristic set of holes in his body where Roderik¡¯s lances of ice had since melted. He waved a ring-encrusted hand at it vaguely, ¡°Do your thing.¡±


    Alexander stared at the corpse briefly and then looked back at Roderik. Bringing an eyewitness demonstrated remarkable thinking for a man who enjoyed indiscriminately killing people for sport ¨C without any plan or foresight.


    ¡°¡± Alexander intoned, invoking his mana to raise the man as a specter. It was not cheap, but he wouldn¡¯t be keeping this one for very long.


    ¡°Tell us everything you know about this shrine and the dungeon,¡± he commanded.


    ¡°Yes master,¡± came the sepulchral voice, a whisper on the wind that touched his mind and soul in that familiar way. ¡°Her name is Aliandra Amariel¡­¡±

 Chapter 113: Minion Studies

    Chapter 113: Minion StudiesAliandraAli stayed up well past dinner, experimenting with her new imprints. She hadn¡¯t gained a level for the last fight, but she had the sense that she was quite close, now. On the other hand, her Grimoire had grown substantially ¨C she had learned several important things from the fight at the nature affinity spawning pool and the bamboo forest they had explored before that.


    Not to mention she had added several higher-level variations of the Toxic Slime and deconstructed a level fifty Forest Guardian. she thought. Her Grimoire had added a lot of runes in response, but it was hard to test just how much the imprint had updated without being high enough level to summon the variant directly.


    The most curious, however, was the strange notification that the Bamboo Crawler had been added to both the Elemental and the Grass imprints. How that had been achieved, exactly, was quite baffling ¨C unless she was very much mistaken, the exact same pages were shown in both chapters.


    ¡°I need to pick up some fresh fruit and vegetables from the market,¡± Mato said, walking around and collecting the dirty plates and utensils and stacking them up in the Cleanse circle.


    ¡°Thanks, Mato,¡± Ali said, handing him hers. ¡°I want to study my Grimoire. I got a lot of interesting new things to test out.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I want to help with that,¡± Mato said, frowning.


    ¡°I can buy stuff,¡± Calen said. ¡°Just give me a list.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how to tell the difference between fresh and rotten veggies?¡± Mato teased.


    ¡°I think I can manage,¡± Calen said. ¡°It¡¯s just a bunch of green stuff, right? How hard could it be?¡±


    The Beastkin gave off his most disgusted huff.


    ¡°I can go with him and help,¡± Malika said. ¡°I want to check in with Weldin anyway, see his reaction.¡±


    After cleaning up a little around the shrine, and taking care of the fire, Calen and Malika headed up to town and Mato turned back to Ali.


    ¡°Ok, what you got first?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Bamboo,¡± Ali said, paging through her Grimoire to the grass chapter.


    ¡°That Living Bamboo from the jungle? I knew grass would be a useful imprint for you,¡± Mato said. ¡°Where do you want to start?¡±


    ¡°Malika wanted a spot for meditation,¡± Ali mused, looking around. ¡°Maybe off to the side here? Starting at the edge of the Grove and going out a bit to the north?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, you have a lot of unclaimed space out in that direction,¡± Mato nodded. ¡°And it should offset the trees nicely.¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Ali said, leading him to the spot. In a gap in the loose circle of trees around the Grove, she began to summon her new Living Bamboo imprint. Mato kept his comments to a few suggestions so she could focus, and her mana began to flow. Minutes passed as giant stems sprouted from the ground; more and more appearing under the influence of her sparkling magic as she expanded the growing stand of giant bamboo.


    ¡°That looks pretty good, Ali,¡± Mato said after nearly half an hour of work.


    ¡°You think Malika will like this?¡± Ali asked, wiping her brow with a sleeve.


    ¡°For sure,¡± Mato said. ¡°Listen to how still it feels in here.¡±


    ¡°It does feel a little like that forest,¡± Ali agreed, pausing to study her creation. It didn¡¯t surprise her to find the Living Bamboo beginning to draw in ambient mana from the rock below, smoothing and changing it into the characteristic flow that had stood out so clearly in the jungle. What shocked her was the amount.


    The Living Bamboo was entirely unlike her other trees in that it was generating nature-affinity mana instead of just spreading her existing domain over a wider area, and so the first thing she noticed was the opposite of mana attenuation. In this new area, the heavy presence of dense mana being generated cradled her skin in a soothing flow, like floating in a warm bath, but one that held hints of new shoots and the promise of growth.


    ¡°Is it working?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Ali said, following the vast upwelling through the stems. ¡°There¡¯s no comparison to the Verdant Moss.¡± The volume of mana flowing up through the tall bamboo stems defied explanation, launched skyward in a powerful but smooth flow, only to rain down on them from above as it merged into her domain.


    ¡°Nice!¡±


    ¡°I need to put this stuff everywhere,¡± Ali said. It would serve as a far higher-level backbone for her domain ¨C at least the nature-affinity part. Placing clumps of Living Bamboo to fill in the gaps with her other plants should dramatically increase the speed with which she could develop her domain.


    ¡°Why not continue to the north and west?¡± Mato suggested.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Ali nodded. ¡°I want to claim everything up to the entrance hallway that we escaped through.¡± She couldn¡¯t forget how she had wrecked so much of the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra bone-affinity domain by deconstructing a critical bottleneck in the library. Creating multiple connections to the ruins sounded far more robust to her.


    ¡°Good idea,¡± he agreed.


    She spent a couple of hours claiming everything in the area with bamboo, stopping only when she reached the passage downward and she could no longer fit the giant bamboo stems in without running into the rock overhead.


    ¡°What else did you get?¡± Mato asked as they returned to the shrine.


    ¡°I got those dragonets,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Oh yes, let¡¯s see them!¡± Mato said, grinning widely.


    ¡°Here¡¯s your shopping, Mato,¡± Calen said, offering several bags of groceries.


    ¡°Thanks!¡±


    ¡°Oh, hi, Calen,¡± Ali said. ¡°Is Malika back too?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s already meditating in your new bamboo forest,¡± he said, nodding toward the new growth she had created.


    ¡°Ok.¡± Ali decided not to disturb her, instead feeding mana into her imprint.


    The flight of tiny yellow-gold dragons took to the air in a flurry of shining scales, wings, and cute screeches, zipping around the nearby bamboo stalks in a graceful display of dexterous antics.


    ¡°Look at them go!¡± Mato exclaimed. ¡°Maybe they can keep the Grove clear of bugs for us.¡±


    ¡°Not very useful for combat,¡± Ali admitted ruefully. ¡°But they only cost five mana for nine level-two creatures.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re pretty,¡± Calen said, admiring their aerial acrobatics.


    ¡°I got some more monsters too,¡± Ali said, pursing her lips in thought as she paged through her Grimoire. The elemental imprint chapter had long been a source of much frustration for her, but she finally had a viable elemental she could summon. And what a monster it was ¨C the Forest Guardian was so much more than just a sentimental summon ¨C its aura had kept her friends and minions alive while being swarmed by hundreds of slimes. The chapter had accumulated quite a few interesting variants, but she decided to put off studying them for another day.


    ¡°What else did you get?¡± Mato asked, perking up.


    ¡°Um¡­ the Toxic Spitter ooze, but I need to level up before I can summon that,¡± she said. ¡°Moss Creeper, Floral Menace, and Spore Spreader. Oh, and the Bamboo Crawler.¡± Each one of the monsters had been a unique challenge, or a pain in the ass at some point during their explorations underground.


    ¡°I like the Moss Creepers,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll be useful, though,¡± Ali admitted, flipping the pages to the moss imprint.


    ¡°Maybe they can help with the ecosystem?¡± Mato asked. ¡°Let¡¯s see it.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said, obliging him by beginning to summon a Moss Creeper. It was one of the stranger monsters she had learned. They hadn¡¯t provided much of a challenge, nor displayed any particularly interesting abilities. ¡°Maybe my expectations are too high,¡± she said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s an animated pile of moss¡­¡±


    As her magic formed, assembling tiny threads of runic script and floating them off the pages, Sage of Learning suddenly twisted, making off with a sizeable chunk of her mana.


    ¡°Urk¡­¡± she grunted, inelegantly. It wasn¡¯t painful, exactly ¨C but the discomfort of having her mana wrenched from her was unexpected. She hadn¡¯t exactly been paying close attention to her magic as it unfolded, but there was something strange in the spell construction. Something like a hole ¨C the space before the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle was fitted ¨C and it plucked at her memories like something familiar she had recently forgotten.


    The Moss Creeper scampered about on the ground before her, looking surprisingly cute for a mound of green moss with teeth.


    ¡°Everything ok?¡± Calen asked, his hand already tightening around his bow in concern.


    ¡°Yes¡­ just ¨C there was something odd about the spell,¡± Ali admitted. Now that her curiosity had been piqued, she to figure it out. ¡°I¡¯m going to try again.¡± This time she fed mana to Sage of Learning deliberately and then summoned another Moss Creeper focusing her attention on the runic spell formations as they unfolded before her eyes.


    About halfway through, she felt it again; the sensation of something hollow, like the outline of something. Sage of Learning again gobbled up a healthy chunk of mana, filling her mind with tantalizing glimpses of ideas, but in the end, it fell short of making the connection for her.


    But no matter how much she worried at it, nothing sprang to mind. Still curious, she decided to summon another, narrowing her focus to just the anomaly.


    The magical formations assembled, and Ali deliberately cleared her mind in an attempt to prevent herself from jumping to conclusions. If her mind was open for observation, perhaps she might notice something new. Sage of Learning did its best to distract her by pulling on her mana, so she ignored it explicitly by focusing instead on the shape of the runic spells, leaning on her Runic Script skill to interpret some of the key runes whipping by her eyes.


    she thought, racking her brain to figure out where she had seen it before.


    ¡°What¡¯s it doing?¡± Calen asked, as her newly summoned Moss Creeper clambered up the trunk of a tree, dragging itself slowly across the bark.


    ¡°They grow moss on things,¡± Mato said. And as he said it, formations of nature magic sprang up within the animated ball of moss. Formations she recognized.


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± she exclaimed. It was just like the way her Grimoire summoned moss. Riding a wave of excitement at the discovery, she poured her mana into her imprint, summoning some Verdant Moss, all the while comparing her magic to the formations the Moss Creeper used.


    she decided. Her magic seemed substantially more complex, and it was only when she chose a simpler variant that the similarities clicked. It made sense, though, her Grimoire was a general summoning tool, and the magic of the Moss Creeper seemed highly specialized; a spell specifically tailored for summoning moss. It matched some of her mundane moss variants quite closely.


    Excited by her discovery, she studied her moss imprint. Embedded right there in the Moss Creeper¡¯s magic was a pattern that looked like a shadow outline of the basic moss imprint itself. It wasn¡¯t a particularly good explanation, but she knew what she was seeing.


    Suddenly recalling Malika¡¯s calligraphy workbook, an idea occurred to her that she immediately had to test. She summoned a new Moss Creeper, but this time, when she perceived the magical gap, she bent the magic just slightly with her Customization, injecting several alterations with her Runic Script skill. With surprisingly little effort, the entire structure together, somehow linking it back to her imprint.


    There was nothing obviously different about the fuzzy clump of green moss capering around on the ground next to her, but she had definitely altered something about its construction. She had something different ¨C and more than that, her Grimoire had updated, suggesting that she could choose the modified variant in the future.


    ¡°She sent a mental nudge to the small creature, permitting it to do whatever it wanted. Perking up immediately, the creature looked at her briefly, or seemed to ¨C it didn¡¯t have eyes ¨C and then scampered off to a nearby tree with an air of energy and excitement very much at odds with its usual slothful movement.


    Ali stared in amazement as a nature magic formation appeared within the creature ¨C a formation she recognized as mimicking her moss imprint. There was a sympathetic surge of energy from her Grimoire as the magic flared and completed, and suddenly there was a patch of moss under the creature.


    Ali was pretty sure that the Moss Creepers in the jungle had not been able to make this variant ¨C the monster had chosen it from among her variants and created it with its skill.


    But the surprises kept coming. As Ali studied the newly created moss, she saw the familiar stirring of mana as the green swathe stuck to the tree automatically hooked itself into her domain, beginning to emit nature affinity mana to bolster her magic.


    Ali walked over to where it was bouncing gently as if proud of its creation, and excited that she was interested in seeing it. She crouched down, petting the tiny monster while she studied the moss it had made.


    ¡°What did it do?¡± Mato asked, joining her in studying the moss. ¡°That looks like your moss.¡±


    ¡°I made it use my moss imprint; now it¡¯s expanding my domain for me,¡± Ali said, and as the words came out, she realized just how much this changed for her. It didn¡¯t surprise her that the nature-affinity monsters had magic or skills that could grow or influence plants ¨C that was a common feature of nature magic. What surprised her was that she could link the moss summoning skill from this monster to all the moss imprints in her Grimoire ¨C and they would be summoned as if she had personally summoned it, linked to her class¡¯s domain.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ impressive,¡± Calen said. ¡°Will its repertoire grow if you add new variants?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± Ali said. It was not something she had immediately thought of, but there seemed to be no reason why it wouldn¡¯t work the way Calen thought.


    She sat for a while watching the mana-generating moss while the little monster happily crooned as she petted it. ¡°¡± she said, sending her thoughts to her little Moss Creeper as a quick montage of emotions and images, more intent than language. The tiny creature bounced up and down briefly, before scampering off and summoning its magic by another tree, seemingly excited and happy to have a purpose. Ali watched its antics for a few moments and then got to work, summoning a half dozen new Moss Creepers. Adding her customization was as easy as selecting the variant from her imprint, and soon she had an army of little moss monsters creating various mosses from her imprints. Some of them created feather mosses in the trees and one even scampered off into her stand of Radiant Larches, summoning the Glow Moss she had learned near the light affinity spawning pool.


    ¡°That¡¯s fantastic,¡± Mato said. ¡°Now you can fill out the gaps with lots of variety. I can ask Basil for more varieties of moss!¡± Somehow Mato seemed just as excited about this new development as she was.


    Ali¡¯s attention returned to her Grimoire. When she had first learned the strange monsters of the jungle, she had noticed marked similarities in construction and behavior ¨C something she attributed to the fact they were all plant-based monsters. But now she was certain she had been reacting to the similarity in the formations of their summoning skills.


    Her discovery with the Moss Creeper had planted the idea in her brain, and now she needed to see how far it went. With her Grimoire open to the wildflower imprint, she began to summon a Floral Menace, activating Sage of Learning to help study the magical patterns. When the moment arrived, she caught the pattern again. It was at once similar to the skill of the Moss Creeper, and yet it exhibited some profound differences. Prepared in advance by her earlier experience, she caught the magic and bent it with her Customization, twisting the Floral Menace till she felt the same  of her magic connecting back to her Grimoire. The pages flared as the new variant was created.


    ¡°¡± she asked. The gnarled woody creature flared its scruff of pink petals, hissed, and scampered away onto a clear spot of mossy ground. Its magic flared within it, creating the formation Ali was expecting to see, and then, in a surprisingly short time, the monster created a broad patch of delicate mystic bluebells.


    ¡°It worked!¡± Ali exclaimed, happy to see the softly shifting mana patterns of the divination affinity flowers.


    ¡°Wow, there¡¯s no stopping you now!¡± Mato chuckled.


    Malika giggled, ¡°Look, the flowers are so pretty!¡±


    ¡°Wait for my next trick!¡± Ali laughed. She repeated the process, this time with the Spore Spreader mushroom monster, linking it to her mushroom imprint with surprisingly little effort. Of course, it was the third time, and her understanding of the process helped her immensely.


    The new plant monsters were not particularly high level, and so they didn¡¯t cost a lot of reserved mana, but that meant they were limited to the lowest level variants in her Grimoire. Like her own skills, it seemed they could only summon something lower level than themselves. Still, it was an incredible boon and Ali spent quite some time summoning monsters and sending them out on a mission to fill in her domain throughout the giant cavern. She impressed on the Spore Spreaders and the Moss Creepers that she preferred her nature and arcane variants, but other than that she left everything up to their whims, trusting that it would probably end up more natural that way.


    ¡°Got any more?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°Just the Bamboo Crawler¡­¡± Ali said, paging through her Grimoire and stopping at the Grass imprint. Excited by her success so far, she summoned one, but the magical ¡®gap¡¯ she had been expecting never materialized. Instead, she observed a torrent of unfamiliar runic structure that would probably take a long time of study to unravel.


    She looked at the giant bamboo stick-insect monster curiously. ¡°¡± she instructed, but it simply shifted back and forth uncomfortably before turning and shooting a needle of wood at a nearby tree and turning back to her.


    ¡°I guess these don¡¯t have a plant-summoning skill?¡± Ali said, studying the monster carefully.


    ¡°These seemed to be more like assassins or snipers in function,¡± Calen said, nodding sagely.


    She was going to have to plant her bamboo and blue mana grass manually. But that didn¡¯t seem to be much of an issue; she could delegate three types of her plants now, and that already was an enormous improvement.


    ¡°¡± she said and watched it scurry off to the Living Bamboo glade she had created earlier, vanishing from her sight as soon as it entered the area.  she added.


    She sat quietly, reflecting on all her new minions and options when her notification chimed entirely unexpectedly.


    Martial Insight ¨C level 23


    Your mana empowering your summoned creatures now carries your accumulated experience. Your creatures gain +70.6%  to combat abilities. Martial Insight only gains experience when you observe your minions¡¯ combat.


    Mana: You can use the perception skills of your minions. Higher intelligence allows you to use more sources of perception simultaneously.


    Nature, Minion, Mastery, Perception, Intelligence


    ¡°Ooh! I got a skill advancement!¡± she exclaimed. She had just been messing around with her Grimoire and her new imprints ¨C she had certainly not been expecting to earn a skill advancement for that. Advancements came after challenging combat ¨C most often when she had had to do something unusual.


    ¡°Which one?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Martial Insight. I can use my minions¡¯ perception skills.¡± She shared the changes with them.


    Some of the requirements to unlock this advancement seemed to be related to her immediate activities. Sage of Learning had just hit seventeen when she discovered how to modify the Moss Creeper ¨C likely the event that counted as the requirement for using a perception skill to modify a minion. She had been using both Sage of Learning and Arcane Insight at the time. For the requirement that she summon minions with at least five unique perception skills, she was certain her oozes possessed nonstandard perception skills. She also had an elemental, a healer, and mages ¨C minions that most likely had special perception skills.


    Two of her requirements seemed to have been drawn from her old experience when she and Mato had fallen into the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra. She shuddered, recalling how close she had come to dying ¨C she had been heavily withdrawn, and without her wolf sensing the invisible Kobold rogue and warning her, she would not have blocked the Ambush. She had to admit that the minion perceptions requirement had presented her with an interesting puzzle, and she was curious to figure out which ones were contributing to that.


    she thought. If she took this one, it would commit to a path that potentially closed off other avenues for growth. If she skipped it, she could potentially earn something else pretty soon. Martial Insight had been the lifeline she had clung to when she was scared in the darkness of the ruins of her home, now seemingly so long ago. Its versatility had saved her then, and countless times since.


    ¡°That seems excellent,¡± Calen said. ¡°You can grow your options by filling your Grimoire.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good point,¡± Ali said, considering it. It required work to train herself for each of her minions¡¯ combat styles, but it was the versatility she had come to rely on, not so much the power. This advancement seemed all about versatility. It wasn¡¯t a huge power boost in combat, but she would be able to scout better, and maybe learn to recognize more dangers. Her role in many fights was to learn the dangerous magics and warn her friends or take appropriate actions in response. Arcane Insight had unlocked her abilities in combat, and for study, and now she was being offered the ability to get any perception skill she could encounter from a monster.


    The thought filled her with excitement and banished her doubts. She accepted the advancement. The chime sounded, but nothing much changed.


    ¡°Come over here,¡± she called out to one of her Kobold Fire Mages.


    ¡°Yes, Ancient Mistress,¡± the Kobold answered, stepping up and waiting patiently beside her.


    She concentrated on her new skill advancement. With just a little infusion of mana, she was subjected to a sudden, disorienting snap. The entire Grove shifted sideways, and she found herself staring at herself sitting on the ground from the perspective of the Kobold.


    Her second thought was that she needed to visit Lydia again. There were some unnoticed scorch marks and tears in her Tailored Cotton Clothing that she had missed. With a quick pulse of mana, she activated the self-repair enchantment, restoring it to pristine condition once again, but her armor was still only level twenty-five and she had reached forty already.


    ¡°How is it?¡± Mato asked, walking into view, and peering at her curiously. A thoroughly disconcerting experience, considering he was looking at her body, and she was watching both of them from a third point of view.


    ¡°Very odd,¡± she answered, fascinated by the ability to watch her own mouth move as she spoke.


    She glanced around curiously, using the eyes of her Kobold minion. The cavern was far less vibrant, all the colors, and even the light seeming desaturated, lending a gray cast to the world. However, her perception of detail was dramatically heightened; she could make out many details her own eyes were simply not powerful enough to resolve or see in the dim light. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Do Kobolds have dark vision or something?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I believe so,¡± Calen said.


    Ali released the disorienting third-person vision, feeling her awareness snap back into her own body once again.She was still curious to unravel the mystery, but some of them seemed obvious. She called one of her Scalding Slimes to her, expecting something a little different from a monster that had no obvious sensory organs.


    She used her Martial Insight, focusing on the ooze monster, and suddenly everything vanished.


    It was as if she had suddenly lost the ability of vision, all the light-emitting plants had been snuffed out, plunging her into darkness. She couldn¡¯t hear anything either. In a pang of sudden panic, she released the connection, snapping back to herself for a moment, relieved to find her sight and hearing restored.


    ¡°You ok?¡± Mato asked, releasing his grip on her arm.


    Ali realized she must have staggered or wobbled. ¡°I tried the slime, and I went blind and deaf,¡± she said.


    ¡°Try searching for some kind of tremor sense, maybe?¡± Calen suggested.


    It was her curiosity that took her back into the wobbly slime monster and kept her there, searching for how it saw the world. She endured the darkness for a while, and finally, she saw it. Or, more accurately, felt it. A pulsing sensed somewhere off outside of her body, but tactile, not seen. The experience reminded her most closely of how intense mana prickled along her skin sometimes. she realized as the pulsing resolved into a second distinct source. And then several more, and her mind finally began making sense of it. The closest one was the one that triggered her understanding.


    It was an utterly alien sense that she finally deduced was related to the vibrations carried through the ground, but sensitive enough to exactly pinpoint the location of her friends nearby. Struggling to get it right the first couple of tries because she was separated from her own senses, she tapped the ground with her hand, and instantly the action exploded across her borrowed senses as a powerful tactile and positional feeling. She tried speaking, only to experience a sense like a gritty wind rubbing against her body.


    But there was more. Around each pulsing heart, she sensed a feeling of warmth that seemed distinct from the vibration sense. Curious to test it, she sent her slime moving forward to where the campfire embers still glowed, finding the same warmth sensation growing stronger and stronger ¨C and this time not attached to the pulse of heartbeats.


    Its entire mode of perception seemed to be analogous to proprioception and touch, locating objects by the vibrations they made, or the felt sense of heat. It was an unquestionably unique perception and in a flash of inspiration, she suddenly understood several of the more bizarre mannerisms Naia had demonstrated.


    Ali thought, recalling her interactions with the mimic slime as she released her connection to her own Scalding Slime. She would have to check them all; she had a hunch that the heat perception was related to the Scalding Slime¡¯s highly specialized steam affinity. ¡°That has to be the strangest thing I¡¯ve experienced,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°I could feel your heartbeat. And this slime has heat perception of some kind, too.¡±


    ¡°Huh, interesting,¡± Calen said, noting it down in his notebook.


    she thought, returning to the description of her newest skill advance. The question was how, or if she had enough intelligence to make it work. Trying the skill again, but with the Kobold¡¯s much more familiar perception mode, she shifted her awareness into the mage, simultaneously trying to anchor it in her own body. What followed was a nauseating ping-pong as her awareness rapidly flipped between herself and her Kobold before she finally got the hang of it, and it stabilized.


    She held on to her dinner, but it was a rather close call. Confronted with the disorienting experience of simultaneously viewing the world through two sets of eyes, her stomach tried its best to rebel. The worst part was that she could see herself from the viewpoint of her Kobold, and she could see her Kobold from her own normal viewpoint. Every time her mind settled on one of them as primary, it threatened to snap to that, and she had to bring it back.


    Moving gingerly, so as not to disturb her grumpy stomach, she turned, positioning herself so that she and the Kobold were both viewing the shrine from the same direction, and suddenly everything settled into a much more manageable and less disorienting experience. It felt a little like viewing the world through glasses with each lens tinted differently. She could ¡®close¡¯ one and see the vibrant but lower resolution version, or the other and see the grayer, higher fidelity view. If she concentrated on both, her mind more or less patched the two viewpoints together into an enhanced view that incorporated both.


    She released the strange skill, deciding that it would take a fair bit of practice to get the hang of it. Probably a lot more practice before she would be willing to try it in a life-or-death situation like a battle. Other than the upset stomach and the beginnings of a headache, she was quite pleased with her choice. It was already living up to her wildest hopes for versatility, and she couldn¡¯t wait to apply it to her studies.


    ¡°This is definitely going to make me more efficient with my minions,¡± she said. At least it wasn¡¯t another passive skill she couldn¡¯t turn off.


    ¡°We should make a list of interesting monsters for you to collect,¡± Mato suggested.


    ¡°Now there¡¯s an idea!¡± Ali said.

 Chapter 114: The Defiance of the Lowly

    Chapter 114: The Defiance of the LowlyAliandraAli woke feeling refreshed, got up from her sleeping bag, and exited her tent into the silence of the Grove, lit by her golden mushrooms and the glowing runes on the shrine. Everyone else was still asleep, content to allow her minions to keep watch. Ordinarily, she might have spent the few hours before they woke growing her forest and cleaning up the few corpses of slimes her minions had killed overnight, but today she had something different in mind.


    Finding a comfortable spot near the now-cold ash of the cookfire, she retrieved her arcane magic book from her ring¡¯s storage, admiring the shining silver runes and the small drifts of silvery mana it emitted.


    It was a beautifully made book, and seeing it reminded her of the excitement she had felt when Ryn had first pulled it out of the box in her bookstore. She smiled at the memory, hoping that her friend would be available for tea this afternoon.


    she thought, tracing the silver runes with her finger. It had been a while since she had used the teleportation locus in the Novaspark Academy receiving room, but she still had the locus fully memorized. The project she had in mind was quite ambitious ¨C if she could understand the runic construction, she should be able to use her skill as a reference to make a teleport spell.


    She opened the textbook and paged through to the section on arcane teleportation ¨C knowing exactly what she would find. Her book was not particularly advanced, covering mainly just basic magic ¨C but the fixed, static teleport magic it explained had been beyond her grasp when she had first read it. It seemed the book, like many others of its kind, required some instructor, or at least a working magic spell to refer to, before some of the underlying concepts might become clear. Or at least a certain level of proficiency she did not have.


    She read through the spell and the accompanying explanation again, noting the sections she hadn¡¯t been able to figure out.


    ¡°Come help me,¡± she instructed, calling over a Kobold.


    ¡°Yes, Ancient Mistress.¡± Her Kobold¡¯s soft, gentle voice was as familiar and soothing to her ears as her holy magic was to her body. It immediately joined her by the fire, looking on curiously while it waited for her wish, golden-yellow scales gleaming gorgeously in the soft light of the Grove.


    she thought, activating her Sage of Learning. And then, while studying the flows of mana, she triggered Minion Teleport, switching places with her Kobold.


    The problem was immediately clear to her. Just not how to solve it. When she teleported, the dislocation of her position interrupted her ability to observe the mana flows effectively and simultaneously disrupted her Study Trance. She tried it again, just in case she could figure out a way to see past the jump, but her active advance for Sage of Learning insisted on uninterrupted focus, and teleporting was clearly not that.


    It would have been so much easier if Malika or Calen had the teleport magic, but then she wouldn¡¯t be the one able to teleport, just study it.


    She had just recently earned the ¡®Remote Perception¡¯ ability to see through her minions¡¯ eyes.


    She called a second Kobold over to act as her eyes for this experiment and then switched her awareness to the body of the Kobold mage. It was a little easier than the first time, her mind remembering how to stabilize the connection, and immediately her range of sight expanded, while muting all the brilliant colors of her flowers. It took a few tries to wrap her mind around the configuration. She was watching from the mage, but her actual body was exchanging positions with her Acolyte while attempting to maintain her Sage of Learning study trance from the viewpoint of the mage.


    She struggled with it for a while before she managed to get all the pieces in place, holding it firmly while her magic activated, but study trance interrupted again, clearly not capable of being sustained while she simultaneously activated her Minion Teleport skill.


    She considered the problem. Before learning Study Trance, her Sage of Learning would simply work whenever she was in a situation that could benefit from assistance ¨C and all her advances since had not removed the passive learning skill. Study Trance simply made it faster.


    She teleported a few times, watching from the viewpoint of her Fire Mage, carefully studying the flow of magic. It was challenging to juggle the mage¡¯s more rudimentary mana sight with her Arcane Insight ¨C especially as her personal viewpoint was disrupted every time she teleported ¨C but she persevered, just letting Sage of Learning do its thing. It took a few tries, but suddenly it started drawing from her mana pool.


    she thought while waiting for her teleport to recharge. She considered what she was doing, and the configuration she had set up. Not only was she shifting her awareness to use the perception skills of her Fire Mage, but she was integrating her own perception skills simultaneously. Both Arcane Insight and Sage of Learning continued to function when she used the Kobold¡¯s point of view. It seemed a bit more complex, given that neither Arcane Insight, nor Sage of Learning required eyes, but she decided to table it for later investigation, wondering idly how it might work from a minion with bizarre senses like her oozes.


    She continued to study her teleport skill for a while. It was a little odd that she had to learn to understand the magic that she could already intuitively cast with her skill, but she supposed that a deeper understanding of the magic her skills wielded couldn¡¯t hurt and may improve her skill growth and advancement in the future.


    Ali picked up her book again and reactivated her Study Trance. she thought, examining the spell structure inscribed on the pages. Carefully, she reconstructed it in her mind, in full detail, before turning to the mana formations she had studied from her teleport spell. She began stitching. There wasn¡¯t an easy explanation for what she was doing, but she felt she was snipping pieces from one magic, and stitching them back into the other, forming a modified hybrid spell as she went. She had a pretty good understanding of what the functions of all the pieces were, and how they might go together, but this process was all new to her.


    Her spell was getting quite complicated, glowing brightly, suspended in her mind. She turned it around and adjusted the size of the ring of runes so that they would align better before she suddenly saw the redundancy. She knew the adjustment wouldn¡¯t affect the function of the rune sequence much, so she did it. Then she adjusted the circle once more, shrinking it so that the two duplicate sections overlapped. she thought, clipping one of the duplicate pieces out and reconnecting the runes properly.


    She studied her final construct carefully, but she was unable to find any flaw in the design.


    It was with a rising sense of excitement and anticipation that she turned to her Runic Script and began to write her magic, laying her mana down on top of the mossy ground. She didn¡¯t know how long her studies had taken because Study Trance messed with her sense of the passage of time, but she didn¡¯t mind one bit, fully absorbed in her fascinating project.


    The first try fizzled spectacularly, the magic collapsing with a pop and a puff of mana that buffeted her body briefly. Her second try got further, but this time she was inscribing from behind the protection of a barrier. She had forgotten her lessons about magic experimentation ¨C things could go wrong, and sometimes with spectacular and violent consequences. she recalled from her classes. With each failure, she returned to her image of her construct, tweaking and adjusting, and improving her understanding by studying what she had missed. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The runes flowed from her, glowing golden in her mana sight as she wove the strands of her arcane mana. Suddenly a chime sounded, and she automatically hooked her construct to her domain mana as the runic circle closed.


    Static Teleport ¨C level 35 (Arcane)


    Teleport to a preset teleportation locus.


    Locus:  Novaspark Academy of Magic, Myrin¡¯s Keep.


    Runic Circle


    ¡°What are you making?¡± Malika asked, walking up behind her.


    Ali smiled at her friend, pointing to the golden runic circle hovering just above the moss carpet.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see it,¡± Malika said, surprising Ali.


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± she said, ¡°I forgot.¡± She had gotten so used to seeing the world with the ever-present mana sight provided by Arcane Insight that she had already forgotten what it was like before she had learned the skill. ¡°This is what I made.¡± She answered Malika¡¯s curiosity by sharing the details of her new Static Teleport runic circle. ¡°I combined some pieces of my Minion Teleport with the structure they have in this book, and I made my own little construct.¡±


    ¡°Wow, Ali, that seems super useful! We should try it today when we visit town.¡±


    While Ali had been immersed in her project, studying and learning, she hadn¡¯t paid any attention to the consequences of what she was doing, but Malika¡¯s excitement filled her with a powerful sense of accomplishment.


    Granted it was only a minor modification of what was inscribed in her book, but she didn¡¯t let that get in the way of her achievement. Besides, technicalities counted.


    She studied the mana of her domain, and how it was powering the runic circle. she realized, considering just how much mana her domain contained. The success of her little project caused a cascade of new ideas to rush through her mind. With not a lot more work she was certain she could make her own locus, which would mean she could do both ends of her teleportation spell. The possibilities made her giddy with excitement.


    ***


    Ali stepped out of the bathhouse into the late afternoon sunshine and let out a little sigh of contentment. It had been the perfect day.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Malika said with an even more heartfelt sigh. ¡°I needed that.¡±


    The boys had been busy with errands and family stuff, so she and Malika had spent the day around town. Malika was still worried about the bounty on their heads and had insisted on accompanying her all morning, patiently sitting through her draconic lessons with Kav¨¦ and her tea and endless chatter with Ryn. In turn, Ali had treated her to a trip to the bathhouse where she had splurged on all the extras ¨C she was certain Malika was still having traumatic flashbacks to the ooze fight and the bath had been the perfect antidote.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to come to the Adventurers Guild? Calen wanted another try to identify Mieriel, and you have the highest class level,¡± Malika asked, reminding her of their plan to all meet up at the guild after their business in town.


    ¡°She gives me the creeps,¡± Ali answered. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why, but I keep having nightmares about her.¡± Besides, Ali was excited to get back to her studies. She was certain she could make a two-way teleportation setup between the library and the shrine, which would save them an enormous amount of time traveling back and forth.


    ¡°Ok, stay safe,¡± Malika said, as they arrived through the alleyway beside the guild, and helped her open the grate into the sewer.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you at camp later,¡± Ali answered. She was sure Malika would have wanted to return with her, but she probably wanted to check in with Weldin Thriftpenny and see if she could get a good deal for the magicite and living essences they had collected. Ali wasn¡¯t particularly worried; Eliyen was the obvious customer for the living essences, and from what she had seen of the Novaspark Academy of Magic, there would be no problem finding someone interested in nature-affinity magicite. But her grasp of the art of deals and bargaining was rudimentary at best ¨C it was far better, in her opinion, to let Malika handle all of that.


    Waving goodbye to Malika, she descended into the sewers, perched on her magical barrier, happily noting just how much better it smelled since she had begun planting mushrooms.


    Aiden


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s move up,¡± Aiden said, keeping his words calm and relaxed. He typically found himself in the leadership role in the little groups they made, probably because of his father, and the Guildmaster had even made it official. But he didn¡¯t want to boss people around, so he tried to keep it respectful.


    ¡°A couple more slimes,¡± Kaitlyn announced. ¡°Yay.¡±


    He had gotten quite a good feel for all the remaining guild members, especially over the last week or so as he¡¯d had the opportunity to group with them. The guild formed groups every day for training or leveling, typically around the two tanks ¨C Braden and Havok. Usually, Braden paired with Teagan because he was a less defensive tank than Havok and required more healing. Havok typically took care of his own healing. This had given him ample opportunity to evaluate all of the guild members around his level. Some of them were good and easy to work with, but some of them were a real struggle. Kaitlyn was a powerful and talented lightning archer, but she definitely had an attitude.


    He had reached level six a few days ago but leveling in the sewers had slowed to a crawl. Killing Toxic Slimes and the occasional Goblin had become rather too easy, and now felt like an arduous chore for little benefit.


    Interesting implied risk, and against monsters, that meant people might die. But he couldn¡¯t help wishing for an encounter like the ones Calen had shared.


    ¡°Ok, Havok, attack,¡± he said. Havok charged forward, his shield glowing brightly, casting a radiance across the crumbling ancient brickwork, and slammed into the two slimes. Aiden charged in behind him, but really, the slimes would be dead in a few moments due to Devan and Kaitlyn¡¯s potent damage. He loved his Ice Swordsman class, but on a pure damage comparison, he couldn¡¯t hope to match the Wind Blade and Lightning Archer.


    As expected, the two slimes died, and he gained no levels or skills from the minimal experience.


    He was about to lead them forward, when the temperature suddenly dropped, causing flurries of snow to appear as the moisture flash crystallized out of the damp air. Pain lanced through his leg as a spike of ice pierced it through the back of his knee, and he stumbled, falling awkwardly to the ground. A rapid sequence of swishing noises and thumps ensued, followed by the shouts and screams of his teammates.


    Stunned, he pushed himself up from the now completely frozen ground to look around, feeling the pulse of holy magic as Havok¡¯s healing reached him.


    ¡°None of that!¡± an angry voice snapped, followed by a flurry of ice lances that pierced through Havok¡¯s armor, pinning his body up on the brick wall.


    A tall, white-robed figure strode past him, firing a stream of ice darts at Havok while he healed himself against the damage.


    He saw the badge on the man¡¯s robe, and then recognition dawned. Technically Aiden was a noble, his father having been born into some obscure family that claimed a noble line. The Kingdom of New Daria was progressive, but holding an office like mayor still required at least some tenuous blood connection to the royal line. But he would rather not be associated with a monster like Roderik. He was the embodiment of everything that gave the nobility a bad name ¨C arrogant, uncaring, sadistic, and entirely self-absorbed.


    Havok¡¯s shield magic dropped, leaving the sewer lit mainly by the aura of ice magic Roderik was emitting. Aiden reached out and dragged himself forward, clutching his sword.


    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t,¡± Roderik barked, firing another ice lance that pierced through his thigh, pinning him to the ground, without letting up his stream of ice darts until Havok stopped healing.


    ¡°Ok, now that you¡¯re out of mana, let¡¯s have a little chat about Aliandra and her dungeon, why don¡¯t we?¡±


    Aiden thought, realizing instinctively what kind of ¡®chat¡¯ it would be.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to tell me how to find her,¡± Roderik said, advancing on the weakly struggling Havok, still pinned to the wall, his blood trickling down the brick to stain the mossy ground.


    ¡°No. Havok not help. You bad.¡±


    Aiden knew what kind of man Roderik was. Resisting him would simply make him angrier.


    ¡°Tell him, otherwise he will kill you,¡± Aiden shouted, desperate to save the plucky little Goblin who had quickly become his firm friend.


    ¡°Miss Aliandra is friend. Havok not betray. If Havok tell, then he kill Havok  Miss Aliandra.¡±


    ¡°There you are, Roderik,¡± a loud voice called out from down the tunnel as a group of Town Watch marched toward them. ¡°You¡¯re hard to follow when you teleport like that.¡±


    ¡°Stay out of my way.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but why are you messing with that green scum, this one on the ground is the mayor¡¯s son.¡±

 Chapter 115: Realization

    Chapter 115: Realization- Mok¡¯freya. Troll Ice Mage, Ambassador of Telim Gor.


    Aliandra


    Ali flew down the sewer tunnels, following the twisting path without paying much conscious attention, her mind filled with runes and the intricate structure of teleportation magic. She had a few exciting ideas while she was in the baths, and she couldn¡¯t wait to try them out as soon as she returned to the Grove.


    She very nearly zoomed around the corner when a scream of pain and the sudden icy bite of frost in the air pulled her up short.


    Several heavy thumps echoed through the dimly lit sewer tunnels up ahead, followed by the screams and shouts of people in real pain.  Frost began creeping up the crumbling brick walls right before her eyes. Ali crept closer to the entrance of the next cross tunnel, cautious now, making out several voices and the sounds of heavy boots on damp brick.


    A sudden clear shouted voice rang out through the tunnel, ¡°Tell him, otherwise he will kill you!¡±


    ¡°Miss Aliandra is friend. Havok not betray. If Havok tell, then he kill Havok  Miss Aliandra.¡± The Goblin Adventurer¡¯s voice rang out, clear and recognizable, stunning Ali into stillness for a moment.


    Ali carefully poked her head around the corner, but the sight that greeted her made her blood run cold ¨C and not because of the frost gripping the walls. All the novice adventurers writhed in pain, pinned to the ground or the walls by pristine white spikes of conjured ice, leaving their blood pooling on the moss.


    Thugs wearing the Town Watch colors marched toward them from the far side. But Ali¡¯s eyes were drawn to the broad-shouldered man dominating the center of the tunnel. He stood with his back to her amid the blood and ice, a fine white robe gracing his back, radiating an intense mana that fueled the frost on the walls.


    She recognized him from the Goblin siege, but it was the pitiful figure of Havok pinned to the wall by several large ice lances that gripped her heart and made it impossible to breathe. There was so much blood on the wall.


    ¡°¡­but why are you messing with that green scum, this one on the ground is the mayor¡¯s son.¡±


    The voice sounded harshly indifferent to the suffering all around.


    ¡°Ok. Last chance, Goblin. How do I find Aliandra and her dungeon? Tell me or die.¡± The mage¡¯s voice was loaded with spite and contempt as complex formations of ice mana surged within his broad frame.


    ¡°No.¡± The Goblin¡¯s body was already pierced with ice, pinned to the wall, and drenched in his own blood. He could barely even twitch, but his face remained defiant, and his voice clear.


    Ali was stunned to hear the defiant Goblin¡¯s final resistance.


    ¡°Fine,¡± the white mage snarled. Within him, the formations twisted, rapidly reaching a crescendo.


    ¡°Havok! No!¡± Ali screamed. Without thought, her mana flowed. In an instant, she summoned the strongest barrier she could muster, drawing heavily from the power of her domain to reinforce it. The dense golden wall of arcane magic snapped into existence right in front of Havok¡¯s face as he hung helpless on the wall, staring down the wrath of the ice mage.


    There were several loud cracks as lances of ice shot out, striking her barrier. The construct shattered, an explosion of golden shards and splinters of ice filling the tunnel with deadly shards and shrapnel that ricocheted from the walls and the mage¡¯s Ice Shield, drawing blood from anyone it touched.


    Shouts of alarm echoed wildly through the tunnel.


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    ¡°Roderik, that¡¯s her!¡±


    ¡°Get her!¡±


    ¡°Kill the dungeon!¡±


    Every eye turned to see her standing there; a discordant mix of hope for salvation clashing against naked greed and rampant bloodlust.


    ¡°You¡¯re mine!¡± Roderik yelled, vanishing in a flash of complex mana, and appearing right beside Ali, his grasping hand shooting out toward her neck.


    Ali screamed. Cold billowed from the menacing ice mage, claws of frost bit through her cotton clothing. She snapped a wall of golden magic between them, blocking off the entire sewer channel. His hand cracked against the barrier, and he spat out a harsh curse, but Ali¡¯s mind had already found a Toxic Slime at the far end of her range.


    Her mana pulsed, and her surroundings flickered as Minion Teleport whisked her away. She instantly summoned a disk and took off down the tunnel as fast as she could. A tinkling crash and shattering ice echoed from down the tunnel she had hastily vacated. Roderik¡¯s curse cut off mid-cry ¨C somehow, the silence was far more chilling than anything that preceded it.


    She threw up a tunnel-blocking barrier, but ice magic teleportation formations surged and Roderik appeared right beside her, ignoring her blockade. Frantically, Ali scoured the area, finding another slime and switching locations in the nick of time, just as several Ice Lances shot out toward her.


    Her heart hammered deafeningly in her ears. Breathlessly, she summoned a new barrier and raced down the dimly lit sewer tunnel while her mind struggled to grasp what had just happened. Her friends had just been assaulted by the Town Watch, and she was being hunted by a murderous ice mage. She had been living under a bounty for a while now and had even been shot at by an assassin with a crossbow, but nothing had prepared her for the murderous rage of this Ice Mage. It had all happened so fast; she didn¡¯t even know if Havok had survived.


    She was still running on adrenaline-fueled panic, but her senses were already searching for another teleport target while she flew, hanging, white-knuckled, onto the edge of her barrier magic.


    But instinctively she knew he was not going to stop to listen to her explanation.


    She threw up another barrier between herself and the suddenly arriving rush of Roderik¡¯s ice magic spell before she found her next target ¨C a Goblin one tunnel over. She teleported sideways, switching tunnels, and then shot down into the hole leading to her forest. She had the presence of mind to remove her golden barrier staircase, leaving another barrier blocking the passage downward.


    Being attacked out of nowhere was one thing, but she had left most of her Kobolds behind at the camp so that she could travel unmolested through the town ¨C a horrible blunder that was only now becoming apparent ¨C and now she was stranded and vulnerable. she berated herself. And why had she split up with Malika? They had been so diligent about staying together for protection. Roderik was too high-level for her to deal with on her own; even the four of them could scarcely hope to stop him, could they?


    She made a beeline toward the Grove and the tall landmark of her shrine, flying as fast as she could. If she could get to them, she would stand a good chance of fighting him off. She had left several Acolytes and Fire Mages, and they had served her admirably through all the terrifying bosses they had fought.


    Roderik appeared high above the trees in a flash of mana and a burst of ice crystals, crowing in delight. ¡°I found your dungeon!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a dungeon!¡± she yelled, but he paid no heed to her words. Instead, Ali dove left and swooped down among the trees in response to a surge of mana seen in her mana sight. A series of rapid-fire ice lances shot by, slicing through the trees, barely missing her as she swerved to avoid trunks and branches.


    The only minion in range was a Stinging Jelly floating in the lake, but she took it, desperate to gain some distance from the power-crazed lunatic chasing her. She held her breath and switched, forcing herself not to gasp at the sudden shock of cold water, and summoned a new barrier, flying herself up out of the lake in a shower of glowing, mana-purified water. The ice lances punched through the surface of the lake right behind her, freezing large chunks of it into bobbing icebergs.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you, little Fae,¡± he yelled in a sing-song voice as if he were chanting a children¡¯s rhyme, sending another chill racing down Ali¡¯s spine.  The mage¡¯s mana flared high above her, and Ali summoned a second barrier to protect herself from the high-speed lances of ice. She dodged, but her barrier shattered, spraying sharp fragments of ice in all directions. She gasped in pain as several sliced through her leg, leaving the chill of frost creeping through her flesh as if his mana were trying to consume her.


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± she shouted in desperate confusion, gripping the edge of her barrier in white-knuckled pain. It had to be some mistake.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to collect the king¡¯s reward for killing your dungeon,¡± he answered gleefully and teleported suddenly closer.


    Ali threw up a blocking barrier and teleported again as soon as she found another minion. The level-one Scavenger screeched as it suddenly found itself flailing in the air above the trees. She regretted not filling the cavern with more of her minions ¨C without one in range she was vulnerable to being stranded and at the mercy of his lances.


    ¡°But I¡¯m not a dungeon!¡± she yelled. Clearly, he was delusional, she was an adventurer at the guild, and as soon as she made him understand that, he would stop this crazy assault.


    ¡°You can¡¯t fool me. Anyone can see this is a dungeon. And everyone knows this is yours.¡±


    ¡°And nobody cares what happens to a dungeon,¡± he continued. ¡°I can finally go all out. I¡¯m going to squash you like a bug.¡± He punctuated his words with flourishes of his hand and the of razor-sharp bolts of ice.


    Ali¡¯s heart thumped wildly, but she was finally drawing close to the shrine. One last teleport, swapping places with a Moss Creeper, and she felt how close her Kobolds were through Martial Insight. She sensed them all lighting up as the magic of Empowered Summoner reached them and her intelligence attribute spiked from proximity to her targeted mage.


    ¡°¡± she commanded, her voice breathless and hoarse from the frantic chase. Profound relief filled her as she swept past her alert Kobolds, drawing to a halt behind the grinning Fire Mages and their already glowing magic. Her vulnerability vanished; now she could fight! Her slimes would probably not be particularly useful against a flying mage, but her Fire Mages were more than sufficient.


    The soft gentle pulse of holy magic settled on her, healing the cuts in her legs, and pushing back the chill of ice. Her skin suddenly warmed as balls of conjured flame bathed her in their comforting heat, and the familiar stench of brimstone.


    Roderik flew out of the forest at the perfect moment. All four of her mages unleashed their Fireball spells simultaneously, while Ali lofted her Arcane Bolts out over her protective barrier in three glowing streams. Four intense balls of fire flew up into the air with sizzling intensity, making Roderik scramble to a halt in midair, his eyes growing wide in surprise. The simultaneous detonation rocked the Grove with a satisfyingly powerful shockwave of flame and heat.


    ¡°Again,¡± she called out, not wanting to leave anything to chance. Gobs of sizzling flame rained down onto the Grove, but she could repair that later. Four Fireballs were a lot, but the mage had been terrifyingly strong. And her Arcane Bolts were still finding a target within the giant ball of fire and smoke.


    A surge of ice mana flared within the conflagration and suddenly there was a massive blast of icy power, instantly snuffing out every last trace of fire and blanketing the Grove in a sudden flash-frost. Ali¡¯s barrier blocked most of the ice, but her Kobolds¡¯ legs and arms were covered, pinning them to frozen moss.


    ¡°Fucking pathetic! You face me, Roderik Icecrown, with level twenty Kobolds?¡± The mage hovered in the air, his robes still pristine white, surrounded by a dense barrier of glittering ice. Gone was any trace of his prior amusement and excitement, replaced by a red-faced rage.


    ¡°You adventurers know nothing about fighting. You face stupid monsters and count your levels and think you¡¯re strong. That all means nothing when you fight a person. I have beaten over a thousand people ¨C you stand no chance against me. Allow me to show you just how outclassed you are.¡±


    Deep inside Roderik¡¯s body, an intense kernel of white mana appeared. The temperature dropped instantly, and the Grove filled with flurries of ice crystals. Ali heard only a soft swish and a sudden wet thump, and her eyes widened in horror at the sight of three lances of ice sprouting from the chests of each of her Acolytes. Her mages let loose their Fireballs, wreathing him in a second powerful explosion of fire, but the ice lances kept coming, piercing Kobold after Kobold until Ali stood alone among her impaled army of dead minions.


    She fled. In the face of such immense power, she stood no chance. She teleported to a nearby ooze and then shot off through the forest, gripping the edge of her barrier for dear life as she desperately tried to put as many trees as possible between her and the furious mage bent on her destruction.


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it,¡± he crowed, laughing as he gave chase. ¡°Run, little Fae. Run for your life.¡±


    She swerved side to side as the forest filled with the deadly hail of ice bolts stripping leaves and branches from the trees and thudding into the ground. She flinched as one clipped her cheek, but miraculously she avoided serious injury. A familiar surge of mana flared to her right, and he appeared amid a sudden blast of glacial air and mana that caused several trees to freeze and shatter. Frozen splinters of wood and ice tore into her before she could block all of them with her hastily created barrier.


    She teleported away, again, leaking amber blood onto her now slick barrier. Ali had given up on trying to reason with him ¨C it was beyond hope. All she could do was escape. Ahead of her was the small cave with the ventilation shaft that led down into the ruins below. She had to lose him somehow, but her mind despaired of finding a way.


    She had been so certain she was safe with her minions, but he had wiped them out in the blink of an eye. Even flying as fast as she could, and using Minion Teleport whenever she was able, he was always there, stuck to her like glue. Another lance of ice brushed past her ear, zipping off through the trees ahead of her, close enough that she felt the chill across the side of her head. She threw up a barrier and weaved around another tree.


    There was an enormous crack as more ice slammed into the trunk of the tree, freezing and shattering it from the force. Ali teleported, barely avoiding the falling oak as she arrived in the open space in sight of the cave that was her dubious glimmer of hope.


    Suddenly, Roderik appeared several meters ahead of her, teleporting over twice the usual distance, arriving in a powerful nova of ice that flash-froze the entire clearing. Ali tumbled off her barrier, slamming into the icy ground at an awkward angle. Her ankle snapped with the loud crack of bone shattering and her mind blanked at the shock of excruciating pain. She tumbled, head over heels, crashing her shoulder into a block of ice and landing on her back near his feet. The power radiating from his body grew dramatically colder, and ice grew from the ground, encasing her ankles and legs in a thick layer of rime, forcing her to remain kneeling before him as he slowly approached.


    ¡°Got you,¡± he gloated. ¡°Did you think you were going to escape in there?¡±


    Her body trembled from adrenaline, pain, the freezing cold, and the terrifying dread of the approaching mage.


    ¡°You know,¡± he said, conversationally, rage suddenly gone. ¡°When two mages fight, the one with the better teleport wins. Yours has a ten-second recharge, and you need a monster to switch with. There¡¯s nothing nearby, what are you going to do now that you¡¯re stranded?¡± His casual attitude was even more terrifying than his earlier rage.


    It was only now, after he had demonstrated the full extent of his teleportation skill, that Ali finally understood he had been toying with her the entire chase. She shivered in fear, waiting for him to summon his magic.


    The voice echoed in her mind. It was her own voice, but strange and unfamiliar. There was an incongruous certainty and force of will to it that clashed with her trembling heart. But right then, her mind latched onto the image of herself facing the Death Knight, and then the Blind Lich himself. She had faced  fear, why was she terrified of an egotistical man with his ice lances? She remembered facing the Sewer Rat, and, as if a door within her mind was suddenly flung open, letting it out, her mind filled with the same defiant rage, banishing her fear instantly. Perhaps she would die, but she would not go cowering.


    She looked up, staring at Roderik, meeting his gaze for the first time.


    Instantly, his face twisted into an angry scowl. ¡°You dare bare your fangs at me? Let me teach you your place!¡± His mana flared, no longer content to take his time taunting her.


    Using every sliver of her focus and concentration, she flung open her spell list and chose.


    S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With frantic speed born of desperation, she scrambled through her class skills, picking the only choice she could.


    she screamed at the golden text unfolding on the parchment in her mind. She was painfully aware she was an instant away from death, but she would not go quietly without a fight. Not to a bully like him. She didn¡¯t even know if her crazy idea would work, but it wouldn¡¯t matter if she couldn¡¯t make the switch before he completed his Ice Lance.


    Something deep inside her ripped away, leaving a gaping hole where her skill had once been. All the levels earned and advancement torn away to the sound of a chime.


    Arcane Recall ¨C level 1


    You are proficient with Arcane magic. You gain +5%  to spell power, spell haste, mana control, and mental reaction speed with Arcane magic.


    Mana: Ignore the recharge for any Magic skill, spell, or triggered ability. Your magic is cast instantly. Recharge: 24 hours.


    Arcane, Metamagic, Mastery, Intelligence


    Ice Lance hung within Roderik¡¯s frame, a glittering formation of power and elegance. Mana surged toward it as his skill finalized the spell. With frenzied urgency, Ali slammed mana into her new untried, untested skill.


    The entire world halted.


    Ali blinked ¨C or at least she tried to, finding herself unable to move, or even breathe. Over Roderik¡¯s left shoulder, a nature wisp hung suspended, frozen mid-zig, no longer green but gray. Roderik also seemed frozen, his face a twisted sneer, and his mana halted just shy of filling his formation.


    To her intense surprise, she recognized this place. Everything ¨C the trees, the ice, the moss, and the mage in front of her ¨C had frozen in place in a familiar world of gray.


    Her mother¡¯s last words echoed in her memory.


    The force of raw grief slammed into her anew as her mind was instantly transported back to her mother¡¯s final sacrifice, and the magic she had wielded to save Ali¡¯s life.


    A unique magic that Ali had just wielded herself.


    The gray surroundings flickered then, and Roderik appeared several meters back, as he had been moments before he had knocked Ali from her barrier. The world flickered back to now, and she could clearly see the mana of his ice lance had completed, with the beginnings of the lance appearing before his hand.


    With a supreme effort of will, she forced her mind back to the present, putting her grief away for later. If there would be a later.


    She didn¡¯t know how to use this strange magic, and she had only a single chance in which to get it right.


    The gray, color-leached world flickered again showing her a scene she had witnessed the first time around. The starry sky was clear above, and the forest renewed, and moments later the mountain exploded sending uncountable tons of rock down on top of her.


    She would have flinched if the spell allowed her to move or look away, but mercifully the world flickered back to the present moment before the avalanche hit.


    Anticipation prickled along her skin while time was held in abeyance. Ali read the description of the skill once again, racking her brain for some clues for how to use this magic.


    She suddenly noticed the slow, persistent trickle of mana being drained by her Sage of Learning. It was then that it clicked. Arcane Insight was working too ¨C her passive magic and her mind were unaffected by the frozen time in this realm, unlike her body.


    she realized. With infinite care, she mentally summoned her Grimoire. The sudden appearance of her magical tome was shockingly bright and colorful against the contrast of a static world cast in gray. She willed the pages to turn to the imprint she had hoped to use with this magic. Her expectations of how the spell would work were so far from the actual experience that she had momentarily forgotten her plan. But her Grimoire obediently paged to the Elemental imprint, stopping on the variant she required.


    Her mana flowed into her imprint causing a riot of brilliant color and magic as she summoned the largest, heaviest, and highest-level monster she had: the Forest Guardian. Still held in stasis, she nonetheless kept a worried eye on Roderik and the powerful magic that would be unleashed the instant she was freed from this bizarre world.


    But it held, patiently holding the entire world back as her magic flowed; intricate runes swirling to form the giant monster of wood and bark. Minutes passed and as her magic neared completion, she prepared herself, bracing herself for what must come next.


    It all happened in an instant. Her Forest Guardian appeared between her and Roderik, and the bizarre color-leached world of her mother¡¯s magic vanished in an instant.


    ¡°¡± she screamed at her Guardian, while simultaneously wielding her barrier magic. Weaving her skill and her domain, she wrought several wickedly sharp golden spikes, fixed in place. Ice mana flashed brilliantly as Roderik¡¯s Ice Lance pierced through the chest of her massive Guardian. But that was not enough to stop it. It roared in pain and anger and blurred with sudden speed as its Rush skill launched it forward.


    The Rush lasted only two steps, but Ali¡¯s bones shook from the raw force of several tons of high-speed wood and ferocity.


    A musical, glassy tinkle sounded as his shield of ice shattered, followed by a disgusting, wet crunch and a gurgling sound. Ali¡¯s notification chime sounded as her Guardian backed up, leaving the grotesque sight of Roderik hanging impaled on her barrier shards with a look of utter surprise frozen on his dead face.


    Ali bent over and threw up.


    It didn¡¯t matter that he had been intent on murdering her. She felt sick to the core of her being.


    She knelt there dry heaving for a while, but the persistent regeneration aura from her Forest Guardian slowly began to make her feel better. She snapped out of it when the aura finally finished repairing her ankle and her bones twisted back into place, painfully shattering the ice that encased her legs.


    As her awareness expanded, distant shouts and muffled explosions of magic made themselves heard.


    She had defeated Roderik, but it had been by the skin of her teeth, and now she no longer had her Arcane Recall, nor her Arcane Bolt skill to help her out. Aside from the Forest Guardian, she had no minions left to protect her ¨C the stinging snaps of her mana reservations releasing had died down to nothing. Already, there were plumes of smoke and fire and she could  her domain burning.


    Ali hauled herself to her feet, earning new scrapes and cuts from the sharp ice which her Guardian healed, and forced herself to approach the mangled corpse. She choked down the bile rising in her throat. It was one thing to deconstruct a strung-up Sewer Rat, but this had been a person. Before she threw up again, she deconstructed him, dismissing the barrier shards holding him suspended in the air. Then she stored his gear in her ring so that hopefully nobody would realize what she had done.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone pass,¡± she instructed her Guardian, stepping onto her barrier, flying into the small cave, and entering the ventilation shaft.


    She fed the mana she had just earned from Roderik¡¯s corpse into Domain Mastery, making Aether-Fused Obsidian flow from her Grimoire as she filled twenty meters of the shaft behind her with solid rock. Then she fled, flying in a dazed desperate shock through the countless ruined buildings of Dal¡¯mohra to the library itself.


    Her mind raced, while her emotions churned in turmoil. She had survived, but only by killing a person. There was a horde of angry people destroying her domain up above. She desperately hoped that Aiden and Havok, and the rest of the novices, were alive, but she had no way to tell.


    But it was Roderik¡¯s confident insistence that she was a dungeon that sent true threads of icy dread stabbing deep into her heart. For some reason, she couldn¡¯t shake the horrid premonition of disaster that lurked deep in the back of her mind. As she finally collapsed onto the stone floor of the library, she retrieved the terrifying book she had been avoiding for too long.


    The mere sight of the Lich¡¯s seminal work filled her with horror and fear, but she had to know the truth. She had to clear the sense of impending doom that filled her heart.


    Paging quickly through the chapters, she came at last to the piece she needed near the end of the book.


    A ghastly chill settled in her heart, dwarfing anything Roderik had caused. The book fell from her nerveless fingers, clattering to the ground as the realization slammed into her like a spike of ice through her heart.


    She had a domain. A magic that was tied to the land, just as the book claimed. She had even studied the bone and death domain of the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra, fascinated by the remarkable similarities to her own.


    Her plants expanded her domain, just as the bone piles and Deathcap mushrooms expanded the ruins dungeon, or Naia¡¯s slimes expanded her smaller underwater domain.


    And her pride ¨C the Grimoire of Summoning ¨C allowed her to deconstruct and learn new plants and monsters, just like Nevyn Eld¡¯s book explained.


    She was powerless to resist the clear and suddenly obvious truth that slammed into her heart with the force of a mountain collapsing on top of her. She could barely breathe.


    The signs had been there all along. Even Naia had accused her of being a dungeon, and, in her naivety, she had refused to believe it ¨C certain instead that the mimic slime simply had a poor grasp of the language. The dungeon-rage she had triggered when her domain had encountered the death and bone domain. Even her newest discovery that her Moss Creepers, Floral Menaces, and Spore Spreaders could grow the plants for her domain matched the Spitter Drones of the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra, spreading bone throughout the dungeon¡¯s space.


    Her friend¡¯s parents ¨C and indeed her entire life ¨C had been destroyed by a dungeon. There was no way she would accept Ali after she found out. She could clearly see the expression of hate and anger on her face as she imagined meeting her friends and telling them the truth.


    Within her heart, a deep empty loneliness bloomed as her entire life collapsed in tatters around her.


    She reached her hand out, grasping the tiny jasmine flowers wreathing the railing of the landing beside her. She had been blissfully unaware of the truth, going about her merry way, creating with her magic, believing she deserved friends, and that she could be an adventurer. But she was no summoner ¨C she had unwittingly been creating the most terrifying of magics ¨C a dungeon.


    She ripped the flowers from the plant, throwing them into the emptiness of the atrium in her despair as her mind fled to a dark place. Silent, insensate, she lay there ¨C waiting for them to come for her.

 Chapter 116: The Burning of the Grove

    Chapter 116: The Burning of the GroveMalika¡°Hi, Weldin,¡± Malika called out as she strode confidently into the elegantly dressed Gnome¡¯s store area, knowing she was going to make his day.


    ¡°Malika! How are you, my dear?¡± he declared, greeting her with an enormous smile. The flirting was an act, obviously, but she knew he had to play the part of buttering her up because she was very likely his most lucrative source of merchandise. He knew, she knew, and he knew she knew. But it was both amusing and, she had to admit, felt pretty nice.


    ¡°I have something that might be of¡­ oh¡­ moderate interest to you,¡± she announced, downplaying it with equally comical exaggeration. She leaned forward, placing an elbow on the countertop, automatically appraising some of the newer items on display that caught her eye.


    ¡°Oh?¡± he answered, raising the eyebrow of his good eye. He pulled out an expensive-looking pocket watch, making a show of examining it, while also making sure she got a good look too. ¡°I guess I have a little time for you. But¡­ only because you have such a radiant smile.¡±


    Malika chuckled; it was over the top even for him. Without much fuss, she simply retrieved the chunks of magicite Ali had given her to sell, placing them on the counter before him with studied nonchalance.


    ¡°Think you can get anything for these shiny rocks?¡± she asked. Malika had the intense satisfaction of watching his jaw drop in shock before he carefully collected himself.


    ¡°Oh, maybe a few coppers,¡± he managed, his voice cracking a little as he reached out to examine one of the chunks of raw magicite.


    ¡°Mm?¡± Malika responded.


    ¡°Seriously, I have no idea how much I can get for this, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s a lot,¡± Weldin said, dropping the act. ¡°Would you be willing to leave it with me without upfront payment? Fifteen percent seller fee for whatever I can get from the Novaspark Academy and the rest of the profit deposited in your account?¡±


    ¡°Ten percent seems fairer,¡± Malika countered.


    ¡°I still need to pay Vivian. How about ten for me, three for the guild cut, and you get the rest?¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± Malika answered. As usual, she wasn¡¯t about to tell him that Ali could make as much of it as she wanted, but long term that would probably just serve him as a steady source of income anyway. His offer was generous ¨C most resale merchants in town would probably try to take twenty to twenty-five percent.


    After her business with Weldin was concluded, Malika strolled over to the common area and found a seat, joining the surprisingly small group of adventurers waiting for Vivian¡¯s daily briefing. It had been a fantastic day so far, and the highlight for her had been Ali treating her to an extended spa session at the hot baths. It had been pure bliss, and she was certain she had fallen asleep several times. She rolled her shoulders, relishing the sensation of relaxed muscles.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s get started,¡± Vivian announced, joining them with Mieriel following behind her with a stack of papers to tack up on the noticeboard. ¡°Where is everyone?¡± she asked, surveying the tiny gathering.


    ¡°Calen and Mato are doing family stuff, and Ali is busy. I will catch them up later,¡± Malika offered. She eyed Mieriel suspiciously, but she seemed demure, busy pinning up the notices and new quests. Malika wasn¡¯t about to admit that Ali had seemed scared of her and that was the real reason she had stayed away today.


    ¡°Aiden¡¯s group was killing slimes in the sewer; they should be along in a bit,¡± Serendipity said.


    ¡°Ok, well, we should get started,¡± Vivian said, obviously unhappy with the poor showing but not enough to make a big deal out of it. ¡°There have been some disturbing reports from the scouts, and enough of them to take it seriously. There is some unknown blight consuming all the farmland to the south of the town, and there have been credible reports of undead roaming at night. Expect some jobs killing undead and helping with the farmers.¡±


    Vivian Ross¡¯s words immediately captured her attention. A blight would explain the rising food prices, but undead implied something far more serious than she had expected.


    ¡°Furthermore, it seems the Torian army has noticed, and begun to move a large number of troops toward the border. Commander Gerald Brand wants to beef up the security, so you will find several supply requests on the jobs board. Those of you who were here for the Goblin siege should be familiar with the drill ¨C the garrison will be in charge of the walls, and we will back them up¨C¡±


    ¡°Help! Healer!¡±


    The shout rang through the guild hall, blending with the crash of the door slamming open, and cutting Vivian off mid-sentence.


    Malika¡¯s head snapped to the doorway as she stared at the intruders for a moment before she recognized them. Aiden stepped across the threshold, flanked by the rest of his team. Everyone was limping or bleeding, and, cradled in his arms, was a small, limp bundle that seemed more red than green.


    Malika was across the room in a shot, burning stamina to accelerate herself as she recognized the little Goblin in Aiden¡¯s arms. The tiny body was horrifyingly still, and there was so much blood that it was already pooling on the floor. She pulsed Healing Mantra, and to her intense relief, her magic surged through the Goblin¡¯s body, repairing severe wounds as it went ¨C but he only seemed to quiver slightly, remaining unconscious. He was in bad shape.


    A moment later, a beam of green nature magic lanced out across the room to the other members of the badly injured group as Teagan added her magic to help.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Vivian asked, instantly at the door with both swords drawn.


    ¡°The Town Watch attacked us in the sewers,¡± Aiden said, his voice steadying as the healing magic began to restore his strength. ¡°Roderik and some of his underlings did this. He was convinced Aliandra is a dungeon or something, and he insisted we tell him where she was.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know how the Watch had figured out Ali¡¯s secret, but she was in immediate danger. Everyone else seemed shocked and surprised, but Malika didn¡¯t miss the significant glance Vivian exchanged with Mieriel. But the question of how they knew fled from her mind as Aiden continued.


    ¡°Havok refused, and Roderik almost killed him. It was Aliandra that saved his life, but they all chased her. He¡¯s really going to kill her.¡±


    Malika didn¡¯t wait to hear any more, Roderik was a high-level Ice Mage ¨C and an uncaring monster with a penchant for murder. Ali¡¯s life was in immediate danger. She pumped stamina into her Divine Step skill and shot out of the guild at top speed, literally leaping down the sewer entrance in the adjacent alleyway. She tore through the sewer tunnels, sprinting as fast as she could until she reached the chamber leading down into the forest cavern.


    She coughed harshly, surprised to find herself surrounded by smoke and the strong smell of fire but she didn¡¯t slow, leaping down the hole without a thought. Ali¡¯s barrier stairway was gone, but she controlled her fall using Divine Step and landed softly on the rocks below. She finally paused, staring out in shock.


    Half of the gigantic cavern was aflame. The beautiful blue lake no longer glowed, filled now with charred tree trunks and ash. Ali¡¯s bright stand of larch trees she had learned from the jungle was gone ¨C consumed by a towering inferno of flame and black smoke. Figures scurried about among the trees or flew overhead, shouting to one another, occasionally casting magic to set some new part of the forest on fire.


    At the far end of the cavern, a red ball of fire blossomed in the bamboo forest. She saw the explosion before she heard it as the powerful magic spell flattened the bamboo stalks and triggered an enormous rockfall that buried the northwestern corner of the cavern and the passage out to the ruins.


    Malika had no idea if she would find her there, but her first thought was the invaders had caught her at their camp beside the shrine. She shot off like a bolt from a crossbow, tearing through the trees, leaping over walls of flame and burnt branches, burning stamina in her urgency to find Ali before they killed her. She coughed and hacked again, healing her lungs to keep them working efficiently in the dense smoke and heat as she cut straight through an intense fire to save time.


    Malika burst out into the Grove, slapping the flames that had caught her shirt on fire. The trees all around the Grove were burning and their camp had been looted. Mercifully, they were in the habit of packing anything truly valuable in their storage rings.


    ¡°Ali! Where are you!¡± she yelled, not seeing her anywhere.


    ¡°Hey! She¡¯s with the dungeon!¡± The voice yelled loudly from behind and above, immediately firing arrows down on her.


    Malika dodged even as the twanging bowstrings sounded, rolling across the moss, but a second figure appeared, alighting on the mossy ground and immediately shooting a Firebolt which hit her on the shoulder. Malika healed the damage and sprinted directly at the mage.


    Halfway there, an accelerated figure wearing assorted burnished plate armor pieces shot out of the forest, smashing into her side, and sending her sprawling. Malika turned the collision into a graceful roll, springing to her feet in a balanced stance. But by the time she rose, more figures had appeared, some flying in, some leaping across the trees, and yet others ran with accelerated skills.


    Suddenly, Malika found herself dodging swords, daggers, and a huge mace as four melee fighters came at her in a loose skirmish line. In the distance, now out of reach, several mages and archers gathered, taking potshots at her with their weapons and spells. She flew through her defensive stances, blocking the overwhelming number of empowered strikes that sought her blood while healing the spells and cuts that she was unable to avoid.


    ¡°What did you do with Ali?¡± Malika yelled, dodging a firebolt while blocking an overhead sword strike.


    ¡°Shut up, dungeon-lover!¡±


    ¡°Just die, Torian scum!¡±


    She punched the tall redhead wearing the burnished breastplate in the mouth, feeling the satisfactory crunch of a few broken teeth and a yelp of pain. It seemed the Town Watch flunkies were not going to give her any room. She scanned the Grove for any signs of Ali, but all she got was a dagger to the ribs for her lack of attentiveness. She healed it even while the trail of her blood followed the dagger as it was pulled from her body. She blocked three more strikes before an arrow struck her in the back, causing her to stumble into another sword strike.


    ¡°Fuck, she¡¯s a healer!¡±


    Malika recovered, leaping into the air and over the head of one of her attackers, pulling the arrow free, healing the puncture wound, and kicking him in the back of the head before she landed. But the strikes kept coming, and not even her high speed was enough to handle one against ten.


    she corrected herself, seeing the priest show up huffing and coughing in the smoky air, and begin casting his healing magic on her enemies. She leapt over another warrior, kicking him on the way, and sprinted for the priest. But two of the rogues were just as fast as she was, closing the gap and forcing her to spin around and block. As soon as she had blocked them, the warriors were charging her, and the priest had backed up again.


    She pressed their line again and again, but each time she was cornered, intercepted, or cut off, forced to fight the heavily armored warriors or the dexterous rogues. She was easily able to resist their shouts and taunts with her high wisdom, but their positioning and teamwork still forced her into accepting unfavorable opponents.


    she thought, eyeing the priest behind their lines.


    And she was losing. Her stamina may be relentless, but it wasn¡¯t infinite. Malika was taking a lot of strikes, forced to heal constantly against so many enemies. She had been so concerned about Ali dying that she hadn¡¯t thought to wait for support and had run straight into the enemy where they were strongest.


    ¡°Buff now!¡± one of the warriors commanded, and in response, an archer cast some magic. Instantly, every one of the melee fighters and the archers accelerated as their haste buff took effect.


    Malika¡¯s mind was calm, but she knew this was it. She switched to pure defense, saving all her energy and effort for blocking and dodging, but the strikes kept landing, a dagger to her knee, a sword slash to her ribs, an arrow in the chest. And she still hadn¡¯t learned anything of Ali¡¯s fate.


    A loud crack split the air, and a Lightning Bolt struck from the sky. Malika gritted her teeth and dove sideways, healing the heavy damage that left her muscles trembling and weakened. Only to meet a heavy mace to her ribs. Bones cracked as she was flung to the ground. She winced, healing herself and rolling out of the way of the follow-up attack.


    A massive four-legged furred form shot past her, claws tearing up great clods of dirt and moss. A roar reverberated through the Grove, but the beast tore past the warriors and rogues and continued on toward the group of mages and archers instead.


    She was, of course, relieved that he had come, but he had left her on the ground facing all the warriors and rogues. But to her surprise, they all turned as one and charged after the bear.


    She rarely worried about taunt abilities herself because her wisdom was high enough that her mind was unlikely to be affected by the challenge. These warriors and rogues she was facing obviously didn¡¯t have nearly enough because they were all tearing after Mato as he crashed into the ranged fighters.


    All of them scattered, desperate to flee from the huge bear, but in a flurry of power too fast for even Malika¡¯s own accelerated perceptions to grasp, Mato retaliated, striking all of them with a devastating blow, and pinning them to the ground in range of his strikes with his Grasping Roots.


    With a single Charge, a well-timed Challenging Roar, and some virtuoso positioning with his retaliatory strike, Mato had managed to take control of the entire battlefield in an instant, turning every single fighter to himself. The mages, archers, and the priest trapped in the grip of his roots were definitely struggling.


    Malika sprang to her feet at once and charged to his aid, leaping over a rogue with the help of a foot planted against his upturned nose, delivering a passing taste of Soul Strike to his face. She alighted on Mato¡¯s back, pulsing her Healing Mantra into him through her feet before springing off and landing a kick on the side of the dazed priest¡¯s head. To her left, one of the mages vanished, clearly using a potent escape skill. Mato swiped, striking everything in the path of his claws, filling the air with a chorus of screams and sprays of blood. Malika remained trained on their priest, unleashing every attack at him.


    Somewhere far above Malika, radiant light shone out over the Grove like a noon sun. Calen¡¯s precision glowing arrows rained down from the sky, most of them agreeing with her choice of most important target. The priest collapsed to an almost unheard chime and Malika pumped more of her healing into Mato before unleashing a flurry of attacks.


    That thought drove her to a recklessness in battle that she seldom indulged. She pummeled the Fire Mage before her, ignoring the flame shield he was projecting, allowing it to simply burn her hands and feet as she slammed more and more punches into him, sapping his mana with Soul Strike. He squealed, trying desperately to back away, earning another devastating retaliatory Swipe from Mato for his efforts.


    The possibility that they had arrived too late gnawed at her gut. Malika grabbed the stunned mage by the back of his neck, spinning him around to give Calen a clear shot, and then she released him, executing a single powerful follow-up kick that rammed the arrow right through the man¡¯s back, till it emerged from his chest. She dropped him into the path of Mato¡¯s devastating Swipe, ignoring both the gruesome crunch of the man¡¯s ribcage shattering and the inevitable chime as she looked around.


    She searched the battlefield, but there was no sign of Ali ¨C dead or alive. Only Mato, in the thick of battle tearing through the Town Watch casters like they were paper, ignoring the warriors and rogues, content to rely on his thick hide. Malika pulsed more healing magic into him, making sure he could keep up with the enormously unfavorable numbers. Every time someone tried to flee, Mato¡¯s retaliation punished them brutally.


    A mage vanished from her root prison in a shower of sparks, appearing above the battlefield, and immediately beginning to cast something that caused arcing electricity to spray from her arms and shoulders. Malika leaped into the air, stepping off Mato¡¯s back, and then twice stepping off the air itself using Divine Step before she executed a forward flip ending with her heel striking the back of the lightning mage¡¯s neck. With an enormous detonation and blinding flash, her spell went off prematurely, enveloping both of them in an giant ball of lightning. Malika healed herself twice, warding off the damage while her body twitched and jerked uncontrollably in the throes of the offensive lightning magic.


    She took a deep, ragged breath and kicked low and round, knocking the still-stunned lightning mage back down into Mato¡¯s range. With her nerves still jangling from the lightning, Malika followed, diving back into the fray with a whirlwind of punches and kicks as she unleashed her magic, flickering and flashing at close range, pausing only when Mato needed her healing.


    ***


    ¡°Did you guys find any sign of Ali?¡± Malika asked, breathless and frantic. Most of the intruders lay dead on the moss, soon to be consumed by fire, or had fled the cavern. She had seen nothing of their friend, and if the Town Watch was anything to go by, Ali would not be able to stand up against them alone.


    ¡°She¡¯s alive, and over that way,¡± Calen said, pointing off to the side, and at a steep angle downward.


    ¡°How do you¡­¡± In her haste, she had forgotten that Calen had unlocked an advanced tracking skill. The fact that he could sense the direction to Ali, probably meant she had to be alive¡­ against all odds. While relieved, Malika also felt stupid. She could have been a lot more efficient if she had waited for them before charging off on her own. Calen probably had to track down and help save her before they hunted for Ali.


    ¡°She¡¯s in the library, and she hasn¡¯t moved in a while,¡± he said. Mercifully, Calen did not criticize her for her mistake. ¡°Probably wounded.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t go through the front entrance,¡± Malika said, pointing to the rockfall caused by the massive explosion earlier.


    ¡°Ventilation shaft, then,¡± Calen suggested, and the three of them took off in the direction of the small cave where they had faced the four-armed skeleton boss for the first time, and she and Calen had been captured by Kieran Mori.


    It didn¡¯t take long, but what they found sent fresh worry coursing through her mind. A dead Forest Guardian lay among the ripped and torn corpses of several Town Watch, most of which were still bound by roots and vines. One of them, Malika even recognized as a former guildmate who had abandoned the guild for the lucrative Town Watch paychecks. Behind the Guardian there was a circle of frozen forest about thirty yards in diameter, slowly defrosting, along with an alarmingly fresh pool of frozen blood ¨C both amber and red.


    ¡°She was here,¡± Calen confirmed, quickly following a trail that was visible only to him into the dark cave. He summoned his mote of light for their benefit as soon as they joined him.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the hole?¡± she asked, her eyes refusing to believe what they saw. There was no sign of the ventilation shaft. The only thing Malika could see was a smooth, shiny black surface made from a dense hard stone where the shaft had once been.


    ¡°That¡¯s Ali¡¯s work,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°But now we can¡¯t get down to help her,¡± Malika added, letting her frustration fill her voice.


    ¡°The Kobolds had other ways out of the ruins. It may take a while to find, but I think that¡¯s our best option.¡±


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s do that,¡± Mato said. His throat worked. ¡°They¡­ know, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they do,¡± Calen said softly.


    ¡°She¡¯s going to know ¨C we knew. Right?¡±


    Shutting out their soft, pained conversation, Malika exited the cave and glanced around. The giant forest cavern was quiet now, none of the shouts and explosions could be heard. Only the fires raged on, filling the air with acrid smoke and ash as everything burned.


    She was looking at the mangled corpses surrounding the Forest Guardian, but she was thinking of the Town Watch they had wiped out at the Grove. While they were the Town Watch, and dealing them such a heavy blow would be a great win for Myrin¡¯s Keep, Malika still felt sick to the stomach for having had to kill strangers. she thought grimly. Some of the Town Watch members had most definitely escaped using their magic to flee. They would most certainly not remain silent.


    ¡°Here,¡± Malika said, stooping to pick up a bow and tossing it to Calen. ¡°You need to upgrade that junk you¡¯re using.¡± She proceeded to busy herself collecting all the usable gear. she thought, worried that they would no longer be welcome back in town. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Calen said. ¡°Spend your points, and then let¡¯s get to tracking.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ oh,¡± Malika said, realizing that the fight with the Town Watch had been enough to kick her up a level.


    She immediately spent five points on dexterity and three on wisdom, dropping her last two into endurance for more stamina.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s go,¡± she said.

 Chapter 117: Rage and Loneliness

    Chapter 117: Rage and LonelinessAliandraThe diminutive Fae lay on the cold stone floor of the once-grand library ¨C now a millennia-old mausoleum for decayed books, ruined stone shelves, and forgotten knowledge ¨C her form unmoving except for the occasional shallow breath. The deathly silence and yawning darkness of the atrium were intruded upon only by the softly glowing golden panels that hung suspended in the air and a few granite planters scattered about containing glowing blue grass and the occasional tiny golden mushroom. Discarded on the dusty stone beside her outstretched hand lay a sprig of jasmine, torn from the vines that entwined the railing guarding the spiral staircase descending into the atrium. The tiny crushed white flowers filled the air with their beautiful perfume. A steel-and-leather bound book lay open where it had tumbled from her hand, glowing silver runes embossed upon the spine and cover, speaking to the potency of the knowledge and magic it contained.


    Hours passed, drifting by unnoticed by the Fae in her insensible stupor. Hours that might have been days. The crypt-like library remained quiet and subdued, entirely unaffected by the frenzied activity outside, a pregnant atmosphere of waiting, tempered by the eternal patience of ancient, ruined stone.


    She waited, too. Waited and waited, cradled within the cold embrace of the crumbling ruins of her once home; her only company the yawning emptiness within and the silence all around. But nobody came for her. Nobody came to end it.


    The stasis in the library stretched on, persisting, isolated from the march of time outside, but eventually, something changed within her. A tiny shiver ran through her limp body ¨C a twitch ¨C as if her body ¨C in the absence of conscious volition ¨C sought to remind the library that she was still alive. Perhaps it was in response to an underlying urge, or a deep unconscious memory, or perhaps it was simply the nature of life to change.


    Slowly she rose, swaying unsteadily, her tiny bare feet shuffling on the cold stone till they remembered how to support her weight. Her glassy gaze flickered briefly to the sprig of crushed jasmine on the floor, but it returned ¨C downcast ¨C to the cold dusty flagstones without ever seeming to register what she saw. Her head bowed and her shoulders rounded forward as if an unbearably heavy weight bore down on the nape of her neck. Tiny stunted golden wings hung limp and forlorn on her back.


    Some impulse drove her forward and she began to walk, stumbling at first, and seemingly aimless, but after a time she drew closer and closer to the darkness of the atrium and the spiral staircase that led downward. Oblivious to the danger of the yawning abyss, she took the ancient bone-encrusted stairs with shuffling steps and began the long descent into the darkness below.


    She passed by the darker and more ruined levels of the library at a snail¡¯s pace, without ever raising her eyes, without ever acknowledging her surroundings. Her forward progress was painfully slow as she stumbled on the crumbling stairs, never stopping nor falling. Her mind remained hidden away in the dark place to which it had fled, surrounded by a numb, unfeeling void to which she clung like a frightened child clutching their mother¡¯s skirt.


    Her long, slow descent came eventually to an end and as she reached the final step, her Grimoire appeared beside her, unbidden, the gold and green of its bright magic illuminating the bone and debris strewn about across the floor. As her toes touched the ground, a small circle of moss bloomed beneath them, growing quickly wider, like a ripple spreading across the surface of a still pond. Her mana flowed automatically, without conscious thought, for she was as much a creature of mana and magic as she was flesh and blood.


    Another step kissed the ground, and again the moss grew, this time with a small glowing golden mushroom eagerly sprouting almost between the toes of her left foot, all the while, her mana pulsed, and her Grimoire glowed as it floated softly along beside her. The two still-growing patches touched and merged as she placed another with an unthinking step. Across the bone-encrusted stone floor, the trail of moss and glowing mushrooms grew, meandering slightly as her path was not steady, but always heading toward the two enormous stone doors that stood ajar, leaking humid air and thick roiling mana into the otherwise quiet and tranquil ruined library.


    The enormous Forest Guardian that waited beside the doors raised its head and gazed expectantly at her approach, but she did not command it, nor did her awareness even register its presence. Perhaps recognizing her vulnerable state, it simply followed her, hovering protectively nearby.


    She stepped through the doors and out onto the damp turf beyond, bringing her growing trail of moss and mushrooms along with her, and the burgeoning threads of structured mana that formed her domain.


    She stopped, not bothering to look at the dense jungle, just a tiny Fae standing all alone in a wild-mana zone filled with elementals and monsters, and zones of liquid mana so dense they could flay skin and burn flesh. But she was just as oblivious to all that as she was to the heavy steps of the gigantic Forest Guardian that followed her through the doors.


    Her Grimoire flared with light and magic as her mana surged through her. It tickled at the edges of her awareness but didn¡¯t intrude. A few minutes later, an enormous black oak snapped into existence in the center of an overgrown game trail up ahead, sending turbulent ripples through the chaotic ambient mana as it tore aside the tangled brush. It sucked at the nascent threads of her domain, drawing them into itself and up through its gnarled trunk till it launched the mana out through the upper branches and into the space beyond. Gradually, inexorably, it began imposing order upon the chaos as the domain mana grew.


    She didn¡¯t pause or stop to observe, she simply walked a little further and began to create once more. This time a tall conifer with blazingly bright yellow needles appeared. This time the mana appeared to conflict with the growing domain, suppressing it, but she gave it just as little attention as the oak. Her next act created a large stand of giant bamboo as she pushed deeper into the jungle, threading her moss and mushrooms as she went. The bamboo burst into a pillar of viridian green mana, substantially boosting her domain ¨C a sight that would have been spectacular to see, had she cared to look.


    She continued onward, creating plants and trees seemingly at random, all the while connecting everything with her trail of moss and the little golden mushrooms that seemed to spawn wherever she stepped. Every now and then, she paused her creation to destroy a tree or rock, turning it into a bright explosion of motes of mana. After more than an hour of slowly pushing her way into the jungle, the pages of her Grimoire flipped faster than the eye could follow, and she created something new. When her magic spell completed, a second giant Forest Guardian stood before her, its low rumble vibrating through her body. But she simply created another, not noticing her attentive summoned elemental awaiting her will.


    She paused her aimless creation finally, staring out into the jungle. For a moment, her dazed eyes hardened as her face contorted in an expression of unbearable anguish. She took a deep breath and screamed, her tiny voice aching with despair and loneliness, cast back at her by the uncaring trees until her voice gave out. She screamed again, her voice turning to anger and frustration. This time, her three Guardians added their voices, a thrumming powerful bass accompaniment that underscored her emotions, lending them power and reach. The deep roar of the Guardians crashed out into the forest hitting notes so low they were felt through the ground rather than heard. Branches shook, birds screeched, and insects fled in a chaotic explosion of fear and flight. In the distance, the screams and roars of monsters answered her challenge.


    But Aliandra ignored the noise and slumped over, seemingly worn out by the expression of her heart. A bright shimmer of light and afterimages tore through the nearby trees and a Radiant Brawler appeared beside her. Her Guardians roared once again, unleashing the enormous momentum of their Rush skill, charging the intruder with fury and power. The Radiant Brawler tumbled head over feet, rolling almost fifteen meters before it was smashed into a tree by the charge of her second Guardian. Roots and vines erupted from the ground reaching, twining, and twisting.


    She picked her way among the giant monsters and their earth-shaking battle as if they were of no consequence, stopping briefly to summon a Toxic Slime. She followed up with a black-scaled Kobold rogue, but she moved on to creating a tree, unaware that she had neglected to provide her minion with armor or a dagger. Both new minions joined the fray, ignoring the fact that they were a poor match for the radiant elemental. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to her labor, just endless creation as her domain expanded into the jungle.


    Every minion paused and glanced at her.


    It was the first coherent thought she had had since she collapsed in the library. She stopped for a moment, looking puzzled, as if she couldn¡¯t recognize what it was, choosing eventually to ignore it and focus on her Grimoire again while the crash of battle resumed with more and more monsters emerging from the jungle to challenge her.


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    The strange thoughts intruded upon her calm once more. The face of a blond, blue-eyed mage loomed large in her mind, taunting her with obvious relish at her anguish. An Ice Lance appeared.


    She felt something then. Something that burst the void and emptiness with which she shielded her heart. Rage surged up within her and she screamed at the monsters. Several razor-sharp barrier shards and spikes appeared, circling in the air about her head and shot forward impaling the attacking monsters. She left them there, supported by the growing magic of her domain, and summoned more. With a continuous stream of barrier shards lashing out in a storm of cutting, stabbing, and impaling, she returned once more to her Grimoire, deconstructing the now-dead Radiant Brawler and creating a new tree in its place.


    But something had changed. No longer was she indifferent, now creating things with fervent energy, like her rage had cracked the dam and all the emotions pent up behind the walls were leaking out through the cracks.


    She blasted through her imprints, creating furiously as if to hide her unraveling mental state with busyness. A sword, several pieces of armor, a shield, a Hobgoblin, a mushroom ¨C it didn¡¯t matter what it was, she created everything, anything. A desperate cry for sanity and meaning in a sea of pain and rage, an act of defiance, even¡­ hope.


    Abruptly, she stopped paging, the sense of something familiar inscribed there catching her attention. Her mana surged, and she created a red-scaled Kobold Fire Mage. Perhaps because she had created so many, the familiarity was strong enough to impinge on her clouded awareness. She created another, and then another.


    Her rage reasserted itself, perhaps to protect her mind; a furnace to burn away her febrile state. Her Kobolds reacted by adding their fire to the battle. But the detonations of their Fireballs and the acrid stench of sulfur and heat seemed somehow soothing to her. As monsters poured out of the jungle into her invading domain, her awareness slipped in and out of the perceptions of her minions, taking note, but still not entirely consciously. Occasionally, she switched places with her minions, but not seeming to do so out of any need of self-preservation ¨C rather, as if she had simply remembered she had the ability to do so.


    She lashed out with another storm of barrier magic, leaving many of them wherever they landed, impaling monsters, trees or even just stuck in the ground. She created a Poison Wyvern, and then a Scalding Slime.


    The slime¡¯s appearance triggered a memory of a smaller, blue slime. She wondered who the slime was, and why she was familiar. Several other familiar faces appeared in her mind¡¯s eye. A dark-skinned girl, looking at her with kindness in her striking light blue eyes. A shy blond half-elf, asking her for her advice. A bear, handing her a delicious bowl of food. A boy planting flowers for her. A girl laughing with her over a book and tea.


    Angrily, she swept the images away in a rush of despair and loneliness.


    The thoughts burst into her like a torrent of water exploding forth from a stricken dam. She neither heard nor saw the wild Forest Guardian charging at her from the jungle. Trees shattered and the ground shook as it bore down on her, but her mind was filled with shame and fear as the thoughts crashed down on her, relentlessly stabbing at her heart.


    The enormous bulk of her first Forest Guardian tore across the field, slamming into the side of the other, knocking both of them rolling. Several tons of sprawling, roaring fury smashed into a large tree, snapping it like kindling. Ali turned away from the fight, forcing her mind back to stabbing with her barriers, and circling through the sight of her minions. Her vision flickered as it jumped from creature to creature. She became the Forest Guardian, roaring and crashing. She became the Scalding Slime, feeling the vibrations and tremors of the battle with uncanny precision. She was the Wyvern breathing poison, she was the Hobgoblin wielding a sword.


    She teleported again and resumed her magic.


    She summoned a Floral Menace which immediately began growing flowers. Then she created a Piercer Scorpion. The enormous bulk of the bone elemental collapsed right where she created it. Not paying it any heed, she created more and more ¨C moss creepers, oozes, mushrooms, and grass ¨C her mind blissfully distracted from feelings by the chaos of battle, her minions, and the mechanical task of channeling her mana into things, into a frenzied glut of creation, all the while keeping enough focus to maintain her storm of barrier shards.


    As the battle raged, her domain strengthened, and so did her army. Her barriers were denser and stronger, her plants grew, and her minions fought without pause or rest. She pressed on, consuming everything in her path, anything that attacked was destroyed by her monsters and deconstructed to fuel her growth. Hundreds of monsters died. Hundreds of her creatures died. But many survived, continuing the fight while her loyal Forest Guardians regenerated them all.


    But her emotions had escaped their box and refused to go back in. Within her raged a war far more intense than the one without; a clash between her identity, emotions, and the terrifying truth of what she had learned.


    She was the most horrific kind of monster ¨C the kind that made people gleeful about hunting her down, torturing her, and gloating about how they would kill her. The kind of monster that would instantly turn her friends against her. The kind of monster that consumed everything in its path, spewing out dungeon-breaks and decimating cities.


    It was no surprise that Roderik had come for her. She deserved it. She had even signed up to become an adventurer herself, joining the guild and learning how to fight and defend against dungeons. When she thought of Malika and the story of her pain, Ali knew she would be the first person to try and put her down.


    She fought for what felt like days, the battle in the jungle raging on unabated, mirrored by the one in her heart. Relentlessly, she threw herself into the fight with pure focus, seeking respite in the blissful void and yielding to her instincts, but every time she returned with a jolt of pain and anguish, unable to shed the truth.


    Eventually, her body rebelled against the unrelenting intensity with which she fought. She stumbled, falling on her face in the dirt. Getting up in a daze, she turned, and without much awareness of where she was going, she returned to the great stone doors of the distant library. She barely noticed the great distance her aggressive expansion into the jungle had taken her, falling back into her mental void, walking, stumbling, and eventually crawling her halting way back to the relative safety of the ancient library.


    She dragged herself across the threshold and into a corner, collapsing unconscious on the stone floor with the sounds of battle still raging in the distance, not even aware that her original Forest Guardian had followed her and now stood guard over her insensible body.


    For the first time in days, she knew the blissful peace of unconsciousness, freed from the crushing despair and loneliness that clawed at her heart.

 Chapter 118: The Dryad

    Chapter 118: The Dryad- Excerpt from, Ziba Malek, Elorthian Empire Royal Scholar, Translated.


    Calen


    Calen sprang lightly from rock to rock as he followed the narrow mountain trail, careful not to disturb the tracks with his steps. Something had come this way, and it was a Kobold. He stooped down to study the confusing signs once again.


    Malika had been right, they were unwelcome in town, which had made resupplying far more challenging. They were running low on food now after several days of searching, but he had made no more progress unraveling the puzzle of how the Kobolds ¨C and other creatures ¨C had been getting in and out of the ruins. This was the first time he had seen tracks of something bigger than a muddled confusion of Kobolds, or the occasional wolf tracks.


    He pulled out a gold coin, flipping it into the air, and grimaced as it vanished.


    +1 to Perception and Tracking skills.


    Blessing ¨C Duration: 1 day.


    It was an expensive way to boost his skills, but he needed all the help he could get. His testing so far had shown him his patron buff would probably only work with something that he felt was valuable ¨C copper coins had not worked, but surprisingly he had been able to gain a buff from offering a mana potion. He had only tried that once.


    Calen¡¯s Sense Prey tracking skill had given out a couple of days ago, but it had verified Ali was still alive ¨C at least back then. She had remained unmoving on the first floor of the library for a long time, at least judging by the direction sense provided by his tracking skill and his memory of the spatial layout of the ruins. However, just before his skill had expired, she had moved lower, and he had lost track of her somewhere in the jungle.


    It made no sense and only served to intensify his worries.


    He reached down and plucked a small leaf from the strange humanoid footprint. By size and weight, he judged it to be a small human or an elf woman, but there were marks around the print that made it look like it had been whenever she walked. He would have dismissed it as an inconsequential coincidence, except every print had similar signs, forcing him to conclude that it was an integral part of the print.


    Not even Mato¡¯s nose had been able to shed light on the tracks. Following on behind the humanoid tracks were the tracks of two huge wolves, their prints lighter than he would have expected for their size. But he couldn¡¯t make out if they were accompanying the humanoid tracks or hunting them.


    He examined the wilted leaf, his brow furrowing at the sight of the strange blackening around the edges.


    ¡°Mato, what do you make of this?¡± he asked, calling his larger, muscular friend over, and handing the leaf to him.


    He sniffed at it and then wrinkled his nose in disgust. ¡°I smell undeath.¡±


    ¡°An oak leaf is undead?¡±


    ¡°It is blighted,¡± Mato explained, and Calen was immediately reminded of the briefing Vivian Ross had given at the guild earlier in the week ¨C the blight plague and the undead creeping up from the southern regions. ¡°Don¡¯t touch it too much.¡±


    He dropped the dangerous leaf promptly. ¡°What about these?¡± Calen asked, pointing to the wolf tracks. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if they¡¯re all together, tracking Ali, or if they¡¯re hunting each other. There¡¯s no good reason for them to be up here in the mountains like us unless they¡¯re searching for a way in, too.¡±


    Mato put his nose to the ground and sniffed the tracks of the humanoid and the wolves for a while before he rose again and grimaced. ¡°More death. I need to ask some people,¡± he said cryptically, shapeshifting into the form of a large wolf before he disappeared among the rocks, leaving Calen to deduce he was going to find some animals who might have seen something.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s continue,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Malika replied. ¡°If whatever you¡¯re tracking is hunting Ali, we should find her before they do.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Calen said. He and Malika continued following the trail for about half an hour, and he was examining another blighted oak leaf when Mato finally loped back to the trail.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to make of it,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°Whatever that creature is, it seems to be some kind of Sylvan.¡±


    ¡°A Sylvan? Out here?¡± Calen¡¯s gaze swept the rocky mountain pass in surprise. Other than small scrub bushes and hardy wildflowers, there was little in the way of natural vegetation. Certainly, there were no trees or forests that a sylvan plant creature might prefer ¨C but it would explain the strange footprints.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t get a good image ¨C all the animals I found seem to be in awe of whatever it is. The wolves are undead, and they are not with the Sylvan. There are two of them and they look partially incorporeal.¡± Mato wrinkled his face in disgust, displaying his obvious distaste for the undead.


    ¡°Specters? Ghosts?¡± Calen was hardly an expert on the undead, but not many were partially incorporeal. It ruled out zombies and other similar monsters, but spirits or ghosts were normally entirely incorporeal. The problem was that any conclusion he came to did not bode well ¨C all the monsters that fit the description were greater undead, possessing skills and intelligence to rival the most powerful monsters.


    he gazed at the small handful of oak leaves he had collected,  The instant he used Explorer¡¯s Sense Prey skill on the leaves, he knew where the sylvan creature was. His powerful tracking magic provided him with a clear pull diagonally downward into the mountain ¨C but, as with Ali, he still had no clue how it got in there.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to do this the hard way,¡± he muttered, studying the direction of the tracks following the rocky trail. At least his Blessing of the Wanderer was helping him track faster and more precisely. ¡°At least, if I track this monster, it should lead us to the way in.¡±


    He followed the tracks across the rocky mountainside until finally he found himself entering a small box canyon with rugged rocky walls, and here the trail seemed to end, erased by what seemed to be dozens of Kobold tracks and the difficulty of seeing anything on the sharp, rocky scree beneath his feet. ¡°Lots of Kobold tracks,¡± he said, warning his companions, but there was no sign of them anywhere in sight. He scanned the dead-end canyon for any clues, but there seemed to be no obvious way out. His tracking skill kept telling him that their prey was in some place below his feet.


    ¡°I can still smell the undead,¡± Mato said, confirming that they were in the right place.


    ¡°It looks weird when you sniff the ground like that, Mato,¡± Malika said. ¡°At least do it in wolf or bear form.¡±


    ¡°Pfft,¡± he snorted, but the usual banter fizzled, none of them in much of a mood for it.


    Calen surveyed the canyon, using his Eyes of the Archon skill to enhance whatever he saw. Over at the far end of the canyon, on a rocky outcrop, he spied an oak leaf, stuck to the rock with what looked like a few drops of clear sap. The sap had dripped down the rock and pooled on the ground below.


    ¡°Over here,¡± he said, sprinting through the short canyon to the rocky cliff wall at the far side. He reached for the sticky oak leaf, but to his surprise, the rock it had been stuck to was concealing a crack in the cliff face ¨C a passage into the mountain, from which wafted a musty cold breeze. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s a cave here.¡± Carefully, he squeezed his lanky body through the gap, activating his stealth as a precaution, and found himself in a narrow rocky passage ¨C a natural cave formation. There were no obvious tracks on the rough, rocky ground, but every couple of yards he could see drops of sap leading deeper into the caves.


    ¡°I can smell Kobolds, and the undead in here,¡± Mato said, after struggling to squash his larger frame through the cavern entrance.


    Malika limbered up her shoulders quietly squinting at the darkness but did not say anything.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to use light,¡± Calen whispered, ¡°Will you be able to keep up?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Malika murmured, ¡°I can hear Mato.¡±


    The three of them quickly made their way through the twisting caverns, following the rocky passages as they led deeper and deeper into the mountain. Calen had taken a chance tracking the strange sylvan monster, he had no clue how to track Ali directly anymore, but this was the breakthrough he had been searching for. The passage was finally taking them in precisely the right direction according to his skill, but rather than feel excited, his apprehension and urgency rose instead.


    As he approached the next bend in the tunnel the chirping sounds of angered Kobolds reached his ears. From the twitching of Mato¡¯s wolf ears, he had heard it too. Signing for them to wait, Calen refreshed his Eclipse skill to blend himself with the shadows and stepped around the corner to scout. The tunnel emerged into an enormous underground cavern, easily as large as Ali¡¯s forest cavern, but lit instead by the occasional small messy campfires of the Kobolds. A horde of the scaled reptilian creatures swarmed the rocks, slinging stones and arrows down at the figures struggling below, their raucous chirps and yips echoing strangely in the underground cavern.


    Sprawled on the rocky ground, drenched in her own sap, he found his prey, struggling weakly to drag herself away from the two enormous spectral wolves mauling her. The wolves were clearly undead, both emitting a cold harsh blue glow in the darkness, and he could even see the vague outline of the rocks through their partially transparent bodies. But their teeth were sharp as they savaged the downed sylvan creature, sending sap spraying into the air with every vicious bite.


    Category: Sylvan


    Age: Ancient


    Threat Level: Unknown


    Damage: Nature


    He could not even imagine what extreme event had drawn such a notoriously reclusive being so far from her forest and the source of her power. She might have passed the first tier and reached platinum rank, but without any way of fighting back, she was as helpless as a level-one wisp. She struggled weakly in the spectral jaws of the wolves, likely only barely hanging onto life due to her class level and what must be an extraordinarily high vitality or endurance attribute.


    ¡°Mato, wolves! Malika, heal the dryad. I¡¯ll cover,¡± he barked orders rapidly but he didn¡¯t wait for confirmation. They needed to act now, or the dryad would die, and take any answers with her to the grave. Ali¡¯s survival may very well depend on it.


    Mato roared and charged, his body twisting and warping from Wolf to Bear as he transformed directly. Malika shot off, hot on his heels, matching his barreling rush.


    Calen drew his new bow and fired a rapid volley of bright, glowing arrows into the horde of Kobolds. His shots struck true and two of the lowest level ones collapsed with loud screeches, causing the entire troop to scatter, diving for cover.


    He shifted his aim to the center, finding Mato had drawn the two enormous spectral wolves off the dryad who was now lying on her side, pressed up against a rock. The two wolves flanked Mato, taking turns trying to dart in for a hamstring, leveraging their coordination to gain an advantage over the larger and slower bear. But Malika was there to foil their agile attacks. As Mato faced down one feint, Malika leapt off his back to land a kick on the second wolf, just as it darted in to strike. Her kick sank into the wolf¡¯s shoulder, passing through the glowing semi-transparent flesh like sticky treacle, pulsing brilliant blue-white with her soul magic to light its body from within. Mato wheeled about, but it was a feint to lure in the first wolf, and when he rounded on it with a Swipe, it tried to disengage, drawing the wrath of the Bear¡¯s powerful retaliation strike.


    But even before he unleashed his arrows, Calen could tell that the normally potent physical damage from Mato¡¯s strike was having much less effect on the undead monsters than normal. Even Malika¡¯s hits were not doing nearly as much damage as he expected. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Calen unleashed his arrows. Like Malika¡¯s foot, his arrows seemed to pass through the spectral wolves¡¯ bodies unless he made a clean strike as if they were not quite Only his light magic seemed to have its normal effect.


    ¡°Load up on magic,¡± he shouted. ¡°They¡¯re incorporeal.¡±


    Taking his own advice, he lit up his Righteous Fury skill. Mana burned him from within, brightening everything he could see. The cavern grew dramatically brighter as his perception skills surged with power: even the smallest detail became crystal clear to his eyes. He fired a rapid stream of fully enchanted arrows, focusing on the wolf Mato had pinned down with his roots. An immobile target versus his ignited mana. Although even now, it was shaking off the bindings by drawing its legs the gnarled roots.


    Even with its powerful resistance to physical damage, his enhanced magic made short work of the undead monster, burning it down as he flew through his rapidly dwindling supply of arrows.


    He ignored the notification, downing a precious mana potion and redirecting the remainder of his short-duration skill to the second wolf, trying to do as much damage as he could while he had the advantage. His skill expired, but with Malika and Mato focused on the remaining wolf, and it no longer having any flanking advantage, they made quick work of it.


    Calen sprinted over to the dryad lying in a pool of her own sap and leaves, keeping a wary eye out for Kobolds. She was in far worse shape than he had expected. While the wolves had badly mauled her, she showed large black patches of necrosis that stank of rotting wood. Her leaves were almost all wilted and brown, and her cheeks were sunken and hollow. But it was the deep anguish in her eyes, far beyond even what matched her dire physical condition, that gripped his attention.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with her, I keep healing but she¡¯s not getting any better,¡± Malika exclaimed with frantic worry. It was not strictly true, the rents and tears in her flesh closed up and she stopped leaking sap onto the ground, but the blight and affliction remained.


    ¡°Let it go, child¡­¡± The dryad spoke with a shaky voice that rasped and crackled like dry leaves in a soft breeze but still carried the faint hints of the beautiful resonance it must have had in full health. ¡°What I have cannot be healed.¡± She sighed, clearly in a great deal of pain, and Malika seemed beside herself that she was unable to heal her.


    ¡°What do you have? And why is a dryad out here in the mountains?¡± Calen asked. She was clearly far from home, and dryads supposedly did not do very well separated from their trees.


    ¡°Alexander Gray,¡± she answered, her eyes snapping open, flashing with fierce anger before she sagged back down, exhausted from the effort.


    Calen did not understand her unexpected response.


    ¡°Who?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°He is a necromancer most foul. He deceived me with pretty words, gifts, and promises of love. While I was vulnerable, he poisoned me and destroyed my precious forest,¡± she sobbed, before catching herself. ¡°I am cursed. I have the undead blight, the same he inflicted on my forest, and I am dying from domain withdrawal.¡±


    ¡°A necromancer?¡± Mato spat, his face wrinkled with disgust.


    ¡°You are talking about the Lirasian Forest to the south?¡± Calen asked. Vivian had mentioned a blight from the south, but if this dryad was to be believed, the problems were far more urgent than the Guildmaster knew.


    ¡°Yes, young half-elf, you are quite perceptive. You honor your patron. I am Lirasia, and my forest is no more.¡±


    As he registered his surprise, his notification chime sounded.


    +12 to Perception.


    +2 to Perception skills.


    Blessing ¨C Duration: 1 day.


    ¡°The forest is gone?¡± Mato asked aghast.


    ¡°Yes, my home is no more,¡± she said. She paused; her body wracked with feeble coughing. ¡°In its place is only undeath now.¡± She reached out her hand and touched Mato on the chest. ¡°You have a beautiful aura, young druid,¡± she murmured, ¡°but you are not the source I seek.¡±


    ¡°Why did you come all the way here then? What is it that you are seeking?¡± Calen demanded, his breath catching in his throat.


    ¡°Without my domain, I will wither and die,¡± she answered. ¡°I require an oak tree in an area rich in nature mana to recover. Some time ago I scented a beautiful new mana aura coming from this area. In pain and agony, and driven from my home, I had only thoughts of finding the mana aura and saving myself. But it seems in this too, I was played by the necromancer¡¯s puppet strings.¡± She pointed meaningfully to the two spectral wolf corpses. ¡°He probably sought the mana for his own foul purposes.¡±


    Calen glanced meaningfully at Malika and Mato, catching their eyes.


    ¡°But it matters not,¡± the dryad continued. ¡°The precious mana dried up about four days ago, gone like a fleeting mirage in a desert. I will perish a few hours hence, and if you do not burn my corpse, the blight will raise me as a zombie. I fear for what damage I will cause with my death. Promise me you will not allow this to come to pass.¡± She sounded mortified by the idea, so much so that she was pleading with strangers to burn her body.


    ¡°It fits. Ali¡¯s forest was burnt by the Town Watch four days ago,¡± Malika said quietly.


    Mato coughed, drawing up straighter. ¡°If only we could find her,¡± he said.


    ¡°We¡¯re right here,¡± Calen answered, getting up and looking around. They¡¯d been tracking out in the mountains for ages, but his sense of direction and spatial awareness placed him directly over the library. It took but a few moments for him to find the low squat stone building that, by his reckoning, capped the gigantic, ruined library and the city below. ¡°There,¡± he pointed to it. ¡°That¡¯s the library.¡±


    ¡°Can we trust her?¡± Malika asked, glancing at Lirasia.


    ¡°She¡¯s going to die if we don¡¯t help her,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°She is too weak. If she had the means to hurt Ali, she would have used it against those wolves,¡± Calen answered.


    As if they¡¯d been waiting for a reason, Malika leapt to her feet and Mato leaned over to help the Dryad.


    ¡°You mustn¡¯t touch me, young Druid,¡± Lirasia said. ¡°You may catch the blight.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t walk,¡± Mato growled, gruffly. ¡°I¡¯m not going to leave you here to die. The Kobolds will kill you.¡± He scooped the Dryad up into his arms and they followed Calen to the building.


    While Calen kept a sharp eye out for the Kobolds that still lurked among the dark boulders, he checked the notifications that had chimed at the end of the fight.


    Without missing a step, he dumped three points each into dexterity, intelligence, and perception, and spent the final point on raising his strength, hoping against hope that he wouldn¡¯t need it for whatever they found below.


    Alexander Gray


    Alexander smiled as he wove his dark magic, stitching and melding the dead flesh together. It had been a productive day.


    He had surprisingly run into a small logging village this afternoon, similar in size to Lyton, but he hadn¡¯t cared to find out the name of this one. It had, however, provided him with an abundance of new skeletons, and a few more volunteers for his sacrifice gang.


    With his surplus, he had left a sizeable contingent of his undead in the village to harvest some of the enormous mana-rich trees before pressing onward.


    ¡°You guys are the privileged few,¡± he continued, explaining their good fortune to his sacrifice gang. ¡°Your life energy will be sacrificed at the right time to empower my skills. Isn¡¯t trading a meaningless life for that something to be proud of?¡±


    The recruits just stood there, prohibited from moving or speaking by the compulsion collars he had forced on them. In his experience, worthless farmers and laborers like them seldom saw value in the greater purpose. At least on this point he and Roderik saw eye to eye.


    They had been due to meet a day ago, and the noble still hadn¡¯t shown up.


    Suddenly, he felt the sensation of his mana connection releasing and he snapped his perception into his remaining spectral wolf. He was facing a bear and a monk, while an archer shone like the sun in a deep cavern, firing a furious stream of glowing arrows at him. With the few moments he had left with this specter, he glanced around quickly, spying the dryad dying in a pool of her own sap.


    he thought as the connection severed. His plaything had led him right to the doorstep of Myrin¡¯s Keep.


    ¡°Come, everyone,¡± he announced. ¡°It¡¯s time to move out.¡±

 Chapter 119: Reunions

    Chapter 119: ReunionsAliandra Ali snapped awake, bumping her head painfully on the wall of bone beside her as she tried to shake off the recurrent nightmare. Malika and Calen had been hunting her for what seemed like days, and when she finally reached the safety of the library, she had run into Mato¡¯s snarling angry bear. She had fled, and Ryn was there, but instead of helping her, Ryn had changed into a giant black dragon that ate books and breathed fire that seared her flesh.


    Ali groaned softly and sat up, her eyes slowly taking in the dimly lit expanse of the library¡¯s lower floor. Her hip ached from sleeping on the hard flagstones covered in rough bone and she seemed to be covered in dust and dried mud. She had a pounding headache and a giant void in the center of her chest that threatened to consume her. Everything was gone, her parents, her friends, her town, her domain, her home. She had nothing.


    People killed dungeons. People  killing dungeons. If nothing else, Roderik proved that. She shuddered.


    She glanced around at the giant doors behind her which leaked the strangely wild mana into the ancient, ruined chamber, taking note of her spot nestled up against the wall in a hollow of encrusted bone.  The jungle was untamed and dangerous.


    ¡°Ali? Ali¡­ are you in here?¡±


    The sudden voice breaking through the stillness of the library set Ali¡¯s heart pounding. She panicked, She knew they would come for her, but she wasn¡¯t ready to die yet. She scrambled behind an ancient decaying bookcase, urgently sending out a mental summons to her minions, but almost all of them were too far away ¨C deep in the jungle for some reason.


    ¡°I heard something, over there¡­¡±


    One, however, was right beside her. With two heavy steps, the Forest Guardian approached, lowering its great head to nuzzle her back.


    A broad-shouldered figure emerged from the darkness, approaching her hiding spot.


    ¡°Ali?¡±


    The sound of Mato¡¯s familiar voice cut deep. That her friends had been the ones to come hunt her hurt badly enough, but he even had the sound of concern in his voice. How could he?


    ¡°Go away!¡± she screamed at him. ¡°Leave me alone!¡±


    ¡°Ali, you¡¯re alive!¡± Malika cried, appearing beside Mato. A moment later Calen emerged, his blonde hair mussed up with his bow resting in his hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re just here to kill me now that you know I¡¯m a dungeon,¡± Ali yelled. Anger and rage surged within her, and she called out to her Forest Guardian. It responded, charging toward them in a thunderous Rush that echoed loudly in the stone chamber. Mato stepped into its path, and with an enormous crash, he was tossed flying, bouncing off a bone-covered shelf and cartwheeling out of sight. The Guardian stood protectively over Ali, head lowered and rumbling threateningly at Malika.


    ¡°Ali, we already knew you were a dungeon,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°You knew?¡± Ali gasped. She stood and stared at Malika, grappling with the torrent of conflicting emotions her words had unleashed. She had expected anger and hate toward her as a dungeon. She had expected them to try and kill her. But this was not something she had imagined in even her worst dreams.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve known for a few weeks,¡± Malika replied, far too calm for the feelings warring inside Ali, emotions stretched taut, well past their limits.


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t tell me?¡± she screamed again, her voice echoing hoarse and ragged, provoking a sympathetic roar from the Guardian towering above her. ¡°They tried to kill me! They burned my forest!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ali,¡± Malika said, still calm and not moving even in the face of the ferocious roaring Forest Guardian.


    ¡°Go away,¡± Ali said quietly. ¡°Just leave me alone.¡± It was all too much for her. She wanted to sob, but her anger was too strong. She had been prepared for their hate, been prepared to fight them. But this felt like a fresh betrayal, and it gouged deep wounds into her heart.


    Had they been plotting all those weeks while being nice to her face?


    ¡°Ali, I understand you¡¯re probably feeling hurt and betrayed by us,¡± Malika said. ¡°We didn¡¯t know what else to do and I¡¯m really¡­ sorry. I know this must hurt, but please, listen to me. We need your help. This person is dying. This Dryad¡­ please help her.¡±


    Ali¡¯s anger surged at Malika¡¯s audacity to ask for her help after hurting her so much, and she was about to scream for her to leave. But the anger evaporated the instant she saw the slender, frail-looking woman leaning on Calen for enough support just to be able to stand.


    She had green skin and seemed to be clothed entirely with oak leaves. All over her body, black patches oozed dark sap and leaked twisted, ugly, death affinity mana into the surroundings.


    Her gaze reached the soft, brown, pain-filled eyes, and Ali experienced a jolt of recognition.


    ¡°Aunt Lira?¡± Ali asked in a tiny, aghast voice, automatically speaking in ancient Dal¡¯mohran.


    ¡°Aliandra?¡±


    The ancient Dryad spoke Dal¡¯mohran in the same soft, kind voice Ali remembered from her childhood, though hoarse and short of breath now from her weakened state. Her heart wobbled wildly in her chest as she gasped at her relative. This¡­ she could not bear this.


    ¡°What are you doing here, child? I thought you perished three thousand years ago along with the great city.¡±


    Not quite believing what she was seeing, Ali emerged from under her Guardian¡¯s protective bulk and tentatively approached, reaching up and taking Lira¡¯s hand like she used to when they would go on walks through the forest looking for pretty flowers. She gasped at the touch, and Lira did not evaporate, dispersing like a half-remembered dream. Nor did she turn to hate and try to kill her. She simply held her hand.


    ¡°Mom saved me with her magic,¡± Ali finally answered, looking up at her.


    ¡°Elowynn still lives?¡± Lira asked, her eyes widening at the news.


    Ali shook her head sadly. Blinking back fresh tears at the painful memory, she said, ¡°She spent her life energy protecting me from Nevyn Eld. She died with the city. She gave her life to save me, and her magic is the only reason I¡¯m still alive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, Aliandra,¡± Lira said, compassion replacing the pain in her eyes for a moment.


    ¡°Why are you here, Aunt Lira?¡± Ali asked, switching back to Common finally. ¡°And why are you so sick?¡±


    ¡°Aunt?¡± Calen echoed in shock. Malika hushed him.


    ¡°My forest was destroyed by foul necromancy, and I was driven out,¡± she answered. ¡°But I¡¯m glad I got to see you before I die.¡± Then, as if noticing it for the first time, she glanced down at Ali¡¯s hand clasped in her own and recoiled, severing the connection. ¡°We can¡¯t¡­ the blight¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Ali swallowed and ate her words at the sight of fresh pain in Lira¡¯s eyes, and the hand that had just been holding hers clutched to her heart. Instead, Ali focused on Lira¡¯s story, ¡°Your forest is¡­ gone?¡± Ali had always known Lira had a domain in the southern forest before she even knew what ¡®domain¡¯ meant. She had always accepted that Lira could only visit for a couple of days at a time ¨C it was just the way things worked. Now, having experienced a domain personally, she finally understood. ¡°You have domain withdrawal?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How long?¡±


    ¡°The cursed necromancer, Alexander Gray, poisoned my mana and infected me with the undead blight, I have a few hours left at most.¡± Lira¡¯s kind face twisted into an ugly emotion when she named the necromancer, an expression the likes of which Ali had never seen marring the face of the kindly old dryad. ¡°I came seeking the dense nature mana emanating from this town in hopes I might find an oak and establish a new home. I never expected to find you here, dear.¡±


    ¡°If you have an oak, will you be able to recover?¡± Ali asked, her heart grasping for hope like a lifeline.


    ¡°If I establish a new home in a mana-dense area, I should be able to rest in the tree and regenerate. Provided the mana is compatible,¡± Lira said, but her entire frame radiated despondency. ¡°But it¡¯s impossible, now.¡±


    ¡°They burned my forest, but I think there might be some oak trees back there,¡± Ali said, pointing back to the giant open stone doorway leading to the jungle. There was a blank spot in her memories and she couldn¡¯t quite remember what she had done, only that she had spent quite some time in there with her Grimoire. ¡°You can have as many trees as you want.¡± If a tree could save Lira, Ali would give her a thousand ¨C she simply couldn¡¯t bear seeing Lira so frail. Gently, she tugged Lira¡¯s hand, drawing her toward the jungle.


    Meantime, Ali shut down all thoughts, all doubt, not daring to meet her friends¡¯ concerned gazes. They had come for her. They knew ¨C they had kept the horrific truth from her ¨C and still¡­ her mind balked at the implications. They¡­ no. There had to be some trick, surely? Yet none of that mattered, not while Aunt Lira was dying. She crushed her emotions and shoved them away. Later.


    But as they approached the doorway, Lira recoiled. ¡°I can¡¯t, the mana within¡­ it is twisted.¡±


    ¡°There is a large cavern above the library,¡± Calen suggested. ¡°Maybe you have the time to grow some trees up there?¡±


    Ali didn¡¯t trust herself to answer him. Instead, she created a broad barrier powered by her domain mana and led Lira onto it, allowing Mato to join them supporting Lira on his arm. Then Ali levitated the three of them up through the central atrium, following the light of Calen¡¯s brilliant wings. Malika sprinted alongside, her feet occasionally touching the pillars or railing, but more often than not simply stepping on empty air.


    At the top of the atrium¡¯s spiral staircase, she found a landing. Large boulders and rubble had been recently moved, shoved up against the side of the walls, revealing a passage that led out into an enormous dark cavern.


    She gazed around, but all she could see were rocks and dirt, several ancient, blackened tree trunks supporting the rock far above their heads, and some pinpricks of reddish light in the distance that might have been fires. She stepped off her barrier and onto the dirt right at the edge of her domain leaking up from the library below.


    ¡°Thank you, young Druid,¡± Lira murmured as Mato helped her off the barrier.


    Ali summoned her Grimoire and got to work at once. She channeled her mana for several minutes making a giant white oak that would hopefully become the first tree in Lira¡¯s new home. Ali glanced at Lira leaning on Mato and studying her magic with curiosity. Lira had mentioned requiring a mana-dense area several times. she thought, but it was going to take a lot more than just a tree.


    She quickly considered and discarded several options as she paged through her Grimoire before she summoned two Moss Creepers and a Spore Spreader. she instructed. They scampered off to begin seeding the area around the tree for her domain to grow. Then she paged back to the grass chapter and summoned a dense half-circle of Living Bamboo around the oak. It was her strongest nature affinity plant, and it immediately began spilling dense mana into the area.


    ¡°It will take some time for the mana to build up properly,¡± Ali explained, studying the trickles and flows of her domain as the new plants began to draw it in, linking themselves to the mana emerging from the library.


    ¡°Thank you for helping, Ali,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°I¡¯m still mad at you guys,¡± Ali snapped. In truth, she didn¡¯t want to talk to any of them. ¡°Could you leave us alone for a bit?¡±


    Her words hit Malika like an invisible gut punch, and she winced, her countenance crumbling in an instant. Ali felt a brief surge of satisfaction that she would experience a little taste of the pain and betrayal that still raged in her heart, yet the sensation felt hollow and she regretted her reaction at the same time.


    ¡°Come, there are still Kobolds in here, let¡¯s make ourselves useful,¡± Mato said, drawing a choked-up Malika away with him. Calen eyed Ali for a moment with an unreadable expression before he spun on his heel and followed them.


    Ali plopped herself down beside Lira, overwhelmed by the intense feelings that churned inside. Her friends had returned, but they had betrayed her.  She couldn¡¯t trust them ever again.


    ¡°You have good friends,¡± Lira¡¯s soft voice intruded on her thoughts.


    Ali¡¯s eyes snapped up, meeting those kind hazel eyes filled with wisdom and patience. She looked away. ¡°I¡¯m a dungeon, Lira. How could they keep that from me? A powerful mage came to kill me, just because of my class. He was enjoying it ¨C he was excited to see me suffer and bleed.¡± Roderik¡¯s gloating face loomed large in her mind; lit with joy and pleasure every time his magic struck her, every time he made her bleed.


    Lira sat calmly beside her, quietly listening to her pain.


    ¡°What do I do, Lira? I¡¯ve lost all my friends. Nobody is going to help me because of what I am.¡±


    Ali looked up at a touch on her hand, but it was simply Lira offering her own to hold. She took it, taking comfort in the contact.


    ¡°Did you know your father was a dungeon, too?¡± Lira asked.


    Ali¡¯s head snapped up as she stared in surprise at Lira, but the Dryad¡¯s face contained no trickery, only sadness and kindness.


    ¡°He was?¡± she asked, feeling tiny all of a sudden.


    ¡°Yes, dear. Do you remember him teaching you about domain withdrawal, and the reason he couldn¡¯t travel with your mother?¡± Lira asked. ¡°Do you remember his shrine? While some resourceful mages have learned to make shrines, they are pale imitations of the shrines grown by a true dungeon.¡±


    Ali could scarcely believe what she was saying, but her rational mind put all the pieces together, finding that they all fit. Her Shrine of the Ancient Grove had been her father¡¯s shrine, and from what Malika had said, it was vastly more capable than the one possessed by the town. It was even the reason she had been able to offer class advancement to Ryn and Basil, and the novice guild members.


    ¡°Your father was a dungeon, and he married your mother, and they had a beautiful daughter. He was a respected and valued member of Dal¡¯mohra,¡± Lira said. ¡°Do not give up hope, there is a path for you.¡±


    Ali¡¯s heart reeled from the news, but some sliver of hope desperately clung to her Aunt¡¯s words. Maybe, just maybe there would be a way that didn¡¯t force her life to be Ali versus the world.


    ¡°Sometimes loneliness will find you, and there is nothing you can do,¡± Lira said, her eyes taking on a faraway look. ¡°After the fall of Dal¡¯mohra, I  loneliness and isolation, and I suffered greatly because of it. I¡¯m sure your friends had their reasons ¨C even good friends may make mistakes and hurt one another ¨C but they have been searching for you for days, worried that you were dead or dying. That Ahn Khen girl loves you; it is plain to see. The others too, in their way. If you will accept the advice of an old woman who has made more mistakes than you ever will, do not throw them away without good reason. Certainly not just because you feel hurt and didn¡¯t want to try.¡±


    Ali fell silent, the thoughts and the emotions within her churning. Her hurt and pain did not pair well with Lira¡¯s words, but she was unable to deny the wisdom of what she had said. Nor was she able to ignore the thoughts and experiences of someone so close to her heart.


    Someone who was spending her dying moments trying to help her avoid being alone. The conflict in her heart raged without easy resolution.


    ¡°Do you think the mana is strong enough?¡± Ali said, not quite ignoring the issue, but putting it down for the moment to address the urgency of Lira¡¯s affliction.


    ¡°I believe it is.¡± Lira carefully got to her feet and approached the oak.


    ¡°How does this work?¡± Ali asked. She had no idea what establishing a domain entailed for a dryad. Hers had happened entirely by accident overnight.


    ¡°I will claim the tree, and establish my mana within it,¡± she answered, reaching out a hand to the trunk of the tree. ¡°I just hope my mana doesn¡¯t conflict with yours.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re family.¡±


    The Dryad smiled. ¡°We are.¡± Yet her tone betrayed what they both knew: when it came to mana, that simply might not matter.


    Within Lira¡¯s body, a dense emerald-green orb of pulsing mana condensed near her heart. Brilliant, living tendrils shot out, flowing down through her arm toward the fingers that rested lightly upon the bark of the tree.


    The instant Lira¡¯s mana pierced her tree, Ali doubled over screaming, and dropped to the ground, the brutal stabbing pain of an overwhelming dungeon-rage tearing through her, ripping her apart from the inside. Where Lira¡¯s mana met hers, there was only violence as the flows of mana annihilated each other in an endless, silent explosion visible only to her mana sight.


    ¡°Oh, no! I¡¯m sorry, Aliandra,¡± Lira gasped, turning to her with a horrified expression on her face. ¡°Our mana is destroying each other. I will release the tree and free you from this.¡± Immediately, the streams of mana flowing from Lira¡¯s fingers began to recede and with them, the pain eased.


    ¡°No!¡± Ali shouted in desperation as Lira withdrew her mana. ¡°You¡¯ll die!¡± Ali¡¯s health spiraled rapidly dwindling; torn away by the proximity of the mana annihilation just like domain withdrawal, only vastly quicker.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, child, I will not be responsible for killing you to save myself. You cannot survive this,¡± Lira said, her frail body shaking from the effort, and presumably the pain she too felt.


    The thought appeared with stark clarity in Ali¡¯s pain-ravaged mind. Her health continued its downward plummet, but if Lira withdrew her mana, she would most certainly die.


    Acting on instinct, she turned on her Sage of Learning and then slammed her mana into Arcane Recall.


    Time stopped.


    The sudden release from excruciating pain hit her with a shock almost as powerful as the pain itself, and it took a few moments, frozen in the grayness of the strange static world, for her mind to restart.


    Ali had no idea what she was going to do, but this place ¨C her mother¡¯s refuge ¨C would buy her a moment to think.


    Out in front of her was a frozen explosion-front where the green-and-gold of her domain met with the emerald-green that was Lira¡¯s ¨C a concentrated wave of annihilation ¨C now visible as a gray moment stretched well beyond its time.


    But it was the concern and worry etched into Lira¡¯s dying face that struck her hard, piercing the void of emptiness and loneliness deep within her heart. Frozen in time as it was, her devastated expression could not be missed, and more than any of the words, her selfless consideration for Ali and her wellbeing weighed on her, heavier than the entire mountain. She struggled to breathe under the pressure, not remembering that in this place she didn¡¯t need to.


    She did not need to be alone. Not while people like Lira lived.


    The gray world flickered then, and the white oak she had planted vanished, replaced with a frozen scene of Lira lying bleeding on the ground, while Mato, Malika, and Calen battled two glowing spectral wolves. It appeared like a painting of an epic battle, only rendered in exquisite detail. Right then Ali knew what she had to do.


    The world flickered again, snapping back to the new majestic oak and the picture of exploding mana. She studied it closely, wishing she could approach to see it a little better. But her Arcane Insight skill provided enough resolution for her to perceive the detailed structure of her domain, and the similar, though incompatible structure emerging from Lira¡¯s body.


    she realized, while her Sage of Learning drew heavily from her mana pool.  Her mana was more analogous to a crystalline lattice with threads of nature mana woven around an ordered structure of arcane. Lira¡¯s mana worked more like Mato¡¯s Sanctuary aura, more fluid, but seemingly structured and ordered too. Where the two met, they collided, causing the arcane to slice the nature mana, severing it from the structure, and the release of energy was ripping both ordered structures, just like the tearing of paper propagating a rip across the entire surface.


    She recalled to memory a passive mastery she had not yet figured out how to use and studied the description of her Domain Mastery skill.


    Domain Mastery ¨C level 9


    You can manipulate the structure and mana of your domain. All your magic within your domain is empowered by the domain itself. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mana: Adjust the shape and composition of any non-living material that is part of your domain. Range: Domain.


    Nature, Arcane, Mastery, Domain, Intelligence


    She tried, but her skill did nothing here. Ali briefly considered that messing with her domain might be a disastrous idea, but she pushed that aside. Lira simply did not have the time for her to be cautious.


    Carefully, she considered her options, studying the mana structure further. But then she would need to maintain her focus while under the agonizing pain of the full dungeon-rage and survive long enough to figure it out and make the change. Hopefully, she could understand it well enough to get it right, because her Arcane Recall skill required a full day to recharge before she could use it again.


    She studied the structures of the annihilating domains, committing everything to memory before she finally summoned her Grimoire and began to create the minion that would end her Arcane Recall spell. She braced herself, anticipating the sudden return of the brutal pain.


    Her spell completed, and the golden-scaled Kobold Acolyte she had chosen to make suddenly appeared beside her. The gray world vanished, replaced by one of color, and the pain hammered into her mind, driving her to her knees in agony once more. She ground her teeth, tasting blood as she battled the dungeon-rage, struggling to regain control. Dimly, she registered a surge of holy mana beside her; the instant pillar of bright light as her Kobold immediately went into overdrive healing both her and Lira.


    Ali cried out and reached for the fabric of her domain. Enhanced by the magic of her Domain Mastery skill, she gripped, twisting and pulling with the urgency of pain driving her on, and the knowledge that both their lives were at stake.


    It slipped out of her grasp, and the backlash sent her reeling. She blacked out momentarily and came to screaming, gripping her head in her hands.


    ¡°Aliandra!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ ok,¡± she said, forcing the words out between clenched teeth and shoving the pain down. ¡°I¡¯ve got this.¡± She was most certainly not ok. She had just passed out, and her health was in a rapid downward spiral, kept alive only by the constant stream of healing magic that her little Kobold was valiantly pumping out.


    If she passed out for good, she would never wake up.


    She reached again, grasping the fabric, somehow finding a way to hold it firmer and more securely. Fortifying her mind against the pain, she delicately twisted the mana of her domain, feeling it shiver and slip at her touch, but somehow, she held it. She twisted the rest of her nature mana in the opposite direction, trying to line it up with Lira¡¯s domain and how she had memorized the structure layout. Then she pulled, warping her arcane mana in a direction that she couldn¡¯t find a name for, and didn¡¯t make a whole lot of sense to her mind, but somehow felt right. Then she shoved both, meshing the two domains together ¨C Lira¡¯s one of nature and fluidity, and her newly aligned more crystalline structure.


    Something snapped, releasing Lira¡¯s mana in a surge to flow unrestrained into the tree. Everywhere the domains touched, mana flared into brilliance as the structures interlocked, reinforcing and enhancing each other in a runaway, rising crescendo of mana that filled the tree and erupted outward into the air around it.


    It finally stabilized, leaving an enormous sphere of softly pulsing dense mana the likes of which Ali had never seen before. Both structures were present, overlapping painlessly, and enhancing each other beyond what either was capable of on its own.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Lira gasped, staring at the tree in awe.


    ¡°I think I introduced our domains and they finally made friends,¡± Ali answered, sinking to the mossy ground and allowing the pain to flow away, leaving her with a profound sense of relief and peace.


    ¡°You don¡¯t really know what you did, do you child?¡± Lira chided, looking over at her.


    ¡°Not really, no,¡± Ali admitted. ¡°But I think it worked?¡±


    ¡°That it did,¡± Lira answered, some amazement spilling over into her voice. ¡°I have never seen two domains coexist like this; they seem to be reinforcing each other in this tree ¨C both more powerful together than separate.¡±


    ¡°Is it enough to save you?¡± Ali asked. For now, she didn¡¯t care about the amazing synergy, nor how it had been achieved. She just cared if Lira would be taken from her.


    ¡°It is more than enough,¡± she answered, a smile finally gracing her lips. ¡°Thank you, Aliandra. I will need to rest for a few hours.¡±


    Lira approached the tree, and then slowly began to merge herself with it, falling deeper and deeper into the trunk. Fascinated, Ali watched as more and more of her mana soaked into the oak, stretching and flowing up through the branches, and down through the roots into the ground below.


    Just before Lira was fully absorbed into the tree, she met Ali¡¯s eyes. ¡°Please consider making up with your friends. At least try?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about ¨C¡±


    ¡°Promise me!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ will, I promise,¡± Ali answered, not wanting to at all, but understanding that it was the wise course of action. She was happy Lira would only be gone for a few hours, and then they would be able to talk again.


    ¡°Good friends can be your strength,¡± she said as she completed her Tree Meld.


    Ali sat for a long while under the spreading branches of Lira¡¯s tree, basking in the warmth of the dense mana it was emitting. She was still in shock having found someone alive from her past life, and someone so important to her. She sighed considering Lira¡¯s wisdom and the undercurrent of personal pain in her voice when she had spoken. She didn¡¯t know what had caused her to experience so much pain, but it lent a lot of weight to her suggestion. Ali considered Lira, and her friends for a long while.


    she thought, turning to her glowing Grimoire once more and summoning a new Forest Guardian.


    ¡°¡± she instructed, receiving a rumble of acknowledgment as the huge Elemental lumbered over to stand beside the oak. Ali was not certain it would do anything, but she hoped the Guardian¡¯s regeneration aura might help Lira recover quicker. Then she set to the task of summoning plants to bolster the strength of her domain mana in the area, heavily favoring the Living Bamboo for the nature affinity mana Lira needed.


    She sat, soaking in the feeling of the intense field of mana, strong enough to make her skin tingle, but it felt alive, unlike the dangerous mana of the nature spawning pool in the jungle. Within the tree, the emerald-green of Lira¡¯s mana gradually brightened, while little by little the dark influence of the blight began to fade. In the distance, she heard the muffled sounds of battle as her friends fought the Kobolds.


    The word felt loaded with emotions, emotions she struggled to untangle. Carefully, she rose to her feet and returned to the familiar library by way of the newly excavated passage, leaving her Forest Guardian to watch over Lira and her tree, deciding that she needed to make herself busy.


    She flew down into the library and retrieved Nevyn Eld¡¯s dangerous book before descending to the bottom level. A connection existed between whatever domain she had in the jungle and the tree she had made for Lira up above, but the connection felt tenuous and fragile. She wrestled with her memories, but they remained opaque. Like nothing existed after she had entered the library, fleeing the Town Watch. After she had dropped the Lich¡¯s book, her mind was blank until she had woken by the doorway and found her friends and Lira.


    She hadn¡¯t found much time to restore the library, save what she had cleaned up on the top floor. Down here it was still very much a ruined mess of bone and rubble. Summoning her Grimoire, she got to work, taking some measure of solace in the act of creating jasmine and ivy to cover all the pillars, and using her Domain Mastery to erase the ancient layers of bone and dust. A simple task to strengthen her domain and give her room with her thoughts.


    It was a fact, and how she had not seen it before had to have been willful ignorance. All the signs were clear to her ¨C now ¨C and it was not just Malika, Calen, and Mato who knew. Even Naia had outright told her, and she had simply chosen to misinterpret her.


    Perhaps the most terrifying experience had been facing Roderik. It wasn¡¯t just the power of his overwhelming ice magic ¨C it was the fact that he had clearly been enjoying the process of hurting her, and desperately wanted to murder her in the most painful way possible. She knew he had damaged her in ways that would not heal easily ¨C her own value, her self-worth struggled to cope with the tacit, palpable existence of a person who would make her suffer for his enjoyment.


    How she was calm right now was rather beyond her. Looking about, she found she liked the much cleaner ground floor. Turning the pages, she began to create granite planters filled with her blue mana grass, bolstering her domain to spread it throughout the space, while also offering a soft glow to illuminate it.


    Her mind replayed the image she had witnessed while in her Arcane Recall ¨C the picture of the others fighting to save Lira.


    Lira¡¯s words came clearly to her mind as she saw the image.


    She pushed the words away. She knew now that they had not been trying to kill her, but the sense of betrayal still twisted like a knife in her gut. How could they have withheld something so important? They had set her up for facing Roderik without any defenses or knowing any better.


    She was about to angrily sweep the thought away when she recalled the look on Malika¡¯s face when she had angrily told her to go away. A look of anguish and profound pain. There had been defeat in her frame as Mato led her off to fight the Kobolds.


    The question popped into her head so suddenly, she stopped working. It shifted her thinking in an entirely new direction. She had been upset about what they had been thinking, what they had been feeling.


    To her surprise, the answer did not come easily to her. When she reflected on all that she had experienced, she found a torrent of confusing images and memories. She had awoken to this time in fear and weakness, only to be saved from certain death by all three of them. She had helped them with their classes. Cried with Malika over their past. Endured the ruins of Dal¡¯mohra with Mato and his violent Primal Rage. She had thrown herself off the floating city to save Calen and had stood by Malika, refusing to let her face Adrik and Edrik alone. Countless times, she had saved their lives and been saved by them.


    To her surprise, she found that she would do it all again, in a heartbeat, just because it was them. Ali thought, finally beginning to make sense of Lira¡¯s parting words.


    She hadn¡¯t even acknowledged Calen, who must have been the one to find the way into the huge cavern, saving Lira. She had attacked Mato with her Forest Guardian, and he hadn¡¯t said a word. In her selfish pain, she had lashed out, dismissing Malika without even asking why she had done it.


    She continued her cleanup of the library for a while, dwelling silently on her thoughts.


    ¡°Ali, can we come down?¡± Malika¡¯s voice broke through her somber mood triggering a flash of guilt at the events which forced her to ask if her presence was unwanted.


    Ali took a deep breath and swallowed, looking at the expectant, hopeful eyes of her friends.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I hurt you, Malika,¡± Ali rasped, managing to get the words out past the lump in her throat. ¡°You didn¡¯t deserve that.¡± Malika¡¯s mouth opened, but she said no words and closed it again, her face a study in conflicting emotions.


    Ali turned. ¡°Calen, thank you for finding Lira in time to save her. It means so much to me to have her. And thank you for searching the mountain to find me.¡± Calen nodded to her, but she could tell her words, her acknowledgment had touched his heart.


    ¡°And Mato, I¡¯m sorry I hit you with my guardian. Thank you for giving me room to think.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± he answered gruffly.


    ¡°I was scared you all would hate me like everyone else. I thought you were here to kill me. When I heard that you already knew what I was, I felt hurt and betrayed. I don¡¯t understand why you wouldn¡¯t tell me something so important.¡±


    She stood silent for a moment, trembling a little and unable to continue, overwhelmed by the raw hurt and the vulnerability of opening up and sharing her pain.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Ali,¡± Malika said, quietly filling the silence. ¡°I wanted to tell you so many times, but I was afraid I would lose you as a friend. I know it¡¯s not a good excuse and it ended up hurting you a whole lot more. I hope you will forgive me.¡±


    Ali trembled, but tried to nod. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, too,¡± Calen said before Ali could recover her voice. ¡°It was my skill that let us know you¡¯re a dungeon. I was the one who suggested not telling you. I thought it was best to not give you more trauma than you already had. I realize now that I had no right to make that decision for you.¡±


    She nodded again, struck by a particular note in his voice ¨C caring, maybe? Had they been trying to protect her¡­ from herself? ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also sorry, Ali,¡± Mato said. ¡°I was really worried you were hurt. I¡¯m just glad you made it through ok. And your Guardian hits wicked hard. That really hurt ¨C but I probably deserved it.¡±


    ¡°I felt so alone,¡± Ali said, finally finding her voice. She hadn¡¯t known what to expect, but their words were genuine and heartfelt, and she struggled with the emotions that flooded her heart.  ¡°Were you guys really searching for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, for four days,¡± Malika said. ¡°After we killed the guys who were attacking you.¡±


    ¡°You killed them?¡± Ali asked in surprise.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Malika said, her mouth compressing into a grim line. ¡°There was a whole group of Town Watch thugs hunting you down and burning everything in sight. They blew up the passage to the ruins and attacked us immediately, knowing we were your friends. We had to kill most of them, which is good for Myrin¡¯s Keep, but it means we¡¯re probably outlaws, now. I was terrified they had killed you already, but Calen could tell you were in the library, so that¡¯s when we started searching for another way in.¡±


    ¡°I had to kill someone, too,¡± Ali said, shuddering at the memory of Roderik¡¯s sneer and gloating voice while he hunted her down. She retrieved his gear, offering it to Malika. ¡°He was playing with me. He enjoyed hurting me.¡± She hated that the memory of him made her shiver with fear and disgust.


    Malika simply stepped forward and knelt, offering her a hug, and in her face, Ali could find only concern and kindness.


    She reached out and hugged her friend, and her pent-up emotions finally overwhelmed her, spilling tears down her cheeks and onto Malika¡¯s shoulder.


    When she finally straightened up and wiped her face, Calen picked up the white robe.


    ¡°You killed Roderik Icecrown,¡± he said, letting out a low whistle.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Malika exclaimed, with both worry and admiration in her voice.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Ali asked. She remembered the man only from the Goblin siege ¨C a person from the Town Watch sent to help them.


    ¡°He¡¯s nobility ¨C the most powerful ice mage in Myrin¡¯s Keep ¨C but he¡¯s a true monster. We probably made a lot of enemies killing him,¡± Malika answered. ¡°And many friends among the commoners.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, we¡¯re already all outlaws,¡± Mato said. ¡°So, what did you do while you were down here?¡±


    Ali still didn¡¯t really remember, so she just pointed at the doorway to the jungle. With a look of curiosity on his face, Mato walked over and looked through.


    ¡°Holy¡­ holy ¡±


    Everyone scrambled to see what had caused such a reaction in him.


    The dense jungle that had once encroached right up to the ruined library was gone, replaced with a field of total devastation for hundreds of meters in all directions. There were bodies of all kinds of monsters strewn about. Large trees lay on the ground, snapped like kindling. Scattered all throughout were hundreds of glowing golden shards of her barrier magic, kept alive by her domain mana. They stuck out of the ground, like a forest of shattered golden spears, driven through trees or impaling bodies. Some of them even simply hovered in the air.


    ¡°Scary,¡± Calen said quietly.


    ¡°What did you do, Ali?¡± Malika asked, staring at her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really remember,¡± she answered. The devastation of the jungle was just as shocking to her as to them.


    Just as Ali began to worry about her fragile reconciliation, Mato broke the silence, ¡°So¡­ would the scary dungeon girl like some dinner?¡±


    She began to growl, ¡°Mato, I don¡¯t think ¨C¡±


    That was the moment when her stomach voiced a loud, eager gurgle.


    The Beastkin grinned, ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Mato!¡± Her stomach let rip a second time. Ali blushed furiously. ¡°Well, it¡¯s probably been four days since I¡¯ve eaten ¡­¡±


    Despite the emotional rollercoaster of the last week, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh, and soon everyone was laughing too. While they set up a makeshift camp and Mato began to cook, Ali could tell everyone was tiptoeing around the fragile and tentative mood, but at least it was a start.


    ----------

 Chapter 120: The Aftermath

    Chapter 120: The AftermathMatoMato roused himself quietly and sat up. Without a lit campfire nearby or the benefits of their tents and sleeping bags, the library was chilly and dark, and the hard, cold stone he had slept on had left him with a few aches and what felt like a new bruise on his hip.


    He stretched, hearing his spine pop several times before he got to his feet and glanced around. Everyone was still sleeping, but he knew that they would soon wake, and they would probably be hungry ¨C at least, he was. It had been a trying day yesterday, but he was glad everyone had finally gone to bed in good spirits.


    As he busied himself setting a small fireplace, he reflected on what had happened. It had not been his preference to hide Ali¡¯s secret from her, but even then, he had not imagined¡­ any of this. What she had experienced when the Watch attacked must have been terrifying.


    He glanced over at her lying on the stone ground, shivering in her sleep. He might not know if it was a nightmare or the cold, but he checked his storage quickly and retrieved a small blanket, placing it carefully over her small frame, trying not to wake her.


    He smiled as her shivering stopped and then busied himself setting a new fire. Most of his cooking gear had been lost in the forest cavern ¨C including his favorite large saucepan ¨C just one more insult to add to the Town Watch¡¯s tally.


    His thoughts returned to the events of the last couple of days while his hands carried out the familiar tasks of preparing breakfast. The Kobolds in the cavern above had hardly counted ¨C all of them being far too low-level to present a real challenge, but the Spectral Wolves had been something else. He frowned, recalling the stench of undeath on them and the blight that had ravaged Ali¡¯s Aunt.


    The problem was he couldn¡¯t just waltz into town and tell the Mayor, the Guildmaster, or the Garrison Commander.


    Malika and Calen had agonized for days over the necessity of killing the Town Watch pillagers, but they had attacked first and offered Malika no quarter. he thought, frowning. He wasn¡¯t about to let squeamishness get his friends killed. It had been a great fight though; a perfect test of his skills. He had taunted the entire melee group off of Malika and used Charge to group them up on top of the ranged classes ¨C the mages and archers ¨C before they had time to react. Once he had the battlefield set up the way he wanted, he had abused his Swipe: Battle Master advancement to impose total control. More than half of the squishy classes hadn¡¯t even figured out that trying to run would get them punished before they died to his claws.


    He stirred the pot slowly while he visited the large tree in his mind, checking the roll-up of his progress over the events of the last few days.


    He glanced over at Ali, shocked to see how many levels she had gained while she had been stuck down here. The two fights were worth a level for him, but Ali must have been fighting constantly for the last four days to advance as much as she had.


    He spent three points each on vitality and strength, improving his health and his attack power. Then he added two points to endurance to improve his tanking skills and resilience. His final two points went to wisdom, reinforcing his mental defenses and improving most of his Druidic magic skills.


    Aliandra


    Ali¡¯s awareness struggled, mired in the tar pit of deep slumber, but ultimately it was the delicious aroma of Mato¡¯s cooking, and the crick in her back, that finally roused her to wakefulness. bleary-eyed, she glanced about her unfamiliar surroundings. She lay on a hard stone floor, covered with a warm but unfamiliar blanket. Encrustations of bone protruded from the walls, and a heavy, cloying mana seeped into the space from somewhere behind her. And with that, the awful memories of the last several days crashed in on her, instantly obliterating any possible remnants of sleep from her mind.


    Off a little way to one side, she could hear the voices of her friends, muted as they tried to allow her to sleep. It had been hard to take Lira¡¯s advice, but she was grateful for it, and the fact that she had been able to reconcile with them. However, who knew how long it would take to fully restore their sense of camaraderie, if ever.


    She was used to having a couple of hours to herself before the others woke, but she still had a blank spot in her memory, and just the image of the devastation in the jungle to explain it. While she lay quietly in the dark, she wrestled with her situation. She was certainly wanted dead ¨C not alive, they had been very clear on their preference ¨C by the Town Watch, for the crime of having the wrong class. But she had her friends. And, beyond all expectations, Lira was alive.


    Carefully, she browsed through the parchment pages of her gold and green book ¨C her mind¡¯s representation of her notifications and status ¨C trying to piece together what had happened.


    She searched backward till she found the notifications. No unspent attribute points remained, so she must have spent them at some point over the last couple of days.  Killing Roderik by herself had earned her two class levels. The three subsequent levels had been earned by wiping out the jungle, it seemed.


    Painstakingly, she pieced everything together, adding everything from Roderik through the twisting of her domain to accommodate Lira¡¯s mana.


    A whopping five of the levels in Minion Teleport had been earned in her frenzied flight from Roderik. She shivered involuntarily at the memory of his ice magic creeping through her flesh after piercing her. The rest of her skill increases must have been earned for using her skill in the jungle ¨C for what, she had no idea.


    Her skills were all over the place. Arcane Insight, Sage of Learning, and the insane five levels in Domain Mastery had all come from the astonishing mana bending she had performed to save Lira and herself from the dungeon-rage caused by their domain mana clashing. She still had no idea how she had pulled that off, but she was grateful she had been able to do it in time to save her. At least most of these skill levels she remembered earning.


    The growth in her Barrier and Grimoire of Summoning skills had to be the result of the devastation and incursion of her domain into the jungle, along with two of the levels in her Domain Mastery skill. Her combat skills, Martial Insight and Empowered Summoner, only leveled in combat, so that had to have been from fighting.


    Gaining skill levels in Grimoire of Summoning seemed particularly surprising ¨C she had always struggled to get it to level fast enough for the imprints she wanted, but it had leveled three times. She had a feeling that her entire time in the jungle ¨C which must have been a couple of days ¨C was all spent in continuous battle. How she had found the time to summon things mid-battle remained an impenetrable mystery.


    She stared at the last one for a long time.


    Arcane Recall had undoubtedly saved her life. She had been far too busy at the time to dwell on it, but lying in the darkness clutching her mystery blanket, the emotional impact of the skill suddenly crashed in on her. It was undoubtedly the same magic her mother had used to save her: at least a nascent version ¨C her mother¡¯s spell had been a legendary invocation of breathtaking elegance and power. It was that unforgettable flickering gray landscape and the sense of frozen time that left its indelible imprint on Ali¡¯s mind. There could be no doubt.


    It had been a sacrifice she had made in the heat of the moment, a desperate grasp for a thread of hope in the moments before dying at the hands of Roderik. When she had first been offered Arcane Recall, she had eventually passed on it in favor of Minion Teleport because of the steep cost of a twenty-four-hour recharge. Had she known what the spell truly was, she would have taken it in an instant. Now that she had it, there was no way she was giving up her mother¡¯s spell to recover her old Arcane Bolt. But it did leave her with a ton of questions.


    She quickly dismissed the idea though. While it was true that her discarded Arcane Bolt ¨C and her earlier Grasping Roots skill ¨C were her only personal damage skills, she still had minions to deal damage for her. Barrier was a Defense-trait combat skill, although the forest of sharpened barrier shards impaling corpses in the jungle might call the defense part into question.


    It would most certainly fundamentally change how she approached combat. she thought, and then suddenly realized that they were sitting close by, and the fact that she actually could discuss it with her friends was quite a precious thing.


    The bigger questions would likely remain unanswered for a while. Mana affinities and even some skill traits or types were known to run in families, but this seemed something more. With just the description, she would have guessed it was a true bloodline skill, but her status page showed nothing like that. But no answers were forthcoming. Just as opaque was the nature of how the spell even worked. She was far more widely read than most, especially on the nature of magic. Scholars seldom agreed, but there was almost unanimous acknowledgment in the literature that true time manipulation magic was impossible ¨C a fantasy. It would cause far too many problems with the fundamental rules of the universe and mana itself. However, haste came in many forms, and could be incredibly fast, resulting in spells that were functionally equivalent to stopping time briefly. This was nothing like that. That she went when she had activated the skill had seemed like being transported into a dream. Something real, and yet imaginary at the same time. Those flickers that showed snapshots of the world at what must be prior events were just as real to her as the current moment, and yet¡­ how could that be possible?


    Shaking her head with far more questions than answers, she pulled up her class for a summary of all that had happened to her.


    Her intelligence was far lower than normal, but that was the result of her having lost the mage she had been using with Empowered Summoner. She still had minions, somewhere out in the jungle, but they were all too far for her to use. All she needed was to resummon her usual Kobold retinue.


    Somehow her semi-conscious mind had decided to spend eight of her attribute points on dexterity¡­ and two on strength! But it was her mana that was the most problematic. Most of her domain had been destroyed when the Town Watch burned the forest, and now she was left with just what she had made in the library and the jungle ¨C and the little extra in the cavern above the library for Lira. Without a full domain, her mana pool had nearly halved ¨C and it was not a problem she could fix with a few minutes of work.


    But the loss of her domain was something she could feel deep inside, and not just in the numbers on her class sheet. It was as if she had sustained an unseen wound, something that would take a while to heal.


    she thought, rolling over and sitting up. Glancing worriedly at her friends, wondering how they would see her now that it was a fresh day. Carefully, she got up and walked over to where they sat, trying to ignore the sudden burst of anxiety and the racing of her heart.


    ¡°I saved you some breakfast,¡± Mato announced without preamble, handing her a bowl of steaming hot oats and a few slices of fruit.


    ¡°Thanks, Mato,¡± she said, the tight band of worry around her chest unclenching. His easy familiarity did a lot to dispel her fears, and she sat beside Malika and began to eat, finding her ravenous hunger from last night had returned in full force.


    ¡°I can change my class,¡± Ali said, finally broaching the subject that was on everyone¡¯s mind. ¡°I know it means starting over, but I did have some other decent class choices.¡±


    ¡°How the heck are you going to do that?¡± Mato asked, looking up with surprise written clearly across his face. Everyone else stared at her in surprise.


    ¡°I can just get it removed at one of the advanced shrines. I was hoping you guys could tell me where one is, and that I have enough money to afford the teleport. I think this will be the best solution for everyone.¡± If she started over, then nobody would have any reason to hate her ¨C she could just be a regular mage. The Arcane Mage and Runic Sage options she had been offered had both been quite good classes and, provided they were still available, she could try one of those. It would cost her, though ¨C she would no longer have the Forest Guardian, or Arcane Recall ¨C her treasured links to her parent¡¯s magic.


    ¡°Ali, there are no shrines like that. Those are just stories,¡± Malika explained, staring at her like she had suddenly sprouted an extra head.


    ¡°Ared Culyn is not too far, and they have one at the Academy,¡± Ali countered. The shrine in the city of commerce had been well known throughout the continent. It was expensive, she had heard, but with a little help, she could probably afford it.


    ¡°Ared Culyn was real?¡± Calen gasped.


    Calen¡¯s surprise drove home the visceral and shocking weight of the passage of three thousand years in a way that the numbers simply failed to capture. Many things would have changed over the thousands of years, but Ared Culyn had been such a fixture in the minds of all the cultures on the continent; the city of trade, the place to go whenever you needed something impossibly rare or fantastic. Her mother had even taken her there on a trip once, but she had been too young to remember much.


    ¡°What about Aalion?¡± Ali asked, trying a different tack. It, too, had boasted a powerful shrine. Surely the Sun Elf City of Light had survived? It had stood as a tall radiant beacon in the north for countless centuries, steeped in the tradition and magic of the elves well before Dal¡¯mohra had even existed.


    ¡°Aalion?¡± Calen cocked his head to the side a little. ¡°The great elven city of legends? It was destroyed in the Necromancer Wars several thousand years ago. Nobody even knows where it was after the Breaking reshaped the land.¡±


    ¡°Mi¡¯ir Valdanis?¡± Ali asked, the Night Elf capital had been a thriving underground city; she had never visited, but she was certain it had a shrine.


    ¡°Ali, I don¡¯t even know what that is,¡± Calen said, shattering her last hope.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m lacking a lot of history,¡± Ali finally answered. She didn¡¯t know what the Necromancer War was but, having personally witnessed the destruction of Dal¡¯mohra at the hands of Nevyn Eld, she could imagine. Shocking as the changes were, they simply drove home the irrefutable truth of the new world she found herself in.


    she realized. It explained a little more why Malika was so impressed with her Shrine of the Ancient Grove. Surprisingly though, she didn¡¯t feel anxiety, just a sense of relief that she could keep the magic and skills that gave her so much joy.


    ¡°Ali, I don¡¯t think you should try. In the stories, people do not recover from changing their class,¡± Malika cautioned, concern written across her face. The shrines Ali remembered had been widely used and considered perfectly safe, but she chose not to argue, finding Malika¡¯s concern for her wellbeing to be comforting.


    ¡°Mato had the courage to throw away a skill when it was bad,¡± Ali said. Part of her problem was that her friends had been branded as outlaws simply for their association with her as a dungeon.


    ¡°That¡¯s different,¡± Mato interjected.


    ¡°How is it different?¡± Ali asked. ¡°That skill made you hurt your friends, so you replaced it. You guys were attacked by the Town Watch because of my class. Isn¡¯t that the same thing?¡±


    ¡°My skill made me into something I¡¯m not. If I was in control, I would never have hurt you,¡± Mato answered quietly. ¡°You are still yourself, always. You¡¯ve never tried to hurt any of us on purpose.¡±


    ¡°I have no memory of what I did in the jungle, and I did attack you with my Guardian,¡± she countered.


    ¡°That¡¯s not because of your class, you were just scared.¡±


    ¡°What about when I shoot you with fireballs? That¡¯s on purpose,¡± Ali retorted.


    ¡°But I kinda like that. It¡¯s nice and warm,¡± Mato chuckled, the somber melancholy mood he always got when reminded of his attack on her evaporating quickly with her attempt at humor.


    ¡°Seriously, though,¡± he continued, ¡°don¡¯t try and hide your class, or pretend to be something else because of what people might think. If you¡¯re going to be a dungeon, be a dungeon, you know? Be legendary and show everyone who you are. I will support you no matter what.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ You really don¡¯t care that I¡¯m a dungeon?¡± Mato¡¯s opinion had to be the most Mato-thing she had ever heard, but his overly straightforward approach to her issue touched her heart and made her feel welcome in a way that no amount of reasoning her way through the problem could have ever hoped to do.


    She saw Malika shake her head. ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°I  it,¡± Mato said firmly. ¡°The plants and trees are cool, and I want to help you build an amazing forest. You¡¯re very strong and reliable in fights ¨C we would never have defeated the Skeletal Wyvern or the Wights without you. I don¡¯t care that you¡¯re an unconventional adventurer, I want to do more of that with you.¡±


    ¡°You really mean that?¡± It surprised her greatly. Mato was not making excuses for her class or trying to cover over the problems ¨C which is what she had instinctively been looking for. He wholeheartedly supported it, and that was a perspective she would never have considered.


    ¡°You know he¡¯s serious because he used a lot of words,¡± Calen chipped in from where he sat listening.


    ¡°You¡¯re ok with it too?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Calen nodded. But from him, a single word was all she needed to be certain of his sincerity.


    ¡°Malika? Your family was killed by a dungeon, and I know you¡¯ve carried a lot of hurt from that. Are you really ok with me?¡± Ali was most worried about her, and the tremendous burden of pain she had shared. She knew she would do anything for her, even tearing the continent apart, searching for a shrine to change her class, no matter the risk or cost.


    ¡°I¡¯m ok, Ali,¡± Malika answered, staring off into the distance as she spoke. ¡°You are not the dungeon that killed them.¡± She fell silent for a while, but then she collected herself and glanced at Ali, meeting her eyes. ¡°There was a time when I wouldn¡¯t have made that distinction. I was terrified of earning a class that would define me as bad, and I was so relieved when I got one that was good. But you have a dungeon class, and you¡¯re still Ali. It was when Calen told me that I knew who were that I think I finally realized the class doesn¡¯t define the person unless they allow it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ali answered, feeling profoundly moved. Malika¡¯s shift in her perception had to have been painful and challenging for her, especially considering the weight of her past experiences.


    ¡°May I join you?¡± The soft voice carried a resonance and vitality that had been missing yesterday.


    ¡°Lira!¡± Ali exclaimed, jumping up and running to her. ¡°You look so much better!¡± Indeed, there were no signs of the blight that had afflicted her, and her color was deeper and richer, as if rejuvenated. She moved with an entirely familiar poise and grace ¨C no longer so frail.


    ¡°Thank you, dear. I do feel much better,¡± she answered, returning Ali¡¯s embrace and joining them by the small cookfire.


    ¡°Can I make you something to eat?¡± Mato offered.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lira said, ¡°but I¡¯m more tree than creature. I am sustained by mana or sunlight ¨C although I do occasionally enjoy some tea.¡±


    Without a word, Mato pulled out a bag of tea leaves and set some water on the fire to boil.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re talking with your friends again,¡± Lira said, looking down at Ali.


    ¡°Thank you for your advice yesterday,¡± Ali said. ¡°I was really upset and not behaving well. We were just sitting here talking about my class. Did you know Ared Culyn, Aalion, and Mi¡¯ir Valdanis were destroyed?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Lira said, ¡°and the shrines were destroyed, too.¡±


    ¡°What? They can be broken?¡± Ali exclaimed. She had grown up believing her father¡¯s shrine was indestructible. ¡°My shrine¡­¡±


    ¡°Yours is probably fine,¡± Lira reassured her. ¡°It takes immense power to destroy one, and I don¡¯t think anyone in this town is capable of it.¡±


    Ali breathed again, but the worry didn¡¯t entirely vanish.


    ¡°One advanced shrine remains at Aman Rak,¡± Lira offered.


    ¡°The trolls?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but for what it¡¯s worth, I agree with the young Mato here. I don¡¯t recommend changing your class.¡±


    Ali glanced at Lira, recalling something she had revealed yesterday, that she had forgotten among the many shocks and emotional events of the day. ¡°Can you tell me more about my dad?¡±


    ¡°Orian? About him being a dungeon?¡± Lira asked, understanding her curiosity instantly.


    Ali nodded.


    ¡°Even back then, many people feared dungeons,¡± Lira said. ¡°He was not accepted by all, but the Council of Kings saw his value and supported him. Over the many decades he lived in the Grove, he freely provided thousands of youths with potent classes through the services of his shrine. In a way, you could say he created the backbone upon which Dal¡¯mohra achieved its glory and prosperity. He also provided the city with many resources from his magic, but it was the abundance of powerful magical classes that truly set Dal¡¯mohra apart from ordinary cities, and that was entirely due to Orian¡¯s life of service.¡±


    Ali sat in silence for a while, considering Lira¡¯s words. It painted her father in quite a different light. While she knew most of what she had said, she had never been told that his class was a dungeon. The information had been right in front of her ¨C he regularly conducted class advancements at his shrine, he could summon monsters, and it was he who had taught her about domains and withdrawal. His quiet humility had hidden a greatness that she had never explicitly been aware of.


    ¡°Another friend?¡± Lira interrupted her thoughts, and she snapped her head up to see a violet-tinged golden mana formation appear in the atrium.


    Ali panicked for a moment, recognizing it as a teleportation spell, but as it completed, it was Ryn that appeared, her gossamer butterfly wings flowing gently to keep her aloft.


    ¡°Ali! Are you here?¡± Ryn called out.


    ¡°Over here, Ryn.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank goodness you¡¯re ok,¡± she exclaimed, swooping down to join them. ¡°The town is in uproar. The Town Watch is claiming they killed a dungeon down here, and a lot of their members died. I was worried you had been hurt so I came as soon as I heard the news.¡±


    Ali¡¯s words caught in her throat as her excitement at seeing her friend was banished by sudden anxiety.


    With a deep breath, she braced herself. ¡°Ryn, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m the dungeon ¨C they were trying to kill me.¡±


    ¡°I figured as much,¡± she answered, her lips drawn into an earnest pucker. ¡°I¡¯m so glad they didn¡¯t get you. Here, I brought you a change of clothes, some apples, and a book to read.¡± She handed Ali a bag that had the familiar Reading Corner logo on it. ¡°Sorry I couldn¡¯t bring more; food prices have suddenly skyrocketed and even just these apples were hard to find.¡±


    Ali was stunned speechless for a moment. She looked into the bag to find a couple of apples nestled on top of a book she had been meaning to read and a neatly folded bundle of warm clothing. It was not like Ryn had misunderstood ¨C she had acknowledged Ali¡¯s admission ¨C it had simply not mattered in the slightest.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she told Ryn. While she made it seem like she was saying thank you for the thoughtful gifts, she was most deeply grateful for Ryn¡¯s indifference to her class issues.


    ¡°They¡¯re looking for all of you in town. Well, not you Ali ¨C word got out that you¡¯re the dungeon that they killed ¨C but the Town Watch identified Malika, Calen, and Mato as having killed the dungeon hunters. The mayor wants you all brought in for questioning. I heard Vivian Ross was furious about the whole deal.¡±


    Ali raised her eyebrow, she hadn¡¯t expected the Guildmaster to be so upset, but she had seemed protective of her guild members. ¡°Do you know if Havok and the other novices survived? Roderik tried to kill them.¡±


    ¡°I healed Havok and Aiden before I came down looking for you, Ali,¡± Malika answered. ¡°He was ok when I left the guild.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank goodness,¡± Ali breathed. ¡°Any chance you can tell Eliyen and Basil that I¡¯m ok? And perhaps Thuli and Kav¨¦ too? But perhaps best to keep it quiet.¡±


    ¡°My mom will be worried sick,¡± Calen added, looking pretty worried himself.


    ¡°Ok, ok,¡± Ryn tutted with a smile. ¡°Let me make a list. I can try to get whatever supplies you need too, but people are hoarding fresh food, so that might be difficult to find.¡±


    Ali thought, her gaze drifting to her Aunt¡¯s knowing hazel eyes.

 Chapter 121: Lira’s Request

    Chapter 121: Lira¡¯s RequestAliandra ¡°Can you tell us what happened to you?¡± Ali asked, glancing at Lira who somehow managed to make sitting on a rough chunk of bone-encrusted rock in the dark and dusty forgotten library look effortlessly elegant, sipping on the tea Mato had brewed.


    She sighed, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ embarrassing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok if you¡¯d rather not.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s better that you know, for I have a favor to ask of you after,¡± Lira answered. ¡°You must understand, all my friends perished in the destruction of Dal¡¯mohra and the disaster that followed. I saw it, Aliandra; the army of the dead pouring from the city for days and laying waste to everything in its path. All fled or were crushed under his heels. Every person that his monsters slew was raised to serve the Blind Lich in undeath, feeding his power. Even the Council of Kings was turned. Artur Dragonsworn and Bragni Doomhammer were unleashed upon the world as Death Knights ¨C generals to command his armies ¨C and Thaldorien Stormshaper was raised as a wraith of terrifying power.¡±


    ¡°I know, I met them,¡± Ali whispered, shivering at the icy chill and dread of their auras as if the mere memory were enough to summon them. She had looked up to them, powerful icons of honor, duty, justice, and the pursuit of knowledge. The Blind Lich had swept them aside in an instant.


    ¡°It is perhaps a blessing that you did not have to endure what happened next,¡± Lira said, her eyes taking on a distant look of pain. ¡°The Lich buried the ruins of Dal¡¯mohra by dropping the mountain on it. His forces spread out, blackening the lands, sowing blight and death to whatever they touched.¡±


    She had witnessed the beginning of those terrible events from within her mother¡¯s stasis spell ¨C the mountain crashing down on her and burying everything she knew.


    ¡°Are you talking about the Necromancer Wars?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lira answered. ¡°For a time, it seemed that the forces of the living would prevail. When the Elves joined the Human kings, and the Dwarves descended from their mountain holds, the undead army¡¯s advance ground to a standstill.¡±


    ¡°What happened then?¡± Ali asked, with the intensity and fixation of a person watching an avalanche roaring down the mountainside toward her.


    ¡°Somehow, he turned the great frost dragon, Kryostria,¡± Lira said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He did not defeat her,¡± Lira said, her mouth twisting into a sharp line. ¡°I know not what transpired, but she appeared above the battlefield one day, a withered shadow of her former vitality. A horror known as a Dracolich. I was not present, so I am guessing, but he must have used her to access a rift to the shattered realms beyond this one. Her appearance on the battlefield heralded a horde of Dragonkin that pushed the forces of men, elves, and dwarves back to the northern seas.¡±


    ¡°How did they stop him?¡± Calen asked, breathless.


    ¡°For the first, and only time in history, the mighty Troll kingdoms put aside their pride and banded together to aid the forces of the living,¡± Lira answered. ¡°With the trolls taking the field, the tide of undead and Dragonkin was forced to a standstill again. But then, the Lich did something that changed the course of history forever. I felt the eldritch twisted magic that claimed Mi¡¯ir Valdanis and swallowed it up. It rippled across the world like a horrific tainted nightmare, and when everyone woke, the Night Elf city was gone.¡±


    ¡°It swallowed up the whole city?¡± Ali gasped.


    ¡°And most of the Night Elves,¡± Lira said. ¡°It was only the sacrifice of the Sun Elves that finally broke the Lich¡¯s armies. Once the Blind Lich claimed Mi¡¯ir Valdanis, he freed up his forces to press Aalion, driving the living back through the Thousand Celestial Peaks to the walls of the City of Light. Aliandra, I heard the explosion from half a continent away. Many believe it was foul magic wrought by the Lich, but I believe it was a spell wrought by the Sun Elf archmages, a last-ditch attempt to deny him his prize. Whichever it may have been, Aalion vanished, along with the Thousand Celestial Peaks, and the world was forever reshaped in the aftermath. Nevyn Eld and his armies were destroyed that day, and he was forced to resurrect via his Phylactery.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Mato breathed.


    ¡°The Night Elves and Sun Elves suffered a grievous blow from which they have never recovered,¡± Lira added.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t he return and take over the world then?¡± Ali asked. ¡°If he could resurrect after everyone died¡­¡±


    ¡°You must understand the mind of the Blind Lich, Aliandra,¡± Lira said, gazing at her intently. ¡°Would a man strive to rule a kingdom of ants? Nevyn Eld does not care for rule ¨C he cares only for personal power. Whatever he sought from Mi¡¯ir Valdanis, he got it. And his prize in Aalion was forever denied to him. Even to this day, he still presses the Wood Elves and Ciradyl with his Shadow Council minions, but I believe he has turned his gaze to other realms to fuel his hunger for artifacts of power and new magic to fuel his malign research. It is the only reason we still live; we are beneath his gaze.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ awful,¡± Ali murmured, her mind recoiling from the horror of Lira¡¯s story.  A horror so great that the destruction of a city like Ared Culyn did not even warrant a mention. ¡°Ciradyl¡­ still stands?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lira answered. ¡°The mythic Well of Souls still wards their city with its inscrutable magic.¡±


    ¡°Also, the Elven Pathfinder Guild is based in Ciradyl, and Lyeneru Silverleaf works tirelessly to track the Lich¡¯s Shadow Council forces,¡± Calen said.


    Barely anything she remembered was the same. Her thoughts returning to Lira, Ali asked, ¡°How did you survive such devastation?¡±


    ¡°Much of my forest domain was destroyed in the march of the dead and the subsequent Breaking, leaving me greatly weakened. My magic is not suited for battle, as you well know, and the nurturing and growing of things is antithetical to the very nature of necromancy. I was not a target for the Lich, and the undead armies bypassed me, leaving me with no more than a small stand of trees to the south. It took centuries for me to recover what you refer to as the Lirasian Forest, and afterward, I remained reclusive, choosing to live apart from the affairs of the world.¡±


    ¡°I wallowed in my loneliness for thousands of years, content to drive everyone from my forest and enforce my fragile little illusion of peace,¡± Lira said, but her face twisted and her eyes hardened. ¡°Then the Necromancer came. Alexander Gray.¡±


    ¡°How did he prevail?¡± Ali asked. After all, her aunt was a three-mark being. Even without combat spells, she should have been far more powerful than anything Ali had encountered so far in this age.


    ¡°Using a devious disguise artifact and honeyed words, he wooed me, and, in my loneliness, I allowed him into my heart,¡± Lira said. ¡°He appeared to me as a Druid and even faked his mana affinity and the ability to cast nature magic. Then he cursed me. An evil concoction tainted by death and eldritch magics, inflicting Mana Severance and Nightmare Slumber upon me, a curse designed to block my connection to my domain.¡±


    ¡°How could he know how to do that?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°The necromancer is but a pawn in the service of the Blind Lich. I am certain it was his master¡¯s hand that crafted the curse.¡±


    ¡°And now?¡± Ali gasped. A curse from the Blind Lich was dire news, but she couldn¡¯t see any signs of the magic upon her.


    ¡°The curse is broken now that I have regained a small domain,¡± Lira said.


    ¡°Good,¡± Mato said, clenching a fist.


    Lira nodded her agreement and continued, ¡°When I awoke, Alexander Gray had shed his disguise and cast a blight across the land, destroying my forest and turning all living creatures into the walking dead ¨C skeletons, zombies, and worse. Without my domain, I am nothing ¨C and he knew it.¡±


    ¡°The whole forest?¡± Calen gasped.


    ¡°Undead?¡± Mato growled.


    Ali was horrified. Lira had said the Necromancer had destroyed her forest, but the truth of the story was much more dire. The entire forest and all life within it had been infected by the blight and raised as the undead. Such an unchecked concentration of undead would wreak untold destruction and death upon the entire region.


    Lira stared off into the distance for a while. Calen mouthed the name, ¡®Alexander Gray¡¯, but Ali noticed he did not write it down. Was the man that powerful? That dangerous? She had rarely seen the half-elf look paler; she couldn¡¯t help but shiver.


    Eventually, Ali asked, ¡°Do you want us to help you fight him?¡±


    ¡°No, dear,¡± she answered. ¡°What I would ask of you is of much greater importance. My forest was the last of my dear children. If we cannot recover a tree or an acorn, I fear they will be lost to the world forever.¡±


    ¡°The Lirasian Oaks?¡± Mato asked. ¡°The magical trees?¡± S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Yes, that is how they¡¯re known in the common tongue. It will be an undertaking fraught with danger, but I implore you to take me back to the forest. Protect me from the undead while I search. There is no time to wait to regain my mana ¨C I fear it may already be too late, but I cannot rest until I see for myself,¡± Lira said, anguish written in the lines of her face.


    ¡°I will help you,¡± Ali answered without hesitation.


    ¡°Are you sure, child? It is certain to be dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Ali answered. If they found a few intact trees, she could add the imprint to her Grimoire and then summon them when they returned. She ignored the fact that she would have to convince the distraught Dryad to let her destroy perfectly good trees to make that plan work. ¡°I have a few good friends I can ask for help, and it might be good for us to get away from the city for a while, right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Ali,¡± Mato said instantly. ¡°I¡¯m in.¡±


    ¡°Same,¡± Calen added.


    ¡°Me too,¡± said Malika.


    ***


    Ali held Lira¡¯s hand tight as she followed her friends through the winding tunnel and out to the mountain pass above the town. She blinked against the sudden brightness of the early morning sunlight and took a deep breath of fresh air. Lira¡¯s hand trembled a little in hers as if she were nervous for what was to come, and Ali knew it had nothing to do with the flight.


    She checked to make certain her Kobold mage and Acolyte were both within range of her Empowered Summoner. She wasn¡¯t certain she could carry much more weight, so she was restricting herself to just one healer, and the mage to boost her intelligence. The only other minions she was bringing were three Poison Wyverns for extra firepower that she wouldn¡¯t need to carry, and a flight of Luminous Dragonets in case she needed additional small portable eyes.


    She channeled her mana, summoning the largest barrier disk she could manage, immediately surprised by the sheer volume of magic she could now wield ¨C and how much easier the control came to her. Even though she was simply making a disk, her sense of control over the shape of her creation was unparalleled. The rapid levels she had gained made a surprising difference.


    ¡°Ok, everyone on,¡± she said, stepping onto the barrier and sitting in the middle while the others clambered onto her hovering disk. She could sense the weight of it, but with her empowered control, it would be manageable.


    ¡°You good, Ali?¡± Malika asked. When Ali had expressed some concern about being able to carry everyone, Malika had suggested she could reduce the load by running in the air, but it would consume her stamina quickly.


    ¡°Yes, this is ok,¡± Ali said, somewhat surprised to find that it was true. ¡°Arcane Recall has really improved my Barrier spell.¡±


    ¡°By how much?¡± Calen asked, his curiosity written clearly on his face.


    ¡°A twenty-five percent improvement to power and control,¡± Ali answered, sharing her current skill description with them, getting a low, impressed whistle from the half-elf.


    Arcane Recall ¨C level 5


    You are proficient with Arcane magic. You gain +25%  to spell power, spell haste, mana control, and mental reaction speed with Arcane magic.


    Mana: Ignore the recharge for any Magic skill, spell, or triggered ability. Your magic is cast instantly. Recharge: 24 hours.


    Arcane, Metamagic, Mastery, Intelligence


    ¡°I remember that one, that¡¯s a good skill,¡± he said. ¡°What did you have to give up for it?¡±


    ¡°Arcane Bolt,¡± Ali answered. It was a steep cost, and she was still not quite sure how she would manage it during future fights, but the skill she had gained in its place was impressive. For her instant Barrier magic, spell haste made no difference, but the spell power improved the amount of barrier magic she could wield, and the control increased her ability to move or shape it ¨C which included the amount of weight she could lift. In combination with her intelligence boost from Empowered Summoner and her Kobold mage, she was lifting all five of them two Kobold minions on a five-meter diameter disk.


    ¡°You still have mages, archers, and shamans to fight with,¡± Calen said, nodding as he arrived at the same conclusion Ali had.


    ¡°Maybe you can get an offensive option later?¡± Malika mused.


    ¡°Yep, we¡¯re going to miss your buzzing arcane mosquitos,¡± Mato chuckled. Ali made a face at him, but he was undeterred. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that what it was called, right, Calen? Minor Mosquito Barrage. Plus five to enemies getting no sleep. Bzzt.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t drag me into this,¡± Calen said, shaking his head.


    She levitated them all into the air and then flew off in a southerly direction, carefully skirting the town in case there was anyone with long-range defenses on the lookout. She sped up gradually until she found a comfortable cruising speed, taking joy in the experience of flying in the morning sunshine, tracking the Myrin River as they headed south. Malika and Calen occasionally ventured off on their own using their movement skills, returning when they needed to recover their mana.


    Ali¡¯s upbeat mood vanished after several hours of flight. As they began to reach the outlying farmland, the very land itself began to look sick. Everywhere the eye fell, plants were blackened or wilted, and occasionally low-lying areas were filled with a mist that glowed ominously with death-affinity mana. The miasma rapidly worsened as they flew on.


    By the time they approached the tree line, everyone was staring at the unbelievable scope of the disaster unfolding below. Everything they flew over lay dead or dying.


    ¡°This is horrible¡­¡± Malika said quietly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a crime against nature,¡± Mato answered.


    ¡°Look over there,¡± Calen pointed. ¡°A village. Or what¡¯s left of it.¡±


    Ali spied a few small buildings far below. Quickly she switched to her closest dragon, taking advantage of its acute eyesight, but she immediately wished she hadn¡¯t. What was left of the crude town was mired in patches of ominous mist, but not all was still. The town crawled with skeletons.


    ¡°We should find the trees we can save, quickly,¡± Lira urged, leaning forward on the barrier to get a better look.


    Ali chose not to voice the thought, but it was clear the others felt similarly. As far as she could see, the entire forest was blighted. None of the trees were green, and many of them were fallen. The ones that still stood had lost most of their leaves, thrusting blackened, bare branches toward the sky like headstones of rusted swords adorning a long-forgotten battlefield. This Alexander Gray was a monster. If he could destroy a forest on this scale¡­


    But the forest was enormous, and Lira seemed so hopeful. Ali skimmed further south, pushing her barrier to fly as fast as was comfortable, while her friends scanned the ground for anything redeemable. Kilometers of forest rolled quickly by with no break in the unrelenting blight and dead trees.


    Even from their height, Ali could clearly make out the Lirasian Oaks, or what remained of them, their blackened trunks rising high above the other trees and their bare branches spread wide. They looked just like the dead trunks in her forest cavern, reaching upward for millennia to support the tons of rock and stone that had fallen from the mountain.


    ¡°Over there!¡± Calen called out, pointing down and to their left. ¡°I see green.¡±


    At once, Ali banked to the side and flew off to where Calen had spied life. It was a single enormous oak that stood in splendid, solid majesty atop a hill, spared most of the blight and death. Proudly tall, its boughs spread wide, still filled with green.


    ¡°It looks alive,¡± Mato said, stepping off the barrier as Ali lowered it to the hillside.


    ¡°No!¡± Lira gasped, running toward the tree.


    Then Ali suddenly saw it. From the deep roots, the tree drew the black ominous mana into it, infecting the core of the trunk. Already, the blight and dark necromancy sent shooting tendrils up through the viridian green of the tree¡¯s mana, consuming it from the inside out. Helplessly, she watched as leaves began to wilt and blacken, some falling from the tree in the gusty breeze, floating away with the strong odor of rot and decay.


    A vast surge of potent nature mana surged from Lira¡¯s hands, pouring into the tree as she struggled to save it.  Ali thought, staring on in amazement, but through Arcane Insight, she could tell it was an effort in vain ¨C Lira¡¯s mana, much weaker than in her domain, slowed the spread of the hungry black tendrils, but she was powerless to stop it.


    ¡°Aunt Lira, please¡­¡± Ali begged.


    But Lira fought with a desperation that arrested her voice and forced her to watch as Lira spent herself against the relentless tide of the unholy necromantic blight.


    ¡°Mato, stop her. Please,¡± Ali said, finally finding her voice when the tree had lost most of its leaves. Only faint traces of the green nature mana remained, and Lira was in serious danger of becoming infected with the blight again.


    ¡°No! No, no, please, no¡­¡± Lira wailed as Mato tore her away from the dead tree, his hands gentle and his face so, so sad.


    Ali¡¯s heart hung heavy in her breast as she took to the air again, listening quietly to Lira grieve the tree. Her tree. While Ali could not appreciate the connection between a Dryad ¨C a tree spirit ¨C and her trees, she most certainly resonated with the grief in Lira¡¯s defeated posture, her sobbing, and the hand that clutched desperately at her own for what scant comfort she could provide.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go further south, around the perimeter,¡± Calen suggested quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll keep scouting.¡± With that, he hopped off the barrier held aloft by his bright ephemeral wings, flying higher for a few minutes to get a broader view.


    They flew on in silence for almost an hour before Calen pointed in a new direction.


    ¡°Maybe try over that way?¡± he suggested cautiously.


    Lira immediately perked up with hope on her face, and Ali was grateful Calen had not acted overly excited. She struggled to see anything alive in the sea of death below. But a few minutes later, she found it. A small stand of several trees around the base of a massive Lirasian Oak, seemingly a tiny outpost of life amid the blight all around.


    She lowered their trajectory, swooping down to the tiny oasis of life, alighting on the mossy, unspoiled ground. Lira¡¯s face lit with joy at the sight of the tree, and she was about to leap to the ground when Calen¡¯s bow fired an intensely glowing arrow through the trees.


    Whatever he had hit squealed loudly, but like no animal Ali had ever heard.


    ¡°Ali, help!¡± Calen called out. ¡°Nobody get close to it!¡±


    His urgent cry halted Mato mid-shift. Ali forced her bile back down as she caught sight of the abomination. A grotesque, flesh-spider monstrosity scrabbled and crawled across the turf, dragging itself along with three spastically twitching mismatched arms and two legs sewn to a fleshy patchwork body. Several mouths wailed incessantly, belching clouds of black miasma that seemed to cling to the ground and the plants as it passed.


    Wherever the miasma struck, death followed. Plants shriveled, wilted, and died in moments. Grass blackened, and the mana of death magic bloomed in a horrifying parody of growth.


    At once, Ali targeted it and fired Arcane Bolt ¨C only to find her skill was missing and she had nothing to feed her mana to.


    she thought. It would take a while to get used to not having her most trusty combat skill. Instead, she turned her attention to her minions and other skills. ¡°¡± Ali commanded, and without any hesitation, she converted all her remaining barrier magic into shards. Shards that were much sharper now with her new enhanced control ¨C and she sent them flying toward the nightmare monster.


    ¡°Yes, Ancient Mistress.¡± For once, her Kobold Fire Mage did not grin with pleasure at her command. With narrowed eyes and clenched teeth, her minion created fire as her shards shot out to pin the monster to the ground.


    Ali gritted her teeth, ignoring Lira¡¯s cries of pain as the Fireballs detonated among the trees, grateful that Mato was holding her from running in to try and save everything. Whatever that monster was, it needed to be burnt. Impaling it on her barriers had seemed to only accelerate the billowing clouds of miasma.


    Calen¡¯s arrows didn¡¯t stop for a few moments after the chime, and Ali didn¡¯t blame him one bit, but the Blighted Patchwork Horror had worked its evil. As the miasma soaked into the ground, thick ropy tendrils of black death mana shot up through the roots and into the trunks of the trees, as the blight claimed them.


    ¡°We should go,¡± Ali said, reforming her barrier for them.


    ¡°No, I can save them,¡± Lira moaned, beside herself at the sight of the rapidly spreading blight.


    ¡°I know you can see the infection,¡± Ali answered, trying to put as much kindness into her voice as she could. ¡°You will just infect yourself if you touch the miasma.¡± Ali was certain Lira would not be able to save the trees ¨C she was so much weaker out here than back in her domain. Just the thought of seeing Lira withered and dying to the blight a second time was more than she could bear.


    They flew further south, and Ali had to endure Lira¡¯s heart-wrenching sobbing again. It was hard to hear her grief for the trees, but Ali finally understood the reason Lira had asked for their help. She could not be rational in the face of this horror ¨C the destruction of her forest ¨C and Ali was here to stop her from doing something she couldn¡¯t help that would get her killed or worse.


    They flew for hours. Every time Calen found something, Lira¡¯s face would light up with renewed hope, only to be crushed by the cruel reality when they inevitably discovered they were way too late to save anything. The day faded to evening and their stops became fewer until they could find no more and even Lira¡¯s hope slumped to despair.


    ¡°I think we should go home,¡± Malika announced, finally putting words to the obvious truth ¨C they had failed to find anything alive in what had once been the largest magical forest on the continent.


    The extinction of the amazing trees, sacrificed on the whim of an evil Necromancer, weighed heavily on Ali¡¯s heart. It was an unfathomable loss to the world, but it was a loss to her personally also. Many of the trees in her father¡¯s Grove had been the towering Lirasian Oaks and she remembered them fondly. Their dead trunks in her old cavern, still standing thousands of years later, were a testament to how much magic they had contained.


    With a heavy heart, she turned her barrier toward the north and began flying back toward Myrin¡¯s Keep.


    ¡°Aliandra, stop!¡± Lira¡¯s voice cut through her sadness. ¡°There in the town.¡± She seemed to be gesticulating animatedly toward the ruined town on the outskirts of the northernmost border of the forest. The town they had passed on the way down ¨C barely visible now in the dimmer evening light.


    ¡°I remember. The boy ¨C he had something. He tried to hide it. I have to find it. Please stop?¡±


    Lira seemed to be babbling, but she urgently gripped Ali¡¯s hand as she spoke, so she turned and descended toward the town. Ali wasn¡¯t certain what exactly Lira was talking about, but the day had been extremely traumatic for her, and she was loath to cause more pain by trying to convince her that there was nothing alive down there.


    In fact, the entire town seemed to be crawling with undead.


    ¡°Are we going to go down into that?¡± Mato asked with a grimace on his face. It had to be the first time she had heard Mato unexcited about a potential fight, but she felt the same sentiment.


    ¡°Please, I beg of you,¡± Lira pleaded, and Ali¡¯s heart broke to hear her reduced to begging again.


    ¡°Can we? Just once more?¡± Ali asked her friends. It likely would be a fight, but she knew instinctively that she wouldn¡¯t be able to convince Lira that it was another dead end unless she saw it for herself.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Malika said.


    Mato grunted unhappily but did not object.


    ¡°Over there, Ali,¡± Calen said, selecting a relatively clear spot in the center to land, and she flew down to let them off.


    ¡°Get ready,¡± Mato said, holding off on his transformation until she had them on the ground, so she didn¡¯t have to carry the extra weight of his Bear Form.


    As soon as they landed, a low, creepy moan rose from the dusk-lit ruined village, accompanied by the clacking of bone as zombies and skeletons turned to face them and broke into a shambling rush. Mato charged forward, crashing into the undead with a loud roar, attracting the attention of most of them, while Malika sprang into action collecting the stragglers.


    Without a full complement of minions, Ali felt vulnerable, popping her barrier around herself and Lira while she instructed her wyverns and her mage to attack. But Lira was not there.


    ¡°Lira!¡± she cried, but the Dryad was halfway across the dirt street sprinting toward a stone building and couldn¡¯t hear her. She did not even notice the zombies that crept out of the dead bushes to reach her.


    An incandescent arrow flew right past her fleeing form, striking one of the undead, and drawing it away from her, and Ali breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I got it, Ali,¡± Calen said. ¡°Concentrate on killing the pack around Mato.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡± She directed her mage to open fire on the pack of skeletons and zombies and then Calen darted off, lining up the monsters so that the ones chasing him would have to pass within range of Mato¡¯s claws.


    In the center of the ruined village¡¯s main dirt road, a brutal melee of skeletons and zombies had formed surrounding the furious bear. More and more undead emerged from the buildings and the nearby dead forest, drawn to the crashing collisions and roaring of combat. Malika and Calen continued drawing them into the center, hoping that Mato would be able to secure them, but Ali was struggling. With only one Fire Mage and three Poison Wyverns, she should have been able to kill them, but for some reason only a few skeletons had collapsed ¨C and mainly due to her Fire Mage or Mato¡¯s powerful claws.


    She glanced at her wyverns, swooping in and spraying jets of high-pressure poison onto the group of undead monsters ¨C a green liquid that splashed through their bones and dripped to the ground.


    ¡°Calen, are undead immune to poison?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Fuck,¡± he shouted, dodging to the side and drawing several skeletons away from her.


    Ali redirected her intent to the three swooping Wyverns and suddenly began to see results. Their talons tore chunks of dead flesh from the zombies, and their powerful jaws crushed skeleton bones with a gruesome crunching noise, but without the area damage of their poison, it was going to be a very long fight.


    ¡°¡± Ali instructed, and the powerful Wyvern jaws closed on the shoulder of a skeleton. With a sweep of its wings, it hauled the twitching monster high into the air and dropped it crashing to the ground.


    ¡°Ali! Help!¡± Calen shouted, and she snapped her head around just in time to see Lira emerging from the crude stone-walled lumber mill, something clutched tightly to her breast. Something that shone with several intense sparks of the most brilliant green mana she had ever seen, visible even through her hands.


    A huge, tusked monster loomed behind the ecstatic, oblivious Dryad, towering head and shoulders above the lumber mill. Putrid fluid seeped from open wounds in its immensely broad chest and arms thicker than tree trunks. A chunk of its face had withered away, leaving the bone of its eye socket exposed to the flies buzzing around its rotting flesh.


    ¡°Aliandra! I found them!¡± Lira shouted.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Ali screamed. It was clear that Lira had not seen or heard the monster charging toward her, three-fingered hands as large as barrels reaching for her. As if she saw it all in slow motion, the giant zombie troll slammed its enormous frame into the lumber mill, and the poorly constructed building exploded, not even slowing the monster down in the slightest.


    Ali slammed a barrier into place between Lira and the sprinting mountain of rotting flesh, and Lira finally turned at the loud cracks of stone shattering against the golden wall. The troll drew back a giant arm as it sprinted through the flying remnants of the exploding mill and unleashed all its furious momentum into a punch that shattered Ali¡¯s barrier, sending Lira tumbling head over heels, her precious bundle flying to the ground.


    Ali¡¯s mind registered the trivial detail as she struggled to form a coherent strategy to deal with several tons of undead aggression tearing through a stone building as if it were made of paper.


    Outclassed and woefully unprepared for an encounter of this magnitude, Ali triggered Arcane Recall ¨C her ace in the hole. The entire village, all the undead, her friends, everything faded to gray, frozen in the midst of the fight. Even the lumber mill froze. Flying rocks hung stationary and silent mid-cascade on their way to the ground. Even the shards of her barrier were gray and dull.


    Her choice was obvious ¨C with only her will, she summoned her Grimoire and began to create a Forest Guardian. Her elemental, at least, was heavier than that thing bearing down on Lira where she lay sprawled awkwardly in the dirt. Her mana flowed in this strange place; the stillness interrupted only occasionally when the entire terrain would flicker back to a different image for a moment before returning to the present.


    Suddenly, something she did not expect happened. A harsh hiss disrupted the endless silence. Unable to even turn her head, or look around, Ali could only see it out of the corner of her eye. Something that glowed an intense blue turned and looked her way. Other than her Grimoire, it was the only color in this world. Ali¡¯s heart was not beating, but if it could, it would be pounding as the thing shifted and she caught sight of many legs, and glowing eyes. Another hiss broke the silence, and against all she had learned of this place, it moved. Skittering back and forth the thing scurried across the road, easily stepping over Mato and the horde of undead frozen mid-fight as it bore down on her.


    Ali urged her magic, panicking now as the monster approached. She had no idea what it could do to her and, frozen as she was by her spell, she was helpless to flee or fight. She tried pushing her mana into her Grimoire faster, but it seemed to do nothing. She tried to turn her eyes, but she could not get a good look at what approached. She tried to cancel her Arcane Recall spell, but she could not.


    It reached the edge of the road, barely a few meters from her when suddenly her summoning magic completed, and the world snapped back to color and a riot of combat noise. She had an enormous Forest Guardian standing over Lira, and she stumbled, heart racing, suddenly drenched with sweat.


    She turned her head, but the blue, many-legged monster ¨C whatever it was ¨C was nowhere to be found.


    she managed, but she wouldn¡¯t have needed the command. Her Guardian had seen the troll and immediately used Rush to charge it, slamming into the zombie with a titanic collision of mass that flattened the remnants of the mill, halting the zombie mid-stride. Roots and vines burst from the ground, twining around the zombie¡¯s legs, withering and dying from the blight, but regrowing just as fast.


    ¡°Holy shit, Ali!¡± Calen exclaimed. ¡°Good idea.¡±


    Ali threw up another barrier to protect Lira from the flying debris of the battle of giants while she scrambled desperately through the dirt, collecting the acorns with their bright kernels of nature magic.


    Still shaking from her close call in the strange gray world of her Arcane Recall, she reorganized her forces. The Wyverns she sent to rake and bite the head and shoulders of the giant troll, tearing bloodless rents and gashes in its rotting flesh.


    ¡°Fireball,¡± she said. She could not afford to let the skeletons sit around. As soon as the word left her mouth, her Kobold reacted with flame, and Malika sprinted away from the melee, joining the fight against the giant zombie instead.


    ¡°Make sure you heal Mato after each Fireball,¡± Ali instructed.


    ¡°Yes, Ancient Mistress,¡± her Kobold Acolyte replied, her voice respectful, but not interrupting her magic.


    The detonation of fire was met with a surge of holy magic from Mato¡¯s position in the center of the conflagration, along with several flying skeletons and burning fragments of bone.


    ¡°¡± Ali commanded, recovering her barrier as Lira sprinted across the dirt street to stand beside her. Keeping a close eye on her, in case she ran off again, Ali fashioned her barrier magic into several long slender shards, sharpened with the keenness only possible with her new control skill, and fired at the zombie troll.


    The shards impaled its great arms and chest, but it seemed to not bother the undead monster much. Punches continued to fly, rocking her Forest Guardian with ground-shaking impacts. The Guardian, for its part, stood its ground, roaring and tearing chunks of flesh from the zombie while it grappled with its roots to hold it in place. One of her Wyverns fell twitching on the ground, having gotten too close and drawing a powerful fist, but the other two still tore into the zombie troll with fast swooping slashes of their powerful talons or tails.


    To her side, the next fireball detonated, and she sidestepped a burning skull that flew from the explosion, landing on the ground beside her. Her Acolyte seemed to be taking care of Mato, so Ali called for another fireball and resumed trying to impale the giant troll with fresh barrier shards.


    Calen burst into brilliance as he used his Righteous Fury, but the troll seemed no worse for wear after the full duration of his skill had run its course. ¡°Fuck, this thing is nuts,¡± he said. Dozens of arrows sprouted from its shoulders and chest, but the monster brushed them off like they were nothing.


    ¡°Its resilience is unreal,¡± Ali said, wielding several barrier shards constantly. Even under Malika¡¯s onslaught, it still unloaded punches and slams onto the Guardian. she thought, but it was beginning to show signs of rot and blackening along its legs and flanks ¨C a sure sign that the blight was outpacing even the torrent of its regeneration.


    ¡°How do we kill it?¡± Calen asked, still unleashing arrow after arrow, many of which bounced off the tough troll hide, but at that moment, Mato charged into the fray.


    Ali glanced back, finding only a smoking pile of shattered bone fragments and burning mounds of zombie flesh where Mato had fought. Her Fire Mage grinned in satisfaction.


    The tide of battle shifted quickly as Mato unleashed his Living Rend, dramatically reducing the giant troll¡¯s tough natural armor, while her Fire Mage began peppering the monster with burning bolts of magic that left smoking holes in the rotting flesh. Calen directed his volleys of arrows toward the rips and wounds, and they stopped bouncing off ineffectively.


    They battled on continuously for several minutes, and Ali sorely missed her trusty Arcane Bolt skill, but eventually, Mato¡¯s armor reduction and the fire magic of her mage prevailed, and the enormous troll zombie toppled face-forward, making the scattered stone from the mill bounce as the impact shook the ground.


    ¡°Everyone ok?¡± Calen asked.


    So much had happened. Ali stared at the enormous body of the giant troll, still taller than her even lying face down in the rubble. She wrinkled her nose at the stench of decayed flesh. Giant trolls were most often chosen as the shock troops of the proud troll tribes, and she could honestly say she never wanted to face an intelligent one in battle. She could not tell what tribe it had been from because the ceremonial warpaint was faded and torn from combat and rot, and the braids on its tusks had rotted away.


    ¡°I think so,¡± Ali murmured, answering Calen¡¯s question after a long moment. She still felt traumatized by whatever it was that tried to eat her when she was trying to summon her Forest Guardian. She did not even know what it looked like ¨C only that it glowed blue and had far too many legs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, I have the undead blight,¡± Mato said, as Malika tried to heal him.


    ¡°I have it too,¡± she answered, healing him anyway.


    ¡°Oh no, we need to get you guys some potions,¡± Ali exclaimed, torn from her reflections by the horrifying news. Somehow, their fight had put her friends in contact with the miasma or the blight directly, and both had caught the debilitating disease.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Lira said quietly, shifting uncomfortably, head downcast. ¡°This would not have happened if I hadn¡¯t dragged you out here on my selfish quest. I¡¯ve put you all in mortal danger.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, we agreed to help, it¡¯s not your fault,¡± Mato answered, putting on a brave face. Ali knew how much he despised the undead, and to be infected with the blight must be excruciating for him on many levels.


    ¡°Here, Lira,¡± Ali said, offering her the acorns she had scooped up from the ground in the middle of the fight.


    She clutched them to her chest like a mother cradling a lost infant. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Ali thought, eyeing Mato and Malika. She couldn¡¯t see any visible signs of the blight yet, but the telltale swirls of dark mana were unmistakable. She summoned her barrier at once, quickly climbing aboard after deconstructing her blighted Guardian and the zombie troll.

 Chapter 122: Elder Tree

    Chapter 122: Elder TreeAliandra The mood upon the glowing, golden barrier disk grew increasingly quieter and more somber as Ali flew them northward, tracing the burnished silver ribbon of the Myrin River by the dying embers of the setting sun. Ali shivered and huddled a little closer to Lira, a vain attempt to shield herself from the biting chill of the wind, and cast yet another worried glance at Malika and Mato. They sat together, as far as they could get from everyone else on the crowded barrier disk, trying to avoid infecting anyone with the blight festering within their bodies.


    Ali¡¯s thoughts churned endlessly, her mind refusing to give her any rest. She had tried using two barriers to ferry everyone back ¨C a way to separate Mato and Malika from the others ¨C but she had found she didn¡¯t quite have the carrying capacity in that configuration. she thought, feeling overwhelmed. The Necromancer was coming for Myrin¡¯s Keep ¨C and he was bringing a tsunami of blight and undead with him. Her friends were blighted, and they all were unwelcome outlaws in town.


    ¡°¡± Her father¡¯s words sprang to mind, a memory from long ago ¨C a different world. She had been struggling with a new project at the time, battling with stress over the deadlines, and feeling overwhelmed by the sheer complexity of the task. He had not understood her research when she tried explaining it to him ¨C only her mom had that kind of experience ¨C but that hadn¡¯t mattered to him. He had told her to focus on the parts of the problem she could see, to take care of the things she knew how to do first, and then the task would get smaller, and the path forward would become clearer. Then, he had hugged her and told her he was proud of her.


    She could almost feel that hug. Almost, after all this time¡­ she thought.


    The first, and most pressing task was to get back to town and find a cure for the blight so that Mato and Malika did not die.


    She glanced at her sitting quietly beside her on the flying magical barrier clutching her precious acorns. Their quest had technically been successful, but five tiny acorns were all that was left of the magnificence of the Lirasian Forest, and Lira¡¯s home. Although she wore a smile, Ali felt sad for her. The problems with the Town Watch, what to do about her class, and the fact that they¡¯d all been branded as outlaws could wait for now.


    When she finally made out the stark gray of the looming battlements protecting Myrin¡¯s Keep by the draconic eyes of her minions, it was fully dark, a clear night with a brilliant moon. The stars twinkled down upon the world, oblivious to the worries that swirled endlessly in Ali¡¯s brain.


    ¡°Let¡¯s circle around,¡± Calen suggested, pointing to the northwest. ¡°There should be fewer sentries away from the Torian border.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said, nodding, knowing Calen¡¯s sharp eyes would pick out the gesture easily even in the darkness. She flew them past the walls, keeping a healthy distance to conceal the glow of her magic from observant eyes, before looping back around and approaching the town from the angle Calen suggested. She put them down in a small mountain pass and banished her glowing barrier.


    ¡°No more light,¡± Calen whispered. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    They followed Calen on foot as he led them down the mountain, sneaking into the town near the blacksmith quarters where there were neither battlements nor obvious guards. Ali held Lira¡¯s hand, trying to step and breathe quietly as they wound their way through dark and dirty alleyways, relying on Calen¡¯s eyes to keep them safe from muggers, assassins, and potholes ¨C Ali grinned at her own thought.  She kept cycling through the eyes of her minions ¨C the Kobolds and tiny dragonets, adapted for hunting in the dark ¨C as she maintained her vigilance.


    But no thugs sprang from the shadows to attack them, nor did they encounter a single soul, reaching their destination in good time. Despite the late hour, a light shone from the window at Eliyen¡¯s home, and so they approached and knocked on the door.


    ¡°Oh, hi Aliandra, you¡¯re visiting rather late,¡± Eliyen greeted her. ¡°Come on in, it¡¯s cold out.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ali answered, so relieved by her friendly greeting, her knees almost buckled, and she had to catch her balance against the doorpost. Had they not heard? She entered the house with her friends, but as soon as Lira stepped across the threshold, Eliyen¡¯s eyes grew wide as saucers, and she scrambled to bow low to the ground.


    ¡°Great Mother of the Deep Woods,¡± she whispered in Elvish, her shaky voice filled with awe and reverence. ¡°I¡­ apologize for my humble home. If I had but a little foreknowledge of your visit, I would have made better arrangements.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, child, please raise your eyes,¡± Lira answered, smiling at the aging Wood Elf. ¡°Your garden is beautiful.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ oh¡­ thank you,¡± Eliyen stammered, her cheeks flushed from Lira¡¯s compliment. She lifted her head and smoothed her dress with her palms. ¡°May I ask what I can do for you at such an hour?¡± She glanced at each of them, hesitating when she saw Mato and Malika hanging back by the door.


    ¡°They contracted the undead blight,¡± Ali explained. ¡°Would your elixirs be able to cure them?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± she answered. ¡°But I¡¯m out of Living Essence. I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s quite difficult to acquire, and the merchant caravan from Southport has been delayed.¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± Malika said, retrieving a couple of essences from her storage and placing them on the table.


    ¡°I only need a fraction for each potion,¡± Eliyen said. ¡°This is too much.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re going to need the rest pretty soon after what we saw today,¡± Ali said. Certainly, the blight had cut a large swathe across the entire kingdom from where Lira had said she was captured to the boundary just south of Myrin¡¯s Keep.


    Eliyen¡¯s eyebrows arched in wordless query at Ali¡¯s grim tone.


    ¡°Yes, keep it for now,¡± Malika answered, and added, ¡°We can settle up later.¡± She proceeded to explain what they had seen on their trip to the south while Eliyen summoned Basil, readied her tools, and wielded her magic.


    Ali glanced over at the earnest boy helping Eliyen. She was happy to see he had earned a few more levels and seemed to have unblocked his class growth. But it was her experience with her wildflower garden ¨C now ashes ¨C that she recalled. Basil had a unique class, as far as she knew, and he had been able to germinate the flowers in her domain, somehow using her domain magic to accelerate the process greatly.


    Eliyen carefully measured out several vials of the glowing green Elixir of Vitality Rejuvenation, and she handed one each to Mato and Malika, instructing Basil to store the rest for later.


    ¡°May I see the acorns?¡±  Eliyen had the air of someone not knowing if what she was asking would be terribly offensive, and yet couldn¡¯t help herself out of sheer burning curiosity.


    Lira tentatively opened her hands, showing her treasure. Five acorns nestled on her palms, each of them with a brilliant green kernel of potent mana inside each.


    ¡°You can restore your domain with just these?¡± Eliyen asked, obviously unwilling to touch something so precious to the ancient Dryad.


    ¡°It will take several hundred years, but yes,¡± Lira said, looking at her acorns.


    ¡°Why so long? Can¡¯t you just grow them with your magic?¡± Mato asked. He was already looking better, the ugly black knots of death magic dissipating from his body as the potent elixir did its work.


    ¡°For a normal tree, yes, and if I were still strong enough,¡± Lira answered. She had a kind, gentle look on her face and smiled at Mato the way Ali remembered her mother had smiled at her when she was explaining things to her as a child. ¡°But these trees will create my domain and grow attached to my domain. If I draw the amount of mana required to grow them, I will starve them. It is best to let them germinate naturally and wait.¡±


    ¡°I have a different suggestion,¡± Ali said. She admired Lira¡¯s patience, but she wasn¡¯t about to let her spend centuries to recover if there was a more efficient solution sitting right here in the room. She paused, suddenly a little uncomfortable to have everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Basil has a skill that can use my domain magic to germinate plants,¡± Ali continued. Indeed, his skill had gently woven her domain mana into the wildflowers, linking them to her domain and using its mana to germinate and grow them. ¡°If we germinate the acorns in my domain, can you use your mana to accelerate their growth and then claim them afterward like you claimed the oak?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ well, I never imagined¡­ can you truly do this, young man?¡± Lira asked, staring intently at Basil, making him shift uncomfortably in his seat.


    ¡°Y¡­ yes, my lady,¡± he answered, clearly not knowing how to address the ancient Dryad, but he rallied, collecting his emotions, and continued. ¡°I can bring some regular seeds and demonstrate the process for you before you decide to trust me with one of your acorns.¡±


    ¡°What is your name, boy?¡± Lira asked, relaxing visibly at Basil¡¯s suggestion. Ali had to admire how perceptive he had been, Lira clearly did not want to take any risks with the only acorns she had.


    ¡°Basil, my lady,¡± he answered.


    ¡°You may call me Lira,¡± she told him, including Eliyen in her gaze. ¡°I do not hold much stock in titles unless they are necessary.¡±


    ***


    Ali watched curiously as Basil knelt in the dirt beside Lira¡¯s claimed oak. She was not the only one, Eliyen and Lira both stood quietly in the dim light of the wisps in the cavern above the Grand Library staring with rapt attention as the boy gently planted the seeds in the ground and began to weave his subtle magic.


    Her Arcane Insight had grown substantially since the first time she had watched him plant flowers in her domain, and this time she could see the tiny ribbons of his nature mana reaching out, nudging the powerful magic of the two synergized and interwoven domains ¨C hers and Lira¡¯s ¨C into the ground and the seeds he had planted. It was a subtle magic, influencing, encouraging, rather than forceful, and slowly she saw the flows open, and small leaves breaking through the ground.


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± Lira exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly, and then her mana surged, and the plants Basil had germinated stretched, elongated, and thrust out from the soil, opening into a beautiful patch of blooming Mystic Bluebells.


    Lira walked up to him and offered him a single acorn, her hand trembling visibly as he reached for it. The acorns were clearly worth more than life to her, and Ali couldn¡¯t imagine how hard it must have been for her to let one go. But Basil demonstrated his perceptive nature once more, treating the acorn with as much respect and care as Lira had done.


    Gently, he placed it in a hole near the edge of Ali and Lira¡¯s merged domains and summoned his magic, bending the structure subtly to germinate life. Beneath the soil, the kernel of nature mana within the acorn flickered as Basil¡¯s skill connected the domain mana to it, and Lira gasped. But the flicker grew, shining brighter and brighter as it fed on the mana Basil offered and he coaxed it to grow. The mana stretched and swelled upward, and the soil broke as a tiny stem emerged, and a pair of leaves opened toward the cavern roof.


    Ali¡¯s notification chime sounded, and her Grimoire manifested by itself, glowing quietly, receptive and waiting.


    She winced at the sudden weight nestled behind her eyes. She had expected this, based on how she had learned the wildflowers from Basil germinating them in her domain, but she hadn¡¯t been certain it would work with the acorns. Whatever magic was required to grow the Lirasian Oak seedling was vast, and her Grimoire required more space. Fortunately, her destructive jaunt through the jungle had earned her several new skill levels for her Grimoire of Summoning, so she selected an open chapter and watched intently, heart throbbing against the base of her throat as the book rearranged itself to merge the new chapter in.


    A bright surge of mana drew her attention to Lira, and she watched in fascination as the Dryad magic drew heavily from her domain, causing it to dim noticeably as the mana poured into the tiny seedling.


    ¡°Step back just a bit, dear,¡± Lira instructed, and Basil quickly took two steps away from the oak seedling. For a moment, nothing happened, but suddenly the seedling exploded into rapid growth, leaves appeared, and the stem thickened and stretched, reaching upward as it grew, one meter, then two, and surged beyond. Ali¡¯s Grimoire responded in a sympathetic frenzy of magic, thousands upon thousands of tiny magical runes forming and inscribing themselves upon rapidly manifesting new pages.


    She gasped softly and bit her lip. It had never reacted like this before.


    And still, Lira channeled her magic, growing the tree larger and larger, until it towered vastly larger than the white oak Ali had gifted her. When she finally stopped, Lira¡¯s domain was a dimly glowing shadow of its former brilliance, but the tree towered up into the air, matching the enormous trunks that held up the cavern but filled with life instead of blackened and dead.


    Ali could feel the giant tree drawing heavily from her domain mana, drawing it up into the trunk in a powerful torrent that fed the brilliantly shining core of green within it. As she watched, the mana grew brighter and brighter, shooting up through the branches and out of the leaves as the tree established itself as part of her domain, pulsing with vitality and life. Within just a few minutes, the tree began emitting an enormous amount of nature affinity mana feeding back into the domains, and reinforcing them as Lira¡¯s domain recovered its power, now vastly expanded in size by the tree.


    She braced herself against the anticipated dungeon-rage as the domain bloomed outward, but the structure of her domain adapted to Lira¡¯s automatically, as if acting out her intent without her needing to force it, riding the wave of new nature affinity mana gushing from the oak. So much so, in fact, that her domain began to shift out of balance. Quickly, she paged through her Grimoire and summoned several Spore Spreaders, sending them out to plant her arcane Glowcap mushrooms. She would need so many of them to supplement the vast influx of nature mana and provide the matching arcane she needed for her domain¡¯s structure.


    ¡°Come on, Basil,¡± Lira cried, taking his hand and leading him out to a new spot like an excited child showing a friend a new discovery. She handed him a second acorn and suggested a new spot for the second tree, sufficiently far from the first, but close enough to be supported by the expanded domain mana. Suddenly, she raised his right hand to her lips and kissed his knuckles. ¡°These hands! Basil ¨C thank you, thank you, thank you!¡±


    Ali smiled, deeply moved to see Lira¡¯s joy.


    For his part, Basil turned as pink as a freshly blooming rose, spluttering. ¡°My¡­ p-p-pleasure!¡±


    ***


    ¡°You cultivate this boy¡¯s magic,¡± Lira said, walking beside Eliyen as Ali led them all down the stairs into the library. ¡°I see your mana with him, and as his mentor, you should know that his skill is extraordinary.¡±


    Still somewhat awkward around the Dryad, Eliyen nodded, cautiously attentive, but she seemed to be justifiably proud of her prot¨¦g¨¦ who had just helped Lira secure her domain and forest with five enormous magical oak trees. The last five in existence. Basil, for his part, had excitedly shared that he had gained three class levels for his efforts.


    Ali continued descending the stairs past the first floor and onward down to the bottom, the kernel of an idea that had come to her when her Grimoire first recorded the Lirasian Oak slowly solidifying in her mind. Her friends intuited something was up when she passed the landing for the first level, but thoughtfully chose not to disturb her contemplation.


    When she reached the bottom level, she left Lira chatting away with Eliyen and stepped into the center of the atrium, glancing upward at the floating barrier lights she had placed so far above. Lira was explaining to the Wood Elf that she intended to wait for the oaks to produce new acorns, and then she would slowly expand the forest one tree at a time, provided Ali allowed her the space to do so.


    Ali thought, not surprised to hear that Lira would limit herself just so that she was not a burden. But this was the core of Ali¡¯s surprise for her. She wanted to do something for Lira, to show her that she no longer needed to suffer the way she had when they landed in the middle of the blighted forest.


    she thought, gauging the height, and comparing it to the size of the oaks Lira had grown above. The trunks were about six meters in diameter, so she wielded her Domain Mastery, pulverizing the flagstones where the bone spire had once stood, making a circle large enough to accommodate the tree, punching through the library foundations and into the rocky ground beneath.


    Opening her Grimoire, she began to wield her magic. Her mana flowed into the imprint of the oak tree, causing her book to flare with the light of her green and gold mana. Glowing runes floated up off the pages as her book rapidly riffled through them, forming a dense cascade of light and magic that poured into the area she had prepared. The large imprint drew heavily from her mana pool, and she was grateful for the substantial increase to her pool that she had earned for adding the five trees above to her domain.


    As the runes built the structure of the tree, shooting up into the spacious atrium, a hush fell over the library. Ali was aware that everyone was looking at her, but she concentrated, keeping her focus on her magic as the structure branched out across the different levels of the library, reaching upward the full hundred meters to almost reach the roof. With a final rush of mana, her giant summoning completed, and the oak snapped into existence, fully formed.


    Ali stared upward at the huge boughs and distant canopy that spread out across the top level of the library in amazement. While it was her magic, the enormous tree dwarfed the scale of anything she had yet accomplished.


    Within the oak, she could already see the giant torrent of nature mana surging upward to join with her domain.


    Lira gasped beside her; her eyes fixed on the enormous tree. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you could make them,¡± she said her voice hushed.


    ¡°My Grimoire can learn anything Basil grows in my domain. That¡¯s at least part of the reason I asked him to help,¡± Ali admitted. She didn¡¯t know any other herbalists besides Eliyen and Basil, but what she said was still true. She had hoped his magic would do the same thing it did with the wildflowers. And now she could grow Lira a proper forest.


    ¡°Thank you, Aliandra. And all of you,¡± Lira said, still captivated by the new tree filling the center of the ancient library. ¡°You have saved what I feared had been lost forever.¡± She reached out to lay a hand reverently on the bark of the tree and studied Ali with a complex expression filling her eyes.


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    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Ali answered, knowing that she would just fix the domain structure if they collided again.


    Immediately, a dense kernel of mana ignited in her core, like the acorns, only vastly more powerful. Her mana shot through her arm and into the tree, and she simply walked forward, her body naturally and seamlessly merging into the bark as her mana erupted into the center of the trunk.


    Ali braced herself, but once again, her mana seemed to know how to adjust to Lira now, and there was not even the slightest hint of pain or dungeon-rage.


    A vast torrent of mana poured down from the trees in the cavern above, merging with Lira¡¯s rising mana within the giant oak, glowing intensely as their two domains once again overlapped with synergistic energy. As the pillar of mana filled the tree, it began to grow. Already huge, the trunk widened rapidly as roots buckled and bent the flagstones, causing them to crack and splinter with loud reports before the tree crushed them and the burgeoning roots forced them aside. The branches spread wider into the spaces between the library floors and the canopy pressed up against the rock of the ceiling.


    Ali¡¯s Grimoire exploded with light and runes as it recorded the growth, flaring with new magic and runes as it filled page after page with inscriptions. She puffed out her cheeks, fighting to remain calm as the tremendous surge of mana raged through her like a silent thunderstorm. Still, Lira¡¯s mana, her very essence, roared within the tree, drawing in all of her domain, and Ali¡¯s domain, darkening the entire surroundings as it concentrated the magic within the oak.


    Ali stared in reverential awe at the full power of her aunt¡¯s magic, finally unleashed. With a giant crack the roof above the library shattered, and she hastily summoned several large barriers using the remnants of her available domain mana to protect her friends from the falling boulders and ancient masonry.


    The tree exploded up and out of the top of the library and into the cavern above, its branches broadening and expanding till the canopy brushed up against the cavern roof over two hundred meters above. When it finally ceased growing, the base of the tree must have measured more than twenty meters in diameter, with thick roots cracking through the stone floor all around.


    A sudden flash left Ali blinking as the mana concentrated within the tree exploded outward, establishing a pulsing zone of both domains that easily encompassed the entirety of the Grand Library Arcana, and surely well beyond the walls and roof in all directions.


    Ali was speechless. This was the biggest tree she had ever seen; bigger even than she could have imagined. And even more stunning was seeing the scale and power of Lira¡¯s magic.


    ¡°I think I got a little carried away,¡± Lira said, grinning with childlike joy as she emerged from the trunk, alighting on the ruined stone floor.


    As her foot touched the stone, a vast gong-like sound echoed through her mind and through the entire library, she realized belatedly, vibrating the very stone. It was a sound Ali had heard only a handful of times in her life.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Basil breathed, clearly having heard the notification too.


    ¡°That¡¯s what happens when something reaches their class or species evolution,¡± Eliyen explained, but the calm in her voice was in stark counterpoint to the astonishment on her face.


    Ali let out her held breath, grateful that this time the gong heralded good news.


    Without hesitation, Ali selected a second chapter, and her Grimoire continued recording the extraordinary tree that stood majestically before her.


    ¡°It¡¯s a three mark!¡± Calen exclaimed.


    ¡°When Thovir Emberforge reached his class evolution down in the forge, the entire city of Dal¡¯mohra heard the notification. The celebrations lasted more than a week,¡± Ali said, deliberately choosing a happier story. The last time she had heard the gong had been the moment of her mother¡¯s passing.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Malika and Mato said together.


    Looking for something to do ¨C to take her mind off her melancholy ¨C Ali turned her attention to the broken and shattered stone around the tree and the rubble that had fallen from the roof.


    She made the rock flow and stretch, creating a neat, low circular stone retainer wall around the base of the mighty trunk, wider than the tree, suitable for sitting on. She filled the space around the tree roots with blue mana grass and a few golden mushrooms and then finally dissolved the remaining rubble.


    ¡°That looks nice and clean,¡± Mato said, grinning his approval.


    ¡°Thanks, can¡¯t have rubble in a library,¡± Ali said, even though there were still tons of piles of bone everywhere. As she finished her work and stepped back, the erratic green glow of a tiny nature wisp floated into the library through the doorway from the jungle cavern. It hovered momentarily, appearing almost shy, and then darted forward to circle the enormous tree, spiraling upwards and disappearing into the branches above. As she lost sight of it, another wisp floated into the library. And then another.


    ¡°Look,¡± Ali whispered, hoping not to spook the skittish wisps.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good omen,¡± Eliyen smiled.


    ¡°They like your mana,¡± Lira laughed.


    ¡°Mine? Yours?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter?¡±


    As they chuckled together, Mato¡¯s eyes darted back and forth between them as if startled by their sudden synchronization.


    Ali continued to watch the mesmerizing parade for several minutes. While it was never more than one or two at a time, the wisps kept floating by, drawn in by the density of the mana the tree was emitting. And it was still growing stronger. Eventually, she tore her gaze from the beautiful mana creatures.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said. ¡°Time to finish the cavern.¡± She created a barrier and stepped on it, and then looked at Lira. ¡°Would you like to come with me?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I want to fill the cavern above with these,¡± she pointed at the giant tree. ¡°Though perhaps not quite as big. I¡¯m sure you could use more than just one.¡±


    ¡°You would share that much space with me?¡±


    ¡°Is that even a question? Of course,¡± she said with a grin. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    After removing the shattered stone roof of the library, Ali spent the next few hours filling the cavern with trees. The giant Lirasian Oaks formed the upper canopy of her forest, with the regular varieties spread out to form a middle canopy. For the ground, she created several of her jungle creatures and released them into the area with orders to grow their plants. Once finished, the entire cavern was lit from above by the soft glow of the magical oak leaves, lending it a mystical green ambiance.


    It was not her familiar Grove, and she missed her shrine, but with this domain, Lira would have a home, and she had restored her mana.


    Ali admired both the look of the forest, created with lots of insight and advice from Lira, and the rapidly accumulating mana that formed her domain.


    She shivered.


    Alexander Gray


    Alexander frowned, studying the impossible notification as the sonorous gong sound slowly faded.


    ¡°Gah!¡± he yelled, punching one of his skeletons in frustration. ¡°How is she still alive?¡±He had been certain that the wretched Dryad had succumbed to his blight. There was no way the adventurers he had seen were strong enough to heal it, and he had been looking forward to seeing the mayhem she would wreak on the miserable hovel of Myrin¡¯s Keep when she reanimated as a three-mark zombie.


    But the notification clearly said ¡®Lirasian Oak¡¯. It had to have been her doing, however unlikely, and his plan to walk into a nicely decimated town now lay in tatters.


    he reminded himself. Taking the town would be for his personal enjoyment, but he must have the dungeon first. Nevyn Eld was not one to tolerate failure.


    He had time, it was still a couple of days¡¯ journey to Myrin¡¯s Keep, and his blight and undead army was sure to be unstoppable.


    Slowly, his hands clenched into fists, and he hissed, ¡°Just wait, Myrin¡¯s Keep. The reaper is coming for you all.¡± With his blight at his back, the city was sure to fall ¨C and with that many new corpses at his disposal, he would put down that Dryad once and for all and take the dungeon as his prize.

 Chapter 123: A Meeting at the Shrine

    Chapter 123: A Meeting at the ShrineAliandra Ali sat quietly, listening to Ryn¡¯s account of the state of the town, and by her telling, the situation was dire. Food prices had skyrocketed as the crops failed, and the farmers had fled into the city with reports of a horrible plague on all living things and terrifying monsters creeping around in the dark.


    ¡°You guys are still wanted for questioning in connection with the deaths of the Town Watch,¡± Ryn said, her mouth drawn into a disapproving line. ¡°And the Torian army is massing near the northern road. There are rumors of a battle or siege coming. People are worried and hoarding essentials.¡±


    ¡°What about trade?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°The merchant caravans haven¡¯t been seen,¡± Ryn answered. ¡°I think there¡¯s been no traffic on the south road for a week. I heard Jax Hawkhurst and Donella Novaspark nearly came to blows in the council meeting ¨C supposedly, teleportation into and out of Myrin¡¯s Keep is not working.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t happen to a better person,¡± Mato muttered. ¡°People are starving and all he wants is higher food prices.¡±


    Ryn glanced sharply at him, her lips compressed into a thin line. ¡°True,¡± she allowed.


    ¡°That¡¯s worse than I thought,¡± Calen noted. ¡°We should make a report on the Necromancer and the undead army to the garrison commander, but I¡¯m not sure how to get taken seriously or get the message through without getting locked up or killed.¡±


    ¡°Why should we help them?¡± Ali burst out. People were going to die, either from the food shortage or from the Torian siege. Or worse, the blight when the Necromancer appeared. But Ali struggled to find any sympathy for Myrin¡¯s Keep ¨C all she could find in her heart was frustration, anger, and fear for how they treated her. She simply couldn¡¯t shake the image of Roderik¡¯s face as he taunted her, enjoying her pain. ¡°They made you all into fugitives and you were only trying to defend me from the Town Watch. It¡¯s not like we owe them anything.¡± Trying to approach the garrison headquarters was likely suicidal ¨C they would be found and killed or locked up immediately.


    ¡°It¡¯s the right thing to do, Ali,¡± Malika said, her voice grave. ¡°Don¡¯t let your pain speak ¨C¡±


    ¡°They burned my forest and tried to kill me, Malika. He was enjoying hurting me!¡± Ali shouted, her heart seething with fear and anger. She still could not banish his sadistic laughter from her mind. ¡°I don¡¯t care if the skeletons do come for them!¡±


    ¡°Ali, that¡¯s not how you really feel, is it?¡± Malika insisted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want my mom to die, Ali,¡± Calen said, speaking softly from his seat beside her with deep lines of worry etched on his face.


    His quiet and sincere voice, filled with worry and concern for his mother brought Ali up short, her anger instantly snuffed out, replaced by embarrassment and shame.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Calen,¡± she said, taking a deep breath to try and calm her heart. ¡°I was being selfish and scared, and I didn¡¯t think of what it is costing all of you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ali,¡± Calen answered, giving her a small smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re right to be angry for what they did to you,¡± Malika said. ¡°That¡¯s not selfish. But there are many innocent people in Myrin¡¯s Keep.¡±


    ¡°What should we do?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°I think we should talk to the Guildmaster,¡± Malika suggested. ¡°She¡¯s probably the only person on the council who will at least listen to us first.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a big risk to trust her?¡± Ali asked, dubiously. Vivian Ross was a powerful woman, and although she had been good to them so far, that was before she knew Ali was a dungeon. She was easily strong enough to kill them all outright, and Ali¡¯s class changed everything.


    ¡°It is a risk, but Ryn said everyone thinks you¡¯re dead,¡± Malika said. ¡°I think you should stay here and not risk exposing yourself in case it doesn¡¯t go well.¡±


    But Calen¡¯s quiet concern for his mother, and her shame at her selfishness, was still fresh in her mind. Ali could not let them all take the burdens and risks on her behalf while she risked nothing in return.


    ¡°No,¡± she said firmly, her mind made up. ¡°We will face it together.¡±


    ¡°I can set up a meeting, if you like,¡± Ryn suggested. ¡°That way you don¡¯t need to risk the guards or the Town Watch.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Here?¡± Ali asked, staring at the pristine, crystal-clear water of the tiny bubbling stream that flowed under a boulder and vanished through the rock wall of the cavern. Her Spore Spreaders had been busy, filling all the ponds and streams in Lira¡¯s now-forested cavern with the water-affinity Psathyrella mushrooms, ridding them of the murk and stagnant stench.


    ¡°Yes, this should lead directly to your old cavern,¡± Calen answered confidently.


    As usual, his sense of direction was impeccable. Ali wielded her Domain Mastery skill at the tiny stream channel, making the rock of the cavern wall flow like liquid. She flexed her mana and the tiny rocky channel expanded as her skill reshaped the cavern wall. In just a few minutes, she bored a tunnel large enough for them all to walk through, with the tiny stream confined to a small, meandering channel running down the center.


    As Ali¡¯s magic opened up a new entrance to her original cavern, and she floated through on her barrier, her heart sank. The once-beautiful cavern, filled with trees and the sparkling light of her plants, the blue glowing lake, and the ever-present mana of her domain, was instead dark and dead. All that she had created was gone, and the only thing that remained was ash and burnt stumps of trees, and the stale stench of fire.


    Ali hovered above the ground, but her Kobolds and her Forest Guardian crunched through the cold charred remains of her forest, kicking up ash as they went. Even the sound of their footfalls and the quiet voices of her friends were muted, like the hush after the first snow.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s depressing,¡± Mato said, emerging from the tunnel.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Lira answered.


    Their somber mood as they made their way to the shrine ¨C the only source of dim light in the entire cavern ¨C was reminiscent of a funeral procession. Ali had enjoyed planting the forest, and all her work was destroyed in one day by a bunch of angry people out to kill her for the crime of having the wrong class. She covered her mouth with her sleeve, feeling as if the atmosphere was so heavy, it was not merely a struggle to breathe but even for her heart to beat.


    As their procession neared the burnt remnants of the Grove, Ali¡¯s heart jumped at the sight of the shrine, dirty and covered with soot, but standing unbowed and unbroken, like a glowing lighthouse against the worst storm of fire the Town Watch could unleash against it. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a relief,¡± she said.


    ¡°I told you, they have not the power to destroy such an artifact,¡± Lira answered.


    ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± Calen interrupted.


    Ali¡¯s mood changed quickly as she saw two figures standing beside the shrine waiting for them. Ryn waved wearing a smile and a pretty blue dress, and beside her stood the imposing figure of Vivian Ross. Her expression was guarded, and the only emotion Ali could read was the slightly raised eyebrow of surprise as their party came into view.


    ¡°I can see why you wanted secrecy,¡± Vivian said, her voice as cool and controlled as her expression. ¡°I was told you had been killed.¡± Her gaze flickered across their group, lingering on Lira before returning to Ali.


    ¡°Roderik came very close,¡± Ali answered, stepping off her barrier and onto the ash that was all that remained of her moss carpet. But as she did, she caught sight of a third figure, standing behind Vivian as if to take cover behind her imposing presence.


    Ali¡¯s heart began pounding as she filled with inexplicable anxiety at the sight of the out-of-place elegance of the Sun Elf in the middle of the burnt Grove.


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    Several things crashed into her mind at the sight of her, and the distinctive nature of her mana. An image of the Sun Elf sitting by while Vivian shouted about her being a dungeon while she sat unresponsively. The horrifying sensation of Mieriel doing  to her mind. Stunned by the power of the images, Ali gasped for a moment, and Mieriel instantly ducked back behind Vivian.


    ¡°You knew I was a dungeon.¡± Ali finally found her voice and realized that the images were not dreams, but memories that had been hidden from her. Her anxiety faded, replaced by a cold anger.


    ¡°We did,¡± Vivian answered roughly, not bothering to hide it.


    ¡°Why did you bring her?¡± Ali asked, the anger making her voice harsh.


    ¡°Aliandra, your anger is misplaced,¡± Vivian said. ¡°It was me who insisted that she do it. Stop hiding, Mieriel, you wanted the chance to apologize. At least let her see you.¡±


    Mieriel sidled sideways out from behind Vivian, hands clasped together and looking down at her feet. She looked small and frightened, and nothing like the looming specter of her dreams. Ali glanced at Vivian¡¯s closed expression, trying to grasp the sudden shift in the situation.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for hurting you Aliandra,¡± Mieriel said in a small voice. ¡°I don¡¯t ask for any forgiveness, but I hope one day to make it up to you somehow.¡±


    ¡°Why did you do it?¡± Ali asked, glaring at Vivian and ignoring Mieriel¡¯s apology. She was too upset to even respond to the Elf.


    Vivian¡¯s stony guard cracked, and she sighed. ¡°After you showed me the shrine, I had to know. Only dungeons make shrines like this,¡± she pointed to the obelisk of stone looming over them. ¡°I admit I intended to kill you as soon as Mieriel verified you were actually a dungeon, but it was her that changed my mind.¡±


    Everything seemed upside down ¨C the mind magic Elf was on her side? And the Guildmaster had wanted to kill her?


    ¡°Why did you stop her?¡± Ali asked, turning to the visibly distressed Elf. ¡°Why would you side with a dungeon?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Mieriel took a shuddering breath, and looked up, meeting Ali¡¯s gaze for the first time. ¡°I know what it is like to be persecuted for my class. I have felt the anger of people who would kill me, no matter what kind of person I am.¡±


    Her words hit hard in Ali¡¯s gut. Hard enough to make her wheeze, ¡°Aaah!¡± All she could see was the gloating face of Roderik, grinning as he tried to kill her, not for anything she had done, but for the class she happened to have. In that moment, Ali knew Mieriel understood her pain.


    ¡°I have a dangerous class,¡± Mieriel continued, nodding meekly. ¡°Before I learned to conceal it, I had to live alone, without any contact with the civilized world, but they found me and threw me into a dungeon anyway. Just because they were scared of what my class could do. It was Vivian that rescued me, and gave me a home and a life, protecting me from those who would kill me. I just reminded her of that, and the fact that you¡¯ve only ever done actions that supported your friends, the guild, and the town. And that killing you would be hypocrisy.¡±


    ¡°Mieriel is being too kind,¡± Vivian said quietly. Ali could scarcely imagine the demure Elf standing up to the powerful Vivian, save for the core of adamant she had witnessed when she briefly glimpsed inside Mieriel¡¯s heart.


    ¡°You are not here to kill me? Or turn us in?¡± Ali demanded.


    ¡°No. You are all too valuable to the guild. I know that is a selfish reason, but it¡¯s an honest one. If the four of you hadn¡¯t saved Aiden¡¯s group and survived the attack, the guild would have been wiped out by the Town Watch. I want your names cleared and you back in the guild hall ¨C there are important jobs that need doing, and new recruits to train.¡±


    Ali simply stared at them, speechless. On one hand, they had invaded her mind, and very nearly killed her. On the other hand, she believed Mieriel¡¯s story and Vivian¡¯s motive. While Vivian¡¯s claimed motive sounded authentic, Ali was certain there was more to it that the Guildmaster was not sharing. Ali knew the Guildmaster¡¯s power. She glanced at Lira, noticing the almost imperceptible deepening of the creases around her eyes, the fractional nod of her head.


    Despite her aversion to Vivian''s actions, Ali decided to trust her word for now. Her friends would need every bit of help they could get if they ever wanted to set foot in town again, visit with their families, or simply show their faces without fear of attack. Besides, with the Necromancer threatening Myrin¡¯s Keep ¨C


    ¡°How does one such as you propose to help clear their names?¡± Lira asked meantime, her soft resonant voice filling the silence. ¡°After what you did to her, I think it is the least you can offer as recompense.¡±


    ¡°The only way is to win the vote of the Town Council,¡± Vivian said. ¡°I propose we prepare for that.¡±


    ¡°And you can ensure the vote is favorable?¡± Lira pressed.


    Ali still struggled to calm herself down, grateful that Lira had stepped up to drive the conversation. It was all overwhelming ¨C how could they hope to win a vote with the council? She was a dungeon. She had killed people.


    ¡°I cannot. But I am a member of the council, so we have one vote,¡± Vivian said, her eyes filled with unanswered questions as she studied Lira. ¡°Mieriel has offered her skills to learn how we might sway the others.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Lira answered. ¡°What can you tell us about this council, and what leverage do we have?¡±


    ¡°You think this plan is a good idea?¡± Ali asked incredulously. The idea of allying with people who would invade her mind and throwing herself on the mercy of a council that knew she was a dungeon was terrifying. Wouldn¡¯t they all want to kill her, just like Roderik? And yet that was precisely where Lira¡¯s questions seemed to be leading.


    ¡°Yes, dear,¡± Lira answered. ¡°I think it will be our best chance. Besides, I have some experience with politics, and the stylish elf seems to be a talented spy. We are not without means.¡±


    Mieriel glanced at Lira, clearly a little overawed by the three-mark Dryad.


    ¡°Also, if the council votes against us, we¡¯re in no worse a position than we are now,¡± Calen added.


    ¡°But we¡¯d have to put ourselves in their grasp, wouldn¡¯t we?¡± Ali said. Surely, the council would want them to be present.


    ¡°I can at least guarantee your safe passage,¡± Vivian said.


    ¡°There are eight council seats,¡± Mieriel explained, pushing her glasses up on the bridge of her nose. ¡°Killing Roderik is one of our biggest problems, and ironically, a substantial advantage too. He would most definitely have voted against us, and now his seat is vacant. But his death will scare some of the council members.¡±


    ¡°How did you manage that, by the way?¡± Vivian asked. ¡°He was strong, well above your level, and he had plenty of experience with duels.¡±


    ¡°He kept reminding me of his experience,¡± Ali answered, grimacing at the memory. ¡°He claimed to have killed over a thousand people.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it,¡± Vivian answered. ¡°But most of them were probably vagrants and drunkards in the slum district that he hunted for sport. It¡¯s a good thing for the town that he is dead ¨C he hid his crimes behind his nobility for far too long.¡±


    ¡°I summoned one of those and had it charge him,¡± Ali said, gesturing to the Forest Guardian.


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t kill him, he would just teleport away. And doesn¡¯t your summon magic take a while?¡± Vivian seemed full of curiosity, but Ali was loath to spend much time on the gruesome memory.


    ¡°I waited till his teleport was on recharge, swapped a skill for an instant cast support skill, and put some of these behind him,¡± she said, summoning a barrier shard to demonstrate. ¡°The guardian used Rush as soon as it was summoned and ¨C¡± she brought her hands together, unable to voice the result.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s terrifying,¡± Vivian answered, looking meaningfully at the enormous Forest Guardian.


    ¡°Why does the council have eight seats?¡± Calen asked. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that cause a lot of tied votes?¡±


    ¡°Bastian Asterford is the crown executor, and his vote is the tie-breaker,¡± Mieriel explained.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a problem,¡± Mato said, and Ali recognized the name from the boy she had had to deconstruct under the rock pile.


    ¡°Bastian will vote according to the crown¡¯s interests, which likely means he will vote against you because of the crown policy on dungeons. But even without that, killing Roderik has certainly turned him into our enemy.¡±


    ¡°Counting Vivian as for and Bastian against, we have five uncounted votes which will require leverage,¡± Mieriel said. ¡°Without it, we can assume they will vote against our side just because Aliandra is a dungeon. Major issues affecting the council are the deaths of the Town Watch and Roderik, who was a noble, and the sudden food shortage and reports of monsters to the south. There are also the Torian troop movements. They have moved a spatial suppressor class into range of the town, and most of our long-range teleportation and communication is down. And then, whatever you did yesterday with the advancement of the Lirasian Oak ¨C a new grove, right? That got the attention of the entire town.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the reason we wanted to talk to you in the first place,¡± Ali said, collecting herself. ¡°This is Lirasia, the Dryad of the southern forest, and my aunt,¡± she introduced. ¡°We just got back from there, and we can report that the Necromancer, Alexander Gray, has wiped out the entire Lirasian Forest from Toria, across the Myrin River, and all the way to just south of Myrin¡¯s Keep. There is a huge undead blight across the land and armies of skeletons and zombies, and they¡¯re just a few days away.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Vivian exclaimed, her eyes flying wide.


    ¡°The Torians must think New Daria is to blame,¡± Mieriel said softly.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to get Commander Brand involved immediately! Why didn¡¯t you mention this before?¡± Vivian nearly shouted. ¡°Here we¡¯re arguing about a council vote¡­ tell me everything you know! Now!¡±


    ***


    ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± Ali admitted as they all reconvened in the library for dinner. It had been a long and stressful conversation, and they had parted with more questions and unknowns than when they had started. All Ali knew was that she faced a trial at the hands of the council ¨C a group she barely knew, and who were likely to condemn her to death for being a dungeon. And she still wasn¡¯t sure of Vivian¡¯s motives.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do it together,¡± Malika said, echoing her own earlier resolve. And yet somehow it did soothe her fears. The others were facing trial with her, and at least she would not be alone.


    They had parted ways with a working plan. Vivian would discuss calling the council with the mayor, while Mieriel did some information gathering. Calen was to produce the scouting report of what they had seen, and he was already hard at work, drawing out maps and writing up the details.


    ¡°Aliandra dear, what will you wear?¡± Lira asked, coming up beside her.


    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯ll wear this?¡± Ali asked confused, looking at her perfectly serviceable adventuring gear.


    ¡°Oh, no that won¡¯t do. Trials are at least as much presentation and confidence as they are evidence and leverage. You must present a strong presence. Do you happen to know a good tailor?¡±


    ¡°Lydia,¡± Ali said, and Calen perked up immediately at the mention of his mother¡¯s name. As it so happened, Ali did know the best tailor in town, and with a sudden whirlwind of activity, Ryn was dispatched to Lydia¡¯s Allure with an emergency order for all of them and a small, but heavy, pouch of gold coins. But that was not enough for Lira, and Ali was subjected to a crash course in court politics, presentation, reading a room, and stage presence by the highly motivated Dryad.


    she wondered when she finally emerged from the lessons in a daze.


    ¡°What do you guys think?¡± Calen asked, presenting the final draft of his report, complete with exquisitely drawn maps, estimates of travel velocity, distribution of forces, details on the undead they had encountered, and the progression of the blight into the town¡¯s outlying farmland.


    ¡°We probably need a copy for each council member,¡± Lira suggested.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right,¡± Calen said, his shoulders drooping in response. He had been working on that for hours.


    ¡°Hey, Ali, you were able to write my name on my calligraphy workbook. Can you do more?¡± Malika asked, producing the book to emphasize her point.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Ali answered, staring at Calen¡¯s report. She had just been messing around with Malika¡¯s book when she added the runic script to the cover, but she had been able to suppress the writing in the book too. And what Malika was hinting at was possible in theory. But Calen¡¯s book had detailed notes and maps and all sorts of stuff.


    But now Malika had stuck the idea in her head. ¡°It can¡¯t hurt to try,¡± she said. Borrowing Calen¡¯s report, she activated Sage of Learning, and paged through it slowly, memorizing every single detail. She took substantially more time on each map, trying to capture every little nuance. After she repeated the process twice, she felt her memorization was as good as it was going to get.


    She opened her Grimoire to the book imprint. Pouring her mana into it, she focused on her memory of the report, trying to stitch the maps and text into the customized construction of the book her spell was creating. She struggled with it, twisting and pushing, coaxing and forcing, trying to get the two to connect.


    With an audible thump, a small brown bound book dropped into her lap. She opened it curiously, but the first several pages were entirely garbled.


    she thought, mouth twisting in frustration. But, to her surprise, when she reached the final page, she found it was a perfectly rendered copy of the last page of the report.


    She cast her mind back to the experience, trying to recall what she had been thinking at the end. But other than the struggling, all she could remember is that near the end she had sort of given up, and simply let her intuition take over.


    Even more curious now, she channeled her magic once again, but this time she strove simply to keep the image of what she wanted present in her mind while she worked, available, present, but unforced. It was a lot harder than she had expected, like trying to pour water from a big bucket into a small glass vase. She faltered several times, but she recovered quickly after each misstep.


    For some reason, the entire process reminded her of Malika¡¯s lessons on meditation.


    The second book dropped into her lap, drawing an approving grunt from Mato. She picked it up and excitedly opened the cover. The first page was correct, but as she slowly flipped through the book, she found that wherever her concentration had slipped, there would be a section of garbled writing, or jumbled lines on the map.


    It felt right there, within her grasp. This time when the book dropped into her lap, she knew it was correct. It was made to the perfect size, with exactly the right number of pages ¨C something she had just figured out ¨C and every single page was a perfect replica of Calen¡¯s original report.


    Overjoyed, she handed it to Calen to inspect. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Sure beats copying it by hand,¡± Calen said, a big grin forming on his face as he paged through Ali¡¯s creation.

 Chapter 124: Preparation and Planning

    Chapter 124: Preparation and PlanningMato Mato approached the stone circle Ali had crafted in the center of the library atrium, his eyes following the majestic sweep of the Elder Tree soaring upward and vanishing into the darkness far above. The voices of his friends sitting nearby washed over him. He could hardly even follow the threads of their discussion or the details of their debating. He gazed up at the tree, taking some measure of solace in the sheer solidity and massiveness of its presence.


    He sighed. It was a battle ¨C that much was obvious ¨C and yet it was one that could not be won by brawn and claws.


    He hadn¡¯t even been useful when Ali had created Lira¡¯s Forest. He had promised to help her grow her forest ¨C and that desire still burned within him. The rightness of it called out, resonating with his soul, or mana. Even Basil had done more for the forest than him, saving the acorns with his incredible magic.


    ¡°Deep thoughts, young Druid?¡± Lira¡¯s voice resonated softly from nearby.


    He jumped at the sound, forcing down a quick rush of guilt at his thoughts of envy moments ago. ¡°I¡­¡± he began. ¡°I wish I could help them,¡± he said, hanging his head. ¡°But I have no sense for councils and politics.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you can help in another way?¡± Lira suggested.


    Mato raised his head and looked at her, meeting her eyes, and the gentle smile on her face.


    Lira placed her hand on the trunk of the giant magical oak. ¡°Do you wish to learn from the tree? It can teach you many things.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Nature is balance,¡± she said, her voice calm and resonant as she gazed at the giant tree. ¡°Life is balanced by death, growth by decay, the violence of claw and tooth contrast against the restoration of the trees and plants.¡± She looked at Mato with soft brown eyes, depthless pools of wisdom and experience. ¡°You have the sense of one who has too much tooth and claw, and too little life,¡± she observed. ¡°The tree can teach you balance.¡±


    His mother had spoken of it often, but he had always dismissed it as a Druidic mannerism. His head hurt just thinking about it.


    ¡°If you choose this path, I can help you commune with the tree while we take care of this council business. It will take some time,¡± Lira said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave my friends to deal with this by themselves.¡±


    ¡°Your loyalty is admirable,¡± Lira said. ¡°However, your growth will help them far more.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a long-term thing, though,¡± Mato answered. The challenge Ali faced was immediate and dire.


    ¡°I think you should do it,¡± Ali said as she joined them beside the tree. ¡°I appreciate you wanting to stand with us in support, but if this makes you stronger, then that helps us more. The patronage of Lira¡¯s mana is a priceless gift.¡±


    ¡°I think so too,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°You are not really suited for a battlefield of words,¡± Malika offered. ¡°Trust us for this one.¡±


    But it was a fight he didn¡¯t understand. There was one thing he did understand, though. Turning to Lira, he asked, ¡°I think your offer would be better for Ali. She also has nature mana, and she summons trees like this one. It¡¯s a good fit, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°This is how Lira taught me to wield my nature mana,¡± Ali answered. ¡°But I lost the mana connection when I was preserved in my mother¡¯s spell ¨C that¡¯s why I thought she was dead.¡±


    ¡°Once severed, a patronage cannot be recovered,¡± Lira said, sadness touching the corner of her eyes. ¡°But do not mourn overmuch for that which has been long lost. Many paths exist for you to grow, and this is but one."


    Turning to Lira, he bowed his head and said, ¡°Please teach me, then.¡± If Ali couldn¡¯t benefit directly from her mana and experience, he would just need to get strong enough to help her and the others himself.


    Stepping up to him, the ancient Dryad placed a small hand on his chest and looked up to meet his gaze. Then, she pushed. Unable to resist, Mato floated backward till his back pressed up against the bark of the enormous tree. ¡°Try not to resist it. Communing with the tree will feel foreign at first, but it is well worth the effort,¡± Lira said as her hand lit up with a pulsing emerald-green aura.


    The pressure from her hand on his chest grew stronger, and to Mato¡¯s surprise, he felt his back sinking into the tree trunk as his flesh began to merge with the wood. Lira took another step forward and pushed him even further. His arms and legs began to stiffen up. There was no pain, just the terrifying sense of being submerged in the heartwood of the oak. Panic flickered around his consciousness growing in intensity as his head finally sunk into the vast expanse of the tree.


    He struggled, but his body wouldn¡¯t move in the claustrophobic darkness. He was buried alive inside an oak tree. The panic raged through him.


    Suddenly, his chime sounded.


    Mentor Patronage ¨C Lirasia


    Traits: Nature, Wisdom, Vitality, Domain, Perception, Shapeshift, Knowledge, Regeneration, Plant, Charm


    Experience gain is increased for actions aligned with your mentor, or under their supervision.


    Gain additional skill unlocks and advances aligned with your mentor¡¯s traits and experience.


    A portion of your increased experience is awarded to your mentor, increasing their reputation.


    Enchantment ¨C Tithe


    The notification chime interrupted his panic, somehow providing an anchor for his mind to latch onto. His mother had always warned him to be careful about accepting just any patronage, however, this was the ancient Dryad of the Lirasian Forest, and he desperately wanted to learn all that she could teach him. His instincts told him she could help him become stronger in ways he could not even perceive as yet.


    Stuck deep inside the tree, unable to breathe or even feel his body, and yet not needing to, he accepted Lira¡¯s offer.


    In his bizarre sense of disembodiment, he suddenly connected with the tree. It wasn¡¯t communication in the sense of a normal language where he understood meaning and concepts, but more like a communion, a sharing of being. An experience of empathy and intent, not unlike his Beast language.


    He quietened his mind as best he could and tried to hear or feel any sensation, finding calmness coming to his mind with surprising ease.In the dim periphery of his awareness, he sensed a slow upward flow. He reached towards it, and it slowly grew more prominent. For an indeterminate length of time, he clung to it as a drowning person to a floating branch.


    Eventually, his mind began to settle, to relax. The flowing sensation persisted but he was now aware of it beginning far below him and rising far above.


    His mind struggled briefly with the strangeness of it. Choosing to trust Lira¡¯s words, he embraced it instead of resisting. The sensation was like he was growing upward and downward along the flow. As his awareness was drawn upward, he split several times, extending outwards. The further he grew, the more he split until he recognized himself in the shape of the tree.


    As his awareness flowed out through the leaves above, and the roots below, he simply existed. He was the tree. He was the flow of mana and energy. He was the shape of the tree. He was the wood and the bark, part of an enormous, complex and vital living organism. He didn¡¯t sense the tree trying to show him anything. He simply became the tree.


    It was impossible to know how long he remained there in the tree¡¯s embrace, but a while later, his mana began to flow out from his leaves. Slowly, it emerged into the world around the singular existence of the tree. As it flowed outward, he could perceive the air around his massive branches. This was no ordinary tree; he could sense the Dryad¡¯s mana within it. In a very real sense, he now understood ¨C it wasn¡¯t the Dryad¡¯s tree. The Dryad the tree. And the tree was the Dryad. It was Lira that cradled him within the nurturing embrace of her mana.


    He couldn¡¯t find a word for how he was sensing the world.  As his mana and awareness expanded, he encountered another tree. Then another.  His mana began to surge wider and wider, showing him the giant cavern with Lira¡¯s new forest, the library, and the ruined city of Dal¡¯mohra beyond.


    His awareness ceased to grow, but still, his mana poured out. He simply watched as it nourished the plants within his awareness, causing them all to grow, and the wisps to dance their joy at his gift of magic.


    He could do this? Incredible. So, so humbling.


    Mieriel


    Mieriel walked briskly down the street toward the garrison headquarters, but beneath her calm exterior, her heart and mind were in turmoil. Meeting with Aliandra at the underground shrine had left her frayed and shaky. She had agonized over it for ages after she and Vivian had interrogated the Fae ¨C the memory hung like a lead weight around her neck, getting worse and worse every time she met her at the guild. It wasn¡¯t that she was shy about using her class or skills ¨C and it was true that the ethics behind them were sometimes murky ¨C but with the Fae girl, Mieriel knew she had stepped over the line.


    Earlier today, she had chosen to accompany Vivian underground and suddenly found herself face-to-face with Aliandra, stammering over an apology. She had deliberately withheld using any of her active skills ¨C not that it would have mattered, Aliandra¡¯s mental defenses were as strong as granite now ¨C but Empathy was a passive perception skill. When Aliandra had ignored her apology, Mieriel had been subjected to the rage leaking out from under her cool exterior. But that rage was covering fear and a feeling of violation, and that was what twisted uncomfortably in her gut.


    It was horrific.


    She glanced at the dour squat gray building that was the garrison headquarters. She paused briefly in the alleyway, casting about with her senses to ensure she was not being observed. With a thought and a trickle of mana, she switched her outfit with one in her storage ring and stepped back out into the street as a cleaner, complete with a bucket, a mop, and several dirty rags.


    Garrison Commander Gerald Brand was her first target. After she visited the garrison headquarters, she would scout both Jax Hawkhurst and Hadrik Goldbeard. Donella Novaspark was the one person on the council she was afraid of ¨C the lightning mage had far too much wisdom and many defensive magical trinkets. Well, she had been afraid of Roderik Icecrown too, but Aliandra had killed him, thank goodness.


    She opened the door to the garrison headquarters and walked in with the confidence of someone who knew they were invisible to all the important people. It didn¡¯t hurt that she was feeding a continuous trickle of mana into Inconspicuous Presence.


    Empathy combined with Heightened Perception quickly told her that her entrance had gone entirely unnoticed by the entire room, or at least it had not impacted anybody¡¯s attention. She busied herself dusting various things while she ranged around with her augmented senses, searching for clues.


    Snippets of conversation could be heard as she briefly pushed her awareness into conference rooms and meeting spots using quick snatches of Astral Projection. It was an easy role for that skill ¨C she could simply pretend she was focused on cleaning a table or something and then disconnect her awareness to elsewhere nearby for a few seconds at a time.


    she thought, finding the commander in a briefing room with a couple of aides and a messenger. With the assumed confidence of her role, she opened the door and walked in, brandishing her bucket and rags, and set about cleaning the side tables, drawing scarcely a glance from the people clustered around the conference table.


    ¡°What do you mean, none of the scouts returned?¡± Commander Brand asked. He spoke calmly, as always, but there was an undercurrent of frustration that her skills could easily read. This was clearly a persistent problem and something he seemed to be at a loss to fix.


    ¡°They were set to report yesterday, but none of the scouts sent south have returned,¡± the aide responded. His emotional state was worry and fear ¨C mainly at upsetting the commander. She moved to shining a steel water jug, focusing carefully on her skills.


    ¡°I need to know what is going on down there,¡± the commander continued. ¡°With the Torians making noise in the north, they must be hiding something significant. They don¡¯t just move without backup.¡±


    Just then there was a sharp rap at the door, and it opened to show another aide.


    ¡°Excuse me, Commander, the mayor is calling for the full town council to be present tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°What for now?¡± Brand asked, annoyance flickering across his mind.


    ¡°The trial of the dungeon, and the group that killed the Town Watch.¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The commander sighed. ¡°Do we know who they are?¡±


    ¡°Aliandra Amariel, Mato Bahr, Malika, and Calen Avery,¡± the aide responded, reading off a page he was holding.


    ¡°Oh, them,¡± Commander Brand answered with a strong flash of surprise. ¡°The Fae, Bjorn¡¯s son, the Torian refugee, and the Half-elf.¡±


    But to Mieriel¡¯s surprise, the commander¡¯s tone registered respect, rather than anger toward his memory of them.


    With the amount of credibility he seemed to be assigning them, he would take the report seriously if he knew where it came from. Furthermore, he seemed very anxious to get any information at all about whatever was killing the scouts to the south.


    she thought, already charting her exit.


    Aliandra


    Ali glanced over the piles of paper with copious notes strewn across the conference table, and the profiles pinned up on the wall. There was one profile for each of the council members, covering everything they knew about each of them. Cradled in her hands was a deck of flashcards Mieriel had kindly made to help her memorize the details and affinities for each of the council members. It was a bit of a waste, given her Sage of Learning skill, but holding the deck gave her hands something to do.


    They had all snuck into the guild as soon as night fell and it got dark outside, and they had been cooped up in this conference room for hours. Ali felt the time ticking away relentlessly toward the inevitable deadline of the trial which had been scheduled for tomorrow morning.


    She had to admit though, that the combination of Mieriel¡¯s intelligence gathering, Ryn¡¯s organizational skills, and the combined political savvy of Mieriel, Vivien, and Lira, they had accomplished a great deal. One question remained: would it be enough?


    The door clicked open, and Ali looked up to find Vivian returning.


    ¡°Were you able to convince him?¡± Lira asked.


    ¡°Yes, he agreed,¡± Vivian said, sitting down.


    ¡°Convince who of what?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°I asked the mayor to open the trial to the public,¡± Vivian said.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Ali blurted out. Not only was she to be put through the wringer, but now there would be spectators?


    ¡°It is part of our strategy, dear,¡± Lira said. ¡°If it were just the council members, then the death of Roderik Icecrown would weigh heavily against you. But the news that you killed him should win the average commoner to our side.¡±


    ¡°But they don¡¯t vote.¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± Vivian said. ¡°But some of the council members care about the opinions of the townsfolk. It is good leverage. It also works with the food shortage concerns.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Ali said. She had offered to help out with the food shortage, so their scheme made sense. However, bands of anxiety clamped across her chest at the thought of defending herself in front of such a large audience. ¡°Can we at least have Mieriel in the crowd then?¡± Ali asked. If she was forced to have a big audience, having a mind mage to feed her information would be an incredible tool.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s a fantastic idea,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Unfortunately, the council would never allow me in,¡± Mieriel said. ¡°And I¡¯m not strong enough to conceal myself from Donella Novaspark.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not?¡± Ali asked. Losing Mieriel during the trial would be a huge loss for them.


    ¡°I can¡¯t even hide from you anymore,¡± she admitted. ¡°And Donella is reputed to be in the nineties.¡±


    ¡°Ok, summarize it for us, Mieriel,¡± Vivian said.


    ¡°Vivian is a yes,¡± Mieriel said. ¡°Gerald Brand seems to still trust you guys from your contributions to the Goblin siege, so if you provide the scouting report on the Necromancer¡¯s forces, he is likely to be our second yes.¡±


    Ali was a little surprised that Gerald Brand remembered them, and that he was favorably disposed to them, but Mieriel seemed certain.


    ¡°The mayor is our next yes,¡± Mieriel announced. ¡°Provided you¡¯re certain you can solve the food shortage?¡±


    Ali nodded. With Lira, and Eliyen, and the help of some of the refugee farmers, she was certain they could turn the ashen former forest cavern into an impromptu farm that would produce enough food for the entire town.


    Ali shuffled through the flashcards till she had the one for the mayor.


    William Turner


    Affiliations: Mayor of Myrin¡¯s Keep


    Major concern: Feeding the town.


    Expected Vote: Yes.


    She had only met the mayor once, but she had met his son Aiden many times, including when she unlocked his class and at the guild. He was not going to be an automatic yes like Vivian, but everyone was certain she could win his vote by offering to feed the town.


    ¡°And for the council members opposed, Bastian Asterford is going to vote no for certain. He won¡¯t stand for the death of a noble.¡±


    Bastian Asterford


    Bastian¡¯s job is to represent the crown¡¯s interest in Myrin¡¯s Keep. He is a noble of the prominent house of Asterford.


    Affiliations: New Darian Crown Executor, Noble


    Major concerns: The death of Roderik Icecrown, and his son Donavan during the class trial.


    Expected Vote: No.


    ¡°I was unable to get any intelligence on Donella Novaspark, but just going by her reputation, she will be hard to budge,¡± Mieriel continued. ¡°We expect her to vote no, also.¡±


    Donella Novaspark


    Reputed to be a person of high integrity and exceptional power.


    Affiliations: Founder of the Novaspark Academy of Magic.


    Concerns: unknown.


    Expected Vote: No.


    ¡°Hadrik Goldbeard is a typical Dwarf. Rowdy, loud, loves his ale, and is also incredibly stubborn,¡± Mieriel said, reading off a page of handwritten notes. ¡°We expect him to vote in the interest of the crown ¨C therefore no. I should point out that there is no love lost between him and Jax ¨C the two of them often fight in council meetings.¡±


    Hadrik Goldbeard


    Very strict about his duties and a strong advocate for the law.


    Affiliations: Tax Collector for the New Darian Crown, Banker


    Expected Vote: No.


    ¡°That brings us to three votes each, with the tiebreaker going against us. So, we must win over Jax Hawkhurst ¨C of all the council members, I believe he is the most flexible. He is entirely self-interested and can be swayed with enough money. I suggest buying his vote. I am aware you sold Magicite to Weldin Thriftpenny, can I assume you¡¯re able to make more?¡± Mieriel paused, glancing across the table.


    ¡°I can,¡± Ali confirmed.


    ¡°Then I suggest mentioning the need for a merchant company willing to sell Magicite outside of the town as a way of hinting at a deal with him. Everyone will know what you¡¯re doing but, because you¡¯re not outright bribing him, they won¡¯t be able to say much. Hadrik will be pissed, but we¡¯re expecting him to be a lost cause anyway.¡±


    Jax Hawkhurst


    A man of flexible morality, politically connected, mastermind of a criminal syndicate.


    Affiliations: Hawkhurst Trading Company, Town Watch


    Concerns: Personal profits.


    Expected Vote: flexible.


    ¡°But he¡¯s a criminal,¡± Malika objected, clearly upset about the conclusion. And, in Ali¡¯s opinion, rightly so. While Mieriel said they would not be outright bribing him, it was pretty blatant. A Magicite deal would make him incredibly wealthy, increasing his power.


    ¡°I know, but I don¡¯t see any other choice,¡± Mieriel countered.


    ¡°This cannot be our strategy,¡± Malika doubled down, rising from her chair and slapping the table with the flat of her palm. ¡°He supports the Town Watch and all the violence and intimidation they inflict on the common townsfolk. I can¡¯t believe we will have to get in bed with him. Ugh!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m open to any ideas, any different approaches,¡± Mieriel said, undaunted. ¡°Remember, if Aliandra is found to have no rights, your arguments of self-defense will be void, and you will all be sentenced ¨C probably to death. Most of the council see the Town Watch as a necessary evil and will convict you of killing representatives of the law. At best, Vivian will be able to protect you while you flee town, but you will be outlaws everywhere in New Daria.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s absurd, they are the criminals!¡±


    ¡°Many of them are not, even though I agree the leadership is corrupt.¡±


    ¡°What about Donella Novaspark? You wrote that she has high integrity, that¡¯s a good thing, right?¡± Malika asked, seeming desperate to find an alternative. But Ali could tell what the answer was before Mieriel even started.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t get close to her, but the rumors show that she has been outspoken about the dungeon below Myrin¡¯s Keep, advocating for culling it quickly to restore the safety of the town. In this case, her high integrity means she will not easily be swayed from what her morals dictate. She perceives a threat, and that is bad for us.¡±


    ¡°What about Hadrik? He cares about money too, right?¡± Malika said. ¡°If we have to stoop to buying a vote, can¡¯t we buy his instead?¡±


    ¡°He cares most about the law, and he will vote according to the crown¡¯s policy on this. New Daria¡¯s royalty generally disapproves of dungeons, going so far as to even forbid operating or exploiting subjugated dungeons for profit.¡±


    The argument raged back and forth with neither side letting up, but Ali tuned it out. Buying Jax Hawkhurst¡¯s vote ¨C for that¡¯s what the plan really was ¨C seemed to be the only way to win the council¡¯s approval. If the council granted her person-status and the protection of the law that went with it, her friends would be safe. Their argument that they were trying to defend her would be valid, and the deaths of the Town Watch would be considered necessary to defend themselves and her from harm. This would be easy to argue with the testimony of Aiden and his group.


    But the thought of working with the crime syndicate boss that had hurt Malika so much and inflicted so much hardship on the people of Myrin¡¯s Keep left her feeling dirty, unclean, and fouled to the core.


    ¡°Malika, I¡¯m really sorry, but I think I need to do what Mieriel suggests. I hate the idea of helping him, but I cannot go into the trial knowing there might have been a way to save you all and not take it. I know you will never be able to accept working with him, but it¡¯s not your commitment to make, it¡¯s mine. If all it takes is selling him a ton of Magicite, I would much rather you lived.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this,¡± Malika exclaimed, getting up and storming out of the room.


    Ali¡¯s heart sank. She was not at all objective in this; it was her life at stake too. She was terrified of facing another Roderik. But Malika was obviously very deeply hurt by her decision, and she had no idea how she would ever make it up to her.

 Chapter 125: The Town Council’s Decision

    Chapter 125: The Town Council¡¯s Decisionby Bixi Bargainhunter, Silver Cog Trading Co.


    Aliandra


    It was one of those bright and clear mornings with not a single cloud in the sky. The breeze carried the crisp cool scent of freshness, blowing away the usual odors of the town. Ali stepped down onto the street in front of the Adventurers Guild and gazed about, taking in the sparse early morning traffic. Stretched across the sky, her sensitive mana-sight picked out the almost invisible tendrils of mana forming the vast formation that must have been the spatial suppression spell blanketing the town. It was a curious magic, reminding Ali of the old eccentric mage that had teleported her to Volle, but she didn¡¯t have the time to study it further.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m off,¡± Vivian announced abruptly. ¡°Wait a few minutes and then come to the Town Hall.¡±


    Ali nodded. Their entrance would be a carefully orchestrated play, directed by Lira, and every part of it had been considered for maximum impact, value, or strategy. Ali had not even followed half of the subtle interplay, but Mieriel, Ryn, and Lira had agonized over every detail.


    As Vivian disappeared down the street, Ali opened her Grimoire and began to summon her monsters. All her friends were already there, but she would not be going alone. Lira stood beside her looking serene, of course, emanating a soft, peaceful aura of nature magic. Malika and Calen looked exactly as nervous as she felt in their brand-new, exquisitely tailored suits. At first, Malika had strenuously objected to ¡®dressing like a noble¡¯ and seemed quite uncomfortable in such expensive clothing, but Lira insisted, claiming it was the proper ¡®armor¡¯ for this kind of battle. Calen¡¯s squirming and tugging at his collar earned him a severe glance from the Dryad.


    She made two Forest Guardians to round out her small retinue of minions. They appeared, taking up a huge amount of space in the street, shifting restlessly as if reflecting her mood. Besides the two giant elementals, she had made a single Kobold Acolyte and Fire Mage. Both had been dressed by Lydia too, sparing no detail on their entrance, and it was a good thing too ¨C Ali would need every ounce of enhanced intelligence she could eke out of her Empowered Summoner buff for the trial itself.


    The Town Hall doorway was wide, but she had forgotten to check if it was wide enough. The Guardians would certainly be able to enter but reducing the building to rubble and ruin was not quite the entrance she needed.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± It was a simple statement of fact, but it had the significance of a large boulder placed in precarious balance at the top of a cliff. What was to come was an avalanche, and it was uncertain if the events set in motion would crush her into dust or carry her on to safety.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this started, then,¡± Malika said, turning angrily and stalking down the street toward the Town Hall, the tension held in her body broadcasting just how upset she still was.


    Ali thought. She had tried every way she could think of to explain or apologize to her, but she would not hear it. Still, she refused to abandon Ali to face this alone, clinging to her trite ¡®we¡¯ll do it together¡¯ like it was the bedrock of her soul. Ali stared sadly at Malika¡¯s back, but she felt a comforting hand reaching down to grab hers.


    ¡°She will understand, give her time,¡± Lira said, her voice soft and gentle. But Ali was not so confident, and she worried about her friend the whole way.


    When they reached the Town Hall, Malika pushed the doors wide and entered with Calen. Ali directed her Forest Guardians to follow, one at a time, and to her relief, they made it through, leaving just minor scrape marks on the protruding steel hinges. She had them fan out into a flanking formation behind Malika and Calen before she floated through, sitting cross-legged upon her barrier, with her two Kobolds walking along behind like retainers. Lira had even purchased an impressive-looking gnarled staff for the mage and censer styled like a dragon¡¯s head for the Acolyte at Weldin¡¯s store, details that Ali wouldn¡¯t even have considered.


    she thought, hoping fervently that it would not be her funeral.


    The reaction to their entrance was a stunned silence ¨C the kind of shock that caught the breath in surprise. Her enormous Guardians kept pace with her barrier, their slow, heavy steps shaking the foundations of the Town Hall. A quiet undercurrent of whispers rippled through the crowd of spectators arranged around the central dais. There were rows of important or curious townsfolk and Ali recognized quite a few of them ¨C Eliyen and Basil to the one side, Lydia dressed in a beautiful creation, and Mato¡¯s parents were clearly visible by the sheer bulk of his father. Off near the back, she caught the gruff countenance of Thuli, sitting beside a hooded figure she knew was Kav¨¦. Quite a few of the novice adventurers were also present.


    Vivian had made sure that the trial was open to the public, and although she felt the weight of all those eyes upon her, Lira had insisted this would be better for their case. Winning over the public sentiment would not directly change the vote, but some of the council members cared about the opinion of the townsfolk and would be influenced. But Ali had her doubts ¨C for one thing, she was the terror of a dungeon, manifest in the flesh before them ¨C and for another, she was about to make a deal with the crime boss who oppressed the town.


    In the center of the room, the richly dressed, impressive group of council members occupied seven of the eight seats upon the raised dais, presumably so they could look down upon the accused. Lira had spent an incredible amount of energy impressing on her the importance of a strong entrance, and how setting the tone by how she arrived would help her argue her case as an equal rather than a supplicant at the mercy of the council¡¯s whims. Every detail had been planned out, including just how high Ali sat upon her barrier so that even with her smaller stature, she was the one looking slightly down on them. The Guardians had nothing to do with her safety, they had been selected to convey solid weight and size.


    Ali¡¯s attention was drawn to the tall, opulently dressed man rising to his feet at the center of the dais, his face flushed red with anger. With a dark scowl, he thrust a finger at her in accusation.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this!¡± he shouted. Even though she expected it, her heart pounded in her throat at the sheer aggression he leveled at her. Her mind conjured images of Roderik¡¯s violence, and more than anything she wanted to run and hide behind her Guardians, but she forced herself to face him as outwardly calm as she could manage. It was only then that she suddenly appreciated the wisdom of Lira who had insisted on makeup ¨C she could tell her face had blanched, but nobody would ever see it.


    She easily identified the crown executor by his extremely expensive crimson robes and the descriptions she had been given. Their analysis predicted he would vote against her.


    ¡°Since when are criminals allowed to bring monsters before the council?¡± This voice was sharp and cutting ¨C and oozed with power and control.


    Ali turned her attention to the new speaker, a stocky man with a powerful-looking frame, dressed in an exquisitely tailored suit. He stared flatly at her with hard eyes, clearly a man used to people jumping when he spoke.


    Council member of Myrin¡¯s Keep, and the owner of the highly successful Hawkhurst Trading Company, both positions serving to cover his illicit smuggling, thievery, and extortion rackets. Behind his harsh fa?ade, Ali could detect nothing about his inner thoughts, other than an instinctive sense that this man was cunning.


    He was also the person whose vote she needed to buy, over Malika¡¯s vehement objections. Again, she felt the knot twisting in her gut at the wrongness of courting this man for his vote.


    ¡°Brand, get her in chains already,¡± Jax continued with a sneer that seemed to be honed to the status of a deadly political weapon.


    Ali said nothing. She simply sat, trying to control the roiling emotions within. If she hadn¡¯t known what to expect, she would probably have been just as shocked as the rest of the room.


    Nature-affinity mana crested like a tidal wave behind her.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± the Gnomish council member yelled, levitating herself behind an arcing shield of lightning magic.


    Vines writhed their way through the open doorway, the windows, and even the stone floor, cracking and buckling it in the process. A soft breeze blew through the hall, bringing with it a rapidly expanding carpet of moss and delicate wildflowers, and as the mana crashed through the room, nature wisps spontaneously materialized, darting back and forth on the heavy currents of mana.


    Despite expecting something spectacular, Ali was awed at the power of the Dryad¡¯s magic ¨C now restored by the forest she had made. By the startled looks from the crowd, so were most of the spectators ¨C including the wide-eyed Gnome mage hiding behind her potent magic. She forgot sometimes that her aunt was an ancient magical being of extraordinary power. Ali waited, enjoying the way the shocked shouts faded to total silence as Lira approached, striding elegantly and unhurriedly along her mossy carpet to join Ali before the dais.


    Many among the spectators ¨C Elves, Druids, and other nature magic users ¨C rose to their feet, bowed, or made signs of respect.


    In the silence created by Lira¡¯s magnificent entrance, Ali raised her voice and addressed the council.


    ¡°There appears to have been a misunderstanding. I do not come to throw myself upon the dubious mercy of a council that seems to have already decided my guilt,¡± she declared. As the council collected themselves, Ali took a deep breath to settle her nerves.


    The silence that greeted her statement oozed hostility.


    ¡°My name is Aliandra Amariel. I am the dungeon that lives under Myrin¡¯s Keep and I come with a proposal for peaceful coexistence.¡± Lira had insisted on leading with confidence. Arguing about her class was not going to help her case. By putting it out there at the start, she would circumvent many arguments.


    ¡°Why are you here? Myrin¡¯s Keep has stood here for a hundred years. It¡¯s our town ¨C you¡¯re an interloper and not welcome,¡± Bastian declared. He was still standing, but much of his bluster and anger had evaporated at Lira¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°I was born three thousand two hundred and eighty-seven years ago in the city of Dal¡¯mohra, the ruins of which now lie below Myrin¡¯s Keep. I have remained here all those years, so I think you¡¯ll find that it is you all who are the interlopers in  home.¡± Most of those years had been spent locked away behind her mother¡¯s legendary Time Stasis spell, but Ali didn¡¯t feel he needed to know that.


    ¡°That¡¯s preposterous,¡± Bastian scoffed.


    ¡°I have the results of her Advanced Identify on record in the Adventurers Guild,¡± Vivian said calmly from her seat. ¡°Her age, at least, is accurate. So is that Title she bears.¡±


    Ali had expected them to derail on Lira¡¯s presence, but it seemed Bastian was more interested in sparring with Vivian.


    ¡°That¡¯s not proof of anything,¡± Bastian declared. ¡°She¡¯s claiming the legendary city is below our feet, has anyone seen it?¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± Calen answered. Beside him, Malika nodded her agreement but chose not to speak.


    ¡°Anyone who is not accused.¡±


    ¡°I have been in the Grand Library Arcana.¡± Ali¡¯s heart jumped to hear the sound of Ryn¡¯s voice raised in her defense from the back of the audience. ¡°My class is proof of that.¡±


    Bastian just stared her down in frustration, and Ali took the opportunity to direct the flow of conversation, just as Lira had coached her.


    ¡°Before we get to the business of the Town Watch¡¯s unprovoked attack on me, my friends, and the Adventurers Guild, I have something far more urgent for the council¡¯s consideration.¡± Ali summoned the seven copies of Calen¡¯s report onto seven small disks of her barrier magic. She had practiced for a long time to perfect splitting her focus so many ways, and it was only with the enhancement to her arcane control from Arcane Recall and the intelligence boost she was getting from Empowered Summoner that she had been able to pull it off while still sitting on her barrier seat.


    Each disk floated smoothly across the dais, depositing a copy in front of each council member.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Bastian asked, not moving to touch it, but he was immediately interrupted.


    ¡°Is there any proof of this?¡± The new voice sounded stern and crisp as he tapped the report.


    Ali identified him by his iron-gray hair and piercing blue eyes.


    ¡°I am the proof,¡± Lira answered, her voice resonating more than usual, seeming to hang indefinitely in the air, still running rich with her mana. ¡°My name is Lirasia. The forest that was my home for the last three thousand years, the Lirasian Forest, is no more, undone by the blight of the Necromancer, Alexander Gray. It was utterly destroyed.¡±


    At her words, Gerald Brand¡¯s aide left the room at a sprint, carrying the report.


    ¡°You¡¯re not taking this nonsense seriously, Brand?¡± The voice was gravelly and strong.


    He was the only dwarf on the council. His hair and beard were an uncommon blond and were worn in thick braids that were festooned with heavy, ornate gold jewelry.


    ¡°That group warned us of the Goblin siege. Yes, I am taking their report seriously,¡± the commander answered. ¡°Besides, that is a three-mark Dryad bearing the title: Grand Mother of the Deep Woods. There can be no question she is the one from the legends.¡±


    The commander had remembered them, and more importantly, credited them with providing crucial information in support of the town¡¯s defense ¨C and Lira¡¯s presence had lent an enormous weight of credibility.


    ¡°The second matter of business for this council is related to the first,¡± Ali announced, pitching her voice to carry as best it could. Commander Brand had accepted the report as worth consideration, which was her purpose. She just hoped it was enough to sway his vote in their favor as Mieriel had predicted.


    ¡°With a Necromancer closing in on town, many outlying farms have been destroyed, and I¡¯ve been informed that the town is struggling to find food. I want to offer the magic of my domain to feed the town while the Garrison Commander defends us.¡± This was her bid for the second vote, and she studied the mayor carefully ¨C but, by using the eyes of her Acolyte, so that she didn¡¯t give away her interest.


    ¡°Can you really feed everyone?¡± William Turner asked. He seemed rather tense, and by the gasps and murmurs from the audience, it seemed that the food shortage was more desperate than she had imagined.


    ¡°Lirasia has agreed to share her magic, and with the help of a few of the town¡¯s farmers and nature mages, it should not be a problem,¡± Ali confirmed, happy that she had caught his attention.


    ¡°Was it you that advanced the Elder Tree yesterday?¡±


    Ali¡¯s eyes caught the piercing gaze of the Gnomish mage. Donella, it seemed, was intensely curious about magic. ¡°It was Lirasia,¡± Ali confirmed, filing the tidbit of information about her away just in case it might prove useful.


    The room erupted into a chaotic explosion of conversations as the news and the proposal were processed. Ali simply waited for it to calm down sufficiently.


    ¡°For our final business, my friends are on trial for self-defense against the Town Watch, but I am a dungeon, and I ask that the council vote to explicitly recognize me as a person.¡± This was the most crucial moment. If she had done her job well, Vivian would bring her proposal before the council formally, and one of the other council members would second it, forcing the vote to be on her personhood, rather than on whether to cull a dungeon.


    ¡°You want us to recognize a dungeon as a person? So that you can have legal protection? Nobody will support that nonsense,¡± Bastian scoffed.


    Ali saw Vivian sit forward out of the corner of her eye, but surprisingly, it was not her voice that she heard first.


    ¡°I will put the motion on the table.¡± It was Commander Brand¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Very well, who will second it?¡± William Turner asked, sounding unsurprised. The excitement of securing Gerald Brand¡¯s vote was quenched by William¡¯s response. Ali had been hoping that her proposal for feeding the town would sway him to their side, but if it had worked, he wouldn¡¯t have called for a second, he would have done it himself.


    ¡°I second the motion,¡± Vivian called out, after waiting long enough for William to do it if he wanted to.


    she realized, racking her brain to figure out what else she could do to convince the mayor.


    ¡°If we¡¯re proposing motions, I propose we elevate Kieran Mori to take Roderik Icecrown¡¯s seat, and I propose we do it before we vote so that we can vote with a full council.¡± Jax¡¯s cold voice interrupted Ali¡¯s thoughts, and she snapped her head around, finding his hard eyes boring into her.


    ¡°Absolutely not! I object!¡± William Turner shouted. ¡°You will not stack the council with your Town Watch lackey.¡±


    ¡°The Town Watch are the heroes here; they bravely confronted the dungeon at the cost of many of their lives. Yet you insist on hearing this dungeon speak. This is a travesty,¡± Jax answered, raising his voice.


    ¡°Your so-called heroes tried to kill my son!¡± William yelled, on his feet in an instant, glaring down at Jax, amid the gasps and exclamations from the crowd. ¡°As mayor, I will cast Roderik¡¯s vote in this matter.¡±


    Ali stared dumbfounded as the heated argument erupted. She had of course been there to see Aiden and Havok being beaten up, and she understood William Turner¡¯s rage. But she had no idea they could use the empty seat to vote.


    ¡°Silence. You¡¯re both out of line,¡± Bastian¡¯s voice cut through the boiling anger with a calm authority. ¡°I am the executor of the crown. I veto Mori on account of the fact that he has no noble blood. The crown will not stand for that. In the matter of the crown¡¯s interests, I outrank you, William. I will cast Roderik¡¯s vote until we find a legal replacement.¡±


    Ali watched helplessly as all their careful planning came down in tatters. Bastian Asterford was definitely not going to vote for her ¨C she had killed Roderik. And Roderik was a noble, just like Bastian. With him wielding two votes and the tiebreaker, she could not win, even if she somehow swayed William Turner and managed to buy Jax¡¯s vote.


    Ali wasn¡¯t even certain she could buy Jax¡¯s vote. Based on the outburst she had just witnessed, they had critically misjudged him as motivated by personal wealth; he seemed to care far more about influence and power. In fact, if he had any interest in wealth, he would have most likely been more amenable to her case from the start, but instead, he had been hostile at every step.


    ¡°I thank you for your scouting report, and your proposal of food, but none of it is necessary. Gerald Brand will defend the town, and we will simply teleport in supplies from Southport to feed the people,¡± Bastian continued. ¡°Now let¡¯s get this trial finished.¡±


    ¡°How will you teleport food in when there is a spatial suppression field blanketing the town?¡± Ali asked. She had no idea what to do, it was simply the first thing that sprang to her mind. Bastian had to know about it, and he was simply lying to her.


    ¡°How dare you share military secrets in public!¡± Jax called out.


    Several things clicked in her mind in rapid succession. Bastian was not lying to her; he was lying to the spectators. The townsfolk did not know how dire the situation was, but it was clear that Jax did. Her sharing the information in public must have hurt him somehow. She also knew that she no longer had any reason to pander to him, given that winning his vote would not sway the outcome at all. And Jax had just demonstrated he had two enemies on the council, not one as they had thought.


    Ali glanced at Lira, wishing she could ask Mieriel for confirmation ¨C but Lira nodded imperceptibly, and it was enough. Plucking up her courage, she glared at Jax. ¡°Perhaps you should have considered that I might tell the truth before inviting all the townsfolk you¡¯ve been lying to, you two-faced ass,¡± Ali stated, delivering the insult with a deep sense of satisfaction. For the last part, she used a Dwarven word she had heard Morwynne use to great effect ¨C the Dwarven language was crude and crass, but it was an exquisite tool for delivering an insult. The word she had used compared his face to his ass, while simultaneously calling him out for being two-faced.


    There was a loud snort from Hadrik as he doubled over, letting out a belly laugh that filled the room, ¡°Good one, lassie!¡±


    Ali opted to smile at him mostly to cover her fear, ignoring Jax¡¯s infuriated scowl. She expected that most of the people present would not understand the Dwarven language, but just the sound of the word and Hadrik¡¯s reaction told everyone all they needed to know. Ali was still using her Kobold¡¯s vision, so she saw Malika staring at her in shock, followed by a tentative smile.


    She was way off script, and she had clearly just lost Jax¡¯s vote, but Malika¡¯s small smile had kindled a warmth in her heart, and she suddenly felt a lot less dirty, somehow. But her brief respite was short-lived as the wreckage of a trial continued unabated.


    ¡°Before I call this matter to vote, there is a formal complaint registered by Eliyen Mistwood against the Town Watch. She claims to have invested over two hundred gold in a joint venture with Aliandra to procure mana-purified water. She claims that the investment was maliciously destroyed in the attack on her business partner, and furthermore, members of the Town Watch were found selling the stolen product in the market without a license.¡±


    ¡°Pay her the damages, and I will fine the individuals selling without a market license,¡± Hadrik declared brusquely. ¡°Mana-purified water is expensive and rare, and we cannot allow them to circumvent the crown¡¯s taxes.¡±


    William Turner cleared his throat awkwardly. ¡°We can¡¯t afford the damages, Hadrik,¡± he said.


    ¡°What?¡± Hadrik rounded on William, his phenomenal, gilded beard quivering in shock.


    ¡°She claims that Aliandra made an entire lake of mana-purified water, and the survivors of the raid were trying to sell it by the bucketful.¡±


    Hadrik choked, his face going red. ¡°A lake¡­ that¡¯s worth¡­¡± he trailed off, unable to finish the thought.


    ¡°More than the town, probably,¡± William Turner finished bluntly, as if relishing the implication or merely the chance to twist the verbal dagger.


    Hadrik turned to stare at Ali, so she just shrugged flippantly and said, ¡°Dungeon. It¡¯s what we do.¡± But her mind was far from jokes, or more accurately, her earlier joke and Hadrik¡¯s laughter had planted a small seed of hope in her ¨C hope that their cause was not lost.


    Mieriel had said it was impossible, but now Ali was not so sure he was that unassailable. She had burned Jax ¨C her only option now was to win Hadrik, William, Donella; if she failed with even one of them, she would again face a tie that was not in her favor or an outright loss.


    ¡°Even though I made a lake of mana-purified water, I still worked through the guild merchant to sell it to Eliyen. Everything was legal and all the required taxes were paid,¡± Ali offered the flabbergasted Dwarf. Her mind raced as she struggled to get ahead of the game, trying to figure out what else she might use to convince him, and then it came to her ¨C she had been planning to offer Magicite as an enticement to buy Jax¡¯s vote. She couldn¡¯t buy Hadrik¡¯s because he seemed too honest and law-abiding.


    ¡°Recently, I discovered how to make Magicite, and that too was sold to the Novaspark Academy of Magic via the guild merchant, Weldin Thriftpenny. As you can imagine, a reliable supply of Magicite could be a significant boost for the economy of the town ¨C and Weldin Thriftpenny is properly licensed.¡± In the front row of the spectators, she saw the dapper Gnome merchant nodding to her.


    Her statement caused a ripple of excited voices through the spectators, and Donella sat up with sudden interest as she explained the source of the couple of chunks of raw Magicite she had been sold.


    While she wasn¡¯t explicitly trying to buy the town¡¯s tax collector, she guessed that the huge potential influx of money would result in vastly more taxes for the crown. . If Hadrik thought she was trusted to work within the law, she might be able to snag him.


    ¡°She¡¯s trying to buy your vote, you idiot,¡± Jax interjected angrily. Mieriel¡¯s observation that he and Hadrik despised each other enough to fight during the council meetings was proving remarkably accurate.


    ¡°Shut it, ya twit. I wasn¡¯t born yesterday,¡± Hadrik retorted, his giant gold-braided beard bristling with anger, before he rounded on Ali.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re trying to do. Enticing me with the promises of riches from a dungeon. You paint a rosy picture of prosperity, but once you are strong enough, what¡¯s to stop you from finding an unscrupulous merchant and circumventing the law?¡± He glanced significantly at Jax before turning back to her. ¡°The lure of profit and the color of gold is a powerful force. No, if you want to convince me, you must prove you can be controlled.¡± His voice was clear, and his laughter and anger had both vanished, replaced with a stern, focused businesslike attitude.


    With his dramatic shift in attitude, Ali realized she had never even been close to winning him over. The laughter at her joke, his anger at Jax, underneath it all the stocky Dwarf had a mind as solid and firm as granite, and a sharp intellect too. He had unerringly identified the potential connection between her as a dungeon and Jax with his smuggling ring ¨C the very plan they had decided to use before Bastian claimed the extra vote.


    ¡°You want control?¡± she asked, drifting her barrier closer to the Dwarf, taking in the color of his golden jewelry. She retrieved the pouch of Dal¡¯mohran gold coins from her ring into her pocket, slipping her fingers in to touch the coins. Control was something she would not submit to, but she needed to convince him that her interests and his were aligned. There was only one way she could think of. She pulsed her magic, deconstructing as many coins as she could. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°She¡¯s using magic!¡± Donella¡¯s shield of arcing lighting snapped into place as Ali¡¯s barrier reached the dais.


    Before Donella could launch an attack, she had to distract her. Buy just a little time. ¡°I merely wish to demonstrate why my respect for the town¡¯s trade law is relevant, and why I believe you can trust me to adhere to it in the future,¡± Ali announced. Several more coins vanished, creating puffs of mana that Donella clearly could see. Several of the council members activated defensive enchantments.


    she thought. It would have to do; Donella was already trying to cast something as she stared at Ali¡¯s Grimoire that had suddenly appeared in response to the new imprint. She activated Arcane Recall, and the entire council froze in the suddenly gray room. Ali anxiously checked everything she could see, but, to her intense relief, no terrifying blue glowing monsters leapt out from anywhere this time.


    Donella must have seen something because her expression seemed twisted into one of surprise, her hand outstretched, brimming with mana. Ali chose a chapter with her mind, allowing the Grimoire to inscribe the new imprint upon the pages. As soon as it was done, she channeled her mana, using the customization to create as much as she could all at once, like growing a wall full of ivy or a carpet of moss. She fed it almost her entire mana pool, saving just enough for her Barrier, in case she needed to defend herself from whatever Donella was planning.


    Her spell completed and, as the room snapped back to normal, it was filled with the distinctive sound of a continuous ringing cascade of gold striking wood and stone as the large mound of Dal¡¯mohran gold coins she had summoned crashed across the table and spilled onto the stone floor.


    Hadrik¡¯s jaw dropped, and he just stood there staring. Donella¡¯s magic fizzled as she let it fade.


    ¡°As you can see, I have no need of smugglers to sell Magicite. Nor do I need to wait till I¡¯m strong enough. I can already just make a lake-full of gold if I wanted ¨C and buy the entire town.¡± It was not strictly true, the pile of coins she had made looked impressive, but it was hardly more than a couple of hundred coins, and it had taken almost her entire mana pool to make. A lake would take ages. But she was going for hammering the impression home, so she didn¡¯t mind stretching the truth just a little.


    ¡°And just what is your little stunt supposed to prove?¡± Hadrik asked, collecting his jaw from the floor.


    ¡°If I can already do this, but still choose to work with the town, I think you can use that as a strong indication of my future behavior. There are people in this town I care about ¨C and wrecking the economy would put them all out of business, damage their livelihood, and likely drive everyone from the town. I meant what I said: I seek a peaceful coexistence and mutual cooperation with the town.¡±


    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s just about enough for theatrics,¡± William announced. ¡°I call the council to vote. A vote of yes will accord Aliandra Amariel with the rights and protection of a town citizen under the law. A vote of no will deny her this right.¡±


    He was calling for the vote early, and she hadn¡¯t had time to finish making her case to Hadrik. Nor was she certain of William¡¯s vote, and she hadn¡¯t even started to figure out how to win Donella to their side.


    ¡°I vote no,¡± Jax declared. ¡°Obviously.¡±


    ¡°I vote yes,¡± Vivian said, sounding like she was countering Jax¡¯s statement.


    ¡°The crown votes no,¡± Bastian announced firmly. ¡°Both my vote and Roderik¡¯s.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t looking good already, but these were the votes that she had been certain of from the start.


    ¡°I vote yes,¡± Commander Brand announced, giving Ali a tiny thrill of achievement.


    ¡°I will abstain,¡± Hadrik announced, stroking his beard with his fingertips as if in deep thought.


    she thought, a sudden chill settling in the pit of her stomach. She hadn¡¯t had enough time to convince the Dwarf, but she had hoped he would at least see her value to the crown, and Myrin¡¯s Keep.


    The rapid voting ceased as William Turner contemplated his choices. Ali¡¯s anxiety spiked as his face showed the conflict in his heart.


    ¡°What are you waiting for, William? This is an obvious decision,¡± Jax prodded him.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, this should be an easy decision for you,¡± Vivian answered, inexplicably agreeing with Jax.


    The whiplash of Vivian throwing in support with Jax left her reeling and hurt inside. But Vivian continued.


    ¡°Aliandra saved your boy¡¯s life.¡±


    William¡¯s head snapped around and he met Vivian¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°If you would put aside your differences and had actually talked to him, you would know this,¡± Vivian finished. William turned to the crowd of spectators, and Ali saw Aiden nodding.


    ¡°I vote yes,¡± William announced, his voice thick with difficult emotions.


    ¡°Are you mad?¡± Jax exclaimed.


    ¡°Be quiet,¡± Bastian shouted, rapping his knuckles on rich wood of the tabletop for emphasis. ¡°Donella, how do you vote?¡±


    Where Vivian had pulled this trump card from, Ali couldn¡¯t fathom. She had expected betrayal, but instead, she found an upwelling of gratitude toward the Guildmaster. But it wouldn¡¯t be enough, Ali had done nothing to convince Donella.


    The Gnome mage was simply sitting in her seat, studying Ali, her expression perfectly controlled.


    ¡°Your daughter Brena is up for class advancement soon,¡± Vivian said casually, drawing a sharp look from Donella.


    ¡°And what of it?¡±


    ¡°Aliandra has an advanced dungeon shrine, and I¡¯m certain you understand what that means.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to buy my vote with a class for my daughter?¡± Donella¡¯s controlled expression faltered, leaking conflict and anger onto her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m just pointing it out because it¡¯s relevant,¡± came the smooth reply. ¡°William¡¯s son unlocked an ice mana affinity and got an Ice Swordsman class from her shrine. He told me it was the fourth class choice he was offered.¡± It was a surprisingly well-considered pitch. Malika had explained that the town¡¯s crafted shrine could only offer a single alternate choice. Vivian was pretty blatantly emphasizing the superior abilities of using her Shrine of the Ancient Grove. ¡°I have personally verified the shrine¡¯s authenticity ¨C it¡¯s the real deal.¡±


    ¡°You can do this?¡± Donella asked, her gaze returning to Ali.


    Ali¡¯s heart leapt as she saw the Gnomish mage wavering. She desperately wanted Ali¡¯s shrine for her daughter, it was plainly written on her face.


    ¡°I can,¡± she answered. But the pained expression on Donella¡¯s face brought her to a sudden clarity.


    In that moment, she placed herself in the shoes of the powerful mage, trying to decide between her family and her principles. Her inner struggle was obvious as soon as Ali understood it. The warring emotions were played out across her face plain for anyone with eyes to see. If she chose her daughter, she would be publicly demonstrating nepotism, and her position as an impartial council member would be ruined. If she didn¡¯t, her daughter might be confined to a mediocre class for life. It was as profound a conflict of interest as Ali could imagine.


    ¡°But I won¡¯t,¡± Ali said, committing to her course. Her answer was met with a sudden silence as everyone in the room stared at her in shock.


    Ali swallowed, trying to ignore the stares of confusion from her friends and allies. ¡°I will not buy your vote. This shrine was passed down to me upon my father¡¯s death and it has always been offered freely. I would honor his memory by doing the same. If your daughter wishes to use my shrine, all she needs to do is ask. Your vote here will not influence my decision on this in any way.¡± Her words caused a loud commotion to erupt from the spectator seats.


    ¡°That, of course, requires that you be alive,¡± Donella countered.


    ¡°Yes, it does.¡± She couldn¡¯t deny what Donella said, and it certainly stole a lot of the wind out of her sails, but she felt the rightness of her argument and refused to back down, simply meeting the Gnome¡¯s gaze as steadily as she could manage. It was the best she could do under the circumstances.


    ¡°You are throwing away your chance, your only leverage,¡± Donella said, speaking like the words were a bitter pill in her mouth.


    The risk was clear to her ¨C without Donella¡¯s vote, she would lose. She would probably be killed, imprisoned, or forced to flee, dying to domain withdrawal later. But she was done bending over backward to win votes at the cost of her values. She suddenly understood Malika¡¯s view ¨C standing up for what she believed was right and letting the cards fall where they may. She wouldn¡¯t make someone choose between their family and their principles simply because it was convenient for her.


    ¡°I stand here asking to be treated fairly by the council. To be considered on my own merits. I would be a hypocrite if I didn¡¯t treat your daughter with the fairness I seek. Please vote your conscience in this matter.¡±


    ¡°You are certainly brave, standing up for your principles like that,¡± Donella said, her face returning to its former composure, clearly having come to some sort of decision behind her impenetrable fa?ade.


    But Ali felt anything but brave and principled. She had entered the trial planning on selling out to Jax. At every turn, she had simply been afraid of condemning her friends to death. Now, in the end, she had thrown all of it away on some silly pride in her father¡¯s memory. She felt sick.


    ¡°I vote yes.¡±


    Donella¡¯s words entered her mind, but she didn¡¯t quite comprehend.


    She had been braced for failure dreading all that came with that, but the word that touched her ears was not the one she had expected. Her thoughts tumbled chaotically as the room erupted into shouting and she saw Malika¡¯s white-knuckled fist unclench in the corner of her eye. Calen ¨C the rascal ¨C had the cheek to nod, once, as if he had expected this all along.


    ¡°Silence!¡± Bastian roared, restoring some order once more.


    Ali¡¯s eyes sought Lira standing regal and impassive, like a rock unmoved by the winds and waves, but as their eyes met, Lira smiled and nodded approvingly.


    In the ensuing quiet, William Turner collected himself, straightening up in his chair. ¡°The vote is concluded. In the matter of Aliandra Amariel, the council has voted four in favor, three against with one abstaining. Aliandra is hereby granted recognition as a person in the eyes of the law. As such, her actions in defending herself against Roderik Icecrown are considered to be self-defense and she is acquitted of the charge of murdering a noble. Similarly, Calen Avery, Malika, and Mato Bahr are acquitted of the charge of attacking the Town Watch, as their actions are now legally self-defense. This council session is concluded.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to just accept this, Bastian?¡± Jax seemed livid.


    ¡°It is a legal vote, and we are bound to abide by it. Obviously, I will report this to Southport, where I expect it to eventually be overturned as the crown does not abide dungeons. But, until then, it is law.¡±


    Jax turned on his heels and stalked out of the hall without another word.

 Map: Myrin’s Keep

    Map: Myrin¡¯s KeepLegend:


    1- Thuli''s Steelworks.


    The home and workplace of the Dwarven Blacksmith, Thuli. He''s on a mission to rediscover the legacy of his ancestor.


    2- North Gate.


    This gate leads to the kingdom of Toria


    3- South Gate.


    Main merchant route, leads (eventually) to the capital of New Daria, Southport.


    4- Town Center.


    This is where the town council holds meetings.


    5- Garrison Headquarters.


    Commander Gerald Brand''s HQ


    6- Adventurers Guild.


    The fledgling guild in Myrin''s Keep - where adventurers get their jobs and go for training.


    7- Market.


    Lots of the usual wares.


    8- Pretty Powerful Potions.


    Morwynne Fizzlebang''s Alchemy store - Calen''s favorite spot.


    9- Novaspark Academy of Magic.


    The prestigious academy of Donella Novaspark.


    10- Myrin''s Keep Library.


    The library - in the wealthier district.


    11- Temple of Lunar¨¦.


    Temple to the elven goddess. Run by Lamyndra Duskwind.


    12- Church of Helios.


    Temple to the god, Helios - a favorite of the garrison.


    13- Crown Bank.


    Royal bank, run by one Hadrik Goldbeard.


    14- Lydia''s Allure.


    Lydia Avery''s boutique tailor store - Calen''s mother.


    15- Eliyen''s Herbs.


    Eliyen Mistwood and Basil Watercress live here - Herbalist shop.


    16- Laurel''s Cafe.


    Upmarket cafe for the well-to-do.


    17- Reading Corner. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The first bookstore Ali finds. She meets Ryn here.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 126: The Tree’s Balance

    Chapter 126: The Tree¡¯s BalanceVivian Ross Vivian sat back in her seat, surveying the chaotic hubbub of the milling crowd. Aliandra appeared to be in something of a daze, sitting quietly in an eye of calm at the center, nobody yet having the courage to brave her Forest Guardians and approach ¨C but there was a large crowd of people paying their respects to Lirasia, congratulating Malika and Calen, or talking with the mayor.


    Vivian studied the regal-looking Dryad, answering questions calmly, and finally understood the extent of her genius. Inviting the common townsfolk had been an inspired move. While everyone had been focused on winning the vote, very little consideration was given to what happened after. Yet Lira had effortlessly conspired to allow Aliandra to publicly admit to all the charges against her, and still come out at the end with the majority of the town supporting her wholeheartedly. Most of the folk circling the Fae, hesitantly sizing her up, saw her as a savior from the predations of Roderik Icecrown, or a solution to their starving families ¨C not as a terrifying dungeon or murderer.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Hadrik said, rising laboriously to his feet. He swept his ring-encrusted hand through the pile of summoned gold, making it all vanish, and then strode off to approach Aliandra, still seated on her glowing barrier disk.


    It had been a brilliant pivot, she reflected, studying the Fae. Aliandra had been so nervous about being their spokesperson, but when Bastian had claimed the free vote, she had masterfully switched strategies, playing Jax off against William and Hadrik to gain their support. She had rewoven all their carefully gathered intelligence together with observations during the trial into an entirely new coherent strategy on the fly. It was a feat Mieriel had declared would be impossible, and yet, Hadrik had abstained after Aliandra¡¯s argument, rather than vote against her. She allowed herself an inward chuckle.


    It had been easy for her to provide the final motivation to secure William Turner, but her approach to Donella had been brilliantly eclipsed by Aliandra¡¯s impassioned appeal to her integrity and family. In a single stroke, Aliandra had freed the Gnomish mage to vote however she wanted, saving face in front of the town, and yet made it practically impossible to vote against her. It had not been calculated ¨C and it had landed all the more potently for being genuine.


    ¡°So, you have a pet dungeon,¡± Donella observed, flying over to join her.


    ¡°She is way too smart to be a pet,¡± Vivian answered, matching Donella¡¯s casual demeanor.


    ¡°She sure is something. That magic she wielded¡­ exquisite. Even I couldn¡¯t quite catch it, but it seemed to be manipulating time itself,¡± Donella murmured.


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Vivian agreed. Not that she had any idea how the spell worked ¨C other than the little Aliandra had shared ¨C but it certainly had seemed impressive and powerful to her senses. She couldn¡¯t imagine how it must look to someone with Donella¡¯s mana sight.


    ¡°You¡¯d better keep an eye on her, Vivian, dungeons are dangerous. Don¡¯t make me regret my vote.¡± Donella paused significantly and then added, ¡°On an unrelated note, I¡¯d like to leave an open order with your guild merchant to purchase all the magicite that comes through the store at a reasonable price.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let Weldin know,¡± Vivian said, outwardly acting cool and collected, but an open order from the Novaspark Academy was an enormous scoop for the guild. While she had plenty of experience with the danger of dungeons, Mieriel had opened her eyes to see just how different Aliandra really was.


    ¡°Can I have Brena talk to you¡­ if she wants to use the shrine?¡± For the first time in ages, Vivian heard uncertainty and hesitation in the powerful lightning mage¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Vivian smiled. The daughter of Donella Novaspark was bound to be a powerful mage, and she was beyond excited to see what kind of class she would unlock.


    Tala


    ¡°Grampa, when I get a class, I want a Forest Guardian like that one!¡± the young boy declared, stumbling as he insisted on staring at the giant elementals and not looking to see where he was going.


    ¡°Her little wings are so pretty¡­¡± the girl said, twisting fistfuls of pink dress in her hands.


    ¡°Come on you two, let¡¯s take you back home to your mother,¡± their grandfather said, urging them forward by waving his hands.


    ¡°Aww.¡±


    Tala glowered at the elderly man and his two annoyingly energetic grandkids taking forever to leave the Town Hall, but she ate the words that came to her lips and waited. She wasn¡¯t stupid enough to risk her disguise by drawing attention to herself by making an unnecessary scene.


    She glanced back one last time to find Hadrik Goldbeard approaching Aliandra.


    Tala grimaced and darted around the old man when he finally made enough room and ducked into an alleyway, vanishing into the shadows with her concealment skill. She had been working her fingers to the bone under Kieran Mori¡¯s ruthless training regimen and she had relentlessly pursued every mark she could find. Even Mori had admitted her progress was stellar ¨C and yet, that pesky Fae was now almost beyond the range of her Identify skill.


    But the words rang hollow even to her. Roderik had been terrifyingly powerful and well connected ¨C how someone like Aliandra had gotten the drop on him she would never know. The frustrating thing was that she might have caught up with the Fae if it had been her that had killed him.


    Racking her brain for fresh ideas and half-formed plans, she fled across the rooftops back to the Town Watch headquarters.


    Aliandra


    ¡°Thank you, lassie.¡± Hadrik¡¯s booming voice pulled Ali out of her daze, and she glanced down at the stocky blond dwarf. Belatedly remembering her manners, she floated her barrier lower so that she could match his height.


    ¡°For what?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Putting that prat in his place, I haven¡¯t heard  word used in yonks,¡± he answered, chuckling massively. ¡°Oh, I picked up all your coins. Do you want them, or should I deposit them in the Crown Bank under your name?¡±


    ¡°The bank is fine, thank you.¡±


    ¡°See ya around,¡± he said, waving. ¡°And congrats.¡±


    Ali stared after his broad back. He had seemed so stern and immovable during the trial, but now, he seemed surprisingly affable. She didn¡¯t quite know what to make of him. Instead of dwelling on it, she slowly floated her way over to join her friends. Lira had a crowd of people around her, but she found her way to Malika and Calen.


    ¡°That was a brilliant move, Ali,¡± Calen said admiringly.


    ¡°I¡¯m still kinda sad you agreed to the first plan,¡± Malika said. ¡°But you made it better and cleared our names, so thank you.¡±


    ¡°I was so scared,¡± Ali said, but then she was interrupted.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    People were streaming past and murmuring thanks at them, and it took Ali a few moments to realize what for.


    ¡°Thank you for killing that monster, Roderik.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for trying to help us, my family hasn¡¯t eaten in days.¡±


    Ali didn¡¯t exactly know what to say to them, but she acknowledged each person as they passed by. in the aftermath, she still felt queasy.


    ¡°Excuse me, miss. Is your shrine free for the council only? Or is it for anyone?¡±


    Ali looked up to find a tall lanky ginger man wearing the patchy beginnings of a beard that only young men could be proud of and dressed in rough homespun clothes that had been neatly mended. This question, though, she had a ready answer for. Bowing slightly, she said, ¡°I won¡¯t charge anyone.¡±


    He tried to bow soberly, saying, ¡°Thank you, lady,¡± but he could not disguise a skip in his step as he departed.


    Ali suddenly realized why Lira had placed such importance on winning the crowd. They were random townsfolk from all walks of life. If she wanted to advertise that she was on the side of the town and its people, she couldn¡¯t have asked for a better forum.


    she thought, taking a deep breath and rolling her shoulders, trying to accept that it was over.


    ***


    Ali paused at the threshold of the tunnel with the little burbling stream below her, and the dense ocean of mana wafting up from Lira¡¯s Forest at her back. She gazed out into her old forest cavern, now dark and filled with the lingering stench of old fire. Milling about below her floating barrier was a small army of Moss Creepers, Spore Spreaders, and Floral Menaces. She had spent a ton of her mana summoning them because the task of replanting the cavern and undoing the damage inflicted by the Town Watch would be a huge one.


    When she had stopped by the library earlier to check on Mato, she had found only the incredible synthesis of her domain with Lira¡¯s mana gushing from the giant Elder Tree ¨C however, laced through it, she could see the familiar signs of his mana. There was no sign of his physical body, and she assumed he would remain melded with the tree for a while still. It was such a magnificent sight ¨C overnight the atrium had filled with the darting light of thousands of wisps drawn to the density of the mana. They wheeled and cavorted around the giant branches and among the oak leaves, banishing the darkness from the ancient, ruined walls.


    A Dryad¡¯s power was Nature itself, yet it could all be brought low by nature¡¯s antithesis, the decay and corruption of magic of a monster like Alexander Gray. It was a sobering lesson Ali would do well to heed, given just how deeply her own magic was rooted in nature.


    Ali floated out into the desolate cavern, putting her feelings aside to concentrate on her task.


    ¡°¡± she told the Moss Creepers, impressing her preference for the nature-affinity moss variety upon them before sending them out to plant for her.


    ¡°¡± she told the Floral Menaces. She didn¡¯t have nature or arcane flower varieties, so any flowers would do.


    For her Spore Spreaders, she split them into two groups ¨C the first she sent to fill the lake and streams with Psathyrella mushrooms. She had gotten used to having clean water and she wrinkled her nose in disgust as traces of the former stagnant stench wafted over to her. she coughed politely ¨C Fortunately, the strangely stumpy mushroom monsters seemed to have no need to breathe and could happily walk along the bottom of the foul lake growing mushrooms for her. The second group she sent off to spread her arcane-affinity Common Glowcap mushrooms everywhere.


    As the monsters fanned out into the cavern, Ali summoned her Grimoire. Previously, her largest nature affinity plant was the Living Bamboo, but now that she had the Lirasian Oak, she should be able to create her domain in giant spherical sections surrounding the great trees. While her Grimoire seemed to have recorded all the information for the Elder Tree variant, she knew her skill would not be able to create anything beyond her class level yet.


    she decided, staring up at the rock of the cavern roof. The library tree was far too tall to fit in here, even in a cavern of these vaulting dimensions. As she began to create the first new tree, she carefully observed the experience of wielding her magic. Under the influence of the arcane mastery passive provided by her Arcane Recall skill, her mental reaction speed was accelerated, but her summoning magic was similarly hasted, creating the strange perception that it still took the same time, even though she could feel just how much faster her magic was working.


    She moved on to the second tree, choosing a random placement near the edge of the vast fountain of mana pumped out by the newly created one. Her only criterion was to avoid the massive dead trunks of the ancient trees holding up the ceiling while she spread her trees to reclaim the entire cavern.


    For now, though, she needed her domain to fill this space as quickly as possible so she could make good on her promise to help feed the town.


    It was around the area of the shrine that she slowed down, taking the time to place each tree carefully. With the enormous Lirasian Oaks at her disposal, it was much easier to match her memories of her father¡¯s Grove, although she didn¡¯t have the orchids and ferns, and countless other plants she remembered. Instead, she filled the spaces between the giant oaks with smaller trees and covered the ground with blue mana grass and her Common Glowcaps.


    The arcane-affinity grass and mushrooms quickly began to glow, emitting a strong upwelling of arcane mana that mingled with the giant geysers of nature mana gushing up through the trees. Her domain began to form ¨C much faster now that Domain Mastery had grown ¨C but she continued to watch anxiously until the structure and order flowed around her shrine. But whatever worries she might have had vanished as the domain seamlessly reconnected to the Shrine of the Ancient Grove, causing the softly glowing runes on the dusty, ash-covered obelisk to flare brighter with the sudden influx of mana.


    Once the shrine was reconnected to her domain, she finally felt her body and mind relax, and she slipped into an almost meditative zone where her focus became easy and clear while she worked to finish reclaiming the cavern. She even replaced the golden stairwell to the sewer level and erased the rock pile below it, allowing her industrious minions access to the sewers above. For now, she ignored the enormous cave-in blocking the entrance to the gates of Dal¡¯mohra ¨C the path she and Mato had used to escape the ruins ¨C simply rerouting several stream channels by reshaping the rocky ground beneath and filling the entire northwest corner of the cavern with Living Bamboo, recreating the serene forest Malika had loved meditating in. But she reopened the ventilation shaft, filling it with ivy to restore a second access pathway to the ruined city below.


    She was resummoning her Aetheric Slimes and feeding them to the lake when she saw several figures descending her barrier stairwell into the cavern.


    She couldn¡¯t make them out from this distance, but Calen¡¯s wings at least were bright and distinctive. She summoned another batch of the tiny slime monsters while she waited for the group to wend its way through her new, sparsely populated forest of giant oaks.


    Right as the procession rounded the lake, approaching where she waited, it happened. The complex eddies of water-affinity mana from the mushrooms and the arcane mana swirls from the tiny slimes she had dumped into the lake suddenly stilled. The entire lake seemed to freeze for a moment. Deep within the waters, she once again saw the intense concentration of mana explode through the lake in a silent shockwave, leaving the water pristine, perfectly clear, and beginning to glow with the familiar cerulean blue that it had once had.


    The glow illuminated the approaching group, and by the light, Ali recognized them as they stopped to stare at the lake with exclamations of surprise that turned to excitement. Vivian led the group which included Malika, Calen, and Lira. Basil and Eliyen were near the back of the group, along with several people she didn¡¯t recognize, led by the farmer Sigurd.


    ¡°Hi again, Aliandra,¡± the stocky farmer greeted her, with a brief nod. ¡°Where would you like us to start?¡±


    she thought. ¡°Hi Sigurd,¡± she answered, happy that he had remembered her from their Kobold hunting quest. ¡°Anywhere you like,¡± she answered. ¡°Is this going to work for you?¡± she gestured out to the open areas nearby.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit rocky, but I think we can make do.¡±


    ¡°I can help with that,¡± Ali answered, reaching out with her Domain Mastery skill, flattening and pulverizing the rock to make a broad field nestled between two enormous oaks.


    ¡°Oh, that works,¡± Sigurd exclaimed, while several of the other farmers oohed and aahed as she flexed her domain skill. ¡°Oskar, can you handle fertilizer?¡±


    ¡°On it, boss,¡± a heavy-set farmer with a full black beard answered. ¡°There was plenty of raw material for my skills up in them sewers. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    Mato


    He slipped out of the tree trunk and collapsed on the ground. His body flopped around for a while as he tried to remember what being a person was like. His branches were pale and floppy.


    he corrected himself. Mato was aware that he was struggling to readjust to his body from his time spent as a tree, but his mind somehow retained the calm, serene, and expansive state he had experienced during the meld. As his awareness slowly shrunk back into his body, he heard a soft chime calling his attention.


    he thought, knowing he would normally have been jumping in excitement, but his mind still rested in the lingering embrace of the Tree Meld¡¯s magic. With care and deliberation, he examined the notifications in the peace of his inner grove, noting how much stronger his inner tree ¨C the mental representation of his magic ¨C seemed.


    Arboreal Sanctuary ¨C level 24


    You emit a spherical Sanctuary aura of nature magic centered on yourself. Range: 17.2 feet.


    Your natural health regeneration rate is increased by +136.8%  and you can recover even from critical injuries. Your regeneration is shared with allies (including animals, beasts, and plants). Range: Sanctuary.


    Mana: You can redirect damage from anyone to yourself. Range: Sanctuary.


    Mana: Shapeshift into a tree.


    Tree Form: You maintain a meditative state increasing your health and mana regeneration by +500%. The base range of your Sanctuary aura is increased to 500 feet, and exposure to it applies Vitality Rejuvenation. Your Strength, Dexterity, and Endurance are replaced with additional Vitality, Perception, and Wisdom.


    Nature, Domain, Area, Shapeshift, Wisdom


    He took his time to study the advancement while his body lay weak and unresponsive on the grass between huge, gnarled roots.


    His heart pinched with a brief pang of guilt at the fact that he had left them to face the council trial without him.


    It was a strange existence, being a tree, and as he lay there reflecting, he felt like his entire being had been carefully dismantled before being reassembled into something that felt like it should be him ¨C but wasn¡¯t quite. He was a shapeshifter, used to the idea of assuming beast forms, but this advancement was clearly heavily influenced by his exposure to Lirasia¡¯s mana and experience ¨C he could still feel the complex knot of her mana deep inside his chest, tying him to her in some delicately intricate way. Her patronage even showed up as a new entry on his status, right below his aptitudes:


    He accepted the advancement to his Arboreal Sanctuary skill, trusting that this was on the path to balance Lirasia had spoken of, and directed his attention upwards. He had sensed powerful magic at work at the edge of his perception while he was linked to the tree. His curiosity drove him to rise and take a step on shaky legs. His second step was steadier. Pleased, he began to climb the library stairs to the forest above, intent on finding his friends.


    ***


    Mato walked slowly through the river passage, taking in the damp moisture underfoot. As he entered the burned forest cavern, his enhanced sense of smell filled with the stench of ash and charred wood, but also the zesty freshness of new growth, and his mind recalled the great tree¡¯s sense of balance in all things. Life passed, but then it grew again; a never-ending cycle of renewal.


    He shambled forward, feeling the rush of new sensations through his sanctuary aura. The serene existence of new oaks tugged at his senses, the flow of the sap, and the drawing of mana through their giant trunks. Each of them shared their endless calm with him as he passed.


    He approached the lake beside the shrine and happened upon a scene of busyness ¨C the sense of activity clashing with his internal state. Basil knelt in the dirt growing something. Ali had her Grimoire out, flickering with the light of her magic. There was a group of five farmers, some of whom he recognized, toiling under the light of Calen¡¯s magic. The deep, knowing eyes of Lira studied his approach with a radiating kindness.


    He knew he was the one who had changed, and yet he felt disconnected from all of them.


    Quietly, he greeted them, garnering strange looks of inquiry and surprise.


    ¡°Mato? Are you ok?¡± Calen¡¯s voice was not calm ¨C he seemed strangely anxious.


    He considered the question carefully, examining his mind, and his body. Both seemed to be there, which was good, he thought.


    ¡°I think so,¡± he replied slowly, after his long consideration.


    ¡°It¡¯s his first Tree Meld, he will return to normal soon.¡± Lira¡¯s resonant voice filled his ears, triggering echoes of communion with the Elder Tree. The same sense of serene calm filled her voice, the same mana, and the same will, and he suddenly realized she the tree. There was no sense questioning which of them had been in communion with him, which was his mentor. Lirasia and the Elder Tree were one and the same being. While he lay within the tree, it was her mana and experience that flowed through him, instructing him.


    He considered the word for a while. What did it really mean?


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll plant myself here,¡± he said, slowly, choosing a spot between two large fields, studying the farmers who had stopped their labor to stare at him.


    He ignored the curiosity all around and warped his body ¨C the new magic coming easy to him as if he had been born to it. His roots dove deep and hungrily into the rocky ground, twisting and pushing as he stretched them ¨C a strong grasp with which to anchor himself to the bedrock. His trunk stretched upward, splitting and stretching as his branches reached upward and outward. When he was ready, he grew his leaves, breathing the scents and mana in the air.


    His growth was natural and swift, and he finally stopped, larger than the normal oaks, but still a ways short of the giant trees surrounding him. His roots drank thirstily from the lake, tasting the refreshing coolness of the mana-purified water, drawing it up through his trunk, and releasing the excess mana to overflow through his leaves.


    But as he settled into the familiar calm, sensing the flow of sap and mana, stretching his senses outward, he felt it was right. He was this tree, with none of the previous sense of being lost inside something enormous.


    His mana flowed through him, and his regeneration surged, pouring upward and outward into the world around him. His Sanctuary aura exploded outward, encompassing a vast area and, although he couldn¡¯t see, or hear, he could feel the trees, taste the mana, and sense the people as they moved about within his domain.


    In his new form, several of his skills were unavailable, and it took only a moment to realize what was common: anything requiring stamina seemed blocked when he reached for the skill activation. He considered it for a while, deciding that it made sense ¨C he no longer had endurance, strength, or dexterity ¨C the attributes having been removed by his Tree Form. Instead, his other attributes had been greatly increased, however, this did mean that stamina was entirely missing.


    Natural Prowess had automatically updated in response to his new form, and he spent a little time studying the change.


    Natural Prowess ¨C level 17


    Attributes most appropriate to your form are increased by +75.9% [40 + skill + base wisdom / 10].


    Mana: Wisdom, Intelligence, and Perception are increased. Beastkin, Reserve: 20%


    Stamina: Endurance, Vitality, and Strength are increased. Bear Form, Reserve: 20%


    Stamina: Perception, Dexterity, and Strength are increased. Wolf Form, Reserve: 20%


    Mana: All attributes are increased. Tree Form, Reserve: 20%


    Nature, Buff, Wisdom


    But the biggest difference was the change to his domain ¨C he could reach out over eight hundred feet through his Sanctuary aura, sharing his vastly increased health and mana regeneration with everyone in range. Satisfied, he simply remained, stretching his mana and magic to whatever task they chose to undertake, sensing his overflowing mana pouring into the plants, assisting with their growth.

 Chapter 127: Farming

    Chapter 127: FarmingAliandra Ali watched Mato shuffling past like a sleepwalker in a dream with not a single ounce of his usual energetic enthusiasm on display.


    His behavior was so out of character that Ali¡¯s concern for his wellbeing skyrocketed, not helped in the slightest by hearing Calen ask if he was ok.


    ¡°This was his first Tree Meld,¡± Lira said, gently guiding the big Beastkin toward the group. ¡°He will return to normal soon.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right¡­ I forgot about the wooziness,¡± Ali said, nodding. She had personally experienced Lira¡¯s brand of potent instruction ¨C long before she even had her class. It was how she had unlocked her affinity with nature magic in the first place. If Mato¡¯s experience with the Tree Meld was anything as powerful as she remembered, it might be a few days before he recovered fully. A touch of Lira¡¯s mana remained within him, sparkling like a complex knot ¨C just like the mana signature Thuli had offered to Kav¨¦ to facilitate his mentorship of her.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll plant myself here,¡± Mato said, his voice slow and somehow soothing.


    A powerful shift rippled through him as a bright surge of emerald-green nature mana filled his body. But it didn¡¯t remain static, immediately twisting, growing, and stretching as his body began to warp with it. Instead of his familiar Bear Form transformation, Mato¡¯s body grew upward, stretching well beyond his normal size. His skin darkened, becoming rougher and turning into bark as his arms and head warped into branches that split and proliferated through the air, eventually sprouting leaves. Roots thickened and branches thrust up and outward with a loud creaking of wood and crunching of rock.


    ¡°My goodness, Mato!¡± Malika exclaimed.


    ¡°Epic¡­¡± Calen said as the group around him murmured and gasped at the dramatic transformation.


    The growth slowed and finally halted, and Ali stared up in amazement at his magnificent new form, still somehow able to recognize that it was Mato despite the bark and leaves.


    Mana pulsed deep in the tree¡¯s heartwood, and his Sanctuary aura erupted outward, suddenly many times stronger. Ali instantly reacted with her Domain Mastery skill, alert for the clash of domains or dungeon-rage, but Mato¡¯s Sanctuary aura was flexible, adapting easily to her domain. She studied it carefully for a few moments, deciding to bend her mana just a little to try to support his better, and then she let it go, not quite certain if she had done anything.


    she thought. His Sanctuary aura had never interfered with her mana before. As his aura stabilized, her mana regeneration surged in sync with his mana.


    Calen walked over to rap his knuckles on his friend¡¯s trunk with a woody . ¡°Definitely still Mato,¡± he pronounced. ¡°Sounds just like his head.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Ali said, staring at the ethereal rippling green cloth of his mana. The aura reached over two hundred and fifty meters in all directions from where he had chosen to plant himself. ¡°That¡¯s a lot more mana regeneration than usual.¡± There were gasps from the crowd at her words as everyone quickly checked.


    ¡°He has done well,¡± Lira said. ¡°It is impressive to see a novice learn so much from his first Tree Meld. Do you see it? It is not just regeneration; his magic is imbued with Vitality Rejuvenation.¡±


    ¡°Like the elixirs?¡± Ali asked incredulously, but once Lira had drawn her attention to it, she could see the similarity embedded deep within the structure of the Sanctuary aura Mato was projecting.


    ¡°Yes, I see it too,¡± Eliyen answered. ¡°This will be a huge boon if the Necromancer¡¯s blight is as widespread as you claimed. He may be able to heal even the land itself!¡±


    ¡°The mana of the tree teaches him the shape and the mindset for how to apply his domain, but I believe it was your elixirs, and the curing his blight, that showed him the way of Vitality Rejuvenation,¡± Lira replied.


    Eliyen dipped her head. ¡°I only did my part.¡±


    Ali studied her friend in his new Tree Form. It seemed Mato was already growing, taking quickly to Lira¡¯s training.


    She felt a brief pang of jealousy at the irrational thought that Mato was monopolizing  aunt Lira and would soon outgrow her. She had once had Lira¡¯s mentorship, but a tithe enchantment was impossible to restore once severed. None of hers had survived that fateful day. She pushed the thought away as silly and childish, but she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that it would be next to impossible for her to find a mentor, now. Who would even want to mentor a dungeon? And wouldn¡¯t her mentor have to a dungeon to be effective? After all, she was a hybrid between a dungeon with combat skills and a scholar class.


    ¡°Excuse me, Miss Aliandra,¡± Sigurd¡¯s interruption brought her back to the real world, and she shelved her morose thoughts. He produced a small basket of apples, well past their prime, a few ears of wheat, and a bag with some other vegetables and roots. ¡°We brought what we could, but there isn¡¯t much. The blight has destroyed our stores and seed, but the Elf lady, Eliyen, told us to just bring whatever we could, and you would use your magic to grow it? Unfortunately, there is no meat left.¡±


    It was a rather sad collection of food, but with the magic they had at their disposal, Ali was confident they could make it work. It might have been nice if they had some cows or something so she could inscribe a livestock imprint, but her Grimoire didn¡¯t have a lot of free space left.


    ¡°I saw some fish in the lake,¡± Vivian said. ¡°I have a fishing skill if you don¡¯t mind me catching some, Aliandra.¡±


    ¡°Fish?¡±


    ¡°Trout, unless I miss my guess,¡± Vivian said, unleashing a predatory grin.


    ¡°How are there fish in my lake?¡± Ali asked, staring in amazement ¨C but, sure enough, she spied a couple of silvery-scaled sleek shapes zipping among the rocks at the bottom of the crystal-clear waters.


    ¡°Your lake must be connected to the tributaries of the Myrin River,¡± Vivian said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re aware how much mana is in your lake ¨C it will rapidly attract fish to it, and they¡¯ll grow fast.¡± She produced a gleaming, professional-looking fishing rod with a flourish, and dashed off toward the lake the instant Ali nodded her permission, the stern Guildmaster¡¯s stride incongruously evoking the image of a child chasing excitedly after some favorite toy.


    ¡°I think she loves fishing,¡± Calen noted.


    ¡°Clearly,¡± Ali said, feeling a much-needed smile creeping up on her. she decided. Hopefully, there were enough fish to make a dent in the hunger of the town ¨C Ali doubted it, but every bit counted. She turned her attention back to the basket of fruits and vegetables, calling the herbalists over to help.


    Eliyen reached out, selecting an apple, and quickly sliced it apart with rapid skill-enhanced movements of a small paring knife, extracting the seeds and handing them to Basil.


    Ali stood back and waited, while they took charge, content to study Basil¡¯s curiously delicate magic. He worked quickly, planting the seeds, and coaxing them to germinate. As he moved on, Lira began to channel her mana, weaving it through the tiny plants and encouraging them to grow, just like she had done with the trees. The farmers gazed on with curiosity written on their faces.


    Just as she had expected, her Grimoire popped out and flipped open, waiting for her to respond to a chorus of sudden notifications while it began to inscribe a flurry of variants onto its pages.


    ¡°Apples, breadfruit, wheat, rice, grapes, some mushrooms, beans, and potatoes,¡±she mused, deciding that if her Grimoire was going to use arbitrary categories, it would have been much more practical for it to have a ¡®vegetable¡¯ one and put more options into that. But she had a bit of space left and a promise to keep, so she just recorded the two new imprints, happy to expand her other variants.


    Then, she got to work. Making heavy use of Mato¡¯s regeneration to keep her mana pool topped up, she quickly planted a row of apple trees according to the spacing Sigurd indicated to her, to the cheers of the other farmers. She followed it up with a small stand of breadfruit trees. Then she selected a large area of the field, and carpeted it with wheat, and another with rice. She coaxed some of her Spore Spreaders to grow patches of edible mushrooms while she worked with one of the farmers to plant a few rows of grape vines. In the second field, she split it down the middle with beans on one side and potatoes on the other. By the time she was done filling the fields, Lira and Eliyen had begun wielding their magic in earnest.


    Stalks of wheat stretched and ripened under the concentrated influence of the nurturing magic. The apple trees grew larger, stretching their branches and roots, filling the air with the creak of accelerated growth, and then began to flower and fruit.


    Ali twisted the mana of her domain, so that instead of neutral, it would bolster and enhance the nature mages and the growth accelerated. Her Grimoire glowed intensely as thousands of runes flocked to its pages, lifted from the magic of her domain. The combination of Lira, Eliyen, and Mato¡¯s magic, supported on the backbone of her domain, caused the mana in the cavern to pulse and thrum with power. Wisps flocked to them in droves, cavorting and dancing in the abundance of nature magic overhead.


    Soon, the farmers began to wield their skills, harvesting the crops rapidly. Most of their skills seemed to be stamina skills, invisible to her sight, but there were a couple with mana-based magic. They rapidly cleared the fields of the oversized apples, breadfruit, ears of wheat, and other crops, enhanced well beyond their normal size by the abundant magic of the herbalists. Ali followed behind them, replanting all that they had harvested, laboring for hours under the light of Calen¡¯s magic and the swarm of wisps, only occasionally needing to use Inspiration to refresh her mana faster than Mato could restore it.


    Finally, Sigurd stopped her. ¡°That should be enough,¡± he said, tapping another filled storage enchanted bag. ¡°This should be plenty to feed the town for a couple of weeks ¨C I¡¯m not sure if we¡¯ll have enough fish, but at least people won¡¯t starve.


    ¡°Pfft, starve?¡± one of the other farmers snorted. ¡°This is dungeon-grown food ¨C I hope they appreciate just what a treat they¡¯re getting.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad they won¡¯t be hungry,¡± Ali answered. She was exhausted after hours of labor, but it was hard to shake the hopeful eyes of some of the hungry children in the Town Hall. ¡°Give me a moment to make you a faster way back to town,¡± she said, walking over to the shrine that stood overseeing their heavily used fields. She bent down to the ground and inscribed arcane runes with her mana, tying them to the freshly restored domain.


    Static Teleport ¨C level 35 (Arcane)


    Teleport to a preset teleportation locus.


    Locus:  Novaspark Academy of Magic, Myrin¡¯s Keep.


    Runic Circle


    ¡°This will take you to the teleport locus in the Novaspark Academy,¡± Ali explained.


    ¡°Thank you, Aliandra!¡± Sigurd¡¯s eyes were a little watery, and he sounded spent after repeatedly harvesting the fields. Her gesture sparked an outbreak of happy grins on the faces of the farmers.


    ¡°It¡¯s the least I could do, thank you for helping.¡±


    Calen


    Calen watched the farmers vanish one at a time through the near-invisible teleportation circle Ali had created, carrying baskets of produce and those unusual spatial-enchanted sacks over their backs. Out of the corner of his eye, a shadow flickered, catching his attention. Instantly, he activated his Eyes of the Archon, snapping his head around to investigate. But there was nothing there.


    He was not tired in the same way as the farmers who had been burning their stamina all day, but in the way of mental sluggishness ¨C the weariness of performing the same boring task for hours. He had none of the skills to help with their farming, so he had simply kept watch, providing illumination with his motes of light, refreshing them whenever they ran out. Even that had not really been necessary once the giant swarm of nature wisps had gathered, curiously attracted to the great working of magic.


    He turned off his focused vision and gazed up again at Mato¡¯s giant Tree Form. In the back of his mind, he registered his Motes of Light spell expiring, and without much thought, he automatically refreshed them. The brilliant orbs of light materialized directly above his head, and he sent them out to provide light. It was an action he had done over and over again for the last several hours, and it was done without conscious attention or any noticeable effort.


    As his spell¡¯s illumination spread, he suddenly saw a dark shape looming large behind Ali, arm raised, holding a sinister, gleaming dagger.


    ¡°Ali! Watch out!¡± he shouted, scrambling to draw his bow.


    The dagger fell with vicious speed and power, slamming into her back, burying itself to the hilt between her two tiny golden wings. A spray of amber blood flew into the air as she let out a scream. Her body crashed limply to the ground as a sphere of her barrier magic appeared, far too late.


    The assassin, clad from head to foot in black leather, darted away, their form blurring as they struggled to return to the shadows, fighting against the magic of Calen¡¯s lights.


    Calen¡¯s wings flared as he ignited his mana with Righteous Fury, and he let his arrows fly. The first arrow struck an arm, the second buried itself in the assassin¡¯s thigh, but they simply snapped it off and downed a potion, accelerating as they drew further from even Calen¡¯s rapid flight.


    His next shot trailed the thin chain of light magic, slamming into the assassin¡¯s back and immediately tangling with their legs and arms, jerking them to a sudden stop. From his position high in the air, he unleashed his fury with arrow after arrow as the assassin struggled against the bindings of his grappling chain.


    Suddenly Malika was there, unleashing a flurry of blows that flashed with her soul magic, but he didn¡¯t let up, his arrows accurate enough now that he could avoid hitting her even in melee. An arrow struck ribs, and then, finally, one pierced through their throat, triggering the sound of the chime.


    ¡°Ali?¡± he gasped, with a horrid sinking feeling in the pit of his gut, surprised to find Malika with him and not healing her.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± Malika answered quickly, much to his intense relief. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I¡¯m ok,¡± Ali called out, echoing Malika¡¯s assessment, and Calen flew over to verify it with his own eyes, letting his Righteous Fury fade.


    ¡°How?¡± He had seen the blood, and he had been certain it was an Ambush attack. The critical damage from a professional assassin of that level should have been enough to kill Ali outright.


    ¡°Mato took the damage,¡± Ali answered, pointing to where the tree was twisting and warping, slowly restoring Mato¡¯s original form. ¡°I¡¯m not hurt at all.¡±


    ¡°We may have won the vote, but I think there were some sore losers,¡± Malika said, her lips twisting as she dragged the corpse with her and joined them. ¡°This one is stupid enough to be wearing the Town Watch insignia under their gear.¡±


    ¡°Tala?¡± Calen asked, his stomach clenching.


    ¡°No¡­ this one is male,¡± Malika answered. ¡°But¡­ that doesn¡¯t mean she wasn¡¯t involved.¡±


    ¡°I think we need to talk about some better security measures,¡± Calen said, but his heart was simply flooded with relief. It could so easily have gone very badly. ¡°We were lucky this time. You alright, Ali?¡±


    The Fae nodded slowly, ¡°Just about.¡±


    Finally allowing himself to relax, Calen opened his notifications to find a level up waiting for him.


    Considering his attributes for just a moment, he decided to spend two each on dexterity, perception, and intelligence ¨C his primary class attributes ¨C and one each on the rest.


    Aliandra


    As she drew closer to the ruins of the grand library, Ali could see the vast sphere of her domain mana flowing through the stone, extending well past the walls, powered by the giant tree that grew within. All the way up the bone-encrusted walls, far beyond the limits of her vision, it soared.


    She had told her friends she was fine, but in truth, the assassination attempt had left her shaken. All those nightmares of Kobold rogues stabbing her in the darkness had resurged in full force, only this time she had not been quick enough or lucky enough to get her barrier in place before being stabbed. If Mato hadn¡¯t been nearby or Calen had been a little too slow, she was certain she would have died right there.


    She turned her gaze to study the Beastkin Druid, now mostly recovered to his former enthusiastic energy level, contrasting sharply against her fatigue and fear. But he had described the experience of being a tree as much like meditation, so she presumed he had been resting most of the time. His skill was as remarkable as it was strange ¨C she had felt the unforgettable sensation of the dagger stabbing into her back. She knew there was blood, and it had been excruciatingly painful, but when the dagger emerged, she had been unharmed. Somehow his skill was able to magically whisk away the damage and apply it to his own body. A body with thousands of health and a massive regeneration rate ¨C vastly more suited to taking damage than hers. She felt positively fragile in the light of what had happened.


    Malika said she¡¯d check with Mieriel to see if they still had a bounty on their heads, but Ali was still not quite sure what to make of it all. Mieriel had most certainly gone above and beyond to help clear their names, but she still felt anxiety around her ¨C the remnants of the half-remembered interrogation they had subjected her to.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to clean all this bone off the outside walls,¡± she said as they approached the library doors. It was not excess energy that prompted her, but the need to take her mind off her worries. Nothing like repetitive chores to tire her out further and then she could sleep. Besides, it would need to be done at some point, and it was now entirely encased within her domain, so her mastery would make it a much easier task.


    ¡°Maybe make some monsters to guard you?¡± Malika suggested. Things between her and Malika seemed much better now, but there was still a distance that had not been there before. Hopefully, she just needed time as Lira had suggested.


    ¡°I can practice outside with you,¡± Calen offered.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, accepting his company. If only she had a skill like his Motes of Light to dispel the stealth so favored by assassins. At least he summoned them while she began creating minions to protect her ¨C a couple of wyverns and a few mages.


    Then she hopped on a disk of barrier magic and, sizing up the monumental task, set to work. She flew around, spiraling higher and higher, wielding her Domain Mastery skill to turn the bone into dust while her Wyverns wheeled about in the air nearby. As the huge swathes of encrusted bone fell away, she further exposed the exquisite Dwarven stone craftsmanship and relief sculpture that had been famous across the entire continent. When she was finally done, she returned to the ground, deconstructing the waist-deep piles of bone dust, ignoring the imprint she learned from her efforts.


    As the bone dust evaporated into ambient mana, her eye caught the outline of something familiar. Reaching out, she brushed it clear with her hand, exposing a magical rune etched into the stonework. It was ancient and heavily packed with dust and dirt ¨C if she hadn¡¯t been looking at it directly, she would probably have missed it.


    It was not something she recalled either. She reached with her hand to the side and brushed at the ground and, as she had intuited, she found a second rune, similarly buried under the dust and grime of the ages. Giving in to the excitement bubbling up within her, she began to search, uncovering more and more runes etched into the stone all along the base of the library¡¯s outer wall.


    ¡°What did you find?¡± Calen asked, peering down curiously.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s a rune circle! Only, it seems to be the size of the entire library,¡± she exclaimed.


    Calen immediately bent down and joined her, caught by the excitement of discovery, and between the two of them, they uncovered a large stretch of it before he paused.


    ¡°Can you tell what it¡¯s for?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± she said, taking a closer look. The magic circle was extensive and ancient, but with her Runic Script, she was able to begin to decipher it. ¡°This part seems to be related to Knowledge traits,¡± she said, indicating a large section. ¡°And this here seems to be more focused on learning.¡± She studied it further, trying to figure out the next tricky section, and eventually, it came to her. ¡°I think this was meant to connect to the mana condensers ¨C a power source.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± he murmured, his eyes flickering back and forth.


    ¡°Oh, wait! I know what it is!¡± she exclaimed, suddenly recalling what the runes were for. The library had several grand enchantments to enhance learning and study, and now she could read them. ¡°It¡¯s one of the learning enchantments ¨C a runic circle.¡±


    ¡°Can you fix it?¡±


    ¡°Well, the mana condensers are broken, or they fell into the jungle,¡± Ali pointed out.


    ¡°Aah, that¡¯s too bad,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°I wonder¡­¡± Ali said, catching his eye. ¡°I might just have an alternative power source, so to speak.¡± In the center of the library was an Elder Tree pumping out who knew how much excess mana.


    She recalled to memory the teleport circle she had made and focused on the adjustments to the runic structure that hooked it into her domain mana. She needed to adjust both the runes and the domain.


    ¡°Hey Calen, can I borrow your notebook?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said, his shining eyes reflecting her excitement.


    She opened the notebook he offered to a blank page, and with a little thought, she sketched a replacement design for the power conduit rune construct, replacing a number of the original runes with the ones compatible with her domain connection.


    ¡°Mhm, looks about right.¡±


    ¡°If you say so,¡± Calen said, squinting over her shoulder at her written notes.


    Happy with her work, she bent and twisted her domain, taking a few tries to duplicate the pattern and hook it to the stone-etched ancient circle, but as soon as she got it right, the mana from her domain flowed through her new power coupling and into the stone runes in the ground, blasting the dust and grime away as they filled with mana.


    ¡°That seemed to do something,¡± Calen said, examining the now perfectly dust-free runes carved into the stone.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t activate,¡± Ali frowned. Worse, partway round the circle, the runes had not reacted, still buried under dirt.


    ¡°Maybe you need to attach it in another spot?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Possibly. Come help me look for another section like this,¡± Ali said, hopping up and rushing around the library wall. She finally found the second power conduit and repeated her work, layering in a new connection before hooking it up to her domain. Again, the runes blasted the dirt out but failed to fully activate.


    ¡°That was a third of the way around the library,¡± Calen said. ¡°Probably the last one is another third.¡± And he proceeded to lead her directly to the third conduit.


    When she finally hooked the third conduit up to her domain, the entire area dimmed dramatically before the circle flared with intense brightness. Then after a few moments, the mana recovered, and the circle settled to a more sedate level of illumination.


    Elated by her success, she stepped across the threshold and into the library, and she was greeted with a notification so familiar to her that it felt like coming home.


    Ali touched her wet eyes, speechless.

 Chapter 128: Head Librarian

    Chapter 128: Head LibrarianAliandra Ali closed her book and let her Sage skill drop. She closed her eyes and reviewed the story in her mind, perfectly memorized by her skill. It was a delightful story about a clumsy adventurer who wandered the lands solving problems by accident, often not even realizing the impact of his actions. She looked up and saw Ryn sitting on the stone floor of the library, her back up against an empty bookshelf and her untouched dinner still resting in her lap.


    Ali got up and walked over, handing her the book Ryn had lent to her a few days ago. ¡°I loved it,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± Ryn said, her face still looking a little downcast.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ryn?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m just being silly,¡± Ryn replied. But it clearly seemed to be enough of an issue to affect her entire mood.


    Ali sat down next to her friend. After a moment, she prodded Ryn¡¯s ribs with an elbow. ¡°Do you want to share? I¡¯m told it¡¯s good for you.¡±


    ¡°When I got my class here, I had this idea,¡± she began, and suddenly her face lit up with a touch of her usual enthusiasm. ¡°I wanted to help you fill the library with books. I thought we could work on it together ¨C it would be so much fun!¡±


    The empty library faded, as Ali¡¯s imagination replaced it with a scene of bustling energy, shelves full of books, and many people reading and talking together.


    ¡°I love that idea,¡± Ali said quietly, reflecting on how much she missed the old library, the sounds, the smell of books, the feeling of vast amounts of knowledge at her fingertips, and the sense of studious learning taking place within these very walls.


    ¡°The only problem,¡± Ryn continued sadly, ¡°is that I work in a bookstore. I will never have enough money to fill even a tiny corner of this place.¡± She fell silent for a bit. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to be very useful for this.¡±


    Not even the illustrious mage-king, Thaldorien Stormshaper, had been wealthy enough to do that ¨C and he had founded this very library.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re being silly,¡± Ali said. In her heart, she desperately wanted to comfort her friend. ¡°Here, let me show you something I learned while we were preparing for the council meeting.¡±


    Ryn glanced up, a little curiosity peeking through her dejected expression.


    Ali opened her Grimoire and began to create a book using the memory she had just formed from Ryn¡¯s storybook. She hadn¡¯t tried creating an entire book yet, but holding the memory of what she had read in her mind while directing the spell was becoming easier and easier each time she tried it.


    A short few minutes later, she was holding a brand-new book.


    ¡°Here,¡± she said, handing it to Ryn. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Ali, what did you do?¡± Ryn asked, surprise written plainly on her face. ¡°Why did I just level up?¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Ali wasted no time using Identify on her friend.


    ¡°How is this possible? I didn¡¯t even do anything¡­¡± Ryn said, glancing about as if a Bone Skitterer had tapped her on the neck.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Ali considered the order of events. Ryn had brought her a book to read, and she had just duplicated it in the library. ¡°Ryn, you¡¯re a librarian¡­¡± It had to be connected. ¡°Is it possible that you contributed to enhancing a library?¡± Ali asked. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s the same as me getting experience when I help to defeat a monster. I was always taught that librarians should work to improve the library, restoring books, acquiring new knowledge, things like that.¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± Ryn said. ¡°Maybe?¡± She paged through the new book, wonder shining in her eyes.


    ¡°Is there somewhere you could borrow more books?¡± Ali asked. ¡°Then we could experiment and see how well it works while filling the library.¡±


    ¡°I could ask to borrow a few from the store, but I usually have to buy them if I want to take one. The only other place is Myrin¡¯s Keep Library,¡± Ryn said. ¡°But I can¡¯t afford the membership dues.¡± The sad expression returned to her face.


    ¡°How much is it?¡± Ali asked, trying to keep her voice light and casual.


    ¡°Five gold a year,¡± Ryn said. ¡°But that only allows you into the building to read. If you want to borrow books and be allowed to use the services of a scribe to copy them, you need a full membership that costs twenty-five gold. Ridiculous, right? The money is a deposit against the chance of losing one of the expensive books or damaging it. It¡¯s a small library, but I always dreamed of being wealthy enough to be able to use it.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Calen, can I borrow a pen?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Sure, here,¡± he said.


    Ali retrieved some paper from her ring and jotted a note, signing it with her mana before handing it to Ryn. ¡°Take this to Hadrik Goldbeard at the Crown Bank. It authorizes you to withdraw gold from my account. Go get yourself a full membership.¡±


    Ryn¡¯s eyes widened in shock and surprise. ¡°Why? This is such a lot of money, Ali, I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± Ali declared with a grin, ¡°You are now the Head Librarian for the Grand Library Arcana. Among your many duties, you are to be responsible for book acquisitions.¡± S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°You want me to find books for your library?¡± Ryn whispered.


    ¡°It¡¯s now yours too,¡± Ali said. ¡°Borrow whatever you think our library needs and I will copy them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s going to be tons of books,¡± Ryn said, clearly reeling.


    ¡°We have a huge library to fill, and besides, I¡¯m ordering you about. It¡¯s what friends do,¡± Ali smiled. ¡°Your teleport works to any library, right?¡±


    ¡°As long as I¡¯ve visited it, yes,¡± Ryn said. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Let me know when you run out of interesting books at the Myrin¡¯s Keep Library. I suspect we will get a lot of use out of your teleport skill,¡± Ali said, affecting a conspiratorial tone. ¡°There are many libraries out there to plunder!¡±


    ¡°Ali!¡± Ryn¡¯s eyes grew round as she realized what Ali intended.


    Ryn


    Ryn stood before the imposing doors of the Myrin¡¯s Keep Library, her hand clutched nervously around her bulging money pouch. She had never carried so much gold around with her in her life, and she was terrified someone might try to rob her. In fact, she had been amazed that the bank clerk had just handed so much gold to her in the first place.


    She cautiously opened the door and stepped into an opulent reception area overlooking the main floor of the library. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the rows of books before registering anything else. It wasn¡¯t nearly as big as Ali¡¯s library, but the room was filled with books of all colors and styles. The heady scent of parchment and ink mingled with the pregnant stillness that pervaded the room ¨C and the weight of words just waiting to be read.


    A polite, cultured voice, the kind that took years of training to develop, broke the silence. ¡°Can I help you?¡±


    Ryn turned to find a slender man rising to his feet behind a desk. He was dressed in rich blue robes and wearing wire-rimmed glasses on an angular nose, lending him an owlish look.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± she said, feeling awkwardly out of place.


    she chastised herself.


    ¡°I want a membership,¡± she said, shuffling her feet. She noticed the expensive red patterned carpet in the reception area was quite new.


    The man raised an eyebrow and looked at her for a moment. ¡°It will cost five gold for a membership,¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ryn said, looking up. ¡°I need to be able to borrow books and have scribing rights, so maybe a full membership¡­¡± she trailed off at his stare.  She had a sudden certainty that he would see through their plan to copy the library and throw her out.


    He just raised his eyebrow again, a little higher this time.


    ¡°A full membership is twenty-five gold,¡± he finally announced, as if it pained him to pronounce anything so baldly commercial. He looked even more surprised when Ryn quickly produced the fee and handed it to him with a soft clinking of heavy coins. ¡°Well!¡± he commented. ¡°Well then. Very good.¡±


    She had never spent so much money in her life. Ryn bit back on a feeling of nausea. ¡°Is that¡­ alright?¡±


    ¡°Exceedingly. Everything on the main floor is accessible. With your full membership, you are also allowed access to the rare books in the restricted area,¡± he said, pointing to the raised and roped-off area at the back of the main room. ¡°Those books cannot be removed from the library without an additional deposit. Or you can bring your scribe here for a small fee. You can borrow up to six books for a week at a time. If they are not returned, your membership and your gold are forfeited. The magical catalog is at the central pillar. Please ask if you have any questions.¡±


    ¡°What about using magic within the library?¡± Ryn asked.


    ¡°Anything that doesn¡¯t damage the books or make noise is allowed,¡± he answered and returned to his desk. He prepared a small card with her name on it and added his mana signature. ¡°This is your library access and proof of membership,¡± he said, handing it to her. ¡°Please don¡¯t lose it.¡± He then returned his attention to his work, dismissing her with a wave.


    Ryn let out her breath. She still half-believed she might wake up any moment.


    she thought. She activated her Library Teleport skill and set the lobby as her second library destination.  The recharge time for Ali¡¯s grand library still had a few hours to go, but her new destination seemed to be available immediately.


    She stepped out onto the soft carpet of the main library, finding she had the entire place to herself. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly as she enjoyed the distinctive scent of books, and the muted silence that always seemed to settle in places of study. She had dreamed of this day, and yet lately she had despaired of ever being able to afford it. But Ali had simply offered her the membership fee ¨C the enormous sum of twenty-five gold ¨C as if it were trivial. She had even joked about making her the Head Librarian of the legendary Grand Library Arcana¡­


    The almost impossible thought flicked through her mind, both tantalizing and terrifying her. She collected herself, not allowing the crazy dream to take root ¨C she had been given a job to do, and she meant to do it well.


    She glanced through her skills once again; even though she had memorized them in every detail, she still needed to become more familiar with how her class worked. A Librarian without a library was rather sad, and her class had simply refused to recognize the bookstore as a library.


    Ali had described it as a ¡®signature¡¯ skill, and she had had only one real opportunity to practice it so far. It was rather spectacular, but ¨C she glanced at the librarian studiously deep in his work ¨C it didn¡¯t make a lot of noise and it would certainly not damage the books.


    Before she could change her mind, she triggered the skill, trying to hold the question of which books Ali would want in her mind while she did so. She got the sense that if she kept her focus, she could direct the magic somewhat, but it was a rather vague feeling. Tendrils of her mana forked out into the room, flickering across the books and the shelves, as if caressing them. She could see it as flickering purple forked branches that reached out rapidly, decaying and reforming as if searching for a path the way lightning feelers did before the strike.


    A sudden surge of mana pulled at her, and one of the feelers swelled with golden power, instantly connecting her to a single book on a back shelf, heavy with darkness and significance, searing the sense and image of it into her mind.


    She walked over excited to examine her find: .


    Ryn shivered slightly, her hand hesitating before she reached out and pulled it from the shelf. Necromancy was a dark subject, and quite frankly, she was terrified of the undead. But it wasn¡¯t as if the book itself was a ghost or a ghoul.


    With a few hours before she could return, and a budget of six books she could borrow, she decided she should be efficient and set about familiarizing herself with all the books in the library. Making liberal use of her Arcane Archive and Enhanced Reading skills, she began working out a priority order for which books she should bring back first for Ali to copy.


    ***


    Aliandra


    ¡°One more time, please,¡± Ali asked.


    Calen obliged, summoning his Mote of Light which slowly bobbed in the air, floating in front of her while she studied the flow of his mana and the construction of the glowing orb. But her Sage of Learning obstinately refused to draw any more of her mana. Nor could she find any new insights.


    His spell was a rather simple magic, the only part offering real complexity was the way in which the light acted as an oppositional force against stealth magic. But that was mostly due to the fundamental nature of the light affinity as far as she could tell. The control mechanisms that allowed him to direct the orbs wherever he wanted were relatively complex, too, but for flushing out assassins she didn¡¯t require that amount of control.


    It was an admission of failure. She had already created several perfectly constructed runic circles duplicating Calen¡¯s magic, and they would have been the perfect solution to her problem were it not for the limitations of mana affinities. She was truly stumped ¨C neither her nature-, nor her arcane-affinity mana could power the set of light-affinity runes essential to getting the spell to work.


    She had tried having Calen inject his mana into the circle, but even that had failed. He would need a skill similar to her Runic Script to manipulate her magical constructs.


    ¡°Anything?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Ali sighed. ¡°Thanks for being patient with my experiments. I think I¡¯m just going to have to find a different approach.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you can run around with your barrier up all the time?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can get much done from inside a permanent magical bubble,¡± she answered. Besides, it quite clearly didn¡¯t protect her against some fairly important types of attacks and spells. The light magic beams of the Coruscant Rays or the Radiant Brawlers had ignored her barriers. She assumed spells like the Lich¡¯s fear and Mieriel¡¯s mind manipulation would similarly ignore her barrier magic. Although, she had to admit the perma-bubble strategy would have been quite effective against the last assassin.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll think of something soon,¡± Calen offered. She knew he was just trying to be encouraging but her entire experience with this line of study had left her feeling frustrated, and more than a little grumpy. It was worse than being unable to grasp the magic: the issue was that she completely understood it ¨C her experiment had been a total success. Apart from the very important factor she had not considered ¨C her mana was incompatible ¨C making it vastly more frustrating than failing outright.


    There was a brief flicker in the ambient mana, followed by a pop and a flash. Ali jumped before she recognized the distinctive signature of Ryn¡¯s teleport spell.


    ¡°Hi Ryn, over here,¡± she called out, trying to get her racing heart back under control.


    ¡°Ali!¡± Ryn called out, zipping down to alight beside her, flushed and out of breath. ¡°I got the membership! I can borrow six books at a time! I brought them all, and I got one book for me¡­¡± she paused, only to take a quick breath.


    ¡°Slow down,¡± Ali said, grinning at Ryn¡¯s infectious excitement, her grumpy mood evaporating instantly.


    Ryn cast about quickly before frowning. ¡°We need some tables.¡±


    ¡°Easy to fix,¡± Ali said, pulling out her Grimoire. With a thought, she summoned the beautiful green marble from the Dal¡¯mohran vault, making it flow like water with her Domain Mastery skill as she sculpted it into a beautiful, polished table. It was perhaps not the cleverest design ¨C she was no crafter ¨C but it did show off the beautiful stone to its fullest.


    ¡°Maybe I should learn to make wood,¡± she muttered, studying her creation. While the green marble was certainly beautiful, it seemed more suited to floors and sculpture and was a little incongruous as a table meant for reading. With wood, she would be able to bring out the rich grain and softer, warmer tones, which would go a long way to making the library look more inviting and comfortable.


    ¡°Wood is nice for a library,¡± Ryn agreed, unpacking some books and placing them on the surface of the new table. ¡°But this is good for now.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you can buy some chairs and couches for us?¡± Ali suggested.


    ¡°No money, remember?¡± Ryn answered, a flicker of the sad frown returning to her face.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t put any limits on that bank release I wrote you,¡± Ali countered.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ryn said, staring at her with wide eyes.


    ¡°So, which books did you get?¡± Ali asked, turning with mounting excitement to the stack of six books on her brand-new table.


    Ryn¡¯s excitement returned as she showed off several magic books. Then she turned a little more serious and pushed a thick black book across the table toward her.


    ¡°Ali, I tried my Seek Knowledge divination in the library, trying to have it figure out what you might want, and it picked this. I¡¯m not sure how I feel about that, but I brought it just in case.¡±


    Ali looked at it with a rising premonition. She lacked a death mana affinity so there was no way for her to learn useful magic from the book ¨C which meant it was likely that they would be encountering the Necromancer soon.


    At least if the divination was accurate.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said, placing her hand on the cover of the problematic tome for a moment, thinking. Divination magic was notoriously fickle ¨C a subtle and confusing magic intricately linked to time, probability, and causality. It could often find unbelievable connections through layers of the butterfly effect and chaotic entangled connections that only became clear after the events themselves were observed. Or, often, people would match outcomes  to the prediction and claim success.


    Scholars had struggled to understand and quantify divination even back during the height of the Grand Library Arcana¡¯s prominence, simply because divination was so rare, and the skills were almost always highly specific and niche in nature. There was never a skill that simply told you the future, but most lay people were certain that¡¯s how it should work.


    Ryn¡¯s skill seemed to have provided her a resource based on the probability of encountering necromancy in the near future, and the coincidence of having a powerful necromancer on their doorstep meant it would be irresponsible for Ali to ignore the dramatic portent.


    Ali put the book to the side, intending to study it properly.


    ¡°What about this one?¡± Ali asked, picking up a book on basic Elvish grammar.


    ¡°That¡¯s for me,¡± she said. ¡°I hope that¡¯s ok. I thought I should try to learn to read and write other languages if we¡¯re going to help restock the library properly.¡±


    ¡°Good idea,¡± Ali said. ¡°I can also help you study if you like, I can read and write Elvish and Dwarven. Those should be the most useful.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡±


    Ali picked up the first book and began to memorize it. It didn¡¯t take too long to work her way through all of them, though a couple of the magical texts contained magical runes. But it took her no more than a few moments to figure out how to use her Runic Script skill in combination with her imprint to reproduce the magic accurately.


    Finally, she duplicated the necromancy book. While memorizing it, one passage in particular caught her attention, so after she had copied it, she opened it and read it out loud.


    ¡°I guess this confirms what you said, Calen. Skeletons are immune to poison,¡± Ali said. She had tried to use her wyverns on the skeletons at the small logging village and had discovered the hard way that their poison breath did not seem effective. The book also mentioned they would be immune to suffocation, and probably daggers and arrows would be poor choices too.


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Calen said, peering over her shoulder at the book.


    ¡°Fire mages, I guess,¡± she mused out loud. she thought, deciding once again that she really wasn¡¯t a pyromaniac.


    Ali turned her attention to Ryn, noticing her distraction.


    ¡°Two levels for that?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Mmm, yup,¡± Ryn said with a grin. ¡°I think I¡¯ll head back to town to do some furniture shopping for the library.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you already use your teleport?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Each location gets a separate recharge,¡± Ryn answered, ¡°I found that out today when I got my membership.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ali said. ¡°Maybe we should get you more libraries sooner than later.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Ryn asked.


    ¡°With the way your teleport works, can¡¯t you just do a round through all the ones you know every day?¡± Ali asked. The only challenge would be getting Ryn to the library in the first place. But once she set the location, she could use it indefinitely. Ali could already imagine the piles of books Ryn would bring for her to copy.


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Ryn squeaked, ¡°I think that would work!¡± Catching Calen¡¯s wide grin at her reaction, she turned redder than a tomato. ¡°I¡¯ll just¡­ uh, go? Yes?¡±


    ¡°Mmm,¡± Malika drawled as the librarian vanished.


    Spots of color leaped into Calen¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t you start!¡±


    ¡°Start what? Do you think she¡¯s pretty? Do you? Calen?¡±


    ¡°Oi, I get enough of that from my mom already! I¡¯ve got work to do!¡±


    Ali hid a chuckle behind her hand.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 129: Necromancer

    Chapter 129: NecromancerCalenCalen hovered high over the northern battlements, watching the Torian army finish encamping in the early twilight. The details stood out, clearly visible with his enhanced vision.


    He continued taking mental notes as he studied their deployment. After about ten minutes, when he began to run low on mana, he spiraled downward to land behind the thick, magically reinforced stone walls. Retrieving some paper, he quickly drew out a detailed map of the enemy camp from memory.


    He knew he wasn¡¯t the only scout observing the enemy position, but there was significant value in multiple reports, many of the scouts had different perception abilities after all. After handing his report to an officer, he once again took to the air. His wings of light shone brightly in the fading light.


    He didn¡¯t mind though, he loved flying. Besides, his Eyes of the Archon allowed him to observe from much further than the longest range of the Torian archers and mages. His graceful sweep through the air took him over the town, which rapidly shrunk as he gained height, and out past the south wall.


    None of the other scouts had found anything to the south, but after several trips in various directions, he began to understand why. It was easy to see the destruction the undead had left, from blighted areas to felled trees and destroyed farmhouses. But he could not find a single skeleton or zombie. Each time he thought he saw a sign, he would fly in for closer examination, but nothing conclusive could be found.


    He puzzled over the problem of the missing enemy as he flew east to check on the Myrin River, but found no signs that it had been forded or had been used for rapid transport.


    Frustrated, Calen finally gave up. With the last of his mana, he powered his wings, accelerating his flight to the fastest he could go. He shot upward, enjoying the rush of air on his face and the sight of the world rapidly receding beneath him.


    Myrin¡¯s Keep had been reduced to a tiny circle beside the glistening thread of the Myrin River. He circled idly and his thoughts drifted to Ali¡¯s dilemma. He had been excited about the possibility that his magic could help her ¨C could give her the edge she needed to counter the stealth of the assassin that had so shaken her. But in the end, it seemed it simply wouldn¡¯t work. It had been a great idea, but mana incompatibility was notoriously hard to overcome. He was certain she would be able to solve it, given time ¨C she was one of the smartest people he had ever met when it came to understanding magic. He just hoped it would be soon so she could return to her typical happy self, brimming with curiosity about the world and magic around her.


    In his distraction, his eyes picked up an unnatural and subtle pattern. From this height, he could see a roughly straight line running from the far south all the way to near the town. Something he hadn¡¯t noticed from closer. Quickly, he downed a mana potion to give him more time to study the strange phenomenon.


    He studied it for a while.  His brain suddenly recalled the skeletons from the logging town they had raided. Some of them had been cutting the wood of the giant trees and making something, and now they were approaching a town protected by walls¡­


    Quickly, he dove toward the town, gathering speed as he searched for the garrison commander and his aides on the battlements.


    Aliandra


    Ali returned to the library to find Ryn curled up on a comfortable-looking couch, deeply engrossed in a book. There were several large couches spread around near the area where they had been camping recently on the top floor of the library. A couple of wooden tables with chairs, and even an elegant-looking tea stand with a steaming pot of boiling water. Ali was delighted to see a few of the tables and chairs were sized for her.


    She had just spent several hours making arrows to fill an emergency quest filed at the guild and she returned to find her library significantly more livable ¨C cozy, even.


    ¡°Wow, this is great, Ryn!¡± she exclaimed. She had expected maybe a couch, but Ryn had outdone herself.


    ¡°I hoped you¡¯d like it,¡± she said looking up from her book on Elvish grammar. ¡°I had to buy a storage ring to get everything down here, I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Ali said, ¡°I¡¯m sure it will be very useful.¡± She hopped up on the couch and even her tiny body sunk into the comfortable cushions. ¡°This is really soft and comfy,¡± she said, patting the couch.


    Ryn smiled, ¡°Would you like some tea? They had a special discount, so I got a good selection.¡±


    ¡°With all the food shortages?¡± Ali asked, incredulously.


    ¡°I¡¯m always looking out for good teas,¡± Ryn said. ¡°I got this batch a couple of weeks ago.¡±


    Ali nodded and watched Ryn prepare her a cup. Over to the side, she saw one of the free-standing bookcases had been wiped down and cleaned, and the rest of the books Ali had duplicated earlier were arranged neatly on the shelf.  Ali retrieved all the books she had collected from her ring and placed them on the table.


    She accepted her tea from Ryn and took a sip, savoring the flavor. ¡°The tea is a lovely touch, Ryn.¡± She felt quite elegant and cultured sitting in the library sipping on her cup of aromatic tea. She pointed to the small pile of books on the table. ¡°It¡¯s not much yet, but it should help fill our first shelf.¡±


    With a wry smile for Ali¡¯s chagrinned realization that they were only starting out, Ryn carefully arranged each of the books on the shelf, clearly using a structured ordering system even though there were only a few books.


    Ali admired the shelf. She shivered lightly, a frisson of harmony.


    ¡°Wow, this is fancy,¡± Malika said as she entered the room.


    Calen and Mato followed her in, and everyone had to test out the couches. Ali smiled until her cheeks hurt, happy to be part of their excitement.


    ***


    Ali stood high upon the southern battlement overlooking the eerily swirling mist blanketing the fields below. Her small army of Kobolds gathered closely around her like a contingent of scaled bodyguards, unaffected by the chilly dawn breeze. When the orders had come down from Commander Brand, they had requested the Adventurers Guild supply five mages or archers to bolster the ranged defenses in this section. Vivian had sent her. Apart from a pair of Acolytes, she had spent the early hours of the morning summoning Fire Mages ¨C if this was to be anything like the Goblin siege, she would want both the range and efficiency of Firebolts, and the area damage of their Fireball spells. However, her focus was not on her minions, but rather upon a shifting anomaly in the mana out in the fields below.


    Arcane Insight told her there were unexpected strands of mana ¨C tendrils emerging from an unknown source ¨C which in and of itself was weird enough. But the nature of whatever magic had been used down there was shifting and vague, as if the spell were intentionally obscured. Even Sage of Learning seemed alert to the strange phenomenon, slowly nibbling away at her mana as she studied it.


    Slowly a pair of Calen¡¯s orbs of light drifted out over the battlements, meandering toward the formation like a blind person searching for a book on an unfamiliar table. Back and forth they bobbed, drawing further and further from the battlements. Slowly, with a twisted shimmer, the grand magic formation faded, and a horde of dark shapes emerged from the mists.


    ¡°Undead!¡± The cry rang out from the battlements as the archers and mages caught sight of the enemy.


    Arrayed in ragged ranks across the field as far as her eyes could pierce the mists, a vast sea of shambling gaunt shapes slowly materialized in the gloom. She heard a low, chilling moan that raised the little hairs on the nape of her neck. Behind the undead horde, she counted a dozen giant, crudely fashioned wooden catapults ¨C with more emerging as the mists rolled back ¨C manned by packs of larger skeletal warriors and zombies. Small skeletons stationed in front of the catapults worked their mana into a magical barrier or shield of sorts, with auras of magic that glowed and flickered eerily in the mist. Dotted through the rank and file were the enormous figures of several greater undead, seeming to be lieutenants or generals ¨C including a second enormous giant troll zombie, perhaps even more massive than the one they had faced at the logging village.


    Right on the edge of the forest, upon a small grassy hill behind the endless ranks of undead, a black-robed figure sat astride a skeletal horse, regally surveying his horde. Ali could make out the shapes of several bowed and blighted people standing still as statues around the horse, wearing collars that seemed to be tethered to the robed figure by black chains of ominous death mana. All about the man, the plants were wilted and blackened, as if his very presence were enough to end them.


    The southern battlements of Myrin¡¯s Keep rang with gasps and shouts as the defenders noticed the undead army materializing in the morning mist. The robed necromancer raised a hand and, with a magically amplified voice that echoed coldly across the entire breadth of the town, he commanded, ¡°Commence firing.¡±


    The Skeletal Warriors on the field sprang into action, loading a catapult with a rock that was several times larger than Ali¡¯s entire body. In surprisingly short order, they had the lines tensioned and a clack resounded as the firing mechanism released. The huge rock soaring through the air was no less terrifying for having been launched from a mundane catapult than if it had been conjured with magic. The massive boulder seemed to hover, momentarily weightless at the peak of its trajectory, suspended above the field, before it crashed down, shaking the magically reinforced stone of the battlement to its foundations. Ali stumbled, reaching out to the trembling stone to catch herself.


    In the aftermath, as the undead uncaringly began to haul another boulder into place, she could hear the distant shouts and cracks and thumps of artillery magic. It was clear that the Torian army was coordinating their assault with the necromancer¡¯s undead army, and she just hoped that the garrison was not spread too thin.


    ¡°Return fire!¡± she heard the officer relaying their orders.


    ¡°¡± she commanded.


    As one, Ali¡¯s little army of vengeful Kobolds all began to cast their long-range firebolts in the direction of the catapults. The volley of fire magic crashed into the shields maintained by a continuous group-sorcery wielded by the skeleton mages arrayed in front of them, and the spells of her minions were quickly joined by those of the other mages and archers along her section of the wall, creating a multicolored stream of magic and projectiles thundering against the enemy barriers.


    Off in the distance, at the opposite end of her battlement, Calen¡¯s incandescent arrows joined the barrage, his light magic so unique it was recognizable instantly across the breadth of the entire town.


    Everyone had been assigned different duties based on their skills, and so, even though she was surrounded by defenders, she felt unusually alone without her friends nearby. Another catapult fired, the stone arcing up through the air and passing clean over the wall, demolishing several houses with a great crash. It was followed quickly by another boulder. She heard several screams in the smoke and dust of the aftermath.


    ¡°There are people down there!¡± Ali yelled.


    ¡°Fuck, they were supposed to evacuate!¡± an officer yelled, scrambling to react.


    An intense surge of mana and magical power instantly snapped Ali¡¯s attention from the destroyed houses back to the battlefield. In the necromancer¡¯s raised right hand, a dark pulsing formation of mana had gathered.


    The magic was at once deceptively familiar, and yet, entirely foreign. With a rush, the tendrils of black mana shot forth from his grasp, crossing the battlefield in a blink and passing right through the base of the wall, entering the wreckage of the houses behind it. As Ali turned, she saw newly summoned skeletons dragging themselves free of the wreckage and shrugging off stone and shattered wood.


    ¡°Skeletons in the back!¡± she yelled.


    ¡°Sound the alarm! Undead inside the walls!¡± the officer shouted, causing two runners to sprint off, one reaching a bell and ringing it urgently.


    This could not be good. She only hoped Commander Brand had a sound strategy worked out.


    Havok


    Havok stood on the street, watching his companions shifting impatiently as they awaited orders. They were the reserve team ¡®blue¡¯. He had made sure to memorize it. Humans tended to make everything more complicated than it needed to be ¨C he didn¡¯t understand why they needed colors to hit skeletons. He hefted his shield impatiently, a little worried by the heavy thumps that shook the walls up ahead.


    He hated skeletons. And zombies too. And he was particularly annoyed that they had chosen to come here. Carefully, he checked his bone sword ¨C the one he had earned in the sewers the day he had unlocked his class ¨C it was getting a little chipped and battered, but it would serve for today.


    Suddenly, the peals of a bell sounded above the background noise of battle.


    ¡°Red team, you¡¯re on Third Avenue! Blue team, Fifth Avenue! Skeletons sighted within the walls,¡± the officer shouted orders at them.


    Havok was tired of waiting, and the sudden orders filled him with a surge of anticipation. Perhaps, if there was a good fight, afterward, he would buy himself a new sword from the one-eyed Gnome.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Aiden said. Havok could hear the tension in his voice.


    Havok liked Aiden. As he followed him down the street, he recalled the day Aiden had stood up to the mean humans to protect him. Humans didn¡¯t do that for him. Humans were usually mean.


    he added deliberately. She was a human, and she had treated him with respect. But she wasn¡¯t human¡­


    He jogged off and rounded the corner, following Aiden. Up ahead, a great cloud of dust and smoke rose from several squashed houses that had spilled rubble into the streets.


    ¡°Help!¡± a man called out from near the debris, desperately trying to drag an unconscious woman to safety, while several skeletons bore down on them from the cloud of rising dust.


    Havok shuddered at the unnerving, clacking sound of their movement and frowned angrily. He identified them as he had been taught. Best to know what enemies they faced. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Usual formation. Ready?¡± Aiden asked.


    Havok answered by activating his glowing Holy Shield, reinforcing his wooden buckler with his magic, and nodded along with the others. ¡°Havok smash!¡±


    ¡°Ok, smash¡­ attack!¡± Aiden yelled.


    Havok¡¯s Shield Rush flooded his body with the energy of his stamina, accelerating him to a blur of speed as he charged across the stone pavement. Shield Rush was one of his favorite skills to bash things with. His charge caused him to zoom past the two struggling survivors. In the blink of an eye, he crashed into the group of skeletons, knocking one of them flying. He drew his sword, lighting it up with Smite as he swept it in an outward, gleaming arc. The holy magic lit up the full length of the bone sword and, with a satisfying humming crash, it bit through the arm of the skeleton closest to him, severing the bones completely. The impact of his magic on undead bones triggered a brilliant flash and the cobblestones at his feet erupted in a carpet of the warm, ghostly flickering white flames of Consecrated Ground. Flames that would heal his allies and burn his enemies.


    ¡°Rargh! Die, skeletons!¡± he yelled.


    Suddenly, Aiden was beside him swinging his icy swords, his magic spreading frost along the ground. Devan¡¯s Wind Cutter flashed past his left side, almost invisible, felt like a gust of wind, and the rest of his friends engaged in battle. The street flashed brightly as Kaitlyn fired arrows dripping with lightning and sparks. Flynn conjured an enormous rock and dropped it on the skeleton Havok had sent sprawling.


    ¡°Was Havok¡¯s next!¡± he yelled.


    Flynn called, ¡°Pick another!¡±


    Havok sized up their remaining foes in an instant and swung his sword again, unleashing his pent-up fury at a stocky Dwarf skeleton. Once again, his holy magic bit deep, severing bones. He set his feet in a wide stance and smashed forward with his glowing Holy Shield, knocking the skeleton to the ground, where Devan and Aiden pinned it under a flurry of blows.


    Breaking off, Havok glanced to the left and right, searching for more skeletons, but all he found were the twitching piles of broken bone and smashed skeletons, some still trying to drag themselves toward his friends, but quickly succumbing to his consecrated fire.


    ¡°Devan, can you scout for more skeletons? Let¡¯s make sure this area is secure,¡± Aiden asked. In response, she scampered up the side of an intact house and disappeared over the roof.


    ¡°Havok, your Smite did some epic damage to that skeleton,¡± Kaitlyn complimented him.


    ¡°Of course. Smite is smite!¡± Havok grinned, bending down to heal the man and his injured companion, savoring the respect with which his companions treated him.


    ¡°Thank you! You saved us!¡± the man gushed, tears running tracks down his soot-stained face.


    It felt odd receiving thanks from the injured humans but, seeing the genuine gratitude on their faces as they realized they had survived the deadly encounter, he began to understand Miss Malika¡¯s words from back then.


    At that moment, Devan came barreling around the corner with a group of rickety skeletons close behind. She yelped, ¡°Help¡­ uh, anytime, guys?¡±


    Havok lit his sword with his magic again and charged. ¡°Havok make skeleton toast!¡±


    Lirasia


    Lira¡¯s mind floated within the awareness of the enormous oak that towered up and out of the ancient library, her body melded completely with the wood and sap, its mana and hers indistinguishable, pulsing vibrantly from the roots through the branches and into the leaves and out into the cavern beyond.


    The potency of the mana flowing through the giant tree still exhilarated her ¨C for somehow, little Aliandra had managed the unthinkable, completely restructuring the mana of her domain till it combined with her own, amplifying both and producing something greater and more powerful than should even have been possible. It was not her forest, but with just this tree, some small measure of her magic had been restored.


    Yet the calm that she sought within the embrace of the tree eluded her. The fact that she was alive at all was entirely due to Aliandra and her friends and she felt the huge burden of her obligation towards them weighing down on her heart. But her fight was not over. With her senses heightened by the potent magic flowing through her, she could easily sense the vile corruption of that filthy necromancer and his despised mana flowing with unrestrained power just outside the town. Aliandra once again faced what should have been her responsibility.


    There were very few times over the millennia that she regretted taking the more passive and reclusive path of her non-combat class choices, but this was certainly one of them. It should be her facing Alexander Gray, and not Aliandra and her friends risking their lives on her behalf.


    The dagger of his betrayal still twisted in her heart. She hated herself for the moment of weakness and loneliness that had opened her up to his exploitation and cost her the beautiful forest that was as much part of her as it had been a home for the last several thousand years. Even in the calm embrace of the tree, she grimaced. Aliandra¡¯s generosity had set her on the path to healing, but it would be decades before she fully recovered.


    Her senses flowed through the branches and along the crackling energy of the domain mana, bringing her information, visions, and impressions from the town above via the plants and roots her mana was connected to. She saw the rubble in the streets from collapsed houses. A Goblin charging a skeleton in a back alley, supported by friends. Surges of necromantic energy and blight from outside the town walls, and small voices raised in terror.


    Her attention snapped sharply to the wails.


    Without thought or hesitation, she transferred her awareness into a tree within the cavern above, reaching out with her senses, and honing her focus. The plants sent her the cries of children and the stench of necromancy. She transferred again, this time into a small tree in the town above.


    She was always uncomfortable in the habitations of stone and dead wood that the humans crafted, but she found herself in a small park, one seemingly carefully crafted amid the stone streets and brick houses. The tree that had accepted her awareness was fitted with a rope swing that swayed as if it had just been vacated. Off to the side, in the shadows, a small group of children huddled, clutching each other and crying, their eyes wide with fear.


    In a loose circle around the children, Lira could feel the necromantic energy pouring from the creaking bones of the skeletons menacing the children with their rusty swords, clacking jawbones, and the malevolent red glow from their eye sockets. One of the skeletons took an unstable step forward with an audible grinding of bone on bone and a little girl screamed.


    She flowed out of the tree, forming her body as she took two steps forward, the little roots in her feet sinking into the unfamiliar dirt of the park. The little girl¡¯s scream cut off instantly as she brought her hands to her mouth, eyes wide as she caught sight of Lira. Lira gave her a small smile and unleashed her mana.


    She was not familiar with these trees, having not incorporated them into her domain, so her magic took far more effort than she would have liked. But she could feel the depth of the hatred they harbored for the undead, and the eagerness with which they offered her their branches, roots, their very sap. Her spell surged through the trees, making their roots burst writhing from the ground, binding the sluggish skeletons¡¯ ankles and rapidly growing up their leg bones and into their ribcages. Deeper and deeper she reached, throwing more and more magic through the trees. They responded eagerly, committing themselves entirely to being her tools to destroy the hated undead. As the roots grew thick, brimming with vitality and nature, the sounds of creaking, crushing wood, and the sharp reports of bone snapping filled the park. She didn¡¯t stop until the unearthly glow from their eyes was snuffed, and she heard the chimes in her mind.


    An eerie silence descended on the park as the children stared at her, seemingly unsure if they were saved or about to be killed in the same gruesome fashion as the skeletons.


    ¡°Hi, my name is Lira,¡± she said, trying to keep her voice calm and soothing. ¡°Is anyone hurt?¡±


    There was a brief pause followed by the nervous shaking of heads when suddenly, one brown-haired boy wearing a muddy shirt broke the silence.


    ¡°That was awesome!¡±


    As if his voice was the crack that broke the dam, suddenly the air was filled with excited and awed chatter.


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    ¡°Are you a tree lady?¡±


    ¡°How did you do that?¡±


    ¡°Can you show us some more magic?¡±


    Lira smiled at their excitement, such a sudden contrast from their terror only moments ago.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a tree lady,¡± she answered. ¡°I¡¯m called a Dryad.¡±


    ¡°A Dryad?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what tree-people like me are called. Why don¡¯t we all sit over here by the tree? I would be happy to show you some more magic while we wait for your parents to return.¡±


    She sat down among the group and began to grow some moss and flowers on the ground for them, her heart happy to hear their exclamations of delight and curious questions, comforted by the fact that these children, at least, would not be further victims to Alexander Gray¡¯s vile purposes.

 Chapter 130: Showdown

    Chapter 130: ShowdownAliandraAli rotated her mages through the softly glowing Inspiration runic circle she had inscribed directly onto the stone of the battlement behind one of the merlons to regenerate their mana ¨C a spell that her fellow defenders had come to appreciate greatly.


    She snapped a barrier into place above the wall, blocking an embrasure, causing a well-aimed Ice Lance to shatter, spraying the archer she had just saved with a shower of crushed ice. She had to take a more active role now that the skeleton mages had begun peppering the battlements with their magic. He ducked belatedly behind a merlon, shooting her a grateful look.


    Ali took a break for a moment to recover her mana, listening to the endless thumping of boulders smashing into the wall and occasionally crashing down into the outskirts of the town behind it. Defending the walls was at once frenetically terrifying, and yet also mind numbing and exhausting. She relaxed for a moment in the soothing sensation of her Inspiration skill ¨C she had been firing magic non-stop, and yet it seemed like she was throwing handfuls of sand at the tide for all the effect she seemed to have on the horde of undead out there.


    A haughty voice boomed out over the noise of battle. ¡°Cease fire.¡±


    The heavy shuddering thumps ceased, and the crackle of lightning and the sizzle of fireballs faded. In the sudden, unexpected silence, Ali poked her head up and carefully peeked out over the battlefield. The dark figure on his skeletal horse out on the far hill began speaking again, his words obviously amplified by some artifice or spell.


    ¡°Greetings, Myrin¡¯s Keep.¡± His voice had a slippery smoothness and false friendliness like the shimmering rainbow of an oil slick over a scummy pond. ¡°My name is Alexander Gray. I am but a humble servant bringing the greetings of the Blind Lich.¡±


    Ali gasped.  The mere mention of his name filled her with a dread that settled into the very marrow of her bones. That Alexander Gray was his servant did not bode well for them at all.


    ¡°My master¡¯s earnest wish is to claim the dungeon in your town,¡± Alexander continued. ¡°You will send out the Fae, Aliandra Amariel, alone and unarmed, and I will graciously spare the lives of everyone in Myrin¡¯s Keep. If you do not, I will destroy the town and raise every one of you to be servants in my undead army.¡± His hand came to rest casually on the bowed head of one of the motionless statue-like servants standing beside his horse.


    ¡°You have one hour.¡± His magically enhanced voice, suddenly cold and harsh, echoed off the battlements, leaving a stunned silence in its wake.


    A hundred thoughts and questions crashed into her mind, crushed and scattered by the terrifying image of the scarlet blindfold and the gaunt, blackened flesh of the Blind Lich. But one thought stood out, capturing the horror in her mind.


    Ali sank down onto the cold stone of the battlements, her body forming a ball as she hugged her knees to her chest, trying to ignore the sudden calculating stares of the defenders that shared the wall with her.


    Everyone was going to be terrified.After all, a Necromancer had just shown up and laid siege to the town ¨C who wouldn¡¯t be afraid? Like a butcher swinging a cleaver, Alexander Gray had just severed all the connections she had made with the town, singling her out and isolating her in the same action. She shivered, feeling the crushing weight of separation and loneliness descend upon her again; the sense that she didn¡¯t belong here in this foreign world and that every person was set against her.


    None of her struggles to get recognition would amount to anything in the face of this ¨C and how could she blame them? It would be the lives of everyone in the town against hers. Half of them would even enjoy sitting back and letting Alexander Gray take care of their dungeon problem.


    Her stomach churned queasily. Nevyn Eld had taken everything she valued in her life and destroyed it, and now, against all reason, after thousands of years, he was still taking from her. A desolate fear and despair washed over her, and her mind began to descend once again to that place of darkness she had fled to after enduring Roderik¡¯s murderous intent.


    The memory of Lira, frail and broken, dying from the blight and poison he had forced upon her sprang freshly to her mind. He had done this, for no other reason to track her and flush her out.


    Lira was her family. A beloved mentor, and her only living tie back to the life that had been savagely ripped from her. This vile Necromancer ¨C this evil monster ¨C wanted to do the same to Malika, Calen, Mato, and all the people in the town, just to flush her out. A small kernel of white-hot fury kindled within her, consuming her despair and fear in an instant.


    she thought, grinding her teeth together, If she could save her friends, that was all that mattered. She may not care about most of the town, but her friends had stuck with her no matter what. She felt the rightness of it to the core of her being, and when she heard the quick footsteps, she looked up with pure resolve in her heart.


    The Guildmaster sprinted up the steps looking uncharacteristically flustered and rushed.


    ¡°Aliandra! I¡¯m glad I found you first. Bastian has invoked a state of emergency and suspended the council ¨C¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Ali ground out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand,¡± Vivian said, pulling up short. ¡°During a state of emergency, as the representative of the crown, his word is law. You are to be sent out alone as an offering to save the town. I¡¯m explicitly forbidden from helping you, we all are. People are coming for you right now. You need to run. Mieriel is waiting below to take you ¨C¡±


    Ali stood slowly and then met the Guildmaster¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Vivian stopped and returned her look. ¡°I was afraid of that.¡±


    ¡°You can inform Bastian and his little council that they have no need to hunt me down. I will meet Alexander Gray alone on the field in an hour as he has requested.¡± She was tired of running, tired of hiding. Tired of having people coming for her, killing and hurting her friends. She was tired of being scared and lonely. Somehow ¨C she didn¡¯t know how ¨C she would make her stand and face him.


    Vivian stared at her in silence for a while. ¡°Very well. I understand.¡± She must have seen the resolve in Ali¡¯s heart because she didn¡¯t even try to argue with her. ¡°Good luck, then, Aliandra.¡± And with that, Vivian spun on her heel and left.


    She found herself wishing for Malika¡¯s dependable advice, Calen¡¯s strategy and shy smile, and Mato¡¯s hearty laughter. But there was no time. As Vivian had just said, her friends would be back in serious trouble with the law if she asked them for help. She flew herself down to the street below the battlement and searched with her Martial Insight skill. Finding a slime, she teleported into the sewer and hurried down into the newly restored forest cavern below. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She hadn¡¯t expected the Guildmaster to risk her position to subvert Bastian¡¯s authority, but she had hoped she had at least a few allies after the council trial. She worried about it all the way down into the forest cavern, but her thoughts returned to her friends. They were all in danger, and she had precious little time to save them.


    Fury burned within her, but it did not disturb her resolve, nor the clarity of her focus. She opened her Grimoire, glancing at her now fully restored mana pool, and began to summon monsters.


    Malika


    Frantically, Malika dashed across the street, her eyes scanning the battlements for any signs. A golden glint of her barrier magic, a Kobold, anything.


    Malika had been searching high and low for Ali ever since the necromancer¡¯s announcement had set the alarm bells clanging in her heart. She knew what this town was like. It wasn¡¯t even a question: the council would sacrifice Ali in a heartbeat, favorable vote be damned. She pressed her lips into a firm line. Why did nobody ever see it?


    The allotted hour was almost up, and still, Ali was nowhere to be found.  Her mind had been producing more and more improbable, more disastrous scenarios.


    She darted up the ladder and sprinted out along the battlements where someone had told her that she had seen Ali fighting. But as she approached, all she saw was the familiar tall, dark-haired figure facing the battlefield.


    ¡°What have you done with Ali?¡± Malika demanded, striding toward Vivian¡¯s back. She was going to get some answers.


    Vivian turned to face her for a moment, and then simply gestured down to the battlefield below, and returned her gaze to studying it. ¡°See for yourself.¡±


    Puzzled, and suddenly worried, Malika stepped up to the battlements and surveyed the field. Everywhere, as far as the eye could see, were the endless ragged rows of shuffling undead standing just out of range of the battlements. Human zombies, animal skeletons, everything she could imagine. Safely behind the battle lines, Alexander Gray had returned to the field astride his skeletal horse and was intently gazing at something directly below her vantage point. Malika followed the direction of his stare. And there, far below the base of the wall, where the river emerged from the underground forest cavern, she found that unmistakable golden glint. The color of a mana butterfly that had once woken her in a dark alleyway. A small golden glowing disk of magic floated slowly out toward the battlefield. Seated atop the disk was a tiny familiar figure with flowing green hair.


    ¡°You forced her to go out alone?¡± Malika rounded on Vivian with a torrent of anger flaring up in her heart.


    ¡°I tried to get her to run, but she insisted,¡± Vivian said with a quiet sincerity that spoke of respect.


    ¡°I cannot save her. Bastian has invoked a state of emergency, my hands are tied, but¡­¡± Vivian continued.


    ¡°Fuck the law, she¡¯s my friend,¡± Malika interrupted, leaping right over the battlement and sprinting down the sheer outer face of the wall, stamina burning through her Divine Step as she picked up speed.


    Vivian Ross


    ¡°Why did you call me all the way out here, Vivian?¡± Donella asked, her flight magic arcing small sparks that fell to the ground. She seemed tired and overworked, and her eyes sparked with barely controlled anger.


    ¡°I wanted to show you the view,¡± Vivian answered, forcing a casual tone into her voice. She and Donella did not always see eye to eye, but one thing she knew for certain ¨C pushing the Gnome was a recipe for being shocked. Literally and figuratively.


    ¡°I know what¡¯s down there, Vivian,¡± Donella answered with an annoyed glare, but she glanced anyway, and suddenly her eyes were drawn to Aliandra in the center of the field, Malika still sprinting down the wall to join her friend.


    ¡°She volunteered.¡± Vivian was still surprised by the steel she had seen in Aliandra¡¯s spine and the burning resolve in her eyes. She had thought she had the measure of the tiny Fae, but this was not the act of a bookish scholar. No doubt Alexander Gray was in for a nasty shock.


    ¡°She is brave. Stupid, to face Alexander Gray by herself, but brave,¡± Donella answered after studying the battlefield for a moment. ¡°Vivian, it feels wrong to hide behind novices. We should be out there, not her. Have we become cowards in our old age?¡±


    Vivian winced. Donella had just eloquently articulated the frustration and guilt in her own heart, but she had also confirmed that she was of like mind in this issue. Yet she was standing on the battlements and watching Aliandra put herself in harm¡¯s way for the town.


    ¡°If we go out there, he will destroy the entire town,¡± Vivian answered quietly. It was what he had announced, but most likely Donella had seen through that charade just as easily as she had.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seriously believe he will keep his word, do you? Alexander Gray will turn on the town as soon as he has taken care of her.¡±


    ¡°I agree. But Bastian will pretend it was true ¨C and get us called up before the royal court and executed if we go against the crown. With the state of emergency in place, he  the crown right now. He has always loathed the fact that Myrin¡¯s Keep council has people of common blood, and I¡¯m certain he¡¯s hoping to rid the town of her ¨C and a few of us, with luck.¡±


    ¡°So, what are you proposing then? You¡¯re not going to sit up here and just watch her die?¡± Donella frowned, still staring down at the undead army.


    ¡°Our hands are tied, but¡­,¡± Vivian glanced at Donella out of the corner of her eye as they both watched the scene unfolding below. ¡°Did we ever answer the question of whether your Chain Lightning could reach those trees from up here?¡± Bastian¡¯s decree specifically prevented them from ¡®going out there¡¯ and engaging the undead while Aliandra was being delivered to the necromancer. A technicality, to be sure, but one she fully intended to abuse.


    Donella stared at her for a moment before looking back out over the battlefield. ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe we did. Perhaps I¡¯ll remain here and try to figure that out. Some extensive testing¡­¡±


    Vivian smiled. She could not tell them to help, but she could point them at the view, and let them make up their own minds. With Donella acting as backup, Aliandra and her group might just stand a chance of not being entirely overrun.


    Aliandra


    Ali sat on her barrier and slowly levitated across the battlefield.  She braced herself on her barrier to quell the trembling she felt inside. While her body shook, none of the fear reached her mind. Alexander Gray was watching her intently from across the battlefield. She let his avaricious gaze crash against the cliffs of anger and fury she had erected around her heart. She forced herself to meet his gaze, taking in the expensive suit, the skeletal horse, and the haughty expression of superiority.


    She fanned the flames of her anger, distracting herself from her inner voice that wailed incessantly about dying horribly. He was the Blind Lich¡¯s underling, and the dark power of his mana rolled off him in palpable waves.


    She gathered her resolve and began to move forward, but in that moment her attention was snagged by the sound of a pebble hitting the ground behind her. Automatically, her head turned toward the battlements.


    Somebody, or something, was descending the enormous wall with grace and speed.


    Ali suddenly recognized the soul magic bursts as she used her skill to power her vertical sprint. Deep within the fortifications of her heart, something melted.  Her heart leapt in time with Malika¡¯s landing on the ground nearby. She stepped forward, matching her pace with Ali¡¯s levitating disk, and she noticed Malika wasn¡¯t even stepping on the ground.


    ¡°Hi Ali,¡± she said calmly. ¡°Going for a walk?¡±


    The uncharacteristically casual comment contrasted starkly against Malika¡¯s serious demeanor and the hard gaze that remained fixed on Alexander Gray, even as she talked.


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to go alone,¡± Ali told her. ¡°You¡¯re going to get in trouble for being here.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not going to keep his word, Ali; he¡¯s the guy who deceived Lira. What chance do you honestly think the town has?¡±


    Ali stopped, staring at Malika. She had heard the story of how the necromancer had deceived Lira, and yet she had not even considered the possibility he might be lying about destroying the town. She had set out, unconsciously expecting honesty from the foul necromancer, and Malika had seen through him instantly.


    Before Ali could answer, an incandescent pair of wings swooped down on the other side of her, and Calen ¨C a touch out of breath ¨C deposited Mato on the ground.


    ¡°You all came?¡±


    ¡°I recall someone saying we would face things together,¡± Calen answered, readying his bow.


    Ali felt the tears welling in her eyes.  She had tried to bury her hope and loneliness under a wall of anger, but her friends had shown up anyway, and in doing so they had once again proved she was not alone.


    ¡°Ali!¡± Mato said. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± He looked at her expectantly. ¡°There is a plan, right? Tell me there¡¯s a plan where we beat up that piece of Troll dung.¡±


    Ali wiped her eyes but did not respond, and he looked anxiously at her. ¡°Ali?¡±


    ¡°¡± she commanded, smiling at Mato as the ground began to tremble in time to a low rumbling sound, like a distant thunder.


    From behind her, six Forest Guardians burst out of the river entrance to the underground cavern ¨C the same entrance she had used to flood the Goblin siege. Many tons of dense gnarled wood creaked and groaned as the Guardians charged full tilt across the battlefield. Dust rose and pebbles jumped from the shaking ground and their crashing charge.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Mato yelled as the Guardians split around them. His yell morphed into a roar as his body twisted and stretched into his Bear Form, and he joined the charge.


    Ali smiled at his enthusiasm. All he needed was a good fight.


    The Forest Guardians charged through the vanguard of skeletons with a deafening crash and the crunch of snapping bones, their momentum barely slowing as broken skeletons were tossed into the air, and lesser zombies were trampled to mush underfoot.


    With the enemy focused on the spectacular opening charge, Ali took the opportunity to deploy the rest of her minions. A squadron of almost a hundred glowing jellyfish floated out onto the battlefield, flying higher to be less conspicuous. She had never used the Lux Drifters before, choosing them for their light-magic acid, but the biggest surprise was that they were a swarm monster, summoned in groups of ten at a time while costing the same amount of mana as a single monster of that level.


    Next came five Sparkling Oozes, which she directed to spread out. And finally, five Kobold Fire Mages, and her Acolytes. She placed her Kobolds on a barrier disk, levitating them into the air to keep them out of reach of most of the undead monsters on the battlefield.


    ¡°Mato! Fireball!¡± Ali yelled and then directed her Kobolds and Sparkling Oozes to attack the enormous melee that had formed around Mato and her Guardians. The regeneration aura and Mato¡¯s healing should be more than sufficient. She watched as the furious red fire from her mages arced over and detonated among the skeletons and the Forest Guardians. From far back, intensely incandescent balls of magic lofted over the battlefield to detonate in brilliant explosions of light. Ali sent a command to her Lux Drifters, and they began to circle overhead, raining their glowing caustic acid over the entire battlefield. Ali couldn¡¯t duplicate the endless swarm they had faced in the jungle, but even this many of the flying oozes were having an impact; their acid effective against the skeletons.


    Ali observed the battlefield with a sense of wary foreknowledge. This was but the beginning of her biggest battle yet. Her guardians had filled the entire area with rapidly growing and regenerating vines and thorns, locking down large numbers of skeletons. The constant barrage of fire and light magic explosions destroyed the skeletons in droves, injuring Mato and her guardians. Still, her allies were rapidly regenerating the damage from all the overlapped auras and Mato¡¯s healing.


    But then, as one, the entire field of undead surged forward, a great tide that broke around their small island of fire and regeneration, surrounding them. Zombies and skeletons were everywhere, seething like a single mass of undead below her barrier. The sheer press of the dead flesh and bones encroached inward on their circle, shrinking it, and above all of the undead moans and the clash of battle, she heard Alexander Gray¡¯s sinister cackling.


    Ali redoubled her efforts, sending in barrier shards to cut down swathes of the undead, but they crawled forward over the corpses of their brethren for just the chance of grasping one of the living within their domain. Nothing she did could stem the tide. Her explosions were destroying undead by the hundreds, but there were thousands more to take their places. Mato roared, trying in vain to draw the horde to himself while Calen swooped overhead, his bow raining radiant arrows down into the ocean of undead. Ali couldn¡¯t even see Malika through the press of undead.


    Suddenly, all the hair on her entire body stood on end. Her skin crawled with an uncanny prickling sensation and her nose picked up the strong pungent odor of ozone. The whole world went white, and with only her mana sight she saw the lightning magic ripping through the undead, forking again and again as it tore through the sea of monsters. It was over in an instant, leaving her blinking and almost retching from the stench of overcooked rotten flesh. But every single zombie and skeleton on the townward side of the invisible line of the spell¡¯s maximum range had been fried by the stupendous burst of lightning magic. All that remained was a smoking ruin.


    Flying above the battlement was a tiny figure, one Ali could barely make out from here. But it was wreathed in a monumental pillar of lightning mana, leaving no doubt in her mind who the owner was.


    Ali stared at the glowing figure for a few moments, but the powerful mage stubbornly refused to leave the battlement and engage the necromancer directly. She frowned ¨C she didn¡¯t have time to question why the mage had chosen to help, nor the inexplicable reasons limiting her engagement, but it seemed obvious that they needed to take advantage of their impromptu artillery support if they didn¡¯t want to be swarmed again.


    Ali marked the line of the Gnomish mage¡¯s maximum range firmly in her mind. Deliberately, she flexed her fingers and then tightened her fists.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 131: Unexpected Conflict

    Chapter 131: Unexpected ConflictAliandra Looking up, Ali met the necromancer¡¯s gaze, and felt a chill run the length of her spine.


    ¡°You whelp! Did you think it would be that easy?¡± he shouted.


    He raised a fist and a dark, seething magic appeared within it. All around him, the chains connecting him to the immobile slaves pulsed. Each wore a collar that glowed with the same black mana, and each of them had eyes filled with terror.


    ¡°Look out!¡± Ali yelled.


    The seething magic formation pulsed once and shot out toward one of the collared slaves. A ghostly outline of the man appeared briefly, struggling against the force of his magic, but to no avail. The apparition let out an unholy echoing scream as it was torn from the body before being drawn toward the necromancer and sucked into his chest. The corpse of the man hit the ground with a sickening thump, writhed grotesquely, and then his entire skeleton stood up, ripping itself out of the now-dead flesh before joining the fray.


    Alexander Gray moaned in profane ecstasy as he absorbed the essence of the slain man. The necromancer¡¯s dark mana surged exponentially, and his aura pulsed, rippling outward from him in ever-widening rings that brought death to everything they touched. Plants withered, and even the ground blackened as the blight consumed everything that was not already undead. As it reached Ali¡¯s Guardians, their dense vines and thorns withered, dying even as the Elementals¡¯ powerful regeneration magic fought to replenish the plants. Caught within the deadly aura, even the Guardians themselves began to decay, chunks of their bodies blackening and rotting and falling away, to be slowly regenerated by their auras.


    ¡°Back up!¡± Calen shouted.


    The black pulsing blight grew stronger as the Necromancer reached forth and consumed another bound slave. Rapidly, the blight clawed its way up the legs of a Forest Guardian, blackening and rotting its wood and withering its strength till it crumbled under its own weight and collapsed.


    ¡°Ali commanded, echoing Calen¡¯s cry as she scrambled to regroup her Guardians so that their regeneration auras would overlap. But in the press of undead, they were too slow, and she lost a second Guardian to the inexorable blight emitted by his powerful spell.


    ¡°Ali, can you hold him off for a bit?¡± Mato called.


    ¡°What¡­¡± Ali exclaimed, hearing the unexpected voice of the Beastkin. She snapped her head around and found him standing there untransformed.


    ¡°I will try to deal with the blight,¡± Mato said. Then he reached out his massive hand and pointed, ¡°You will need to handle that¡­¡±


    Ali glanced in the direction he pointed and quailed a little inside at the sight of the giant troll zombie bearing down on them, great rotting gashes leaking putrid goo down its torso. Ali nodded, marshaling her remaining Guardians to intercept the enormous undead creature as she struggled to keep her stomach under control.


    ¡°Whatever crazy thing you¡¯re doing, hurry it up!¡± Malika yelled.


    Mato¡¯s body stretched, growing rapidly broader and taller as his Tree Form transformation took hold. His roots dug into the blighted soil as Malika and her Acolytes healed him. Ali had no idea what he was planning ¨C his tree could not move, let alone fight ¨C but she trusted him and charged the giant zombie with her remaining Forest Guardians, knocking it back so that it could not reach Mato while he was vulnerable.


    She flew her Lux Drifters in, raining acid down on the necromancer, trying to distract him while she defended Mato¡¯s transformation. Skeletons and zombies surged, trying to reach his position, and the potent Chain Lightning ripped through the ones unfortunate enough to cross into the range of the powerful mage on the battlements.


    The blight pulsed stronger and stronger, slowly encroaching on her Guardians. She could see it take root in their wooden bodies and feel how the regeneration magic struggled to banish the damage. Blackened patches grew up their legs and began to infect their armor with monstrous ease, digging deeper and rotting away their power and strength.


    On the far side of the sea of undeath, Alexander Gray cackled and ripped the essence from another of his slaves.


    ¡°We¡¯re losing,¡± Ali whispered as the black blight surged once more. One of her remaining Guardians stumbled, and an entire leg rotted away in seconds. The skeletons swarmed over it, stabbing and slashing with their rusty weapons while it thrashed around in a futile attempt to rid itself of them.


    ¡°¡± she commanded. She desperately needed to reduce the damage to her Guardians. But without the power of her area damage fireballs the skeletons and zombies began to overwhelm their perimeter through sheer force of numbers. ¡°Mato¡­ any time now!¡±


    A pulse of viridian green mana flickered from behind her. Then, with an enormous surge, it exploded outward, rippling across the battlefield with the sudden rushing scent of leaves and forest glades. Waves of black blight crashed against the rippling verdant green, a titanic clash of nature against death magic unfolding in Ali¡¯s mana sight as Mato¡¯s Sanctuary ballooned to an enormous sphere around his majestic tree transformation. But, although the forces of death and growth appeared matched at first, Mato¡¯s aura shimmered with the power of Vitality Rejuvenation, and the blight began to dissolve. As the Sanctuary aura pushed back the blight, it washed over her Forest Guardians, and the black claws of the blight¡¯s grasp loosened and began to recede. Rot faded as vitality and vigor rushed back into the Guardians, bolstered by their regeneration and the potent magic of Mato¡¯s tree.


    ¡°Yes! Mato!¡± Ali whooped.


    ¡°What!¡± the necromancer roared. ¡°This is impossible!¡±


    ¡°Fireballs, now!¡± Malika yelled.


    Ali redoubled her bombardment. Now that the field could benefit from Mato¡¯s regeneration aura, she ceased controlling the damage or conserving her mana and simply unleashed all her slimes, Kobolds, and the Lux Drifters upon the skeleton army. The acrid stench of the acid made her cough, but it left swathes of skeletons melting and smoking in its wake. Intensely shining balls of white energy lofted up over the battlefield, fired like artillery magic from the Sparkling Slimes in the rear to land in blinding detonations among the monsters. And from her barrier platform, angry red roiling fireballs seared forth with a steady  of fiery blasts.


    ¡°Ali!¡± Malika yelled out from a crush of undead monsters where, somehow, she was tanking the giant troll zombie. Several skeleton mages lobbed fireballs and ice lances at her while she dodged frantically, but it was the enormous, rotted arms that flailed at Malika¡¯s acrobatic speed that scared Ali the most.


    When the zombie missed and struck the ground, corpses bounced and lesser undead stumbled and fell, and the thuds and thumps of the impacts were probably felt across the other side of town. She knew well the legendary might of the giant trolls, and this one was a zombie that couldn¡¯t feel pain.


    ¡°¡± she commanded, and her Kobolds immediately responded. She wished she had had enough mana to make a group of shamans, but her Guardians had been far too expensive, taking the bulk of her mana pool. And now they were tied up, tanking hordes of zombies and skeletons each.


    ¡°¡± Ali commanded. One of the Guardians immediately backed up, drawing a veritable horde of undead with it. ¡°¡± It complied. Suddenly, a deafening crack split the air, leaving purple afterimages on her retinas and flying chunks of smoking bone.


    ¡°Nice one, Ali,¡± Calen said, not even slowing down his stream of arrows.


    With all her other minions being pressured or busy, Ali fired two long barrier shards at the zombie giant troll. Both shards impaled its dead flesh with a disgusting squelching noise, punching clean through the monster¡¯s torso and out the other side. She shuddered, reminded of the sound of Roderik¡¯s gruesome death. The giant troll swung its great arm again, ignoring the sharp shards of golden magic piercing its ribs and chest ¨C she couldn¡¯t tell if it even noticed.


    ¡°If I can levitate Mato, I can pick you up,¡±she muttered, straining with her shards against the vast bulk of the giant troll. But although it began to lift, she had vastly underestimated the incredible weight of the giant monster, and instead of lifting it, her shards ripped through the flesh and out the side of its ribcage, spraying putrid black fluid everywhere. The monster continued pursuing Malika, but its torso flapped open from the two cuts she had made that severed through almost the entire right-hand side of the ribcage. So violently foul was the reek of rot and death, that Malika doubled over in a fit of racking coughs and choking as the stench billowed out as visible miasma from the ghastly wounds like smoke from a roaring bonfire.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Calen said, wrinkling his nose.


    Ali doubled down, firing new shards into the monster, ripping and tearing great rents in its flesh until the top and the bottom half of the monster finally separated. To her horror, the monster continued attacking unabated, dragging itself along the ground, ripping the roots and vines that grasped at it.


    But Ali¡¯s gruesome work seemed to give Malika enough of an edge, so she tried her new technique on something much more manageable. Her barrier shards pierced the chest of a human-sized zombie, and she hoisted it into the air with ease. Looking around quickly, she levitated it higher and higher, until she dismissed the barriers, sending it crashing down on top of one of the catapults. The putrid rotten flesh burst into a rain of chunks and a splintering crash, cracking the catapult support beam in the process and triggering it to fire prematurely. The weakened siege weapon tore itself to pieces from the impact. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grinning, Ali cast about for more likely candidates, spending a while catching stragglers that were trying to mob Mato¡¯s tree, tossing them into the catapults whenever she could, until all the catapults lay in ruins. Ali didn¡¯t need to look far for some corpses to deconstruct so that she could refill her mana pool. She heard herself screech, ¡°Try knocking our walls down now, Alexander Gray!¡±


    Malika gave a snort of grim amusement and signaled rudely in the necromancer¡¯s direction. ¡°You heard her!¡±


    Alexander Gray let out an incoherent roar of frustration. ¡°Fine! Nevyn Eld will just have to be satisfied with your corpse!¡± he yelled, glaring at Ali. With a sudden vortex of dark mana summoned from his hands, he fired a black ray of energy that shot out across the battlefield.


    Acting on reflex, Ali blocked it with her golden barrier, briefly grateful that it didn¡¯t pass through the transparent magic. But the force of the death magic blasting into her barrier continued unabated and she heard several sharp reports as cracks appeared radiating from the impact. Her barrier suddenly shattered into a cloud of golden sparks, and just as the beam struck her, she selected one of her Forest Guardians and teleported, switching locations with the enormous creature. Mato¡¯s magic whisked the damage away from her, but the beam bit deeply into her Forest Guardian, causing it to roar with pain. Several tons of wood and bellowing rage hung suspended in the air at her prior location. Ali immediately summoned a barrier and flew sideways out of the way as its massive bulk fell to the ground, crushing several skeletons in an enormous ground-shaking thump. The Guardian rose to its feet amid the destruction and clouds of dust as its companions¡¯ auras repaired the serious damage it sustained from the fall and the necromantic beam.


    ¡°You ok there?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Mato got me,¡± she said calmly, but it had been far too close for comfort.


    Ali flew back up into the air as the dark necrotic wound Mato had sustained from taking her damage slowly repaired itself. Alexander Gray was quick to pick her out again, firing a second beam, and she was once again forced to pour mana into her barrier to hold back the powerful necromantic attack.


    She glanced about, but Calen was already shooting at the undead trying to reach Mato, and Malika was darting through the enemy horde picking off the most dangerous skeletal mages with ruthless precision. Ali left her Guardians to deal with the remaining skeletons and redirected all the rest of her minions to attack the necromancer directly. Firebolts and light bombs smashed into a sphere of magic surrounding him, only visible as a dark haze whenever it repelled an impact.


    Ali teleported again, switching with a Kobold Fire Mage this time as her barrier shattered into sparks. The mage didn¡¯t fare nearly as well as the Guardian and the necromantic energy blasted clean through its torso with a destructive power that decayed its flesh in an instant.


    Suddenly, a glowing white arrow smashed into the necromancer¡¯s Mana Shield and Malika charged in with a flurry of rapid punches, her magic flashing the same blue color as her eyes. Ali watched in mounting astonishment as the unusual blue version of Malika¡¯s magic seemed to consume portions of the death magic shield before they quickly reformed.


    Alexander Gray was clearly restoring his shield, but he glanced at Malika with a worried expression. But it was the view in her mana sight that told the true tale. Ali¡¯s view of the shield was a black pulsing formation of magic, but whenever Malika¡¯s fist hit it and her soul magic flickered blue, chunks of the formation disappeared, as if she were eating it bit by bit. ¡°Malika! Keep at it!¡± she screamed.


    Alexander Gray reached out and consumed the soul of one of his few remaining bound slaves, causing his blight aura to pulse out much stronger, fighting against Mato¡¯s Sanctuary imbued with Vitality Rejuvenation. Malika stood in the middle of the blight, dodging the beam attacks as she kept up her relentless assault. Within her body, Ali could see the invasion of death magic, continuously pushed back by Mato¡¯s aura, and then re-healed by the constant flicker of Malika¡¯s own healing magic. She could not imagine how much agony Malika was feeling, and yet, she continued to attack with unbroken focus and precision.


    Finding herself ignored for the moment, Ali quickly deconstructed several more skeletons to refill her mana pool and then joined the assault by firing barrier shards at the pressured necromancer.


    ¡°What is that? It¡¯s blocking my arrows,¡± Calen asked. ¡°Some kind of shield?¡±


    ¡°Mana Shield,¡± Ali said. ¡°Try shooting where Malika punches.¡±


    ¡°Aah,¡± Calen said, a tight grin flickering across his lips.


    Ali thought, squinting at the holes Malika¡¯s strikes left in the Mana Shield. A shining arrow zipped by, barely a centimeter past Malika¡¯s ear and threaded the needle right through the rapidly shrinking gap. Alexander Gray hissed in palpable fury as Calen¡¯s arrow punched through his left thigh. Ali thought, conjuring a couple of barrier shards and spending the next several minutes of battle aiming to follow Calen¡¯s example.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I have to use my most powerful magic on you weaklings!¡± Alexander yelled; his face red with rage.


    The thought flickered through Ali¡¯s mind as she summoned another barrier shard.  Besides, even she understood that withholding your most powerful magic out of pride in a real battle was a poor strategy. Still, she readied herself for anything. She would not make the same mistake of arrogance.


    The mana and necromantic energy swirling around Alexander Gray roiled violently as he consumed another slave, leaving only one remaining. Intense dark energy condensed within his chest, building in power and size until it appeared as if he had swallowed a dark star. Ali thought, urgently studying the magic formation, trying to divine its function. Suddenly, every single skeleton on the battlefield collapsed, as if a giant scythe had cut their marionette strings. The mana animating them recoiled, snapping back into the necromancer and Ali felt a bad, bad premonition.


    Slowly, bones from the dead skeletons began to levitate and swirl around, speeding up as they closed in on Alexander Gray.


    ¡°Careful!¡± Ali called out, ¡°It¡¯s some kind of avatar spell.¡± She didn¡¯t know quite what, but she could tell its general purpose was to enhance him in some way.


    ¡°Hit him quickly!¡± Malika hissed from between clenched teeth, her fists blurring with speed.


    The bones rushed in rapidly and stuck to his body as if seized by a strong magnetic force. More and more flew in, striking the giant bone construct around him with loud cracks. It accreted bone with growing rapidity until Alexander Gray was lost under a pile of bone larger even than the giant troll zombie, fully four meters tall and almost as wide. The entire pile crackled repeatedly with violent dark magic as he began to laugh, his amplified voice echoing from the battlements. It twitched this way and that, and then bone arms and legs as thick as tree trunks with giant claws instead of fingers reached outward and it stood up.


    The avatar of bone took a thunderous step toward her. Ali gasped at the sheer bulk and power of the creation. Tight-fitting bone plates slid and shifted past one another as the black energy from the dark star powering his profane transformation leaked out from between the narrow seams and gaps.


    ¡°Over here,¡± Malika called as she took three running steps up the side of the construct and landed a powerful kick to the center of its chest, right over the spot where Ali could see the pulsing kernel of death mana. Her magic flashed blue once again and Ali saw the green nature mana of Mato¡¯s healing helping her against the ever-present blight that still poured off him. To her horror, she noticed that Mato¡¯s tree was full of dark blotches of necrotic rot, but on closer examination, she saw them rapidly healing under the continuous pressure of his aura and the soft glow of her Kobold¡¯s healing magic.


    It had to be the only reason she was able to stand there at the center of the blight, dishing out endless punches and kicks. Several times Malika attempted to maneuver him, trying to entice Alexander Gray to chase her back into range of the Chain Lightning, but just as clearly he was having none of that.


    Malika¡¯s cool response brought Ali¡¯s mind back to sharp focus. Quickly, she organized her creatures. Circling the Lux Drifters overhead, she began to rain acid on the abomination of bone, observing that the magical shield was no longer in effect. She flew her Kobolds closer and added their firebolts to the assault, reasoning that they would need every last point of damage. Finally, she began firing her barrier shards, trying to pierce the tough exoskeleton the necromancer had built, and carefully directed her slimes to place their explosions where Malika would not get hit. Her four remaining Forest Guardians became her melee attack force, and Malika began using them as platforms to launch her powerful attacks.


    With a huge swing, the necromancer¡¯s bone arm swiped at Malika but missed as she deftly dodged the blow. Instead, it struck a Forest Guardian, knocking it rolling across the ground. Shocked at the raw power of his avatar spell, Ali watched her Guardian roll to its feet and charge back into the fight.


    Just as the thought crossed her mind, a giant bone arm connected with Malika¡¯s back, knocking her flying through the air. A rapid series of healing flashes erupted as she and Mato reacted to the brutal strike. Ali summoned a small disk barrier next to Malika. Her friend immediately executed a neat flip and pushed off the barrier, taking several steps in thin air, supported only by her magic, before throwing herself back into the fray.


    As Malika announced her return with a shattering front-kick to that mighty bone skull, Ali attacked with every Kobold and Sparkling Ooze, covering the necromancer in a giant inferno of white and red magical explosions. With a huge roar, the necromancer reacted by firing necromantic energy rays and bolts in quick succession, blasting her Kobolds off their flying platform. Ali threw up barriers to protect them, but he destroyed two of them instantly.


    Malika re-engaged with her blue flashing soul magic. Calen flared with the light of the sun, casting harsh shadows on the ground as he activated his Righteous Fury skill. Each arrow he shot sought out chinks in the necromancer¡¯s armor with uncanny accuracy. Ali shaded her eyes from the intense glow of his flying form and the hail of arrows he rained down on the necromancer, his hands moving so fast they were a blur. Shards of golden barrier magic materialized around the heavy avatar, lashing down as Ali sought to punch through the bone being shredded by Calen¡¯s heroic efforts.


    ¡°Stop. Stealing. My. Mana!¡± the necromancer roared, his voice distorted and loud coming from deep within his armored bone avatar. Ignoring all attacks, he launched a frantic attempt to crush Malika.


    Ali felt a surge of pride watching Malika stand there calmly dodging his furious swings and stomps, relying on her dexterity and continuous healing to keep her alive while her fists blurred and flickered with her ultra-rapid precision punches and the elegant footwork that Ali recognized from their training together. Even bone backed by the power of death mana could not withstand the fury of their combined assault, chips flying from every blow and cracks jagging across the individual segments.


    Amid the hail of sizzling firebolts and buzzing arrows hammering into the heavy bone carapace, Malika twisted, spinning around as she leapt nearly two meters into the air. Her arms blurred with speed, delivering a near-instant flurry of jabs into the smoking ruin of crushed and burnt bone covering his torso. Intense flashes of blue mana strobed against Ali¡¯s mana sight. And then¡­ the dark, pulsing necromantic energy within the vault of his bone chest flickered. Malika¡¯s spin reached its peak and she finished the combo with a heavy knee-strike to exactly the same spot. Her magic flickered once more, and the necromancer¡¯s energy sputtered and died.


    Malika landed lightly on the ground amid a rain of bone chunks as the Bone Avatar spell unraveled. A volley of incandescent light bombs pierced the disintegrating armor, detonating like grenades in a pile of woodchips. Chunks of shattered bone clattered off Ali¡¯s hastily erected barriers as firebolts and Calen¡¯s radiant arrows rained down unabated on the necromancer¡¯s suddenly exposed body. An inhuman scream rose from the necromancer¡¯s throat as his hair ignited like a torch and his limbs spasmed in agony.


    With the remainder of her barrier capacity, Ali summoned a needle-sharp blade of gold and rammed it home through his chest.


    A soft chime sounded in the back of her mind, and the body hit the ground among the shattered chunks of his bone armor.


    ¡°Ran him completely dry,¡± Malika said, a smug smile on her face.


    ¡°Wow,¡±Ali said, gazing at Malika as she realized just how devastating her mana attack must have been for the necromancer.


    ¡°Well, that was certainly effective,¡± Calen nodded, joining them to inspect the corpse. It looked like a shriveled, charred rag lying in a blackened half-cage of bone, a shattered vessel altogether too small and frail to ever have contained the horrific power of the man who had called himself Nevyn Eld¡¯s servant.


    Ali floated down and began to refill her mana pool from the remains of hundreds of corpses and skeletons. As Mato¡¯s aura progressively erased all remnants of the necromantic blight, Ali became aware of distant cheering and shouting from the people on the south wall of the town. She let out a sigh of relief and returned to the bones and her tedious deconstruction. As she approached the corpse of a skeletal Ice Mage, though, her eyes were drawn to a glimmer of white frost clinging to the tattered blue rags it still wore.


    She drew closer to examine it. She shivered as an icy breeze tickled her skin. Looking up, she found the forest in front of her rapidly freezing as frost and ice crystals appeared growing on everything.


    ¡°Uh, guys?¡± she called as unnatural tendrils of dread began to raise the hairs on the back of her forearms. ¡°Guys!¡±


    ¡°What is it, Ali?¡± Malika asked, glancing up from her inspection of Alexander Gray.


    ¡°Oh, shit!¡± Calen said. ¡°Ru¨C¡±


    A dark figure emerged from the forest. A shrouded face turned toward her and two intense icy blue flames of magic in its eye sockets seemed to bore right through her soul. Ali shivered, not from the icy bite of its aura, but from fear and recognition.


    she screamed, but her mouth refused to form the words. It was the very same monster that she had faced with her mother fleeing Dal¡¯mohra on that fateful day.


    ¡°The master will have his prize.¡± The ethereal voice echoed everywhere, as cold as its magic, seeming to come from far away and yet whisper to her from right behind her ear. A wave of dread washed over her, borne on the back of the icy tendrils of its mana, fixing her in place with terror as effectively as if she were literally frozen. Her friends stood, immobile, staring at the monster. Without her mother¡¯s hand holding hers, and without her magic protecting her mind, she railed powerlessly against the relentless aura of fear.


    It began to stride forward, heavy sabatons crunching as ice sprang from its footsteps. Sensing her terror, her remaining Forest Guardians roared and charged, but as they approached, they slowed and stopped, ice growing up from the ground through their bodies coating them in a thick layer of rime. The Death Knight raised a gauntleted hand and drew a greatsword from its back, its movements unhurried and deliberate. The sword shone with an intense blue flash as it connected, and the frozen Forest Guardian shattered into heavy blocks of ice that crashed across the ground. Ali¡¯s mana reservation snapped painfully. Slowly picking its way across the battlefield, moving on a direct line towards her, it dispatched the Forest Guardians one at a time, pausing only to examine the corpse of Alexander Gray with frosty disdain before making it vanish into some storage enchantment.


    Unable to move, nor even think, she was forced to watch as the Death Knight stalked across the battlefield, easily deflecting the long-range attacks of her slimes using a conjured shield of ice. Her heart hammered fit to explode inside her petrified chest as it slowly drew closer, freezing all around them.


    Suddenly the being hissed, head snapping to the left.


    A brilliant figure rose from the blighted forest on wings of fire and lightning. Drawing a bow, it unleashed an arrow imbued with magic so powerful the flare overwhelmed Ali¡¯s mana sight. With a howling roar, a stream of arrows leapt from the bow, closing the distance to the Death Knight in an instant. The crash of the impact shook the ground, and the wave of heat bowled Ali over as the secondary detonations left craters and a rain of ice and dirt. The Death Knight was knocked sprawling, and the hail of lightning and fire magic followed it relentlessly, as if hunting with a mind of its own. But it rolled to a crouch, behind an intensely glowing shield of ice. Still, the incandescent fury of the unidentified archer hammered down, driving the Death Knight into an undignified retreat as it clawed deep furrows across the field in a vain effort to withstand the onslaught.


    ¡°Cursed Elf!¡± the Death Knight snarled; its echoing voice filled with icy fury. ¡°This is far from over¡­ I will return for your head.¡± Abruptly, the oppressive aura of ice and fear vanished. Ali stumbled to one knee as if suddenly released from her bindings, and as the fiery onslaught faded, all she could see was glowing slag and blackened bone. Of the fearsome Death Knight, no trace remained.


    Her eyes leaped.


    Ali stared wide-eyed at the sight of their rescuer alighting gracefully on the battlefield. Her wings of fire and lightning dispersed, and her bow vanished, but the remnants of her incredible power were still visible in the intense white runes of lightning mana slowly fading along the left side of her face and down her neck. Her eyes smoldered with the fury of a firestorm, but they too began to dim as she touched the ground, leaving the image of an elegant elf with the darkest ebony skin Ali had ever seen. Her dark hair was bound high in tight braids, and her smoky eyes turned to study Ali where she knelt in the mud and scorched dirt.


    ¡°That Death Knight was¡­ looking for you, Fae girl,¡± she noted calmly, addressing Ali in Elvish. Her elegant voice perfectly matched her exquisite leather armor and carried an undercurrent of power ¨C not quite a question nor a demand.


    Awkwardly, Ali scrambled to her feet and bowed, greeting her in formal Elvish, ¡°Thank you for saving us, Hunter of the North.¡±


    The Elf¡¯s piercing eyes scanned the corpse-littered battlefield and the giant pile of bones, steam already rising from the thawing ground strewn with the corpses of the undead and the blocky chunks of Ali¡¯s Forest Guardians. The eyes flicked to each of her companions, pausing briefly on Mato as he shifted out of his Tree Form. Calen¡¯s low gasp carried to her hearing. Ali reflexively brushed off her clothing, trying to process their victory over Alexander Gray and then¡­ this unexpected help.


    ¡°You all killed Alexander Gray?¡± the Elf asked, switching to Common.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali blurted out. The Elf seemed cautious, and Ali wondered if she had been explicitly hunting the Death Knight. She seemed more than capable of it.


    ¡°Good work,¡± she said with the barest hint of surprise making it past her controlled composure. ¡°I have business to take care of before I track that Death Knight down. I suggest you take cover inside the town walls in case it returns.¡± A sour twist of her mouth accompanied her mention of the Death Knight. And with that, her wings reappeared, and she shot off towards the town, leaving cracks on the ground where she had stood and trailing shockwaves behind her.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°That was Lyeneru Silverleaf,¡± Calen answered breathlessly, eyes wide ¨C awestruck.


    Ali recalled.


    Seth


    Seth cowered in terror. But his body refused to show it, standing immobile in the remnants of the circle. He had been forced to watch, unable to even move or even speak, as Alexander Gray had ripped the souls from each of his companions, one by one, while the heroes tried desperately to fend off his endless horde of undead minions.


    He had felt the yawning pit of darkness deep inside, and the lure of madness. The pull to escape his terror was relentless. He knew he would die, and judging by the unholy screams of his companions, that death ¨C if this could even be called living ¨C would be excruciating. And yet, his mind refused the allure of oblivion, clinging to consciousness by the bloodied fingertips of his shattered will.


    Unable to do anything else, he was forced to watch the heroes as they struggled. Seth was rooting for the heroes, but as Alexander Gray turned himself into a huge bone construct and unleashed his greatest magic yet, Seth gave up in despair. The necromancer was simply far too powerful. Waves of undead blight washed through him endlessly, but Alexander had done something before the fight and somehow, he was spared from the necrotic damage. But he could still feel its tendrils rooted deep within his flesh.


    Suddenly his chime sounded, and the black letters of the notification scrolled across his vision.


    Seth¡¯s blood ran cold.


    The dark text filled him with sudden dread. His most fitting natural class was the same as Alexander Gray¡¯s? Him, a necromancer? He would have screamed if he had control of his voice. Instead, his thoughts seemed to swirl like inky waters every bit as malign as the power he feared.


    Inside he chuckled at his fate, wondering idly if he was losing his grip on sanity. He would be saved from a fate worse than death ¨C by dying.


    Right on cue, a wave of necromantic power reached for him, claws dragged through his soul to rip and tear, pulling him inexorably, writhing from his own body. His mind shrieked for an eternity. His body spasmed, and he saw his perspective splitting into two as he began to separate.


    Suddenly, he found himself on the frozen ground, his soul snapping painfully back into place as he passed out briefly from pain. It was the sudden release of the compulsion collar that brought him back to his senses, and he looked up. The heroes were clustered around a huge pile of bone and a corpse.


    The corpse of Alexander Gray.


    With all his will he forced himself up and suddenly he was running ¨C shambling, stumbling ¨C as fast as his ruined body could manage, straight for the gates of the town, ignoring the agony of his blighted muscles, the heroes, the battle, the necromancer, and even the strangely icy wind on his back.


    ***


    Seth crawled down a dirty alleyway, his body finally having given out and unable to support him anymore. He was blighted, driven far beyond what his body could normally have endured by the cruelty of the compulsion collar. If he didn¡¯t find a healer soon, he was going to die.


    He had no idea how he might do that, but he needed to survive first. He crawled a little further and then suddenly froze at the sound of a voice behind him.


    ¡°Oh, look what we have here. Are you lost, boy?¡±


    Seth turned to look, but all he saw was the black truncheon descending and then the lights went out.


    Malika


    Malika strode into the guild hall, frustration and annoyance at the town council threatening to bubble over and disturb her mental calm. Bastian Asterford had delivered a rousing speech filled with particularly effusive gratitude for their efforts in saving the town, yet simultaneously coming across as slimy, manipulative, and insincere.


    He had caused the problem in the first place. If they had marshaled the garrison commander like they had for the Goblin siege, the fight could have been handled far more safely.


    It was a particular brand of wealthy entitlement that simply got under her skin. After all, his maneuver of declaring a state of emergency had been a political tool to prevent the other council members from getting involved ¨C and there could only be one reason for that. He had been plotting to sacrifice Ali before allowing Donella, Vivian, and Gerald to swoop in and save the day.


    ¡°Aah, Malika, how may I be of service?¡± Weldin greeted her as she stomped into the guild store. His unique brand of formality and propriety seemed to prevent him from calling attention to her mood, even though she knew how perceptive he was. For some reason, it seemed to ground her a little ¨C perhaps simply a reminder of the sanctuary of the few honest and reliable people in her life.


    Matching his mannerisms, she straightened up a little, anticipating the game they typically played. ¡°There was a bit of a disturbance out front, and I somehow found myself in possession of a few extra items, but I find they don¡¯t suit me. Perhaps you might find someone more appropriate for these?¡±


    She had been rather annoyed to discover the Death Knight had made off with Alexander Gray¡¯s corpse, but she had picked up a few decent weapons from some of the higher-level undead, and she enjoyed the excitement gleaming in Weldin¡¯s good eye. But before that, Alexander had actually dropped a few items she needed to dispose of.


    Weldin¡¯s excitement vanished the instant she produced the collars and dumped them on the countertop. They were ugly black devices made from cold iron and had been fastened around the necks of the hapless prisoners who had been victims of Alexander¡¯s necromantic sacrifice ritual.


    Compulsion Collar ¨C level 12


    -12 to level requirement


    Will Suppression


    Geas


    Requirements: None


    Quality: Uncommon


    Value: 25 gold


    Collar ¨C Head


    ¡°I cannot in good conscience buy those,¡± Weldin said, his face twisting in revulsion. His expression was firm, and Malika was a little surprised ¨C and encouraged ¨C by his conviction.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to sell something so evil,¡± she agreed. It wasn¡¯t that long ago that she had been subject to the Cuffs of Suppression. Devices like these that sapped freedom went against the core of who she was. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone ever using them again. I was hoping you could take them to the Novaspark Academy and find an enchanter to safely dismantle them. Perhaps we can split the salvage?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ that is reasonable,¡± Weldin answered, nodding. ¡°Twenty-five percent for the guild cut?¡±


    Malika nodded, agreeing easily. She didn¡¯t care about the money, just that she trusted Weldin to properly dispose of them.


    She pulled out the last item she had found in the pile of bones left behind when the necromancer¡¯s avatar had failed. A rather strange pendant with a glowing green crystal in the center. It had presumably been a large part of the reason Lirasia had been deceived.


    Amulet of Natural Deception ¨C level 52


    +36 Wisdom.


    Disguise.


    This amulet Identifies as an Amulet of Vitality when worn.


    Requirements: Intelligence 182


    Quality: Rare


    Value: 63 gold.


    Amulet ¨C Head


    ¡°That¡¯s quite remarkable,¡± Weldin said, examining the piece. ¡°But it is essentially a tool of deception. Are you sure you wish to sell it?¡±


    It was easily the most expensive item Malika had appraised and, while the gold would be quite welcome, she understood what Weldin was getting at. The only people who would be interested in this piece would likely be those who had reason to conceal the identity of their class. Like the necromancer ¨C or more relevant now; thieves, assassins, and the like. The pendant wasn¡¯t inherently evil like the collars, but even if someone reputable bought it, likely it would end up in the hands of those with devious intent.


    She pondered the problem for a while ¨C none of her friends would get any effective use out of it.


    The guild administrator had done a lot of covert espionage for them during the preparation for the town council trial, and it was abundantly clear that was her main job for the guild. While Malika still hadn¡¯t fully forgiven her, it did make sense ¨C especially considering the twisted devious criminal politics of Myrin¡¯s Keep. Mieriel was probably single-handedly responsible for keeping the guild in business and not beholden to Jax Hawkhurst, destroyed by Kieran Mori, or warped to some other influential person¡¯s agenda.


    ¡°How about¨C¡± Malika began and then coughed awkwardly, realizing she had almost blurted out Mieriel¡¯s secret. While Weldin was a trusted member of the guild, he probably didn¡¯t know yet ¨C Vivian had kept this secret from everyone, revealing it only when there was no other choice. ¡°¨C what about Vivian?¡± Malika finished, recovering from her stumble with an awkward glance at Weldin¡¯s raised eyebrow.


    ¡°The Guildmaster?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Malika said. ¡°Aah¡­ there could be jobs that require concealing someone¡¯s class. At least if Vivian controls it, we can trust it won¡¯t be put to nefarious use.¡±


    ¡°She might not want to pay what it¡¯s worth,¡± Weldin warned, turning the pendant over as he examined the craftsmanship.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind a steep discount if I know it will be used only for the guild, and not sold to some random criminals,¡± Malika answered.


    ¡°Very well, let me talk to the Guildmaster when she¡¯s free and see if she wants to purchase it on the guild¡¯s account,¡± Weldin said, storing the powerful but perhaps dangerous pendant. ¡°Would you like me to deposit your gold directly into your account?¡±


    ¡°That would be perfect,¡± she said, finishing up her deal and leaving Weldin to his new purchases.


    ¡°Malika.¡± The undercurrent of urgency in Vivian¡¯s voice interrupted her thoughts and she looked up sharply to find the Guildmaster¡¯s long stride crossing the carpeted guild hall bearing down on her with clear purpose. ¡°Not that I think anything bad is going to happen¡­ but Lyeneru Silverleaf left the council angry after Jax Hawkhurst told her Aliandra was a dungeon. I think you should check on your friend, just in case.¡±


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 132: The Legendary Pathfinder

    Chapter 132: The Legendary PathfinderLirasia ¡°Bye, tree lady!¡±


    ¡°Thank you for playing with us.¡±


    ¡°Bye, Miss Dryad.¡±


    Lira waved goodbye to the kids and retreated into the twisted and warped trunk of the unfamiliar playground eucalyptus tree, melding her body and mind with its heartwood. She offered it her gratitude for its sacrifice of branch and root and applied her mana to unwind and retract the roots and restore the branches to their natural expanse, and in return she received the quiet and calm of the tree, thankful for the return to tranquility and for the destruction of the hated undeath that had invaded its realm.


    Finding a more familiar accommodation, she teleported her awareness to an enormous oak tree in Aliandra¡¯s Forest Cavern, eager to return to her new home. The parents of the children she had saved had been grateful, but awestruck by her, and she had always been uncomfortable around that sort of reaction.


    The adults had told her the story, a breathless description of heroics out on the southern fields where the Necromancer had met his doom at the hands of Aliandra and her friends. So much had been taken from her, but she still had Aliandra. And Alexander Gray was dead. All she wanted to do now was rest.


    She teleported again, this time to the Elder Tree in the library, but the instant she returned to her domain, she sensed the intruder. Her new domain was small, but her trees were strong, and they were all raising the alarm, calling for her. She reached out with her senses through the domain and the trees, finding a restless energy on the prowl. A thing of claws and fangs.


    She gathered her will and teleported up into a tree in the cavern Aliandra had loaned her, following the trail of the intruder. As soon as she arrived, she sensed destruction. Plants had been uprooted, mushrooms dug up, and her trees had been clawed, bark and branches ripped to ribbons.


    She stepped out of the trunk of the tree, and into the path of the invader. It turned its head toward her, and she held its gaze. A shiver ran through its body as it stood there, sizing her up, but it was a monster. It shook its great head and with an earsplitting roar, it charged at her, mouth open wide, fangs gleaming in the dim light.


    he commanded, raising a hand, and releasing the hold on her aura. Her presence ¨C her mana ¨C surged outward, overwhelming the monstrous bear. It stumbled, crashing to the ground, with little whimpers and whines escaping its throat as it cowered trembling.


    The Dire Bear was a monster ¨C a high-level monster, at least for these parts. It probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to detect the mana of Ali¡¯s domain, but for the fact that she had created the Elder Tree right in the center of it. The mana density was appropriate for the hundreds of square kilometers of her old domain. But Aliandra was a dungeon, and the mana of a dungeon attracted all manner of dangerous things. With the Elder Tree entwined in her domain, Aliandra was emitting mana of a far greater density than might be commensurate for her level. This Dire Bear was but the first of what Lira feared might come for Aliandra¡¯s domain. Fortunately, this monster was a beast.


    ¡°¡± she said. The Dire Bear raised its head and looked at her with its glowing red eyes for a long moment before it bowed its head and approached slowly.


    ¡°She sensed the bear¡¯s emotions, its deep cunning and intelligence while it slowly calmed down under the influence of her powerful magic. It was not long before the monster reached out for her like a child, eager to please. Not every monster would choose her, but she was grateful for the fact that this one respected her. She had to remember she had nothing else now.


    She raised her hand and scratched it behind the ears. ¡°Good boy,¡± she said, feeling the remainder of its terror at her presence fading.


    But more importantly, she needed to warn Aliandra about the danger. Monsters would be coming now, drawn to the mana, and Aliandra wasn¡¯t nearly strong enough to deal with what might find her. After another long pause her lips curved into a small, tight smile.


    Suddenly she jerked her head up as a presence far more deadly than a Dire Bear brushed past the outer reaches of her domain.


    Aliandra


    Ali sat astride her freshly resummoned Forest Guardian as it splashed through the underground river channel into the forest cavern. The rough bark and shifting wood of its back drew her heart into a quiet sense of nostalgia and calm ¨C much needed after the stress of fighting Alexander Gray and the difficult revelations of the day. It smelled of oak and vines and creaked as it moved, just like she remembered from her childhood.


    She ducked to avoid a low part of the rocky tunnel roof before remembering she could simply bend the rock out of the way with her Domain Mastery skill. She had begged off meeting with the council when Vivian Ross had joined them on the battlefield, asking her friends to cover for her instead. They wanted to discuss the Torian forces still deployed to the north, but she was in no mood to deal with their selfish schemes and political plotting, especially after what they had just pulled. Her friends ¨C Malika especially ¨C had only relented once she had promised to resummon some minions for her protection.


    She trudged past the ethereal blue glow of her lake ¨C or rather her Forest Guardian did ¨C deep in thought. Her minions began to disperse, the Lux Drifters and Sparkling Oozes spreading out through the cavern, leaving her with just her Forest Guardian and her small pack of Kobolds.


    When she had walked out onto the battlefield all alone, she had not had any expectation of living through the fight. Her only goal was to save her friends and bloody the necromancer¡¯s nose. But the tenacious loyalty of her friends had turned the tables and left her with a deep upwelling of gratitude toward them. Malika, in particular, had been a devastating foil to the necromancer, enduring the potent aura of death magic with only her healing and Mato¡¯s Sanctuary, while she systematically obliterated his mana.


    But it was the sight of Malika sprinting down the outer walls of the battlements to join her on the field that had left an indelible mark on her heart. Things between them had been awkward and strained ever since the council trial, but Malika had not hesitated to come when Ali put herself in danger. Even just remembering it caused her eyes to well up with tears.


    She sniffed and wiped her eyes on the back of her sleeve and turned her focus to something practical. Idly she scrolled past the hundreds of notifications of undead kills before she found the final one.


    Alexander Gray had come, bringing a pestilence and an army of undead ¨C and he had had her name on his lips. Never in her worst nightmares had she imagined that the evil lich would be hunting for her personally. Yet here was a powerful necromancer who had wanted the town to deliver her so that he could offer her to his master ¨C for what terrible purpose, she could only imagine. She shuddered recalling the Blind Lich¡¯s words to her mother, and his sudden interest in her after discovering she had inherited her mother¡¯s mana.


    She frowned, pressing her lips into a line.


    She quickly dismissed the undead imprints even though she had an open chapter, knowing they were worthless for anything other than creating literal dead weight. Her mana could not animate them, and she was not particularly interested in studying them either. She spent fifteen points each on wisdom and intelligence, dropping the remaining ten into perception and then examined the next set of notifications.


    She studied her skill level increases carefully, but the growth was quite welcome. Especially welcome were the two levels in her Barrier skill, now that it was pulling double duty as her primary attack and defense skill. Every point she earned made the barriers a little stronger and a little sharper. Even the single skill point in Arcane Recall would dramatically improve her control over her arcane magic.


    Suddenly, her eyes widened.


    Empowered Summoner ¨C level 23


    Mana: Your minions gain added nature and arcane damage on hit. Choose up to two Minions. You gain 88.95%  of their highest base attribute. Range: 25.35 meters. Reserve: 10%


    0: Replace a minion target for your attribute enhancement. Recharge: 1 hour.


    Nature, Arcane, Minion, Buff, Intelligence


    Ali studied the unexpected advancement carefully. She had gone all in on her minions for the battle against Alexander Gray. The six Forest Guardians had been particularly expensive ¨C and she had brought her swarm of Lux Drifters too. That had been a gamble, but the glowing acid rain they secreted as they flew above the battlefield had proved remarkably effective against the sea of skeletons and zombies.


    Her minions already gained some additional nature damage with every hit. From her testing with Calen, they had determined that the formula was remarkably complex, but in general, it seemed to add damage proportional to the base hit, but many factors influenced it. This advancement would add arcane damage, which would presumably work similarly. The additional magic damage type would in theory be useful if she ever encountered enemies that were immune or highly resistant to some of her magic ¨C like the skeletons that ignored her wyvern¡¯s poison. With the range of her potent skill reaching twenty-four meters now, she had found it was getting far easier to keep all her minions enhanced.


    But it was the second attribute boost that caught her attention. Till now, she had had little reason to choose anything besides intelligence ¨C all her skills scaled with intelligence ¨C but this would allow her to enhance a second attribute. Wisdom seemed to be the most obvious choice, boosting her mana ¨C and therefore her number of minions ¨C but she could easily see a use for perception or vitality depending on the encounter or situation.


    , she thought. With an hour recharge on switching, it would probably take a while to figure out her best choice for her second minion. She just knew that would be the first thing Calen asked. She glanced speculatively at the Forest Guardian. It was plausible that the guardian¡¯s highest attribute could be wisdom, so she decided to try it out. She selected the huge elemental for her skill¡¯s target, and her strength attribute leapt from six to two hundred and thirty-four.


    She frowned. Her Guardians were monstrously powerful and in hindsight, it made sense that they would be strength-based creatures. She hopped off the Guardian, floating down to the ground near the remains of her flower garden, and immediately stopped, studying the strange sensation in her body and the dramatic change in her movement.


    She bent over and picked up a rock about the size of her head, her grip causing it to crack. On a whim, she tossed it, and even with her racial penalty to strength, it soared through the air, further than she would have thought possible before it fell somewhere among her distant trees.


    She would need to try a different minion in an hour when the recharge expired, but for now, strength seemed fun. She ran around for a while, picking up things: a boulder, a rotting tree trunk, and her Forest Guardian ¨C although that was so heavy she merely pushed herself into the ground.


    After exhausting her imagination, Ali¡¯s eyes finally settled on the ruined garden. Basil hadn¡¯t returned to the garden since the burning, with the sole exception being the busy day they had spent growing potatoes and wheat. She still had orchards of apple trees and fields of wheat and rice ¨C presumably, they would still be useful until the Torian armies were driven off and the blight was dealt with. Ali found that she missed the quiet, studious boy whose face always lit up when she asked him about obscure flowers or mushrooms. She just hoped he wasn¡¯t avoiding her because he feared her ¨C she didn¡¯t think so, but she knew he needed her domain to level his class.


    She had not had any particular purpose in mind when she returned to the cavern, simply seeking a little alone time after the chaos of the day, and now, with nothing better to do, she decided to clean up the garden. Ash and burnt wood succumbed to her Domain Mastery as she broke it up and returned it to the ground. Even with just a single skill level increase, she could feel the increased control she gained from her powerful mastery skill, Arcane Recall. The little flower garden had been the source of much joy, so she decided to expand it substantially. With a wave of her hand, she manifested her Grimoire and turned the glowing pages till she settled on the wildflower imprint.


    Her Forest Guardian rumbled at precisely the same time as an enormous surge of mana suddenly erupted from behind her. Ali spun around, skin prickling, to find the Night Elf Pathfinder, Lyeneru Silverleaf, glaring harshly at her along the shaft of a fiery arrow nocked to the bowstring of her great bow. Lightning tendrils arced from the bow and her hands, playing out along the ground by her feet.


    ¡°Give me one good reason why I shouldn¡¯t slay you right here, right now,¡± the Legendary Pathfinder snapped. The Night Elf¡¯s voice was cold and hard, and there was not even the slightest tremor in her bow.


    ¡°What¡­ Why?¡± Ali reeled from the sudden and unexpected threat.In the instant she summoned a domain-powered barrier between them, her Forest Guardian appeared beside her. Fire sprang from Kobold talons and a preemptive pulse of holy healing magic settled on her. But Ali stayed their attacks. Heat that dwarfed Thuli¡¯s forges rolled off the Night Elf in waves, and from the immense power of the mana she was holding condensed within her bow, Ali knew that the best of her defenses would amount to a spiderweb trying to block her Forest Guardian¡¯s charge. That bow had driven off a Death Knight ¨C the aura of lightning and fire was so intense she could feel her hair beginning to rise from almost twenty meters away.


    ¡°You are a dungeon,¡± Lyeneru said, speaking with unyielding cold certainty in her voice and the steadiness of her bow.


    With the specter of Nevyn Eld looming large over her, and the emotional impact of taking the field to meet Alexander Gray by herself, Ali was emotionally wrung out. The town council members, Necromancers in the service of Nevyn Eld, noble ice mages, and now, even a legendary Pathfinder.


    Even the rage that had burned white-hot within her when she faced Alexander Gray had mostly faded, but the remnants of the embers of rage still smoldered somewhere deep inside.


    Defiantly, she locked gazes with the Night Elf, choosing the formal speech of the High Elven courts. ¡°Has the vaunted culture of the Elves fallen so low in the past three thousand years that an Elf would break into someone¡¯s home and demand a reason not to slaughter them?¡±


    Lyeneru¡¯s face twitched, but her bow remained trained on Ali. ¡°Are you not the dungeon? The council informed me that it was you.¡±


    ¡°I am Aliandra Amariel, and I am the dungeon¡­¡±


    She activated Arcane Recall, pausing the flow of time. Ali struggled with it momentarily, but she was emotionally drained; she had nothing left to give. The Elf¡¯s arrow would shatter her barrier in an instant, and throwing rocks at her with her borrowed strength would probably be as effective as trying to attack the very mountain itself. she glanced once more at her ruined flower garden. Channeling all her remaining mana into her Grimoire, she filled the entire area with Mystic Bluebells.


    A futile act, no doubt, but to her surprise she found she didn¡¯t care. It was all that was left to her. This person had come into her home and threatened her for no reason, and she was tired of it all.


    Her spell completed, and the world returned to normal, with herself and Lyeneru standing in a field of beautiful blue flowers.


    ¡°¡­ and you¡¯re standing in my flower garden,¡± she finished aloud.


    Surprise disturbed Lyeneru¡¯s cold fa?ade and her smoldering eyes glanced down at the bluebells at her feet.


    Ali said, ¡°Now, I¡¯ve had an awful day facing the underlings of the Lich that killed my parents and destroyed my home, so I¡¯d appreciate it if you put your bow down.¡±


    The Elf just stared at her, but Ali refused to back down, an improbable staring match between a bug and the boot that would squash it.


    Dense emerald-green mana pulsed within the trunk of the nearest Lirasian Oak, and the wood and bark warped as Lira emerged to stand elegantly on the moss. ¡°Aliandra dear, I¡¯ve made a pot of tea,¡± Lira said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you and your new friend join me in the library?¡±


    The change in the Night Elf¡¯s demeanor was instant. Lyeneru gasped. The intense mana powering her bow vanished and the bow lowered as she bowed fluidly and deeply. ¡°Great Mother of the Deep Woods¡­¡±


    Gratitude, coupled with shame, washed through her weary body.


    ¡°Thank you, Aunt Lira, we¡¯ll join you in a minute,¡± Ali answered, ignoring the Elf for now. As usual, Lira¡¯s timing and perception were impeccable.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too long,¡± she replied. ¡°Ryn found a particularly aromatic Elvish green tea, it would be a shame to let it grow cold.¡± And nodding toward Lyeneru, she vanished back into the oak, leaving only an awkward silence in her wake.


    ¡°So¡­¡± Ali said. ¡°Would you like to get some tea with Lira and have a conversation like civilized people do? Or would you prefer to slay me?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you shame me.¡± Lyeneru¡¯s bow vanished and her magic guttered and went out. ¡°You answer my bow with flowers and offer me hospitality and reminders of a more civilized era. You have my sincere apologies. Let¡¯s talk, it seems we have much to discuss.¡±


    ***


    ¡°¡­ and this is the Grand Library Arcana,¡± Ali explained. Lyeneru, for all her initial violent intent, had flipped her demeanor entirely, becoming a paragon of politeness and civility. Her bow had not made a reappearance, and she instead peppered Ali with questions, betraying a powerful curiosity and a hunger for knowledge.


    Even though Lyeneru had not mentioned Lira even once since that first encounter, it was abundantly clear that she held the ancient Dryad in a kind of reverential awe. But on reflection, Ali was becoming more and more certain it was Lira¡¯s comfortable familial attitude towards her that had given Lyeneru pause. Knowing how sharp and perceptive Lira could be, Ali knew every word, even the cadence of each syllable, had been chosen with clear purpose.


    Ali had taken the scenic route to the library via the ventilation shaft, and Lyeneru¡¯s awe and excitement for the discovery of the ruins of the great city had echoed Calen¡¯s when they had first discovered it.


    Now, entering the Grand Library Arcana, Lyeneru¡¯s eyes began to shine with the white light of lightning mana as she studied the walls, the atrium, and the ruined bookcases. Bending down, she picked up a shattered shard of a bone spear and glanced at Ali.


    ¡°A Skeletal Wyvern had made its lair here. It was a raid boss with bone-affinity mana ¨C that spear was part of its breath weapon,¡± Ali explained, leading the Elf to the couches Ryn had purchased. Lira smiled at them as she arranged the porcelain cups and invited them to sit while she began to pour tea.


    ¡°How do you know the Great Mother?¡± Lyeneru asked, giving voice to her obviously burning curiosity. She bowed again to Lira before taking her seat.


    ¡°Aunt Lira has always been part of our family. She¡¯s the one who taught me my first cantrip when I was ten ¨C a spell to grow plants.¡± Ali answered, remembering her excitement the first time she had seen the plants growing from her own mana, and the notification chime when she had learned the skill.


    ¡°You were eight, dear,¡± Lira answered. ¡°Not even your mother was that precocious.¡±


    Her memories seemed clear enough, but they were more about how happy she had been, and Lira¡¯s gentle praise, than a precise calendar timeline.


    ¡°Would you mind telling me more about the dungeon? Was it you that cleared it?¡± Lyeneru asked, nodding respectfully to Lira as she accepted a cup of tea from the offered tray.


    ¡°Alas, I lack any combat skills,¡± Lira said, ¡°A choice I have had reason to rue of late. No, Aliandra and her friends are responsible for destroying the bone dungeon and liberating this place.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ali said, choosing a cup and smiling gratefully at Lira, happy to have her wisdom defuse the dangerous situation. Lira joined them on the couches, quietly sipping her tea.


    ¡°This is really good,¡± Lyeneru said, tasting the tea. Ryn had mentioned it was an expensive imported Elvish tea, but Ali didn¡¯t even have names for the delicate blend of herbs producing such an enticing aroma from her cup. Other than that, she agreed it was great.


    Ali inhaled the aromatic steam and sighed, some of her exhaustion and tension slipping away now that the threat seemed to be over. Then she said, ¡°When I awoke near the shrine, this entire area, including the ruins here, and the level below, was the domain of a bone- and death-affinity dungeon called the ¡®Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Death?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was mostly filled with Kobolds, wolves, undead, and bone elementals,¡± Ali explained.


    ¡°Bosses?¡± Lyeneru asked, her tone clipped and efficient ¨C like Ali imagined Commander Brand might be when asking for a report.


    ¡°There were three normal bosses,¡± she said, ¡°A Kobold Swordmaster with minions, a skeletal aberration with four arms,¡± she paused to swallow, saddened again by the death of Armand, ¡°and a Piercer Scorpion bone elemental. The two raid bosses were the Skeletal Wyvern in here, and then on the second level we had to defeat a twin boss ¨C caster and melee Wights.¡±


    ¡°And it was just the four of you that defeated it? Or did you have help?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Vivian Ross gave us excellent advice on strategy, but we defeated them on our own. The raid bosses were extremely challenging, and after the Wights, we had to take time to recover from the life drain.¡± She had been quite worried about her friends, even though she had not been afflicted by it.


    ¡°Did you find a shrine?¡± Lyeneru pressed.


    ¡°Yes, but Nevyn Eld teleported in and recovered it as soon as we defeated the Wights. Fortunately, we were able to hide, and he didn¡¯t see us.¡± They had been extremely lucky, and Ali could still remember the fear of seeing the Lich for a second time. If he had seen them, she knew for certain he would have killed them all without hesitation and they would have been powerless to stop him.


    ¡°Nevyn Eld?¡± Lyeneru exclaimed, sitting bolt upright in surprise. ¡°Are you certain it was him?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Ali answered. The Lich¡¯s presence was unmistakable ¨C burned into her memories like a searing brand. ¡°It is the second time I¡¯ve met him. The first was when he destroyed Dal¡¯mohra, turned the Council of Kings into his Death Knights, and killed my family.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ you were here when Dal¡¯mohra was destroyed?¡±


    ¡°She was. I haven¡¯t seen Aliandra for over three thousand years,¡± Lira said softly from her seat on the couch.


    ¡°He hunted us down, mother and me. He wanted her magic badly enough to destroy the whole city and all its people. He was quite happy killing her and forcing her to serve him as an undead slave. How could someone be so evil?¡± Ali could still clearly remember the arrogance in his voice, and the contempt for the council and the city who would not be turned to his side except through the horror of being bound as undead Death Knights. And how quickly his reason turned to madness and fury when her mother had defied his will.


    Ali fell silent with her memories. No longer was she driven to tears, but the sadness was still just as profound.


    ¡°Aliandra, the Elven Pathfinders Guild was formed many centuries ago, specifically to oppose his evil. We cannot allow another Breaking. Individually, we are nowhere near powerful enough to stand against him, but we study the movements of his underlings ¨C the so-called Shadow Council ¨C plan for their attacks, and try to divine his next target before it happens.¡±


    ¡°How is it that we were able to evade him?¡± Ali asked. She had been frozen in terror by the power of his aura at the time, but it was rather incredible that he had simply ignored them and taken the shrine.


    ¡°Our intelligence suggests that the Lich is, in fact, literally blind. He may possess a powerful omnidirectional mana sight skill which we believe is granted by the crimson blindfold he wears, but it has a limited range,¡± Lyeneru said. ¡°As you can imagine, details are sparse ¨C we only know this much due to decades of research by the Archmage, Nathaniel Sunstrider, studying eyewitness accounts and drawings.¡±


    ¡°Nevyn Eld was indeed blind even before he came to Dal¡¯mohra,¡± Lira said. ¡°It never impacted his ambition.¡±


    The Night Elf¡¯s eyes widened abruptly at her confirmation and then she said, ¡°You must realize that very few have even seen the Blind Lich, and fewer still have survived to talk about it. Anything you could tell me about him might save lives.¡±


    ¡°Before I help you,¡± Ali said, ¡°I need to know why you were so willing to kill me, without even knowing who I am.¡± Sitting down for tea was all good and well, but Lyeneru had still threatened her life ¨C and she would not forgive that easily, even though she knew there was nothing she could do to stand up against someone powerful enough to run off the ice Death Knight that had broken through the gates of Dal¡¯mohra and slain all the defenders.


    ¡°You are a dungeon,¡± she answered with a tone of finality. She presented the fact as if it automatically explained her actions without any question, but Ali did not understand.


    ¡°That is my class, yes. What have I done to offend you personally? Or are you just like those greedy townsfolk who want to assassinate me for the reward?¡± She had to know what made this person different from another Roderik or Alexander.


    Lyeneru sighed, as if saddened by Ali¡¯s accusation. ¡°A few centuries ago, Nevyn Eld learned how to enslave dungeons ¨C we do not know how he does it, but it is difficult to find a dungeon now that is not under his control. What we know for certain is that he uses rifts to shattered realms to feed his dungeons, and then the dungeons supply his armies. You are a dungeon ¨C I have been tracking that Death Knight for weeks now, and it led me right to you ¨C I naturally assumed you were one of his minions.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s quite right,¡± Ali answered, several pieces falling cleanly into place. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s enslavement.¡± Lyeneru¡¯s information raised far more questions in Ali¡¯s mind, however, her experience with Nevyn Eld¡¯s pet dungeon told a different story. Searching through the notifications shared by her friends, she found the relevant one and shared it with Lyeneru. ¡°This is the dungeon we defeated in the city ruins.¡±


    Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra ¨C level ??


    Affinity: Bone, Death.


    Age


    : Ancient.


    Known Creatures: Kobold, Undead Skeleton, Starving Wolf.


    Known Bosses: Aberrant Skeletal Warrior ¨C level 9.


    Dungeon


    ¡°You have a skill that can identify dungeons? That¡¯s a rare thing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Calen¡¯s skill. Notice the age is Ancient.¡± Ali was certain the age was approximately the same as hers, matching the name of her title.


    Ali got up and walked to the shelf where her fledgling collection of books was proudly displayed. She reached up and retrieved Nevyn Eld¡¯s book. ¡°I recovered this from the library ¨C the only book to survive intact. I¡¯m certain he wrote this before the fall of Dal¡¯mohra, and it shows he already possessed the mastery of dungeon magic even back then.¡±


    And for her final puzzle piece, she offered her the appraisal of the shrine.


    Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra


    Owner: Twin Wights.


    Teleportation Locus .


    Mana Siphon .


    Mana: Deconstruct an unresisting or inanimate target, imprinting its structure. Range: Domain.


    Mana: Summon an imprinted item or creature.


    Mana: Apply a Domain Enhancement.


    Mana: Recharge the shrine¡¯s mana reserve. 12,754/20,000


    Value: Soulbound


    Shrine ¨C Artifact


    ¡°Malika has Appraise and got this reading before Nevyn Eld arrived. As you can see it has his mana signature on it, proving that he  it. I¡¯ve also verified from his book that the skills offered to the owner of the shrine are the ones needed to qualify as a dungeon.¡± Ali pushed down the emotions that threatened to bubble up inside her ¨C learning this piece of information had been a traumatic experience.


    ¡°Are you implying that he creates dungeons?¡± Lyeneru seemed stunned, but she did not argue with Ali¡¯s reasoning.


    ¡°Yes, I believe so ¨C and I think he has been doing it for a lot longer than a couple of hundred years.¡±


    ***


    ¡°The council sends their thanks for taking care of Alexander Gray,¡± Malika announced as Ali¡¯s friends made their way down the stairs and joined them for tea.


    Ali had spent over an hour talking with Lyeneru, sharing all she knew about Nevyn Eld, from details as trivial as the color of his blindfold to her thoughts on his possible intentions for the land. One thing Lyeneru was at a loss to explain, was the Lich¡¯s goals. For a being of such godlike power, he seemed remarkably indifferent to the affairs of the world ¨C perhaps Lira¡¯s opinion was accurate: his sights were set on greater things most of the time.


    Lyeneru made ¡®tsk¡¯ of disapproval. ¡°The council here is a bunch of cowards. I can¡¯t believe they were content to sit back and hide behind novices that have not even passed level fifty yet.¡± Clearly, something had happened between them during the meeting and Lyeneru was displeased at best. Ali did not want to think about the worst. She crushed her irritation at the word ¡®novices¡¯. Yes, they had seen and achieved much, but in comparison to beings like Nevyn or his Death Knights, they were nowhere close to being able to stand in their presence, let alone fight.


    ¡°Politics, I believe,¡± Lira said. ¡°I¡¯m certain some on the council were trying to use the necromancer to take care of their dungeon problem, just like they probably hoped to use you for the same end.¡±


    ¡°Politics is the root of so much suffering,¡± Lyeneru replied. ¡°They say if you want to kill a hundred, use a fireball, but if you want to kill ten thousand, you need a politician.¡±


    ¡°That is true, child of the night,¡± Lira answered. ¡°But equally, an enlightened statesman or woman might save those ten thousand with naught more than skillful words.¡±


    Ali found it amusing that Lira referred to someone so obviously powerful as a ¡®child¡¯. And equally amused that the legendary Night Elf appeared to accept it without question.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think all of them are bad,¡± Ali said, her thoughts dwelling briefly upon the pillar of lightning magic that had manifested on the battlements, and the timely appearance of her friends ¨C at least someone on the council had been supporting her, and she had a pretty good idea who it might be.


    ¡°You might be right,¡± Lyeneru admitted, nodding respectfully to Lira. ¡°After they told me you were a dungeon, Vivian Ross told me you would not be what I thought you were. She¡¯s the only reason I didn¡¯t shoot you on sight.¡±


    ¡°The Guildmaster was the one that pointed us toward your battle,¡± Calen observed, indicating himself and Mato with a quick gesture.


    ¡°Same,¡± Malika added, a little grudgingly.


    Ali wasn¡¯t quite certain what to think. Vivian was something of an enigma to her and she wasn¡¯t quite certain yet that she could trust her. To say nothing of the Gnomish lightning mage, Donella Novaspark.


    ¡°Aliandra, I want to thank you for your insights and observations. I must track down that Death Knight before it reports your location to Nevyn Eld. After that, I must return to Ciradyl to give my report to the Pathfinder guild. As a thanks, I would like to offer some advice, if you would hear it?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯d like to hear anything you think can help.¡±


    Lyeneru paused, and put down her teacup, clearly weighing something complicated in her mind. ¡°You¡¯re a terrible dungeon.¡± She delivered it with such a matter-of-fact tone that Ali was left stunned for a moment. She didn¡¯t know what she had expected, but an insult was definitely not on her list.


    Ali opened her mouth to speak.


    ¡°No, just listen,¡± she continued, cutting Ali off brusquely. Shaking her head, she muttered, ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m giving advice to a dungeon.¡±


    Ali glanced at her friends, but they seemed just as surprised as she was.


    Turning her attention back to Ali, Lyeneru took a deep breath and continued. ¡°That¡¯s not quite accurate. You¡¯re the worst dungeon I have ever seen. And I¡¯ve seen a lot of them.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were offering advice,¡± Ali said, losing her patience a little with her sudden rudeness.


    ¡°You misunderstand. You¡¯re an extraordinary adventurer ¨C you and your friends defeated Alexander Gray ¨C a necromancer, summoner, and blight spreader,¡± Lyeneru said. ¡°He was a ranking member of the Lich¡¯s cult, the Shadow Council. You all have done the world a great service and achieved something that was probably an impossible task for most gold-ranked groups. But you¡¯re a dungeon, not an adventurer, and your thinking is making you weak.¡±


    Malika snorted quietly in the background. ¡°You don¡¯t say.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Tell me, Aliandra, why would you face him out on an open field if you¡¯re so much stronger down here?¡±


    Ali opened her mouth to speak but found she had no answer. It was true, her barriers were substantially more potent when she used her domain. It had simply not occurred to her.


    ¡°Aah, hmm,¡± Calen murmured.


    ¡°As for your dungeon, you have no monsters to defend you. Normal dungeons make traps and have monsters for a reason. You have flowers. And trees. They cannot defend you.¡± Lyeneru nodded again toward Lira and glanced at Mato. ¡°No offense intended to the trees.¡±


    Mato made a simple assenting gesture.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ali asked. ¡°I had my Kobolds and Forest Guardians.¡±


    Lyeneru raised a skeptical eyebrow. ¡°Kobolds? Seriously? When I found you, I was able to sneak up on you with the most basic stealth,¡± she said, continuing her brutal evisceration of Ali¡¯s dungeon. ¡°I could have Ambushed you and you would have died never knowing what hit you. I see your books, and I respect your reasoning. You seem smart. But you¡¯re severely lacking in experience and basic survival instincts.¡±


    Calen was nodding along, but he stopped, blushing furiously when Ali glared at him.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see stealth,¡± Ali managed. She had tried for hours to solve this problem, to no avail. She had even enlisted Calen¡¯s help, but the light affinity of his magic¡¯s runic structure had been an insurmountable barrier.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I mean, dungeons don¡¯t think like that,¡± Lyeneru said, her voice warming with what Ali took for frustration or outright anger. ¡°You have monsters, they can see stealth. I saw you have some slimes and oozes ¨C not the smartest monster out there ¨C but almost all of them have Tremor Sense. They are the bane of Rogues and other stealth classes. You must learn to use what you have. I¡¯ve spent a lifetime understanding the layers of complex defenses powerful dungeons have at their disposal. You have nothing.¡±


    Ali sat back, stunned. She clearly remembered one of her Starving Wolves flushing a stealthed rogue, presumably because it could smell the invisible Kobold.


    ¡°You seem to like books,¡± Lyeneru said, dryly now, gesturing with her eyes to the modest bookshelf. ¡°I wrote one, get it and read it. It contains detailed accounts of many important dungeon dives, listing the lessons learned. It¡¯s intended to teach delvers and adventurers to overcome them safely, but you should study it to learn what you don¡¯t know about being a dungeon.¡±


    Calen retrieved his precious book, and silently handed it to her.


    Lyeneru glanced curiously at Calen and inclined her head before continuing. ¡°As a dungeon, you will face many challenges. Monsters will be attracted to your mana. People will try to kill you for wealth and fame, or simply out of fear. Then there are the most dangerous of all ¨C those like me who think they are doing the world a service by ridding it of a dangerous menace. If you want to be treated as a person, first you need to learn how to survive because few will stop to smell the flowers and join you for tea.¡± S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Thank you for your advice,¡± Ali said, finally finding a few words. She swallowed, still reeling from the brutal assessment of her incompetence as a dungeon. The fact that she had been complimented on her skill at defeating Alexander Gray paled into insignificance as she realized just how weak she must seem to an experienced dungeon delver like her.


    ¡°Now, I must depart before that Death Knight eludes me. Thank you, Aliandra, for the information.¡± She turned to Lira and bowed. ¡°Great Mother, thank you for the tea and your generous hospitality.¡± And with that, she turned on her heel and strode off.


    As she left, Calen shifted awkwardly, as if he wanted to say something, but lacked the courage to do so.


    ¡°Stop thinking and just do it,¡± Mato said cryptically.


    Ali glanced from him to the retreating form of Lyeneru and suddenly she understood. Calen was in the presence of his childhood idol. And he hadn¡¯t been able to say anything. ¡°Go ask her, Calen,¡± she said. If nothing else, she knew the importance of reaching for your dreams.


    Calen leapt to his feet as if he were scared that he would change his mind if he waited for even a second ¨C which might have been literally true ¨C and chased after her. ¡°Lyeneru¡­ uh, Miss Silverleaf¡­¡± he began, stumbling over his words.


    She stopped and regarded him silently.


    ¡°How¡­ can I become a Pathfinder?¡± he stammered, looking like it had cost him his entire willpower and then some just to get the question out.


    ¡°I do not have time for a formal trial. I have a critical report to deliver, and a Death Knight to hunt,¡± Lyeneru said, beginning to turn away.


    Calen¡¯s face fell, disappointment written on it clear as day.


    She paused for a moment and asked, ¡°Do you have any tracking abilities?¡±


    Calen¡¯s mana flared quickly in a complex formation before he replied, ¡°The Death Knight is that way, moving east.¡± He pointed directly south, indicating an easterly direction with a gesture.


    Lyeneru raised her eyebrow. ¡°How long can you keep tracking it?¡±


    ¡°As long as I check in on it at least once a day, I think it¡¯s indefinite. It doesn¡¯t take a lot of mana either.¡±


    ¡°Very well, you will join me on this hunt. You will obey my orders exactly without question or hesitation. This is the only way you don¡¯t die. Understand that this Death Knight is an evolved monster that is far beyond your capabilities. We can discuss Pathfinder guild requirements afterward.¡± She turned to leave again, clearly expecting Calen to follow.


    He turned back and waved to them with an enormous grin on his face.


    Ali¡¯s gaze connected with Mato and Malika.


    As soon as they were gone, Malika began filling Ali in on what the council had said, while Mato began to bustle about preparing dinner ¨C seeming a little quieter than usual.


    ¡°Bastian was ready to arrest Vivian and Donella for disobeying the law, but Lyeneru yelled at them for forcing us to face Alexander Gray without assistance,¡± Malika said, giving a colorful description of some of the altercations that had occurred. ¡°It was Jax Hawkhurst that sent her chasing after the dungeon. Conniving bastard.¡±


    For her part, Ali filled them in on what Lyeneru had told her, and then after dinner, she decided to get a head start on the feedback she had been given. She summoned a Luminous Slime and split her awareness between her own senses and those of the monster. She sat while her mind rebelled against the strange, alien senses, trying to get used to the bizarre sensation of ¡®seeing¡¯ the vibrations Mato was making as he moved around. She kept her own vision, trying to correlate what she was seeing with her eyes and what the slime could perceive. After a few minutes, she began to get the hang of it.


    She resolved to keep her unusual perception skill active until she truly mastered it. She picked up Calen¡¯s favorite book and began to read, hungry for ideas to become stronger.


    ***


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 133: Bloodline

    Chapter 133: Bloodline- Kamari Ren, Ahn Khen Elder, legendary master and inheritor of the Ninefold Way: Fists of Coherent Integrity.


    Mato


    Mato caught himself staring at the now-empty spiral staircase ascending out of the library and the darkness into which his friend had just disappeared. With a start, he collected himself and returned his attention to his cookfire and the thick beef stew he was supposed to be stirring.


    Calen had finally reached for his dreams, but now he was gone, and Mato would not be there to protect him as he had always done. It left him feeling strangely hollow inside.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be ok,¡± Ali said, as if reading his thoughts. ¡°He¡¯s careful, and Lyeneru is strong.¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± he said, ladling a generous helping from the pot into a bowl and handing it to her. ¡°But that was a Death Knight,¡± he said. By all accounts, Lyeneru Silverleaf was one of the most powerful Pathfinders in recent history, but even with her immense bow, she had only been able to drive the Death Knight off. She hadn¡¯t killed it. Their hunt would be extremely dangerous, and Calen was not even level forty yet.


    He shook his head and sighed, trying to dislodge the difficult thoughts. He would not be able to help, and the most he could do was wish his friend a good hunt.


    ¡°It seemed that Lyeneru was more interested in Calen¡¯s tracking skills than throwing him into battle against that monster,¡± Malika observed, accepting the second bowl of stew and inhaling the aroma with obvious relish.


    ¡°Thanks, guys,¡± Mato said. Their efforts to make him feel better had eased some of his anxiety.


    ¡°Yum, you¡¯ve outdone yourself today,¡± Ali said, as she rapidly spooned dinner into her mouth.


    ¡°How do you fit so much food into such a tiny body?¡± Mato grinned.


    ¡°Oi!¡± Ali exclaimed, but her words were muffled around a mouth full of food, coming out as a half splutter. She swallowed and then said, ¡°You guys both hit level forty, did you unlock anything good?¡±


    ¡°Um, let me check,¡± Mato muttered. In the excitement following the death of Alexander Gray, the arrival of the Death Knight, Lyeneru¡¯s dramatic entrance, the council nonsense, and the continuing mop-up operation against the remainder of the undead horde, he had totally forgotten about the notifications and his class growth. Sitting with a warm bowl on his lap, he finally directed his attention inward to inspect his growth.


    ¡°Forty-three.¡±


    ¡°Great work,¡± Ali chirped excitedly.


    ¡°Nice. What else?¡± Malika demanded.


    ¡°Well, I got a lot of points for my passive skills and Arboreal Sanctuary,¡± he said, working his way through the skill notifications.


    ¡°That makes sense, you were a tree for most of the fight, and you were shouldering about three-quarters of my damage the whole time,¡± Malika pointed out. ¡°Your Tree Form is interesting ¨C you share a ton of health and mana regeneration, but I noticed you lose the stamina regeneration entirely.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any stamina or endurance as a tree,¡± he replied, trying to bite down on his annoyance as Malika predictably pointed out his weaknesses. ¡°But can¡¯t you turn the extra mana regeneration into stamina?¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± she answered. ¡°But¡­ I lose about twenty-five percent in the transfer, and I miss those fights when you¡¯re getting hit a lot and your Battle Trance is shared.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think of that.¡±


    ¡°It was the smartest choice,¡± Ali chipped in. ¡°That Blight aura was insane. Did you see how fast it wiped out my Forest Guardians?¡±


    ¡°Good point,¡± Malika nodded.


    She was right, his new Tree Form had been the perfect choice for the fight ¨C much as he hated not being able to hit anything, neutralizing the Blight aura was the most critical role he could play, and he had earned four levels for literally standing atop his own roots. The only other thing he had done was to siphon a large portion of the damage Malika had been tanking to himself, soaking it all against his greatly increased vitality as a tree.


    ¡°I like my Tree Form,¡± he decided aloud. It was truly an extraordinary skill, but learning to use it was going to require him to figure out some strategic subtlety. He glanced at Lira sitting quietly by the fire to find her smiling softly.


    In the corner of his eye, he saw Malika¡¯s hand wave. ¡°Anything else? Come on, you know I¡¯ve the patience of a hungry squirrel.¡±


    Chuckling in appreciation, Mato shifted his attention back to his notifications and the image of his inner tree. He spent twelve points on vitality, and then thirteen on endurance. While his Tree Form did not have endurance, it wasn¡¯t like the points were wasted ¨C they would be shifted to count as wisdom in the transformation. Seven points went to strength, five for wisdom, two for perception, and his last point went to boosting intelligence.


    At once, a new notification impinged on his awareness.


    Biting the inside of his lip, Mato read on.


    Last Stand


    Last Stand is triggered automatically when your health drops below 5%.


    Stamina: Gain +  % armor and +  % additional temporary maximum health. Duration: 30 seconds. Recharge: 15 minutes.


    Physical, Defense, Endurance, Vitality


    Rampant Growth


    You are one with nature, understanding the subtle balance of ecosystems and what disrupts it. You can pass freely through dense growth.


    Mana: Cause rampant growth in any plant you or your mana touches. Simply grow plants faster, or use them to slow, impede or even damage your enemies.


    Nature, Plant, Area, Wisdom


    Beast Tamer


    Mana: Tame a beast to use as a companion. Both parties must remain willing.


    Nature, Minion, Wisdom


    Mato quickly shared the new choices he had with his friends, scanning them to get a sense for his preference.


    ¡°You survived a fight with less than five percent life remaining?¡± Lira asked, raising an eyebrow. She didn¡¯t say any more, but Mato could hear the implication loud and clear. He had heard it all his life; ¡°you¡¯re too reckless¡±, or ¡°be more careful¡±. But it stung a little coming from his new mentor.


    ¡°Um, that would be when Ali and I fell into the ruins and the Kobold Fire Mage almost finished us off,¡± he answered. It was not his finest moment, losing control to his old Primal Rage and nearly killing Ali. He knew it had been close, and he would never have lived if it wasn¡¯t for Ali¡¯s incredible efforts to save them both, but it was quite another thing to see just how close it had been, written plainly in a skill unlock requirement for everyone to see.


    Lira nodded. ¡°Sounds like that was a tough battle. Maybe we can talk about it another time?¡±


    ¡°Er, sure.¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking you¡¯ll take?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Beast Tamer is my style,¡± he said, shifting his attention back to the subject at hand. ¡°But the other two look good.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re such a beast,¡± Ali quipped, and it was only when Malika chuckled that he realized she was teasing. He shifted uncomfortably, surprised at how sensitive he was being.


    ¡°Three beast forms?¡± Malika asked. ¡°Your tree isn¡¯t a beast¡­¡±


    ¡°I think it must be counting his Beastkin form,¡± Ali said. ¡°You know, !¡±


    ¡°Oh, maybe,¡± Mato allowed. He wasn¡¯t going to pick Beast Tamer anyway, but he was struggling to choose between the other two. ¡°Last Stand looks great for tanking, but Rampant Growth looks like the best choice for balance, I¡¯m not sure how to decide,¡± he said. There was also the fact that Rampant Growth was a direct result of his taking Lira¡¯s mentorship and melding with the giant tree, which meant it was likely a much stronger offering than average.


    he thought, suddenly missing his friend¡¯s clear logical reasoning and wealth of knowledge related to skills.


    ¡°I can see the case for Last Stand,¡± Malika said, ¡°but why do you want Rampant Growth? With Ali¡¯s Guardians, we don¡¯t really need extra control skills.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have stamina or strength in Tree Form, so most of my active skills don¡¯t work,¡± he answered. He had needed his Tree Form to push back the blight, but while the fight raged on around him, he had found he had little he could actually do, other than siphon damage intended for his friends. The form had incredible potential with the versatility of his greatly expanded Sanctuary aura and the ability to still tank damage for his friends, not to mention the enormous boost to health and mana regeneration. ¡°Rampant Growth is a mana skill, so I would be able to attack with it while in Tree Form.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hmm, that¡¯s a good point,¡± Ali said, her brow furrowing in thought.


    ¡°What do you think, Lira?¡± Mato asked. It was she who had recommended a more balanced approach, and this seemed to be a direct choice between balance and specialization in tanking.


    ¡°I would suggest Last Stand,¡± Lira said, much to Mato¡¯s surprise.


    ¡°Not Rampant Growth?¡±


    ¡°Rampant Growth is a powerful skill, and I highly recommend it. It was the root and foundation of my Plant Mastery, Tree Meld, and Tree Passage skills when I was still a sapling,¡± Lira said. ¡°But you are a tank, and your responsibility is wider than just yourself ¨C if you die, it is not just your potential that ends, but that of your friends as well.¡±


    Her advice seemed sound, though. He would never be able to live with himself if he didn¡¯t do all in his power to protect his friends.


    ¡°Hey Mato, do you ever see yourself in a primary damage role?¡± Malika asked suddenly, interrupting his thoughts.


    ¡°Not really, why?¡± he asked, only moderately surprised now that he didn¡¯t mind not being the one to do the most damage anymore.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve taken to tanking and the bear, and you seem to be interested in developing the Tree Form, especially with Lira¡¯s mentorship ¨C which, by the way, I think is an excellent choice,¡± Malika observed. ¡°But don¡¯t you have a skill for Wolf Form that you seldom use?¡±


    ¡°I sometimes use that for tracking.¡± He liked the scent perception, tracking, and pack-fighting bonuses.


    ¡°We normally have Calen for tracking, and Ali has wolves. Besides, the wolf is primarily a dexterity-based damage form, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯re really not invested in the attributes to make the best use of it. When was the last time you used it?¡±


    ¡°When we were tracking Ali and Lira,¡± he answered easily, but he could see what Malika was getting at. ¡°Before that, it was tracking you and Calen in the forest.¡± And that had been before the Goblins had laid siege to the town and they hadn¡¯t even reached bronze yet.


    ¡°Are you suggesting he switch out of Wolf Form and instead take both Last Stand and Rampant Growth?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Malika said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem to make the most sense?¡±


    A brief silence pooled between the companions. Glancing over at Malika, he saw a brief interaction between her and Lira ¨C perhaps the Dryad felt she had underestimated her, and Malika sensed it? Malika¡¯s expression of chin-jutting defiance, every inch the Street Rat, faded before Lira¡¯s wise, knowing smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I really like that idea,¡± he agreed, feeling a sudden rush of excitement. He could take the survival skill and still grow in the balanced way Lira had recommended. There didn¡¯t even seem to be a downside; he would lose his Wolf Form and the unique skills it came with, but he could still talk to beasts, and now plants, so he could still supplement Calen¡¯s tracking. Wolf Form was still only level four, so if he changed his mind, it wouldn¡¯t take long to recover the lost skill levels.


    He sought Lira¡¯s eyes to confirm.


    ¡°You are wise to listen to the counsel of your friends,¡± she said, and with that, his mind was made up. Mato triggered the changes.


    He studied the message for a moment, but his mind was made up: he accepted the switch.


    A chorus of notifications chimed in the background as the glowing green text flickered along the trunk of the tree in his mind. Noting the last one, an unexpected side effect, he pulled up the description for Natural Prowess.


    Natural Prowess ¨C level 19


    Attributes most appropriate to your form are increased by +67.3%


    Mana: Wisdom, Intelligence, and Perception are increased. Beastkin, Reserve: 20%


    Stamina: Endurance, Vitality, and Strength are increased. Bear Form, Reserve: 20%


    Mana: All attributes are increased. Tree Form, Reserve: 20%


    Nature, Buff, Wisdom


    he thought. Natural Prowess seemed to be a modal skill ¨C applying uniquely in each shapeshifted form ¨C and losing Wolf Form had caused the skill to adjust accordingly.


    ¡°Good,¡± he said aloud. ¡°Anyone still hungry? I¡¯m eating like a tree, now.¡±


    ***


    Malika


    ¡°What about you, Malika?¡± Ali prompted. ¡°Congrats, by the way, you earned the most levels of all of us.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she answered, smiling with happiness that momentarily startled her. Alexander Gray had been an extremely dangerous foe, a necromancer, summoner, and he had had more than thirty levels on them. she corrected. Ali was higher leveled. Honestly, she had worried they wouldn¡¯t be able to do it, even with all four of them against him and his summoned army. But she had been elated with how well her skills had stacked up against him.


    she reminded herself. But she couldn¡¯t deny that using her Soul Strike to attack his mana, combined with the hasted attack speed from Divine Step, had proved the perfect counter to the necromancer and his abilities.


    ¡°Good work,¡± Mato said, ¡°You really kicked his ass.¡±


    ¡°Only because you make a good healer, Mr. Tree,¡± Malika grinned. Standing within the blight aura had been excruciating, but with the combination of Ali¡¯s Acolytes, her own continuous healing, her substantial investment in endurance, and Mato¡¯s aura destroying the blight and siphoning the lion¡¯s share of her damage, she had been able to endure it.


    ¡°And you make a good tank,¡± Mato said.


    She reflected proudly on how far she had come with her class, grateful to have had the perfect opportunity to redirect her fate. She was still upset with the council and how they had cowered behind their rules instead of helping, and it rankled to see Jax Hawkhurst among them, showing his face as if his criminal activity were of no consequence, but that was a fight for another day. Maybe a day when she was stronger¡­


    There was that old feeling. Odd how abruptly she could become that girl again, being beaten up by common street thugs. Angrily, Malika thrust those feelings into the back of her mind, wishing nothing more than to crush them.


    ¡°Let me see,¡± she answered, looking inward to find dozens of dense lines of blue-white text waiting for her.


    Ali had been right; she had earned five levels for the fight. Either she had been close to leveling, or she had had a greater impact on the fight than the others.  Sometimes it went like that, and at other times the pendulum would swing the other way, she was certain. She decided to not dwell on it much, other than to be happy she was progressing well.


    Always, her attribute allocation left her wishing she had more to work with. she thought. After a few quick calculations, she spent nineteen points on dexterity, immediately feeling a new lightness suffusing through her muscles. Then, she added seventeen points to wisdom. Given her need to tank pain and damage in the last fight, she split the remainder between vitality and endurance, spending seven on each. As soon as she applied her new attribute points, her notification chime sounded.


    Spirit Javelin


    Stamina: Project your energy forward, piercing through everything in its path. Range: 20 feet.


    Soul, Ranged, Dexterity


    Flurry of Blows


    Stamina: The soul unlocks possible paths. Your punch is followed by  additional hasted punches. Recharge: 30 seconds.


    Physical, Melee, Haste, Dexterity


    Soul Sight


    You can see the flow of energy (stamina) all around you. You can sense hostile intent. You can anticipate the physical movement and attacks of your opponents. Range: 30 feet.


    Soul, Bloodline, Perception, Wisdom


    Malika gasped. ¡°I got a second bloodline skill!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that was rare?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Very rare,¡± Lira put in.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Breathlessly, Malika shared the details with them.


    ¡°That¡¯s an easy choice,¡± Mato said. ¡°Soul Sight looks amazing.¡±


    ¡°I agree, congrats Malika!¡± Ali said.


    ¡°It¡¯s one of the best starting combat perception skills in the Ahn Khen bloodline!¡± Malika said. She could scarcely believe it, but the text did not vanish as she studied it.


    ¡°Maybe with a perception skill you won¡¯t run into walls in the dark?¡± Mato suggested, hiding a grin.


    ¡°Oi!¡± Malika retorted, but his joking did nothing to quell the bubbling excitement within her. Wasting no more time, Malika selected Soul Sight for her last skill slot, barely even glancing at the other two choices. As she added the skill, a not-quite-painful prickling sensation ran down her spine, grabbing her attention and making her heart quicken, but the sensation quickly passed.


    ¡°Mato, you use stamina, can you do something?¡± she asked, turning to look at him.


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said, making his body twist and warp into his Bear Form.


    Instantly, the entire world lurched, and an intense stabbing pain shot through her brain, lancing all the way down her spine. She staggered as her vision flickered and flashed with an angry roiling vortex of shimmering colors and she saw the stone of the ground right before everything went black. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ***


    ¡°Malika! Are you ok?¡±


    She heard her name being called repeatedly and felt the gentle warmth of holy magic healing her. She groaned as her vision shuddered and she opened her eyes.


    She put her hand up to her head where it was still throbbing. She felt several sharp jolts of pain as soon as she touched her head, and her hand came away with a little blood.


    ¡°You just passed out.¡±


    Ali, Mato, and Lira were all looking down on her with extremely concerned expressions.


    ¡°You hit your head on the stone floor and cut it.¡±


    ¡°I just added the skill,¡± she said, leaning gingerly on Mato as she got up. She hissed in pain as another jolt of pain stabbed behind her eye. She looked around and hovering in her vision were several areas of warped shimmering haloes that followed her gaze around, leaving her severely disoriented and quite nauseous.


    ¡°I had a perception skill that was way too intense when I first got it,¡± Ali said. ¡°I don¡¯t think it was quite as painful as yours, but it did take some getting used to.¡±


    ¡°I have the worst migraine, I think I want to lie down,¡± she said. It was quite the understatement, she had never experienced pain similar to this ¨C and for some reason, her endurance didn¡¯t seem to be helping much.


    Mato helped her over to a couch where she lay down and accepted a cup of tea from Ali¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll just rest for a bit,¡± she said, taking in her friends¡¯ concerned faces.


    ¡°I¡¯ll watch over you,¡± Mato declared at once.


    The last thing she remembered was Lira¡¯s artfully arched eyebrow and Mato turning a quite marvelous shade of pink.


    Rezan Jin


    Rezan sat in lotus pose on his favorite stone slab, wearing nothing more than his loincloth, gazing out over the raging waterfall as he had countless times over the years. This was his favorite meditation spot, the brisk, icy mountain air felt refreshing on his dark and weathered skin. Back at the head of the trail, his two disciples, Hala and Basir, struggled to keep their fire going, bundled up in their furs trying to ward off the snow and ice.


    He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing, and slowly opened himself to his Eyes of the Soul, the skill honed and passed down through his bloodline for countless generations. His mind soared up above the rock like a Snow Zephyr taking to the skies, and he saw himself suddenly far below as an intensely glowing kernel of yellow light. As he rose above the waterfall, his two disciples flickered into view. Smaller, but shining steadily; an intense white for Hala, and an obsidian gleam from Basir.


    His awareness continued to rise, soaring high above the land. Much of it was so barren and empty now, where once the children of Ahn Khen lit his sight like the constellations of the night skies.


    He lingered, taking in the view of his small village, Kezda ¨C as he always did ¨C nestled at the foot of the mountain; a bright jewel filled with the many flickering lights of the awakened souls that lived there. Some shone steady blue, some raging red, and some flickered gently in the darkness. He knew each by name. Most of them, he had watched growing up.


    He continued to soar above the clouds, watching the tiny lights sparkle and flicker across the ancestral lands.


    He slowed his breathing once again and relaxed as he spread his awareness out. He sat for several hours, just being aware while the scant light of the day slowly faded.


    Suddenly, a light flickered far to the west. A tiny, blue-white nova shone at the edge of his awareness, which despite his many decades of meditation, still snatched his attention, causing curiosity to flare intensely within his heart.


    He shifted, his viewpoint crossing hundreds of miles in an instant.


    The light flickered and dimmed dramatically.


    Rezan sighed. He had seen it so many times before. When people touched their souls during their dreams, sometimes they would flicker briefly and return to normal.


    He suppressed the pang of disappointment as the light dimmed and faded. he chided himself. Beginning to withdraw his attention, the pale blue-white flame flared out once more and then steadied, pulsing slowly in the darkness. A tiny delicate thing, and yet cool and calm.


    His breath caught in his throat. Though he watched the light for a while, it remained, stubbornly refusing to go out.


    Suddenly, the light flared, but shot through this time with sparks of angry red that threatened the integrity of the soul. Bravely, it tried to restore itself, but the fundamental instability of the red light had crossed its core and was beginning to tear the fragile thing apart.


    For the first time in decades, the tranquility of his meditation shattered, and his eyes snapped open. Leaping to his feet, he rushed back to his disciples¡¯ camp. They both looked up in surprise at his uncommonly short meditation.


    ¡°A soul has reached the threshold and is struggling to awaken,¡± he announced. ¡°We have work to do.¡± He strode through the camp, leaving a trail of shock and scrambling in his wake as his disciples processed his words.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 134: Hunter

    Chapter 134: HunterCalen Calen¡¯s heart raced as he sprinted after Lyeneru, weaving between the trees dotted around the dark cavern above the library. He was fast compared to his friends, but the Night Elf effortlessly traversed the cool forest pathways outpacing him with such ease that he knew she was holding back for his benefit.


    He had dreamed of meeting her so many times that he scarcely believed she was real. Yet, there she was, the living legend, in the flesh. The power she emitted was palpable; it made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Even in the simple act of running, she looked deadly.


    They darted out of the cavern through the narrow passage leading into the mountains high up above Myrin¡¯s Keep to the north; coincidentally, the same passage Calen had used to reach Lirasia and save her from the spectral wolves.


    Emerging into the brisk mountain air of the box canyon, Calen leaned over, grasping his knees to catch his breath.


    ¡°Do you have a flight skill?¡± Lyeneru asked, her eyes scanning the mountains and trees in the distance.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered, quickly summoning his ethereal Azrael¡¯s Wings.


    ¡°Good,¡± she said brusquely. ¡°Try to keep up. Keep an eye on that Death Knight¡¯s location and let me know when it moves.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡±


    Heat rolled off her as large wings of fire, laced with lightning sprang from her back and she took off at high speed.


    he thought, launching himself into the air after her. Calen¡¯s worries only grew as he pushed his flight speed to its limit, trying in vain to catch up.   he thought, berating himself for his lax discipline applied to training his skills.  As they hurtled southward, he downed a mana potion and focused his attention on sorting through his notifications from the battle with Alexander Gray, more as a way to distract himself than anything.


    And with his notifications, came a flood of further disappointment.  Even Ali and Mato had both earned four in the fight against the necromancer; he had come in last with only three levels. Grimacing, he dumped eight points each into dexterity, perception, and intelligence, experiencing a distinct increase in his flight speed as his attributes improved. He divided the remainder, placing two points each into vitality, endurance, and wisdom.


    He could do enormous amounts of damage with his bow and his enchantments ¨C especially when he used Righteous Fury ¨C but he was always short on mana, and that limited his sustained damage over a long fight. As if on cue, he felt his mana sputtering and quickly spiraled downward to alight in a rocky clearing. It would do Lyeneru no good to have him crater because he ran out of mana in midair. Even his Azrael¡¯s Wings skill consumed mana faster than he could regenerate it despite guzzling the best mana potions he could buy.


    Lyeneru turned, pulled a tight circle in the air, and then landed beside him with enviable grace.


    ¡°Your flight skill is channeled?¡± she asked. It was not really a question, more like an observation, so he just nodded sadly.


    ¡°I¡¯m holding you back. I shouldn¡¯t have come,¡± Calen said. He had been so excited at the time he had failed to think it all the way through. ¡°You have a Death Knight to hunt.¡±


    ¡°Is it on the move?¡± she asked, quirking an eyebrow.


    He checked with his tracking skill, finding the sense of the undead pulling him in the same direction. Unless it was moving nearer or closer on exactly the same line, he was certain it was holed up somewhere. ¡°Not since last time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been hunting this one for months. It will keep for a bit. Show me your status and skills,¡± Lyeneru said, breaking his downward thought spiral with an abrupt and rather brazen request.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± He just stared at her in confusion.


    ¡°I need to know how to keep you alive,¡± she said, finally glancing at him. ¡°That Death Knight is close to level two hundred.¡±


    His brain stuttered over the figure. ¡°Oh¡­ ok,¡± he managed. He was really messing this up ¨C she had explicitly told him to obey her without question if he wanted to come. He scrambled to share his class and skills with her, anxiously worrying about what was going on behind her unnerving lack of clear expression or emotion.


    Lyeneru remained silent long enough for the tight bands of anxiety to begin closing around Calen¡¯s throat, heightening his sense of exposure and vulnerability. All his choices and decisions since earning his class lay exposed before her, ready for judgment. His face grew warmer the longer she studied his status without comment.


    Eventually, she broke the silence. ¡°Uncommonly smart choices for a novice. Your attribute allocation is effective for your class. My only critique is that your strength is too low. As you level up, you¡¯ll find the best bows have a minimum strength requirement to draw. You have a high-damage class but will struggle with long, sustained fights. Light affinity is unusual, but you have a good mix of damage and utility among your skills. Your skill levels are a little bit low for your class level, and you have weak gear. You must have been fighting above your level for a while without training your skills explicitly.¡±


    She paused again while Calen digested her blunt, unemotional feedback. He glowed at the compliment, but the implication that he¡¯d neglected his training deepened his embarrassed blush.


    Suddenly, she raised an eyebrow, and her careful control cracked a little. ¡°You found the Wanderer and passed her trial?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± he answered awkwardly, not certain if she was looking for him to elaborate.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s really something. I haven¡¯t seen one of those in a very long time,¡± she said, pausing in thought for a few moments. ¡°It¡¯s a good fit. Is that where you got your tracking skill?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it advanced when I completed the trial.¡±


    ¡°You have two skills that look like they might be near advancement, and you are one level shy of forty. Your defensive skills are nonexistent ¨C¡± she glanced at Calen as he made to speak, but then interrupted him ¡°¨C I don¡¯t count boosting your dexterity so you can run faster. All you have is your flight skill for escape.¡±


    ¡°I have a couple of recall potions too,¡± Calen said, morosely. She was tearing his class and choices to shreds. It went without saying that if he were forced to recall to Myrin¡¯s Keep, the hunt would be over for him ¨C Lyeneru was unlikely to want to return to town to retrieve him.


    ¡°Good,¡± Lyeneru said, nodding her approval. ¡°Regardless, we should level you up and see if you can earn a decent advancement or skill unlock. Your Motes of Light skill is underpowered. If you don¡¯t get something strong on the next advancement, I recommend dropping it for a better skill. Right now, I think our best choice is to have you demonstrate your tracking but step out and hide when we reach the Death Knight ¨C your chances of surviving direct combat are nonexistent.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Calen managed, digesting the feedback she had given for free, his blush deepening with the shame of being found too weak to even participate in the battle. His Motes of Light magic was certainly not helping his damage but, considering how terrified Ali was of stealth and Rogues, he was reluctant to remove it.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to grant you my mentorship for this hunt. It¡¯s temporary, so don¡¯t get used to it. It¡¯s your best chance of getting an effective upgrade in the short time we have,¡± she said.


    Mentor Patronage ¨C Lyeneru Silverleaf


    Traits: Fire, Lightning, Dexterity, Perception, Intelligence, Ranged, Haste, Stealth, Movement, Critical Damage, Evasion.


    Experience gain is increased for actions aligned with your mentor, or under their supervision.


    Gain additional skill unlocks and advances aligned with your mentor¡¯s traits and experience.


    A portion of your increased experience is awarded to your mentor, increasing their reputation.


    Enchantment ¨C Tithe


    He gulped, staring at the sudden searing white text notifications appearing in his mind. Never would he have imagined he might have the patronage of Lyeneru Silverleaf herself, even for just a short while, and yet, the temporary arrangement came with a sharp pinch of disappointment. Once she removed it, he would never be able to receive it again.


    Showing no acknowledgment of his inner struggle, Lyeneru pointed into the shadowed forest where something large seemed to be lurking. ¡°Let¡¯s see you fight, go kill that.¡±


    Taking solace in that thought, he summoned his resolve and accepted her incredible offer. Using Explorer, he identified the giant beast she had pointed out.


    Category: Monster


    Threat Level: Normal


    Monster Type: Beast


    Damage: Physical


    ¡°Ok,¡± he said.


    ¡°No flying, unless it¡¯s an emergency,¡± she said as he was retrieving his bow.


    Calen gulped as she turned a potentially easy fight into something significantly harder.


    ¡°Use your stealth, it looks like it might advance soon,¡± she said, adding a second condition. ¡°Hopefully, you can unlock Vanish or something else that improves your survivability.¡±


    Calen nodded and turned toward his prey. As the massive boar snuffled around in the dirt for food, he activated Eclipse and moved forward, darting from shadow to shadow until he reached his maximum bow range downwind of the monster. The intense scrutiny of her eyes prickled the skin down his back between his shoulder blades. Even though he was under the cover of his stealth skill, he knew she was watching.


    he thought, forcing himself to focus on his quarry. He consulted his inner mental map of the terrain he had observed from the air and picked a dense thicket he could run around.


    As soon as he reached his maximum range, he raised his bow, sighting the boar by zooming in with his Eyes of the Archon skill. He could pick out the details of the monster¡¯s matted black fur and heavy tusks even from this far away.  Drawing his bow, he released an arrow enhanced with extra range and, at the moment before it struck, he added his light magic damage. The arrow sank deep into its flank, seeking the heart. The boar let out a squeal of pain, spun about, and charged him, making dirt and grass fly as its skill accelerated its mass to a terrifying speed.


    Most Charge or Rush abilities were fairly limited: straight lines only, because of the extreme momentum. His best chance to dodge was perpendicular to the attack.


    Calen darted sideways at the last moment like a rogue evading a spear as the nearly one-ton beast barreled past him close enough for him to feel the wind of its passage and catch a whiff of the fresh dirt on its snout.


    As the monster tore past him, still squealing loudly, he leaped over a fallen trunk, spinning backward in midair and unleashing his grappling shot, timing it to hit when the beast¡¯s charge skill ended. Thin glowing chains lit up the underbrush as they wrapped around the boar¡¯s fat body, pinning it to the ground and giving Calen a few precious seconds to gain distance before it broke free of the bindings. Taking the opportunity, he fired several shots into its flank while sprinting away on the diagonal, heading towards the thicket he had picked.


    Lyeneru hadn¡¯t given him enough time to fully regenerate and he was already running low.


    Calen led the angry boar on a frantic chase around the thicket while he counted the seconds in his mind. He performed his spin-jump trick several times to get in a shot without losing ground. Nothing he did seemed to sap its strength. A minute later, the boar activated its charge skill again and Calen darted sideways to dodge the high-speed thundering mass of furiously squealing pig. All too aware that one slice of those tusks would carve him open like a butcher¡¯s cleaver, he fired his Grappling Shot once again, wincing inwardly at the mana cost while sprinting for the edge of the thicket to resume his kiting strategy.


    He continued to count the seconds while running, and when it was close to a minute, he dodged out from the thicket early. Right on cue, the boar charged, diverted from the thicket by Calen¡¯s fake. He ducked back towards the thicket and fired an arrow trailing his chains of light, pinning the boar out in the open. He retrieved a mana potion and downed it and activated Righteous Fury, a burning rush within him. His chains binding the boar wouldn¡¯t give him a whole lot more than several seconds ¨C even with the increased spell power gained from his ignited mana. In the small window of time he had created, he unleashed his arrows, burning through his mana at a precipitous rate to fuel the most potent assault he could muster, aiming for the upper left flank and shoulder. The monster was too big for his arrows to reach the heart, but piercing the lung or wounding the leg would slow it down for a safer kill. A stream of glowing arrows smashed into the struggling boar until it broke the bindings using sheer brute strength. Calen fired three more shots, judging the distance and the speed of the boar using the remaining duration of Righteous Fury to boost his running speed. Behind him, he heard a thunderous crash, and a soft chime, and then silence descended on the forest.


    Breathing hard, Calen watched as Lyeneru descended, landing beside the corpse.


    ¡°Good,¡± Lyeneru said, producing a slender, gleaming blade and rapidly skinning and butchering the pig, storing everything. She straightened up and rolled her shoulders. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± And she took off.


    Calen scrambled to follow her, and they repeated the pattern again and again. Whenever he ran low on mana, they would land and, with a woefully inadequate amount of time to rest and recover mana, she would make him fight again.


    For the remainder of the daylight hours, she pushed him harder than he had ever been pushed before. Exhaustion and continuous fighting burned through his supply of mana potions at a precipitous rate, but at long last, his notification chime sounded. Anxious for something she would approve of, he checked.


    Eclipse ¨C level 20


    Mana: You have stealth in shadowy or dark places. (This effect ends when you take an action that draws attention to yourself.)


    Stamina: Ambush your enemies from stealth, your first undetected attack gains + % critical strike chance and +  % critical damage.


    Light, Stealth, Illusion, Intelligence


    His heart skipped a beat as he saw the advancement he had been trying to unlock for so long. But it was not the survivability advancement she wanted. Still breathing heavily from the fight, he shared the details with her anyway.


    ¡°Take it,¡± she said immediately.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want it?¡± she asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.


    ¡°I do¡­ I really do,¡± he said. ¡°But you said I need something to help with survivability against the Death Knight?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t pass up Ambush without hamstringing your build permanently,¡± she said. ¡°Even if it doesn¡¯t help us for this hunt, you must take it.¡±


    Relieved, he nodded and accepted the advancement and then summoned his wings and followed her as she led the way onward, her eyes constantly scanning the brush for his next test.


    He had wanted Ambush for a long time, and finally, he had it. Critical strikes were devastating attacks, and the version he had unlocked would apply to his magic enhancements, too.


    ¡°Where did you learn that trick?¡± Lyeneru asked him, suddenly.


    ¡°I read the chapter in your book about kiting, and I had a fight with Ali where I was forced to practice it because Mato and Malika were knocked unconscious by Dreamcloud spores,¡± Calen answered.


    ¡°No, not the kiting. You delayed your skill till the point of impact.¡±


    ¡°Ali told me it was possible, and then it was simply a matter of practicing a whole lot,¡± Calen answered. ¡°Why?¡± He shut his mouth quickly, anxious that she would be upset with his presumption.


    ¡°We teach it in one of the Pathfinder training classes at the guild,¡± she answered. ¡°Typically, it¡¯s only mastered by advanced trainees who have been working with us for some time.¡±


    His heart soared as he realized she had offered him a great compliment.


    Suddenly, his notification chime sounded again. Eagerly, he scanned the text.


    Azrael¡¯s Wings ¨C level 10


    Stamina: Create ethereal wings made of light magic. You can fly. Reserve: 20%


    Mana: Boost your flight speed. Channeled.


    Light, Movement, Dexterity


    Quickly, he shared his second advancement with Lyeneru, but he knew she would make him take it before she even saw it. The change didn¡¯t simply add to his previous ability, but it seemed to modify it.


    ¡°Double influence advancement, very nice,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s probably why you got such a good flight advancement at such a low skill level. Now we should be able to make some ground on that Death Knight.¡±


    ¡°I should take it, then?¡±


    ¡°I would recommend it.¡±


    At once, he accepted the advancement and found his old method of channeling his mana still allowed him the same freedom of flight. Calen turned it off and instead activated his skill with stamina. His familiar ethereal light wings appeared from his back, and he found himself flying without using mana.


    He pulsed mana into the second part of the skill to boost his flight speed. Immediately, a second set of wings appeared, and his speed accelerated dramatically. Obviously, it wasn¡¯t sustainable, but he now could move in bursts of high speed, returning to his normal speed to recover mana while flying indefinitely.


    ¡°There¡¯s still light,¡± Lyeneru said. ¡°Let¡¯s put your new wings to good use.¡±


    Aliandra


    Ali¡¯s eyes fluttered open and she rolled over to check on Malika, but her friend was still sleeping restlessly on the couch. A twitch and a low groan made her heart plummet, but double-checking only showed her friend was not awake.


    It was odd to wake and not find Malika meditating, but presumably, she needed to sleep off whatever had caused her pain. Ali got up and crept past her sleeping friends, seating herself at the table with the small pile of books Ryn had left for her, and threw herself wholeheartedly into the task of duplicating them.


    While Malika tossed and turned fitfully on the couch, Ali recalled how painful and disorienting her Arcane Insight had been when she had first used it.


    Leaving Malika to rest and recover, Ali flew herself up through the atrium and out into Lira¡¯s Forest. There were several things she had been putting off, and now that Lyeneru had so clearly highlighted her shortcomings she was motivated to end her procrastination. It wasn¡¯t like she was being lazy ¨C there just always seemed to be more important things to take care of. The Town Council, for instance. Or evil necromancers targeting her specifically. She sighed.


    she thought, glancing at the Forest Guardian she had to roam among the trees up here. It had not provided the wisdom attribute she wanted for her Empowered Summoner skill, but if she needed strength, it was certainly the right choice. And her skill¡¯s hour-long recharge had long since expired.


    ¡°What are your highest attributes?¡± she asked, turning to study the two Kobolds that had followed her up into the forest.


    ¡°Intelligence, Ancient Mistress,¡± answered the gruff Kobold mage. No surprises here, the highest attribute of the Fire Mage was obvious, given that she was currently using him to boost her intelligence.


    ¡°Wisdom, Mistress.¡± The soft voice of her Acolyte of Azryet confirmed what she had suspected. Healing magic users seemed to typically favor wisdom over intelligence for their magic, and although her healers were monsters, they seemed to follow similar rules to the clergy.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± she replied, triggering a delighted smile on the face of her Kobold. It wasn¡¯t nearly so easy for her other monster types. She selected the golden-scaled Acolyte for her second Empowered Summoner target, and her wisdom instantly jumped by eighty-six points.


    Immediately, she realized two important things. Her mana had just jumped by two thousand five hundred and eighty due to the wisdom increase, and the stacked effects of her Magical and Domain aptitudes. It was a dramatic increase and something she really couldn¡¯t afford to ignore. But that brought her to the second realization; the increase in strength she had gained from choosing the Forest Guardian had been way more than double, likely due to its significantly higher level.


    She decided to start a list in her notebook, channeling Calen¡¯s obsession with his notes. ¡®Find higher-level monsters with wisdom,¡¯ she wrote.


    She had little experience in making a cavern defensible, but she flew over and checked the tunnel entrance that led to the mountains anyway. Ali told herself, looking it over with a doubly critical eye. She made a few minor adjustments to the rock formations to make it a little less obvious, but it was already quite well concealed.


    Next, she checked every stream or trickle of water entering the cavern through the rocky walls. She was pretty sure they must be overflows from the myriad Myrin River tributaries that trickled down from high up in the mountains. For each channel she carefully reinforced the rock, making sure that although the water could flow in freely, there wasn¡¯t any excess space or weakness. When she was done, the water flow had increased substantially. she thought, observing several fleeting flashes of sleek silvery shapes darting past.


    She considered the problem for a moment before she flexed her domain mastery again, this time shaping a substantial hollow in the center of the cavern. She filled the depression with her aquatic mushrooms, sprouting them in large patches, pausing only to replenish her mana with Inspiration. And then finally, she rerouted all the streams into the hollow and sent the outflow of her newly created lake into the larger stream that flowed into her other cavern.


    she thought, inspecting her work. But although the pristine clear water was pretty, it wasn¡¯t going to help defend her dungeon. Especially not if a water-type monster snuck in, but she had ensured the inlets were at least limited in size. For all that Lira was enormously powerful, she had no combat skills with which to defend herself and Ali was loath to leave her to defend herself against whatever new assassins might show up.


    ¡°Monster!¡±


    The warning shout of her Kobold Fire Mage snapped her gaze around, and she found herself staring up at the largest bear she had ever seen, deep-set red eyes glowing as it voiced a thunderous growl. It towered over her menacingly, easily half again as big as Mato, and it had heavy ridges of hide or bone sticking out from its fur, protecting its head and shoulders.


    Her golden shield snapped into place around her instantaneously. ¡°¡± she said, calling for her Forest Guardian, and the bear instantly looked up at the sound of the ground shaking from her enormous elemental¡¯s charge.


    With a surge of emerald-green mana, the tree beside her rippled and warped, and Lira stepped out from the trunk.


    ¡°She is family,¡± Lira said, resting a hand on the giant monster¡¯s shoulder.


    To Ali¡¯s amazement, the bear stopped growling and simply sniffed at her before lowering its head again and turning to amble off into the forest.


    ¡°What¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± Lira said. ¡°He is a good bear, but he didn¡¯t know who you were.¡±


    ¡°You have a bear?¡±


    ¡°Aliandra, we need to talk. I fear, in my selfishness, I have put you in grave danger.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ali had no idea what Lira was getting at. The necromancer was dead, and the danger was a thing of the past. Then she glanced at the retreating bear as her own Forest Guardian hovered protectively over her and got an inkling of what Lira might mean.


    ¡°When I made the Elder Tree, I did not anticipate it would boost your mana density to such a degree. Dungeon mana, in particular ¨C but really, any domain mana when it is dense enough ¨C is notorious for drawing in monsters from great distances. That Dire Bear showed up yesterday. I was fortunate to be able to charm it, but there will be more, and so we will need to be better prepared.¡±


    ¡°Aah, hmm¡­ What can we do?¡± Ali glanced back toward the library and the towering pillar of dense mana that was visible like a corona around the immense tree. One approach was to deconstruct it, but she couldn¡¯t do that to Lira. She didn¡¯t even want to voice that suggestion aloud; it would be traumatic for her aunt ¨C especially after all she had been through already. She had always read that dungeons attracted not only adventurers and delvers, but monsters too. She had simply not connected that to the fact that she was a dungeon herself. She glanced worriedly again at the level fifty-seven Dire Bear.


    ¡°Long term, you must simply become stronger.¡±


    ¡°Lyeneru said much the same,¡± Ali muttered, looking down at her feet. People and monsters would come whether she liked it or not; all she could do was be ready. ¡°I just hoped¡­ I had more time.¡±


    ¡°There is some time, dear,¡± Lira said. ¡°No need to look so glum. And you¡¯re not alone.¡±


    Tears suddenly pricked at Ali¡¯s eyes. What she would not have given to hear her mother say just that one word, ¡®dear¡¯. Maybe to tell her off. Lira was being so sweet, it in a good way. Having her aunt around was such a gift!


    Cautiously, she asked, ¡°What can we do now?¡± One thing was certain, Lira did not have a combat class, and she had limited avenues with which to defend herself. Ali¡¯s defenses would have to work doubly hard for both of them.


    ¡°Perhaps you could give me some of your monsters?¡± she said, looking up at the Forest Guardian that still hovered protectively beside her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have enough mana to fill this area with monsters,¡± Ali said, even with her sudden influx from choosing her Acolyte to boost her wisdom. ¡°You can¡¯t make any creatures of your own, can you?¡± She had used almost her entire mana pool making the six Forest Guardians to face Alexander Gray, and now she had to divide her forces between monsters to protect, and ones she could take with her on quests and jobs.


    ¡°No, that is not the way of my class. I can influence and charm some monsters ¨C beasts and elementals of nature or plant magic. But for any others, humanoids, undead, and the like, we need ways to defend ourselves.¡±


    ¡°I can leave this one here for you,¡± Ali said, patting the giant bark-covered leg beside her.


    ¡°Can you release it?¡±


    ¡°Release it? They become wild and aggressive when I release my mana from them,¡± Ali answered, not quite certain if she had understood Lira correctly. She had no idea what exactly was happening when she released her mana from her creatures, but the only time she had done it so far had seemed traumatic, resulting in extreme violence, and aggression bordering on madness from the monster.


    she suddenly realized. While she knew her monsters were merely summons, she was loath to cause any unnecessary suffering if she could avoid it.


    ¡°Yes, release it,¡± Lira confirmed. ¡°I will soothe its spirit.¡±


    Anxious for what would happen when the giant Elemental went berserk, she backed up and erected a barrier preemptively between them and the monster.


    ¡°Ready?¡± she asked. But Lira seemed calm and confident, nodding and smiling. On second thoughts, she backed up a couple more steps and bit her lip to keep herself from saying something thoughtless at her aunt¡¯s serene smile.


    Ali released her mana reservation, feeling it snap back with a stinging recoil, and immediately the Guardian let out a deafening roar, shaking its head back and forth, and stamping the ground. It turned eyes filled with glowing madness on them as if to attack, but Lira simply stepped around the barrier and extended a hand toward it, and Ali felt a heavy pressure in the surge of mana Lira was emitting. The enormous Forest Guardian stopped and lowered its head toward her.


    Ali stared at it in amazement. The creature dwarfed Lira, towering over her. But her mere presence had quietened the monster. Lira reached out and placed her hand on its lowered broad armored head and whispered something to the creature and it began to emit a low-pitched rumbling sound from deep within its chest. Bright emerald-green mana flowed from her hand into the monster, taking up residence in its chest as a glowing kernel, similar to the green and gold knots that still rested within her Kobolds¡¯ chests.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you help us by guarding the forest?¡± Lira asked it gently. Raising its head, it moved off with a purpose, a little spring in its gait.


    ¡°You just tamed it?¡± Ali asked incredulously. While she had seen no overt magic, what had just happened had been just as amazing as some powerful sorcery.


    ¡°I think my magic is more like making friends,¡± Lira said. ¡°It will help to protect us.¡±


    ¡°How does it work?¡± Ali asked. ¡°I mean, what exactly is happening when I release them?¡±


    ¡°Nobody is entirely certain,¡± Lira answered, gazing thoughtfully at the now-freed Forest Guardian walking through the forest. She looked at Ali. ¡°I believe that when a summoner creates a creature, they are simply creating an empty living vessel. The mana you leave inside it is your soul or energy ¨C obviously, the metaphysical implications of that have been debated for millennia without resolution. It¡¯s what animates the creature.¡±


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t it die when I release it, then?¡±


    ¡°It is still a living vessel, and nature cannot tolerate an imbalance like that. I believe in a soul or a spirit, independent of the will or ego or the physical being itself. Summoned monsters do not have that, and in many ways can be considered as an extension of your own will or mana.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m just talking to myself when I converse with my Kobolds?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°In a manner of speaking,¡± Lira answered. ¡°They still may have their own intelligence and memories, but your mana is what gives them life. When you release them, they still have your mana, but it¡¯s severed, and will eventually run out and they will die.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Something didn¡¯t quite add up. ¡°You put your mana into the Guardian,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Yes, I replaced your mana with mana from my domain,¡± Lira said. ¡°The Guardian is now my summoned monster, even though I do not have the skill to summon creatures as you do.¡±


    ¡°But the bear is different?¡± That kernel of emerald-green had not been present ¨C Ali would definitely have noticed it.


    ¡°The bear and I had a chat, and he agreed to reside in my domain and protect it in exchange for a home in a mana-dense environment,¡± Lira answered. ¡°He also likes it when I scratch him behind his ears.¡±


    Ali mimed a severe case of dangly jaw. ¡°So he has a soul?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lira chuckled. ¡°If you believe in that. He has his own independent will and chooses to be here. In that regard, my skill is similar to a Beast Tamer. I can facilitate a mutually beneficial partnership with monsters and creatures that live within my forest. If a soulless vessel is supplied with mana for long enough using a skill like that, they can spontaneously develop their own spirit or soul ¨C it is the way Beast Tamers gain companions from dungeon spawns.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s complicated,¡± Ali said, nodding thoughtfully. She wasn¡¯t sure if Lira was right, but what she had said seemed to fit ¨C her creatures did seem to be an extension of her own will, and even she found it suddenly unsettling to have her mana ripped away. Certainly, the dungeon-spawned Goblins that had laid siege to Myrin¡¯s Keep had behaved nothing like her guildmate Havok. But there were some obvious questions ¨C why had the undead survived the death of Alexander Gray? They were not living vessels. She put the idea to the side for now, resolving to go read her necromancy book now that she had some notion of what to look for ¨C it was the closest thing she had to a reference on summoning unless Ryn could find something better in the library.


    Her former minion, the Forest Guardian, seemed to be happily exploring the forest now. But as she studied its behavior, she could find no trace of the trauma and aggression she had been worried about. The transfer to her mana seemed to have solved that problem. She remained with Lira for a while, chatting and creating a few more Guardians, Timber Wolves, and wyverns to populate her forest to help her defend against incursions.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough dear, and thank you,¡± Lira said after she had created a little more than a dozen monsters. ¡°I do not have a large enough domain to support more. I will guard this cavern for both of us.¡±


    Ali could still hear the harsh words of the Night Elf criticizing her dungeon for having no creatures to protect it. But now, at least, she could see a couple of wyverns swooping among the trees and roosting on the huge oak branches. For the rest of her domain, though, she would need to spend a lot of mana.


    Thinking of Lyeneru, she headed back down to the library, intent on getting through some of the dungeon delves in her book. She wouldn¡¯t be caught unprepared again. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But when she got to the camp area and the couches, she immediately knew something was wrong. Malika was curled up in a tight ball, holding her head and gasping in pain, her body and face drenched with sweat. She looked, in a word, terrible ¨C almost gray of cast, the veins openly pulsing on her neck.


    ¡°Malika!¡± Ali cried as she flew over to her friend.


    ¡°I tried to remove my skill,¡± Malika got out through teeth clenched in agony.


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    Malika


    Malika jolted upright, abruptly ripped from her sleep by the sudden jolt of pain crashing through her body and mind.


    She gasped, unable to do anything other than hold her head and hope for the pain to subside. Her mind recoiled, battered by repeated jarring bolts of pain until the frequency slowed and the intensity abated a bit.


    The notification filled her with a cold fearful premonition. With her brow prickling with pain-induced sweat, she pulled up her aptitudes and looked at her bloodline, desperately hoping she would not find what she knew would be there.


    As a child back in Bakahn Village, she had heard the horror stories of folks whose bloodline went awry, tearing their souls and minds apart. Often, these unfortunate souls had to be killed by their own families after they lost control and tried to kill everything around them. She had never understood what caused the problem, but now she knew she was facing it personally. And the pain¡­ it felt as if someone were literally stabbing her mind and soul.


    She knew with a chilling certainty that her bloodline skills were destroying her. But knowing that was no defense against the rising terror and pain.


    Malika had always dreamed of earning a skill like Soul Sight. Eye magic, in particular, had always inspired her, and as a child, she had demanded every story be retold countless times. There it was, the final skill on her fully unlocked skill list, staring at her.


    With a heavy heart, she pulled up her discarded skills and picked one at random from the list, barely able to even read the blurry descriptions.


    She paused, looking at the choice.  Blinking back her tears, she confirmed the choice.


    Her vision dimmed and flickered to black as the pain shattered through her mind once more, driving her to a twitching and spasming fetal ball. It was all she could do to prevent herself from passing out again as she lay groaning on the couch holding her head.


    ¡°Malika!¡± she heard Ali¡¯s voice cry out.


    Malika clenched her jaw against the agony and managed, ¡°I tried to remove my skill.¡± She could vaguely make out the forms of Ali and Mato hovering nearby and sense the warmth of holy magic attempting to heal her while a Kobold chirped softly in the background.


    But it had no effect.


    ¡°Something is wrong with my bloodline,¡± she managed to rasp. Admitting the pain was not nearly as shameful as admitting her weakness.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying,¡± Mato reassured her, but his voice was full of doubt. He knew it was no good.


    ¡°What can we do?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Malika answered, holding back against another jolt of pain. As it subsided, she sat up. The respite seemed like pure bliss in comparison to the pain. ¡°The only people who might know are the Ahn Khen elders.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then,¡± Mato said immediately.


    ¡°Go?¡± Malika whispered.


    The only elder she had ever seen was the one who had lived at Bakahn, her former hometown. And Malika was certain she had not survived the devastation of that night.


    The thought filled her with a dread more powerful than her shame.


    She had to speak. Slowly, she forced words out past her clenched teeth, ¡°I doubt we can find one, there aren¡¯t many left. We would have to travel to each village.¡±


    ¡°Then we do that,¡± Ali said, getting up. ¡°Mato, you help Malika and meet me at the Novaspark Academy building. I¡¯ll go find Ryn and get a map and some gold ¨C we¡¯re going to need to buy a teleport. Fast.¡±


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 135: An Emergency Trip

    Chapter 135: An Emergency TripAliandra ¡°Where do we go?¡± Ali asked, turning to look at Ryn as they stood waiting in line at the Novaspark Academy of Magic. She was a little out of breath, having had to rush across town to get Ryn, and then to the bank to get money. But they had still arrived ahead of Mato and Malika.


    Ali wasn¡¯t sure what was keeping them, but given how much pain Malika was in, it couldn¡¯t be good.


    ¡°We should go to Vertias,¡± Ryn answered, putting the atlas away. ¡°It seems to be the closest major town near the northern border of the Torian kingdom with a Teleport Locus listed.¡±


    The line moved on, and Ali found herself finally facing the receptionist. He looked harried by the sheer number of people, but he still looked up at her from behind his desk with a small smile.


    ¡°Emergency transport to Vertias for four please,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he answered, fiddling with a panel and doing a few calculations. ¡°Professor Addlestone is available, and the fee for four to Vertias will be forty-four gold and six silver.¡±


    Ryn gasped at the price, but Ali simply emptied her pouch on the counter and counted out the coins quickly, pushing them over to the receptionist. It was most of her remaining money, but she didn¡¯t care ¨C they could always make more. It was a good thing teleportation services were open again ¨C Ali hadn¡¯t been sure if she could trust the rumors that the Torians had been driven off, but she had seen no signs of any suppression magic on the way over.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± he answered, returning an invoice and a mana-signed token. ¡°Room 6301.¡±


    Ali nodded to him, taking the receipt and token. She remembered the way from when she had teleported out to Volle and met Naia.


    ¡°Ali, that¡¯s expensive. Maybe I should stay behind?¡± Ryn whispered.


    ¡°No, I need your help when we get there. I have no idea where to go.¡± She hadn¡¯t realized just how much she relied on Calen for navigation, and now that he was gone she felt lost.


    Ali turned to see Mato entering via the huge doorway into the academy, and Ali¡¯s heart ached to see him carrying Malika in his arms. Her friend, who had been so powerful in battle, was reduced to an invalid who couldn¡¯t even walk on her own.


    It took just a couple of minutes to get upstairs to the office of the eccentric professor of space magic, and suddenly they were in Vertias, standing in the center of an inscribed teleportation locus.


    ***


    ¡°We can rent a wagon from the district near the city¡¯s northern gate,¡± Ryn said, looking up from the tourist material she had grabbed from the teleportation locus receiving room.


    ¡°No,¡± Ali said. ¡°That¡¯s too slow, I¡¯ll fly us. Hop on.¡± She summoned a broad disk of barrier magic in the middle of the street and climbed up onto it. She hovered awkwardly by while Mato laid Malika gently down in the center. She itched to help, but with her size and lack of strength, she would simply be in Mato¡¯s way. After Malika was finally situated, Ali sat down beside her while Mato and Ryn took their places toward the front and Ali set them shooting off over rooftops to the sound of startled shouts from passersby.


    ¡°Go north,¡± Ryn said, her nose already buried in the maps.


    Ali directed the barrier out of the north gate at a healthy clip, finding an arid dusty landscape with sparse bushes and withered trees dotted about. The dry air had an unfamiliar, peppery tang perhaps from the bushes. Below them, the road wound its way northward, but it seemed only to be maintained for the first kilometer or two, and after that, it petered out into an ancient dirt track with ruts where generations of wagon wheels had carved grooves deep into the rocky ground.


    ¡°This way?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Yes, follow the road,¡± Ryn said, glancing up from her books and maps.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said. Through the haze of heat and dust, the mountains slowly loomed larger as the day wore on. She hadn¡¯t had the money to teleport her minions, nor did she have a lot of space left on the barrier disk, so, for safety reasons, she summoned a couple of emerald-green Poison Wyverns to act as an aerial escort. With nothing better to do, she also summoned a flight of Luminous Dragonets to act as extra eyes and a single Kobold Acolyte, just in case.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared, Ali,¡± Malika whispered.


    ¡°We¡¯re right here with you, Malika,¡± Ali said. Malika had explained how her bloodline was consuming her maximum health, stamina, and mana unpredictably. It seemed even more terrifying than her domain withdrawal ¨C at least her withdrawal was predictable and had a simple fix. Not knowing what to do, Ali simply held her hand and sped them along.


    Calen


    Calen stood staring at the corpse of the oversized Obsidian-Scaled Monitor Lizard, breathing heavily. It had been a rough fight; the monster¡¯s tough, black-scaled hide had protected it far too well against his arrows. He had scratches and scrapes all over his face and arms, but he had stuck to Lyeneru¡¯s rules and beaten it without using flight.


    ¡°Good job,¡± she said, descending and summoning her skinning knife to her hand.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Lyeneru had made Calen hunt every monster they encountered on the way, each time giving him a different set of restrictions or challenges to achieve. While Ambush had not been one of the skills she had been looking for, he had to admit it was a far bigger upgrade for his class than he had even dreamed of. With his ability to delay his magic enhancements till the last possible moment, he was able to take advantage of the bonus to critical damage, applying it to his magical as well as physical damage. So far, he had beaten everything she had thrown at him, and the new Ambush skill was a large part of the reason for his success.


    he thought as the long-awaited chime sounded. Apparently, he wasn¡¯t half as patient as he would have liked to think.


    He considered his ten points carefully. Lyeneru had recommended a little more investment into strength to help use more powerful bows. It was unlikely that she would have him fight, but if she did, he needed to invest in survivability. That meant boosting his evasion, speed, and health. Continuing to follow his carefully charted plan for optimal growth, he spent five points on dexterity and three on intelligence, placing the last two in vitality.


    The Pathfinder had offered him temporary use of her mentorship enchantment and accelerated his skill advancement dramatically, and for all the help and advice, all he had to do was point in the direction of the Death Knight whenever she asked. Something she presumably had the skills to do for herself anyway. This was all for his benefit, and still, he yearned to show her what he could do. To impress her, as impossible as that sounded.


    Strafe


    Stamina: Magically split your arrow firing consecutively at each of the  nearest foes. Split arrows are hasted taking the same time to fire all arrows as a normal single shot.


    Light, Ranged, Area, Dexterity


    Not as effective as one of Ali¡¯s fireballs, but still, it was a multishot skill of a sort.


    Heaven¡¯s Strike


    Mana: Use half your maximum mana to cause a huge pillar of light to strike your enemies from the sky.


    Light, Ranged, Area, Intelligence


    This skill was also an area damage attack, but it sounded more like a mage skill. It was ridiculously expensive, especially since mana was already such a problem for him. smiling wryly to himself he checked the next skill notification.


    Mirage Armor


    Mana: Bending light around you, your body creates afterimages as it moves, making it significantly harder to hit you. Evasion is increased by Reserve: 10%


    Light, Defense, Illusion, Intelligence, Dexterity


    ¡°Congratulations on the level up,¡± Lyeneru said, coming to land beside him. ¡°Get anything decent?¡±


    ¡°These are my options,¡± Calen said, immediately sharing his skill choices with her.


    ¡°Mirage Armor, definitely,¡± Lyeneru said, without even a hint of hesitation.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Calen asked before he caught himself questioning her experience. But she didn¡¯t seem to be annoyed by his presumption. ¡°It¡¯s just an illusion.¡±


    ¡°Strafe is strong, but it has a big weakness ¨C you cannot choose your target. I¡¯ve seen many strafe builds locked down by a monster that can outspawn their firing rate, and they are simply unable to shoot the spawner,¡± she answered.


    ¡°I see,¡± Calen said, immediately recalling the fight against the Toxic Spitter slime in the jungle below Dal¡¯mohra.


    ¡°Heaven¡¯s strike is very strong, especially if you can get it to work with Ambush. But that armor will keep you alive.¡±


    ¡°I assume it only works against sight?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lyeneru said. ¡°But the Death Knight uses sight. More importantly, most monsters use sight, and you have an advanced Identification skill. Train that till it helps you identify modes of perception and you will know which fights to run from.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Calen answered. She seemed incredibly knowledgeable, understanding the nuances of the skills even for a class that was not her own. It made sense though, she had a wealth of experience he couldn¡¯t hope to match.


    ¡°If you disagree, you can swap it out after we kill the Death Knight. Or better yet, replace your Motes of Light skill, unless it advances well. If you pick Mirage Armor, you have a decent shot of surviving the Death Knight ¨C at least, with me there to help you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to let me fight?¡± He bit his lip.


    ¡°A small role,¡± Lyeneru said, smirking. ¡°I¡¯ll admit I was a little skeptical of your light affinity at first, but that is one of the best defensive skills I¡¯ve ever seen on a silver rank.¡±


    For a brief moment, it was all he could think of. Nothing else mattered. It was nigh impossible to untangle the excitement and pure terror that rose within him. The Death Knight was a terrifying foe, and he was going to go up against it. He just hoped he didn¡¯t mess it up and embarrass himself in front of her. Well, he¡¯d be too dead too fast to be worried about the embarrassment.


    Oddly, the macabre thought eased his anxiety and Calen found himself actually smiling ¨C smirking, even ¨C as he filled his final class skill slot.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± he said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hunt!¡± Lyeneru let a rare grin show. ¡°Trust me, after this fight, you are never going to want to disable that skill.¡±


    Malika


    Malika drifted in and out of consciousness, vaguely aware of the passage of several days upon Ali¡¯s flying barrier and her continued presence beside her. Her moments of lucidness were dominated by frantically checking the cumulative degeneration of her bloodline which progressively consumed her life and energy, and her bouts of shooting pain and visual distortion.


    Malika tuned out Ali¡¯s reassurances, not because she didn¡¯t care, but because she found it almost impossible to concentrate on the words while the jolts of pain punctuated each terrifying notification.


    The world faded to black as she passed out once again.


    Malika came to, but this time something was different. The wind on her skin was gone and she lay on the ground by a rock.


    Somewhere up ahead, voices were arguing. Ali, Mato, and Ryn ¨C her constant companions for the last several days ¨C were all conspicuously absent. She groaned as she sat up, finding her body to be weak and unresponsive, but she dared not heal herself lest she trigger another round of painful notifications and the further deterioration of her bloodline.


    She crawled around the rock and stared out at a confrontation. Mato stood out front with his chest puffed up, blocking the path as he gestured emphatically with his hands. Beside him, Ali levitated on her barrier while Ryn took cover in the back. Several large wyverns circled menacingly in the air.


    But Malika had only eyes for who they confronted. She gasped.


    Out in the center of the dilapidated road were three people dressed in plain homespun robes. She squinted to try to make out the details. The two monks standing deferentially to the rear wore the colors of disciples; a slender woman with black short-cropped curls and a stocky mountain of a man with a shaved head. At the front stood a dark, weathered monk wearing a brown robe. His arms were folded across his chest, and adorning the left side of his face were the ornate runic tattoos signifying his station as an Elder.


    Malika did not recognize the man, but she pulled herself up to her feet to get a better look.


    His piercing blue eyes fixed on her the moment she emerged.


    ¡°Child of Ahn Khen,¡± he spoke directly to her. ¡°I am Elder Rezan, we have come with great haste from Kezda in search of you. I witnessed the beginnings of your awakening in my vision; your bloodline may be in grave danger if we do not follow the proper awakening rituals.¡±


    Malika shuffled forward and bowed to him with the form of respect her parents had taught. ¡°Greetings Elder Rezan, I am Malika.¡± She still did not recognize the man, but that was not surprising as the only elder she had ever met was Inaya, the Bakahn Village Elder.


    Immediately, she saw the tension drain from Mato and Ali as they lowered their guard.


    ¡°Please do not use your bloodline skill until we complete the rituals,¡± Rezan said brusquely, turning away. ¡°My camp is close; we will do it there.¡±


    ¡°I cannot turn either of them off,¡± Malika answered, stumbling as she tried to follow.


    ¡°You have two?¡± he asked, registering surprise on his weathered face.


    ¡°I have Clarity and Soul Sight,¡± Malika answered.


    Rezan raised his eyebrow in surprise. ¡°Clarity has not been seen in decades. Come. Time is against us.¡±


    Leaning heavily on Mato¡¯s arm, Malika pressed on and as soon as they reached Rezan¡¯s tiny camp, the pain struck again like a bolt of lightning out of a clear sky. Malika gasped, driven to her knees as she clutched her head, as the world around her lurched, fading to black briefly before returning to normal.


    Rezan turned sharply. ¡°Your bloodline is already unstable.¡± It was not a question, and she could see the harsh emotion written on his face.


    Malika nodded. ¡°For three days?¡± she glanced at Ali, avoiding Rezan¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Five days,¡± Ali corrected.


    Rezan crouched in front of her, his eyes beginning to glow with an inner light as he held her head and stared, looking right inside of her, and she found herself entirely unable to look away.


    ¡°Is there any hope?¡± Malika asked, ashamed of the tremor she heard in her voice.


    He sighed, a frown creasing his weathered face. ¡°You are too far gone for the rituals already.¡±


    Malika¡¯s heart dropped.


    ¡°The only chance you have now is to accelerate your awakening. In ancient times, awakening was the result of surpassing yourself in battle. An awakened bloodline will heal,¡± he said. ¡°But¡­ you will have to defeat me to even have a chance at awakening.¡± He paused, the lines around his mouth seemingly graven in granite, yet she sensed an emotion ¨C regret, perhaps ¨C beneath his stark pronouncement. ¡°The only other path is death as your bloodline consumes you.¡±


    Malika knew he wouldn¡¯t allow that path. If her bloodline consumed her, she would lose her mind and become destructive and violent before it tore her apart. It was his duty to end her before that happened. With luck, she would die before she could do any real damage.


    Malika got to her feet and raised her guard. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± She staggered a little as a jolt of pain hit her.


    ¡°You realize I cannot go easy on you?¡± Rezan said. ¡°If you are unable to awaken, you will die in this fight.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it, Malika!¡± Ali gasped. ¡°You can¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°If this is the only chance I have, I will take it,¡± Malika said firmly.


    To her left, Mato shifted, getting a little closer to her, and then his body twisted, growing into a tree.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Rezan said. Carefully removing his outer robe, he handed it to one of his disciples. He stood in a relaxed stance, his athletic arms and torso hardened from a lifetime of training. ¡°You must use all your skills to defeat me. Overcome the pain of the bloodline.¡± He took a basic stance.


    Malika matched him.


    ¡°Begin,¡± he commanded.


    Malika had no doubt her chance of winning was minuscule. The Elders¡¯ skills were legendary; she didn¡¯t even question going all out. Immediately, she activated her Divine Step, accelerating herself to close the distance in an instant, unleashing a perfectly executed combination kick and punch with her Soul Strike discharging in rapid flashes. Rezan¡¯s body shifted slightly, avoiding the kick and deflecting the punch on his forearm with an extraordinary economy of motion.


    ¡°I said use everything,¡± he said with unsettling calm as he avoided her flurry of attacks. ¡°Stop trying to ignore your Soul Sight. Do you think you can defeat me without it?¡±


    Malika leapt back and paused. Her body recoiled in anticipation of the excruciating pain, but she did what he demanded. Her entire vision exploded in a riot of colors and distortion. Rezan¡¯s body lit up with a brilliant white energy that wavered and shimmered, warping her perception. An enormous jolt of pain drove her to her knees once more.


    She forced herself up with a roar that was equal parts frustration, anger, and fear, and charged him once more. Burning stamina, she poured all her roiling emotions and channeled the pain into her attacks, blurring punches and kicks and elbow strikes while Rezan blocked each one flawlessly, his energy flickering crazily in her warped and pain-wracked vision.


    She fought purely instinctively, her usual calm and rational fighting style impossible with the pain she was unable to mitigate, even with her Healing Mantra, and her entire field of vision and balance lurching and warping as she tried desperately to push her body faster, harder, and more precisely.


    With a sudden flash, too fast for even her reactions, his left hand shot out and connected with her elbow, spinning her, and knocking her to the ground. She rolled head-over-heels, briefly cradling her numbed arm against her body before she surged to her feet and attacked again. The Elder¡¯s mouth hardened into a firm line, and he struck once again, hitting the same elbow. This time the flash of energy was significantly stronger, and Malika distantly heard a crack.


    In the haze of pain and warped vision, she got up from where she had somehow hit the ground, and attacked once again, registering surprise as her arm did not respond.


    ¡°Heal it,¡± Rezan commanded firmly.


    Dimly, she realized her arm hung broken at her side. She had not even felt the pain. She cast Healing Mantra and the arm knit back together with a searing burst of pain that seemed to come more from her use of stamina than the grating of bone snapping back together. She unleashed another series of attacks, but Rezan blurred into action. With two powerful kicks, Rezan broke both her legs, one at the shin and the other mid-thigh. She collapsed on the ground, her legs suddenly unable to support her weight. She ground her teeth as she triggered her Healing Mantra again.


    Through the haze of pain, she felt a chill down her spine as her bloodline¡¯s deterioration accelerated due to her fighting. Every time she used a skill, or used her stamina or mana, it ripped and tore her up inside. She got up as soon as her legs worked, and blinked her eyes, trying to see him clearly through the warping energy. Channeling Second Wind to replenish her stamina, she launched her attack. Two steps glanced off the air with Divine Step as she gained height, and, with a flip, she attacked from above using a vicious knee strike that connected hard against Rezan¡¯s crossed arms. As she descended, he punched her in the stomach with an enormous release of energy which blew her backward like a kite in a thunderstorm.


    Ali shouted something in the background.


    Dazed, Malika shook her head to clear the ringing as she regained her feet.


    Her heart sank with despair. There had never been even a minuscule chance of her winning her awakening. She had never been so outclassed in her life. It was only due to him allowing her to heal herself that she was even standing.


    She staggered from the pain, her vision darkening briefly.


    Malika used her Healing Mantra and then refilled her stamina using Second Wind. Summoning her utmost determination, she ignored the pain and her fears and put everything into her attack.


    She found she didn¡¯t hate him. She had no desire to leave this world trembling in a ball, screaming in pain. If anything, her only regret was that she would miss her friends.


    she told herself.


    Forcing her body faster than it had ever gone, she charged, attacking with her most powerful kick, and a flurry of high-speed punches, pouring all her energy into Soul Strike while she dodged his counterattacks. At the end of her combination, her last punch finally connected with his ribs, unleashing her Soul Strike into his body. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But he simply took her strike, his body absorbing her damage without even flinching.


    With a sudden rush, his energy surged to a pure incandescent white in her sight, warping and shifting as it drove flashes of pain through her mind. As if in slow motion, she saw his fist blurring, splitting six ways to strike her torso, head, and chest simultaneously. She saw it, but she could not even move an inch in the face of his power and speed.


    One of the legendary martial skills detailed in the Nine Paths of Ahn Khen.


    He released a powerful surge of energy through his fists, blasting through her body and catapulting her into the air. There were several loud cracks, felt more than heard in the distance, and a tearing sensation in what felt like the core of her mind. Her vision shimmered, the world receded to a tiny point of light, and her pain faded.


    Ali screamed.


    Malika never even felt the ground as her awareness left her.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 136: Bakahn Village

    Chapter 136: Bakahn VillageRezan Jin ¡°I said, use everything! Stop trying to ignore your Soul Sight. Do you think you can defeat me without it?¡± Unconsciously or not, the girl was holding back, perhaps afraid of the pain of her bloodline. But he needed her to use everything, even if it burned her up. Without that, there would be absolutely no chance.


    Rezan studied the energy flow of her skills with Eyes of the Soul, the complex gestalt of energy and power that was the essence of her class, roiling and smashing through her body in a reckless maelstrom. It was clear to him, now, that she was dying. Throughout her body he could see the angry knots where the blue-white of her soul energy was twisted up, clashing with the blood-red tendrils of her bloodline and her life energy, the tangled formations blocking the flow of her skills, causing them to pierce and tear the very core of her soul.


    Some dared to call the Ahn Khen bloodline a curse. He shook his head slightly, refocusing on this girl, on her needs.


    Sometimes, when the bloodline manifested a skill too early, it could become unstable, and its untethered power would tear down the life energy of the soul. It had happened to Hala ¨C but with the immediate application of the rituals of the ancestors, and proper meditation, he had helped her bring her energy and bloodline safely back into harmony. Malika had unlocked not one, but two bloodline skills ¨C and she was barely level forty and lived far from anyone with the knowledge to help guide her. The violent storm of energy it had released within her had been destroying her unchecked for five days. He had never seen anyone so far gone; it was astounding she was still even standing, let alone trying to fight him.


    It was a shame; he could see flashes of genius in her attacks.


    She attacked, and he carefully analyzed the flow of energy that powered her skills as the energy illuminated the twisted knots.  The pulse of her magic backed up against a blockage in her elbow, causing it to flare brilliantly and highlight the exact shape. He unleashed his fist; a precision punch, striking the tangled knot with a piercing pulse of his own soul-affinity energy. As she spun and hit the ground, the warped energy twisted and then reverted to the original tangled form. He frowned.


    He would need to use significantly more power to separate her energies from her bloodline properly.  She was balanced on a knife¡¯s edge, and if he couldn¡¯t do it, he would have her death on his conscience for the rest of his life. He steeled his heart and mind. Now was not the time to be sentimental, there was literally no other way, and he would be just as responsible if he simply left her to die without trying. He punched again, releasing a violent core of energy through his punch that blasted through her body. There was a sharp crack as her elbow snapped, but the tangled knot of energy finally eased, smoothing out.


    Inwardly, he grimaced. ¡°Heal it,¡± he said, waiting for her to get back up.


    As she resumed her attacks, he shifted his attention to the knots of broken energy in her legs. Her skills were bleeding energy through the tangled knots into the surrounding area, damaging her flesh, blood, and bone as it went. The skills she wielded forced power through the knot, driving them to twist and spread like a malevolent cancer.


    He didn¡¯t make the same mistake again, his two kicks delivered powerful energy strikes with perfect precision, honed by decades of training. Kicks that could sunder granite. Her legs both snapped, and she collapsed, but she didn¡¯t register any pain. Both tangled knots slowly dissolved as her energy smoothed out and began to trickle through.


    He stood waiting for her to heal herself, his anxiety rising at the sight of her energy dimming dangerously.  He admired her determination as she once again got to her feet, despite the obvious pain.


    Channeling his energy, he waited while she attacked from above, and, as soon as her body descended and she channeled her stamina, the giant knot in her stomach came into clear focus. He unleashed his punch, forced to use enough power to send his energy clean through her body. He felt a chill as her energy faltered, and her shirt darkened with blood, but she stabilized once more.


    He studied her energy with the intent focus of a lifetime¡¯s mastery of his arts, watching as it flowed past the former blockage. But to his dismay, her fading energy illuminated the worst, most tangled mess he had ever seen.  Her energy dimmed, and yet she attacked with more power and spirit than in the beginning. He could see the energy pulsing through her body, tangling with the knots and tearing at her, and yet she refused to give in.


    He found himself admiring her will and grit and wishing he could have found her earlier as an apprentice.


    As she executed her flurry of attacks, he waited carefully for the precise moment. This would be close ¨C he would need to use enough to destroy the tangled energy while holding back just enough so that she would survive. He knew her broken body could not handle a second attempt, nor could it withstand the power of his legendary attack. But he had its precursor ¨C the skill that had started him down the path of the Elders. As the twisted power flared through the knots, he seized the opening, allowing her strike to hit him to set up the perfect angle.


    And with his silent prayer, he unleashed the power of his Instantaneous Strike. His fist blurred, impossibly fast even to his accelerated perception ¨C the pinnacle of haste. Splitting time itself, his fist took six separate paths simultaneously, striking all six remaining energy knots while releasing his soul power in a pulse that pierced clear through her body, picking her up and knocking her flying. He automatically healed the damage to his muscles, torn by the extreme demands of his martial skill.


    He held his breath for a long moment, but the fatal chime did not come as her body crashed into the ground. The energy within her crumpled form flickered angrily, pulsing chaotically, dipping to black a few times, but then it slowly smoothed out and Eyes of the Soul told him that the tangled knots of her bloodline had finally been unraveled. He could see the damage to her energy flow and the bloodline that both he and the instability had inflicted on her, but although very weak, her life force continued to shine ¨C a tiny spark of will that refused to be extinguished, perhaps a mark of the suffering she had already endured to reach this point.


    Suddenly, the little Fae blocked him with a golden barrier, her energy a dazzlingly intense gold in his sight.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you kill her!¡± she yelled at him, her face firm and determined.


    ¡°I¡¯m not about to kill her, nor was I trying to,¡± he stated, sighing in relief. ¡°But she does require urgent healing.¡± He didn¡¯t want an unnecessary fight, but his healing required him to be much closer.


    It was then that he noticed the curious rippling pulses of energy flickering along the domain between the girl sprawled in the dirt and the giant oak her companion had transformed himself into. He didn¡¯t cast anything, but it was abundantly clear that the Beastkin¡¯s aura was stabilizing Malika¡¯s life force.


    His own healing magic would have been faster, but the young Beastkin Druid¡¯s magic was strong.


    Inwardly he smiled, careful not to let it show.


    Lacing his fingers together before his throat, he bowed deeply to honor his opponent.


    Malika


    Malika opened her eyes and blinked at the light of the late evening sun falling on her face. She was outside, out in the open air, and for a moment she couldn¡¯t recall where exactly she was. She lay on the ground under a large spreading tree, and somebody had covered her torso and legs with a light blanket. Somewhere nearby, she heard the sounds of voices conversing quietly; Mato, Ali, Ryn, and several others she could not place.


    Her memories crashed back into her head; the excruciating trip, her rapidly unraveling bloodline, and the fight with the Elder. Her heart accelerated in her chest, but its fluttering felt strangely weak, almost detached from her wandering perception.


    She had never stood a chance, but she had needed to win the fight to awaken her bloodline. It had been her only chance, and now it was gone.


    She blinked and sat up, suddenly realizing that there was no pain. Confused, Malika checked herself over, but the pain that had been her constant unwanted companion for the last four¡­ no five days remained blissfully absent. She realized that the sense of disorientation was somehow rooted in her recent walk to the edge of death itself¡­ yet she breathed, her heart beat, and something fundamental had changed.


    She checked her notifications, finding numerous entries for the last few days.


    She stared at the last line, dumbfounded.


    Confused, she checked her aptitudes, but it had indeed changed. She was not dreaming.


    She stopped reading, suddenly becoming aware of the growing silence around her and the feeling of being watched. She looked up to find her friends staring at her with concern etched on their faces. Her face wanted to redden but that seemed a step too far for her abused heart.


    ¡°How are you feeling, Malika?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ just about ok,¡± she answered, finding, to her surprise, that it was true. Someone had healed the bruises and the damage. She still had substantial losses to her maximum health, stamina, and mana, but the jagged bolts of pain were gone, and so were the disorienting haloes of distortion in her vision.


    ¡°Your energy is stable now,¡± Rezan said, studying her with eyes that glowed.


    ¡°My bloodline awakened,¡± she told him, accusingly. ¡°You told me I had to beat you.¡±


    ¡°I told you what you needed to hear. I needed to see the flow of your energy at full power to understand the knots and blockages and where to apply my energy. The only way to be sure was to have you go all out.¡± The glow in his eyes faded. ¡°Congratulations on awakening, I¡¯m sorry it had to be so violent and forceful.¡±


    Malika¡¯s fury faded as she realized it had been an efficient, necessary method. And that he had saved her from an excruciating, drawn-out death.  Idly, she wondered if she was truly being rational, or if it was just her Clarity finally reasserting its calming influence on her mind.


    ¡°Now what?¡± she asked. She found her awakening filled her with a complex flood of emotions, stained with the deep melancholy of her old grief. Awakening her bloodline was a formative and potent achievement, and one that no doubt meant she would survive. However, without her parents, nobody remained to perform the Rite of Naming.


    ¡°The damage you¡¯ve sustained from your bloodline will fade with proper meditation and care,¡± Rezan said. ¡°I suggest you accompany us to Kezda, and I will teach you what you need to know ¨C you should make a full recovery given a little time.¡±


    ¡°I would like to stop at Bakahn village and pay my respects to my parents¡¯ resting place if that¡¯s not too much trouble,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Of course; it¡¯s on the way. But before we go, Malika, I must apologize to you.¡± He shifted uncomfortably.


    ¡°For the deception?¡±


    ¡°You may not have noticed yet, but my last attack imprinted my mana on your soul. It has left us linked by a mentorship tithe. It was not something even I was aware was possible without your explicit permission. It is not appropriate to force such influence over your class on you while you were unconscious.¡±


    Sure enough, it was there. Without her conscious agreement, she had his mana signature tied to her own mana, forming a mentorship bond.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Malika said. ¡°I will remove it, if that¡¯s what you wish.¡± Mentorships were agreements that were entered into with care and consideration. For one thing, most people could only support one or two students or disciples at a time, and he looked like he had two already. For another, they could dramatically influence both the development of the master and the disciple. Even her removing it would cost him several months of recharge time before he could use it for someone else.


    ¡°I would have removed it myself,¡± he noted serenely. ¡°But that would mean I would never be able to offer it to you again. Rescinding a tithe is permanent.¡±


    About to remove the enchant, she suddenly stopped as the implications of what he had just said sank in.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked, not ready to believe it.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s rather sudden ¨C and I just deceived you, beat you up, and forced the enchant on you. But I¡¯d like you to consider it as a real offer for you to become my student.¡±


    Malika simply stared at him, struggling to catch up with what he was saying. But she couldn¡¯t miss the sudden smiles on the faces of his other two disciples.


    ¡°I admire your tenacity and will. I studied the mystical energies of your soul. It would be a great honor to have you as a student.¡± Malika nearly bit a hole in her tongue. An honor? She was a Street Rat. ¡°I ask that you consider keeping the mentorship at least until you¡¯ve recovered so you have the time to make your decision properly. But if you¡¯d rather not, I understand.¡±


    She examined the enchantment, trying to process her emotions. She did not even know this Elder, and while she felt she should be honored by his offer, something within her resisted. Her parents had always cautioned her to only accept mentorship from someone she trusted implicitly. She pulled up the description to see the details.


    Mentor Patronage ¨C Rezan Jin


    Traits: Soul, Dexterity, Perception, Wisdom, Bloodline (Ahn Khen), Haste, Melee, Evasion, Knowledge, Healing.


    Experience gain is increased for actions aligned with your mentor, or under their supervision.


    Gain additional skill unlocks and advances aligned with your mentor¡¯s traits and experience.


    A portion of your increased experience is awarded to your mentor, increasing their reputation.


    Enchantment ¨C Tithe


    ¡°It is a decision of significance, so I don¡¯t want you to answer right now,¡± he continued, and she realized that he was taking pains to offer her an honorable way out, and not force her into anything else. Did that reveal enough of his character to help her decide? ¡°Please take the time to consider it while you recover in Kezda.¡±


    Malika nodded, not trusting herself to answer his overwhelming offer. Before she was forced to speak, the touch of a small hand reaching for hers distracted her. Looking down she saw Ali looking up at her, her eyes filled with concern.


    ¡°I was scared you were going to die.¡±


    ¡°Me too, Ali¡­ me too.¡±


    ***


    As they made their way up the narrow winding mountain road, childhood memories rose unbidden in her mind. She remembered one particularly clear evening before sunset, riding on her dad¡¯s shoulders as they walked back from shopping in the nearby city. She must have been five, and it had been such a happy day. Her dad had shown her how to make rings of peacebloom and she had worn one in her hair.


    The road wound higher and higher into the mountains until it opened into a small, secluded plateau. An open expanse filled with rubble was all that remained of Bakahn village, the home she had been forced to flee so many years ago. To the right was a burned stump of the tree she used to climb when she had wanted to be alone. And the giant boulder she and her friends had used to play heroes-and-demons was blackened around its base. As she walked through the old wreckage of the town, her memories played out a vivid overlay of the town before disaster had struck.


    Walking on automatic, she found herself in front of her parents¡¯ house. The dojo she had practiced at, pretending to be a hero. Or more often trying to copy her mom or dad¡¯s techniques. Her old home. The rubble in front of her was blackened and weeds were growing through it, but in her mind, she could still see it all clearly.


    She was dimly aware that the others had withdrawn to give her space. While she stood before what was the grave of her family, the tears she had been unable to shed all those years ago finally came.


    Aliandra


    Ali sat quietly in the little camp Rezan¡¯s disciples had pitched on the outskirts of the rubble that was all that remained of Bakahn village, watching sadly as Malika wandered the ruins mourning her parents.


    ¡°We lost so much when Bakahn village was destroyed,¡± Rezan said from the opposite side of the campfire. ¡°Almost everyone was killed, only a small few like her managed to escape.¡±


    ¡°I heard it was a dungeon-break,¡± Ali said. Malika had opened up to her about her past and shared some of the details.


    ¡°Yes, a previously unknown dungeon suddenly went wild and destroyed the entire area with fire-affinity monsters. I heard the adventurers talking about an undead monster they found at the heart of the dungeon when they exterminated it.¡±


    Ali¡¯s mind returned to the terrifying encounter with the Blind Lich after they had defeated the undead in the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra, and then to her recent conversation with Lyeneru and her observation that Nevyn Eld was using dungeons for his inscrutable and malign purposes.


    She shook her head, trying to dislodge the morbid idea that the Lich was somehow responsible for Malika¡¯s grief and pain.


    ¡°The disaster also took one of our Elders and the last remaining copy of the Nine Paths of Ahn Khen. It¡¯s been ten years and, without the ancient text, already people are forgetting how to correctly train the children and develop their arts,¡± Rezan said, his voice melancholy and heavy with sorrow.


    ¡°Was it a book?¡± Ryn asked. ¡°The Nine Paths, I mean.¡±


    Ali glanced at Rezan, worried for a second, but he didn¡¯t seem to take offense at Ryn¡¯s curiosity about the lost artifact which was obviously sacred to him.


    ¡°One book for each of the nine paths, bound in the finest drake leather and written in the ancient language. The books were beautiful, filled with our magic, the culture of the Ahn Khen handed down from the ancestors, our martial arts, training, and the development of our techniques and skills.¡± Rezan¡¯s voice was filled with pride and passion, but his eyes were tempered with sadness.


    ¡°Ali, do you think I should try my Seeker skill?¡± Ryn asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think it will help if the books were burnt, but maybe¡­¡±


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t hurt,¡± Ali answered. Ryn had been essential to getting them to the correct place, but other than that, Ali could tell she felt out of place and useless. She was by far the lowest level person, and her class had been unsuited for healing or helping Malika in any way other than her ability to find the right reference books to tell them where to go.


    Ryn closed her eyes, and as her familiar magic forked out across the ruined buildings and charred tree stumps, Ali could see the complex magical formations flickering in Rezan¡¯s eyes as he studied Ryn¡¯s skill.


    Her magic traced arcs across the ground, hopping from building to building, as if it were searching for something by feel. Ali watched it curiously for about a minute before suddenly one arc flared with a coruscating golden light, leaving a powerful afterimage on her vision as if she had just witnessed a ground strike of lightning right beside her.


    Ryn gasped, breathing heavily. ¡°I saw something, but it was too blurry to make it out. But that building ¨C uh, that ruin over there ¨C has a secret cellar beneath it.¡±


    Ali followed as Ryn led the way, excitement mounting as everyone joined in the curious hunt. She didn¡¯t allow herself to hope ¨C Ryn had even said she couldn¡¯t see what her spell had found.


    ¡°Under there,¡± she said, pointing at a huge slab of fallen stone.


    Mato immediately shifted to his Bear Form, and together with Basir ¨C the stocky male disciple ¨C they heaved the wall up and over, revealing a trapdoor set into the blackened stone floor. Together, they reached for a large brass ring offset in the trapdoor, but a few tugs revealed that it was well sealed.


    With a few quick flashes of his magic, Rezan disabled the magical seals.


    ¡°I think this was Elder Inaya¡¯s house,¡± Malika said, drawing their attention to her as she joined them. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it had a cellar. I didn¡¯t think any houses in the village had cellars.¡± She had her lockpicks out, and she had wiped the tears away from her eyes, but it was clear that even though she was pretending she was normal, it would take her a while to recover.


    With a twist and a click, the door opened, and Ali caught the scent of dry and dusty air escaping. She created a barrier in front, both to light the way, and to protect herself from whatever might lurk within, and she descended the stone stairs behind Mato, sneezing as their feet kicked up dust in the stairwell. Perhaps the trapdoor had not been so well fitted or the magical seals let through blown dust, because it was several inches deep in places, and they had to take each step with care.


    Entering the cramped stone cellar, Ali found only a small, frayed carpet in the center of the room, a small table with a few keepsakes, and a single shelf containing nine matching reddish leather-bound books that glowed softly in her mana sight.


    ¡°The ancient text!¡± Rezan gasped. He turned to Ryn and bowed. ¡°You have my eternal gratitude for finding that which we had thought lost forever.¡±


    In the soft light of her magical barrier, Ali could see Ryn blushing at Rezan¡¯s declaration.


    ¡°Perhaps Ali could copy it for you so that it¡¯s harder to lose next time?¡± Ryn said.


    Rezan glanced up, meeting Ali¡¯s gaze. ¡°It¡¯s a magical text in an ancient language. No scribe has been able to copy it in my lifetime.¡± S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Ali has a unique magic,¡± Malika said, still sounding rather subdued.


    But Ali was glad she hadn¡¯t elaborated. Even though it was more or less common knowledge in Myrin¡¯s Keep now, she was still reluctant to simply blurt out the nature of her class to people who were mostly strangers.


    ¡°I will try,¡± she said, levitating herself up to the shelf and retrieving the first book. As she opened the cover and began to memorize it, she felt her Sage of Learning struggling with the unfamiliar language. Without context she would not be able to learn it; however, the magical script yielded easily to her analysis.


    She struggled with it for a bit before she decided to change tactics.


    ¡°Would you mind translating some of this into Common for me please?¡± Ali asked, pushing the book over to Rezan.


    ¡°Which part?¡± he asked, seeming a little surprised.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, it will just go a lot faster if I know what I¡¯m memorizing.¡±


    She enabled Study Trance, watching carefully while Rezan began to read from the ancient tome.


    She was still unable to determine exactly how much time had passed, but she had the feeling it wasn¡¯t more than twenty minutes.


    ¡°Ok, now let me read it and you correct me,¡± she said, taking the book and beginning to read, translating it into Common as she went. Rezan raised an eyebrow in surprise, but he did as she asked, his corrections growing fewer and less frequent as she proceeded.


    Ali studied the pages, knowing she had learned it sufficiently well that she could finish off the books entirely on her own now.


    ¡°Do you mind reading it in Ahn Khen for a bit? So I might learn the pronunciation?¡±


    She could tell he was curious, but he began to read, the words coming out in a strangely lyrical-sounding speech, full of profound inflection. After a few minutes, Ali took over, reading the text directly in Ahn Khen, taking a few pointers of feedback on the correct vowel sounds before her chime sounded once more.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ali said and picked up the book. She paged through it rapidly, using the full speed of her Reading and Runic Script skills to quickly commit the entire tome to memory. She double-checked her memory by scanning through the book one last time, finding no errors.


    ¡°Got it?¡± Ryn asked.


    ¡°Yes, much easier now,¡± Ali answered, glancing at Elder Rezan, but he seemed to think this feat deserved only his most inscrutable expression. She bit down on a surge of irritation. Fine. And now for her next trick, maybe he¡¯d like this one?


    She opened her Grimoire to the book imprint, noticing the flickering formations in Rezan¡¯s eyes again as she began to channel her mana. She chose a variant with a similar leather binding, and then flowed her magic through the imprint, blending her memorized text and Runic Script into the construction as she replicated all the spells, magic, and written text of the original. Rezan had been right, there was a lot of magic contained within the book, and her Runic Script spell worked overtime, drawing heavily on her mana and memory to duplicate the spells and runes.


    A leather-bound book dropped into her lap. The cover was darker and of a different leather than the original, but it was a reasonably close match. As she paged through it, she quickly verified the accuracy of the copy before handing it to Rezan.


    He studied it carefully, his eyes growing wide in surprise as he paged through it.


    Ali left him to it and began to duplicate the rest of the volumes. When she was finally done, she found she was barely able to hold all nine books in her memory at the same time ¨C more than she had ever been able to do before.


    ¡°Would you mind if I made a copy for my library?¡± Ali asked. ¡°If nothing else, it would be a good way to have a copy in a different location in case something happens to these.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I cannot give you permission without consulting with the other Elders. I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯ve done us an extraordinary service today, and I will try and get their agreement, but I cannot guarantee it.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Ali said. She couldn¡¯t quite keep the disappointment out of her voice but after a moment¡¯s hesitation and with an inward sigh, she released the memories she had created.


    Quietly, she reviewed the notifications she had suppressed earlier.


    ***


    ¡°What would you like to do, Malika?¡± Ali asked. They sat around the campfire under the stars where Mato had provided them all with a warm dinner. Ryn chatted with Hala about life in the village of Kezda, and Mato was discussing combat forms with Basir.


    ¡°I think I¡¯d like to return to Kezda with Elder Rezan and his disciples so that I can heal,¡± she answered thoughtfully. ¡°I will return when I¡¯m recovered. I assume you¡¯ll need to return home soon?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have only four more days,¡± she said. She was excruciatingly aware of the passage of time, as tracked by her domain withdrawal, and getting back to her domain was becoming more and more urgent now that Malika was not in imminent danger of dying. ¡°We¡¯ll go to Vertias in the morning so that we can return some of the maps Ryn borrowed and I¡¯ll teleport home from there.¡±


    ¡°Ali, before you go, I have a favor to ask,¡± Malika said.


    Not quite sure what Malika had in mind, especially given that she rarely asked for anything for herself, Ali simply followed her as she led the way down the trail for a few moments.


    ¡°This is peacebloom,¡± Malika said, pointing at the patch of beautiful tiny white flowers growing on the ground. ¡°My mom always said that wherever peacebloom grew, peace was sure to follow.¡± She looked at her, eyes full of emotion. ¡°Would you learn it for me? It would remind me of home.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ali agreed, as she would have done anyway. Carefully, she deconstructed several patches of the tiny white flowers, enjoying the soft scent of their delicate perfume.


    ¡°I¡¯ll plant some around the shrine when I get home,¡± Ali said, happy to see a small smile appear on Malika¡¯s lips.


    ***


    -10% to maximum health.


    Affliction ¨C Duration: Indefinite. Count: 6


    It was the longest she had been outside of her domain since being dropped into the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra, and Ali found herself becoming rather anxious as she flew Ryn and Mato up to the gates at Vertias.


    The guards seemed bored, as might be expected, demanding a few coppers for entrance, but rather than worry about their mildly rude behavior, Ali studied the city a little. She had been far too preoccupied the first time through.


    It was called a city, but she decided it was likely smaller than Myrin¡¯s Keep. What made it stand out were the massive stone walls, clearly the result of a powerful stone crafter or earth mage, and the fact that it had a teleportation locus. Without a source of magicite to power them, things like teleportation circles must have cost a fortune to install.


    She had been sad to say goodbye, but after the fear of losing her friend, a couple of days or weeks apart would not be so bad.


    ¡°Do you guys still have a potion of recall?¡± Ali asked Ryn and Mato after they had finished their business in the city. Something she should probably have thought to ask before they left.


    ¡°I have one,¡± Mato said. ¡°But it will probably cost me the entire day to repay the mana debt.¡±


    ¡°I can cover it,¡± Ali answered. With Inspiration and her large pool of mana, it shouldn¡¯t take her too long.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have one,¡± Ryn said, ¡°but my teleport doesn¡¯t have a range limit, I can just return to the library directly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m jealous!¡± Ali said. ¡°My teleport is nineteen meters.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Ali,¡± Ryn said, feigning a completely innocent expression, ¡°do you think there¡¯s a library in this city?¡±


    ¡°We should definitely check,¡± Ali said excitedly. ¡°Let¡¯s do that first.¡± But then the reality of her situation reasserted itself, checking her mood. ¡°Oh, but I don¡¯t have any gold for a membership. I spent it all to get here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± Ryn said. ¡°They will probably let me check the catalog for free, and I can bind it as a teleport location for my skill. I can come back whenever we have the money.¡±


    ¡°You can just make some coins, can¡¯t you?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Ali said. Finding a spot out of sight, Ali wielded her Grimoire to fill the coin purse and handed it to Ryn.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ amazing,¡± Ryn said, her eyes wider.


    Sinking to one knee, Mato threw his arm over Ali¡¯s shoulders ¨C startling her ¨C and drawled, ¡°Ryn, have you met my portable gold mine? She¡¯s totally loaded.¡±


    ¡°Mato!¡± Ali gasped, as Ryn cracked up laughing.


    ¡°What¡¯d I say?¡± he chortled.


    Well, back in the day that might have been a spicy comment but, Ali realized now, three thousand years had passed and so much had changed. Not wanting to spoil his ebullient mood over Malika¡¯s recovery, she said, ¡°I¡¯m telling your mother on you, you rascal. Let¡¯s go look for the library.¡±


    With only a few quick questions, they located the library and very soon, Ali found herself inside an imposing stone building, an elegant rectangle built around a shady inner courtyard that had benches and nooks set up for reading. She had taken the time to memorize the Vertias Teleportation Locus, which surprisingly was situated in an antechamber attached to the library ¨C a fact she had been too busy to notice the first time around. She had no idea when, or even if she would ever need the locus, but she assumed it may prove handy in the future. If nothing else, Malika might well want to return and revisit Kezda.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to stay and browse the catalog for a while,¡± Ryn said. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you back at the library later?¡±


    ¡°Ok, see you soon,¡± Ali answered, and with that, she and Mato used their last recall potions to return to the Novaspark Academy of Magic receiving room.


    Ali paid more than four thousand mana to cover their teleport in one go, much to the surprise of the official, and then both of them headed out.


    ¡°That¡¯s convenient,¡± Mato said, grinning broadly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s replace our recall potions, and then head home,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Ok, rich girl.¡±


    She shot him a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°If I turn you upside down and shake you, do coins fall out? Or flowers?¡±


    ¡°Mato!¡±


    Simmering inside at his outrageous teasing, Ali nonetheless smiled up at the Beastkin. Oh, he definitely had a soft spot for Malika, she was sure ¨C Mato¡¯s big heart had been on full display for the last week. Still, she realized something else. To have a friend like him at your back was a gift all the gold in the world could not buy.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 137: Death Knight

    Chapter 137: Death Knight- Excerpt from , Third Edition


    Calen


    ¡°Which way?¡± Lyeneru asked.


    Calen fed a trickle of mana into the Wanderer¡¯s gift ¨C his powerful tracking advancement ¨C and felt a distinct pull. ¡°That way,¡± he said, pointing past the distant trees toward the low foothills. ¡°It seems to be moving slowly.¡±


    ¡°Good, we¡¯re catching up,¡± Lyeneru said, flaring her wings and accelerating forward.


    She always made him track the Death Knight while they hunted from the air, but her subtle comment about catching up was proof that she had far better tracking skills than him. While his advanced tracking ability was amazing, it was only a direction ¨C he couldn¡¯t tell if they really were gaining on the powerful undead creature.


    Checking in regularly, Calen adjusted their course as they skimmed the treetops until he found himself drawn to a valley nestled in the foothills of the mountains. Far below, seen as occasional glimpses between the trees, he caught sight of the silver ribbon of a river tributary winding its way out of the valley.


    Trusting his hunch, he squinted, zooming in through the greenery with his vision skill till he saw what had been noticed by his subconscious mind. ¡°The river is frozen,¡± Calen pointed out.


    ¡°It is,¡± Lyeneru said. ¡°We¡¯re right on track, look.¡± She indicated a spot further into the valley and, with a glance, Calen realized that even the trees were frozen ¨C a broad swathe of ice cutting a straight line through the valley and its verdant undergrowth.


    ¡°The Death Knight?¡± he asked, although, what else could it be?


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re here,¡± Lyeneru said, a tight grimace flickering across her features as she narrowed her eyes, studying the frozen forest. ¡°Here¡¯s our plan. You will use stealth to get ahead of it and draw it out to that clearing over there. Your job is to pull it, not to fight ¨C your distraction will allow me to prepare my Ambush. After I engage, you back off and fight it from the air, and do not hesitate to disengage if you take too much damage. Watch out for the fear and ice auras ¨C you¡¯ve figured out their range already, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, nodding. The plan seemed simple, but he had seen the monster up close before, and the reality of what he was about to attempt sent a chill of fear crawling down his spine. She would allow him to fight a little, but that also meant he was fighting a Death Knight who could easily kill him if he made even the slightest mistake. ¡°Will my stealth be good enough against it?¡± Hadn¡¯t she said it was almost level two hundred?


    ¡°This one has excellent vision and hearing, but all of its advanced perception skills are omnidirectional and limited to the range of the fear aura. Use your new Mirage Armor ¨C the illusion should help your stealth. With luck, if you avoid the aura and use the shadows and trees, you should be ok.¡±


    ¡°Luck¡­¡± he echoed, recalling one of his patron¡¯s traits. He retrieved a Dal¡¯mohran gold coin from his dwindling money pouch. ¡°Can¡¯t hurt to buy a little more of that.¡± He stilled his trembling hand and then flipped the coin into the air, pulsing a little mana into it. The gold gleamed, catching the sunlight as it tumbled over and over in the air, and, at the very apex, it vanished in a small puff of glowing sparks.


    +12 to Dexterity.


    +8% to Movement speed.


    Blessing ¨C Duration: 3 hours.


    Lyeneru quirked an eyebrow at him, so he shared the details of his buff with her.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s perfect for this fight,¡± she said approvingly. ¡°Lady Luck is good to you, you¡¯ll need every advantage you can eke out. We both will. When you draw it out, stay on the ground if possible and use the trees for cover. It has a powerful ranged ice magic attack ¨C if you¡¯re in the air before it¡¯s fully focused on me, you will present an easy target.¡±


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m going,¡± he said, mostly to convince himself this was not a swift way to commit suicide. He reserved the mana for Mirage Armor, marveling at the sight of his arms blurring into an indistinct shimmer, but by the time he turned back, Lyeneru had vanished. Suddenly alone, he shivered and then spiraled downward through the treetops for cover as he sought to place himself directly into the path of the oncoming undead calamity of ice, fear, and steel. As soon as he landed, he dismissed his wings and activated his stealth and silence, sprinting across the carpet of decomposing leaves and darting through the trees, willing his heart to stop beating so loudly.


    He set up just off a game trail that cut across the path of the Death Knight, finding his bearings and settling into the dark shadow of a huge spreading tree.


    Just as he was beginning to get his jangling nerves under control, a creeping, cracking noise came to his hearing, and white ice crystals began to appear on every surface, proliferating along the boughs and trunks of the distant trees. The temperature plummeted as if they¡¯d been caught in the breath attack of a furious Frost Dragon. The crunch of heavy steel sabatons breaking sheets of ice echoed through the forest and a deadly chill bit his skin.


    As if his thoughts had summoned it, the dark, shrouded form emerged into the open, stepping out from between two enormous trees and onto the game trail. It approached, striding down the narrow path oozing power and purpose to the sounds of ice creaking as the trees froze solid in its wake. Suddenly, an oak to the left side of the trail exploded, shattered into flying shards of ice and wood by the extreme cold. Shrapnel bounced unnoticed from the Death Knight¡¯s heavy plate armor. Calen shivered, struggling with his inner war against his own body and the fear demanding he scream and flee.


    S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He drew his bow and carefully nocked an arrow. Holding his breath in the hope that the steam would not give him away too early, he tracked the approach of the Death Knight, exquisitely aware of both the range of his bow and the estimated range of the invisible fear aura that undoubtedly welled up and outward from the monster. To his immense relief, his white-knuckled hands held steady.


    He imbued his arrow with Increased Range and fed stamina to his Eclipse skill to attempt an Ambush. Feeding mana to his light damage enchantment, he withheld it on the brink of completion and loosed his arrow. The fletchings brushed his cheek as the arrow shot forth and his heart began to hammer in his throat as he abruptly passed the point of no return.


    Practice and habit took over, his eyes traced the path of his arrow, and at the last possible moment, he released his withheld enchantment. His arrow burst into shining radiance. Ambush triggered; a lurching release felt through the skill itself. His arrow slammed home through a gap between the heavy plates of armor. The Death Knight let out an ethereal, chilling hiss and its intense glowing blue eyes instantly transfixed Calen, driving sudden terror and dread into his impaled soul. He had never felt so small and insignificant. A bug under the armored boot of a giant.


    ¡°You will die for that, half-elf,¡± it rasped.


    The calm, cold hate in its voice ironically restarted Calen¡¯s heart, and he took a shuddering breath of his own, spearing a deathly chill up his nostrils that conversely cleared his mind like a brutal slap to the cheek. Collecting himself abruptly, he turned and fled, leaping over bushes and dodging trees at a dead run, taking full advantage of the Blessing of the Wanderer. He ran flat out, making for the suddenly impossibly distant clearing while his ears picked out every crunch and crash of the Death Knight¡¯s boots breaking ice behind him.


    Lyeneru¡¯s assessment that it was slow was clearly relative. Especially when it was annoyed by the fleeing flea! He risked a panicked glance backward, just in time to jerk back from an ice bolt hurtling toward his head. It swished an inch past his face and punched a hole through the trunk of a tree just as Calen swerved smoothly past it.


    He was preternaturally aware of the range of the Death Knight¡¯s auras, and he could already feel the unnerving fear beginning to trickle through his mind, sowing weakness in his muscles as the world around him grew colder.


    Desperate for every inch of speed, he triggered his Righteous Fury. His body blurred as it accelerated, his Mirage Armor working hard to obscure his position. Another ice bolt whistled past his other ear. He performed his well-practiced spinning leap as he cleared a branch and he fired an arrow back at the Death Knight, using both his damage and his grappling enhancements. The arrow punched into the Death Knight¡¯s arm with no visible effect, and the chains of light instantly shattered as if they were gossamer threads ¨C clearly offering no more resistance than a spider web for the relentless dark monster.


    His breath rasped heavily in his throat as he struggled for enough air to barely keep ahead of the monster. He dodged another ice bolt and summoned a mana potion from his storage, downing it to push his skills just a little longer.


    Panic made his inner voice shrill and brittle as he began to realize just how far it still was.


    Righteous Fury faded, and he felt his mana cool. Calen¡¯s frantic speed slowed. The crunching and cracking of the Death Knight barreling through frozen trees behind him grew louder and louder. The chill began to bite, slowing his muscles. Frost and rime coated the leaves in front of him, and high-speed splinters shot past his neck as yet another tree detonated from the extreme cold.


    Suddenly he jerked to an abrupt stop, his foot trapped in the ice. He pitched forward, slamming hard against the ground. Desperately, he struggled, trying to regain his feet to the sound of cold, mocking laughter. Yanking furiously, he felt his frozen leg snap, shattering at the ankle in a shower of icy chunks of broken flesh and bone. Calen dragged himself to his feet, taking off in a staggering, shambling run on one good foot and a frozen stump. He summoned his wings, ignoring Lyeneru¡¯s instructions to remain grounded, but to his horror, even the magic of his manifested wings creaked and froze, aborting his escape before he even got off the ground.


    His arms and legs trembled uncontrollably as the undeniable power of the fear aura blanketed him. He tripped again and fell, rolling over to find the Death Knight towering over his prone form. All he could do was stare in horror, unable to even summon his recall potion as the fear banished his willpower.


    Slowly, it drew its enormous glowing sword and spoke a single word.


    ¡°Die.¡±


    A blur flashed by from the side. Calen¡¯s body reacted to the concussion of the blast before his ears even registered the deafening crack and bone-shaking explosion. Calen¡¯s face scorched from the blistering heat and lightning crackled all around as the Death Knight was tossed through a nearby tree trunk from the force.


    A blazing avatar appeared from among the trees trailing sparks from her eyes. Her flaming bow remained steady, trained on the impact crater the Death Knight had made. ¡°Move,¡± she ordered.


    Struggling to keep conscious, he forced his trembling, battered body to move. He hadn¡¯t quite made it to the clearing, but she had saved him, nonetheless. Something moved within the crater. Something dark. Instantly, Lyeneru filled it with blazing arrows fired from her bow with immense power and speed ¨C the force of the detonations knocked him over again.


    Scrambling onto his knees, he summoned his wings and took to the sky just above the treetops, getting a healthy distance between himself and the titanic clash of flame, lightning, and ice that erupted below.


    If he had been her target, he would have been vaporized by that attack, and yet he could already see the grim Death Knight clawing its way out of the crater, unleashing a hail of ice on the rapidly dodging Night Elf. Arrows of fire and lightning hammered against a thick wall of ice. While her opening attack had been unimaginably powerful, he had the wits to notice she had used the same trick he did ¨C delaying her magic till the last possible moment to eke the maximum benefit from stacking her skills. Of course, the comparison between their attacks could hardly be called close, but he found comfort in learning his tactics were on the right track.


    With a little distance gained from the epicenter of the clash, his heart began to calm a little and the fingers of fear released their hold on him. Some semblance of control began to return to his trembling hands, still numb and blue from the brutal cold.


    Calen nocked an arrow and sighted down the shaft, forcing his breathing to even out in order to steady his grip. Already, large swathes of the forest were burning or covered in thick sheets of ice. The Death Knight charged forward, felling trees with every swing of its great rune blade as it chased the tenacious Night Elf and filled the air with deadly shards of ice. Lyeneru flew in dizzying arcs with her powerful wings, teleporting every few seconds and unleashing a hail of devastating volleys from every possible angle, filling the air with the stench of burning and ozone.


    Calen took a deep breath and held it, finally settling his frayed nerves. Right after Lyeneru teleported into the air, he unleashed his arrow, not wanting to interfere with her fighting in any way ¨C but there was no way he was just standing by without trying to help.


    He fired again and again as his mana slowly ticked up from his potion. He studied the battle unfolding below. For all Lyeneru¡¯s immense power, the Death Knight was visibly stronger. With his fear, heavy armor, and potent ice magic, it would have had her at a disadvantage but for the fact that she could fly and teleport like a demented bat.


    Calen downed another mana potion as soon as the first expired and resumed his careful marksmanship, although he may as well not be present for all the attention the Death Knight paid him. For his third, he took a health potion instead to try to recover some of the damage sustained from his brief stint in that frost aura. He fired arrow after arrow into the stalemate as the two titans turned the once-pristine forest valley into a hellscape of destruction.


    It was like an instinct ¨C his class-provided sense of timing. He didn¡¯t even need to check his skill, when he sensed it was recharged, he lit the sky by igniting his mana. He aimed and loosed a storm of arrows at the Death Knight¡¯s head and shoulders, imbued with Righteous Fury¡¯s intense power. Even at his strongest, his arrows seemed pale and tiny against the backdrop of magical fury being unleashed below. But he put everything he had into it.


    An arrow struck the back of the Death Knight, somehow finding a minuscule gap between the heavy plate pauldron and the shrouded neck, sprouting there like a glowing shard. The creature whirled with a hiss Calen could hear from all the way up above the treetops. Suddenly, the air around him was thick with flying shards of ice, and the only thing he could do was dodge at top speed. He flared extra mana into his wings, accelerating his speed, but still, a thick shard of ice impaled his right thigh just above the knee. Another shard shattered his shin from the force of the impact, while dozens more swished by, leaving grazes and scrapes where he barely managed to dodge their razor-sharp edges.


    A deathly chill seeped into his body, creeping out from the wounds. As his legs began to freeze, he used the last few seconds of Righteous Fury to flee the storm of ice, darting higher overhead and hoping he wasn¡¯t making himself an easier target. He glanced back down, finding the Death Knight staring up at him, about to launch another storm of ice.


    A detonation rocked the valley below, blasting a new crater into the ground. Splinters of trees and chunks of dirt and rock hurtled past his head as he took sudden evasive maneuvers. But as the debris and smoke cleared an eerie silence returned to the forest ¨C what was left of it. Flame crackled along the trunks of toppled forest giants, slowly burning out. Sparks arced along the ground, tracing the edges of thick blocks of ice.


    Down in the crater, the Death Knight lay with a smoking hole in the center of its torso. Lyeneru hovered above, bow drawn, magic mounting.


    ¡°It is futile, Night Elf,¡± the Death Knight said, his voice sending chills down Calen¡¯s spine. ¡°The Master will raise another. He will keep hunting you until you die. And then you will serve¨C¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s welcome to try,¡± Lyeneru answered, her voice flat and harsh. Then her bow burred one last time. Her arrow punched a hole through the Death Knight¡¯s head.


    Calen gasped at the sound of his chime.


    He could scarcely believe his eyes. And yet the notifications did not lie.


    Calen slowly drifted down.


    He glanced down at his missing foot and the shattered remnants of his favorite boots that still clung to the stump.


    ¡°Well done, Calen,¡± Lyeneru said, taking her eyes off the fallen Death Knight to look at him.


    The sound of his name from her lips sent a thrilling surge of pride through his exhausted, broken body.


    ¡°You distracted him well enough that I was able to get off a second Ambush,¡± she said, confirming what he had guessed. ¡°That contribution probably earned you at least two of those levels.¡± She wore an uncharacteristic grin on her face.


    Calen winced at the jarring pain as he lowered himself to the ground. With the Death Knight¡¯s death, its magic no longer invaded his body, but his legs were still shattered and bleeding. His health potion hadn¡¯t restored his missing foot and with the receding frost, came a powerful surge of pain. He drank another healing potion, wishing Mato or Malika were around.


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad I could help a little,¡± he said, speaking through gritted teeth. ¡°You were right. I love Mirage Armor.¡± He had dodged an entire storm of ice shards and even just the two that had hit had destroyed his legs.


    Lyeneru¡¯s grin widened. ¡°The Pathfinder Guild needs the Death Knight corpse, but you can take the plate armor and sword if you like. Perhaps you can sell it to feed your insatiable potion addiction.¡± She tossed the equipment in his direction and stored the corpse.


    But he understood her infectious smile and good humor. They had achieved something incredible ¨C they had rid the world of a Death Knight ¨C a Greater Undead and scourge on the living. The world would be safer without its evil.


    he corrected himself, almost as if Mato were listening to his thoughtsHe was still trying to wrap his mind around the power that had created the giant crater they were sitting in and had ended the Death Knight.


    ¡°You can sell that stuff in Ciradyl when we get there.¡±


    ¡°Ciradyl?¡± Calen asked, confused. He had only seen pictures of the beautiful elven forest city.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she answered nonchalantly. ¡°The Pathfinders Guild is there, and you are joining. I will sponsor you for the rank of initiate. After today¡¯s performance, you can skip the entire novice rank.¡±


    Calen¡¯s brain reeled from Lyeneru¡¯s announcement.  His disbelief must have been plain to see because Lyeneru just chuckled.


    ¡°My only critique is you¡¯re not powerful enough yet, and that is something you will solve with time and training. That is what the guild is for. You have demonstrated courage against a terrifying foe far above your level, smart combat skills, the ability to follow directions even when they¡¯re challenging, and good improvisation and situational awareness,¡± she said, pinning him with a look that plainly said he had better live up to her assessment, or else. ¡°Nothing in the standard trial could hold a candle to this fight. You have earned your Pathfinder badge.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ thanks!¡±


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s get you a proper healer, those weak potions won¡¯t regrow your legs,¡± she said, reaching toward him. ¡°Here, take my hand.¡±


    As soon as he did, he felt the familiar lurch of long-range teleportation and found himself suddenly sitting in the center of a silvery, glowing teleportation locus inscribed into a solid wooden floor. Almost immediately, a hazel-eyed Wood Elf Healer with flowing dark green hair stepped forward with the iconic cloak of the Pathfinders swishing from her shoulders.


    She spoke a few soft words in the lilting speech of the Elves and placed her hands on his wounded legs, sending a gentle stream of healing magic flowing into him. Calen slumped back on the aged floor, groaning, ¡°Oh¡­ beautiful.¡±


    Then he caught the slightest of smiles curving her lips.


    ¡°Uh ¨C the, uh, sensation ¨C I meant!¡± he stammered, fearing he had just inserted his remaining foot into his mouth, right up to the knee.


    Switching languages, she replied, ¡°I¡¯d say the same for you, young half-human. Now, if only you were two hundred years older¡­¡±


    Lyeneru snorted, ¡°Evidently, he¡¯ll be just fine.¡±


    Aliandra


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get back to my domain,¡± Ali said, sighing. She was well and truly done with this Domain Withdrawal.


    ¡°I bet,¡± Mato said. ¡°Here¡­¡± He bent over and hauled up the iron grate.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said, stepping onto a barrier disk and levitating herself down into the sewers. She wrinkled her nose at the foul odor.


    Mato grunted from above as he replaced the iron grate and began climbing down the ladder.


    ¡°What do you want to¨C¡± she began, but suddenly she was interrupted by a moaning noise. She snapped her head around to find herself staring into dead eyes set in a rotting face.


    ¡°¡­rrraaarhg¡­¡±


    She snapped a second barrier up just in time to catch the grasping bony hand. It splatted against her barrier, leaving a handprint of nasty-looking black ooze dripping down its surface. ¡°Mato! Zombie!¡±


    Moments later, the bear charged by, and slashed through the zombie with a powerful Swipe of his claws.


    ¡°What the fuck is that doing here?¡± Mato demanded after shifting back to his Beastkin form.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ali said. ¡°But we need to find out.¡± She crept up to the intersection and peeked around the corner.


    ¡°Uh, there¡¯s a lot of them,¡± Ali said. ¡°Do you think they¡¯re left over from that Necromancer?¡±


    ¡°Probably, what else could it be?¡± Mato said, immediately warping back to his Bear Form.


    ¡°Can I leave those to you while I summon a mage?¡± Ali asked.


    She got a grunt in reply, which she took to mean yes. By the time she had summoned a Fire Mage, Mato had cleared the tunnel. ¡°At least they¡¯re low level.¡±


    They pressed on, clearing tunnel after tunnel until they reached the entrance to the cavern, and here Ali stopped and stared. As far as she could see, her home was crawling with zombies and skeletons.


    ¡°Looks like we have some work to do,¡± Mato said. ¡°Summon some more monsters, I¡¯ll wait.¡±


    Ali climbed down into the cavern, following Mato, and then opened her Grimoire to summon a second Fire Mage.


    ¡°¡± Ali commanded.


    ¡°Yes, Ancient Mistress.¡± Her Kobold Mages bowed, eyes gleaming red in the dark, and then they scampered down the rise with delighted chirps, summoning flame to their hands.


    ¡°Lira did say my domain would attract monsters, but this is a jolly horde,¡± Ali said, paging through her Grimoire and selecting a shaman for her next summon.


    ¡°There may be higher level undead, we should be careful,¡± Mato said.


    Ali nodded and summoned an Acolyte. She wanted a full complement of monsters before they headed out into this mess.


    ***


    The chime sounded as Ali entered Lydia¡¯s Allure with Mato and her two Kobolds. It was remarkable how much better she felt after spending a few hours in her domain recovering from her withdrawal while Mato and her monsters cleared the cavern of undead. Even after her rest, they were still picking off stragglers, so she left her Kobolds and Goblins with orders to wipe them all out.


    As if on cue, her chime sounded again.


    The endless stream of notifications had slowed dramatically, however, like sand, the undead had gotten in everywhere, and her minions were still flushing them out of nooks and crevices.


    After she had recovered, Mato had graciously agreed to accompany her to Lydia¡¯s shop, citing safety in numbers ¨C especially given that there was most likely still a bounty on her head.


    ¡°Oh, hi Aliandra, Mato.¡± Lydia glanced up at the sound of the door chime and greeted them. She looked busy, sitting behind the counter where bright fabric panels cut into strange shapes adorned the surface while thread and needle flew, accelerated by her tailoring skills.


    The store was empty of customers, but it was full of boxes, packed and arranged in orderly rows ready for transport. It seemed business was booming.


    Ali identified her automatically, but what she saw made her suddenly pause. It was one thing to see your class grow, but sometimes it was in the little, unexpected details that she really appreciated the progress.


    ¡°Hi Lydia,¡± Ali greeted her. ¡°I just wanted to let you know Calen is going to be busy for a few days.¡±


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t gotten himself into trouble again, has he?¡±


    ¡°This is Calen,¡± Mato answered with a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m the one who gets into trouble, not him!¡±


    Lydia gave him a look that spoke volumes about just how unimpressed she was with his wit. Ali wondered just how many versions of that conversation they had had over the years.


    ¡°He went on a quest with Lyeneru Silverleaf,¡± Ali put in, before Mato got himself scolded. ¡°She wanted his help to track the Death Knight. They left in a hurry, which is why he probably didn¡¯t stop by and tell you himself.¡±


    Lydia¡¯s eyes widened briefly. ¡°She had better take care of him, or I will have words with her.¡± She downplayed it with her understated humor, but there was deep worry in her eyes.


    ¡°I met her,¡± Ali reassured Lydia quickly. ¡°She is unimaginably powerful ¨C a three-mark Pathfinder ¨C Calen couldn¡¯t be in better hands, even against a Death Knight.¡± She neglected to mention that she had had to stare down the wrong end of Lyeneru¡¯s bow, deciding that would not be reassuring in the slightest. However, in the end, it seemed she could chalk that up to a misunderstanding, and it had all worked out. Worked out in a way that left Ali with a lot of unfinished homework.


    Lydia sighed. ¡°Ok, thanks for letting me know.¡±


    ¡°Business seems good?¡± Ali asked, indicating the boxes ¨C there were quite a few of them, many addressed to ¡®Weldin Thriftpenny, Adventurers Guild¡¯.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m always busy now. The idea of pairing up with the Adventurers Guild shop has gone extremely well. As soon as the word got out, half of the Novaspark Academy stopped by and cleaned out every piece I made. The cloth armor is very popular among the lower-level mages and healers.¡±


    While she sounded happy, there did seem to be an undercurrent of something that bothered her.


    ¡°Just the lower levels?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she sighed. ¡°I think I am reaching the limits of what I can do on my own. The higher-level mages are looking for more enchantments ¨C high-level magical or uncommon grade pieces, and I haven¡¯t been able to discover that technique on my own. All I have are the self-repair enchant, and the minor healing and bone magic enchants you helped me learn. The healing enchant is in high demand, but bone magic affinity is pretty rare. And there¡¯s no way the guild tailors are going to part with their secrets now that I¡¯ve proved to be competition.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Ali said, her brow furrowing in thought. It was a real predicament.


    Lydia sat up a little, composing herself. ¡°Enough about my problems. You¡¯ve leveled up quite a lot, would you like me to upgrade your armor?¡±


    Ali wondered if she was reading more into it than there was, but she felt that Lydia was bothered quite a bit more than she was letting on.


    ¡°That would be fantastic,¡± Ali answered. In truth, she had been meaning to get an upgraded armor set but had simply not had the time for a town trip in quite a while, and she had really outgrown her old piece.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lydia said. ¡°I get most of my levels from you. I will be sad when you outgrow my work. At least for now, I¡¯m glad I can still be a help.¡± She smiled at Ali. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come by and pick it up tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali answered.  Lydia was worried about hitting a progress wall and it seemed she didn¡¯t know how to solve it. For that matter, Ali had no idea how to help her either, unless she stumbled upon some gear with an important enchantment and mass-produced it for Lydia to study ¨C but there was little chance of finding anything in the jungle wearing mage robes.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 138: Beginner Dungeon

    Aliandra It was late afternoon by the time she and Mato reached the Adventurers Guild. Ali paused and stared at the heavy oak doors with their distinctive heavy brass handles gleaming from the reflected rays of the mid-morning sun. It had been quite some time since she had entered the guild ¨C so much had transpired. A complex knot of emotions twisted around inside her. The last time she had entered through these doors had been before the business with Alexander Gray, before Roderik and the burning of her forest, and even before much of their exploration of the jungle level below Dal¡¯mohra.


    ¡°Are you ok, Ali?¡±


    She collected herself with an act of will and nodded to Mato. It was just nerves. She straightened up and followed him into the guild hall.


    ¡°Hi Aliandra, hi Mato,¡± Mieriel called out from her desk, her typically delighted lyrical voice guarded and laced with an undercurrent of uncertainty. She was elegantly dressed, as usual, in a creation that Ali would have bet had started the day in one of the many boxes stacked up in Lydia¡¯s Allure earlier.


    ¡°Hello Mieriel.¡± She had avoided the guild for a long time mainly because she had gotten such a bad vibe from Mieriel ¨C reinforced by Malika and Calen¡¯s suspicions of memory tampering ¨C but, now that she knew what had happened, she knew she no longer had any reason to be afraid of the Sun Elf. Her emotions, however, did not subscribe to direction from her rational faculties, insisting on doing their own thing.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Mieriel said, looking awkward and apologetic, clearly catching the tone of her emotional state with her potent perception skills.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± Ali answered, willing it to be so. ¡°You leveled up,¡± she said, trying to shift the conversation to something a little more comfortable.


    ¡°I got three levels from the preparation and the Town Council trial,¡± she answered, inclining her head. Then she continued, ¡°There are some personal quests for you guys.¡±


    Ali reached out and took the envelope Mieriel offered her, noting, curiously, that there was a separate one for Mato.


    Ali dismissed the distraction.


    ¡°Also,¡± Mieriel continued, ¡°If you have the time, there are a lot of new general quests and jobs up on the board related to the undead. You might want to check it out. And, Aliandra, the Guildmaster would like to talk to you, if possible.¡±


    ¡°Busy day,¡± Mato quipped. ¡°Thanks, Mieriel.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± Ali answered, tearing open her envelope and peeking inside. She found an elegantly hand-written letter in Elvish with a simple request from Eliyen asking if she could escort Basil to the lake to collect more mana-purified water. Apparently with the blight and the undead, her elixirs were suddenly in much higher demand.


    Spying a curious footnote in the letter, Ali asked, ¡°It says here that Eliyen made some sort of arrangement with the guild store to pay me for mana-purified water?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Mieriel said, smiling. ¡°The guild percentage for mana-purified water has been increased by fifteen percent for every sale, and the difference is to be paid into your account. Is that acceptable?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Ali said. Without Malika around to confirm, she wouldn¡¯t know for certain, but it sounded generous. So far, Eliyen had been conscientious about keeping her end of the bargain and she trusted the herbalist. Depending on how much water she needed, Ali might soon refill her bank account. She could, of course, just make the gold directly, but Hadrik Goldbeard would probably be suspicious if she suddenly deposited a whole lot of ancient Dal¡¯mohran currency again.


    ¡°What did you get?¡± Ali asked, changing the subject as she turned to Mato.


    He offered her the note, and said, ¡°Sigurd saw me using Tree Form from the city walls and he¡¯s offering to pay me to try to cleanse the blight from his farm.¡±


    ¡°Will that work?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m pretty sure I can help him,¡± Mato answered.


    ¡°Maybe you can practice your plant growth skill on his fields?¡± Ali was pleased to hear Mato thought he could help. Sigurd had been very nice to them, even when it had become common knowledge that she was a dungeon. Some people simply had remarkable integrity.


    ¡°Yup. Let¡¯s check the job postings while we wait,¡± he suggested. He seemed to be quite excited about his personal quest ¨C which was not much of a surprise. Mato always wanted to feel useful. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The jobs board was a bit of a surprise ¨C there were many more jobs posted than she had remembered from the last time she was here. ¡°Most of these seem to be fallout from the Necromancer,¡± Ali observed soberly.


    ¡°Yep, seems like it,¡± Mato said. ¡°Lots of requests for food, it must be scarce still.¡±


    ¡°I can help with that,¡± Ali answered. The zombies hadn¡¯t destroyed any of her fruit trees, and she could always plant more wheat or rice. ¡°Maybe ask Sigurd if he wants to stop by and fill up from the fields again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let him know,¡± Mato said.


    The blight and destruction were still causing problems for the surrounding areas. There was a general bounty on culling undead. ¡°Wish I¡¯d seen this before we cleared the cavern,¡± Ali said, adding the quest to her guild ring by touching it to the parchment pinned to the board.


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Mato said, still scanning the board.


    There were quests from the logistics department at the Garrison requisitioning arrows, weapons, potions, and bandages, some of which Ali noted as things she could help out with immediately.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m going to go see what the Guildmaster wants,¡± Ali said. ¡°See you later.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ali said, choosing one of the comfortable seats around the coffee table opposite Vivian Ross in her office.


    ¡°What for?¡± she asked, looking a little surprised.


    ¡°I understand it was you who pointed Calen and Mato in my direction when I was facing Alexander Gray,¡± she explained.


    ¡°Oh, that¡­ yes.¡±


    ¡°I assume the council didn¡¯t approve,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°They don¡¯t know. Well, besides Donella. They can¡¯t disapprove if they are not aware of it.¡± She quirked a wry smile.


    ¡°Did you put her up to helping too?¡± Donella Novaspark had been a devastating force with her Chain Lightning, suppressing the undead army with covering fire from the battlements. Every time Ali had been able to draw undead back into the range of the Gnomish mage, they had been obliterated instantly. Without her support, they would have surely been surrounded and overrun. Her involvement was one of the things Ali still hadn¡¯t figured out, and if Vivian had been involved she finally had her explanation.


    ¡°I might have suggested she stand on the battlements and do some target practice,¡± Vivian answered with a grin on her face. ¡°I hope it helped. Bastian really had our hands tied, and if Donella wasn¡¯t so influential, she would probably be in a lot of trouble with the crown right now. As it stands, he can do very little to her because she controls all the advanced teleportation into and out of Myrin¡¯s Keep, and the flow of information with the rest of New Daria.¡±


    ¡°It was a big help, thank you again,¡± Ali answered. The woman was not only powerful, but she was smart and politically savvy.


    ¡°It is me that should be thanking you for taking care of that thorny problem. Bastian and his friends lost quite a lot of political capital in that debacle, especially having earned the disapproval of the Pathfinders. I find myself in your debt, and yet I must ask you for some big favors.¡±


    ¡°What do you need?¡± Ali wasn¡¯t certain how to read Vivian. On one hand, she had been the one to order the invasive interrogation. But she had also stood by her during the council trial, and even though bound by the council rules, she had found ways to help Ali with the necromancer.


    ¡°I just wish I were still¨C¡± Vivian said, but she stopped and cleared her throat awkwardly as she caught Ali¡¯s eye. ¡°I was hoping to convince you to use your shrine again. William Turner indicated he is close to having enough candidates to run another set of class trials.¡± Vivian paused for a moment.


    ¡°And¡­ you think you can convince them to use my shrine?¡± A little shiver passed down Ali¡¯s spine.


    ¡°Convincing them won¡¯t be an issue. Word got around from last time, and some people are deliberately holding off in the hope that your shrine will be available soon,¡± Vivian said. She took a deep breath. ¡°You see, I¡¯m struggling to recruit good people for the guild. The news that this ¡®silent assassin¡¯ is targeting our members has begun making the rounds. There aren¡¯t that many people gaining combat classes, and the good ones are often snapped up by the garrison, or they leave town for more attractive or profitable jobs in Southport or one of the other larger cities. I recruited those that have been interested ¨C on probation, of course ¨C but they¡¯re weak or have poor attitudes, and I think I will need to weed them out soon. The only strong guild members are your party and those in Teagan and Aiden¡¯s groups ¨C more than half of which you¡¯re responsible for unlocking with your shrine.¡±


    Ali had been overjoyed to help people like Havok, Basil, and Ryn gain their classes, but she had no personal investment in the people this time around. The last class ceremony had been followed almost immediately by assassination attempts and the burning of her entire Forest Cavern, wiping out most of her domain in the process.


    ¡°Can I have some time to think about it?¡± She really wanted to talk it over with Malika, but she was still in Kezda recovering with the elder.


    ¡°May I ask what¡¯s causing your hesitation? I thought you enjoyed giving them strong classes?¡± Vivian asked, surprise flickering in her eyes, but it didn¡¯t sound like she wanted to force the issue.


    ¡°I am certain that the class ceremony is how Roderik Icecrown discovered I was a dungeon.¡± She grimaced at memory. It was hardly the only reason, but she didn¡¯t want to go there right now.


    ¡°Aah¡­ well I understand. Just let me know when you decide. In the meantime, would you consider repopulating the sewers? We¡¯re being swamped with undead from the southern forest, and most of the quests and jobs are too high level for the guild as it is right now. If Aiden and Teagan¡¯s groups were all bronze rank, I think we would stand a much better chance of cleaning up the mess left behind by Alexander Gray. Your sewer was the perfect training ground for them.¡±


    ¡°Why are there still zombies and skeletons? He¡¯s dead. When I got back, the sewer and my cavern were crawling with undead,¡± Ali said. She checked her ring, noting that the quest counter for the undead bounty increased by one, even though the notification had come from her minions making the kill without her.


    ¡°The forest is still infected with the blight,¡± Vivian said. ¡°That miasma is spreading, and everything it kills is raised as undead. Without expensive potions or high-level cure skills, the lower-level beasts and people are dying like flies. I¡¯m hoping your friend, Mato, can help out, but the scale of the problem is immense.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said. ¡°I¡¯ll reclaim the sewer and populate it with appropriate monsters. It shouldn¡¯t take more than a day.¡± This request was easy enough. After all, she was going to need to become a real dungeon, and that meant monsters and traps, and figuring out how to dungeon.


    ¡°Vivian, you spent a lot of time in dungeons, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I did, but I¡¯m retired after losing the rest of my team,¡± she answered, a shadow of some old pain crossing her face briefly.


    ¡°Lyeneru Silverleaf paid me a visit.¡±


    Vivian cocked an eyebrow.


    ¡°She told me I was a terrible dungeon,¡± Ali said, grimacing at the embarrassing, blunt assessment she had been subjected to. ¡°I had no monsters or traps or anything like a real dungeon. I can populate the sewer for the guild members to train on, but I¡¯d like to do it like a real dungeon. Do you have any advice?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Well, that¡¯s a request I never expected to hear in my lifetime.¡± Vivian¡¯s brow furrowed for a long moment before she continued. ¡°Bosses ¨C you need boss monsters. I don¡¯t know how it works for your class, but dungeons are powerful, and terrifying because of the bosses they wield. And you need to invest in some kinds of traps. Just¡­ nothing too diabolical for the training area, please. I¡¯d rather not send our best guild prospects to their deaths.¡±


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll have to do some research. I don¡¯t know how to make bosses yet, but I have a few things I can study. I mean I didn¡¯t even know my class  a dungeon till recently. I¡¯ll do the sewer and keep the monsters and traps under level ten. Do you think that will be sufficient?¡± One side benefit would be that the monsters and traps in the sewer might provide a safety buffer preventing the undead from reaching town.


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect, thank you, Aliandra. I really appreciate it. And please let me know about the shrine whenever you decide. Even one more Havok, Kaitlyn, or Devan in the guild would be a huge success. With a strong set of people reaching bronze rank, we should be able to start pushing back the blight and the undead monsters.¡±


    Vivian Ross


    ¡°How did it go, Vivian?¡± Mieriel asked her.


    Vivian reflected on her life as part of an adventurer delve team and what had brought her to Myrin¡¯s Keep and her desire to form a guild. Nothing in there had prepared her for Aliandra.


    The appearance of Alexander Gray had nearly undone her. Vivian grimaced. With what had happened to her class upon her evolution¡­ She was easily able to deal with incidents like the Goblin dungeon-break, but the necromancer might have been beyond her abilities now. If Aliandra and her friends hadn¡¯t been up for the challenge, her precarious situation might have been unmasked ¨C and with Mori, Bastian, and Jax all arrayed against her, that would have been an unmitigated disaster. She needed to accelerate the guild and the development of their classes.


    ¡°She agreed to repopulate the sewer. You can let Aiden and Teagan know they should be able to use it by tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°But not the shrine?¡±


    ¡°She said she wanted to think about it.¡± That was the thorniest problem. Aliandra had single-handedly contributed to the bulk of the guild¡¯s recruitment in that one event ¨C and, if she counted by quality, rather than quantity, the ledger was skewed even further in Aliandra¡¯s favor.


    ¡°I imagine she wants to talk with her friends, and two of them are out of town right now. Give her time.¡±


    ¡°I wish I knew what she wanted.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t force her, she has been through enough already.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, I wasn¡¯t planning on forcing her. I¡­ I¡¯ve learned that lesson.¡± It was just that the idea of forming a working relationship with an actual real dungeon bent and even sprained several long-held expectations and truths she believed ¨C had believed, she admitted to herself. ¡°It¡¯s just hard. We need to increase recruitment. You know how dangerous the initial levels are.¡±


    ¡°Well, about that¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, what did they do this time?¡± She sighed. A few of the probationary members seemed to think that their guild membership conveyed rights and entitlements that they had no business demanding. She had only accepted them into the guild because of the dire state of recruitment, and, of course, it was now backfiring.


    Aliandra


    ¡°Is that enough?¡± Ali asked as she sealed the last bottle and stored it. Even removed from the lake the mana-purified water glowed a brilliant blue ¨C far brighter with mana sight, but even to her mundane senses it still looked impressive.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Basil answered. ¡°Eliyen doesn¡¯t have enough money to buy all this back from Weldin, so we¡¯ll have to make potions first and work our way through the stock.¡±


    It was perhaps an overly complicated system, Ali decided, but it seemed to check all the legal boxes. As a member of the guild, Basil could harvest the water and legally sell it to the guild store. As a registered herbalist apprenticed to Eliyen, he could purchase it back, paying the additional guild markup and taxes ¨C which was how Hadrik Goldbeard was kept happy ¨C and Ali would get paid.


    ¡°How long till you can have the potions made and distributed?¡± Mato asked. ¡°Some of the farmers caught the blight.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s our highest priority,¡± Basil said. ¡°We can have the first batch ready in a couple of hours.¡±


    ¡°How about I come with you?¡± Mato said. ¡°I have a job to cleanse Sigurd¡¯s farm, and he will want one of those potions ¨C I could take it with me.¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re done here, let¡¯s head out,¡± Ali said. ¡°I want to work on the sewers, so I can walk with you for a bit.¡± Chatting amiably, the three of them headed back together.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Basil exclaimed. ¡°You replanted the flower garden!¡±


    ¡°I missed it,¡± Ali said. There were more Mystic Bluebells than perhaps strictly necessary, but she still thought it had been worth it to make a point to Lyeneru. Silly perhaps, but it still made her feel better.


    ¡°Where did you get peacebloom?¡± Basil exclaimed.


    ¡°Bakahn Village in northern Toria,¡± Ali said. She had planted a fair amount of it in the bamboo forest Malika loved, but it had also gone really well in the flower garden.


    ¡°Can I take a sample?¡± Basil asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure Eliyen knows how to use it.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Ali nodded. It was not her goal to turn it into a resource, but if Malika¡¯s flower helped, she wouldn¡¯t begrudge them gathering some.


    ¡°You know, I can ask Eliyen for some cuttings from her roses,¡± Basil said, quickly gathering some of the flowers and storing them. ¡°Maybe we can add some of those to the garden? Also, I know where to find some chrysanthemums in orange and pink ¨C I think those would go nicely off to the left side over there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love that!¡± Ali said, and for the rest of the way to the passage up to the sewer level, Basil continued gushing about his favorite flowers, what he might be able to find, and how they might enhance the garden.


    She smiled to herself, finding that his contagious enthusiasm never seemed to get old. When they reached the location of the old rockfall and the glowing golden staircase she had made, Ali bid the two of them goodbye and summoned her Grimoire, calling a couple of Kobolds to guard her in case she encountered any loose zombies.


    The mana from her domain below didn¡¯t quite reach the sewers ¨C she hadn¡¯t been that interested in reclaiming them until Vivian had requested it, so she hadn¡¯t planted anything that could reach nearby. With just a few minutes¡¯ worth of work, she planted a stand of Living Bamboo along the cavern wall, reaching up till the tips of their stems brushed the lower cavern roof along this edge. She turned to the next imprint and spread ivy and several species of creeper from the jungle below across the craggy wall and through the hole into the sewer above, careful to avoid splashing herself with the foul-smelling effluent that poured out from above. To bolster the arcane portion of her domain, offsetting the density of nature mana beginning to spill from the Living Bamboo, she planted several thick patches of blue mana grass around the base of the spiral staircase and nestled up in the hollow spaces between the rocks.


    It was easy work, but as she got into it, her mind returned to Lyeneru and her sudden appearance in her domain.


    ¡°she had said.


    Ali paged through her Grimoire for a bit and then summoned a Luminous Slime. The slime blobbed and wobbled, casting long shadows from the massive bamboo stems with the bright yellowish light of its amorphous body.


    She took a moment to reacquaint herself with the bizarre, alien senses of the ooze monster, but it wasn¡¯t nearly as disorienting as she remembered. She could feel-hear the vibrations of the Kobold guards nearby, accurately pinpointing their position by the sound of their heartbeats tickling the entire membrane of the slime¡¯s body.


    she thought. Her skills had leveled up ¨C thathad to be the explanation. She had more intelligence, more perception, and her Martial Insight skill had grown. She still struggled to correlate the strange senses to what she perceived with the more familiar senses she had been born with, but she sat with it patiently until it progressively resolved in her mind. Then she added the senses of her Fire Mage.


    It took several minutes to get used to the second pair of eyes. The Kobold¡¯s vision was different than her own, seeing much better in the darkness, but it was maintaining two points of view that were the most disconcerting. She took some time to wrap her mind around the extra stream of information, deliberately not favoring one or the other.


    She climbed up the stairs and into the sewer, calling for her monsters to follow. Her Kobolds scampered up the spiral staircase, triggering an explosion of vibration senses from the slime while it simply flowed itself up the ivy-draped wall and along the rocky ceiling before smooshing itself into the sewer room, through a little crack.


    Her domain mana was already beginning to percolate up through the bamboo and ivy and seep through the brick floor of the sewer chamber, propagating far faster now, partly due to her class and skill growth. The biggest boost in speed, however, had come when she had added Arcane Recall ¨C the Mastery skill benefiting her other skills in many surprising ways.


    Ali opened her Grimoire, and then, ironically, summoned a monster first. Her Moss Creeper bobbed gently on the ground in front of her.


    ¡°¡± Ali said, sending it scampering off into the darkness. ¡°¡±  She summoned a few more and then did the same with Spore Spreaders. Delegating filling the gaps to her summoned minions, Ali spent the next couple of hours walking through the sewers with her Kobold bodyguards, channeling enormous amounts of mana through her imprints, laying down moss carpets and golden glowing mushrooms everywhere.


    She took the time to add variety. Psathyrella mushrooms in the sewage channels were a must, the place reeked ¨C but she planted those by proxy, more willing to let her Spore Spreaders get dirty than stick her hands in that foul stream. Here and there, she added jasmine for its pretty white flowers and the distinctive scent of their perfume and instructed the Spore Spreaders to be liberal with the kinds of mushrooms they grew. If the adventurers were going to level up in these tunnels, they might as well do some good harvesting ingredients for the Alchemists or Herbalists. Or perhaps even the Chefs, given how scarce food seemed to be. If they earned some coin doing so, Ali imagined they¡¯d probably spend it buying armor or weapons from the store, which would help them grow.


    Content that her minions could finish filling in the vast network of smaller passages, she stopped and paged through her Grimoire.


    It was a sewer after all ¨C even if it was beginning to smell much better. She stopped and considered the Goblin imprint for a while. She had felt rather uncomfortable about making Havok fight Goblins, but he hadn¡¯t seemed to mind at all.


    she thought, deciding not to be squeamish about it if Havok wasn¡¯t. Her Kobolds were mostly way too high level to be an appropriate challenge.


    She began summoning, idly studying the cascading runes as they swirled off the pages, enjoying the familiar sense of the slow tick of Sage of Learning as it helped her understand the magic construction. She kept particularly close tabs on the class level of the monstrous Goblins, making sure to keep everything below level ten as Vivian had wanted a bronze rank training ground.


    She didn¡¯t particularly wish to optimize the gear of the Goblins she was summoning, so she simply fed her Grimoire the extra mana and let her Customization choose random appropriate gear for them ¨C mostly the worst quality daggers or leather armor, but her skill at least seemed to make generally ok choices. As she studied her magic, though, something of a pattern began to emerge. She paid closer attention, and after a half-dozen new summons, she was certain.


    With mounting excitement, she pushed on the skill and quickly discovered she could influence the level within the range of the variants she had deconstructed. Fully absorbed in her momentous discovery, she forgot all about the sewers and immediately tried to summon a maximum-level Kobold Acolyte ¨C but although she tried everything she could think of, she was unable to influence the Grimoire to surpass the highest-level Kobold she had deconstructed. she thought, pondering the problem. Arcane Recall gave her enough control to influence the runes with a substantial amount of precision. It was more like having too few pieces to finish the puzzle.


    Far less useful, of course, but if she could monster summons, that might add a lot of variety to her sewer, combatting the problem of diminishing returns that came with killing the same variety of foes repeatedly.


    With her excitement returning, almost as strong as before, she channeled her mana into the Kobold imprint, choosing an archer, and while it was in the process of being created, she spent mana to customize it, suppressing the monster¡¯s power. The lowest level archer she had recorded in her imprint was a level eighteen, however, when her spell completed, she knew she had been successful.


    Her archer came equipped with some crude leather armor and a shoddy-looking bow, but for what she was trying to make here, he was perfect. She immediately created a horde of friends for him, mixing in rogues and warriors, letting her customization pick the gear to save time.


    ¡°¡± she said, addressing the Kobolds as they stood in a line awaiting her orders. As one, the rogues all faded into the shadows, and though she couldn¡¯t see them with either her mundane or mana sight, she found she could still hear their heartbeats with the tremor sense of her Luminous Slime. She smiled, happily, as the Kobolds scattered to explore their new domain.


    As she organized her space, a rough order emerged. She populated the areas nearest the sewer entrance tunnels with the lowest level Goblins and Toxic Slimes, reserving the downleveled Kobolds for her mid-range threats, giving them tunnels and nooks and permission to construct crude traps with whatever they could find ¨C even going as far as to create some extra weapons for them to use as materials.


    Retreating progressively through the sewer toward the passage leading down to the forest, she steadily scaled up the level of her minions, summoning Brine Oozes and Kobolds in the level range of five to ten. It didn¡¯t hurt that the highest-level Kobolds would be able to hold their own against the vast majority of the zombies and skeletons that still seemed to be trickling in, drawn by her domain mana.


    When she reached the final room, she paused. she decided. The decrepit brick floor looked like it might be about to collapse, shot through with cracks. Setting to her task wielding Domain Mastery, she removed several walls, merging the room with some nearby smaller ones, and widening it into a sizeable chamber. She widened the sewer channel, now flowing with clear water, thankfully, giving her Brine Oozes some more space to lurk. She left the crumbling brick but reinforced the foundations below with granite to forestall any possible accidents. Then she finished up by populating the room with several level ten Fire Mages, warriors, and rogues.


    After considering it for a few more moments, she summoned a swarm of stinging jellies and dropped them in the wider water channel. The swarm monsters were a ridiculously cheap way of filling space, six being summoned for the cost of a single normal monster of the same level ¨C and they made a good water threat.


    She spent the next half an hour inscribing Runic Circles of her old favorite Grasping Roots everywhere to serve as traps. Attached to the rapidly propagating domain mana, those cost nothing to maintain, so she was rather liberal with them.


    She paused to admire her work, taking a moment to add a mushroom here or there as needed and placing a few clumps of Blue Mana Grass for Basil to find.


    Obviously, her minions were not going to keep someone as strong as her out, and she nearly fell over laughing as her imagination served up Lyeneru¡¯s mildest sneeze clearing this level in a hurricane ¨C but her level ten kobolds should be more than sufficient to keep most of the zombies and other random monsters, or even townsfolk, from passing through.


    Deep in thought, Ali made her way out of the sewer, flying down into the Forest Cavern, but a flash of red and the distant thump of a Fireball detonating snagged her attention, even before the chime sounded.


    Keeping a healthy height among the trees, Ali flew over to find two of her Kobold Fire Mages running from several skeletons and dodging behind trees to avoid the ice bolts of a low-level skeletal mage.


    She dropped a waist-high barrier between the skeletons and her Kobolds with a gesture and a flash of her mana. The two mages chirped their approval, instantly launching a pair of Fireballs that instantly turned the bunched-up warrior skeletons into a pile of smoking, blackened bones on the ground and then unleashed a flaming barrage of Firebolts at the hapless ice mage.


    But before the chime even sounded, Ali heard moaning from the lake¡¯s southern outlet tunnel and two zombies emerged. The very same tunnel she and Seri had blasted open so long ago to release the fury of a waterspout on the Goblin siege.


    She spiraled down and landed beside her Kobolds, ignoring the heat and flashes as they turned their magic upon the newcomers. Fixing this hole would be some work, but nothing she couldn¡¯t handle with Domain Mastery ¨C her mana in this area was easily strong enough ¨C but then she paused. Visions of flooding her Forest Cavern did not appeal to her.


    Worse still, another skeleton clambered out of the tunnel to the delightful welcome of a Firebolt in the face. If Lira was right ¨C and it certainly seemed that way ¨C they were being drawn in by her mana. If they couldn¡¯t get to it, they would probably go searching for another way in.


    she decided, but when she checked her current mana reservation, she winced. It was all well and good for Lyeneru to tell her that dungeons thought with their minions ¨C but the Night Elf didn¡¯t have to deal with spending the mana to support them. It would take a large squad of Kobolds to reliably hold the undead while the mages destroyed them. At least a couple of warriors for the frontline ¨C and a few Acolytes due to the Fire Mages¡¯ penchant for blasting everything with no regard for friend or foe.


    Ali sighed. This was far harder than she had imagined.


    Lyeneru¡¯s book mentioned traps, but she hadn¡¯t needed to read the book to realize that dungeons used traps ¨C they were notorious for it. Everyone associated dungeons with traps and monsters. but Ali didn¡¯t care too much about that last part right now. She had an invasion to deal with.


    She flew down till she was right beside the offending tunnel, drawing her Kobolds with her for protection. ¡°¡± she said and then ignored the sounds of combat as she set to inscribing a runic circle.


    she thought, attaching the glowing circle to her domain mana. It couldn¡¯t move, or think, but it would defend her cavern ¨C and more importantly, she could use her domain to power it instead of reserving her own precious mana. Except, she didn¡¯t need to be careful of killing the newbies down here and she could make a far higher-level circle. She stepped away, studying the glowing green runes on the ground, spanning nearly two meters in diameter. Except, from the eyes of her Kobolds, the effect was nearly invisible. Without mana sight or another specialized perception skill, her traps were perfect.


    She didn¡¯t have to wait more than ten minutes before a skeleton emerged from the tunnel. With bated breath, Ali watched it clacking its loose jawbone and surveying her forest before it took a few steps forward shambling right across her runic circle. Thick roots burst from the ground, entwining the monster rapidly.


    ¡°¡± Ali said.


    ¡°At once,¡± the Kobolds hissed, and fire rained down on the struggling skeleton.


    The quest counter recorded on Ali¡¯s ring ticked up by one.


    Besides, she had another idea brewing ¨C but first she should finish this part. It took about half an hour for Ali to inscribe enough Grasping Roots circles to satisfactorily cover the entire channel of the outflow stream on both sides. When she was done, she summoned a handful of lower-level Kobolds. ¡°¡± she instructed. They set to with devious grins and the enthusiasm of a cohort of overexcited squirrels.


    Huh. She obviously needed to challenge her creatures more often!


    The Kobolds had proven to be resourceful trap-makers when she and Mato had been forced to creep through the ruins of Dal¡¯mohra. Some had poison skills ¨C not that poison darts would be effective against skeletons and zombies ¨C and there had been rock-fall traps and tripwires. Ali grew a stand of Living Bamboo up against the far bank, some handy vines clinging to the wall, and a few assorted patches of poisonous mushrooms for them to scavenge for materials.


    she decided. She would need to check in on them regularly, but for now, she was happy with her solution to the problem.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 139: Death Magic

    Aliandra Ali flew down the ventilation shaft, growing ivy and creepers along the way before heading out through the ruined city toward the library. It wasn¡¯t necessary to reconnect her domain through the shaft given that it flowed up through the library and out through the cavern she had given to Lira, but after having had the bulk of her domain destroyed by disconnection once already, she felt safer having the redundant link. After all, she had wiped out half the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra dungeon by deconstructing the giant bone spire in the center of the library and disconnecting the top from the bottom half of the domain. The top disconnected section had just collapsed, causing a moderate dungeon-break of the remaining Kobolds.


    Besides the giant Elder Tree growing up through the center of the library and spreading its branches throughout the upper forest cavern, she hadn¡¯t claimed much of the ruins yet. All she had was a thin trail of moss and mushrooms following the path they had taken through the city, glittering like a giant slug had wound its way between the ruined buildings.


    Besides that, it was dark ¨C that was the overall impression she got as she flew over the ancient, dusty, bone-encrusted stone ruins. Almost all the light came from her tiny golden mushrooms, shining like glitter along the narrow moss path, her barrier magic, and the Luminous Slime she was carrying with her.


    She turned the issue over in her mind, trying to figure out what she wanted to do. She was loath to make too drastic of a change here ¨C both from the enormous effort it would take and also, she admitted to herself, because it held so many sentimental memories for her.


    she thought as she flew through the doorway into the upper level of the library.


    Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a blinding flash of light and searing pain as something sizzled across her face. She screamed, tumbling off her barrier and cracking her head against the cold hard stone as everything went dark.


    Instinctively, she snapped a spherical barrier into place around herself and struggled to blink as her Kobolds screeched and chirped in alarm. All she could sense in her sudden blindness was the mana from her Fire Mage shooting a firebolt, and the holy magic her Acolyte immediately sent her way. A sudden, intense beam of mana appeared, and her Kobold mage let out a piercing screech. She felt him hit the ground through her Martial Insight.


    Suddenly reminded of her unusually potent perception skill, she spent enough mana to slam her awareness into all three of her minions, and images of the library abruptly flickered through her brain.


    She gasped at the sight of her own ruined face seen from the eyes of her Acolyte. Something had burnt a line across the bridge of her nose and both eyes, leaving only blackened flesh. Her struggling Fire Mage glanced in the opposite direction and out in the atrium, hovering below one of the enormous boughs of the Elder Tree, was a glowing disk of undulating light about half a meter in diameter.


    The monster¡¯s orange-red spine glowed intensely as its main attack powered up again.  Instantly, she realized just how exposed and vulnerable she was trying to hide inside her transparent bubble.


    Desperately, she grasped for the only thing she could think of ¨C the heavy stone of the floor. It warped and flowed in response to her will and magic, rising from the ground to create a wall of stone.


    With an audible hum and a blinding flash, the ray fired again, this time striking her hastily constructed stone barrier, leaving a glowing trail of mana-infused slag as the potent light magic melted part-way through the stone. Ali didn¡¯t let up, pouring more and more mana into her Domain Mastery, reinforcing the mundane barrier between her and the monster, and drawing her Kobolds in behind it.


    Ali took a breath, feeling the pain ebbing away as her Acolyte¡¯s gentle magic healed the grievous wounds to her face and eyes. She blinked as her vision returned. Her Fire Mage popped his head out, snapping off a firebolt before ducking back as the Coruscant Ray returned fire.


    Keeping herself mostly behind the wall, she peeked her head out to look, and then immediately ducked back as the ray turned toward her. she thought, trying again, but this time using her Kobold instead. The ray still hovered out there, near the trunk of the giant tree, below the enormous branch that stretched out overhead ¨C a branch that reached to the bookshelves on the wall by the library doorway. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head.


    ¡°¡± she said, forming a detailed image of what she wanted and sending it to her Luminous Slime. It was a complex idea ¨C for a slime ¨C and she had to override its desire to face the intruder. ¡°she told it. It wobbled and blobbed its way over to the doorway, emoting frustration that she was making it run away. But she held the image of her instructions firmly in her mind, and as soon as it got to the doorway, she made it climb, just like she had seen Naia demonstrate. And just like back then, the slime scaled the sheer stone wall with the same ease she would have walking on a paved road. Up and up it went, until it reached the outstretched branches of the tree, brushing up against the wall.


    While her Kobolds engaged the ray directly, she sent her slime along the branch until she could see it lined up just above the flying light elemental.


    ¡°¡± she sent, and it did. The rush of its primal excitement filled her as it landed directly on top of the Coruscant Ray with an audible plop. Pseudopods of glowing semi-transparent slime shot out of the creature, grappling with the enemy ray as it engaged. They weaved and swooped erratically, the ray struggling to keep flying under the extra weight of the slime. With a reckless disregard for its own safety, the slime extended more and more pseudopods as it enveloped the ray with its body.


    Ali closed her eyes right before the slime unleashed its dazzling light magic, warned by her senses still connected with her minion. She could feel the body of the ray growing hot through the slime¡¯s membrane, and it blasted its devastating magic from inside the slime¡¯s body. But the slime was partially transparent, also a creature of light magic affinity, and the potent ray of light refracted through the slime, blasting out in a chaotic spray of beams, striking the walls and floor in all directions.


    Ali dove for cover behind her wall of stone.


    Still connected to her Acolyte, Ali realized she somehow knew the attack had damaged her slime, but not nearly as much as she would have expected. Curious at the strange sense, she focused on her Acolyte and suddenly she realized she could its health ¨C and the health of the ray.


    The ray fired again, filling the library with brilliant beams of light, taking almost twenty percent of her slime¡¯s health. The Acolyte channeled her magic into the slime, and Ali watched, fascinated, as the slime¡¯s life began to replenish, regrown under the influence of the holy spell.


    The ray¡¯s health continued its slow decline, consumed by the acid within the slime enveloping it, giving Ali plenty of time to study the surprising new perception skill she had found in her Acolyte.


    she realized. Her slime was winning because her Acolyte was healing it, but the two light-affinity monsters both seemed highly resistant to each other¡¯s magic. As the ray began to falter, Ali summoned a barrier to catch the struggling pair while she continued observing using the senses of her minions from behind the cover of her wall. The familiar chime sounded.


    Ali checked quickly.


    A ripple passed through her slime as it reverted to its normal spheroid-blob shape, bouncing slowly on her barrier out in the middle of the atrium.


    ¡°Aliandra, are you ok?¡± Lira¡¯s voice carried across the space to her as her aunt emerged from the giant tree. ¡°I heard a scream.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m over here,¡± she called out. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She flew her slime back to safety and flattened her wall back into the floor. ¡°You told me monsters would be attracted to the mana, but I had no idea. My forest was full of zombies and skeletons when I got back, and now this elemental came in from the jungle down there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aliandra,¡± Lira said. ¡°This is all my¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± Ali answered before she could even go down that path. ¡°I was surprised, that¡¯s all.¡± It had not occurred to her that the jungle had two spawning pools and that they had left the door open, connecting it with the library. The library which was now the densest part of her domain mana. Thousands of wisps and glow bugs had been drawn in through that open doorway by the scent of her mana ¨C she should have expected something more dangerous.


    ¡°I¡¯m not strong enough to close that door,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I am either,¡± Lira answered.


    Briefly, Ali considered summoning a Forest Guardian and swapping her Empowered Summoner buff to strength, but she decided she would rather keep the intelligence boost for now ¨C she had a lot of work still to do. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for Mato to get back. This is¡­ frustrating.¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lira nodded, ¡°We¡¯re new at this. It¡¯ll come.¡±


    In the meantime, Ali flew down to the ground floor, bringing her minions with her just in case and trying to keep from glancing over her shoulder every other breath, and constructed a barrier to block the entire doorway, attaching it to her domain mana. Then she summoned several Kobolds and a couple of Scalding Slimes, giving them orders to guard the library from intruders. She sent the slimes climbing the great tree, hopefully, to take advantage of a similar drop strategy to the one she had just used. It wasn¡¯t a perfect defense, but it should do for now.


    ¡°What about the second level?¡± Lira asked.


    ¡°Good point,¡± Ali said. Flying creatures could get through there, and those included Wyverns, bats, and the Coruscant Rays that annoyingly ignored her barriers. She blocked off the second-level doorway too. Even though the rays could theoretically shoot right through it, at least they wouldn¡¯t be able to enter.


    she suddenly realized, recalling the giant hole in the northern part of the upper city level. It presumably connected all the way down to the jungle level. If the monsters had access to the upper city ruins, they could use the ventilation shaft to access the forest cavern. She blocked off the upper doorway with another barrier and decided that would have to do. She had some minions to protect her while she slept in case something got through the long way.


    Seth


    Seth groaned and rolled over, inadvertently squashing his face on the cold stone flagstones of his cell. It was freezing cold without even a blanket, and he was starving, bruised, and battered from the unwanted attentions of his bored captors. There was even an unhealed stab wound on his arm from when Conrad had ¡®missed¡¯ during his dagger-throwing practice.


    Out of all his kidnappers, Seth hated Conrad the most. He was always bored, and whenever he was on guard duty, he would pick on him, or one of the other prisoners he knew were kept in cells nearby. And he loved pain ¨C so long as it wasn¡¯t his own.


    His cell was entirely bare other than himself and the small tin bowl containing a foul gruel over by the doorway. But as hungry as Seth was, Conrad had relieved himself in it, and he wasn¡¯t quite that desperate yet.


    Besides, he was going to die.


    The undead blight he had caught during his forced servitude to Alexander Gray had consumed almost eighty-five percent of his maximum health now, and he had just over two weeks before it claimed him. He grimaced at that thought, but no matter how bad his current situation was, it was nothing compared to that compulsion collar.


    For a while, he had dreamed of infecting his captors with the blight and enjoying their surprise, but when it had finally happened Conrad had just retrieved a glowing green potion and drank it, continuing business as normal.


    If the undead blight didn¡¯t kill him, the specter of his horrific natural class still loomed over him like a dark cloud. If that unlocked, he would be hated across the kingdom, driven away at best, and at worst killed on sight for having committed the crime of necromancy. It was rather ironic though ¨C the kidnappers kept forcing trials on him, hoping to trigger the unlock of a class that would fetch them a substantial price. He wasn¡¯t about to tell them the truth.


    He found he didn¡¯t much care either way, having been forced to come to terms with the inevitability of it. On the bright side, either death would save him from being forced into a class of his kidnappers¡¯ choosing and sold into slavery for the rest of his life. He wondered again about the lingering effects on his psyche of being subjected to Alexander Gray¡¯s torture.


    Despite his uncannily calm acceptance of his situation, he instantly tensed at the sound of heavy boots on the stairs, having quickly learned to identify who they belonged to. There were some muffled voices as the guard changed, the clanging of locks and doors followed by the sound of dragging, and then finally the heavy wooden door to his cell block opened with a bang. The metallic clicking of iron-toed boots approached, scraping against the hard stone.


    ¡°Now then, you are the last of this batch. It¡¯s time for practice,¡± he announced, and Seth instantly confirmed his fear. ¡°You hear that, blight boy? It¡¯s your lucky day today!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you need to help me unlock a valuable class?¡± Seth croaked. Anything to delay Conrad. Although it was not likely to slow him down at all.


    ¡°Oh, but I am! I¡¯m going to teach you a very valuable class: Target.¡± He laughed at his own stupid joke, opening the iron-barred door to Seth¡¯s tiny cell. ¡°Come on, you know the drill. All you morons unlock Laborer or Farmer anyway, and Hawkhurst doesn¡¯t pay too much for those.¡±


    Seth did know the drill ¨C he had already learned the hard way not to fight it. Sullenly, he followed Conrad out of the cell and into the next room where he was made to stand up against the thick wooden door with his arms outstretched. His heart thumped in his throat, all his previous fatalistic calm vanishing at the prospect of violence.


    ¡°Obedient today. Good.¡±


    It was not like he had a choice. He had been beaten unconscious several times and he wasn¡¯t even sure how many days he had lost. This kidnapping operation did not spend any money on healing or potions for their prisoners. In fact, Seth had been shocked that they had ignored his blight, telling him it was his responsibility to get a good class and whoever bought him would pay to have him healed. If they knew how bad it was ¨C how close to killing him ¨C they would probably not have been quite so nonchalant about it.


    ¡°Time to warm up my arm, ey?¡± Conrad declared.


    Seth winced as the first dagger whipped past his ear, nicking it, and drawing a little blood. He stared at Conrad as he picked up a second dagger ¨C the thug would beat him if he closed his eyes, too.


    ¡°Looks like my aim is good today,¡± he said, letting out a guffaw, before throwing his next dagger.


    One dagger thumped into the wood between his legs. The next struck under his left arm. The third pierced through the palm of his right hand. Seth screamed, unable to hold it back even knowing he would be hurt for making a noise.


    Conrad just laughed and threw the next dagger, punching through his shoulder just under the collarbone. Seth collapsed in a heap on the ground to the sound of Conrad¡¯s cruel laughter.


    ¡°Get up, you worthless piece of shit, I¡¯m not done practicing yet,¡± Conrad said.


    Through the haze of pain, Seth heard a pure chime sounding in his mind.


    The class had unlocked, the seed of death Alexander Gray had sowed within him had finally bloomed, and with it, Seth felt a powerful surge of chilling energy coursing through his veins.


    He shivered uncontrollably, but the notifications spilled out like an avalanche of dark fate.


    Summon Volatile Wraith ¨C level 1


    Mana: Summon a Volatile Wraith to attack your enemies. Duration: 15 seconds. Recharge: 5 seconds.


    Death, Minion, Intelligence


    Raise Skeleton ¨C level 1


    Requires: Corpse.


    Mana: Summon a skeletal warrior minion. Reserve: by level.


    Death, Minion, Intelligence


    Raise Zombie ¨C level 1


    Requires: Corpse.


    Mana: Summon a zombie minion. Reserve: by level.


    Death, Minion, Intelligence


    Eyes of the Damned ¨C level 1


    You are attuned to death mana. You can perceive with the senses of your minions. Higher intelligence allows you to use more sources of perception simultaneously.


    Death, Minion, Intelligence, Perception


    Curse ¨C level 1


    Mana: Curse your enemy with one of your known curses.


    Known Curses: Amplify Damage.


    Death, Curse, Intelligence


    Undead Commander


    Undead minions gain additional armor and magical resistance.


    Mana: Sacrifice an undead minion to gain its health and mana over the next 30 seconds. Recharge: 5 minutes.


    Death, Minion, Mastery, Endurance, Wisdom.


    Seth groaned, trying to roll over. All of a sudden, his mana twisted, and a pulse of dark energy shot out, crawling across the room like a black nova ball of lightning.


    ¡°What the fuck!¡± Conrad yelled as a twisting knot of darkness settled within his body. ¡°Necromancer!¡±


    Conrad started to sprint across the room with a dagger raised in his hand, fear and murder in his eyes, but the eerie power caused him to lurch and stumble against a worn, bloodstained wooden bench.


    ¡°No¡­ no¡­ this can¡¯t be happening¡­¡± Seth whispered.


    Somehow, there was a part of him that had failed to accept his fate. A part that was barely stronger than his loathing for Alexander Gray and the terrible gift he had left him. Necromancy was evil, but he still didn¡¯t want to die.


    He raised his head and stared at the eerie phenomenon. Dark wisps of a miasma billowed out from his own body, and within the chest of his charging captor, the dark tangled knot of a curse twisted and writhed.


    Fumbling with inexperience, Seth shoved mana at the first skill on his list. He hadn¡¯t even had the time to read it. A translucent shadow appeared in the air before him, half there and half not. Seth recoiled at the  of it. With a shriek that echoed through his bones and sent fingers of ice up his spine, the thing flew out and bit Conrad, passing right through the arm he raised to protect himself.


    Conrad screamed with bloodcurdling pain and lashed blindly at it with his dagger, but the monster of shadows barely rippled as the blade passed through it and emerged from the other side.


    It bit him again.


    Seth shuddered; an urgent need to scream rising in his throat, but instead, he cowered in the corner, shivering from the pain and the horror of whatever he had just unleashed upon the world. He stared, aghast, at the one-sided fight. Conrad flailed about with his dagger, terrified to the point of incoherence, unable to hit whatever it was while it simply swooped around his head, darting in rapidly again and again. And every time it touched him, he screamed in pain.


    Suddenly, the monster stopped in mid-air. A rapid shiver pulsed through its ethereal form, briefly flaring with darkness. Then it exploded; a silent blast of black light. Conrad dropped, his head bouncing off the ratty rug. The dark energy swirled back toward Seth, and to his intense surprise, the dagger wounds on his hand and shoulder began to close.


    In the distance, muffled shouts percolated down to his hearing. The sounds of his kidnappers raising the alarm, and the thudding of boots running across the floor overhead.


    No doubt Conrad¡¯s screams had been heard throughout the building. He scanned the skill notifications for his class, desperate, now, for anything that might save him. In his cursed class list, he found something. Three things to be exact. Raise Skeleton, Eyes of the Damned, and Curse.


    Sick to his stomach, trying desperately to ignore what this would mean for him, he cast Raise Skeleton. He targeted Conrad¡¯s corpse lying on the ground, unleashing a ropy tendril of black mana that rushed to fill the dead flesh and, just like Gran, the skeleton shifted. It tore itself free from the clutches of the freshly dead flesh with a spray of blood and gore that painted the walls red.


    Seth retched in the corner, but there was no food left in his stomach.


    Warrior ¨C Undead Skeleton ¨C level 1


    In trepidation, he looked up to find the dripping skeleton standing silently in a gruesome puddle. The loud footsteps reached the stairs outside.


    ¡°What are you doing? G¡­ get the dagger¡­¡± Seth yelled at the awful thing, his voice cracking under the strain.


    The skeleton turned slowly, and then walked over to the dagger and picked it up, its feet making clacking sounds as the bone struck the flagstones.


    Seth turned away, trying to avoid looking at it. Instead, he pushed open the heavy wooden door, staring down the poorly lit corridor to the stairwell at the end. He reached his hand around the edge of the door and summoned a Volatile Wraith ¨C the strange spirit creature of death mana that had killed Conrad.


    The unearthly screech echoed loudly in the hall as the thing shot off toward the stairs, and Seth closed the door, activating Eyes of the Damned. He could tell he could use his skeleton, but he chose the Volatile Wraith instead, and suddenly his perspective lurched sideways.


    He was  the dark corridor, zipping around the corner and flying up the stairs with unearthly speed. Everything around him was a monochromatic haze, illuminated with a strange, flowing, creepy light ¨C almost as if he wasn¡¯t quite here in the realm of the living. The walls, the floor, the corridor all seemed gray and washed out, and every now and then something flickered just outside of his vision, but when he tried to see what it was, it just seemed like the corridor.


    The thought suddenly crashed into his mind. He had never used mana for anything except Identify before, and now he was spending it without thinking.  If he didn¡¯t get control, he wasn¡¯t making it out of here alive. Quickly, he pulled up his status to check, but to his surprise, it was not his own status that he saw in front of him.


    He stared at the status sheet in shock, when suddenly, several figures careened around the corner into view, each glowing with a strange light in the gray world. He saw a flash and Seth¡¯s vision snapped back to the room behind the closed door. Screams echoed from down the hall.


    ¡°You¡¯d better be tough,¡± he muttered to his skeleton as he hauled on the heavy wooden door. ¡°You go first.¡± Seth crept through the doorway into the dimly lit hallway, making his skeleton go in front. As soon as he was through, three of his kidnappers appeared at the far end of the hall brandishing various swords and daggers.


    ¡°Get him!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let him escape.¡±


    ¡°Kill it!¡±


    His skeleton did not need to be commanded, it turned and broke into a shambling, awkward run down the hallway, gripping the dagger with its finger bones. Three sets of eyes widened as the men clearly realized the peril.


    Seth¡¯s heart hammered his chest as he tried to fold himself into the wall.


    he told himself. He had his plan ¨C rudimentary as it was ¨C and he needed to stick to it. He had no idea how it worked; he had used it instinctively against Conrad the first time, but now he fumbled awkwardly with his skill. Barely a moment before his skeleton reached the charging men, his skill flared with mana and a searing pain burned down his right arm. A dark writhing ball shot from his hand and down the corridor, settling upon the first assailant. The thug flinched, earning himself a dagger in the gut from the skeleton. Seth gulped and cast his Amplify Damage curse on the next attacker while they flailed with swords and shouted in fear.


    he agreed, watching the skeleton stabbing at them. Various sword strikes cracked against the gore-splattered bone, sending splinters flying. But his skeleton ignored the damage, taking several skill-assisted strikes before one of its hands went flying into the wall in a shower of bone bits. The loss of the hand didn¡¯t seem to have any effect on the skeleton, but Seth couldn¡¯t rely on just the slow-moving monster anyway. He summoned another Volatile Wraith, finding the scream to be just as jarring as the first time. But it shot off at high speed to bite his foes.


    He glanced at the skill description quickly and summoned a second one. They seemed to be limited only by his available mana and the speed at which he could cast them.  He grimaced, but he couldn¡¯t afford to hold back.


    With a dark blast, the first wraith exploded in a flash and a pulse of twisted energy. To Seth¡¯s surprise, his skeleton¡¯s hand began to grow back and the splinters and chips along its arms sealed over. The second wraith exploded, and this time the pulse of dark energy returned to him, healing his wounds a little more, as one of the kidnappers collapsed.


    Seth cast Raise Skeleton on the corpse. A second skeleton rose, ripping itself out of the corpse, it showered the two remaining kidnappers with gore and then turned to face them. Weapons clattered to the ground as both remaining kidnappers screamed and fled.


    ¡°Go after them!¡± Seth whispered and summoned another Volatile Wraith to chase after them. Waiting till the hallway was clear, he followed along, stooping to pick up a sword on the way.


    By the time he scaled the stairs, the door was open and there was no sign of the kidnappers anywhere. All he could see was the darkness of the alley outside.


    Cautiously, he emerged from what seemed to be a decrepit old warehouse in some rundown part of the town and glanced about. It seemed they had been using the abandoned building as cover for their kidnapping operation. Not a soul could be seen in the deserted alleyway, but the night sky was beginning to lighten, and he knew dawn would not be too far off.


    He needed to avoid people at all costs. His eyes came to rest on an iron grate set into the stone pavement. With no better ideas, he crept over to it and tried to lift it, but he wasn¡¯t nearly strong enough.


    ¡°Lift that,¡± he commanded, pointing. His two skeletons immediately walked over and pulled the grating up. he thought, glancing at the two skeletons that seemed to obey his every whim.


    He was alive ¨C although he wasn¡¯t quite certain that was the best outcome anymore. He stared down the dark hole with the rusty iron ladder. Seth rubbed his arms, but the skin felt all wrong.


    Although the pain had diminished with his new class, he could still see the dark tendrils of its miasma billowing off of him. That way, he could avoid killing anyone when he turned into a zombie. he corrected himself, realizing he had just killed two people with skeletons and undead wraiths.


    He slowly descended the rusty iron staples into the darkness of the sewers, taking his despised and feared death magic and skeletons with him.


    Malika


    Malika sat cross-legged on the stone slab overlooking the waterfall in the mountains above the town of Kezda. Her eyes were closed, and she was meditating while following the guidance of Rezan as he instructed her in the appropriate forms. The icy mountain air, the sound of falling water, and the fine spray on her face all helped to calm her mind. Her body and soul were recovering, still very weakened, but her maximum life, mana, and stamina were slowly returning to normal under Rezan¡¯s expert guidance.


    He had said they would have returned to normal on their own over time, now that she had awakened her bloodline, but this way was safer and much faster. Malika welcomed the serene environment and the opportunity to learn from the elder¡¯s wisdom and the deep well of his experience. Her initial impression of him as a harsh taskmaster dispensing teaching with his fists and feet had rapidly fallen away as she discovered his kindness and patience and the powerful desire to help the people he could.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re ready, Malika,¡± Rezan intoned, his voice soothing and calm. ¡°Slowly reach outward and let your mind connect with your senses. Do it carefully and stop if anything is painful. I will watch your energy.¡±


    Malika breathed deeply, as she had been taught, holding her mind calm and in the meditative state she had been cultivating under his guidance. She let the prickle of anxiety and the fear of anticipated pain fall away as she tried to connect with her senses. She took another slow, deep breath and continued.


    In the darkness of her mind, with her eyes closed, a spark of light flared. It was right in front of her as if it had always been there, simply waiting for her to notice it. As her energy flowed slowly around her body, the light brightened and clarified, pulsing softly. Curiosity rose within her, pushing the previous anxiety away. Light surrounded the pulse and it too slowly clarified into the form of a human, sitting cross-legged.


    She knew it was him without even opening her eyes. The pulsing light within the center of his chest was the energy of his heart. The light surrounding it was his muscles and body. He was circulating his energy throughout his body in an even flow, appearing as white light that glowed within him under her magical sight.


    ¡°I see you,¡± Malika said at last.


    ¡°Good,¡± he said. As he spoke, she  the energy flickering around his lungs, throat, and mouth. He raised an arm and she saw the energy flowing through the muscles making his movement possible. ¡°Expand your awareness, now, to include Hala, Basir, and yourself,¡± he instructed.


    She found it to be an easy task, her awareness expanding naturally as she willed it, and new lights entered her sight. Rezan¡¯s disciples were clearly visible, their light not nearly as powerful as his, but steady and clear behind and to either side of her. Her own energy was visible to her also, a little trickier to observe because of the point of view at the center of her sphere of awareness. She watched, entranced, as the movement of her body was conveyed to her mind as a delicate dance of light.


    Slowly she opened her eyes, finding that her sense of his energy was still visible, overlapping naturally with her mundane sight. Hala and Basir were still visible by their energy even though they were behind her and not visible to her eyes.


    ¡°In a day or two, you should be recovered enough to learn how to use it in combat,¡± Rezan said.


    The notification sent a peal of relief rippling and echoing through the otherwise calm surface of her mind. Not for the skill level itself, but for what it represented ¨C her bloodline was truly healed, and her skills could finally grow. And with her newly awakened bloodline, and the bonus from her aptitude, the precision and range with which she could see had both dramatically improved.


    Soul Sight ¨C level 2


    You can see the flow of energy (stamina) all around you. You can sense hostile intent. You can anticipate the physical movement and attacks of your opponents. Range: 45.3 feet.


    Soul, Bloodline, Perception, Wisdom


    She puffed out her cheeks.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 140: Kezda

    Evanna Quillmore the Scribe


    Aliandra


    Ali surveyed the damage in the library, annoyed to find one of the couches burned beyond repair and a table sliced cleanly in two by the random beams of light magic that had left scorch marks everywhere.


    She checked in a sudden panic, but the pile of borrowed books Ryn had left out for her on the larger table had been spared, as had the bookcase with their library¡¯s modest collection of books. The tea set was undamaged too, and Lira busied herself brewing a pot while they chatted quietly about monsters and incursions.


    ¡°Here you go, dear,¡± Lira said, handing her a cup of tea. ¡°And don¡¯t forget to eat something, it¡¯s well past dinner time.¡±


    As she inhaled the delightful combination of steam and aroma from the tea, she retrieved an apple picked by Mato from her trees in the Forest Cavern to serve as her dinner, a little chagrined that she had needed Lira ¨C a person who sustained herself entirely on photosynthesis or mana absorption ¨C to remind her to feed herself. she thought. It was strange to be alone ¨C the library was quiet, now, with only her and Lira ¨C she missed Mato¡¯s delicious cooking and his rough-and-ready sense of humor.


    Calen was off somewhere with Lyeneru, and she just hoped he was safe, and while she knew Malika was out of danger, she still missed her, and hoped her health returned to normal quickly.


    Sipping at her tea and munching a delicious apple, she sat at the still-intact table and duplicated the books Ryn had left for her. She had found a practical nature magic reference which gave Ali a couple of immediate ideas for improving her runic circles, and the third book in a delightful series they had both enjoyed. With both the libraries of Myrin¡¯s Keep and Vertias to draw from, the stack of books was twice the size, but Ali finished them far too quickly. Sometimes she wished her Reading skill was just a little slower, so she had more time to savor the stories.


    She wrote a short note for Ryn, asking to check with the bank tomorrow and see if her cut from the sale of mana-purified water had been deposited, and if so, to buy a replacement for the couch.


    It was by far the most valuable thing she could make, even considering the fact that the nature-affinity magicite was nowhere near the most useful to crafters and enchanters. She had made gold coins to purchase the library membership at Vertias, but she far preferred to make a raw material and sell it instead ¨C at least that way a useful item would be created, and one of the crafters might be able to earn experience.


    While Lira puttered about, Ali plopped herself down on the good couch and pulled out ¨C Lyeneru¡¯s book detailing her dungeon delves and exploration experiences ¨C and began to read.


    She waded her way through the account of the first delve. She struggled, but not because it was particularly difficult to read. Lyeneru had written it as both a caution to ¨C and an educational resource for ¨C adventurers and delvers and Ali had to infer the intent and function of the dungeon from the outside perspective. She needed to know the dungeon made bosses, traps, and the like, and the text only described what they did and how they had been defeated.


    The first dungeon had been known simply as ¡®by the adventurers who had plumbed its depths because of its penchant for continuously spewing monsters into the countryside, scouring the land for many kilometers in all directions for anything not nailed down ¨C and quite a lot that was. Everything was returned and fed to the dungeon, and when there was nothing to find, the dungeon simply ejected monsters in a continuous stream of dungeon-breaks.


    When the dungeon grew large enough to begin impacting the nearby cities, the Pathfinder Guild had been contracted to take care of the problem.


    Lyeneru described as deranged or unhinged. It was a dungeon that was filled with a chaotic reflection of everything it had collected, all thrown together in a haphazard, chaotic mess that followed no rhyme or reason. It had made a collection of couches at the bottom of a lake, caves filled with teacups, and bedroom armoires lined the boss room. There were chests that would come alive and bite the unwary, and each thing was equally as likely to be trapped or not.


    Even the traps followed no clear pattern ¨C some being of such devious construction that they had required days of planning to disarm and others presenting a fresh flower when triggered.


    Searching for meaning and purpose in such a recounting left Ali with a headache. Furthermore, from the way Lyeneru recounted the experience, it had become abundantly clear that even the concept of a dungeon as a thinking, feeling person was alien to the Night Elf. The implication was inextricably woven through the account that because it was a dungeon, it was a dangerous force of nature that needed to be put down.


    It certainly explained some of Lyeneru¡¯s initial hostility.


    She shut the book, more than a little frustrated, and considered the account of The Scavenger. There was not a lot for her to learn about being a dungeon from a mad one. Variety seemed to be a good thing ¨C Lyeneru had been incredibly wary of the unpredictable dungeon ¨C but Ali had no intention to sacrifice her sanity any time soon, nor did she relish the idea of inflicting dungeon-breaks on the unsuspecting townsfolk of Myrin¡¯s Keep. If there was just some way that she could be selective about who she inflicted dungeon-breaks on¡­ she could definitely think of several fine candidates.


    Ali had been focused on unlocking any secrets for how to make bosses and had come up empty, but when she considered the dungeon¡¯s kleptomania and scavenging habits, she recalled that she had done much the same thing in the aftermath of the Goblin siege. That had earned her several valuable imprints for her trouble.


    There was no fresh battlefield to pick over this time, but The Scavenger hadn¡¯t cared. She summoned her Grimoire and created two Kobold rogues, allowing her customization to choose reasonable armor for them, fixing only their weapons by explicitly summoning them a pair of Eimuuran Darksteel daggers each.


    ¡°How may we serve, Mistress?¡± Her newest Kobold eyed the dangerous-looking daggers she had just made and then broke into a gleeful grin when she handed them to him.


    ¡°I want you to go up into town after dark and collect stuff.¡±


    ¡°What stuff, and what should we do with it?¡±


    ¡°Take only what you find discarded on the streets or inside abandoned buildings. Anything you find is fine, I will decide what is important later ¨C just dump it all into the sewers, I will check on it in the morning.¡±


    Lira quirked an eyebrow in her direction but didn¡¯t elaborate further.


    Her Kobolds nodded. Ali loved working with Kobolds ¨C they were highly intelligent and understood her wishes without much explaining. Almost the polar opposite of her slimes.


    ¡°Yes, Ancient Mistress.¡±


    ¡°Avoid being seen,¡± she finished.


    With a bow, both Kobolds vanished from her sight, and she watched them sprint away until they left the range of her Luminous Slime¡¯s Tremor Sense.


    And then finally, she turned in for the night, relying on the rest of her minions to keep watch.


    Sabri


    Sabri pulled back, willed her tired muscles into action, and swung the hoe. This patch of hard-packed earth had been resisting her efforts to break it up in preparation for seed for several hours now, and she was bone weary already.


    The hoe struck a rock, again, and the shock of the impact shot up through the handle to rattle her bones, causing her to lose her footing and trip, landing hard on her tailbone. She gritted her teeth and got up again. She had lost count of the number of times she had hurt herself struggling to break up this rocky ground. But if they didn¡¯t get the field ready, they would miss the planting and then they would all go hungry.


    She reached down and picked up her hoe, holding it with a two-handed grip, not the one for a farm implement, but one more appropriate for a spear. The cursed, rocky field faded from her view as her mind sought out the battlefields of her imagination. She wielded a glowing spear, and she defended the town against the demon hordes. She moved through a few forms that she had picked up from watching the combat trainees sparring in the village ring. She always wished it was her who was receiving combat instruction, but life wasn¡¯t that kind to her and her mom.


    ¡°Rezan is back! Basir is going to fight the new girl!¡±


    The shouts snapped her out of her imagined world as several of the field hands dropped their hoes and sprinted toward the village square. Excitement surged through her at the anticipation of seeing the Elder¡¯s powerful disciple in action.


    But her excitement was fleeting and her imagination wilted at the sight of the despised patch of rocky ground and her battered hoe. She was not even close to being done.


    ¡°Go.¡±


    Her head snapped up to see her mother looking at her with an amused smile quirking her lips.


    ¡°Go, Sabri, I¡¯ll take care of the rest. Besides, you¡¯ll be next-to useless in the fields if there¡¯s a fight going on.¡± Her mother grinned and made a shooing gesture with her hands.


    ¡°Thanks, Mom!¡± she blurted out and turned and ran as fast as she could, the weariness of her body all but forgotten.


    Malika


    Malika sat on the low stone fence around Kezda¡¯s dusty central town square. In the center of a sandy sparring ring, two novices circled each other, darting in and out with clumsy jabs and kicks under the watchful eyes of their trainer. Almost automatically, she began to identify and analyze each form and attack as if she were back home in her parents¡¯ dojo.


    It was obvious that neither had a class yet.


    Malika¡¯s father had always insisted that fundamentals and footwork were how battles were won and, sure enough, a few minutes later an overreach by the boy opened him up to a powerful uppercut from the more sure-footed girl, and the fight was over by knock-out. The trainer touched the unconscious boy ¨C presumably with a healing skill ¨C and his eyes flickered open again. As they left the ring, the boy hung his head dejectedly while the trainer gestured expressively ¨C offering blunt feedback, that much was clear.


    ¡°Your turn, Malika,¡± Rezan said from his spot on the bench beside her. ¡°Basir is level fifty-three and very robust. I want you to go all out.¡± Then he turned to the heavy-set monk. ¡°Basir, you will fight without your Earth Travel.¡±


    She knew he was at a higher level than her, but Rezan had restricted him from using an entire skill ¨C and apparently, a movement skill at that. It was a severe handicap.


    She studied the shaven-head monk as he stepped into the ring and turned to regard her with curious eyes and a calm posture. Dense white wisps of energy swirled and circulated within his powerful-looking body.


    Malika¡¯s heartbeat began to accelerate as she focused on her opponent and stepped out into the sandy ring. Rezan had insisted that a challenging fight would be the ideal way for her to begin to understand her powerful bloodline skill, and Malika was beginning to realize that might be his approach to teaching in general, and perhaps even to most of life.


    Like Bakahn, fights in Kezda¡¯s sparring ring were clearly part of normal town activity and there weren¡¯t too many spectators ¨C just a few trainees patiently waiting their turn. The only exception was a girl near Malika¡¯s age sprinting toward the ring with a dirty, torn smock flapping in the wind and clear blue eyes darting between her and Basir, sparkling with curiosity and excitement. She plopped to the ground, breathing hard, entirely unconcerned that she sat in the dirt. Even so, Malika had not fought for an audience since she was a youth and a certain amount of nervousness bubbled up inside, threatening to disrupt her calm.


    ¡°Well met, Malika. I am Basir Sho,¡± her opponent intoned. The young man¡¯s voice was uncommonly deep and soft. His face kept a serious expression. ¡°I wish you good fortune ¨C may our fight honor the Ancestors.¡± He clasped his hands before his chest and bowed.


    ¡°Well met, Basir Sho,¡± Malika said, returning the respectful bow. ¡°I am Malika. I have not yet been named,¡± she added, letting him know it was not disrespect that prevented her from reciprocating his gesture of sharing his full name.


    Spectators, Rezan, and even the surrounding town faded from her mind as Malika sized up her opponent. He studied her with alert and honest eyes. His skin was dark, and he sported white tattoos on his cleanly shaven head. Some of the Ahn Khen villages further to the east had traditions around tattoos, so she was familiar with the custom, however, they had been too remote and uncommon for Malika to have learned their meaning during her youth. His squat body was heavy with dense muscle and his movement betrayed more mass and power than she would have expected.


    ¡°Begin,¡± Rezan announced.


    The white energy flickered within Basir¡¯s muscles as his body projected alertness, a sudden readiness for imminent action. Even though Soul Sight was a passive skill, she still needed to learn how to use it in the heat of battle ¨C the white energy shimmered within him, overlaying her vision, as if it was filling his legs with power.


    Her father had always counseled action ¨C no fight, he always said, was won by handing your opponent the initiative.Accelerating her speed using Divine Step, she burst into action, sprinting directly for him with the rapid punches of the first form already flying.


    Energy suddenly condensed within him, and right as her fist struck his ribs, his skin darkened to the color of obsidian. With a crack and a burst of pain, Malika¡¯s fist struck rock.  She pulsed her Healing Mantra to repair her bleeding knuckles.


    As Malika backed off, several loose pebbles and stones floated up from the ground to lazily circle Basir¡¯s head and shoulders. A rock suddenly blurred, firing towards her at extreme velocity. Gasping in surprise, Malika arched her back, barely dodging the missile. Behind her, she caught a flicker in her Soul Sight and she realized Hala had caught the rock before it hit the wide-eyed girl who was spectating their fight. Malika hadn¡¯t even seen her move.


    Basir¡¯s expression changed to one of focused concentration and the rest of the rocks blurred into a rapid sequence of shots, whistling through the air as he tried to pin her down. Burning stamina in a rush, Malika dodged using the maximum speed of her Divine Step skill. The last rock hit her in the ribs as her opponent anticipated her dodge correctly and adjusted his aim. She coughed in pain and healed her broken rib.


    While she could see his physical movement as flickers in his energy, it was all stamina according to the description of Soul Sight. His manipulation of the rocks was invisible to her new skill.


    Quickly, she closed the distance using the unique and powerful footwork of Bakahn, catching a flicker of surprise in Basir¡¯s eyes, and attacked, mixing up punches and kicks to throw off his rhythm. But he remained calm, blocking each strike with reinforced shoulders or forearms. She recalled Rezan mentioning that Basir had an earth affinity. It certainly felt like rock. She healed herself against the damage while she studied his defenses using her new Soul Sight skill.


    Every time a punch landed, she could see the energy projected from Soul Strike penetrating his armored skin by just a little.


    White energy pulsed from the right side of his torso, flickering out through his shoulder and into the right arm as he lashed out with a punch. His dense body maintained an impressively solid foundation on the ground and despite the relative slowness of his attacks, Malika was forced to dodge and block frantically as he pressured her with a powerful command of his arts. Each strike was so powerful that she had to completely dodge it or risk broken bones.


    Right before each strike, energy collected within his muscles and released to create the attack.


    The release of his energy flashed across his body, an elegant pattern of muscle engagement, and Malika dodged the flurry of punches by stepping twice off the air with her Divine Step. Turning it into an aerial spin kick, she slammed her heel into his back and knocked him stumbling forward.


    She landed nimbly on her feet. Her kick had struck his body, and even though he recovered quickly, she had actually hit flesh that time, instead of his impenetrable obsidian rock armor. Well, flesh that felt like a sack of hard potatoes. As she dodged and blocked his counterattack, she reviewed the few seconds before her successful strike.


    She filled her stamina with Second Wind and immediately went on the offensive. Using her skills to briefly run through the air, she rained a flurry of punches down on his head and shoulders from above.  The first two punches connected with rock, while the last slammed into his dense muscle, delivering her powerful Soul Strike to his left shoulder.


    Basir backed away, guarding conservatively and rolling his shoulder in evident pain. He nodded to her, and several rocks levitated into the air while his entire body rippled as his skin turned into dense overlapping obsidian plates.


    She found herself grinning.


    Malika suddenly found herself in a storm of flying rocks that whistled and whirled around the fighting ring like a maelstrom of stones. As she pushed her skills to the limit to dodge his new attack, an intense light from her Soul Sight informed her that he was not content to stand back. His powerful, reinforced body rushed through the rock storm, and he unleashed the continuous attack sequence of the fifth form which, in combination with the flying rocks, served to overwhelm her ability to dodge.


    What followed was fifteen minutes of pure hell, while she dodged five out of every six attacks and was forced to heal whatever bone he broke with the one that got through. All her counterstrikes slammed into his rock armor, serving to build up more damage that she had to heal. She could see him unleashing his attacks, and while each was individually slow, the combination with the flying rocks proved overwhelming. She poured her stamina into her Soul Strikes and Healing Mantra, replenishing it constantly from her Second Wind and Clarity, but in the end, it wasn¡¯t nearly enough.


    ¡°I yield,¡± she said, and he instantaneously halted his onslaught, flying stones instantly falling to the ground. Gingerly Malika got up from the sand, her arm hanging loosely at her side ¨C she no longer had enough stamina or mana to heal it.


    ¡°Thank you, Malika,¡± Basir said, offering the same bow of respect from the beginning of the match.


    ¡°What did you learn from that fight?¡± Rezan asked as he led them back to their seats on the sidelines while fresh fighters entered the ring. There were significantly more faces than at the beginning of the fight, and a few even nodded respectfully to her.


    ¡°Basir is too fast for me,¡± she ground out. ¡°I couldn¡¯t get through his armor.¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I despise lies and excuses,¡± Rezan chided. ¡°What did you ¡±


    It was frustrating to be overwhelmed by someone so much slower than her, but Malika focused her thoughts on the fight. ¡°I can¡¯t see his rock abilities; they must be mana.¡± She considered her struggles for a few more moments, ¡°I can see the energy of his punches and I was able to hit him if I attacked from the air.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Rezan said. ¡°At least you were paying attention. Basir¡¯s sight works through the earth. It is both a strength and a weakness. The fact that you were able to figure it out and test it in battle is the only good thing about your fight.¡±


    Malika¡¯s eyes dropped to the floor at his harsh feedback.


    ¡°Malika,¡± Rezan said, taking an annoyingly sagely tone. ¡°One of the most important lessons for a warrior who cares about getting stronger is to objectively assess one¡¯s own skill. Basir is not faster than you. Nor did you lose because he is more powerful. He is simply better than you. He has had more training and he¡¯s a lot more experienced. He uses his skills better. Once you accept the truth of this, you can step forward and become stronger.¡±


    Malika looked up at Rezan but found no contempt in his gaze. It was a brutal assessment, but one which had been honestly given. She nodded, not really trusting herself to speak.


    ¡°Basir, what is your assessment?¡± Rezan asked.


    He paused in thought for a moment before answering, ¡°I spent too much time evaluating her at the start. She is much stronger than I expected. She takes an enormous amount of damage and just keeps coming back. I almost ran out of mana and stamina.¡± He looked at Malika, ¡°How do you have so much mana to keep healing and fighting?¡±


    Malika had no idea the fight had been close. Basir had seemed such an unstoppable force, that she had never considered she might outlast him.


    Seeing no reason to hide her abilities from the Elder and his disciple, she explained, ¡°I have a Relentless aptitude that improves stamina regeneration and lets me spend stamina instead of mana for any skill. Also, Clarity lets me meditate in combat. Oh, and I can exchange mana for stamina with my Second Wind skill.¡±


    ¡°Relentless is a good word for what that was,¡± Basir told her.


    Rezan nodded sagely. ¡°Clarity will serve you well. From now on, Malika, you will concede any bout that lasts longer than ten minutes. That will be your handicap.¡±


    ¡°Why do I get a handicap?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°You rely on your skills too much,¡± Rezan said. ¡°You need training in how to use your skills more effectively, and strategically. If your only strategy is punching and dodging until your opponent runs out of mana or stamina, you will always lose to smarter or better-trained opponents. Learning to be a more intelligent fighter will help you more than a few thousand points of extra stamina or some skill levels.¡±


    Malika realized Rezan¡¯s intentions were far from the superficial pettiness that she had childishly assumed.  She had noticed that both Basir and Hala¡¯s respect for him did not seem in any way forced. ¡°I understand, Elder,¡± she said.


    ¡°When you both recover your stamina, you will fight again,¡± Rezan said. ¡°I expect you to learn something new.¡±


    ¡°Against Basir again?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Yes, you are not ready to face Hala yet,¡± Rezan said. ¡°She  faster and more powerful than you.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s stronger than Basir?¡± Malika asked, looking at the slender, quiet girl.


    ¡°Stronger than you,¡± Rezan repeated. ¡°Basir has learned to win two out of five bouts with Hala, through strategy, training, and hard work. His rock storm and accuracy with his rock armor are the result of training regularly with a faster opponent.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Malika said, her eyes taking in Hala with new curiosity.


    ¡°While we wait, Malika, you will study this chapter,¡± Rezan told her, retrieving one of the books of Ahn Khen. ¡°Get a pen and paper, I will translate it for you. This book is called ¡®The Path of the Fist¡¯. It and ¡®The Path of the Soul¡¯ will be the most useful for you.¡±


    The rest of the day was spent studying under Rezan¡¯s tutelage, punctuated by brutal sparring matches against Basir. Rezan allowed her to try one match against Hala, but Malika had found herself on her back staring at the clouds before she had even seen Hala move.


    Rezan expected her to apply the material from the book immediately to her matches, but when she struggled, he was quick to demonstrate the proper technique and application. She felt her understanding of her skills and their application to combat growing in leaps and bounds, and even her actual skill levels grew significantly. But in one way, she had made frustratingly little progress.


    ¡°Why can I not get through Basir¡¯s armor?¡± she asked, letting some of her frustration creep into her voice. ¡°Nothing in the book is helping with that.¡±


    ¡°You are simply too weak, Malika,¡± Rezan said patiently. He must have noticed the frustration because he elaborated. ¡°Your strength attribute is very low.¡±


    ¡°But my class and skills use dexterity?¡±


    ¡°Dexterity is speed and accuracy,¡± Rezan said. ¡°Your class rewards you for investing heavily in dexterity, but what good is a high-speed, perfectly placed attack if you¡¯re hitting with a feather? Think of your dexterity directing your power to the most effective spot. Your power is multiplied by your accuracy. You won¡¯t need a lot, but do not neglect strength, it¡¯s the other side of the power equation.¡±


    As she sat and waited for her mana and stamina to regenerate, she considered all she had learned in one day. She could already tell Soul Sight would become an incredible combat tool, allowing her to predict the movement of her opponents once she became proficient with it ¨C it would simply be a matter of practice and training.


    Off to the side, near the edge of her range, she suddenly saw the energy of a small person, hovering there, as if uncertain. She turned her head to see the girl who had been watching her bouts.  The sun was sinking low in the sky and the day, fading to the chill of the evening in the mountains. Beneath the grime, torn dress, and gauntness of frame that bordered on unhealthy, Malika saw a surprisingly intense energy and intelligence behind curious blue eyes.


    ¡°Thank you for showing your skills,¡± the girl said, stepping forward shyly to offer a small ring of peacebloom flowers. The thanks were traditionally offered for friendship or sharing, but Malika got the distinct impression that it was more personal for her.


    ¡°I¡¯m Malika,¡± she said, taking the offered peacebloom necklace and putting it on.


    ¡°I¡¯m Sabri,¡± she replied. ¡°You¡¯re strong ¨C I wish I could fight like you.¡±


    Malika chuckled wryly. ¡°I lost every match today.¡±


    ¡°Nobody lasts more than a minute against Basir, that¡¯s not very exciting,¡± Sabri answered. ¡°You were fun to watch, and you made him use all his abilities.¡± And then she bowed and sprinted off.


    Malika wasn¡¯t sure what that was all about, other than the girl seemed shy. But her gesture was sweet, and it made her smile.


    ¡°You have an admirer,¡± Basir observed from where he sat. ¡°Sabri is always watching the bouts in the ring, but I¡¯ve never seen her interact with anyone like that before.¡±


    ¡°She has a really powerful energy,¡± Malika said. ¡°I think she would make a great fighter.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but notice the complex emotions that flickered across Rezan¡¯s face at her words.


    ¡°Your energy has changed; did you earn an advancement?¡± Rezan asked, conspicuously changing the subject.


    Malika decided not to pursue it, instead sharing the advances she had earned from her day of sparring and studying.


    and then, as if the mere act of reading her advances was the trigger, a new notification popped up. She sucked in her lips.


    Enlightened Evasion ¨C level 25


    Requires: No body armor or shield equipped.


    Your ability to dodge is supernatural, you are even able to dodge area, magical, and explosion damage.


    Stamina: Your martial arts grants insight into avoiding attacks. While unencumbered by armor, your Evasion is increased by +685 Reserve: 10%


    Physical, Melee, Defense, Dexterity


    Coming out of her brief introspection, she realized Rezan was waiting patiently for her. Malika immediately shared her potential advancement.


    ¡°That is strong, I recommend taking it,¡± Rezan said, offering his opinion after taking a little time to reflect upon it. ¡°You did well today.¡±


    After all the harsh critique and lost bouts, the advancement and his praise felt well earned. She nodded briefly. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°However, your unlock requirements seem rather extreme, perhaps we should talk about what you did to earn those,¡± he added.


    Malika grimaced at his tone. ¡°Ali has a habit of continuously shooting fireballs at our tank to get rid of monster hordes,¡± she replied. In fact, it seemed to be her favorite strategy now.


    ¡°Hmm. Tell me more?¡±


    As she described their evolving strategy to the stoic monk, she realized that the rest of her achievements contributing to unlocking the skill advancement were rather telling. Both Alexander Gray¡¯s blight aura and the Death Wight¡¯s aura had been critical to the skill advancing, and in both cases, she had spent significant time immersed in the continuous damage they emitted.


    She assumed Rezan¡¯s mentorship enchantment, and the strenuous training today had played a large part in earning the advancement too, and it was curious that he hadn¡¯t mentioned it. She knew he wanted her as a student, and she still had a decision to make. But he seemed to be sincere about not pushing her.


    Suddenly, she noticed the second change to her skill, and she stared, scarcely believing her eyes. In addition to dodging area and magic damage, her skill also now provided two points of evasion per point of dexterity.


    She accepted the advancement, growing excited for the opportunity to test it out against Basir¡¯s storm of stones, and maybe even have another go at Hala¡¯s lightning.


    Mato


    It was late afternoon when Mato arrived at Sigurd¡¯s farm. He stopped and surveyed the blackened, dead fields with a grimace ¨C the damage was far more extensive than he had expected or imagined. No crops were growing, and most of the trees seemed to be dead or dying ¨C the damage to the natural ecosystem was clearly extensive. In fact, could he see a single fresh green shoot or bud anywhere?


    If all the farms were like this, there was no way they would be able to grow enough for everyone.


    When he knocked on the door, Sigurd answered quickly.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so glad you came!¡± he said, and quickly showed him around, pointing out the most important areas and fields where the blight was the worst. It was clear that the man was frustrated and at his wits end and there was evidence of many different attempts to circumvent the magical plague and get his farm back into some semblance of shape.


    ¡°So, I saw your battle with that bloody Necromancer,¡± he said, hope laid out plainly on his face. ¡°They told me your tree pushed back the blight ¨C do you think it can work on my fields? I¡¯ve tried everything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fairly certain I can clean up the blight,¡± he said, estimating the size of the farm and his aura. ¡°It will probably take all night, though.¡±


    Sigurd¡¯s face shone at the news. ¡°That¡¯s fantastic!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get started then.¡± Mato found a spot where his aura would cover most of the blight and began his transformation. Left unchecked, the undead blight had the potential to expand indefinitely, consuming everything that lived. He extended his roots down into the tilled earth and the rotting decay of the blight and stretched his branches towards the sky. He immediately connected with the calm serenity of the tree as his vision faded and he was left with just his senses of plants and animals, his sanctuary, and his survival instinct. His awareness stretched outward expanding across the fields, connecting with the seeds waiting underground, the plants struggling near the blight, and even the earth itself. The wrongness of the blight gnawed at him as it destroyed life across the farm.


    With a rush, his aura expanded to the full extent of his now 845-foot range. His regeneration took hold, and his mana and life energy surged through his trunk and branches, spilling over into the farmland. His sanctuary began to dismantle the deep hold that the blight had on the land, as his life energy attacked it through his aura. There was a sense of rightness to his labors ¨C as the blight dissolved, nature would be restored to balance, and it would be able to recover.


    He reached out with his Rampant Growth to the few seeds that were near the slowly receding edge of the blight and delicately encouraged them to grow. He watched with joy as the wheat plants began to sprout under the careful influence of his mana.


    Once the blight was eradicated here, he would relocate to the other side of the farm and repeat the process there. As he mused and laid plans in the slow-paced heart of his Tree Form, a notification caught him by surprise.

 Chapter 141: The Dungeon’s Survival Guide

    , by Lyeneru Silverleaf, Elven Pathfinders Guild.


    Tala


    ¡°Wait here,¡± Tala said, not even checking to see if he followed her orders before she dodged into the alley and cloaked herself with her magic. Daeron was a self-important mouth-breathing moron, but it would be Kieran Mori he had to answer to if he didn¡¯t listen.


    She dodged the bright moonlight on the other side of the alley and emerged into the broad street by the south gate and paused to study the scene. The gates were shut, and the guards¡­ She scowled at the backlit shapes visible through the window of the guard house.


    That made it easier, though.She stooped and picked up a chunk of broken cobblestone, hefting it thoughtfully before she tossed it across the way. Her aim was perfect and the sharp crack of the stone striking the wooden door rang out loudly in the night.


    Shouts and activity erupted within the guard house, but Tala was already on the move, darting from shadow to shadow as she sprinted across the street. By the time the door slammed open, she was already there. With a burst of stamina, she activated Ambush and Mutilate simultaneously, burying both daggers in the center of the man¡¯s back.


    Her chime sounded as her blades found his heart.


    Before the second guard barreled out of the doorway, she used Vanish, drawing the shadows up around her once more. She took a slow breath, and, as soon as the second guard appeared, she shanked her, slipping one dagger into a kidney and the other through the left side of her ribcage right under the armpit. The longer blade in her left hand found the heart, triggering critical damage and her Ambush finished it off.


    she thought, ignoring the echo of her chime. Reaching into her storage, she retrieved two cards with the Silent Assassin¡¯s emblem and carefully set one on each corpse, before she entered the guard house and released the latches. The south gate slowly swung open, revealing the darkness of night beyond.


    ¡°¡­.mmmrrraarg¡­.¡±


    Tala slipped out and returned to the alleyway, finding Daeron staring wide-eyed at the zombies shambling into town. Grinning wickedly, she snuck up behind him and announced her presence with a dagger-point to his throat.


    ¡°Waah!¡± he gasped.


    ¡°Pay attention, unless you wish to die,¡± she whispered, enjoying the trembling in his legs. ¡°Remember the job ¨C let them kill a few people before your group takes care of the zombies.¡±


    He nodded, his throat working as he gulped.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to make a noise. Kieran wants witnesses.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I got it!¡± he stammered. The gloom failed to hide how green his face looked.


    ¡°Make it happen. And don¡¯t forget your armbands.¡± Tala used Vanish again and left him blinking as his head snapped back and forth comically.


    Mori would be happy.


    Lightly, she licked her lips. The night had just begun.


    Aliandra


    Ali woke early, and peacefully. She had half expected to be woken in the middle of the night by some monster invading the library from the jungle below, but her barrier across the doorway remained intact and had kept them all out. Scrolling through the notifications, it seemed like her traps and Kobold defenders had been working around the clock ¨C at least, the undead quest counter on her ring had ticked up by twenty-three. Busy out there.


    She roamed around with her senses, connecting with each of her monsters and verifying with their eyes that all was secure. she thought as she noticed the zombie corpses piled up on top of her runic circles. They wouldn¡¯t work well if monsters had to walk around them. ¡°¡± she instructed, waiting only for a confirmation nod from her Kobold in the distant cavern, still impressed that Martial Insight seemed to have no range limit so far. She¡¯d need to go dispose of them before they began to stink up the place. Well, they probably already reeked.


    Casting her awareness further out, she found her two Kobold rogues, still hard at work picking over the town. She chose one and shared his view of the world for a moment, finding him busy dragging a stack of broken wooden slats along a dark alleyway to a hole in the ground. He paused, and then pitched it all in before returning to search for more. The alleyway and sewer entrance seemed bright and clear by the Kobold¡¯s fantastic night vision, but somehow Ali could tell that dawn wasn¡¯t far off


    ¡°¡± she said, collecting several nearby minions from around the library and bundling them onto her barrier before flying off toward the sewer. If she hadn¡¯t been worried about traveling alone, she could have simply teleported through the sewer now that it was densely populated with her minions, but instead, she flew the entire way, using her industrious rogues as her reference.


    It seemed they had picked a fairly localized part of town to scavenge from, but when she reached the sewer entrance, she found a huge pile of junk waiting for her at the bottom of the ladder.


    She stared up at the precarious edifice, keeping a little distance in case it all came crashing down. It was amazing that her Kobolds had been so productive and that there was that much junk to be found in just a small section of town. She wrinkled her nose as she caught a whiff of it ¨C at least some of what they had found must have been rotting for weeks. Lovely. She created a precautionary barrier and watched from a safe distance as the grate far above shifted and a few rocks and a broken chair fell from the circle of darkness way up above, clattering down onto the heap.


    ¡°¡± she called out, and two dark shadowy forms swarmed back down the ladder to join her. ¡°¡±


    Her Kobolds bowed, their black scales rapidly blending into the shadows until all that remained was the lingering gleam of their sharp fangs and the whites of their eyes, momentarily bright against the darkness before those too faded from view. Without any further orders, they hovered nearby, guarding her as she mentally rolled up her sleeves.


    she thought, staring at the gigantic pile. It would be a shame if it was all just a huge waste of time. At least for the scavenger dungeon it had been effective, so in theory, it should be beneficial for her too, but her imprints worked by finding several of the same kind of thing before she could make it, and this pile seemed like an enormous collection of random ¨Cunfortunately unique ¨C junk.


    she notedShe quickly got to work, deconstructing everything from broken furniture to rotten food.


    It took a while to deconstruct the entire pile, working from top to bottom so it didn¡¯t collapse on her, but to her surprise, there were quite a few additions and options for her Grimoire. Ali discarded the imprints for paper, rotten fish, and the ceramic pot, deciding that they didn¡¯t offer enough potential to spend a chapter on.


    But the addition to her stone imprint might be useful, and she found an empty chapter to inscribe the wood imprint along with the several variants she had just learned. Wherever they had gone, her Kobolds had certainly found a lot of broken furniture.


    Suddenly, her Grimoire flared again, and her pages began riffling quickly back and forth. A chorus of chimes sounded as the book ping-ponged between the imprint for trees and the imprint for wood.


    She stared at the light show as her Grimoire added every single kind of tree to her wood imprint.


    She glanced back at the now-empty spot where the pile of trash had been, and her eye was caught by a gleam of something embedded in the moss. Crouching down to get a closer look, she found a few coins ¨C loose change that had come down with everything else ¨C wedged into the moss by the weight of the pile of junk. She pried them out one by one and then deconstructed the lot.


    She had deconstructed several silver coins, but not enough of the same ones to update her imprints.


    Given the account of  in Lyeneru¡¯s book, she had been prepared for a lot of worthless trash ¨C which was what she had gotten. But she had also learned several useful things in the process, and who knew what else the townsfolk were discarding.


    ¡°I want you two to gather more stuff every night,¡± she said, speaking to the shadows. ¡°Pick a different spot next time.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, Ancient Mistress,¡± came the disembodied voice from the shadows.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s go back,¡± she said. She made her way slowly back to the library deep in thought. She had many ideas for her domain, but most of them required additional knowledge she didn¡¯t possess, skill advancements, or prescience. When she flew through the great doorway into the library, she was no closer to any resolution. She circled down and frowned at the sight of the collapsed table, burnt through by the deadly beams of the Coruscant Ray.


    she thought, running her hand over the remains of the tabletop. She had another table, but she had admired the craftsmanship of this one. The wood had a beautiful color and texture, marred now by the deep burn marks.


    She used deconstruction, carefully removing pieces of the tabletop until her Grimoire appeared with her chime.


    As soon as she had it, she made her Kobolds hold the pieces of the table up in the proper alignment, and she summoned mahogany wood from her imprint, shaping and blending it with the remains of the table to reform the tabletop. She bent and warped the wood with her Domain Mastery skill, blending the grain, until the final piece looked to be crafted from a single, enormous piece of wood, polished to a shine ¨C a liberty she was free to take with her skills even though the trees typically didn¡¯t grow that large.


    she thought, but at least this table was perfect.


    ***


    Ali sat at her newly repaired mahogany table, poring over the dungeon delves of Lyeneru Silverleaf with her notebook open to the side. It was certainly no textbook, directly imparting the knowledge she needed, but she was beginning to tease out nuggets and tidbits of ideas that might help her. Directions of inquiry that might hold some potential.


    Lyeneru had made a casual offhand reference to ¡®splitting¡¯ a dungeon. According to her, if one destroyed the dungeon¡¯s domain at a chokepoint, it could be split into two, and then the smaller, or less dense part that was not connected to the ¡®main¡¯ domain would instantly die off. It was a strategy she had employed to great effect in several dungeons, preventing the dungeon from respawning monsters behind her on longer delves.


    she thought, looking up from the book, her eyes drawn to the atrium.Without understanding what she had done, she had deconstructed the giant bone spire in the center of the library and caused the entire upper part of the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra dungeon to instantly dissipate. At the time it had caused her no end of worry, but now, finally, she had an explanation for what had happened.


    The Bone Wights had presumably been in the densest part of the dungeon, which was why that part had survived ¨C either because of the raid boss or, more likely, the shrine artifact itself. She hadn¡¯t exactly been paying attention to that specifically, but her recollection of the look of the domain mana seemed to fit with her conclusion. The mostly cleared section above had broken, triggering a partial dungeon-break. It had been one thing to mop up the Kobolds ejected from here, but she hated to think of the destruction that might have been wrought if the Wights had been set to rampaging around the countryside.


    From her own observations, Ali¡¯s domain mana originated from herself, radiating outward. If her domain were split, likely the part of the domain she was in would be the one that survived. When the Town Watch had come down to burn her domain, she had split it herself by disconnecting the ventilation shaft, and the part that had survived was the much smaller expanse in the ruins and the library.


    If she didn¡¯t want to suffer a similar loss of her domain in the future, she needed to defend it. But according to what she had just read, she also needed to make her domain denser and much better connected.


    Losing the forest cavern had cost her more than three-quarters of her domain, with a commensurate loss in her mana capacity in the process. If she expanded her domain well beyond what she needed for her mana, even losing a large area like the sewer system and the Forest Cavern, she could still maintain her full mana pool, which would be essential for her defenses. It was not like she lacked space to expand into ¨C there was a lot of area in the ruins and the jungle she had not claimed. Presumably, there was even more area where the water and slimes had come from when she blew the lake out on top of the Goblin siege. Then there was the passage she and Mato had used to escape the ruins ¨C now caved in, but that had connected to a series of unexplored caves too ¨C something Calen had speculated was the path the Kobolds had used to reach the farmlands.


    She turned the page to reveal a simple checklist called ¡®The Dungeon Survival Guide¡¯, in which Lyeneru spelled out several important concepts for surviving in a dungeon. It was remarkably similar to Vivian Ross¡¯s advice from the first time they talked with her, highlighting the value of teamwork, being prepared, knowledge and perception skills, and having an escape plan.


    She considered all she had read so far, her most difficult experiences and challenges.


    It was crucial for her to expand her domain to defend against splitting and burning. She must make her domain more robust and retain her mana and the power of her domain magic.


    She picked up a pen and began to jot down the beginnings of a plan.


    Lyeneru had explicitly pointed this one out. Her monsters were her biggest asset, her strength, and the source of an endless variety of skills and abilities. She needed permanent defenders in her domain or she would always be struggling to defend herself.


    Of course, there were limits. She only had so much mana to reserve for monsters.


    In adventurer groups, perception skills did not always add to raw power ¨C but the information gained could easily spell the difference between winning or dying. She had personally experienced just how important her Arcane Insight was for understanding the dangers presented by boss monster abilities.


    Dungeons grew in power proportional to the defenders they could wield, and every dungeon that had challenged Lyeneru had used difficult traps or boss monsters with powerful combinations of abilities.


    She considered her list carefully, but as she did, she realized something ¨C perhaps the most important thing ¨C was missing. She had been saved again and again by her friends.


    she realized, recalling Vivian Ross¡¯s efforts to help her, Donella Novaspark¡¯s Chain Lightning from the battlements, and the support of Lydia and Thuli who made their gear. She struggled for a while to encapsulate the idea in a simple phrase ¨C in Lyeneru¡¯s guide it was labeled ¡®teamwork¡¯, but she wouldn¡¯t call Vivian, Donella, or Mieriel friends or teammates, but they definitely had been¡­


    The word seemed to fit what she wanted, so she wrote it down. If she had strong friends, they would help her. If she was useful, people would protect her. As a dungeon, she would certainly not have many, but the more allies she could win to her side, the better her chances of survival would be.


    The idea of opening her shrine up to the general public again left her palms clammy. However, it had definitely helped to secure Vivian Ross¡¯s support, and she was beginning to see the value in the Guildmaster¡¯s vision: a strong guild would be a potent stabilizing force in the town, and that would definitely help her. Not to mention, the people who had earned classes from her shrine might be more likely to view her favorably.


    A mental picture of Havok¡¯s face made her smile.


    Ali picked up the pen again and wrote her title above the list.


    She studied it carefully, but there was nothing else that came to mind. She would add to it if she discovered something important later but, for now, she was quite happy with it. The fact that it mirrored Lyeneru¡¯s guide but was aimed at the survival of the dungeon instead of the adventurers tickled her sense of irony. she thought, finding herself wishing she could pick his brains for new ideas.


    The list, however, did highlight how little she knew about being a dungeon. She still had no idea how to make bosses and, other than the cobbled-together contraptions her Kobolds made, she had a single trap. She was already working on growing her knowledge by reading Lyeneru¡¯s book, but although her list item ¡®allies¡¯ was nice and trite, she had no idea how to quickly find powerful allies.


    It was one of the few things she knew how to make immediate progress on. ¡°¡± she called, reaching out with her mind to connect with every Moss Creeper, Spore Spreader, and Floral Menace, and drawing them to the top level of the ruins ¨C the residential zone of the ancient city.


    ¡°¡± The area was vast, and it would undoubtedly take them some time to complete, but they could make continuous progress on it while she was busy. she added, recalling belatedly that there were a number of unexplored caves. It wouldn¡¯t do for her minions to disturb anything lurking in there.


    ***


    Ali sat at her table once more, this time poring over the Monster Compendium. Her biggest fear was stealth and being ambushed by invisible attackers. She simply did not have the skills and health to deal reliably with that threat. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Lyeneru had given her the solution in the form of free, but harsh advice.


    Her own rule-three indicated she needed knowledge and perception, and her rule-two encouraged her to think with monsters. She was taking it perhaps a trifle too literally though, paging through the compendium, searching for monsters with unusual and potentially useful perception skills like her slimes.


    she thought, staring wide-eyed at a beautifully detailed picture of something called an ¡® According to the compendium, these monsters were earth-affinity flightless, legless dragons, but having neither wings nor legs did not hamper their movement in any way. They had earth magic to burrow through solid stone at the speed of a flying dragon, and they could sense through rock.


    ¡°Hi Ali, what are you doing?¡±


    She glanced up from her studies to find Mato walking up to greet her with Ryn hovering beside him on her pretty magical butterfly wings.


    ¡°I made a dungeon¡¯s survival checklist, and now I¡¯m trying to find useful monsters to help my defenses,¡± she answered, though her success so far had been mediocre at best.


    ¡°Can I see?¡± Ryn asked.


    ¡°Do you want breakfast?¡± Mato asked, simultaneously.


    ¡°Yes, to both!¡± she grinned. Pushing her notebook toward Ryn, she offered the  from Lyeneru¡¯s book, and then her own version, .


    ¡°That¡¯s funny!¡± Ryn giggled. ¡°You flipped the meaning entirely. What kind of monsters are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really worried about stealth and assassins, especially since I¡¯m a dungeon and there¡¯s already a bounty on my head. So, I was looking for monsters with perception skills that could defeat stealth and invisibility to help defend me. But they need to be common enough that I can actually find some, not like this guy.¡± She flipped the compendium around so Ryn could see the Earth Wyrm.


    ¡°That¡¯s big,¡± Ryn said.


    ¡°Also, it would be very handy if I could find some higher-level monsters that prioritize wisdom or intelligence as their highest attribute for my Empowered Summoner skill,¡± Ali added. She had two imprint chapters she could sacrifice if something useful showed up. Even though food was still scarce in town, she wasn¡¯t certain she needed the Black Bean and the Potato imprints anymore. She could always just plant some rice, wheat, or some more fruit trees if she wanted to fill some of the food collection jobs on the guild board. She even had some edible mushrooms.


    ¡°Wolves have good noses,¡± Mato called out from where he was stoking the cookfire.


    ¡°Oh, yes! I have some Timber Wolves,¡± she said. She also still had the Starving Wolf and Alpha variants if she needed something easier on the mana ¨C but they were lower level and presumably had weaker senses. He was right, though, the wolves were one of her best options right now ¨C scent was hard to mask.


    ¡°This sounds like a fun project,¡± Ryn said, pulling up a chair and placing a hand on the Monster Compendium. ¡°Give me a second.¡± A complex formation of golden mana formed in front of her eyes as tiny sparks of violet played in her pupils. Her eyes flickered back and forth rapidly as if reading something at high speed.


    ¡°Ok, here we go,¡± Ryn said. She took the Monster Compendium from Ali and flipped the pages halfway through the book. ¡°Here¡¯s one option to consider. The compendium says that spiders are very common, and most species have interesting visual senses, highly sensitive to motion. Some of them also produce webs which they use in conjunction with various kinds of tremor sense. Here, read this.¡± Ryn pointed to the chapter describing the many and varied abilities of monstrous spiders.


    ¡°I used to know how to make spiders,¡± she mused. ¡°But I had to give it up because I didn¡¯t have enough space at the time.¡± She left unsaid that a major contributor had been the fact that they creeped her out a bit. On the other hand, they were most assuredly common ¨C spiders could be found anywhere. The challenge would be finding one with the right sensory skills. she wondered, grimacing at some of the pictures in the book.


    ¡°Here¡¯s another option,¡± Ryn said, flipping to the front of the book. ¡°Bats usually have exceptionally acute hearing and sonic echolocation. An active sonic perception skill might be just the thing for flushing out sneaky creatures and people!¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Ali said, grinning at Ryn¡¯s mounting enthusiasm. ¡°There were some pretty scary bats on the second level of this city, maybe there are still some left that I can hunt.¡±


    ¡°For the creatures with high intelligence and wisdom, I will try to find some more information and make a list,¡± Ryn said, brusquely, pulling out a notebook and a pen. ¡°I was planning on visiting the library at Vertias again this afternoon. I can search their collection for anything interesting.¡±


    ¡°Oh, if you¡¯re going to Vertias, can you look for any books on arcane trigger magic?¡± Ali asked. She needed to make some progress on traps, and none of her ideas had panned out so far, but the discussion of the library had reminded her that magic tomes existed ¨C and also reminded her of the niche branch of arcane magic related to trigger spells and metamagic.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll look.¡±


    ¡°Oh, can you also search for more books detailing dungeon dives?¡± Ali asked, meeting Ryn¡¯s gaze as she glanced up. ¡°I need descriptions of the traps and monsters, and any tidbits on how the dungeon was constructed. Or grew¡­ whatever.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Ryn said, scribbling down more notes. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°A fun story?¡± Then Ali grimaced. ¡°And a replacement for the couch.¡±


    ¡°I got those on the list already.¡±


    ¡°Hate to disturb your furniture shopping, ladies, but here you go,¡± Mato interrupted with bowls of hot oatmeal seasoned with crushed nuts and strawberries. It smelled divine, and Ali immediately dug in.


    ¡°How was your job at Sigurd¡¯s farm? Did you finish?¡± she asked, talking around a mouthful of food, and then immediately feeling bad for forgetting her manners.


    ¡°Yes, his farm is cleansed,¡± Mato said, joining them at the table for breakfast. ¡°He was so happy that he told all the other farmers, and now they all want me to do their farms too. I had to stop them trying to outbid each other to buy me with money.¡±


    ¡°Why did you stop them?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s my duty to cleanse it. I would do it for free, but Mieriel told me we must charge at least the minimum fee because it¡¯s the Town Council that is sponsoring the cleanup.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re going back out there, do you remember that cave with the Kobolds we cleared? There were some cave bats in there ¨C¡±


    ¡°Ugh, flying rats,¡± Mato grumbled.


    ¡°If it¡¯s not too much trouble, would you collect some for me? I think I¡¯ll go hunt some of the giant bats from the ruins, too.¡± At least she knew where the bats were, and if she could add them to her Grimoire, she would hopefully have access to a potent defender with a new powerful perception skill.


    ¡°Smart,¡± Mato nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do it, just for you, even though they fly. But I have one condition.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she asked, surprised at his request.


    ¡°Those ¨C¡± he pointed toward a pair of Kobolds and a Luminous Slime ¡°¨C are dinky monsters. I would feel a lot better if you made something stronger and kept it nearby. You¡¯re by yourself down here and if you get attacked, I want to know you¡¯re set up to handle it.¡±


    Ali smiled, about to tease him about the loss of her confident, happy-go-lucky friend, but she saw the concern in his expression, and she withheld her words.


    Instead, she said, ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll make a couple of Forest Guardians, and a few Wyverns to go hunt bats and keep them nearby.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, ¡°and good hunting.¡± He smiled, packed up his cooking gear, and waved goodbye, heading out to continue his blight eradication quest.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 142: Great Hunter

    ¨C Excerpt from , the collected lectures of Val¡¯korr, Trollish (translated).


    Aliandra


    Ali gazed out at the darkness and eerie silence of the suspended second level of the ruined city. Without the dungeon to respawn the monsters, not a single thing moved nor was there a single sound, and without her friends to talk to, she felt like an invader in a ghost town. The only visible light was the distant glow from the fractured mana condenser on the outer ring, still leaking liquid light-affinity mana that cascaded off the edge of the floating stone city ring in a slow-motion waterfall, and the dim glow that percolated up from the jungle far below, casting much of the ruined city into shadow.


    She summoned her Grimoire, which shone brilliantly in the darkness, and took the time to summon two Forest Guardians and three Poison Wyverns. She had promised Mato she would make better protectors but, after seeing the dark and deserted ruins, she was glad of their reassuring bulk.


    she thought, recalling their battles through here with perfect clarity. She pursed her lips and then paged through her Grimoire, choosing to summon two Bone Mages and two Fire Mages. The only issue would be carrying all her minions into what was likely to be an aerial battle.


    ¡°What is your wish, Ancient Mistress?¡± the first Kobold asked in a raspy voice. A thin curl of black smoke spiraled up from between his gleaming teeth.


    ¡°We¡¯re hunting bats,¡± she answered. Ranged magic would be essential.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± the reptilian mage replied, rubbing his scaled hands together with a devious grin gracing his face.


    But it was not just her minions that would be protecting her down here. She had taken a quick trip to town, and Lydia had outdone herself. While Calen¡¯s mother had apologized for not being able to craft anything better than her self-repair enchantment, Ali was mostly in awe of the resistance the exquisitely crafted piece provided, and the talented tailor had trimmed them with green and gold embroidery to match her hair and eyes.


    Tailored Cotton Clothing ¨C level 45


    Resistance: 648


    Mana: Self-repair.


    Requirements: Intelligence 158


    Body ¨C Cloth


    Any Fireballs or Ice Bolts she might tank would be reduced in damage by thirty-two percent ¨C not that she would be trying to tank any hostile spells if she could avoid them ¨C but it was further reassuring that she was properly prepared to face the ruins alone. She, at least, planned to stand well in the back behind her barriers, but the bats she was hunting had a dangerous sonic attack ¨C and being prepared was rule number four.


    Without Calen¡¯s light magic, she would need to rely on the glow of her floating barrier magic, her Luminous Slime, and the exceptional Darkvision of her Kobold mages to see. On a hunch, she extended her awareness to one of her Poison Wyverns and the darkness vanished as her borrowed emerald-green draconic eyes scanned the remains of the ancient city.


    It cost a tiny trickle of mana to maintain the additional points of view, but her mana pool was large enough by now to out-regenerate the cost of using the sight of a few minions.


    Slowly, she picked her way across the ruined city to one of the arched stone bridges leading to the center suspended ring, not encountering a single monster, living or undead. All that broke the silence was the leathery swishing of her Wyverns¡¯ wings and the heavy thuds of the Forest Guardians¡¯ footfalls on the ancient stone.


    Her path took her past the Armory once again. They had been unable to carry most of the weapons or armor out when they had first discovered it, so she decided to take the time for a second peek at the loot, given as she now better appreciated how it might add to and even consolidate her knowledge. Every chapter in her Grimoire was precious and needed to be well-used. Leaving the enormous Guardians outside, she entered the dark building and gazed at the walls displaying their treasure with her borrowed Darkvision.


    No matter how many times she saw this, she knew she would be awed. Her borrowed eyes roamed around the immensity of the armory, taking in the wealth of weapons crafted by the ancient smiths of Dal¡¯mohra. she decided. She needed to keep one for the bats.


    she thought, weighing the options. Most of her Goblins could use axes ¨C particularly the Storm Shamans and the Bugbears, although she seldom used the hulking Goblin warriors anymore. The warriors certainly could, but maybe even some of her rogues might have the skill to use axes. she decided and set about deconstructing every axe in the Armory.


    She chose the Black Bean imprint to replace and waited for her Grimoire to rearrange its pages with the newly learned imprint. It took a little longer than she had anticipated, but the Armory contained an unbelievable variety of axes. She didn¡¯t typically pay much attention to melee weapons and had only considered the ¡®big¡¯ two-handed axes and the ¡®smaller¡¯ one-handed varieties as the full extent of the categories. But she began to glaze over after her Grimoire acknowledged an endless list of throwing axes, greataxes, labrys, hand axes, beaked axes, tomahawks, and halberds ¨C these being the few she could actually name.


    she thought, twisting her mouth wryly, but she studied the differences, resolving to ask Ryn for more information soon. The more she knew about these weapons, the better she would become when she deployed axe-wielding minions to battle.


    Continuing her slow procession across the ruins, she made her way to the outer ring, approaching the area where they had fought the Wights. She eyed the scorch marks and skeleton bones, all that remained in the now-silent and deserted battlefield to mark the epic fight against the final boss. Her gaze flickered to the center, but nothing remained to indicate the dungeon shrine had hovered there or call attention to the terror of cowering in the presence of the Blind Lich. She shivered at that memory, nonetheless.


    After studying the deserted spot for a few moments, she allowed the remembered dread and terror to subside and turned to her second task ¨C the condenser. She stopped, a little out of range, seeing the first signs of life in this deserted ruin. The Luminous Slimes still congregated in the puddles of liquid light-affinity mana leaked by the giant fractured pyramid of stone.


    she thought. Somehow, they were attracted to the mana, or perhaps even spawned from it directly like the spawning pool below. If they had been dungeon monsters, they would have been released in a dungeon-break when the dungeon itself had been destroyed. She could find no remnants of the old domain, and yet these creatures remained.


    she instructed, sending her entourage of minions into battle. It was a short and messy fight, with many of the slimes blasted from the ring by the detonations of the Fireballs, Bone Spears, or otherwise stomped into splatters under the Guardians¡¯ feet. But she didn¡¯t care about experience or monster kills and as soon as the condenser was clear, she approached, pausing at the threshold where the density of the liquid mana began to prickle painfully across the skin of her forearms.


    ¡°¡± Ali said, waving her Luminous Slime forward. She studied it carefully as the shining blob happily squashed itself through the crevices after her treasure, but her Acolytes did not even bother healing it, confirming her guess that the slime was nigh immune to the damage from the caustic density of the light-affinity mana.


    Not long after, her slime reemerged, carrying chunks of shining crystals suspended in its semitransparent body. It didn¡¯t take too long before her Grimoire reacted to her deconstruction and she added a new resource for the crafters in Myrin¡¯s Keep. Ali identified it quickly.


    ¡°Ok, time to hunt,¡± she said, eliciting chirps of excitement from her Kobolds.


    She summoned a disk of golden magic and collected her minions upon its smooth surface and levitated everything into the air, leaving only the immense Forest Guardians behind. They were far too heavy for her to lift at her current skill level.


    Using the eyes of her Wyverns and Kobolds, she searched the darkness of the cavern for her prey with a heart that beat entirely too quickly for it to be solely caused by excitement.


    For several minutes, nothing happened, but as she neared the roof of the immense cavern ¨C the underside of the city¡¯s residential level ¨C she finally caught sight of a dark shape dropping away from a crevice and approaching on silent wings. Her Wyverns immediately roared, intercepting the shape with streams of deadly green spray, but the creature flittered back and forth, dodging with uncanny agility.


    It darted between the Wyverns, suddenly rushing her and unleashing a high-pitched screech. Ali yelped, tossing up a barrier, but the air shimmered and she was hit by a palpable wave of sound. She stumbled and her vision blackened.


    She came to, face down on her golden barrier magic, a jangling pain slowly fading as her Kobold healer filled her with holy magic. Ali groaned and sat up, clutching her head and urgently searching for the bat. Her eyes found it about ten meters off to the left, flying circles around her three angry Wyverns.


    ¡°Where did the mages go?¡± she asked, noticing that two of her Kobolds were missing. But she already knew the answer before her Acolyte spoke.


    ¡°They fell, Ancient Mistress.¡±


    she berated herself. She had fought these bats before, and she knew of their abilities. She hunted entirely alone, and a single mistake could spell her end ¨C there would be nobody to come and rescue her if she passed out and got attacked or fell. Her experience with her friends, and maybe even her solo dungeon delve into Naia¡¯s dungeon had obviously lulled her into a false sense of security.


    Suddenly, the bat screeched and dropped, and her notification chime sounded.


    She watched in chagrin as the corpse rapidly fell from sight, vanishing into the darkness below.  There was no way she was fighting her way through that jungle below by herself to recover the corpse.


    When she finally found a second Giant Bat, she engaged first with her Wyverns, but this time she instructed them to lure it downward towards the ringed city ruins below. She maintained a barrier between the bat and herself as a precaution against its stun. The darting, wheeling aerial melee wove intricate patterns in the air as the Wyverns slowly descended. As soon as Ali judged them to be low enough above the ruins that she wouldn¡¯t need to catch the corpse she reacted.


    ¡°¡± she said. The Poison Wyvern wheeling above the bat folded its wings and reached with its talons, falling five meters in an instant and tackling the bat in the air. Screeches of pain and roars of triumph greeted the spray of blood as the talons found their target. And as soon as the bat¡¯s mobility was stripped away, the Wyverns doused it in green spray.


    ¡°Ok, now you can shoot it too,¡± she told the mages beside her.


    ¡°Yes, mistress.¡± The air bristled with spears of bone and sizzled with bolts of fire. Ali even launched a couple of barrier shards. She missed Arcane Bolt for this kind of fight, but she had gotten quite proficient with manipulating shards of her barrier magic, so she still wielded a useful amount of personal destructive power.


    The fight was short and vicious, and the outnumbered bat died in the air, dropping the short distance to land on a building below. Ali descended and deconstructed the corpse.


    She hadn¡¯t had much opportunity to hunt by herself and she reveled in the sense of achievement. Especially after her first attempt had been a clear failure.


    ***


    Ali viewed the summarized notifications representing a whole day of hunting giant bats in the darkness.


    She had hunted for hours, extending her quest deep into the afternoon. Her fighting had become significantly more reliable as she became more familiar with aerial combat using her Wyverns, however, for the last two hours, her search had proved fruitless. She had eventually given up when she deduced that there probably were no more bats in the cave for her to hunt and returned to the library, consoling herself with her books while she waited. Typically, she needed about twelve to fifteen monsters before she learned a new imprint, and without the dungeon to respawn them, she wasn¡¯t at all certain she could find more to complete it.


    ¡°Hi, Ali, I¡¯m back!¡± Mato shouted, his cheerful voice echoing in the library as he stepped off the landing. His eyes glanced at the two Forest Guardians on either side of her couch and flicked upward to the three Wyverns roosting in the branches of the giant tree. ¡°You listened.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ali answered him with a smile. ¡°I trust you, and your advice was smart.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ali.¡± There was an uncharacteristic seriousness in her friend¡¯s voice as he answered.


    ¡°Are you ok, Mato?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried about my friends,¡± he answered soberly, dropping himself heavily onto the couch.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re both ok,¡± Ali said. Malika had been left recovering and in good hands. But nobody had anything from Calen, and she shared Mato¡¯s concern.


    ¡°Anyway, I brought you a present,¡± he grinned, his mood flipping back to his more typical cheerful self, and he dumped a pile of dead bats on the floor, retrieved from his ring¡¯s storage enchantment.


    ¡°You sure know how to cheer a girl up,¡± Ali laughed. ¡°I was all depressed because I could only find seven of them down here.¡± She hadn¡¯t expected him to be so thorough or quick with her request, but he had gone above and beyond ¨C the pile looked to have about twenty Cave Bats with levels ranging from five to fifteen.


    Hopping happily to her feet, Ali began to deconstruct the grim pile.


    ¡°Yay!¡± she exclaimed, ¡°I got it!¡±


    She selected the potato imprint chapter and replaced it with the bats.


    With rising excitement, she created a level-five Cave Bat and a level-twenty-five Giant Bat. Slipping her awareness into the smaller creature¡¯s mind, she looked around.


    ¡°It has pretty decent vision,¡± she said.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Mato answered, leaning forward to take a look at her small monster flapping about in the air before them.


    A chorus of buzzing noises filled Ali¡¯s ears, coming from the general vicinity of the Elder Tree, and it took her a few moments to realize the bat was hearing the normally inaudible wings of the moths and other insects that had flown in from the jungle, attracted to the density of the tree¡¯s mana before she had blocked off the doorway with her barrier. She focused her attention and found that she could even hear Mato¡¯s heartbeat from all the way over at the railing. ¡°Its hearing is extraordinary,¡± she said. It was almost as sensitive as the slime¡¯s senses, but definitely in the more familiar mode of hearing instead of the slimes¡¯ far more alien touch-vibration sense.


    She switched to the Giant Bat, finding that its vision and hearing were quite a bit more acute, precise to a significantly larger distance. She instructed it to use its echolocation, and she heard a high-pitched series of clicks and screeches, only audible to her because she was using the bat¡¯s ears. Instantly, everything lit up. She was hearing, but the spatial resolution of the sense was more like vision, seen as rapidly strobing snapshots timed to the clicks, but with vastly more resolution and range than her own eyes. She could literally hear shapes and textures and the accurate spatial position of everything in the room, down to the tiny buzzing moth wings and other insects flying about.


    ¡°Ok, this is amazing¡­¡±


    With a little more experimentation, she learned that, in addition to the enhanced perception, the stun attack was also unique to the Giant Bat. The Cave Bats relied on biting, using sharp claws at the joints of their wings to cling and scratch.


    ¡°Mato, these bats are awesome!¡± she gushed at him. ¡°I can see sounds and hear shapes with my ears. Well, I¡¯m probably just experiencing what the bat hears interpreted by its brain, but still. Actually, I wonder how it really works? I must do some research!¡±


    ¡°Glad you like it,¡± he chuckled.


    She suddenly realized she must sound like an excited child with a new toy and blushed a little in embarrassment.


    Mato just smiled at her. ¡°Here, take a break. Let¡¯s have dinner,¡± he said, hopping to his feet and beginning to unload his pans from storage as the two of them began to share the details of their respective days.


    Calen


    Calen thanked the healer and followed Lyeneru out of the doorway and into the light of the early afternoon.


    ¡°What do you thi¨C¡± Lyeneru said, but Calen gasped and stumbled, not registering a word she said. He gawked like a country bumpkin on his first trip to the city, but he couldn¡¯t help it. He stared in stupefaction at the incomprehensible scale of the wonderous vista that walloped his senses, the inevitable consequence of the mundane act of stepping through that wooden door.


    He found himself upon a branch dizzyingly high above the ground. It was so broad that several wagons could pass by side-by-side without anyone ever worrying about falling. All about him, vast Elder Ciradyl trees towered majestically overhead, so tall they boggled the mind and defeated the senses, with branches spreading wide enough they might cradle the entirety of Myrin¡¯s Keep within the grasp of just a single tree.


    There were hundreds of them. As far as his eyes could see.


    ¡°¡­uuuh¡­¡± he managed, but he barely noticed Lyeneru¡¯s chuckle. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wood Elves dressed in every shade of the forest swarmed about with dignified but bustling energy as they went about their business upon the giant boughs, or across gently swaying rope-and-vine bridges and walkways that spanned the spaces between the trees, appearing as industrious ants in an enormous hive.


    But it was a city grown, not made, with the dwellings cultivated from natural outgrowths of the tree branches, or hanging structures fashioned from vines or epiphytic plants on a scale that dwarfed any city he had ever imagined, let alone seen. Darting through the mesh of interlaced branches in the canopy, Elves with flight skills flew side by side with the endless flocks of birds that seemed to make the city their home.


    ¡°It¡¯s something else, isn¡¯t it?¡± Lyeneru said from beside him, her words finally breaking through his daze.


    ¡°Uh¡­ yes¡­ errr¡­ how?¡± he stammered, trying to locate his voice after he¡¯d picked his jaw up from the floor, dusted it off and rammed it firmly back into place.


    ¡°The human cities use earth mages and stone crafters to build their walls and houses, but the Wood Elves are often blessed with nature or plant magic. This,¡± she gestured to the vista, ¡°is the result of that.¡±


    Calen had known about Ciradyl, of course ¨C the Wood Elf capital, a legendary city that dated back to the Age of Enlightenment, named for the Elder Trees upon whose branches it nestled. But nothing he had ever read or even imagined could hold a candle to this.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s go visit the guild and get you signed up,¡± Lyeneru said, tugging his arm a little to get him going. She led the way along the vast bough to a swinging walkway made from wooden slats suspended by grown vines that flowered prettily.


    Calen breathed and slowly began to notice his immediate surroundings.


    Most of the people of Ciradyl were the brown- or green-skinned Wood Elves, most dressed for the forest in ranger leathers or robes of shimmering green, but every now and then he noticed a fairer, silver-haired Sun Elf, or one of the dark northern Night Elves with their purple-black coloring ¨C just like Lyeneru. But it was not her that was attracting attention.


    ¡°Am I that unusual?¡± he asked, after yet another Elf glanced away the moment he noticed them staring.


    ¡°Half-humans are rare here,¡± Lyeneru said. ¡°The city is pretty progressive, but the other races are more common. Even humans are more common to find here. Most people will be polite, but it would be a lie to say you won¡¯t receive some arrogance or animosity for not being a pure Elf.¡±


    Calen lowered his gaze and assumed his normal, unassuming posture, much of his excitement and joy at seeing the fabled city with its magical trees fading.


    ¡°Calen, may I offer some personal advice?¡± Lyeneru asked, making him almost stumble in surprise.


    ¡°Um, sure?¡± he said, not quite knowing what to expect.


    ¡°Wear your heritage as a badge of pride. Those who would misjudge you by your appearance will do so regardless of how you carry yourself. You have much to be proud of. Confidence in your abilities and friends will do you a lot more good in the long run.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± he said, shifting uncomfortably.


    His disbelief must have shown on his face because she continued. ¡°I¡¯m serious. You took on a Death Knight almost five times your level by yourself and lasted forty-five seconds. You have every right to be proud.¡±


    ¡°You mean I ran away from it like a scared rabbit for forty-five seconds?¡± he said. He glanced down at his bare foot. He had also lost his leg to that monster¡¯s deadly ice magic and cowered in the face of its oppressive fear. If Lyeneru hadn¡¯t been there to save him, he would have been crushed like a bug.


    ¡°Rabbits don¡¯t shoot back,¡± she calmly retorted. ¡°Without your distraction, I wouldn¡¯t have had the opportunity to regain stealth and the battle would have ended in a stalemate like it has every time before. You contributed to ridding the world of a terrible monster.¡±


    Despite his dismissal of her compliment, Lyeneru¡¯s praise cheered him up, and he lifted his head as he continued to follow her. ¡°It¡¯s hard to look confident with only one boot, though,¡± he offered, wriggling his toes.


    ¡°The guild has an equipment shop,¡± Lyeneru said, chuckling at his discomfort.


    As he followed across a wooden walkway suspended between two of the giant trees, his eyes were suddenly drawn to a vast pillar of shifting blue light emerging between two distant trunks. Far below, nestled between the giant roots, lay a pool of crystal-clear blue water, deeper than even his eyes could perceive, ringed by rune-inscribed stone. Within the column of light, thousands of white or blue wisps flitted, soaring, dancing, swooping, and vanishing, only to reappear somewhere else within the soothing otherworldly illumination.


    He was startled out of his wonder by the sound of his chime.


    ¡°The Well of Souls,¡± Lyeneru identified it for him. He had been entirely unaware of stopping to stare at the sight.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± It surprised him a little that his Explorer skill had not reacted to the entirety of the vast new city of Ciradyl, but leveled just from seeing the Well of Souls.


    ¡°It¡¯s an artifact from a previous age, cared for by the Temple of Lunar¨¦. It was said to be one of three Great Wells for which each of the Elven kingdoms served as custodians. The Well of Eternity was said to be within the fabled Night Elf city of Mi¡¯ir Valdanis. The Sun Elf City of Light, Aalion, was built around the Well of Divinity. But greed for its power was what spawned the Necromancer Wars and shattered the continent. Aalion is no more, and Mi¡¯ir Valdanis was lost to the mists of time.


    ¡°How did the Wood Elves make it?¡±


    Lyeneru chuckled, ¡°They didn¡¯t make it. Its origins are lost in myth and legend. Some scholars believe it dates back to the Age of Gods and Demons. Some agree with the Troll Seekers, believing that it was created by the ancient Troll Sages and that it was the magic of the wells that caused the Elves to spawn from the race of Trolls. Most Elves despise the idea that they descended from the Trolls, obviously. What we do know is that the magic of the well is the reason for these giant trees and that Ciradyl was founded here to protect the Well. And in return, the Well of Souls protects Ciradyl.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s incredible,¡± Calen breathed. That the well predated the oldest Elven city still in existence simply blew his mind.

 Chapter 143: Trash Collector

    Aliandra Ali glanced up from her book as Mato stirred and finally got up. ¡°Good morning,¡± she said.


    ¡°Bleh,¡± he managed, rubbing his eyes.


    ¡°The bear emerges from his hibernation,¡± she chirped.


    ¡°Too early, Ali. Way too early.¡±


    She left him to stomp around and returned to her story. Ryn, she reflected, was a genius at finding the best books, and the tiny collection in their library had more than doubled in size already. By the time Ali was done reading, Mato was chopping up strawberries and walnuts to put on top of the oatmeal he had just made for breakfast.


    ¡°What are you going to do today?¡± Ali asked, putting the books back on the shelf and joining him at the table.


    ¡°There are still many farms that need my help, but Eliyen gave me a couple of cheap potions that increase my regeneration, and that seems to make it go faster,¡± he said. ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to check the trash my Kobolds collected last night and see if there¡¯s anything I can learn,¡± Ali said, wrinkling her brow as she mentally scrutinized her to-do list. ¡°After that, I was thinking of reopening the passage down to the ruined city ¨C the one that the Town Watch blew up. That way, I can reinforce my domain by connecting it to the top through a third area.¡±


    ¡°Sewer first?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°Yup.¡± That¡¯s where her industrious rogues had been dumping whatever they could lay their talons on.


    ¡°I¡¯ll walk with you,¡± he said. Ali helped him clean up after breakfast and then the two of them headed out while she explained the details of her trash collection scheme.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re the town¡¯s trash collector now?¡± Mato said, his eyes crinkling with amusement.


    ¡°I guess so,¡± Ali answered, wondering if anyone would notice the town mysteriously cleaning itself overnight. She was glad to have his company ¨C she¡¯d spent most of yesterday hunting alone, and she was sure he was beginning to feel just as lonely as she was.


    It was right as they approached the shrine in the forest cavern that she heard a mournful moaning and saw some shambling figures shuffling around in the light of the runes etched onto the stone.


    ¡°Zombies!¡± Mato shouted, transforming quickly.


    ¡°Again?¡± Ali said. ¡°Where the heck from this time?¡± It took only a moment for her to connect with her Kobolds at the far south end of the cavern but, aside from a few piled-up bones and corpses, the Grasping Roots traps were clear, and her minions still lived.


    Ali dropped herself to the ground and let her slime and Kobolds off as she resummoned her barrier to protect herself. Using the remaining capacity, she fired off two barrier shards, slicing into the shambling undead monsters, while her Kobold mage began to fire spears of bone that easily impaled rotting flesh.


    Mato slammed into them with a huge crash, sending several monsters flying, and it was all over in seconds.


    Ali eyed the scattered and mauled corpses littering the Grove. ¡°They¡¯re obviously from the blighted forest, but how did they get in?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Mato said. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing they¡¯re all low levels.¡±


    ¡°Give me a moment,¡± Ali said, and then hopped onto her barrier with a Kobold and levitated high above the trees. Using the eyes of the Kobold, she surveyed her Forest Cavern, her brow furrowing at the sight, and then flew back down.


    ¡°Find anything?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re everywhere again,¡± Ali said, ¡°but I can¡¯t tell where they got in. Strange.¡±


    ¡°I can help you clear them,¡± Mato said, but his expression was conflicted.


    ¡°No, you have a commitment to keep at the farms,¡± Ali said. ¡°I can handle this.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Ali,¡± Mato said, smiling at her. ¡°Maybe try out your new bats?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± she said, summoning the barrier again and resuming the flight to the sewer. ¡°Wolves can cover a lot of ground too; I might make some to help with cleanup.¡±


    Mulling over her plans for how to deal with the mess in the cavern, she deposited Mato on top of the giant trash pile that had formed overnight at the bottom of the sewer grate and bade him good luck. As she had done the day before, she worked her way down from the top, deconstructing everything her Kobolds had collected.


    She discarded several worthless imprints, including one for bread. For a town that was supposed to be struggling for food, it was surprising just how much of it she found in the trash pile.


    Just then she stopped, her blood running cold at the sight of a blackened foot poking out of the pile. Gingerly, she deconstructed the trash around it, revealing precisely what she feared: a corpse.


    Her eyes widened at the mangled remains. Something, or someone, had removed this body¡¯s skeleton ¨C with extreme force. The flesh had been torn apart as if something had reached in and simply ripped the bones out. Struggling to keep her breakfast down, she deconstructed the remains.


    There were no further surprises, and Ali¡¯s stomach had settled by the time she disposed of the rest of the pile.


    ¡°Ok, you two, come with me, we have work to do,¡± she said, directing her voice to the two hidden Kobold rogues. Both of them appeared instantly and hopped onto her barrier with her Acolyte and Bone Mage, and she flew all the way back to the shrine before landing.


    ¡°Go clear the zombies,¡± Ali commanded as soon as she landed, and her two rogues vanished once more. Then she opened her Grimoire and began summoning monsters. She would have called her Forest Guardians to come clean up, but she hadn¡¯t figured out how to get the behemoths up or down the library stairs. With Mato¡¯s caution to keep strong minions nearby still fresh in her mind, Ali created a fresh Guardian instead.


    she thought, studying the cavern. Then, she got to work. For her first choice, she summoned five Timber Wolves, and then twenty of the much cheaper Starving Wolves. As she created each one, she sent them off into the cavern with instructions to hunt down the undead and protect her domain, but before long she noticed the wolves grouping up together. Each pack formed around the nucleus of a single Timber Wolf with four or five of the smaller Starving Wolves.


    Ali studied them for a while, but finally concluded it was simply the wolves¡¯ instincts to fight as a pack.


    Whatever the reason, the wolves worked well in their packs, so she let it go and began summoning bats. Ali started with several Giant Bats and then a whole flight of the smaller Cave Bats, sending them out into the forest to help with the cleanup, and then she put her Grimoire away.


    She racked her brain for the answer, but no sudden revelations were forthcoming. she decided, splitting her awareness into a few of the Timber Wolves and Giant Bats. Sooner or later, her minions would run into the gap in her defenses, all she needed to do was keep watch.


    Leaving the cleanup of the zombies to her wolves and bats, she flew off to tackle the next item on her checklist. Arriving at the northwestern area of the cavern, she set herself down by the giant rockfall that now blocked the passage to the ruined city gates. Someone had detonated something powerful in here to cause so much damage, but she had planted her Living Bamboo Forest all the way to the edge and her domain already extended deep into the rock, clearly visible with Arcane Insight.


    She flexed her Domain Mastery skill, feeding it an enormous amount of mana, and then walked into the rockfall. All that shattered and broken rock flowed, receding from her path, withdrawing up into the walls and ceiling of the new tunnel she forged. With her Grimoire out, she augmented her domain skill with more robust stone variants, forming arches from Aether-Fused Obsidian and lining the ceiling with solid granite.


    She stopped for a while, deconstructing rock to refill her mana pool and fill the ground with moss and mushrooms before she resumed her slow walk, boring through the rockfall.


    Half an hour into her work, her tunnel broke through a jagged opening in the side wall. In an instant, the tunnel filled with low moaning as a thick press of zombies and skeletons spilled out of the dark crack.


    The moment she saw the undead, she switched places with her Kobold rogue and shot out of the tunnel on a hastily summoned barrier disk, heart thumping rapidly.


    Calen had surmised that the cave system near this passage had somehow connected with the northern farms, resulting in the Kobold infestations they had to quell back when they had triggered the dungeon-break. Ali had assumed the rockfall had blocked them ¨C but evidently not all.


    ¡°¡± she called, summoning all her nearby monsters to herself as the rogue backed out of the tunnel, overwhelmed by the sheer number of zombies spilling through. As the tremor of her Forest Guardian rushing toward her shook the ground under her feet, Ali scrambled to summon barriers to block some of them.


    Her Bone Mage unleashed its Bone Spears into the crush of undead flesh, filling her nostrils with the sulfurous odor of burning flame, as the first Timber Wolf arrived, howling for allies.


    She glanced at her Kobold mage, doubting herself for a second. But the steady stream of Bone Spears was better than Identify.


    She sniffed the air but caught nothing. She glanced at her Timber Wolf and suddenly understood; she was still splitting her awareness into the wolf, borrowing its senses ¨C and the wolf, with its vastly more sensitive olfactory senses, could smell fire.


    She slipped her awareness into her Luminous Slime, but it couldn¡¯t sense anything unusual using its senses. Puzzled, she checked with the wolf once again, but the acrid odor persisted, overriding even the foul stench of the press of zombie flesh.


    On a hunch, she swapped to a swooping Giant Bat and activated its echolocation.


    A dark shape sprang into her mind, hovering about fifteen meters behind and above her, entirely invisible to all her other senses.


    And not just floating about either; it was casting a spell that was somehow entirely invisible to her mana sight. The rapid-fire clicks of the bat picked out the shape of the person clearly. Hovering above their outstretched hand was a diffuse ball that had to be magic ¨C a creation of much lower density that appeared tenuous and blurry to the senses of the bat.


    But after so many times of using the spell, even with the unfamiliar perception mode of echolocation, she recognized the Fireball just by the size and shape, and how it twisted, roiling above the outstretched hand. And the stench of fire in the nostrils of her Timber Wolf.


    Her heart pounded in her chest, but she forced herself to remain calm, deliberately facing the press of zombies and the crash of her Forest Guardian as it trampled the undead. Whatever she did, she wasn¡¯t going to let the invisible flying mage know she had seen them. Clicking continuously with ultrasonic pulses behind her, she continued to study the spell.


    Right when she was certain the Fireball was about to complete, she summoned a barrier with all the reaction speed and haste she could muster. Drawing heavily on her domain mana, she infused her barrier magic with as much density and strength as she could, and the instantaneous glowing globe snapped into place around the flying mage, right as the Fireball left their fingertips.


    The muffled detonation filled the magical sphere with sudden roiling flame and black smoke. Ali held the barrier spell in her mind, not relenting for one moment, even with the wince of referred pain from the detonation felt through the ears of her bat.


    Panting from tension, she gripped her magic tight and stood in silence, still using echolocation to see if she was truly safe. But nothing other than her minions moved, and no sound broke the silence other than the squelching of zombie flesh under her Forest Guardian¡¯s feet.


    She released the barrier and grimaced as the charred remains of a person dropped to the ground with a sickening thump.


    ¡°He should have put some points into vitality,¡± Ali said, using draconic.


    ¡°That would have been wise,¡± her Acolyte said, nodding in agreement. Her Bone Mage just chuckled evilly.


    Ali thought, staring down at the corpse at her feet. It was her second human corpse today. Uncertain, she deconstructed him and his ruined gear. But while she didn¡¯t immediately feel anything, her heart was still pounding, and she could see her hands shaking.


    A Fire Mage with invisibility and a way to cloak his mana signature. Someone had gone to quite extraordinary lengths to kill her without being noticed. Without the Timber Wolf¡¯s keen sense of smell, and her bat¡¯s echolocation, she would never have even seen him before the Fireball hit her in the back. Even her slime hadn¡¯t been able to sense him flying so high in the air. She had her new magic resistance armor, courtesy of Lydia, but she wasn¡¯t certain that would have been enough to save her.


    She had a million questions running through her mind. But most of it she already knew the answers to.


    She grimaced, deconstructing the mess her Forest Guardian had made, and returned to her task of finishing the tunnel ¨C this time keeping her Guardian closer, and her attention locked on the various senses of her minions.


    She reached the entrance hall to Dal¡¯mohra without further incident, at least if she discounted the constant trickle of undead crawling out of the walls, but her minions took care of those. Ali breathed a sigh of relief when her domain connected with the work of her Spore Spreaders and Moss Creepers working hard among the ruins of the city. One more connection meant her domain was that much more secure.


    Again, she could easily just close up the holes, but she just knew that was making a bigger problem for someone down the line. Undead never went away unless you took care of them explicitly.


    On the Dal¡¯mohra side of the new tunnel, in the ancient entry hall, she summoned rock, reshaping the shattered boulders and stone doorway into a narrow channel, just wide enough for a Forest Guardian to traverse, and then she filled it with Grasping Roots runic circles.


    It seemed that the ancient city gates had been well forged.


    On the Forest Cavern side, she had a little more work to do. First, she lowered the ground and raised rock walls on either side, making a ravine or channel that extended out into her Living Bamboo Forest before flattening out. She filled in some more bamboo, making the forest a bit denser and then summoned some Bamboo Crawlers to hide there. Along the banks of her constructed ravine, she planted Luminous Glowcaps and Radiant Larches causing the entire length of it to light up like the main street during the Harvest Festival. At the bottom of the ravine, she created several more traps and then stood back to admire her handiwork.


    Most of the lesser undead were not known for their dizzying intellect ¨C how smart could a skeleton or a zombie really be with an empty hole or rotting mush for brains, respectively. Ali spent a good fifteen minutes digging three-meter-deep holes in the ground with Domain Mastery.


    It didn¡¯t take long before a zombie appeared to run her gauntlet. To her utter amazement, it fell into the first pit trap. It took three tries before one got as far as the first Grasping Roots before it got caught. The sniper Bamboo Crawlers immediately opened up, peppering it with thorny darts dripping with poison. It was not perhaps the most efficient match-up, given that undead were typically immune to poison, but the noise attracted the bats and the wolves, and in short order the zombie was dead.


    With the zombie incursion taken care of ¨C or at least, managed ¨C and her domain reinforced, Ali changed tack, planting patches of peacebloom throughout the Living Bamboo Forest on her way back to the Grove. When she reached the Grove, she planted more around the shrine. She decided she loved the little flowers and the ambiance they provided. Besides, they reminded her of Malika.


    S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Malika


    Malika sat gingerly on the bench beside Rezan, her body aching and sore, and studied Hala and Basir circling each other in the ring. It was not that she was hurt ¨C her own healing had taken care of that in short order ¨C but her quick bouts against Hala and her lightning magic always left her feeling ragged and smashed. The girl was simply too fast and powerful for her to land a single hit.


    She glanced at Rezan sitting calmly beside her.


    ¡°Begin,¡± Rezan instructed, and Malika glued her eyes to the match, studying the explosion of hasted movement from Hala and the deliberately solid stance Basir employed. She used both her eyes and her Soul Sight ¨C now having grown her perception skill¡¯s spherical range to cover most of the ring. Part of her difficulty with Hala was that so many of her most powerful attacks used mana and, even though she was making enormous progress on anticipating attacks with her Soul Sight, she was still blind to mana itself. This time, she focused on Basir instead ¨C somehow the bulky, heavier rock mage had figured out how to anticipate Hala¡¯s much faster attacks, and she wanted to unravel the secret.


    Rezan, of course, insisted it was simply practice. He sat calmly beside her, and she expanded her awareness to include his energy as he had taught. It did no good to focus narrowly during combat and miss the surprise attack, so her awareness needed to be trained to register everything her perception skills showed her. It was tricky to achieve even just sitting here on the rough-hewn wooden bench, let alone in the cut and thrust of a tough match. She found it no problem during meditation, but everything was harder when you were being punched in the face.


    She held both Hala and Basir in her awareness as they flickered and surged with the energy of their skills and added the Elder¡¯s overwhelming presence beside her. In her mundane vision, he was quiet and composed, but her Soul Sight revealed an unbelievable well of energy that flowed through his body, pulsing with exquisitely controlled power even when he sat at rest. It was awe-inspiring that a human could achieve such a state.


    Before she had unlocked Soul Sight, she would never have been able to perceive the vast gulf between herself and the Elder, and yet that thought did not fill her with despair or discouragement. She had taken the first step. She could see the now ¨C the path revealed by the translation of the ancient text Rezan had made her study, and that sparked a prickle of excitement for what she might become.


    She continued breathing quietly, calmly expanding her awareness through the full extent of her Soul Sight, including the handful of students and spectators who watched Rezan¡¯s disciples sparring. Basir used a defensive skill, his stamina shaping within him in a distinct form that Malika was learning to read, but in the corner of her awareness, like a tiny echo, she saw the same pattern duplicated. Surprise skittered across her deep pool of calmness, and she turned to see Sabri emulating Basir¡¯s stance while keeping her utmost attention fixed on the fight. In the ring, Hala¡¯s energy surged as she blurred into action, and beside her under the tree, Sabri¡¯s form shifted. Malika¡¯s breath caught at the echo of her father¡¯s defensive footwork, the drills she had practiced for hours every day, and the foundation of her Divine Step skill.


    Hala¡¯s lightning attack smashed into Basir¡¯s chest, sending chunks of his rock armor flying into the air. He had dodged the wrong way.


    But Sabri had not. Sabri¡¯s unstructured nascent energy was clean and pure, and her movement almost perfect ¨C although without skills to back it up, she lacked any significant power or speed. But she had somehow seen through Hala¡¯s incredible speed, reacting without any perception or haste skills of her own, and had created the forms that would have moved her into a perfect striking position if only she had access to Divine Step.


    Malika realized in that instant. Sabri had moved Hala had even begun to activate her skill. Which meant she had known which way Hala would move before she even started. She stared at the classless girl, her amazement growing as she realized that Sabri had ¡®merely¡¯ predicted Hala¡¯s movement with her knowledge and intuition, entirely unaided by magic or skills. Not to mention that she had learned her father¡¯s footwork by simply observing Malika¡¯s bouts in the ring.


    ¡°Do you see?¡± Rezan said calmly, and if Malika were being uncharitable, she might have said a little smugly. ¡°Do you understand now why I say you need more practice?¡±


    Malika looked up to see Rezan watching her studying Sabri. Her time in Kezda under the Elder¡¯s tutelage had been short and intense, and he had been consistently harsh on her for overreliance on skills. He had even forbidden her from complaining that Hala was too strong, frustratingly insisting that she was just not good enough to win.


    ¡°Yes, I see it now,¡± she answered soberly. If it had been Sabri in the ring instead of Basir, with nothing more than Malika¡¯s own Divine Step, she would have avoided Hala¡¯s potent strike and landed a hit on the lightning-enchanted monk ¨C something Malika had yet to achieve.


    ¡°Good,¡± Rezan said after watching her for a moment, a ghost of a smile creasing his lips. ¡°You have learned the most important lesson I have to teach you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Elder,¡± she answered, bowing her head briefly to acknowledge his teaching and sat in silence, just watching Sabri emulate the two powerful fighters in the ring.


    ¡°She¡¯s a genius,¡± Malika finally said, after watching her adapt the footwork to her copied impression of Basir¡¯s fighting style.


    ¡°She studies every fight, and she practices hard,¡± Rezan corrected.


    ¡°She¡¯s going to be an amazing fighter when she earns her class,¡± Malika said, wondering what kind of class might best suit the dirty, overly skinny girl who seemed to love martial arts as much as she did.


    This time the wince flickering across Rezan¡¯s features was obvious, and Malika¡¯s curiosity would not be denied.


    ¡°What is wrong, Elder? That¡¯s the second time you reacted when I spoke of Sabri. Is there something wrong with her?¡±


    ¡°No, there is nothing wrong with her,¡± he said, and fell silent again, but before Malika could muster the courage to push him on it, he spoke again. ¡°She suffers from the misfortune of being born to a poor family, in a poor village, to a culture in decline. I would help if I had the resources to do so, because wasting potential such as hers is a tragedy, but the reality is most of Ahn Khen¡¯s youth are forced to accept the natural class they are offered. No one can afford the thirty-gold fee to travel to Vertias and use the shrine there. She will be offered Laborer or Farmer for her class because that is what she helps her mother with, just for them to scrape by every day.¡±


    The injustice of it ignited the burning fires of fury within Malika, shattering the calm of her meditative awareness in an instant. She had faced exactly this inequality in Myrin¡¯s Keep. Never, never had she expected to see it here in Kezda ¨C in the heart of the Ahn Khen lands! The wealthy controlled the shrines, granting access only to the wealthy, growing the divide between those who had the opportunities provided by powerful classes and those forced into lives of labor and servitude.


    Malika wasn¡¯t quite sure if she meant herself or Sabri. She had been fortunate indeed to meet Ali and have access to her powerful shrine, but Sabri would never have that opportunity, and her immense potential would be dashed forever upon the rocky shores of poverty.


    she thought. Ali¡¯s secret was not hers to share, but she couldn¡¯t let such a travesty go without trying to fix it. Besides, Rezan was too perceptive to keep the secret from him for long.


    ¡°My friend Ali has a shrine, and I¡¯m certain she will let Sabri use it for free,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°The Fae girl?¡± Rezan asked, a ripple pulsing through his energy as he snapped his head to stare at her in surprise. ¡°How does she have a shrine?¡±


    ¡°She is a¡­ a dungeon,¡± Malika answered, her voice cracking despite her attempt at calm. Much of Myrin¡¯s Keep already knew of Ali¡¯s class, but it was not her place to be sharing it. She did not relish the conversation she would have when she returned, she just hoped Ali would understand.


    For the first time since she had met the Elder, she saw him speechless.


    ¡°You keep dangerous friends. I will not allow Sabri in a dungeon,¡± he finally said, a frown of disapproval creasing his face.


    ¡°Elder, I beg you to reconsider. I know it is hard to believe, but you have met Ali, she is a good person. I owe her my life many times over, and I owe her for the class I have. Without her shrine I would be a Thief or a Pickpocket. Her shrine is extremely powerful ¨C it offered me six alternate class choices and the option to unlock my soul magic affinity. Is the dungeon prejudice worth wasting the potential of someone like Sabri?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Malika. I can see your heart believes this is the right path, even if it is with a dungeon. I think you may be blinded by your affection for this Aliandra and willfully ignoring the danger.¡± His words were polite, but his face bore a frown of worry.


    Malika¡¯s fragile hope guttered and died. That sounded very much like a no ¨C and even a warning that she was wrong to trust Ali.


    Malika fell into an awkward silence, studying Sabri as she practiced a new form under the tree, a new sadness filling her heart.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 144: Traps and Triggers

    , by Lyeneru Silverleaf, Elven Pathfinders Guild.


    Calen


    Calen followed Lyeneru through the great wooden doors set directly into the side of a huge branch.


    ¡°The Pathfinders Guild,¡± Lyeneru said, gesturing to the room.


    Calen held his breath and stared. The fabled Pathfinders Guild had been a feature in all his favorite stories growing up, he could scarcely believe he stood in its hallowed halls. The welcome hall was larger than he expected, a beautiful space of elegantly curved mahogany walls, warmth, and life ¨C all seemingly grown from the heartwood of the tree itself. It smelled¡­ of adventure, he thought dazedly. Adventure and ancient myths and languid evenings spent reminiscing with one¡¯s lifelong friends.


    Dumbfounded, staring like an idiot, he followed Lyeneru as she led the way further in.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get you signed up first,¡± she said.


    Calen found himself entering a wide open-plan reception area, tastefully decorated with plush rugs, comfortable furniture, and a wealth of forest plants.


    People bustled back and forth, going about their business, with only a few stopping to glance at him before continuing on their way. The vast majority were Elves, and most of those were Wood Elves ¨C many at a higher level than his skills could identify. Yet, somehow, the space did not feel crowded.


    Some lyrical words in the tongue of the Elves caught Calen¡¯s attention. The receptionist, a green-haired male Elf, greeted Lyeneru with a respectful bow and Calen with a curious stare. With Lyeneru¡¯s advice still fresh in his mind, he returned the gaze, but his discomfort mounted rapidly.


    Thankfully, Lyeneru broke the moment. ¡°This is Calen Avery. I am registering him as an initiate-rank member under my mentorship.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± the receptionist said, taking his cue from Lyeneru and answering in flawless Common. Turning around, he retrieved a thick package from a closet behind him and placed it on the table in front of Calen. ¡°You¡¯ll find your cloak and ring in there. Please channel some mana into this panel so that we can register your class and mana signature for the records.¡±


    Calen did as instructed, and after a few more formalities, he was officially registered. With rising anticipation, he tore open the package to reveal a thick cloak of stunning forest-oak-green. He carefully unfolded it, marveling at the texture, and the pathfinder guild logo proudly emblazoned on the back.


    ¡°Put it on,¡± Lyeneru said.


    He did not need to be told twice. he thought as he fastened the cloak around his shoulders and turned to show it off.


    ¡°It looks good on him,¡± the receptionist said, nodding to Lyeneru.


    ¡°He earned it,¡± Lyeneru said. ¡°Go on, put the ring on too.¡±


    Calen picked up the delicate silver ring, fashioned to look like a wreath of leaves. ¡°Um¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± the receptionist said. ¡°Here you go.¡±


    Immediately, Calen¡¯s notification chime sounded as the elf shared the ring¡¯s identification with him.


    Pathfinder Initiate Guild Ring ¨C level 40


    Owner: Calen Avery


    Quests: --


    +30 Intelligence


    +24 Vitality


    Mana: Teleport yourself and one other to Ciradyl. Recharge: 7 days.


    Ring


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he managed, blushing with embarrassment that he needed help to identify his ring.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem,¡± the Elf said. ¡°It¡¯s surprisingly common for rangers and scouts to have Advanced Identify skills that do not work on items. You would not be the first to ask.¡±


    ¡°Aah. Thank you,¡± Calen said, somewhat mollified. He glanced at his other hand wearing the ring of the Adventurers Guild, but before he could ask, Lyeneru answered his question.


    ¡°You should check with your Adventurers Guild, but most towns and guilds count it as a point of prestige to have a Pathfinder as a member. You do not need to give up your other guild, and in fact, it will likely prove to be as much of an asset for you as for them.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Calen said, studying the ring¡¯s abilities. he thought, observing the seven-day recharge teleport skill enchanted onto the silver band. Then his eyes caught the pair of attribute enchantments for intelligence and vitality.


    Lyeneru led him away toward a towering board plastered with parchments and notices. She coughed, ¡°I just assumed you¡¯d be ok having me as a mentor when I signed you up. Are you ok keeping my mentorship enchantment?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Calen spluttered for a second as the implication of her words sank in. ¡°Uh¡­ yes? I¡­ I mean yes, of course!¡±


    Lyeneru chuckled softly, ¡°Well, then, I have a few rules. You skipped the novice rank, and so you are missing a lot of the training fundamentals. For the first couple of months, I will pay to teleport you back home every time you visit, provided you take one of the foundational classes. We take training seriously, and so should you ¨C it will save your life. I ask that you take at least one class a month, preferably more. You can sign up on this board here.¡± She tapped the board with a finger.


    Calen stared at the enormous wall-spanning board covered with magically signed postings of training classes. There were hundreds of them, offered directly by the guild, or by externally contracted trainers, an overwhelming array spanning everything from knitting to advanced military strategy on the level of commanding battalions.


    ¡°Uh¡­ what should I take first?¡± The amount of choice left him more than a little at a loss for how to decide.


    ¡°Advanced Archery for sure, your technique needs a few professional pointers. Pick up a melee weapon proficiency for backup when you can¡¯t use a bow. Dagger Mastery works well with dexterity classes. Scouting, Stealth,¡± she pointed to several classes on the board, tapping each one with a finger to punctuate her suggestions. Then she studied him speculatively with her head tipped a little to the side. ¡°I¡¯d also recommend a gathering skill, so you can sell more things for mana potions, perhaps Skinning? It synergizes with Dagger Mastery.¡±


    He grimaced at how obvious his dependence on mana potions must be for her to point it out again. But he still hadn¡¯t found a cheaper alternative that was even remotely effective. ¡°Sounds like a pretty standard setup?¡±


    ¡°Nothing wrong with that,¡± Lyeneru said. ¡°You can forge your own path, but do you really want to be making mistakes with your skills and choices?¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± he answered, trying not to sound surly.


    ¡°Look, you already have a unique enough mana affinity, Calen. Light and Illusion mixed with archery is going to be enough of a challenge to navigate ¨C there¡¯s nothing wrong with picking a tried and tested approach for the rest of your fundamentals.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably true,¡± Calen grimaced, recalling how difficult it had been to unlock Ambush and learn to use his shining damage enchantments from stealth.


    ¡°I will also set you some missions occasionally, mostly fieldwork,¡± she continued. ¡°Check your ring¡¯s quest log regularly ¨C I can use it to communicate these missions with you without paying for a Sending, or a Telepath.¡±


    ¡°I should tell my friends I¡¯m going to be busy,¡± he said, thinking of Ali, Mato, and Malika. He would miss their adventures together.


    ¡°You¡¯ve read my book, right?¡±


    Calen nodded.


    ¡°What¡¯s rule five of the Dungeon Survival Guide?¡±


    ¡°Teamwork,¡± he answered automatically.


    ¡°As a Pathfinder, I expect you to make use of your assets,¡± she said. ¡°All your assets. Good friends, teammates, and allies are often your strongest assets. You will need them for what we¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°I can bring Ali, Mato, and Malika?¡±


    ¡°Unless I explicitly ask you to do something solo for training, yes you may,¡± she said. ¡°And you probably should.¡±


    It was only when the sense of relief surged through him that he realized how much he was worried about missing his friends.


    ¡°Can I ask you some questions about leveling up?¡±


    Lyeneru nodded.


    ¡°Your class is similar to mine, right? I mean prioritizing dexterity, intelligence, and perception mainly?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I keep running out of mana and stamina,¡± he said, finally admitting it out loud. ¡°Do you have some tips? Should I find some regeneration equipment or just keep buying mana potions?¡± She had joked about his potion addiction twice now, and it was something he was rather embarrassed about. However, he had not been able to find any information on how to solve the problem. He was honestly jealous of Malika¡¯s seemingly inexhaustible supply of stamina, Mato¡¯s regeneration skills, and Ali¡¯s deep mana pool.


    ¡°This style is based on two damage attributes ¨C none of our primary attributes improves resources. Most people with this kind of class specialize in maximizing their peak damage because they cannot sustain it. This is why your Ambush advancement is so powerful,¡± she explained. ¡°It makes this kind of class functional above level fifty. With your illusion skills, you could work toward true invisibility, invest heavily in critical damage, and become an incredible assassin.¡±


    ¡°Assassin?¡± he said, wincing.


    ¡°Assassins are good in dungeons, Calen,¡± Lyeneru said. ¡°This kind of build specializes in hunting monsters they can kill instantly or focuses on kiting. Stealth, Ambush, and very high burst damage ¨C it¡¯s the same profile as an assassin, or a rogue, but at range. An invisible sniper.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Calen said. It was not the direction he had envisioned for himself, and the idea of aiming for an Assassin specialization somewhere down the line didn¡¯t sit well with him. She must have seen him frown though, because she continued.


    ¡°Imagine having a member of your party who can sneak up on a monster pack and assassinate the healer from a distance. How valuable is that?¡±


    ¡°Aah, I see,¡± he said, suddenly understanding what her focus was. It was something of a niche role, but he could see how effective it would be under the right circumstances. Was it right for him, though?


    Before he could dwell upon it, she added, ¡°Regeneration won¡¯t help you much because it is a percentage based on your total mana or stamina. The simplest approach would be to invest in skills that use all your mana for the maximum power and then combine it with your stealth and ambush. Put just enough of your attribute points into wisdom and endurance that you can cast your biggest attack.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not what you¡¯re doing,¡± Calen noted. ¡°You seem to have high damage output, and you can sustain it indefinitely.¡± One of the most valuable experiences he earned from his trip was the opportunity to study her in action. She seemed just as relentless as Malika but with a vast well of personal power to back it up.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re observant,¡± Lyeneru said. ¡°But my approach is either ridiculously expensive or you will need to get incredibly lucky. It¡¯s not worth pursuing.¡±


    ¡°Assuming I have a dungeon as a friend,¡± he said, ¡°and she has a lake full of mana-purified water to sell, and a spellbook that can make Ancient Dal¡¯mohran gold coins, how would I do it?¡±


    Lyeneru shot him a complex look. But she raised an arm, ¡°Here, look at this.¡± At the same time, Calen¡¯s notification chime sounded as she shared the item with him.


    Vampiric Bracer of the Bat ¨C level 64


    +45 Dexterity


    Gain +3.5% of your attack damage as mana over 30 seconds


    Gain +2% of your attack damage as health over 30 seconds


    Requirements: Intelligence 128, Dexterity 128


    Hands ¨C Bracer ¨C Leather / Bone


    ¡°You¡¯re wearing a level sixty-four bracer?¡± Calen asked incredulously.  The bracer seemed heavy, made from delicately tooled red leather and inlaid with heavy studs made of bone that created a set of abstract-looking patterns. The bone studs were absent on the inside of the forearm, leaving a smooth leather surface that would not interfere with a bowstring.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lyeneru said, ¡°I saved an Aman Rak troll leatherworker from a slaver ring once. Trolls seldom acknowledge debt towards members of other races, but the slavers who had captured him were quite powerful and had an artifact to force his compliance. He was motivated to make me this as a token of his gratitude, or perhaps to preserve his honor. It¡¯s hard to know with trolls sometimes.¡±


    Calen glanced at the mana signature inscribed on the bracer.


    ¡°For my skills and class, nothing comes close to the effectiveness of this bracer. With those two leech enchantments, all my most frequently used attacks generate more mana and stamina than they cost. Instead of stacking regeneration, I simply maximize my damage, increasing my resource return because of that bracer, and I abuse skills with reservation or percent of maximum mana costs because they are relatively cheap when you have low mana or stamina pools. Like that Heaven¡¯s Strike skill that you were offered at level forty.¡±


    ¡°Where do I get one?¡±


    ¡°I know of only one Gnomish enchanter who can make a weaker version of this. But he will charge an enormous fee for it, and you¡¯re not at a high enough level to use it. Once you advance, I will give you his details and you can decide.¡±


    Calen wondered. It was literally the scenario that Ali had said bothered her. On the other hand, it was the perfect answer to the problem he had with sustained damage.


    he thought. At least he had some idea of how it might be done.


    ¡°Come, Calen. Let me introduce you to our Guildmaster, Nathaniel Sunstrider. He also serves on the Elven Council of Archmages,¡± Lyeneru said and led him from the guild hall and deeper into the tree. ¡°It was him who sponsored my guild membership many years ago now.¡±


    With a fluttering heart, Calen scrambled after Lyeneru. ¡°Wait, wait¡­ I can¡¯t meet Nathaniel Sunstrider with only one boot on!¡±


    ***


    Aliandra


    Ali was still shaking when she entered the library, but the cool and quiet atmosphere immediately calmed her down. This was her comfort zone, her happy space, but she had to remind herself she had been attacked even in here, and to not let her guard down.


    ¡°Aunt Lira?¡± she called out, her voice echoing slightly in the softly lit wide open space, but her aunt did not immediately appear.


    Ali¡¯s unexpected adventures in the Forest Cavern had shaken her more than she liked to admit, and it would have been nice to have someone to talk it over with over tea, but it wasn¡¯t urgent. More than anything, her experience had confirmed that her new strategy was far more effective than she had imagined.


    she thought. Using her monsters to flush out the invisible assassin had been the only way she could have imagined surviving that encounter. She didn¡¯t want to guess what might have happened if his invisibility persisted after shooting his fireball ¨C she had come to rely so much on Arcane Insight to see mana, but he had found a way to cloak even that.


    After Lyeneru had pointed out that her slime could detect conventional stealth, she had deduced that acquiring monsters with a diversity of perception skills would benefit her greatly. Her reasoning had just been confirmed, in the most spectacular and immediate fashion.


    She dispelled her barrier, letting her Kobolds and slime down, and walked over to the couch. It had taken more than an hour for her monsters to collect all the zombie corpses for her to deconstruct, but it was time well spent ¨C she wasn¡¯t about to leave them lying about, stinking the place up as they rotted.


    she thought, eyeing the couch. She glanced about, and sure enough, on her favorite walnut table, she spied a fresh pile of books with what appeared to be a note on top. Her lethargy vanished in a flash as she skipped up to the table and sat, excited to see what Ryn had managed to dig up.


    Ali smiled at the note, happy to see Ryn making such an important decision for herself. The gold was not a problem for her, and the access to knowledge seemed well worth it. But after growing up in Dal¡¯mohra, Ali couldn¡¯t imagine how much poorer people were for not having free access to the knowledge of books.


    It must be a fortune for most of the common townsfolk. Likely the libraries supported themselves on the patronage of the wealthy, nobles, rich merchants, and the like. However, no normal person was going to pay forty gold when they were struggling to find food, pay rent, make interest payments, or pay for protection scams.


    she thought, glancing at the small collection of books on her shelf, grimacing at the amount of work it would take to turn this into even a tiny library, let alone restore it to some semblance of its former glory.


    She put the note to the side, and then quickly copied the books Ryn had brought, making a neat pile on the table for her to shelve later. Ali wasn¡¯t quite sure how Ryn¡¯s organization system worked, so she would leave it up to her to decide where they went.


    Then she reached for the small, nondescript book and picked it out of the pile, laying it on the table in front of her. She examined it carefully. She didn¡¯t know exactly how other dungeons created their traps ¨C the details were unclear in Lyeneru¡¯s accounts ¨C but she had high hopes that within the pages of this book, she might find a clue. Or at least, a way to fake it well enough with her Runic Script skill.


    She would never have considered runic circles for traps given how bright they appeared, but it turned out that none of her friends could see them easily. She always had to point out where she made them so that they could find them. It was only when she realized that they required mana sight to see that everything made sense: she had observed the novices tripping up her Grasping Roots in the sewer, and the circles worked exceptionally well on zombies. It just went to show how familiar she had become with her Arcane Insight that she hadn¡¯t realized she wasn¡¯t using her mundane vision when creating them at all.


    The unassuming volume resting on the table had none of the typically ostentatious mana-embossed runes evident on the cover. It was a no-frills textbook, probably made for some obscure class at the university or marketed to specific scholarly mages or crafters. With a rising sense of anticipation prickling across her skin, she reached out and opened it.


    ¨C Excerpt from by Archmage Ridelus Brightspark.


    She paged through the book finding it organized in a straightforward manner, showing a single trigger spell per chapter, and offering tips and hints on how to attach various other spells to them, variations, and suggested uses. She still had it memorized from when she had duplicated it, but something about physically turning the pages helped her to focus.


    She sat at the table with the book opened at the table of contents and retrieved a blank notebook. It would take a bit of work for her to extract what she needed ¨C the book was clearly an academic work, focusing on the most basic example spells, likely chosen for their utility to illustrate the theory, rather than actual usefulness.


    Still, there seemed to be many applications to crafting, such as a combination that would activate a heat enchantment when placed into water and deactivate when it reached a specific temperature. She paged further, pausing at a chapter devoted to the creation of the ubiquitous doorway chimes she had found all over town. There was even an example of how to create an alarm when anyone other than the owner opened a spellbook.


    she thought, grinning. Most archmages she had met had been rather possessive of their secrets, choosing only to share when they got academic recognition for publishing their work.


    She placed Lyeneru¡¯s book on the table beside the arcane trigger manual and opened it to the chapter on the poison dungeon, reviewing the account of the trap that had almost wiped their party.


    She considered the problem for a while. This dungeon had been considered devious because the trap had been unexpected and surprising ¨C it had triggered only as the third person walked over it, and it had happened when they were distracted by other monsters. The effect of the trap was much more dramatic for having targeted the healer specifically. she corrected, considering the account soberly. It had nearly killed someone.


    She shuddered softly at the idea, but the point of making dungeon traps was to be deadly ¨C she had to keep reminding herself of this fact. She wouldn¡¯t make anything too devious in the sewer to avoid killing the novices, but she would make good use of them to test her spells. Her real traps would need to protect her against zombies and people like Roderik or that fire assassin, and for that, they would need teeth.


    She sat up a little straighter and turned the page.


    She paged through the triggers, appreciating the author¡¯s effort to present them in a clearly organized manner.


    She marked the spell down in her notebook. Detect was a perfect answer for how to initiate her traps. It was a proximity detection trigger that cast Identify on anything coming into range and could trigger based on a simple, but versatile set of predefined conditions. The textbook showed an example of having it detect humanoids, but Ali could see how she could easily tweak it to detect any specific category of creature. She could even have it detect class types or level ranges ¨C almost anything Identify could reveal.


    While not useful for duplicating the poison dungeon¡¯s trap, Archmage Ridelus expounded greatly on the versatility of this simple Timer trigger, and Ali decided it would be a great way to add unpredictability to her traps. The textbook example was a delayed Fireball. It was also one of the simplest spells she had seen in the book and would be a great way to practice. All it did was trigger after a preset elapsed time, anywhere from zero to many centuries, although why anyone would need a timer that triggered after so long, she couldn¡¯t imagine.


    She chose the Counter trigger simply because Lyeneru¡¯s story had so inspired her. Counter, it seemed, would trigger after a specific number of things. Ali wanted to try to make a humanoid Detect and link it to a Counter for the number three and see if she could duplicate the strategy of the poison dungeon Lyeneru had described in such detail.


    she thought. Although the book did contain inverse triggers ¨C spells that would disable things when they triggered, instead of turning them on. She could conceivably set such a trigger to turn off her barrier spiral staircase, causing people on it to fall, but she decided to leave the exploration of those till later. Instead, she took a quick look at the runic spell options she already knew, writing two lists in her notebook.


    she realized, inspecting her lists ¨C curing an invader of poisons and diseases wouldn¡¯t make for a trap with any impact. She decided she could worry about that later, for now, she could use any spell just to learn how the triggers worked.


    She channeled her mana, dropping into the study trance of her Sage of Learning, and began to work her way through the three spells she had selected.


    It had been too long since she had truly had the time to sit down and study magic, and she found her mind racing with new possibilities and connections, imagining all the ways she could use her new spells.


    She flipped the pages to the section where Archmage Ridelus described how the trigger links worked, and she began to design her first linked compound spell. She didn¡¯t need it to serve a purpose, but she did want to explore the ways in which magic was linked, so she picked Inspiration as her payload ¨C the anchor or locus for her new creation. Then she sketched in a Detect trigger and a Counter trigger, referencing the manual regularly to understand how the runes needed to be adjusted to facilitate the connections.


    There seemed to be several tricky principles, but fortunately, the Archmage seemed to be gifted at clear, if decidedly dry explanations, and Ali grasped the ideas quickly.


    She inscribed the runes on the floor of the library with her Runic Script skill. It took several tries before she perfected the more subtle links, but suddenly it snapped together with a ringing chime, and she smiled as her first creation of linked trigger magic glowed in a bright golden circle of runes on the ground.


    She studied the circle carefully, all the details laid bare for her to see, but she could find no flaw in the runic connections. she thought, reminding herself that someone would need a specialized perception skill to see what she saw. At least Runic Script, or some form of mana sight or a trap detection skill probably. Otherwise, it would make for a very poor trap if everyone could tell what it did from a distance.


    Just to double-check, she swapped to the eyesight of her nearest Kobold, relieved to find the entire runic circle was simply not visible at all.


    She already considered her Arcane Insight skill to be one of the best perception skills, but if other dungeons used similar approaches for their traps, being able to see them would be an incredible, life-saving advantage.


    It was a crucial observation, in her opinion. If she truly wanted the best traps, she would need to do some research into how that had been achieved. she thought, which wouldn¡¯t do her much good, but it didn¡¯t mean there weren¡¯t arcane solutions to the same problem ¨C but she probably wouldn¡¯t need to add mana cloaking to her traps for a while. She simply made a note to ask Ryn to look into it.


    Ali stepped over her new runic circle. The mana within the construct twisted, with several runes flipping into different shapes, but other than that, nothing happened.


    Her circle was entirely unchanged, with the crucial exception that the counter had incremented. She stepped outside the circle.


    ¡°Go stand there,¡± she instructed, and her Acolyte shuffled into the circle.


    ¡°Here, Mistress?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali answered absently, studying the shifts in the runic structure of the Detect trigger. Nothing changed, and the counter remained fixed at one. She made the slime step ¨C  ¨C into the circle too, being thorough with her testing. It, too, caused no change.


    She stepped into the circle again, noting the counter increasing to two, and then one more time where it briefly reached three before resetting back to zero. Immediately, the circle filled with the blue glow of Inspiration, and she felt her mana regeneration quickening.


    Even though her trigger-linked Inspiration circle was strictly less useful than an ordinary Inspiration circle, she was elated with her success. Her possibilities had exploded, and her mind was filled with more and more ideas.


    she thought. But then she recalled that Mato identified as a Druid, and Malika as a Monk ¨C and both of them had healing magic. She had far too little experience with the typical adventurer or delving group composition to make a good decision here, but perhaps it was something she could ask Ryn to research, or she could ask Vivian Ross next time she stopped by the guild. At least with the Counter or the Timer, her trap would trigger on any group composition.


    ¡°Hi, Ali, I¡¯m back.¡±


    Ryn popped into the library atrium with a shower of her distinctive golden mana tinged with violet sparks and flew down to where Ali stood beside her creation.


    Ali wondered briefly as she studied the golden cascade of free-floating mana drifting away in the wake of her Teleportation spell.


    Ryn landed beside her, her eyes flickering across the table and the open books and notes that lay there. ¡°What are you working on? Was the trigger magic book helpful?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect, thanks Ryn! Come and see this!¡± Ali spent the next ten minutes excitedly explaining what she had done, showing Ryn her notes and demonstrating the circle and its properties, enjoying the pleasure of Ryn¡¯s enthusiastic interest and engaged questions.


    ¡°Can you detect class levels?¡± Ryn asked when Ali paused in her excited explanation.


    ¡°Yes, anything Identify can see,¡± she answered.


    ¡°Can you make an alarm for high-level people?¡± Ryn asked. ¡°Does it work through stealth?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think of that,¡± Ali said, quickly returning to the table and making some notes for her future testing. Perhaps the level of the detect spell limited how high level it could identify. She wasn¡¯t quite sure.


    ¡°Are you going to go make some now?¡± Ryn asked.


    ¡°I still need to find a good offensive spell and learn it before I can make a good trap,¡± Ali said, scrunching her brow. ¡°Grasping Roots is all good and well for the sewer, but I need something with more bite.¡±


    ¡°What about your barrier magic?¡± Ryn suggested, picking the obvious choice, but then she added her own personal spin on the idea. ¡°You could block off passages or imprison people for a while.¡± She suggested, entirely skipping Ali¡¯s thoughts of making traps by removing barriers out from under peoples¡¯ feet.


    ¡°Like the Bone Prison?¡± Ali wondered aloud.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, a spell the Wights used,¡± Ali answered, her mind still mostly absorbed with the new idea. ¡°A cage of bone that sprang up out of the ground to prevent you from moving.¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Ryn nodded.


    ¡°The problem is, I still need to take care of the monster,¡± Ali observed. Her barrier was good for trapping things, but she doubted her new triggers were up for the task of duplicating her barrier trick that had killed the invisible flying mage with his own fireball.


    They continued brainstorming back and forth for ages, and Ali found herself having just as much fun with the discussion as she had had learning the trigger technique in the first place. By the time they were done, Ali had several pages of her notebook covered with ideas to explore.


    ¡°Oh, I almost forgot, I found some fun books at the Myrin¡¯s Keep library.¡± Ryn deposited a pile of books on the table. ¡°There¡¯s a nature magic book in there, perhaps you can find some good trap spells?¡±


    ¡°Oh, cool!¡± Ali exclaimed, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the new books. She copied them quickly while Ryn busied herself organizing the shelves. She seemed to be constantly refining the book ordering and placements, but Ali left her to it.


    When she opened the nature-magic book Ryn had brought, she immediately found the perfect trap spell. Sitting down with her Sage of Learning active, she quickly learned the Poison Cloud spell. It wasn¡¯t a particularly high-level spell, and it wouldn¡¯t work on zombies, but she decided it would be perfect for testing out her designs in the sewers.


    She sighed through her teeth.


    ***


    Ali examined her work with a happy smile. Several new runic circles decorated the crumbling brickwork of the final room before the entrance down into the Forest Cavern. With her current Poison Cloud being a level eight spell, she had kept her new traps to the latter areas of the sewer where she had placed the higher-level monsters. She wanted a challenge for the novices, but she recalled Havok¡¯s enthusiasm and Aiden¡¯s bright-eyed optimism the day they¡¯d earned their classes and knew she couldn¡¯t be too mean to people who had just unlocked their class for the first time.


    Of course, now that they all had a few levels under their belts, it shouldn¡¯t be as much of a problem. She studied her creation.


    Ali was particularly proud of her discovery of an obscure option for her Detect trigger, tucked away in a corner of her book. She had learned that if she excluded any minions, her own creatures would not trigger the traps. The option seemed designed to ignore pets, familiars, and Beast Tamer companions, but it was ideal for her. Now she wouldn¡¯t need to teach her Kobold warriors to avoid stepping in her poison traps. Setting up the conditions reminded her how much she had liked her logic teacher back in school.


    She grinned to herself, it wasn¡¯t so long ago that she was terrified of finding out she was a dungeon, and now she was making proper dungeon traps.


    ***


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 Chapter 145: From the Brink of Death

    Aliandra ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Ali asked. She floated along beside Mato through the sewer tunnel pointing out her new Poison Cloud traps and explaining ¨C probably in far more detail than he cared to hear ¨C how her new runic magic worked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a great idea, Ali,¡± he said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. ¡°You need something that isn¡¯t poison to deal with the undead, though.¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± she agreed. As if on cue, her chime sounded yet again.


    Ali ignored the message. They had been coming incessantly since she had populated the Forest Cavern with minions, made her river chokepoint, and trapped the passage down past the caves on the way to the ruins. Nobody had told her how noisy being a dungeon would be. Her mana drew the monsters in, and her minions and traps took care of them¡­ constantly. At least she was making incredible progress toward the undead kill quest. Worrying. Good, but worrying all the same.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been busy. How many minions do you have anyway?¡±


    ¡°A little over three hundred,¡± Ali answered. ¡°About half of them are the swarm oozes in the lake, though ¨C they¡¯re very cheap.¡± It was a rather impressive total, and she was certain Lyeneru wouldn¡¯t be quite so critical if she saw it now. However, nothing in her dungeon could give someone like her a challenge.


    ¡°Wow, that many?¡±


    ¡°Yup. It costs almost six thousand mana to keep them all.¡± She might have gone a little overboard, but then there was that assassin she had killed only because she had the minions around to see him. ¡°What about you? How is the Blight cleanup going?¡±


    ¡°I have most of the main farms cleared, and they¡¯re starting to grow food again,¡± he answered. But then he stopped suddenly and sniffed. ¡°Ali! Undead! I smell Blight!¡±


    ¡°What? Here?¡± she yelped, but he was already transforming into his Bear Form and rushing down the damp tunnel. Instead, she commanded her Kobold escort, ¡°


    The soft chirps of hunting Kobolds accompanied the chilling sounds of unseen daggers being drawn from leather sheaths.


    Popping out a barrier for protection, she zipped down the passage, chasing after Mato. Swinging around a corner, they found themselves at a dead-end. A few sunbeams snuck down through the iron grate at the top of the brick shaft, illuminating an enormous trash pile collected by her Kobolds the night before. Scrabbling fitfully through the pile was a gaunt figure flanked by two very obviously dead ¨C and very obviously moving ¨C skeletons.


    An overpowering odor of rot and decay poured down the tunnel like a palpable manifestation of the Blight. Wisps of sickly gray-black death mana clung to them like a persistent miasma. The figure startled, looking up at her with a dirt-streaked, blight-marred face and half a dead fish in his mouth.


    As Mato approached, he let out an incoherent screech, falling backward in his effort to scramble away, cowering in a corner while the two skeletons turned and advanced menacingly, brandishing rusted daggers in their bony grasp.


    Mato charged, his huge bulk slamming into the skeletons, and with a single Swipe, he turned both into an explosion of bone shards that showered the trash pile and the quivering, dirty figure in the corner. Whirling on his paws, he prepared to strike.


    ¡°Mato, don¡¯t kill him!¡± Ali exclaimed. ¡°He¡¯s a person.¡±


    But Mato still advanced menacingly, growling.


    In the darkness, black energy collected within the cowering person, and suddenly a hair-raising, ethereal screech cut through her with the chill of undeath, and something flashed out towards Mato. Ali snapped her hand forward and a golden bubble of barrier magic trapped the thing.


    It was the only possibility. Volatile Wraiths were the weapon of the Death Wight they had faced, and the only class that could summon the undead were necromancers. As if the skeletons hadn¡¯t already given it away. But the tiny spirit was stuck inside her barrier, bouncing against the walls ineffectively until it popped with a sharp, short-lived blast of black flame.


    He summoned a second one, which launched itself with an equally chilling screech, and Ali reacted, catching it too, before it could reach Mato.


    Still screeching, the emaciated necromancer rushed Mato, clawing and scratching, even trying to bite him. With a great swing of his paw, Mato struck ¨C but Ali knew him well enough to see how he withheld his full strength ¨C slamming the boy into the wall. He bounced, his head cracking loudly against the ancient brick, and then slid to the ground in a heap, unmoving.


    Ali¡¯s stomach churned and she turned and tried to throw up.


    ¡°He¡¯s not dead, Ali,¡± Mato said, his voice cutting through her nausea as he walked over to examine the ¡®body¡¯, already transformed back to his Beastkin form.


    ¡°H¡­how?¡± Ali managed, wrestling with her unruly stomach.


    ¡°I did hear you. I took his damage and just knocked him out,¡± Mato said, staring down at the motionless boy with a serious frown. ¡°Ali¡­ are you sure? That¡¯s a necromancer.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she answered. But how could she kill someone so weak and desperate? ¡°He can¡¯t have eaten anything in weeks.¡± At least desperate enough to be down in the sewers hunting for rotten food in a trash pile ¨C and his body was quite obviously being ravaged by the undead blight. ¡°Can we talk to him first? Before we decide if he¡¯s evil, I mean?¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t do something about that Blight, he¡¯s going to die anyway,¡± Mato groused, bending over to inspect the unconscious boy, wrinkling his nose in disgust.


    ¡°Do you mind using your tree to help him?¡± Ali asked. She didn¡¯t have any of Eliyen¡¯s elixirs on hand, and the only other option she knew of was Mato¡¯s potent aura in Tree Form.


    ¡°Yes, but not here,¡± he said, picking up the boy as if he weighed nothing and turning around to retrace their steps through the sewer.


    Mato would do it, but he did not look happy at all.


    It took them a little longer to return to the Grove and the shrine, but soon enough, Mato laid him down on the moss and planted himself nearby. As the aura exploded outward, Ali felt the regeneration pulsing through her body and watched it ripple through the unconscious necromancer. The suppurating black blight patches on the boy¡¯s face began to fade and the angry dark miasma dissipated.


    She studied him with all the senses at her disposal, but she finally had to conclude that it couldn¡¯t be him. He was only level three, and he must have just earned his class, although how he unlocked necromancy was a mystery. She knew what it was to have a problematic class and that was not about to change.


    She wondered if he had been in town when it happened and if he had been persecuted. Something must have happened to him to become so badly infected with the blight and forced down into the sewers to hunt for food.


    Eventually, Mato¡¯s tree shifted, and he slowly transformed back into his normal shape, and the aura faded back to its much more normal short-range magic.


    ¡°He¡¯s clean now.¡±


    ¡°Can we take him to the library?¡± Ali asked. The forest had been necessary for accommodating Mato¡¯s Tree Form, but the library was far more comfortable now; she loved having couches. Mato nodded and picked him up again as they wended their way to the upper entrance to the library.


    As soon as Mato laid him on a couch, Ali felt the nature mana of Lira¡¯s presence right before she appeared from within a branch of the giant tree.


    ¡°What have you found, dear?¡± she asked, and then her hand suddenly shot up to her mouth. ¡°Oh, my! It¡¯s him!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°That¡¯s the boy who found my acorns!¡±


    Ali shot her an incredulous look, her eyes darting back and forth between her aunt and the grubby boy they¡¯d rescued from the sewer.


    ¡°Wait, this is the person in your story? The one who untied you?¡± Ali asked. Her eyes drifted to the boy¡¯s neck and the dark band visible around his neck.


    ¡°Yes, he is the one,¡± Lira said, dancing over to where Mato had set him down, still unconscious on the couch.


    Ali winced. Those poor people had been subjected to compulsion collars and then sacrificed to the necromancer¡¯s evil magic in a terrifying display of dominance and power. Malika and Mato had both described it as excruciatingly painful, and that had been weeks ago. What he must have been through¡­ Ali could hardly bear to imagine.


    ¡°I guess that explains how he unlocked a necromancer class,¡± Ali commented. He must have been steeped in enough of Alexander Gray¡¯s powerful death-affinity mana to push him to unlock the class naturally, without a shrine. A real tragedy ¨C if she had just found him before his class unlocked, she could so easily have offered him a better choice.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Lira said softly, her voice filled with sadness as she looked down at him as he lay on the couch. ¡°You poor boy, fate has been rather unkind to you.¡±


    ¡°What do we do with him?¡± Ali asked. It was clear from Lira¡¯s recognition that he was likely a good person who had been handed the worst luck. Running afoul of Alexander Gray had turned him into a permanent pariah; he would be despised and shunned in every part of civilization because of that legacy.


    ¡°I want to thank him for helping rescue my forest,¡± Lira said.


    ¡°I can stay here and look after him,¡± Ali said. It wouldn¡¯t even disrupt her plans; she had no real commitments today, and she had been hoping to study some more magic anyway.


    ¡°You sure?¡± Mato asked, glancing at her and the boy. His eyes found Lira¡¯s and then he sighed. He still looked visibly uncomfortable with the situation, but he seemed most concerned for her wellbeing.


    ¡°He¡¯s level three, Mato. I know I¡¯m not as good at fighting as you, but I think I got this,¡± Ali grinned, putting up her tiny fists and waving them around dramatically. All that training she had done with Malika to improve the melee skills of her warriors and rogues came out, and to both of their surprise, her form looked remarkably competent.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re probably better at it than me,¡± he said, his usual grin returning to the fore. ¡°The day you have to punch something will be¡­ I don¡¯t even know¡­ terrifying? Ok, I¡¯m going to head out and take care of the rest of the farms and outlying areas today, I¡¯ll see you all later tonight. Don¡¯t do anything I wouldn¡¯t do.¡±


    Ali wrinkled her nose. ¡°Me?¡±


    ***


    Ali hissed between clenched teeth. The constant notifications were incessant, like that annoying mosquito in her bedroom late at night, waiting for the perfect moment just before she drifted off to sleep to swoop down and buzz right in her ear. She wished, for the umpteenth time, that she could silence them while she was studying ¨C but she hadn¡¯t found a way. Though it was rather telling just how many undead were trying to invade her space, and she knew deep down that turning off the notifications would be a bad long-term idea. Being surprised was not her forte.


    A groan coming from the vicinity of the couch finally broke her concentration entirely, and she turned to find the boy scrambling backward and falling off the couch in his haste to escape.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you,¡± she said quietly, and the hand that was extending forward toward her, and beginning to gather dark mana froze for a moment before he relaxed a little and let it fall to his side.


    ¡°You¡­¡± his hoarse voice cracked. ¡°You¡¯re her,¡± he eked out, speaking like someone who hadn¡¯t used his voice in decades.


    ¡°Her who?¡± Ali asked curiously.


    ¡°You kill¡­ killed him. Alexander G¡­ Gray.¡±


    She could see the fear in his uncomfortably wide eyes as he mentioned the necromancer and knew instantly it was the result of his traumatic treatment at his hands and not anything she had done. After all, she was less than half his size, and hardly a terrifying person.


    ¡°My friends and I did,¡± she answered, still not making any moves toward the fearful boy and striving to keep her voice level and calm. ¡°My name is Aliandra.¡±


    He stared at her for a while.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to kill me?¡± he asked, his voice quavering and cracking.


    Ali was instantly reminded of poor Naia, asking again and again if she was going to be killed.


    ¡°I won¡¯t kill you,¡± Ali said, returning to the terrified boy. ¡°And I already know what your class is. Would you like some tea? Or some food?¡± Mato had left some of yesterday¡¯s dinner, just in case ¨C trust him to notice and try to feed even a necromancer who had been found scavenging through the trash.


    At her mention of food, his eyes went wide ¨C wider ¨C and the aggressive growling of his stomach echoed into the library. Ali grinned at him and produced the bowl of leftover hearty beef stew Mato had made and placed it on the table between them, returning to her seat again. As soon as she made space, he pounced, demolishing the food in less than a minute, shoveling it down his throat with his hands, as if the utensils had not even been seen. It was rare for her to see real hunger, and she was reminded of her time lost in these ruins for over a week.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m Seth,¡± he said at last. ¡°Seth¡­ Weston. Thank you ¨C¡± His eyes bulged out of his head in shock and surprise as Lira appeared, warping herself out of the giant tree before gliding regally across the flagstones and carpet to join them.


    ¡°Hello Seth, dear. I¡¯m Lirasia,¡± she said, as if not noticing the effect she had on him. She walked over to the tea stand and set the pot to boil. ¡°It¡¯s good to finally meet you properly, Seth. I wanted to thank you for releasing me from that evil fiend and offer my eternal gratitude for saving my acorns.¡±


    It took some effort, but between her and Lira, and a nice warm cup of tea, they managed to coax his story out of him. He was from a small logging village called Lyton on the other side of the border in Torian territory. Ali was certain Calen could tell her exactly where it was, but she gathered it was on the far side of the now-dead forest. He had lived all his life with his grandmother until Roderik Icecrown and Alexander Gray swooped down on their quiet community and slew nearly everyone. He had been one of the ¡®lucky¡¯ few spared to be used by the foul magic of the necromancer. He had been forced to watch while his grandmother¡¯s skeleton was raised before his eyes and made to release foul undead abominations throughout the forest, spreading the blight. And then he had been marched to Myrin¡¯s Keep to serve as the necromancer¡¯s portable living sacrifice.


    When Ali and her friends had killed Alexander Gray, before the Death Knight had appeared, Seth had fled into town and been captured by kidnappers, and only escaped when his class had unlocked.


    Ali sat listening to the tale in horror, unable to imagine how terrified he had been. She was certain she wouldn¡¯t have been able to sit calmly on a couch with a cup of tea discussing it with some strangers, and she glanced at Lira in suspicion. But there was no evidence of any magic at play, just her typical calm aura and her soft and soothing voice.


    ¡°I think we should take you to see Vivian Ross ¨C she¡¯s the Guildmaster of the Adventurers Guild. If anyone knows how to help you it will be her ¨C and I know she will want to hear your story about the kidnappers,¡± Ali said. There weren¡¯t very many options in Myrin¡¯s Keep for people who might listen to a necromancer, but she was certain Vivian would have some ideas for what they could do. At the very least, Seth couldn¡¯t continue living in the sewers, eating rotten fish. He had critical information on how the blight was continuing to spread, which Vivian absolutely needed to hear.


    ¡°No! She will kill me!¡± Seth yelled, scrambling back and falling off the couch, his feral fear taking over once more.


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t killed me yet, and I¡¯m a guild member,¡± Ali answered. She should have expected resistance toward anything related to returning to town. Although, in her case it hadn¡¯t always been rainbows and roses.


    Seth just sat on the floor staring blankly at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m a dungeon, Seth. That¡¯s probably worse than a necromancer.¡±


    Gliding across the flagstones, Lirasia caught him as he toppled sideways. ¡°I guess that was a little much. Sleep now, Seth. You¡¯ll feel better soon ¨C I hope.¡±


    ***


    It was still challenging to convince him to agree to talk with the Guildmaster. And even harder to cajole him into making the trip across town to visit Lydia¡¯s Allure, but even after putting him through one of her Cleanse circles, Ali insisted Seth still needed to replace the dreadful rags he wore. If she had learned one thing from her trial, it was the surprising importance of presentation when preparing for important meetings.


    But Ali didn¡¯t mind being patient. Coming face to face with the fact that people wanted to kill you was hard enough, but knowing that it was for reasons outside of your control added a heavy helping of despair and frustration. Ali still had nightmares about Roderik¡¯s sneering face, and so she could empathize with Seth¡¯s fresh struggle.


    It was only when Lira offered to accompany them that he finally relented, and now with a clean blue shirt and a pair of khaki casual pants, he looked quite presentable as Ali led them into the guild hall. Given that they were risking him being identified in public, Lira¡¯s presence offered a welcome distraction for the curious eyes. Nevertheless, Ali had still brought her two Kobold rogues and her normal minion escort just in case they were attacked.


    ¡°Great Mother of the Deep Woods,¡± Mieriel greeted, rising from her chair and bowing deeply to Lira. ¡°Hi Aliandra, welcome back,¡± she added politely, her mind magic flickering rapidly as she glanced first to Lira, and then at Seth, hiding a flash of surprise. But, true to her word, Ali felt not even the slightest touch of her active skills impinging on her mind. ¡°How may I help you today?¡±


    ¡°Hi Mieriel, is Vivian available?¡± Ali asked. Her prior anxiety toward the mind mage seemed to be fading now. While it may have had something to do with her reaching level fifty, and rather close to Mieriel¡¯s level, she was certain the Sun Elf¡¯s polite and respectful attitude around her was contributing much more. No longer did she try concealing her class from Ali, nor had she ever attempted to use her active skills on her since her apology.


    Ali offered Mieriel a smile, deciding she would try and make the effort to acknowledge her attempts to repair the relationship between them.


    ¡°Of course, follow me,¡± Mieriel said, leading the way to the Guildmaster¡¯s office. As they passed through the hall, they got some curious stares from the various adventurers, some of whom she recognized, but there were several new faces.


    ¡°Recruitment is going well?¡± Ali asked.


    Mieriel grimaced, ¡°It¡¯s a struggle, especially with the Silent Assassin still at large.¡± She knocked and then opened the door to the office.


    Vivian rose to greet them, and Ali reflected on how helpful it was to just have Lira present whenever she needed to talk to people. But Vivian was not one to be distracted, her observant eyes flickered in instant surprise, hardening at the sight of Seth.


    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this? Death-affinity? Another necromancer?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we know, but it was not his choice,¡± Ali explained. ¡°I think you need to hear his story.¡±


    Ali studied the closed expression on her face and the glittering, narrowed eyes, and knew instantly that this was going to be a tough sell. Vivian would not accept a necromancer without a substantial push. She seemed to be on the brink of throwing them all out. ¡°Mieriel, you should stay, too,¡± Ali said, blurting it out before Vivian could even respond.


    Ali schooled her expression, hiding her instant visceral revulsion to the necessity of what she had just suggested.


    ¡°Good idea,¡± Lira said, nodding calmly to her as she took her seat, and Ali knew she understood. Her Aunt wasn¡¯t about to let things get out of control.


    It was almost imperceptible, but the tension lines around Vivian¡¯s eyes relaxed just a little, and Ali knew that as difficult as it was, she had made the right call. While the Guildmaster was powerful, it was Mieriel and her skills she trusted in situations where she could be deceived. Ali was exquisitely aware of Mieriel¡¯s passive ability to read emotions, and it was that she was counting on to convince Vivian of the credibility of Seth and his story, without which there would be no chance for the boy. Someone with power and status had to believe in him in order for him to survive the terrible stigma of his class. Yet, trusting Mieriel to hold back and not deploy her more terrifying abilities took all of Ali¡¯s willpower. At least Mieriel seemed content to only employ her passive perception skills.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m listening,¡± Vivian said finally, sitting back down in her chair and inviting them all to take seats.


    While Seth recounted the saga of his experiences and torment at the hands of Alexander Gray, Ali studied Vivian¡¯s face. When he described the destruction of Lyton by Alexander and Roderik, Vivian glanced in shock and surprise at Mieriel, but she nodded in confirmation.


    The reveal of Roderik¡¯s involvement in wiping out the town was new, and Ali could tell she had Vivian¡¯s attention now. The Guildmaster launched a barrage of questions when Seth described the abominations that were spreading the blight, and then more again when he revealed the details of the warehouse and his kidnappers.


    ¡°That is an incredible story,¡± Vivian said, sitting back in her chair after Seth finished his retelling. ¡°This changes our strategy for dealing with the undead and the Blight ¨C I thought it would go away if we just killed the monsters, but that strategy is doomed. These abominations need to be found and destroyed. The mayor needs to know about the kidnappers, too. That can¡¯t be allowed to continue.¡± Her piercing gaze returned to the awkwardly shuffling Seth. ¡°What do we do with you?¡±


    ¡°I want to fix the forest, but I don¡¯t know how,¡± he said, quietly wringing his hands. ¡°I¡¯m not strong enough.¡± His voice was choked with profound sadness and Ali felt the anguish of the boy who had been so committed to the ancient forest that he risked his life to save her acorns and had woken up to find himself turned into the very thing that had destroyed it all.


    ¡°How about we have Seth join the guild?¡± This was Ali¡¯s main goal for the entire meeting ¨C she just hoped Vivian and Mieriel had heard enough to trust that the boy was a good person at heart.


    ¡°A necromancer?¡± Vivian¡¯s shocked gaze snapped to Ali as she made her suggestion.


    Ali lifted her chin silently. Was she truly sorry, or was this an entirely different situation?


    ¡°You were worried about not recruiting enough people who are motivated and have strong classes. Seth literally has nowhere else to go,¡± Ali answered, holding Vivian¡¯s gaze. ¡°You already have some dangerous classes in the guild.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a necromancer, Aliandra,¡± Vivan said, her voice grating like granite.


    ¡°What is the alternative?¡± Ali pressed. ¡°You know he will be driven out of every town and city. Is his fate to eventually become bitter and angry? If he isn¡¯t killed outright, what are the chances he is forced to follow the path of Alexander Gray? You say your mission is to be a force for good in this town ¨C how is this not exactly what you claim the guild is for?¡±


    Vivian met her gaze with a stony stare. ¡°How would this not ruin our already¡­ tarnished reputation?¡±


    Ali tried not to flinch. While the point might be fair, it still hurt.


    It was Lira who broke the awkward silence. ¡°Is the custom of having an elder sponsor a novice still respected in your kingdom?¡± she asked, her gentle voice cutting through the stalemate.


    ¡°You would be willing to sponsor him?¡± Vivian gasped. ¡°To stake your reputation on the good behavior of a¡­ necromancer?¡± At least she had the decency to wince at her own words when she glanced at Seth.


    Ali knew just how unbelievable it must sound for a Dryad to sponsor a necromancer, of all classes, but she also knew the story that had unfolded between them.


    ¡°I owe him a life debt,¡± Lira said. It was a stunning, and incredible revelation to them, but Ali knew she believed it with all her heart. ¡°I know he is a good person, despite his class, and I will not allow fate to punish him for his actions.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ that is an incredible character reference, Seth,¡± Vivian said, studying the boy carefully.


    Mieriel¡¯s hand touched Vivian¡¯s shoulder gently. ¡°The boy seems honest and kindhearted, too. We could do a lot worse, Vivian.¡±


    ¡°Very well, Seth, would you mind sharing your class and abilities with me?¡± In the face of so much support, Vivian¡¯s resistance seemed to crumble, and Ali suppressed a sigh of relief. It was surely not the end of Seth¡¯s challenges, but it was the first step in setting him up on a better path.


    Seth responded by sharing his skills and abilities with everyone in the room, and Ali studied them with great interest, fascinated to see a different style of summoner class.


    ¡°What does the Volatile Wraith do?¡± Vivian asked.


    In response to the question, Seth shared the entire status sheet of the monster.


    - Touch of Death ¨C level 1


    Mana: Attack, dealing Death damage. Range: Touch


    Death, Melee, Intelligence


    - Volatile Detonation ¨C level 1


    Explode, consuming all remaining mana to do Death damage to everything around you. Range: 3.09 feet. Trigger: Death


    Death, Area, Trigger, Intelligence


    Ali studied the monster carefully. It seemed weak beyond belief, but Ali had faced them in battle and knew just how terrifying they could be. They were incorporeal, ignoring physical damage and mundane armor.


    she realized, otherwise, Mato might have had some more life drain to heal after subduing Seth in the sewer ¨C however unlikely it might be that Seth¡¯s low-level summon might score a critical hit on Mato. Seeing the sheet answered a lot of the questions she had had after facing the Bone Wight and their Volatile Wraiths. Although seeing how low its health was, she made a mental note to try slicing them with barrier magic the next time she encountered one.


    ¡°That is an incredibly powerful class,¡± Vivian said, finally. ¡°An area attack; you can heal your minions with your own damage; and regenerate your own health with life drain. Amplify Damage is an insane curse, and you can hide behind two types of monsters for survivability. If your class is representative of the typical necromancer, it¡¯s no wonder they are so feared.¡±


    Seth grimaced, seeming to curl up on himself as if he wanted to be swallowed up by his seat.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, Seth,¡± Mieriel said, reaching across to touch his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re not in trouble.¡±


    Ali suddenly knew Vivian was sold, and it was not just the support of herself and Lira ¨C she could see an undercurrent of excitement the Guildmaster couldn¡¯t quite keep from showing on her face at the prospect of such a strong class ¨C specter of necromancy or not ¨C joining the guild.


    ¡°Mieriel, can you ask Teagan to join us?¡±


    ¡°Not Aiden?¡±


    ¡°No, I think Seth¡¯s abilities would be difficult to use with Havok¡¯s holy magic as a tank. Teagan is competitive, she wants to become the strongest team in the guild, I think I can convince her to give Seth a fair shot.¡±


    Ali smiled. It was a relief to know that Seth would be receiving training, and a group to help him level up. She was curious to see how his skeletons and wraiths stacked up against her own sewer denizens.


    ¡°Hey, Seth, how do you have the status sheet for the Volatile Wraith?¡± she asked. He had shown every single detail, including the skill descriptions, aptitudes, and attributes.


    ¡°Oh¡­ um. I have Eyes of the Damned ¨C I just merged my awareness with the wraith and called up my status and I got it,¡± he said.


    She stared at him for a long moment, and then her curiosity overpowered her surprise. Switching to the point of view of one of her rogues waiting outside, she opened her status.


    sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Stunned, Ali missed the next few minutes of the conversation as her mind flittered from minion to minion checking everything.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 146: Pathfinder Training

    Calen Finding himself with a little time on his hands while Lyeneru and Nathaniel Sunstrider conferred privately on guild business, Calen surveyed the guild hall. There was a quiet bustle within the halls of the Pathfinder Guild headquarters, with a constant stream of people coming and going. The guild¡¯s jobs and training boards had a cluster of people chatting softly while examining the offerings and the reception desk had a line.


    At the far end of the large hall, he found a wide-open archway leading into a brightly lit room with a plain and utilitarian sign hanging over the top:


    He deftly picked his way across the guild hall and stepped into the store. Rows of tables filled the deceptively large shop, laden with all manner of potions, artifacts, scrolls, and small weapons. Hanging from the back wall were dozens of bows and swords, and the entire left-hand side of the shop was filled with racks and mannequins sporting everything from practical leather ranger armor to ballgowns.


    A tall woman with long brown hair tied in a tight, intricate braid that hung past her waist and wearing the guild colors approached, speaking a greeting in the lilting sounds of Elvish.


    ¡°Um, hi?¡± Calen said.


    ¡°How can I help you today?¡± the shopkeeper said, switching smoothly to Common without missing a beat. Her eyes flickered rapidly across his visible gear. Calen could almost see the evaluation and calculation in her practiced gaze.


    ¡°So, I was hoping to buy a pair of boots?¡± Nathaniel Sunstrider hadn¡¯t even commented on his bizarre appearance with one bare foot, but it had stuck out like a sore thumb the entire interview.


    ¡°So that¡¯s not a fashion statement, then?¡± the merchant said, quirking the tiniest hint of a smile on her lips.


    ¡°Err, no,¡± Calen said, surprised that he didn¡¯t find her amusement at his misfortune even slightly embarrassing. It was a possibility, but one that didn¡¯t make him uneasy. ¡°A Death Knight took it.¡±


    ¡°Aah, so you¡¯re the one. Lyeneru¡¯s new prot¨¦g¨¦, Calen, right?¡±


    ¡°Aah, yes,¡± he said.


    ¡°You¡¯re very lucky,¡± she smiled, making him immediately appreciate his new reputation. Lyeneru¡¯s approval clearly ¨C and justly ¨C commanded respect. ¡°She hasn¡¯t taken an apprentice in decades. My name is Niathwen. Come, I have some equipment appropriate for your level over here.¡± She led him over to the back of the room where the items were considerably less sparkly and more practical.


    ¡°You seem like someone who appreciates function over style ¨C what do you think of these?¡± she suggested, gesturing to a pair of unassuming brown leather boots with the guild¡¯s green worked in as a trim. ¡°Standard-issue boots for the Initiate rank.¡±


    Calen studied them and, to his relief, he saw that the item had been identified and the details placed on a card next to the boots.


    Pathfinder Initiate Boots ¨C level 40


    +30 Dexterity


    +24 Strength


    +10% to Movement Speed


    Requirements: Dexterity 140


    Quality: Uncommon


    Feet ¨C Boots ¨C Leather


    ¡°The price is six gold, fifty silver,¡± Niathwen said. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Calen raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°For an item with three enchantments?¡± The fact that uncommon-grade items were standard-issue guild items only underscored the Pathfinder Guild¡¯s reputation for excellence.


    ¡°Guild discount,¡± she said, offering a wink to acknowledge his show of incredulity. ¡°Go ahead and try them on, if you like.¡±


    So, he did. The crafter had lined the inside with softer leather making the fit snug and comfortable, and the attributes were fantastic. ¡°I¡¯ll take them,¡± he said, making his decision in a flash. Malika would probably have an apoplexy, but he had never been good at haggling anyway.


    ¡°Excellent choice,¡± Niathwen said, smoothly ignoring the fact that it was she who had done the choosing. ¡°Is there anything else you need?¡±


    Pacing out a few steps in his new boots, Calen eyed the rest of the store. It was far more extensive than Weldin Thriftpenny¡¯s store in the Adventurers Guild back home.


    ¡°Can I buy some things for my friends?¡± The boots were expensive, but he had a little gold now.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she said. ¡°What do they need? Or perhaps you can share their classes?¡±


    ¡°A druid shapeshifter who likes Bear Form, a nature and arcane affinity mage, and a monk,¡± Calen said, keeping the details light.


    ¡°Hmm, all around your level?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Close enough.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, the monk and the bear have strong gear restrictions. I don¡¯t have any shapeshifting gear right now ¨C at least, nothing at that level. Maybe check back later for the bear. Monks are not common in the guild, or with Wood Elves in general, but you can¡¯t go wrong with another pair of those boots.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Calen said. The attributes would fit well with Malika¡¯s class, at least.


    ¡°Your mage has unusual affinities, a healer perhaps? A metamagic specialist, or a back-line damage dealer with arcane missiles of some sort?¡± she frowned delicately.


    ¡°No, not exactly,¡± Calen answered.


    ¡°Any obvious drawbacks or weaknesses we can work on?¡±


    ¡°She does have a racial penalty to health, and she¡¯s been very worried about assassins and Ambush in general,¡± Calen said, deciding not to share that there was a bounty on Ali¡¯s head.


    Niathwen raised an eyebrow, ¡°Curious. Well, it¡¯s a little unconventional, but I may have just the thing for her.¡± She led him to a table and opened a glass display case, indicating a plain wooden ring.


    Forest Band of the Perceptive ¨C level 33


    +26 Perception


    +13 Vitality


    Quality: Magic


    Ring ¨C Wood


    ¡°Oh, I think she¡¯ll love this,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°You can have it for three gold and twenty,¡± Niathwen smiled.


    Calen thought. But the items were strong upgrades for him, Ali, and Malika ¨C and with his new guild ring, he could return regularly and maybe find something for Mato, too. ¡°Oh, this might be a long shot, but¡­ do you have any specialized cooking gear?¡±


    Niathwen¡¯s face lit up with a broad grin.


    It did not hurt that she seemed to wholly disregard his half-breed nature. Fine. Just this time, he¡¯d allow himself to be distracted by a pretty Elf even if she was about to make him broke.


    ***


    ¡°I need to get to know you a little better, and understand how you think,¡± Lyeneru said, regarding Calen across the expanse of the broad wooden table in the center of the meeting room she had coopted for their chat. He had just finished his first two classes, earning a general skill for Skinning, and transformed his Wood Carving skill into a Basic Daggers proficiency.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me about a difficult fight? What was your strategy, what changed during the fight, how did you adapt, and how do you think you might be better prepared in the future?"


    Calen considered the question carefully, deciding to map his responses according to the Dungeon Survival Guide she had published in her book. He picked the Twin Wight battle and covered the strategy explanation as he had done for the guild. It was a fight that required teamwork and perception skills, and they had most definitely encountered the unexpected with the twin powerup once the Death Wight had died.


    Lyeneru listened carefully as he retold the story, asking only a few sporadic questions to clarify his thought process.


    ¡°Good,¡± she said after he finished. ¡°I suspected as much ¨C you¡¯re fairly well educated on team strategy and monster skills. I think you understand the basics well enough, so I¡¯m going to place you into an advanced strategy workshop with Nendir ¨C he¡¯s a close friend of mine, and exceptionally experienced. Do your best to learn everything he wants to teach.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Calen said, writing down the name of the Elf in his notebook so that he could scour the training board for anything else he might be teaching.


    ¡°But I have something even more important for you. Every time you come to Ciradyl, I want you to sit down and summarize a new fight for me, just like you did here. I want to see you applying what you¡¯ve learned in the classes, and if I¡¯m not here, I want you to write it down and leave it for me at the reception desk.¡±


    Calen nodded. He had expected homework, but Lyeneru was really laying it on. Not that he minded much, he quite enjoyed explaining strategy and figuring out how to do fights better, and even without her request, he probably would have done it anyway for his own sense of completeness.


    ¡°I had a long chat with your Guildmaster ¨C Vivian Ross. It¡¯s unfortunate what happened to her, but I really respect what she is trying to build.¡±


    ¡°Something happened to the Guildmaster?¡±


    ¡°The personal details are hers to share, but I¡¯ll just say the threshold into the second tier is not called the Great Wall for nothing. Many classes do not survive the evolution past level one hundred unscathed, and most who experience it give up, driven to despondency by bitterness or despair. She has chosen to pass her experience on to the next generation instead, and for that, she has my full support. In the fight against the dark forces, any skilled combat classes will be crucial to our survival. Regardless of race or kingdom. Her commitment is admirable. She asked me to give a lecture at your guild, but I couldn¡¯t let the Death Knight get away.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ see,¡± Calen said, stunned by the revelation. It explained so much about Vivian¡¯s actions in the town ¨C why she chose to begin a guild and join the Town Council instead of personally wiping out the criminal element. He had seen her fight before, but only against the Goblin siege. If Lyeneru was right, there was no way she could stand up to someone like Kieran Mori.


    ¡°I want you to do it for me,¡± Lyeneru said.


    ¡°Do what?¡± He blinked as she interrupted his chain of thoughts.


    ¡°Pick the team leaders of the main groups in your guild, and teach them strategy, analysis, and boss mechanics. Everything you think they need to know. Vivian Ross knows a lot and has great instincts, but you will be studying here, and you can share everything you learn. Make them all stronger.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea? I¡¯m only level forty-three,¡± he said. He couldn¡¯t quite shake his first experience doing his strategy presentation for the guild. In some senses the disaster still sat with him ¨C the guild had lost many recruits that day.


    ¡°Teaching will be essential to your growth,¡± Lyeneru said. ¡°They can¡¯t all join the Pathfinders Guild, but sharing what you learn will be a small way to leverage the knowledge accumulated here and spread it further. Far too often knowledge is hoarded, and the world is poorer for it.¡±


    ¡°I see, ok, I¡¯ll do my best,¡± he answered, but he couldn¡¯t keep his worries from his voice.


    ¡°Think about it this way,¡± Lyeneru offered. ¡°What would you tell yourself when you were level five? Anyway, think about it, ok? Now, Nendir¡¯s class on advanced archery is in the grove on the city¡¯s north side in fifteen minutes. Don¡¯t be late.¡±


    Calen sprang to his feet and made for the door. He still wasn¡¯t certain about teaching but knew a whole lot more than when he started ¨C and most of the guild wasn¡¯t much higher than level five either.


    ***


    Calen slowed his flight and spiraled down into a clearing surrounded by trees and landed on the grass near a cluster of waiting Elves, most of whom were carrying bows of various sorts or dressed in forest-colored leather armor.


    There were quite a range of levels represented, and they chatted quietly amongst themselves in the musical language of the Elves. He caught a few curious glances, and a couple of disapproving looks, but nobody approached, so he took a spot apart from the group and waited.


    A few minutes later, at almost exactly the appointed time, a green-haired Wood Elf landed lightly in the center of the clearing seemingly appearing from nowhere. He addressed the students in Elvish and they all moved over to him. His eyes gazed at Calen for a moment.


    ¡°You don¡¯t speak Elvish?¡± he asked in accented Common.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Calen answered. There were noticeably more contemptuous glances at his answer from the other students, and he struggled to follow Lyeneru¡¯s advice and not fall into his usual patterns when facing disapproval, but the powerful Elf standing before him didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m Nendir,¡± the Wood Elf stated. ¡°I will be your instructor for advanced archery fundamentals. First, I want to see you all shoot.¡±


    Relieved that Nendir had smoothly switched to Common and, resolving to ignore the disapproval from the other Elven students, Calen retrieved his bow from his ring. He gulped as he got a closer look at the fancy or expensive bows some of the others produced.


    With a casual wave of his hand, Nendir summoned a score of slowly drifting green lights, spreading them out at various distances ¨C his spell looking remarkably similar to Calen¡¯s own Motes of Light spell, only in green. He then worked his way through the class one at a time, watching each student shoot at the lights before offering some feedback.


    It seemed he would be at a bit of a disadvantage in that he couldn¡¯t pick up extra tips from what he told the other students.


    Nendir approached Calen and signaled for him to shoot. He drew smoothly and quickly shot the floating mote.


    ¡°Now, this one,¡± he instructed, waving his hand again, and sending one of the motes zooming off into the forest where he kept it moving around instead of hovering. It was almost two hundred yards away.


    He drew, focusing his sight on the target with Eyes of the Archon, ignoring the disorienting rush as his vision telescoped in on the mote. Empowering his arrow with extra range he released it, leading the target by just enough for his arrow to pass through the glowing edges of the mote.


    he chided himself, a bit annoyed by the small error while the instructor was watching.


    ¡°You have good perception and decent range for your level. It¡¯s your draw technique we will need to work on. Angle your elbow a little higher here, and release from here.¡± He summoned a powerful-looking bow from his storage and demonstrated by firing an arrow through the same target, hitting it dead center. ¡°You will be more accurate with this technique, which will improve your critical hit rate, and you will be able to fire a touch faster, too.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything, he simply drew his bow doing his best to copy the technique of the master archer.


    ¡°A little more like this,¡± he instructed, and when Calen tried again, he nodded his approval. ¡°Practice that for a few minutes and I will check back on you. If you need a reference before I get back to you, you can copy Coria over there. Her technique is excellent.¡±


    Calen found himself gazing at another striking Wood Elf sighting down the shaft of an arrow nocked to her longbow. He studied her technique as Nendir moved on until she turned and gave him a quick smile. Instantly, he felt his face flush and he quickly busied himself with nocking his own arrow, his dreaded shyness sabotaging him as usual. He was certain Mato would have teased him relentlessly about it if he were here.


    Her technique was almost a perfect match to the master archer. Her limit seemed to be that she was only level twenty-three, but she clearly had had access to master-level training for a long time.


    Calen found the hour passed quickly, and to his surprise, quite enjoyably. Nendir checked up on him regularly, offering pointed and insightful instruction. At first, Calen had thought his technique to be quite good, especially compared to the other students. But by about halfway through the lesson, Calen knew he was barely scratching the surface of the refinement and experience of his new teacher. It was particularly obvious when Nendir took a few shots at the distant targets to demonstrate for the class, his movement smooth and rapid, each shot a masterpiece in Calen¡¯s eyes. Even more impressively, there was no evidence of magic or skills. His shots were executed entirely with whatever passives he had, and Calen could only imagine what he could do when he added his skills.


    Nendir finally dismissed the class, but before he could head out, Calen found the teacher striding over to him.


    ¡°Calen, stay a moment. Lyeneru asked me to give you some one-on-one instruction. She thinks you¡¯re close to a breakthrough.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± he said.


    ¡°Can I watch, father?¡±


    Calen turned at the sound of the voice, finding Coria looking expectantly at Nendir.


    ¡°It¡¯s a private lesson, Coria, most people prefer them to be, you know, private.¡±


    Her face fell and she turned away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± Calen answered hurriedly, getting a surprised look from Coria.


    ¡°My daughter loves archery,¡± Nendir explained. ¡°She will watch people practice for hours ¨C but only those with decent technique, she must like you.¡±


    Calen caught Coria¡¯s eyes widening and the flush that filled her face at her father¡¯s teasing. For once it was someone else being embarrassed and shy, rather than him. But now he understood why her technique was so good, she had probably been watching her father shoot since she had been born. ¡°Um, so what are we going to work on?¡±


    ¡°Lyeneru wanted me to teach you to shoot faster and see if we can unlock rapid fire or echo.¡±


    ¡°Ok, what should I do?¡± he asked. Calen had heard of training for specific advances, but he had never found any books explaining how exactly that was done. He did know what rapid fire and echo were though, and they were both excellent upgrades. If there was a chance of either, he would greatly improve his effectiveness with the bow.


    ¡°I¡¯m never sure which one will unlock, so we¡¯ll try for both and see if anything happens. First, for Rapid Shot, try holding two arrows in your fingers like this. Nock one and fire, and then quickly switch the second arrow up and shoot it again. You¡¯re looking to get two arrows in the air simultaneously while still hitting the same target with both.¡±


    Calen tried and failed miserably. The challenge of firing accurately while trying to switch another arrow in with enough speed to draw and fire again was substantially more difficult than it had looked when Nendir had demonstrated the trick.


    ¡°Use your range enhancement and shoot the distant motes, there¡¯s a better chance of having your arrows in flight simultaneously.¡±


    He tried again. And again. It took him almost twenty minutes to get the hang of it, but even when he did, nothing happened with his skills. Fortunately, neither Nendir nor Coria seemed to mind.


    ¡°Ok, now I want you to try enchanting your arrow twice.¡±


    ¡°You mean with range and damage?¡± he asked, not quite understanding why this was challenging.


    ¡°Lyeneru told me you had mastered delaying your skills. I want you to try enhancing the same arrow with damage twice before it hits the target.¡±


    ¡°That works?¡± Calen had never even considered the idea.


    ¡°No, they replace each other, but it¡¯s usually the trick that unlocks Echo. It¡¯s how the mind understands the skill that matters in this case, so what we¡¯re doing is approximating the effect.¡±


    ¡°Aha.¡± Calen nodded and tried. This one he found to be substantially easier, taking only a few minutes before he got the hang of double enchanting his arrows. But again, nothing changed with his skills, and he was beginning to think he was wasting his and Nendir¡¯s time. Not to mention Coria who still hadn¡¯t glanced away for even an instant.


    he thought bitterly.


    ¡°Ok, last try, I want you to nock two arrows simultaneously and shoot two different targets. Like this,¡± Nendir demonstrated with flawless ease, which probably meant Calen would struggle with it.


    Sure enough, the technique was far more challenging than it looked. He could nock two arrows and fire easily enough, but releasing the arrows smoothly was harder than it had any right to be, and more often than not one would just drop to the ground or careen off in a random direction.


    ¡°You can angle your bow if you want to hit two horizontally aligned lights,¡± Nendir suggested.


    He persisted, trying to apply Nendir¡¯s constant, patient feedback, until finally, he did it, striking two lights simultaneously.


    ¡°Now enchant both shots at the same time,¡± Nendir said, handing him another quiver of arrows.


    Calen¡¯s mind boggled for a moment. Essentially, Nendir was asking him to do the last exercise mixed with the one before.


    But when he tried it, he got it on the first shot.


    he thought, sending her his mental gratitude. If she hadn¡¯t suggested the technique for delaying his magic, and he hadn¡¯t practiced it relentlessly, this would have been impossible.


    ¡°Anything?¡± Nendir asked curiously.


    ¡°No, nothin¨C¡±


    His chime suddenly sounded. Calen nodded at once. ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡±


    Radiant Archery ¨C level 28


    You are proficient with a bow and ranged combat.


    Stamina: Attack with your bow. Your damage and accuracy are increased by +374%


    Stamina: Summon up to 3  arrows directly from your quiver to your bow firing each of them in rapid sequence at the same target.


    Physical, Ranged, Haste, Dexterity


    Radiant Archery ¨C level 28


    You are proficient with a bow and ranged combat.


    Stamina: Attack with your bow. Your damage and accuracy are increased by +374%


    Mana: Conjure up to 3  magical arrows to fire simultaneously at multiple targets. The damage is split among each conjured arrow.


    Light, Physical, Ranged, Dexterity


    Radiant Archery ¨C level 28


    You are proficient with a bow and ranged combat.


    Stamina: Attack with your bow. Your damage and accuracy are increased by +374%


    Mana: Magical enchantments on your arrows are duplicated up to 3  times.


    Light, Physical, Ranged, Dexterity


    Calen stared at the stream of glowing notifications as the chimes echoed in his ears.


    ¡°Which one did you get?¡± Nendir asked with a knowing grin on his face.


    ¡°Um¡­ all of them? Rapid Fire, Echo, and I also unlocked Multishot,¡± Calen said, sharing his choices with Nendir, and then seeing Coria¡¯s rapt attention, he shared them with her, too. The problem was he could only choose one.


    ¡°Well, look at that,¡± Nendir said dryly. ¡°Good work.¡±


    ¡°How do I even choose?¡±


    ¡°There are no bad choices in that set. What you¡¯re choosing is a focus for your combat style. Rapid Fire suits high-speed, single-target physical damage. Each shot fired is a separate shot that consumes an arrow and will need to be individually enhanced. That¡¯s both an advantage and a disadvantage. It¡¯s the most common among Pathfinders because it is excellent for boss fights. You will want to focus your investment on dexterity, mainly, and you can do things like loading the first arrow with a Concussion Shot, blowing a hole in your target, and the following arrows can all be pure damage. Proper ammunition management is critical, and you will need a good arrow crafter for the best results.¡±


    ¡°Multishot is a balanced approach, the arrows are conjured, so you don¡¯t need as much ammunition, but you can¡¯t use enchanted physical arrows. It¡¯s a single shot that hits multiple targets, so the base damage is split among the arrows, but you pay for your arrow enchantment once and it is duplicated on every split arrow. Magic enchantments that boost damage aren¡¯t split, so it¡¯s very good if you unlock explosive arrows or something similar because you can clear an entire battlefield with just two or three volleys. It even allows you to Ambush multiple enemies simultaneously if you can find enemies blind to your conjured magic. It¡¯s amazing if you have passive damage on hit enhancements in your party or on your gear, but remember, you must invest heavily in intelligence if you want to effectively track multiple targets simultaneously so it¡¯s best for magical archer types.¡±


    ¡°Echo is situational ¨C you get multiple uses of each enchant on a single hit. For some things like Explosive Shot, it stacks, but it doesn¡¯t stack for Armor Piercing. You also don¡¯t get multiple shots. But for sheer shock value, it¡¯s the king of damage. There¡¯s nothing like Ambushing an enemy with a triple payload of Explosive Shot. You will want to invest heavily in intelligence, and remember it only works for magical enchantments.¡±


    Calen paused to think. He wanted to pick multishot simply because it would be cheaper, but that wasn¡¯t a particularly good reason. Especially given that Ali could make arrows for free. He spent a while working through the options, switching his preference to Echo, and then to Rapid Fire before he finally decided that he simply didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°What does Lyeneru use?¡± It suddenly occurred to him that he would have noticed echo or rapid fire in the battle against the Death Knight, but he didn¡¯t remember seeing anything like it.


    ¡°She has multishot,¡± Nendir confirmed.


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    In answer, he turned and fired a fan of twenty glowing green magical bolts from his powerful bow, each punching perfectly through the center of one of the hovering lights.


    More than any of the numbers ¨C which came to roughly the same damage in the end ¨C Nendir¡¯s impressive demonstration of his skill and accuracy sold Calen. The fact that he was following Lyeneru¡¯s skills sat quite well with him too.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll get multishot,¡± he said.


    ¡°It¡¯s surprisingly rare, and I am certain you won¡¯t regret the choice,¡± Nendir said, smiling as he bowed his head very slightly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you give it a try?¡± Several new motes of green light sprang forth.


    Grinning like a kid with a new toy, Calen raised his bow and drew back an empty bowstring. With a touch of mana, three glowing arrows appeared, nocked and ready. He aimed, just like the exercise Nendir had subjected him to and stared in amazement as three streaks of light shot from his bowstring to pierce three floating motes dead-center.


    ¡°This is amazing!¡±


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 147: A Necromancer’s Value

    Teagan ¡°Ok, everybody ready?¡± Teagan asked, getting nods and monosyllabic grunts of affirmation as she surveyed her team. Vivian always stressed the importance of explicitly confirming engagement before entering the sewers, and she was determined to follow the proper procedure.


    Especially considering she had two recruits today. Willow, Braden, and even Basil were all experienced enough that she didn¡¯t necessarily have to remind them, but Nicholas and Blair had needed a lot of hand-holding to prevent them from accidentally killing themselves and the rest of the party in the process.


    Seth was an entirely unknown quantity. This would be his first trial with their group, and she had no idea what to expect, other than what he had shared about his class abilities. She studied him for a few moments, finding it difficult to believe that such a quiet and unassuming boy had one of the most feared and dangerous classes in existence ¨C well, it had been forced on him.


    ¡°Ok, our marching order is Braden and Nicholas up front, Seth you go next, then me, and Willow brings up the rear with Basil. Let¡¯s go.¡± The necromancer was going to be a problem for her, she just knew it. Vivian told her privately that Seth was trialing with the guild, and insisted he would be a strong addition to her team. But it looked like a pity play ¨C or worse. All of the recent candidates she had seen so far were lackluster at best. Blair had flat-out refused to join them today when she heard what his class was. Nicholas complained incessantly about carrying a level three and how Seth was going to hold them all back.


    ¡°Watch your step at the bottom,¡± Braden called up. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of trash down here.¡±


    When she released the rusty iron rung and felt the familiar damp moss and cold, crumbling brick of the sewers under her bare feet, she saw what he meant. In the middle of the small, dank chamber, directly beneath the overhead iron grate, she found a large pile of broken wood, smelly rotten food, and a dizzying array of other discards.


    ¡°Are the merchants using the sewer to dump their junk, now?¡± Willow asked from behind as she hopped off the ladder landing lightly on the balls of her feet.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I haven¡¯t seen this before,¡± Braden answered, stepping forward to guard the chamber entrance just like they had practiced.


    ¡°Nicholas, stop looking through the trash, you¡¯re our scout,¡± Teagan said, frustrated to have to remind him, yet again.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± he said, moving up beside Braden.


    ¡°I thought we covered this last time,¡± Teagan grumbled, keeping her eyes on the dark sewer tunnel as they began to push forward. It was familiar now, but there were new mushrooms providing a dim light, and the sewer water seemed clean. Certainly, the foul reek that had assaulted her nose the first time they came down here was gone.


    She would have been content to continue leveling up with just her friends Braden and Willow, but, somehow, Aiden and his team had passed her, taking the top spot. Vivian insisted that her team needed to grow if she wanted to catch up ¨C and that a three-person group would likely stall out in bronze. But that meant trialing new recruits. At least Basil had worked out well ¨C he had no combat abilities, although he did provide them with much-needed potions along the way, and shared the money earned from whatever herbs and plants he harvested with the team without her even having to ask. She frowned at the back of the rogue striding jauntily down the tunnel seemingly not even glancing down the side passages.


    ¡°Recruits will be good for you,¡± she grumbled under her breath, echoing what Vivian had told her. Instead of becoming stronger and more effective, they seemed to be slower and worse. The risk was higher.


    ¡°Braden, in the water ten yards ahead, slime.¡±


    Willow¡¯s voice broke her train of thought, snapping her attention back to the damp sewer and their safety.


    she thought, evaluating the threats quickly with her Identify skill.


    Combat began with Braden¡¯s Rush and the wet smack of his shield into the poisonous slime monsters. With the ease of practice, she fell into her routine, dropping her Free Action totem near Braden, just in case he stepped on one of the roots traps, and readied her Cure spell. As soon as the slime spat its toxic poison at him, she used it, removing the poison before it dealt enough damage to even require her healing.


    Nicholas appeared from the shadows behind the slimes, brandishing his two bone swords, this time doing a respectable job of positioning himself. Willow danced across the channel shooting arrows, and everything seemed to be going well.


    Basil was standing back out of harm¡¯s way, and beside him was Seth, as far as she could tell just watching the fight. Her attention was dragged back to the melee, and she used her Cure again, this time removing the poison on Nicholas when he drew the attention of one of the slimes to himself and got spat on.


    She pressed her lips together in annoyance, but to her surprise the slime popped, and then, with a dull slap of Braden¡¯s shield, the second slime collapsed to the ground in a splash of wobbly chunks.


    ¡°Wow, that curse is fantastic, Seth,¡± Willow exclaimed, her voice filled with wonder.


    ¡°What curse?¡±


    ¡°Curse?¡±


    She and Nicholas asked simultaneously.


    ¡°Seth put Amplify Damage on both slimes, that¡¯s why they died so fast,¡± Willow said, smiling at the quiet boy standing at the back of the group. ¡°That was you, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Seth answered. ¡°I can¡¯t do much until I get some minions, but I do have the curse.¡±


    He had mentioned the curse to her before they left the guild, but she hadn¡¯t thought much of it.


    ¡°Um, Teagan? Can I have those corpses?¡± Seth asked.


    ¡°Sure,¡± she answered. ¡°You need them to raise skeletons or something, right?¡± Vivian always helped her to at least get a general idea of her recruits¡¯ abilities before heading into danger, so she knew he needed corpses for his summoning skills. It was just that so much depended on how the person would use their abilities in action.


    ¡°Slimes don¡¯t have skeletons to raise, but I can do zombies too,¡± Seth said walking over to the corpses of the slimes. He did something, and the more intact corpse quivered, goop drawing together and coalescing into more-or-less the original shape of the Toxic Slime before it wobbled and then crawled its way over to stand beside him.


    ¡°Gross,¡± Nicholas said.


    Teagan thought.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m ready,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t raise the other one, there¡¯s not enough of it left.¡±


    ***


    Seth¡¯s class, Teagan decided, had a slow start ¨C but each time they killed the Toxic Slimes, he attempted to add them to his army, and now that he had three, they were flying through the sewer with a speed she had thought impossible. His Amplify Damage curse was far better than she had expected, but he was also contributing a substantial amount of additional damage through his minions. Probably not as much as Willow or Nicholas, but if she counted the effects of his curse, he was probably responsible for just as much of their damage as the two higher-level damage classes.


    She dropped her totem again, curing Braden as he grappled with three Toxic Slimes. With the extra damage, Willow was being more aggressive with the pulls. Seth¡¯s slimes were already engaged, and she was happy to find his zombies did not need to be cured.


    Suddenly, roots sprang from the mossy sewer floor several yards past the fight, and Nicholas appeared in the middle of the trap, his stealth broken.


    ¡°Nicholas, what the heck are you doing so far away?¡± Teagan shouted.


    ¡°Sneaking!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be ambushing the slimes.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Just get me out of this stupid trap.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too far away, and my Totem is on recharge.¡±


    ¡°Fuck.¡±


    Teagan thought, annoyed with his antics already.But as she had that thought, two dark shapes shimmered into view beside him and their daggers flashed brightly, slipping between the ribs in his back. Blood sprayed across the damp brick walls as Nicholas screamed.


    She cast her heal, spending mana like water, desperately trying to stay ahead of the gleaming flickers of the nimble daggers drenched with the blood of her dying teammate. Toxic spit hit Braden, but she couldn¡¯t afford the time to cure him unless she wanted to let Nicholas die. She vented her frustration in her mind, but she was losing the battle to the vicious Kobold rogues that were tearing through Nicholas¡¯s body like stabbing a struggling watermelon that couldn¡¯t get away.


    ¡°Help!¡± she called out. She was going to lose one of them, and soon.


    ¡°On it. I¡¯ll get the rogues.¡±


    To her immense surprise, it was Seth¡¯s voice that answered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll work on the slimes,¡± Willow responded.


    Seth¡¯s zombie slimes turned and squelched down the sewer channel toward the struggling Nicholas, while Willow pulled a slime off Braden with her arrows.


    She healed frantically, draining her mana rapidly, but the crawling slimes reached the Kobold rogues quickly, and with a few blasts of poison spit and stubby pseudopod strikes, the rogues rounded on Seth¡¯s zombies and began hitting them instead.


    Relief welled up in a great tide as her heal landed on Nicholas and his health stayed stable, rather than the precipitous freefall it had been executing for the last thirty seconds.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said, snatching the potion Basil handed her and downing it without even looking at what it was. Her mana began to regenerate slowly as she used it to cure Braden. He was about half health, but she would need to wait a little for her mana before she could help him more.


    Down at the far end of the sewer tunnel, the zombie slimes were still moving, drawing the Kobold rogues away from Nicholas who still struggled with the twisting roots, spewing a litany of profanity.


    As soon as the monsters were off to the other side of the tunnel, a chilling scream split the air as something black shot out from Seth¡¯s outstretched palm and slammed into the two Kobold rogues. The darted back and forth and, if she could believe her eyes, passed through the Kobolds¡¯ bodies as they screeched in pain. Another thing shot out, and then another.


    ¡°Incoming!¡± Willow yelled as she sprinted past with a slime trailing her.


    Down in the darkness, past Nicholas, two new Kobolds appeared ¨C the green-scaled warrior variety ¨C sprinting toward them with swords raised and their scales gleaming in the dim light. Their chirping battle cries echoed weirdly in the tunnel.


    ¡°Uh, guys, help?¡± Nicholas screeched, panic pushing his voice into the higher registers.


    Teagan stared at the disaster bearing down on their little party. A loud bang ripped through the chirping cries and a ripple of black energy pulsed through the Kobold rogues and the zombie slimes. Then a second, and third bang, followed by two chimes and the incredible sight of the two Kobolds simultaneously collapsing to the ground.


    ¡°Adds to you, Seth,¡± Willow called, firing two arrows at the new sword-wielding Kobolds before they could gut Nicholas. She sprinted down the tunnel, drawing them toward Seth¡¯s slimes.


    But the boy was no longer waiting at the back. Teagan swiveled her head, searching for him. She found Seth almost halfway down the tunnel, sprinting after Willow.


    ¡°Seth? What are you¡­¡±


    As soon as he got close to his zombie slimes, he did . He waved a hand, and his voice rang out through the dimly lit tunnel with a sinister potency.


    ¡°¡±


    Teagan¡¯s stomach flipped inside her as the ripped its way out of the Kobold rogue¡¯s corpse, spraying blood and gore against the walls and across the zombies. It bent and picked up two daggers, and the skeleton of the Kobold rogue launched itself at the incoming enemies, stabbing viciously. The second corpse writhed as its skeleton also tore its way free of its fleshy bindings, and suddenly it was five monsters against two.


    Teagan gagged. When Vivian had described a necromancer as a powerful summoner build, her imagination had never conjured a blood-soaked skeleton shedding the entrails of its former body. Not even close.


    ¡°Sweet,¡± Willow said, her voice clearly not reflecting the horror and disgust that was churning in Teagan¡¯s stomach.


    She shot a heal to Braden who was still tanking two slimes ¨C unable to kill them quickly on his own. At least with her Cure spell his health remained stable. She wasn¡¯t worried about him. Instead, her attention was snared by the horde of undead monsters, and the screaming bolts of black energy that were exploding in their midst.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get hit by the explosions,¡± Seth called out, warning Willow as she tracked her kited slime through the middle of the group.


    ¡°Gotcha, death boy.¡±


    Teagan¡¯s totem spell recharge expired, and she dropped the Free Action totem beside Nicholas, freeing him from his trap finally. Immediately, he sprinted toward the exploding pile of undead monsters.


    ¡°Nicholas! Stop!¡± Willow shouted, but he either didn¡¯t hear her or didn¡¯t care, and he waded right in.


    Teagan braced, but nothing bad happened to him. She did notice the conspicuous halt in the screaming death bolts from Seth.


    Panting, Teagan slid down to the floor and sat with her back propped up against the wall. She had barely moved the entire fight, but she was drenched in sweat.  They had drawn two sets of adds, yet somehow, they had come out ahead. As the team leader, she needed to understand what had happened.


    Trying to calm her breathing and keep a lid on her emotions, she replayed the events in her mind, evaluating the performance of her team and their reactions to the surprise, just like Vivian had taught her. Nicholas had clearly done something stupid ¨C being out of position like he was ¨C but he had been kept out of the fight for almost its entire duration.


    Seth and Willow had saved the team, with an impressively improvised strategy and solid coordination. Willow in particular had been smart and decisive when it counted most. Solid.


    Braden had done his job holding the slimes and had been locked down and mostly unable to help with the adds.


    Basil was Basil ¨C he was not normally involved in combat ¨C but he had provided a clutch mana potion right when she desperately needed it, so she was very happy with his performance.


    It had sent chills running down her spine every time he used it. But the answer to that seemed obvious the moment she considered it. Seth had even warned Willow not to get hit. It must be an ability that was dangerous to the party, and he had withheld it to avoid hitting them ¨C it was only when he had a clear shot that he had used it.


    she thought, realizing thather friend had grasped the chaotic battle much quicker than she had. He had waded in without realizing the danger, and Seth had just stopped shooting it to protect him. She studied the necromancer boy with his three zombie slimes and the two Kobold skeletons, forcing herself to watch as two more skeletons ripped themselves out of the remaining Kobold corpses, picking up the swords they had dropped.


    ¡°Seth¡­¡± she began.


    ¡°Me?¡± He snapped around to stare at her with a complex combination of guilt and fear on his face. Vivian had explained that he didn¡¯t have any other options than the guild, and she could tell he was desperate to make a good impression. Probably terrified of being attacked, hurt, or discarded because of his fearsome class. She had, perhaps, judged him more harshly than she should have, simply because she didn¡¯t like allowing people opportunities out of pity, but he had performed exceptionally well, no doubt about it.


    ¡°Good job, you saved the group.¡± At her words, his face visibly relaxed.


    ¡°Fuck yeah, he did,¡± Willow said. ¡°That was awesome.¡±


    ¡°What was that black bolt?¡± Teagan asked. ¡°Was that your Volatile Wraith? Why is it dangerous?¡± She recalled the abilities he had explained, and Volatile Wraith was the only one that fit. With the ridiculous power he had just displayed, their entire group strategy would need rethinking.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s an incorporeal undead spirit. It does area damage and Life Drain, which is why I can¡¯t use it near the team.¡±


    ¡°What is life drain?¡± Area death magic damage made sense, it would hurt them as much as the enemies, but life drain wasn¡¯t something she was familiar with. ¡°Wait, is that the same debuff Calen discussed in his lecture?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Seth answered. ¡°I wasn¡¯t here for a lecture. It drains maximum health by one percent every time it gets a critical hit, revitalizing me.¡±


    ¡°Can I heal it?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s terrifying,¡± she said. An unhealable reduction in maximum life would put them out of commission very quickly.


    ¡°The Guildmaster gave me one of these just in case we had an accident,¡± Seth said, retrieving a glowing green elixir from his storage.


    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s good to know,¡± she said, recognizing the expensive Elixir of Vitality Rejuvenation from the name Identify provided.


    She had a lot to think about, but one thing was certain, Seth would be a powerful addition to their team, and finally, she could see her path to catching up to Aiden¡¯s group.


    With a grin on her face and Vivian¡¯s reminder about risk management foremost in her mind, she got back to her feet and looked down the tunnel, trying to decide which path would lead them to the most experience.


    Aliandra


    Ali released her rogue¡¯s senses, reflecting on everything she had seen. The rogue she had used to spy on them was level twenty-three ¨C one of her trash collectors ¨C and there was no way the novice adventurers would have been able to see it. They had emerged victorious, but Ali had very nearly stepped in to save them when the second group of Kobolds had added in the middle of their fight.


    she thought, letting out a small sigh. She felt a little guilty about having her minion standing by to protect them if necessary ¨C it undoubtedly reduced their experience for the encounter ¨C but she needed to be sure if Seth was going to work out. But it seemed her worries would be for nothing ¨C he had outdone himself. The archer girl ¨C Willow ¨C seemed to click with him instantly as the two of them solved the strategy problem in real-time.


    Knowing Seth could handle himself was only a part of the problem ¨C he also needed to fit in with the team. He probably had a friend already in Willow, but Ali wasn¡¯t quite certain about Braden, or the new guy she hadn¡¯t seen before. Ultimately, though, it was Teagan that mattered most.


    Teagan had been a scared, barefoot girl in a stained dress, timidly exploring the sewers the first time Ali had seen her. She was still barefoot, but it was obvious just how much she had grown under the guidance of Vivian Ross ¨C she seemed to be a competent healer and a decent team leader. As the fight progressed, Ali had seen how Teagan had come around to appreciating Seth¡¯s contribution. Although, it was only in the discussion afterward that Ali finally knew that she had accepted him.


    She smiled, happy to see the team starting to gel and Seth finding a place to grow.


    She pulled out her Grimoire and began the time-consuming chore of resummoning all the minions they had killed to repopulate the sewers. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Map: Myrin’s Keep – Night Time

    The map is clickable if you want the high resolution version to browse.


    Legend:


    1- Thuli''s Steelworks.


    2- North Gate.


    3- South Gate.


    4- Town Center.


    5- Garrison Headquarters.


    6- Adventurers Guild.


    7- Market.


    8- Pretty Powerful Potions.


    9- Novaspark Academy of Magic.


    10- Myrin''s Keep Library.


    11- Temple of Lunar¨¦.


    12- Church of Helios.


    13- Crown Bank.


    14- Lydia''s Allure. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    15- Eliyen''s Herbs.


    16- Laurel''s Cafe.


    17- Reading Corner.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 148: Forbidden Knowledge

    - Nevyn Eld [Guardian of the Realm], Professor of Domain Magic, University of Dal¡¯mohra.


    Aliandra


    Ali sat at the desk, heart pounding in her chest, staring at it in trepidation. She had spent the last couple of days reading and studying everything Ryn had found on dungeons, and still, she had made absolutely no progress on figuring out how to make boss monsters.


    But there was one resource she hadn¡¯t tried, and that was because it terrified her. The heavy black book lay closed on the walnut table, filling her with an irrational dread. The steel-edged bindings gleamed dully despite the ample lighting, and the potent silver runes glowed with a powerful mana, but Ali wanted nothing to do with it.


    The last, and only, time she had opened it, it had confirmed she was a dungeon, and the shock of that realization coming on top of her frantic flight that culminated in her killing a person for the first time came back full force to haunt her.


    She knew her fear was not rational ¨C it wasn¡¯t like opening the book would summon the Lich ¨C and yet she couldn¡¯t quieten her heart. but this was so different.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, child?¡±


    Ali startled at the sudden sound of Lira¡¯s voice and let out a squeak. It was an embarrassing sound and she blushed bright red.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± she said, dropping her head and finally acknowledging the fear in her heart. She ¨C Aliandra Amariel ¨C was afraid of a book. It was the silliest thing she could imagine, but there it was.


    ¡°You are wise to be cautious of the Blind Lich¡¯s writings,¡± Lira said, demonstrating that she knew more about the problem than Ali had guessed. ¡°If you¡¯d like, I will make us some tea and I can sit with you while you study.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. She would be forever grateful that Lira did not make fun of her in that moment, and she waited till she had a few sips of tea warming her stomach before she finally found the courage to open the book.


    she told herself, fighting against her trepidation.


    She read the book cover-to-cover first, not trusting it with her study trance before she knew what was contained within it. Even so, her Sage of Learning drew deeply from her mana during the process. When she was finally done, she took a deep breath, and activated her skill, beginning her study in earnest.


    When she finally came out of her trance, she found Lira still sitting there, watching over her with her third ¨C or perhaps twenty-third ¨C cup of tea, showing no signs of annoyance at the passing of time.


    ¡°How were your studies?¡± Lira asked softly.


    ¡°Safe, thank you,¡± she answered, truly grateful for her aunt¡¯s support. ¡°And I finally found what I needed.¡± She knew it without even checking her notifications, a fundamental depth of understanding having been reached. In the end, the concept was closely related to what she did when she attached her runic circles to her domain or empowered her barrier magic with her domain mana. The same structural flow of mana could be adapted to support her minions.


    It still felt wrong to be learning from the Lich, but she grudgingly had to admit his research was inspired. Warily, she inspected the notifications. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Domain Mastery ¨C level 20


    You can manipulate the structure and mana of your domain. All your magic within your domain is empowered by the domain itself.


    Mana: Adjust the shape and composition of any non-living material that is part of your domain.  Range: Domain.


    Mana: Permanently attach anything you have made to your domain. Its mana signature is imprinted onto the domain, allowing it to be automatically respawned when killed or destroyed. Domain-attached minions may not leave the area of attachment and may be further enhanced with Domain Magic. Range: Touch.


    Enhancements: Domain, Boss, Raid.


    Nature, Arcane, Mastery, Domain, Intelligence


    Domain Respawn seemed to be the part where she could support her minions with domain mana gaining an automatic respawn, which would make maintaining her sewers vastly easier. It seemed her studies had been extraordinarily productive, however, the requirements strongly implied that her personal experiences with her magic and having explored both the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra and Naia¡¯s dungeon had contributed significantly to her advancement.


    Domain Enhancement was finally a way for her to make the powerful monsters adventurers called bosses. It hadn¡¯t escaped her notice that the surge of analysis from Sage of Learning every time she had deconstructed a boss monster had been called a ¡®Domain Magic¡¯ also. She had required at least six of them to unlock this advance. Three she recalled learning from the Skeletal Wyvern, two from the Piercer Scorpion, and three from the Twin Wights. It was the Domain Magic skills, and the enhancement of her minions¡¯ power from the domain itself, that Nevyn Eld claimed was how bosses were created.


    It was with no small amount of excitement and anticipation that she accepted the new advances.


    Accepting the advancements instantly triggered her class to add three new Domain Magic skills, and after studying them for a moment, she realized that they aligned favorably with the major traits of her class.


    The skills triggered a memory from studying the Elven Pathfinder¡¯s accounts of dungeons, and she quickly retrieved the book, paging through it to refresh her memory.


    For magical affinities, it made more sense, but for boss skills, if most dungeons earned their domain skills according to the traits of their class, then they would almost certainly have to reuse the same Domain Magic every time. If she hadn¡¯t learned hers with Deconstruction and Sage, she would have only the three she had just acquired from her class.


    A quick puff of gold and violet mana alerted her to Ryn¡¯s arrival in the library. ¡°Hi, Ali! Gotta run, but here are a few new books I found.¡± She dropped the books on the table and vanished in a shower of glittery magic.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ali said to her departing trail and turned to examine the new books. ¡°Why is her arcane mana golden like mine?¡± Ali wondered aloud. She had noticed it from the first day Ryn had unlocked her affinities at the shrine and just chalked it up to coincidence. But other than her mother and herself, nobody else had the same mana ¨C nearly always, arcane mana was some shade of purple in her mana sight.


    ¡°I have wondered the same thing,¡± Lira said, offering another cup of tea and wearing a strangely serious expression on her face.


    ¡°What is it, Aunt Lira?¡± Ali asked when she fell silent without elaborating.


    ¡°Perhaps you should know,¡± Lira said, her eyes filling with an old pain. ¡°It is a sad story. A story about your mother and her challenging bloodline. A story about you¡­ and the Lich.¡±


    A chill settled into Ali¡¯s bones at the sound of her words. ¡°The Lich?¡± she croaked.


    ¡°The same,¡± Lira said. ¡°Are you certain you wish to hear it?¡±


    Ali opened her mouth and then shut it again. She did not want to hear a story about him. But how could she ignore a story about her mother? The fact that it was about both of them, and concerned her, filled her with dread and sent her spiraling into terrifying nightmares of the imagination. ¡°I¡­ please tell me,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Lira said, taking a deep breath as if bracing herself. ¡°It was a long time before you were born ¨C before he had been unmasked for the evil he truly is. Your mother had been struggling for years to have a child, but the magic of the Fae ran too strong in her veins. The potency of her mana caused far too many complications, and all her pregnancies were¡­ not viable.¡±


    Ali shivered, not liking where this story was going. Not one bit.


    Lira winced, sharing her anguish, and said, ¡°Unbeknownst to all of us, Nevyn Eld had developed an obsession with Elowynn¡¯s magic. Under the guise of helping with her problem, he convinced her to share some of her blood.¡±


    Ali gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.


    ¡°It is as you fear,¡± Lira said. ¡°He never intended to help her. He wanted her blood for his own research. The experiments he did¡­ oh, they were awful.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ did¡­ ?¡±


    ¡°He attempted to introduce the bloodline to Elves and Humans. But the mana created such horrific deformities¡­ most of his experiments died mercifully quickly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awful,¡± Ali said, clutching her arms around her chest, shuddering.


    ¡°When we confronted him, he admitted no fault, insisting he be allowed to continue his experiments ¡®for the greater good¡¯. Artur Dragonsworn banished him, and Nevyn Eld was not seen or heard from in decades. We all thought he was gone for good. When your mother recovered, Thaldorien Stormshaper invited a Troll Seeker named Val¡¯korr ¨C a soul magic specialist from Aman Rak ¨C and Elowynn was finally able to give birth to a healthy child.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Yes. Alas, even with you, the mana had left its mark,¡± Lira said, ¡°When your wings failed to develop, your mother was devastated and vowed never to try again.¡±


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Ali whispered. The fact that her existence had been a heartbreak for her mother was almost too much for her fragile heart. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ so sorry.¡±


    ¡°Do not blame yourself, dear,¡± Lira said, taking her hands. ¡°It was your love of the magic you inherited from her that finally allowed her to heal.¡±


    ¡°It was?¡± Ali sniffed.


    ¡°Do you remember the day you cast your first arcane cantrip in the Grove? Do you remember what you said?¡±


    It had been a sunny day, and their little family had been having a picnic by the lake. She¡¯d been sitting on her dad¡¯s lap watching her mother make golden mana butterflies while Lira had been sipping on her tea. She had felt her mana move that day and, without even thinking, she had summoned a tiny butterfly of her own. She recalled it so clearly ¨C like it was yesterday ¨C everyone had stopped and stared at her conjuration. Her eight-year-old self had leapt to her feet in excitement.


    ¡°Yay! Now I can be just like mommy¡­¡± Ali whispered, echoing her happy memory, now steeped in melancholy sadness.


    ¡°Your mother loved you dearly,¡± Lira said.


    ¡°I know,¡± Ali answered, wiping the wetness from her eyes with the back of her hand. ¡°That was the last thing she told me.¡±


    They fell silent for a while, Ali taking deep comfort from holding Lira¡¯s hand.


    ¡°So¡­ you think Ryn might be¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t know for certain, but yes. There is a chance she may be a descendent of one of Nevyn Eld¡¯s failed experiments.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s family?¡±


    Calen


    Calen consulted the written directions he had gotten from the receptionist at the guild. The teleportation service he had been directed to was not at the same location as the Ciradyl city locus ¨C if it had been, he would have had no trouble finding it with his skill-enhanced sense of direction. He had already built a mental map of the three-dimensional tree city ¨C at least, the parts he had visited or seen so far.


    No, it was the descriptions of where to go that had him stumped ¨C some directions could only have made sense if one were born here. He struggled with what passed for a map and the words explaining where to go, half of which were written in Elvish, and suddenly realized where he had gone wrong. He was one entire branch too high, and the tree highway he was looking for actually lay below him.


    he thought, and he was about to take off when his attention was caught by a rather strange sight. It was a hair salon, but the entire thing seemed to have been grown out of the side of the branch, making an open-air platform, upon which the various chairs, basins, mirrors, and strange devices he couldn¡¯t name ¨C requirements for proper hairstyling ¨C were laid out for passing travelers to see. There were several patrons already waiting, and for a hair salon, it seemed to be rather popular.


    Lyeneru¡¯s simple advice about confidence in himself and his heritage had been filtering through his mind over the time he had spent here in Ciradyl. Ever since he could remember, he had been embarrassed or ashamed of his half-elven heritage, and the father he had never met. When he was a lot younger, he had decided that if he kept his hair long, people wouldn¡¯t see his ears, not fully realizing that most people had the Identify skill ¨C and as he had grown up it had somehow come to represent the barrier protecting himself from the judgment of others, as if he could somehow hide behind it.


    It was impulsive, but before he could change his mind, he walked up the wooden stairs, requested a haircut from the reception desk, and took a seat in the waiting area. He sat quietly for a few minutes and by the time the Elven woman came to get him, he was already having second thoughts, but by then it was too late to back out without making an embarrassing scene.


    ¡°What would you like?¡± she asked, running her fingers through his thick shaggy silver hair in the familiar way he was certain only hairdressers could get away with.


    ¡°Short, I think,¡± he answered, a little more hesitantly than he intended.


    ¡°Ooh, good choice,¡± she smiled, and dove into a flurry of questions and details.


    Calen¡¯s mind swirled with dizzying complexity, but he agreed to let her leave it a little longer on top but crop the sides and back quite tight.


    She worked quickly, her skills making the scissors blur with speed and precision, all the while complimenting him on his appearance in what he thought was a rather forward fashion. Certainly, he was blushing fiercely by the time she was done.


    But when she conjured a mirror, the face that stared back at him seemed a little angular, more mature than he had expected. The hairstyle was modern, and far outside his comfort zone, but he had to admit she had done an incredible job. His mother was most certainly going to die from sheer happiness ¨C she had been pestering him about his hair for years.


    ***


    The thrum of power gripped him in a sudden disorienting lurch and Calen felt momentarily weightless amid a bright flash of light. When his vision cleared, he found himself standing on the familiar polished black marble of the Novaspark Academy of Magic in the center of the teleportation locus.


    ¡°Welcome, Pathfinder, your passage is free of charge.¡±


    Calen blinked, shaking his head to clear the aftereffects of the powerful, long-range teleportation spell, and stared at the official in surprise. He was accustomed to having to pay mana for using teleportation services, but the official sitting at the table inclined his head respectfully.  Belatedly remembering his manners, Calen bowed his head slightly in a gesture of thanks before leaving the circle, heading out into the late morning sun and bustling streets of Myrin¡¯s Keep¡¯s artisan and crafting district.


    It was not just the official in the academy. As Calen walked the streets, he felt the curious gazes following him ¨C and not in the normal disapproving way he was used to.


    ¡°Pathfinder¡­¡± the whispers reached his ears as he went by a fruit stand.


    People walking by him on the street reacted in surprise when they noticed him, moving out of his way, nodding respectfully, or greeting him. It was nothing particularly overt, and nobody made a big deal about it, but he found it to be a consistent and profound change ¨C and surprisingly unsettling. He had grown up in this town and had always known the discomfort and disapproval of the general townsfolk toward a half-breed ¨C an attitude so pervasive that he barely noticed it in the same way as he seldom noticed the air he breathed. An underlying axiom in his world that was now called starkly into focus by its abrupt and shocking absence. With nothing more than a good haircut and a Pathfinder cloak, he was being treated with casual respect by total strangers.


    He endured the uncomfortable tension that had settled in on his walk through the town till he reached the storefront of his mother¡¯s shop. He opened the door to the welcome sound of the familiar chimes, and the tension suddenly faded.


    His mother glanced up from her work as he entered and she let out a squeal of joy, dropping the fabric and rushing over to hug him.


    ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± At the smile and the happiness he saw on her face, the last remaining traces of his anxiety vanished.


    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re squashing me.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, you¡¯re so big now, let me see you!¡± She stepped back to admire his new haircut. He had known that would get her attention first, especially considering how much she had always wanted him to do it.


    ¡°What is this?¡± she asked, touching the cloak, feeling the weave of the expensive fabric. ¡°A Pathfinder Guild cloak?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lyeneru signed me up as an Initiate. Mom, I went to Ciradyl!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± she gasped, and though he knew she was half playing along and half genuinely curious, he loved her the more for her reaction. ¡°Tell me everything! Tea?¡±


    ¡°Would I ever turn down your tea?¡±


    ¡°Calen wouldn¡¯t, but this handsome stranger?¡± She winked at him.


    ¡°Mom!¡±


    He spent the next hour or so recounting his recent adventures with her over tea. He described Lyeneru Silverleaf, the fight with the Death Knight ¨C which she wasn¡¯t very excited about ¨C and his subsequent impromptu trip to Ciradyl, the astonishing forest city of the Wood Elves. ¡°It was so beautiful!¡± he said, finishing up with a description of the Well of Souls.


    ***


    Calen dropped down into the sewer from above, flaring his wings briefly to land gracefully on the trash-strewn moss below.


    Ancient Grove ¨C level 50


    Affinity: Nature, Arcane.


    Age: New.


    Known Creatures: Kobold, Goblin, Ooze, Wolf, Bat, Plant, Elemental.


    Known Bosses: --


    Dungeon


    he thought, his eyes noticing the addition of bats to the list as he dismissed the notification.


    His trip had been undeniably productive, and exciting, and he felt he had grown immensely, but he had sorely missed his friends and he sprinted down the sewer tunnels, cloaking his presence from the low-level monsters, eager to see them all again.


    Ali must have reclaimed the sewer level, turning it into an incongruously beautiful maze of verdant moss, golden glowing mushrooms, and surprisingly pure flowing channels of water. Everywhere, he found slimes or very low-level Kobolds and Goblins. They were too weak to detect his presence.


    While he couldn¡¯t see them, his Explorer gave him an uncanny sense of where the traps were ¨C and there were many. He even tested them to figure out what they did, finding most to be the Grasping Roots he was familiar with, but some now triggered clouds of green poison to billow out into the sewer channel ¨C a rather impressively effective trap in the restricted space ¨C but they only tripped if he walked over them several times.


    He was happy to see the evidence of Ali¡¯s growth. As he continued down the passage, he began to find several corpses of Kobolds, ripped to shreds, and, after turning the next corner, he heard the sounds of battle ringing out in the close tunnels.


    He kept his Eclipse running, cloaking his presence, and he approached in silence with the magic of his Explorer skill. As he glanced around the corner, he found the source of the ringing steel on armor and shouts of combat.


    His bow was in his hand, arrow nocked faster than thought. Out in the sewer, the small group of novice adventurers tangled with skeletons, zombies, and Kobolds. As he watched, a figure reached down, and a skeleton ripped its way free of a dead Goblin and joined the fight.


    But he stayed his hand as his sharp eyes picked out the details. He knew several of the adventurers. Basil was hiding in a recess at the back, making a potion. Teagan was healing. And the archer, Willow ¨C who often asked him for archery tips when he was at the guild ¨C seemed happy to have her back to the Necromancer. It was then that he noticed the guild emblem on the shirt of the boy who had raised the skeleton, and he slowly lowered his bow, though his hands shook.


    He studied the group for a while, trying to figure out what was going on. But it was abundantly clear that the Necromancer was part of their group, and they were all working together ¨C quite effectively too.


    He shook his head, leaving them to their fight, and headed onward, his head buzzing with unanswered questions.


    ¡°Calen!¡± As he entered the library, Ali¡¯s excited shout greeted him, clearly noticing him even before he had released his stealth. He let it drop, striding up to where she and Ryn were poring over some books on the table, notes and pens strewn across its surface.


    ¡°Nice haircut!¡± Ali said.


    ¡°You got a Pathfinder cloak?¡± Ryn gasped.


    Calen took a deep breath, finding himself unexpectedly nervous and shy of his friends¡¯ reactions. What he saw in their eyes reassured him, however. Clearing his throat, he smiled, ¡°What are you doing?¡± He glanced at the books.


    Making an inviting gesture, Ryn said, ¡°Pull up a chair.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just teaching Ryn Elvish,¡± Ali answered. ¡°Never mind that, tell us what happened? Is there something ¨C or someone ¨C we should know about?¡±


    The language of his absent father. It was that thought that had always discouraged him from being curious enough to learn it. However, his lack of knowledge of the language had been a significant disadvantage in his Pathfinder classes. He decided he would ask Ali to teach him later.


    ¡°I did it for my mother,¡± he chuckled, and laughed harder at their disbelieving snorts. ¡°Are Mato and Malika around? I got a couple of things from the Pathfinder Guild store.¡±


    ¡°Mato is out cleansing the land of blight with his Tree Form. He usually comes back around dinnertime ¨C you know him, he runs on stomach-time. Malika is in Kezda recovering from her bloodline going crazy,¡± Ali said.


    He didn¡¯t even know where that was, nor what had happened to his friends. It seemed that there would be a lot to catch up on. ¡°Here, Ali, I got you something, too,¡± he said, retrieving the Forest Band of the Perceptive he had bought in Ciradyl.


    ¡°Oh, wow, that¡¯s so thoughtful, Calen, thank you!¡± Ali said, slipping the wooden band onto her finger at once. Her eyes glimmered slightly as she must have identified the object, and then suddenly, they were glistening around the corners. ¡°Oh ¨C vitality? And perception, too? Calen¡­ I¡­¡± She reached out.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered, squeezing her fingers gently before releasing them.


    Swapping stories took quite some time ¨C especially as Calen wanted to share everything he had heard and seen. Lira even joined them halfway through, offering tea.


    ¡°She said that about Vivian?¡± Ali asked, her brows furrowed in thought. ¡°That explains¡­ a lot. That means the guild is in a very precarious position, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too,¡± Calen said.


    Looking up, Ali said, ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t worry about the cost. If you find Lyeneru¡¯s crafter, we¡¯ll get you that bracer.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Ali,¡± Calen said, drawing a deep breath of relief. Then he shifted topics. ¡°So, I saw a level five necromancer in the sewer, fighting with Teagan¡¯s team of novices.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad the boy is growing,¡± Lira said.


    Somehow the idea of the ancient serene dryad supporting a necromancer refused to connect in his brain. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That would be Seth,¡± Ali answered. ¡°He just joined the guild. He was the boy who saved Lira¡¯s acorns. One of Alexander Gray¡¯s sacrifices.¡±


    Calen¡¯s mind caught up, connecting all the pieces. Alexander Gray had brought several people with him under a foul compulsion, and in the chaos of the Death Knight and Lyeneru¡¯s dramatic appearance, he had forgotten that one of them had survived and run off. He was glad that one of them had survived.


    That would certainly take some getting used to.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 149: The First Boss

    S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    by Bixi Bargainhunter, Silver Cog Trading Co.


    Aliandra


    Ali shut the book ¨C a stodgy tome titled ¡®The Elven Grammatica: An In-Depth Treatise on Elvish Language¡¯ ¨C deciding that this was a good point to stop their lessons. Ryn had found the dreary book lurking in the Vertias Library a few days ago, and Ali had decided to lighten it up by giving her copy a bright yellow cover instead of boring old brown. Both Calen and Ryn were making fantastic progress ¨C especially Ryn, with the pretty silver enchanted hairpin Calen had found for her at the Pathfinders Guild boosting her intelligence. Still, it would probably be a while before either of them fully mastered the language.


    ¡°Thanks, Ali,¡± Ryn said, smiling and sitting back to roll her shoulders and knead knots out of her neck with her fingers. In typical Ryn-style, she hadn¡¯t even batted an eyelid at the news of her possible magical heritage, being far more concerned with what the story had meant for Ali than herself.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Ali answered, taking out her Grimoire and paging to the Kobold chapter, relishing the sharper insights into the runic magic from the perception boost that came with Calen¡¯s thoughtful gift.


    ¡°What are you going to work on, now?¡± Calen asked curiously.


    ¡°I should resummon the monsters the adventurer group killed in the sewers,¡± she answered. It was a chore she had to do more and more frequently now that her minions were defending against both the eager adventurer groups wanting to train, and the incursions of zombies and skeletons that had continued unabated ever since Alexander Gray had arrived. ¡°Also, a level twenty zombie showed up through the cavern system and took out some of my defenders.¡± Her minions were doing a great job at keeping most of the monsters out, but she needed to replace them as soon as possible in case they got overrun again.


    ¡°I really like the improvements to your security, Ali,¡± Calen said. ¡°You even learned to see me in stealth.¡±


    ¡°The bats and the slimes are good at detecting stealth,¡± she explained. ¡°Wolves too, if they¡¯re close enough.¡± Her enhanced perception was even helping with Martial Insight.


    ¡°Could I offer some advice?¡±


    Ali puffed out her cheeks, ¡°I didn¡¯t really want to jump on you the minute you got back, Calen, but yes, I¡¯ve been wanting to ask you¡­ uh, a lot of questions.¡±


    ¡°Aah, thanks. Well, the Poison Cloud traps in the sewer are a great choice, but they all trigger on the third activation. I could stroll right through without setting any of them off. Can you make them more random?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t think of that,¡± she answered. She had just assumed she would be targeting the third person in whichever group was walking through the sewer, without even considering the possibility of people coming down solo. It was an insightful observation ¨C even if it should have been obvious ¨C of the kind she had come to appreciate from him.


    She considered the options for a bit, deciding that she could mix it up with timers instead of counters so that some of the traps triggered on a fixed duration, and she could also vary the counter traps to have a different number. She wrote it down, adding it to her to-do list. ¡°Any other ideas?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ yes, maybe put some of those Grasping Roots traps the Poison Clouds? I think they¡¯re a little far apart, still.¡±


    Ali noted it down for her to check on later. It was a good idea ¨C especially if she could find something other than poison for the combination so it worked on the undead. ¡°Hey, Calen. I unlocked a skill advancement for Domain Mastery earlier, and I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s for making boss monsters. Do you want to help me figure it out?¡± Even though she had learned it from the Lich¡¯s book, she had been antsy with anticipation all morning, but she had no idea where to even start.


    Calen brightened visibly. ¡°Now we¡¯re talking. What did you get?¡±


    Ali shared the advanced Domain Mastery description with him.


    ¡°What do you need help with?¡± he asked, frowning slightly. ¡°It seems fairly straightforward, right?¡±


    Ali did not miss the sudden appearance of his notebook and the happy grin on his face as he began jotting down notes. She could not be annoyed with him when he was in this kind of mood, so clearly happy to be back with them.


    ¡°How do I make a good boss?¡± she began. ¡°I don¡¯t want mediocre ones ¨C I don¡¯t have the mana for that! Which monster should I choose? How does the enhancement work?¡± In truth, Ali had a million questions, some of which she knew she would only be able to answer after she had fully explored the skill.


    ¡°Whoa, slow down there!¡± Calen laughed. ¡°I¡¯m not a dungeon, so I¡¯ve never made a boss before. Why don¡¯t we start by thinking about where you want to put it first? Bosses can be used to guard important places, for example, or to restrict access to different parts of the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Like the library? Or do you mean the ventilation shaft down to the ruins? I could block the entrances where the zombies are getting in. Oh, I know ¨C let¡¯s start with the rockfall separating the sewer and the forest cavern!¡± Calen¡¯s suggestion had instantly shifted her thinking from what the boss was, to what she wanted to use it for, and she found it focused her quite effectively.


    ¡°All good ideas. The rockfall is a strategic chokepoint, and you could put something like a slime or a Kobold there to guard the entrance to the rest of the dungeon.¡±


    It was also how Roderik had got in. ¡°Can we go try it now?¡± Ali¡¯s mind was already bubbling with ideas, and she could barely wait to test them all.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go,¡± Calen answered, an excited grin on his face matching her own.


    ¡°Can I come?¡± Ryn asked. ¡°I want to see this, too!¡±


    ¡°Of course, Ryn!¡± Ali flew them all across the Forest Cavern, arcing up through the hole and into the sewer chamber she had enlarged. Her slimes and Kobolds still guarded the area, undisturbed so far by the novice adventurers ¨C presumably because she had put several higher-level challenges closer to the stairway down into the forest.


    ¡°Are you going to keep it low-level for the novices?¡± Ryn asked. ¡°I read that dungeons get progressively more dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I think so. I mean, it makes sense.¡± She didn¡¯t want to create something that would instantly kill them ¨C the image of Havok¡¯s beaten and bruised body sprung to her mind ¨C and she shuddered at the thought of her being responsible for their deaths. Besides, it would invalidate the entire purpose of her agreement with the Guildmaster, which was to help the novices grow ¨C at least, in the sewers.


    ¡°That will make the novices happy,¡± Calen approved. ¡°Nothing too brutal up here. We want them alive, right Miss Dungeon-Breath?¡±


    ¡°Calen! Be serious ¨C of course I don¡¯t want the test to be deadly, not for novices¡­ ah, this is hard. It needs to be challenging¡­ maybe it¡¯s a perfect way to test out my skill,¡± Ali said, intending to take advantage of Vivian¡¯s request to its fullest. Starting with a low-level monster would be the perfect way to learn what her new skill did, especially considering her higher-level monsters reserved so much more mana and she was running a little tight at the moment. Hopefully, her new boss would also be able to provide her some early warning for higher-level raiders and assassins coming into her dungeon from the town.


    ¡°I think a Kobold,¡± she decided, surveying the monsters in the chamber. She chose a muscular, green-scaled Kobold warrior sporting a sword and a shield and called him over.


    ¡°Command me, Ancient Mistress.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to try a new skill on you that should make you more powerful,¡± she told him.


    ¡°I am ready,¡± the Kobold answered, flashing her a toothy grin, presumably the idea of becoming more powerful sitting rather well with him.


    ¡°Here goes.¡± Ali used her new Domain Mastery ability and picked the warrior as her target. Immediately, a golden line of text chimed into her mind, waiting for her to make a decision.


    ¡°I have to choose Domain, Boss, or Raid,¡± she said, shrugging. ¡°What do these even mean?¡± She knew what each one meant, individually, but why were these three things grouped as a choice?


    ¡°Can you get more information from the enhancement levels?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Try with your Sage of Learning? Sometimes skills like that allow you to unveil more insights,¡± Calen suggested.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think of that,¡± she said. Calen always seemed to know the most obscure details about anything to do with monsters, skills, strategies, or dungeons. Trying to invoke her Sage of Learning on the Domain Enhancement took substantial focus, but suddenly she received a notification, and a rush of golden text scrolled across the parchment in her mind.


    Domain


    Requirements: Anything created from, and within your domain mana


    x1.2 damage multiplier


    Domain area restriction


    Respawn capable


    Domain Enhancement


    Studying the description merely gave her more questions, so she focused on the other two.


    Boss


    Requirements: minion, medium density domain mana


    +2 Domain Magic skills


    x5 to Health, Stamina, and Mana


    x5 to mana reservation cost


    x2 damage multiplier


    Domain area restriction


    Respawn capable


    Domain Enhancement


    Raid


    Requirements: minion, medium density domain mana


    +3 Domain Magic skills


    x10 to Health, Stamina, and Mana


    x10 to mana reservation cost


    x2.5 damage multiplier


    Domain area restriction


    Respawn capable


    Domain Enhancement


    ¡°Oh, domain magic!¡±Excitement bubbled within her as she shared the information with Calen and Ryn. It was the first time anything in her class had referenced the strange ¡®Domain Magic¡¯ she learned every time she deconstructed a boss.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s interesting,¡± Calen said, his quill scribbling furiously.


    The details were a mix of straightforward and confusing, so she simply decided to try ¡®Raid¡¯. What was the point of going with anything less when she was trying to figure out what the skill would do? Besides, whatever she made would need to be strong enough to defend her domain, and of all the bosses she had fought, the raid-level ones were the most effective.


    ¡°I picked the ¡®raid¡¯ enhancement since the Kobold is only level ten,¡± she said, explaining her choices to Calen and Ryn, who nodded together. She triggered the magic.


    An unexpectedly powerful surge rippled through her domain mana, centered on the Kobold warrior. Thick streamers of golden arcane and luminous green nature mana burst upwards and swirled through the creature as he was physically levitated from the ground under the power of the magic coursing through him. Ali took an involuntary step backward, trying to study the complex formations spawned from her domain mana. The arcing and swirling magic was doing something to him, connecting his core to the structure of the domain all around them.


    The rush of magic cut off with a visible flash, and the Kobold crashed to the ground. He shook his reptilian head and slowly got back up to his feet, towering head and shoulders above the other Kobolds who were all staring at him with awe. Domain mana still flowed through him as he stood there and examined his enhanced body, now substantially larger and more muscular than before. Even his gear had grown larger, triggering a sympathetic ripple through the Grimoire as it recorded the larger sized variations. Obviously, her mana affinities were different, and this was a Kobold, but the way the domain mana interacted with him was unique ¨C unmistakably similar.


    ¡°Wow, he¡¯s bigger than Thuli,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯m getting more notifications,¡± Ali said, nibbling at her lower lip. That was a lot of Kobold.


    Attribute Enhancement


    Source: Class, Piercer Scorpion, Twin Wights, Skeletal Wyvern


    Attributes: Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom


    +50% to the base attribute of a monster


    Can be chosen once per attribute


    Skill ¨C Domain Magic


    Minions


    Source: Class


    Assign minions of the same or lower level to your enhanced monster. The cumulative level of the assigned minions must be less than or equal to  for a Boss enhancement or  for a Raid enhancement. Minions assigned in excess of this amount will be held in reserve and then a random set of minions will be summoned every respawn.


    Skill ¨C Domain Magic


    Summoning


    Source: Skeletal Wyvern


    Assign a creature imprint for your minion to summon during combat. The amount and rate of summons depends on available mana, and creature type, and enhancement level. Summoned creatures must be compatible.


    Skill ¨C Domain Magic


    Enrage


    Requirements: Raid Enhancement


    Source: Skeletal Wyvern


    Your creature will gain increased damage and haste below 20% remaining health


    Skill ¨C Domain Magic


    Nova Strike


    Source: Piercer Scorpion


    Enhance a magical manifestation skill to produce a powerful nova centered on your minion, striking all targets within range.


    Skill ¨C Domain Magic


    Affinity Aura


    Requirements: Choose a compatible Magical affinity


    Source: Twin Wights, Class


    Affinities: Death, Nature, Arcane


    Enhance your summoned creature¡¯s natural affinity to produce an aura of magic that fills the area around it. The nature and effects of the aura are dependent on the type of mana affinity. When used with a raid enhancement it will produce a significantly more powerful effect.


    Skill ¨C Domain Magic


    Twin Binding


    Requirements: Raid Enhancement. Two minions.


    Source: Twin Wights


    Choose a second minion as the twin target, binding both together with the bonds of magic. Each minion of the pair can be assigned a single Domain Magic skill. When one of the pair dies, the other is restored to full health and gains the Domain Magic skill of its partner


    Skill ¨C Domain Magic


    ¡°Oh, Calen! This is what the Domain Magic skills are for!¡± she exclaimed, excited to finally see the details of the skills she had been learning whenever they killed a boss. She shared all of them with her companions immediately.


    ¡°This is getting quite complicated,¡± Ryn said, wrinkling her nose as some or other skill made her eyes flicker with subtle movements of mana.


    ¡°It had to be something like this,¡± Calen answered, agreeing. ¡°The names of the skills matched too closely to what we saw the bosses doing.¡±


    ¡°What should I pick?¡± It was a tough choice. While the descriptions were terse, she had faced most of these abilities in combat and had a very clear idea of what they would do. Each had been challenging, but it was the combinations that made the boss work. The only ones she hadn¡¯t seen were the ones her own class had provided.


    ¡°Perhaps the ¡®Minions¡¯ one?¡± Calen said, almost echoing her thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that allows you to make a group fight?¡±


    ¡°Sounds suitably bossy,¡± Ryn agreed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to use this to test it out?¡±


    ¡°That must be what the Swordmaster Kobold had,¡± Ali mused. The monstrous Kobold in the entry hall of the ruins of Dal¡¯mohra had to have been a boss, and he had several minions with him. It had been a dangerous fight for her and Mato, but they had won because of his tenacity and her Martial Insight skill.


    She hadn¡¯t had her Arcane Insight skill back then, nor the Magical Analysis for her Sage of Learning, both of which she was certain were required for her to learn the Doman Magic skills of their defeated enemies.


    ¡°We need to find some more bosses for you to deconstruct,¡± Calen said, still studying the list. ¡°The more Domain Magic you collect, the more options you¡¯ll have for stronger bosses or bosses with unusual and powerful skill combinations.¡±


    ¡°How do you always think so clearly, Calen?¡± Ali said, annoyed that she hadn¡¯t thought of it first. What he was saying made sense. If she hadn¡¯t been able to analyze the spells, she would have only two attribute enhancements and the minions one, and nothing else. Because of her Sage and Insight skills, she now had the potent abilities of three other bosses she could use whenever she needed.


    ¡°I can do some research, if you¡¯d like,¡± Ryn offered. ¡°I¡¯ve been reading up on dungeons a lot, lately.¡±


    ¡°That would be perfect,¡± Ali said, offering her a smile. Turning to her waiting notification, she chose the Minions skill for her warrior¡¯s first Domain Magic.


    ¡°I have forty levels to use¡­¡±


    ¡°Make a healer,¡± Calen suggested.


    Ali considered her options and then created a level ten Kobold Acolyte and assigned it to her warrior as a minion, causing the available levels remaining to immediately drop to thirty.


    ¡°This seems pretty straightforward,¡± Ali said. ¡°Thirty more levels.¡± She could make three more minions of the same level, or presumably more if she wanted to use lower-level monsters.


    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± Ryn asked.


    ¡°Some damage classes?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Yes, maybe a spell caster and another melee class?¡± Calen suggested.


    ¡°Easy enough.¡± Ali summoned a Fire Mage and a Dagger Rogue, customizing their levels as she summoned them so that they were both level ten, and then assigned them to the Kobold warrior as his minions.


    ¡°I have ten levels left,¡± Ali said, running through her Kobold options in her mind. ¡°An archer? A Bone Mage? Maybe one of those Slingers?¡± She hadn¡¯t used her sling wielders much ¨C she always found fire to be far more effective.


    ¡°What about some of those oozes?¡± Ryn said, pointing to the water channel where one of her Brine Oozes lurked.


    ¡°Oh, good idea,¡± Calen said. ¡°They might make a nice surprise.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t as if she had any reason to stick to Kobolds, so she picked two level five Brine Oozes and added those.


    ¡°What next?¡± Ali asked. ¡°I have two more Domain Magic skills to choose.¡±


    ¡°You have a strong party ¨C tank, healer, and two damage classes. Perhaps give the warrior some attribute boosts?¡± Calen suggested.


    ¡°Like endurance? Or strength?¡± Ali hadn¡¯t considered the effects of the attribute enhancements, but an endurance boost for a tank would probably be quite strong. Or even strength.


    ¡°Why not both?¡± Calen asked. ¡°Warriors scale extremely well on both attributes, and you have the space for both.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± she decided, and committed to the idea.


    Her domain mana surged once again, and the reservation for her three Kobolds and two Oozes assigned as minions was released, transferring visibly to the Kobold warrior as an attachment of their mana formations. The domain mana flowed through them causing them to grow just like the warrior, although not quite so large.


    Her chime sounded.


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s expensive!¡± She had already been tight on mana, and this enhanced Kobold warrior had just reserved ten times the cost she had paid for the original, unenhanced version. Perhaps it was too much to expect that it would be free like her domain-attached runic circles. It made sense though; the monstrous Kobold was huge compared to his kin and infused with the power of her domain which coursed through him like a river. He was supporting two powerful domain attribute enhancements, and maintaining five other minions of his own. The consolation was that the mana reservation for his minions had transferred to him, or the domain itself, and Ali was only paying the single ¨C albeit exorbitant ¨C cost for her boss.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± she asked her Kobold warrior.


    ¡°Powerful, Ancient Mistress.¡± He bared his teeth and stretched his muscles, causing cracking noises to fill the chamber. Ali took an inadvertent backward step. ¡°I wish to fight.¡±


    ¡°You will have your chance soon,¡± she said, slipping into the senses of her first boss, and exploring his world. As the skill had described, he was now restricted to the chamber in which she had enhanced him, though his range extended a fair way down the tunnels and even down the stairs into the Forest Cavern. She had him run around a little and when he reached the limits of his range, she could sense the pull of the domain mana preventing him from leaving.


    ¡°So, he¡¯s stuck here now,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Ryn said. ¡°Lots of dungeon books talk about ¡®boss tethering¡¯ behavior.¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Calen agreed. ¡°Some people even use it as a strategy. You¡¯ll need to learn to account for it when you design the bosses.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± She could even see the effect with her mana-sight ¨C the domain looked somehow subtly thinner, perhaps stretched ¨C as if it were under some sort of load to support the new domain enhancement, and this load coincided with the range of the Kobold. But he felt exceptionally powerful, just as he had said.


    She pulled up his status sheet to see what her newest skill advance had created.


    Ali studied the changes in mute astonishment, wordlessly sharing the warrior¡¯s status sheet with Ryn and Calen.


    ¡°Ali¡­¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    she thought. The first changes were the two active buffs imparted by her domain magic. When she inspected the respawn buff, she learned that her Kobold had a six-hour recharge before her domain would presumably resummon him using the imprint recorded in her domain mana ¨C probably using the magic of her Grimoire of Summoning. It wasn¡¯t exactly clear, given that she hadn¡¯t studied the magic in action, but she assumed that was how it would work.


    ¡°Six-hour respawn,¡± she said.


    ¡°Will it resummon his gear?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°I presume so,¡± Ali said. It would be a bit stupid if it didn¡¯t. ¡°My Grimoire usually summons them with reasonable default gear choices now that I have customization.¡± Same with the minions, but she quickly verified that they had the Respawn buff also.She had so many questions, but most of them would need to wait till she had time to run some extensive testing.


    Below the usual skills on his status sheet, she found the three assigned Domain Magic skills ¨C enhanced endurance, strength, and minions, but there was something else in that section she had not expected.


    ¡°Does that damage multiplier double everything?¡± Calen exclaimed, catching up to her accelerated reading speed, and stopping at the same point.


    ¡°It¡¯s more than double,¡± Ryn said.


    ¡°What else is there, other than attack and spell damage?¡± Ali asked. It was perhaps not damage, but there was not a lot else that mattered in combat. If the warrior had poisons or something, perhaps that wouldn¡¯t be affected, but in this case, it seemed that everything would hit a lot harder.


    ¡°Maybe alchemical explosions won¡¯t be affected?¡± Calen mused.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that count as an attack?¡± Ryn asked.


    ¡°Yes, maybe¡­¡±


    Then there were the attributes. Coincidentally, she had chosen to enhance his endurance attribute with one of her Domain Magic skill slots, which happened to be the attribute his Warrior¡¯s Fortitude skill was based on. That made it boost its vitality and strength a little more in addition to the usual benefits of endurance. The base improvement to strength would make the warrior hit a lot harder and block substantially more attack damage.


    ¡°Did you see the resources?¡± Ali asked. It was the health, mana, and stamina at the end of the status that grabbed her attention.


    ¡°That¡¯s a  of health,¡± Calen observed, when she pointed it out. ¡°Is he getting a hundred points per attribute?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± she answered, checking the numbers with the description she had for the raid enhancement. It seemed that the major enhancement to her Kobold was an enormous increase in health, stamina, and mana. Most races received ten health per vitality point ¨C and the same from endurance and wisdom to produce stamina and mana. Some variation was possible, just rare ¨C like her own race having less health, but correspondingly more mana ¨C but her Kobold had just gained ten times the normal amount in every resource from her domain enhancement, turning it into an absolute powerhouse of a monster.


    ¡°If this is the way dungeon bosses typically work, it¡¯s no wonder they take so long to kill,¡± Calen said, furiously scribbling notes and calculations.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Ali said, thoughtfully. His comment ¨C if correct ¨C explained precisely why they had had to fight for so long to kill the Skeletal Wyvern and the Twin Wights. Both had been Raid-level bosses. Curious now, she checked with each of the Kobold warrior¡¯s minions, finding that with the exception of the domain skills, they had all been similarly enhanced. At least her ability to check their status sheets answered one other question ¨C even though she had ceded the mana reservation for the three Kobolds to the warrior, they still counted as her minions for Martial Insight, even though they were also the warrior¡¯s minions.


    Calen¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, and his head snapped around in alarm. ¡°Ali, I think we might have a problem!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Ali asked, surprised by the urgency and worry in his voice, the expression of surprise and alarm on his face.


    ¡°This is a raid boss!¡±


    ¡°Yes? I needed a good defender.¡± She had chosen raid enhancement on purpose, that was the point of the entire exercise.


    ¡°Here, look,¡± he said, sharing the results from his Explorer skill.


    ¡°Even the identification for your dungeon has been updated.¡±


    ¡°Is that a problem?¡± Raid bosses were the strongest dungeon monsters, and now that she could make them, she would be able to finally address Lyeneru¡¯s harsh criticism of her defenses. Bosses meant safety for her dungeon, fewer assassins getting in, and fewer random monsters wandering in like the dire bear or zombies and skeletons. All she needed to do was place one at every entrance and chokepoint ¨C raid bosses were the pinnacle of dungeon power; she finally had the tools to protect herself.


    It also explained why she had been able to select three Domain Magic skills ¨C it was consistent with what she had observed from clearing the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra, she should expect three Domain Magic skills for a raid class boss, and two for a normal boss.


    ¡°The novices have been practicing on groups of isolated Kobolds and slimes. If this is the next threat they will face, how do you think they¡¯ll fare?¡± Calen asked.


    Ali¡¯s eyes settled on her oversized Kobold and his matching minions ¨C an almost optimal group of classes, equipped with some of her best items and suffused with the power of her domain mana. Her mind conjured images of the novices ¨C Havok, Aiden, Teagan, Seth, Basil¡­ all brimming with curiosity, excitement, and the potential of their powerful new classes. It was them who would be facing her creation. None of them had even reached level ten yet, and all their experience was in groups of three to five, facing her weakest minions. This fight would be far worse than Mato and her facing the Swordmaster Kobold, or the four of them facing off against the Bugbears and Goblin shaman way back before all of them had reached bronze level or even joined the guild.


    ¡°Shit! I need to talk to Vivian,¡± Ali said, a sudden weight settling into her chest. If they didn¡¯t have some warning, the novices were all going to unwittingly stumble into the final chamber of the sewers and die.


    Calen made a calming gesture. ¡°Don¡¯t look so worried, Ali, this is all good learning.¡±


    ¡°Not if learning is quite so dangerous,¡± Ryn said, wide-eyed. ¡°I think you need to help Ali plan this better, Calen ¨C and, to be fair, Ali, you had no idea just how much more powerful your raid-level boss would turn out to be. Those numbers are scary.¡±


    Whipping out a scrap of cloth, Calen mopped Ali¡¯s forehead and said, in his squeakiest falsetto, ¡°I¡¯m so scary, Ryn, I know!¡±


    ¡°Calen, you¡¯re terrible!¡± Ali smacked his arm as he cracked up at his own joke.


    ¡°I know,¡± he said, grinning ¨C but then his face took on a more serious cast. ¡°On a more serious note, I think talking with Vivian is appropriate. We don¡¯t want any accidents.¡±


    ¡°I just hope it¡¯s not a mistake.¡±


    ¡°Remember when we took down that Skeletal Wyvern?¡± Calen said. ¡°All it took was some advice and a good plan ¨C this boss has the potential to really accelerate those novices¡¯ levels.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said. She liked this more confident, easygoing Calen. Something must have happened to him at the Pathfinder Guild, she realized. Something good.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 150: A Name and a Quest

    Aliandra ¡°Thanks for the warning, Aliandra,¡± Vivian said.


    ¡°Yes, I thought it was better to be safe,¡± Ali said, taking her leave from Vivian¡¯s office and returning to the guild hall. She had no idea what she would do if her minions accidentally killed one of the novices. She would hate to have to unsummon her first boss because she had been over-enthusiastic and unthinkingly selected ¡®raid enhancement¡¯ believing that made it the best one.


    The challenge of balancing her defense needs against the needs of the guild and the limitations of the pre-bronze novices churned constantly in the back of her mind. She had very limited resources and she had to make every one of them count. At least she had warned the guild now and, hopefully, that meant her Kobold warrior would not be painting the sewer with the blood of the enthusiastic faces she saw clustered around the guild hall enjoying snacks or engaged in animated conversations.


    Now that her dungeon had monsters, she had barely more than a thousand mana free, and that included all her bonuses from her Empowered Summoner skill and her domain itself. In fact, mana was so tight that if she let her Acolyte get out of range of her skill, her maximum mana would drop below her current reservation from the loss of her wisdom buff, and that would surely be a disaster. There was a time when that much mana would have seemed a luxury, but as she leveled up, all her skills demanded more and more to fuel the growing potency of their effects. Right now, she would struggle to manage in even a halfway-serious fight.


    Her best option, of course, was to simply level up ¨C but that required time, her friends, and ¨C the real kicker ¨C enough mana to do something. Another option would be to hunt for a higher-level, wisdom-dominant monster to learn, but she had already asked Ryn to help with research and they had not turned up any particularly good leads so far.


    she thought, frowning. It would be counterproductive, drastically reducing the coverage of her domain, but she needed to make more bosses and she did not have the mana to support them. If she wanted to get serious about her defenses, she couldn¡¯t be making level-ten Kobold bosses either ¨C she needed higher-level monsters that could stand up to serious invaders or assassins.


    Still deep in thought, Ali nodded to a few adventurers as she passed the jobs board and found herself stepping into the guild store.


    ¡°Good morning, Aliandra.¡±


    ¡°Hi, Weldin,¡± she greeted the always-elegant Gnome who was sorting trinkets perched high up on a tall chair in front of the main display table. ¡°How are you?¡±


    ¡°Good, good,¡± he said absently, running his forefinger along the text on a tan scroll set before him.


    ¡°Hey, Weldin, do you have anything that might increase my mana pool?¡± she asked.


    At the hint of a potential sale, the Gnome¡¯s head snapped up and he fixed her with an intent gaze. ¡°Mana? Regeneration? Or wisdom? I assume you want to keep that fancy new tailored outfit for your body armor slot?¡±


    ¡°I get some powerful bonuses for wisdom from this,¡± Ali confirmed, running her fingers across the sleeves, ¡°so that would be best.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lydia¡¯s work is exceptional. Hmm¡­¡± he inspected her for a moment, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. ¡°Oh, I think I may have the perfect item for you. Donella sent it over a few days ago ¨C a sample of what she can make with that Magicite you found. Now, where did I put it¡­ brain isn¡¯t what it used to be, you know.¡±


    Ali watched him rummage around in some drawers and boxes, curious as to the nature of what Donella had crafted.


    ¡°Here we are ¨C what do you think of this? It¡¯s an off-hand mage bauble that takes the place of a shield slot. You have to hold it ¨C which can be inconvenient ¨C but it comes with this handy adjustable leather strap to attach it to your wrist. She suggested I try and sell it to a priest, or a nature magic druid, but you can have it if it works better for you.¡±


    The item he placed before her was a short silvery metal shaft with a green sphere of glass firmly attached to the end by an oversized clawed jewelry clasp. As he had pointed out, there was a sturdy-looking adjustable strap that could be used to attach it to her wrist so she didn¡¯t accidentally drop it. With her mana sight, she could make out the intricate runework etched into the handle, and the minuscule shard of nature-affinity magicite suspended in the glass orb, giving it a soft inner glow. The craftsmanship seemed decent, but the exquisite runework and elegant tracery of mana really caught Ali¡¯s attention.


    ¡°She put a tiny piece of magicite in there to create the mana-battery effect,¡± he added. ¡°It¡¯s nature affinity, so it should be quite efficient to recharge it with your mana.¡±


    Orb of Mana ¨C level 35


    Resistance: 252


    +27 Wisdom.


    Mana: Recharge the mana storage. Mana may be withdrawn to pay for skills or costs. 251/500


    Requirements: Wisdom 123 Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Off Hand ¨C Orb


    ¡°That looks great, Weldin, can I try it out?¡± It was better than great, she hadn¡¯t been looking for additional resistance, but any additional amount would be most welcome the next time she faced any magic users. The mana battery wasn¡¯t something she would normally need, but being so short on mana right now, she could see the attraction.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he answered. ¡°But if you break it, you bought it,¡± he added with a chuckle.


    She smiled at him and picked up the Orb of Mana. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s heavier than it looks.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but not unwieldy,¡± Weldin said.


    Ali hefted the object a few times, deciding that the Gnome was right and even with it, she would never develop biceps to rival Mato. ¡°I could get used to this,¡± she observed. She looped the strap around her wrist, adjusting the length to fit comfortably, and then examined her mana. she decided, eyeing the whopping eight hundred and ten increase. Several calculations later, she decided it was more than worth it. Empowered Summoner¡¯s reservation was ten percent of her total mana pool, so it had increased somewhat, but the bulk of the increase accrued to her free mana, putting to rest a lot of her concerns.


    ¡°How much does it cost?¡± It wasn¡¯t nearly enough mana for her to go wild with high-level bosses, but it was a big step in the right direction. It was great to see the kind of crafting that was possible with her magicite and that just made her more excited about the orb.


    ¡°The magicite makes it a little on the expensive side,¡± he said, shrugging apologetically. ¡°But I can let you have it for eleven gold and thirty-seven silver.¡±


    ¡°Done,¡± she answered, pulling out the coins from her ring. It was expensive, but she didn¡¯t want to be caught without enough mana to defend herself.


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to haggle,¡± Weldin said with an exasperated sigh, and she realized she had just ruined his fun and excitement.


    ¡°Oh, oops?¡± she answered, but she was already happy with her purchase and wasn¡¯t exactly all that sorry. she thought.


    ¡°Here, I¡¯ll give you a two-gold discount if you promise to find me more of that magicite. Malika told me it was you who found it, and Donella left a standing order to buy all I could lay my hands on. I just hope there¡¯s more of it wherever you found it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s more,¡± she said, catching herself before she admitted she could make it. She wasn¡¯t lying though; the remains of the condensers still lay in the ruins.


    If there was an open order from the Novaspark Academy of Magic, she wouldn¡¯t need to worry about the money Ryn was spending on library memberships and might even have a really easy way to fund the cost of teleportation services to get her a couple of new ones. She would just need to be careful not to bankrupt the academy and draw the wrath of Hadrik Goldbeard by flooding the market. But if she produced a constant trickle, she should have plenty of money, and if this was the quality of items Donella was producing with her raw materials, it would be an excellent result for everyone.


    With a happy grin, she took the two coins Weldin offered, and the deal was done.


    Malika


    Malika¡¯s awareness slowly returned to her body. Hard stone pressed into the tingling numbness of her legs. Her ears reacquainted themselves with the continuous background roar of the waterfall. The chill mist caressed her skin, freezing on the ground around her. An incandescent pillar of circulating energy sat before her. Malika took a deep breath of the thin, icy air and opened her eyes, finding Rezan studying her with glowing blue eyes and a surprisingly open and caring expression on his weathered face.


    ¡°You are fully healed,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thank you, Elder,¡± she said, dipping her head respectfully. It was as he said ¨C the last of the damage inflicted by her bloodline had faded during her meditation exercises and she could feel ¨C and see ¨C her energy circulating smoothly within her body, a pale echo of the power she saw from Rezan, but clean and healthy for the first time since she had earned her sight.


    For the duration of their frantic, barely remembered journey, Malika had feared dying ¨C and for weeks after, she had been terrified that she would never recover fully. But under the Elder¡¯s patient tutelage and care, she had recovered ¨C and more importantly, she had learned and grown.


    When he had initially offered formal mentorship, she had been reluctant to trust him ¨C a stranger, known only by reputation and his authority as an Elder ¨C but, over the weeks of her convalescence in Kezda, she had come to appreciate his consistency, care, and commitment to her recovery and the growth of his students. More important than traits and skills, she had grown to admire and respect the essence of who he was and the open and free way he shared his experience. As a role model and a mentor, she could think of nobody more suited to take over where her parents had left off. His refusal to push her on the question of being his student, when it so obviously meant something important to him, had left a surprisingly powerful impression on her.


    She took another deep breath. ¡°Elder Rezan, I have considered your offer of mentorship. If you still consider me worthy to be your student, I¡¯d be honored to accept.¡± As the words left her lips, she was suddenly plagued by doubts.


    He regarded her for a while before breaking the silence. ¡°You honor me with your trust, Malika,¡± he said, bowing to her. ¡°I gladly accept you as my student, and I vow to guide you to reach your fullest potential, to the best of my abilities.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, her inner insecurities flipping to relief in an instant.


    ¡°You are ready to return home whenever you choose,¡± Rezan continued, ¡°You have more than enough to work on, but I¡¯d like you to stop by every few months ¨C or when you hit level or skill breakpoints ¨C for further training.¡±


    Malika nodded. She had already noticed she was reaching saturation and she needed time to implement the training she had received. But there was something else that weighed heavily on her mind.


    ¡°Teacher,¡± she said formally, using the Ahn Khen word for a respected teacher or mentor ¨C one of the few words in the ancient language she knew. ¡°My family was killed at Bakahn. Before I return, may I ask you to complete the Rite of Awakening and grant me an Ancestral Name?¡±


    Without her family, she didn¡¯t know who else she could turn to, and she lived in Myrin¡¯s Keep, far from the ancestral villages of her people. While she no longer prayed to the ancestors, she felt that without her Naming, the awakening of her bloodline would be left incomplete somehow. Unfinished. Perhaps it was not the biggest thing, but it¡­ mattered to her, she decided. A warrior could be no other than who she was, no more and no less.


    ¡°It would be my honor,¡± he answered, a small flicker of surprise crossing his face. He fell silent, eyes focused inward for some time. ¡°You have demonstrated great bravery, tenacity, and determination, and yet your energy is gentle and filled with kindness. I, Elder Rezan Jin, would be greatly honored if you would accept the Ancestral Name of Malika Yu.¡±


    A storm of emotions flooded through Malika. Whether he had done it on purpose, or it had been a pure coincidence, Rezan had chosen her mother¡¯s Ancestral Name for her.


    Trembling from the unexpected rush of old grief and happy memories, she fell back on the formal response she had heard so many times, ¡°Thank you, Elder. I will do my best to bear the name of the Ancestor and to bring honor to the Ahn Khen bloodline which has been awakened within me.¡± She took a deep breath to steady herself and then added, ¡°And to honor my mother who carried the name before me.¡±


    As she uttered the last part, a flicker of surprise crossed Rezan¡¯s face, and somehow that felt right. The fact that he hadn¡¯t known sat better with Malika ¨C almost as if it were meant to be. Even though ¨C she reminded herself ¨C she put no stock in fate and portents.


    She tentatively explored her feelings. Ancestral Names were chosen to offer homage to the most powerful ancestors and, with only a limited number of them being available, sharing one with someone you knew wasn¡¯t uncommon. Still, it was an undeniably powerful connection to her past, and her family.


    She tried her new name out in her mind, getting used to how it sounded. A sense of pride slowly rose within her as her Ancestral Name settled, like it had always belonged. It would carry more than the usual responsibility, but she would live up to it. The relief that she had not died in the process of earning it slowly faded, replaced by a fresh resolve to honor them. She just wished her parents could have been here to see this ¨C they would have been so happy to see her growing.


    ¡°Yay!¡± Hala exclaimed, causing her to startle.


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± Basir said, slapping her on the shoulder with a hand heavy enough to unbalance her.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m ready,¡± she said. It would be a long hike back down the mountain from the waterfall, but she was eager to return home and see her friends again.


    ¡°Very well, let us return,¡± Rezan said, leading them to the narrow rocky path down the mountain.


    ¡°Teacher, if you change your mind about Aliandra¡¯s shrine, you can contact her through Vivian Ross at the Adventurers Guild in Myrin¡¯s Keep.¡± It was nearly impossible to emulate Rezan¡¯s patience. Still, she managed to hold back on trying to push him on this, reminding herself frequently that it was his patience with her accepting his mentorship that had worked for her. She just hoped it might have the same effect on him.


    ¡°I will consider your suggestion,¡± he answered, but this time she noticed he wasn¡¯t frowning. Hopefully, it was a real shift and not just her wishes for him to change his mind.


    So much had changed since she had come to Kezda.


    Friends.


    After a moment, she touched her eyes. Once, she had vowed she would never cry again. Maybe this, too, was growth?


    Aliandra


    Ali smiled at the sight of the brightly gleaming new sign hanging over the great doors to Thuli¡¯s smithy. Gone was the decrepit old sign, lending the smithy tucked away at the end of the cul-de-sac an air of quality and craftsmanship.


    Ali thought as she stopped on the step to examine the beautifully lettered sign wrought in steel. Elegantly embossed script proudly proclaimed, ¡®Thuli¡¯s Steelworks¡¯ for all to see in Common, Dwarven, Elvish, and even ¨C ambitiously ¨C Draconic.


    Ali nodded and approached the door, instructing her Kobold bodyguards to open it for her. The note Thuli had left for her with Mieriel had been characteristically sparse on details, saying only, ¡°Please stop by whenever ya have a moment. Totally not urgent.¡± Ali could easily imagine the burly Dwarf saying it exactly like that and, seeing as she was in town already, she decided to pay him a visit and see what he needed.


    The big doors to the smithy swung open under the chirping ministrations of her Kobolds, and Ali had to take a moment to let herself acclimate to the reverberating clamor of ringing crashes and bangs and intense wave of heat that assaulted her as soon as she entered the busy blacksmith shop.


    She blinked. How could people stand so much clamor all day long? Give her a cozy nook in a quiet library any day!


    ¡°Greetings, Aliandra. This one wonders if you have come to practice your Draconic?¡± Kav¨¦ asked, glancing up from the bench upon which she was sorting various steel arrowheads and packing them in boxes. She spoke Draconic, but she wore the strange tight-lipped expression that Ali had come to recognize as the girl¡¯s attempt to smile without terrifying people by showing her sharp teeth.


    Ali mused, but that was a far longer project than her learning to speak Draconic. ¡°Hi, Kav¨¦! Thuli left a note at the guild for me to stop by,¡± she answered, automatically shifting to the Dragonkin¡¯s preferred language, trying to emulate her pronunciation, but she still struggled, substituting Kobold chirps for what should be growls, hisses, or, more correctly, one of the several intricate conjugations of roars.


    ¡°That one is busy, he will join us shortly,¡± she answered. ¡°Your Draconic is improving, but it still sounds like a Kobold.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Ali found a seat near Kav¨¦, dodging the racks of spears and swords, boxes filled with equipment ready for shipping, and the various plate and chainmail armor sets that were spread out on all available surfaces. It was, to her mind, a phenomenal transformation from the dimly lit, dusty, cold room she had found on her first trip here.


    ¡°You¡¯re making great progress, Kav¨¦,¡± Ali exclaimed, coughing as the attempted growl tickled her throat. The new Blacksmith, by all accounts, was advancing phenomenally quickly under the skilled tutelage of her Dwarven mentor, and, with her obvious disposition for hard work, Ali expected her growth to continue unabated for some time.


    Kav¨¦ nodded, stoically, but Ali saw the flicker of a smile and knew the Dragonkin girl was happy.


    Ali passed the time waiting for Thuli to finish, happily catching up with all the details of Kav¨¦¡¯s apprenticeship and taking feedback on her spoken Draconic skills. Sage of Learning had long since helped her achieve fluency with the language, and it only occasionally reacted to something Kav¨¦ said ¨C an unusual turn of phrase or an unfamiliar or uncommon expression. But there were still some important growls and snarls that, without being born with any Draconic heritage, she struggled to emulate sufficiently accurately to live up to Kav¨¦¡¯s strict standards.


    ¡°There ya are, lassie!¡± Thuli exclaimed, stomping into the antechamber, the smithy having fallen silent finally. He dunked his head in a barrel of water, smeared the soot around getting most of it off, and then pulsed his fascinating ember-affinity magic a little, causing his skin and hair to dry instantaneously. Ali studied the brief flurry of tiny flecks of ash floating down to the ground as his unusual mana faded.


    ¡°I got your message,¡± Ali said, ¡°but before we get to that, I brought you some axes.¡± Knowing she¡¯d be visiting the Blacksmith today, she had created an assortment of axes sampling the entire spread of variants she had learned. Her collection made a surprisingly large pile on the broad wooden table.


    Thuli let out a long whistle of appreciation as he picked up a heavy two-handed axe and examined the craftsmanship. ¡°This is a fine axe.¡± He tested the sharpness of the blade with a broad thumb and then handed it to the curious Kav¨¦ so she could study it too.


    ¡°You guys look quite busy now,¡± Ali remarked, indicating the racks of reddish, burnished steel weapons on display, and the boxes and crates stacked up high to the side up against the wall.


    ¡°Aye,¡± Thuli answered. ¡°Commander Brand wanted a lot o¡¯ weapons after the Goblin siege and the undead, and he was quite excited about my new Fireforged Steel. Even some adventurers from out of town wanted to buy some swords and daggers.¡±


    ¡°That must be good for business,¡± Ali offered.


    ¡°It is,¡± Thuli said, but then he sighed melodramatically and threw up his hands. Ali recognized it as a typical Dwarven affectation and just let him take his time to get to the point.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m stuck,¡± he said, eyeing her intently. ¡°I haven¡¯t been able ta unravel the final steps in the creation of Eimuuran steel. After that farce of a Town Council trial, I know you found the ruins of Dal¡¯mohra, and I understand why you would want to keep something that big a secret.¡±


    Ali grimaced. It had been necessary at the time, but secrets were not good for building trust ¨C a fact she was well acquainted with. She had slowly come to appreciate Thuli for his blunt honesty and extraordinary workmanship, but early on, she had not known who she could trust. ¡°Would you like to see it?¡± Ali asked, by way of consolation. Or perhaps as a salve on her conscience.


    ¡°No, lass, I am no adventurer. Crawling through ruins and fighting off monsters is for you combat people,¡± Thuli said, grinning. ¡°I¡¯m more than happy with these,¡± he declared, lifting a halberd in one hand like a feather.


    This much was a surprise, given that he had explicitly stated that finding the lost city was the personal quest he had devoted his life to. However, Ali still detected distress on his face and in his body language, and knowing he was at his wits end she waited, giving him the space to share his thoughts.


    ¡°But¡­ if ya find any signs of the Great Forge¡­ that I would give my right arm to see,¡± Thuli said, a faraway look coming to his eye.


    ¡°You need that arm to use the forge,¡± Kav¨¦ said in an admonishing tone, taking Thuli¡¯s hyperbole literally in a way that caused him to snap out of his reverie and made Ali laugh.


    ¡°I¡­ obviously, I dinna mean that literally,¡± he said glaring at her with an expression that was half amusement and half exasperation. ¡°But there must be a missing piece, something I don¡¯t understand in the forging of the steel. I hoped that if I could just see the Great Anvil or the Forge of Thovir, I might find inspiration. Maybe I¡¯m asking too much.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t found the forge yet, but I know where it is,¡± Ali said. ¡°Or at least, where it should be, I guess. When I was younger, I took a trip down into the mines and saw the forge. I even witnessed Thovir Emberforge working his magic there, but back then I did not have the ability to appreciate his skill with mana. I don¡¯t know if it still exists, but if it does, it would be below the old farming level of the city, somewhere through the mines.¡± The only problem was it would be behind the jungle and the spawning pools, and by her reckoning, the entrance would be buried under a mountain of rubble fallen from the upper city levels.


    ¡°If you can find it ¨C anything ¨C I would dearly love to see it,¡± Thuli said, reverence filling his voice. ¡°Or even just the Emberforge Mines ¨C if you find any essences, ore, or metals ¨C anything might help.¡±


    ¡°Very well, I will ask my friends to help clear the way there,¡± she said. There were plenty of monsters in that jungle, but she knew at least one bear Beastkin that would be eager for the challenge.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 151: PUG Fail

    - Excerpt from , Third Edition


    Teagan


    Heart racing, Teagan sprinted along the softly lit tunnel, trusting the thick layer of damp springy moss pressing against her bare feet to keep her from slipping on the ancient crumbling brick below.


    ¡°Hurry!¡± she urged. ¡°We must get there first!¡± When the Guildmaster had announced that Aliandra had made her first boss in the sewer, she knew this would be her chance. If they killed it first, they would finally pass Aiden and his team and beat them to bronze rank. Ever since she had added Seth to her team, their progress had skyrocketed ¨C with another level or two from the boss kill, they would take first place in the guild. She didn¡¯t mind that ¨C they were silver-ranked adventurers and not in the same league. Silver felt like the very skies above.


    Most of the sewer monsters barely earned her any experience anymore, and they needed to hunt for the highest-level monsters to make real progress. Beating this boss would be their ticket to reaching bronze rank and unlocking the jobs board, and all the prestige and opportunities that came with being fully-fledged guild members.


    ¡°Are you sure about this, Teagan?¡± Willow asked, barely even breathing hard. She fired two arrows in quick succession at the pair of chirping Kobolds that burst from a side passage and into the path of Braden¡¯s sword. ¡°The Guildmaster said it was a raid boss. We need to be careful.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just being overly cautious,¡± Teagan answered, summoning her totem and cueing up a healing spell for Braden. ¡°Besides, we have seven people, and everyone has a recall potion if things go very badly.¡±


    Willow fell silent as she focused on the fight.


    Teagan deliberately ignored the stomach-churning wet sounds of flesh tearing as Seth added the two new corpses to his collection of skeletons and focused on the shadowy entrance to the chamber up ahead.


    Silence descended on the sewer in the aftermath of their brief fight, punctuated by the soft plinking of dripping water and the occasional creaking of bone as Seth¡¯s skeletons shifted back and forth. Holding her breath in anticipation, she followed Willow through the arched entrance and found herself in a chamber far larger than any she had seen so far. The walls and floor were the same moss-covered, crumbling brick that made up most of the sewer system and through the center ran a channel of faintly glowing water.


    Dotted throughout the chamber were the ever-present golden glowing mushrooms, casting a dim magical glow against the walls and floor. At the far end of the chamber, standing in front of a glowing jagged hole in the floor, stood four of the largest Kobolds she had ever seen.


    She identified them at once.


    ¡°Four Kobolds,¡± Willow announced. ¡°Only level ten.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Teagan dried her hands on her skirt and remembered to breathe.


    ¡°What¡¯s our plan?¡± Seth asked, nervously shifting from foot to foot behind his skeletons.


    ¡°I wanna stab them,¡± Nicholas declared.


    Teagan studied the group of Kobolds, mentally running through the strategy checklist Vivian had given in her lecture. ¡°Braden, tank the warrior and try to get the rogue too. Blair, Nicholas, Seth, and Willow, kill the acolyte first ¨C it looks like a healer. Then the mage. I¡¯ll heal, of course, and Basil will make combat potions if anyone needs them.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Braden said, adjusting the straps on his shield for a better fit.


    There was not a lot to group strategy. Kill the healer first, then the biggest or squishiest damage dealers to eliminate most of the risk, and then wear down the durable warrior.


    They didn¡¯t often tackle four monsters at the same time ¨C although the few times they pulled extra adds it had gone well ¨C and with seven in the team now, they were the strongest they¡¯d ever been. Teagan smiled. She couldn¡¯t wait to see Aiden¡¯s face when Vivian congratulated her.


    ¡°Everyone ready?¡± she asked. Waiting just long enough to count the nods, she said, ¡°Ok, Braden. Go.¡±


    ¡°Incoming,¡± Braden said and rushed forward into the chamber brandishing his shield and yelling some silly battle cry he had come up with. He had been polishing it all morning. Teagan slipped in sideways, placing herself with her back to the wall with Basil by her side and a clear view of the whole room.


    Loud chirps of alarm greeted Braden¡¯s challenge, and the powerful-looking Kobold warrior slammed his shield and sword together. The booming crash echoed loudly through the chamber, and he leapt forward to meet Braden¡¯s charge in the center by the water channel.


    Teagan winced at the force of their collision, tossing out her totem just in case and readying her healing spell as the black-scaled rogue blurred across the brick, making a beeline for their tank. A gleaming dagger flickered in the dim light and Braden took it on his shield, but the warrior¡¯s bone sword jabbed, glancing off Braden¡¯s parry and slicing into his chest.


    Teagan¡¯s heart stopped as Braden¡¯s health plummeted by a third. She healed him, but the rogue¡¯s second dagger flashed, and Braden was suddenly below half health, spraying blood across the mossy ground before she even completed her spell. Her magic lanced from her palm, a beam of green nature magic restoring Braden¡¯s health almost to full. But the warrior struck again, this time a brutal slam with the flat of his shield, getting through while Braden struggled to block the rogue¡¯s daggers, and a gut-clenching amount of Braden¡¯s health vanished in an instant.


    Cold pinpricks of sweat broke out on her back and face as she struggled to keep up ¨C the rest of the room fading to the background in her intense focus.


    Seth


    Seth hung back, hiding behind his wall of skeletons and zombies. The Guildmaster had insisted he wait until the tank had everything secured before he engaged. He was uncertain about this group, and fighting in general, but even he could tell the Guildmaster was very experienced. he thought, but Gran was dead, and Lyton town was gone.


    He continued waiting, studying Nicholas as he sprang forward immediately, and the violet bolts of arcane magic that lanced out from Blair¡¯s fingertips. They were always hasty, but they wouldn¡¯t listen to him. He allowed the crash of battle to ring through the room for a few moments longer, and then he started. First, he cast his Amplify Damage curse on the Kobold acolyte, and then he added another to the Kobold warrior to help Braden out a little.


    ¡°¡± he commanded. Zombies shambled and lurched forward while the bones of the skeletons made creaking, clacking sounds as they brandished rusty daggers or bone swords. ¡°


    Seth frowned. Braden was locked in combat with the rogue and the warrior and, with Nicholas stabbing the Acolyte, there were no targets for his Volatile Wraith. Hitting his teammates and inflicting Life Drain on them would be a recipe for disaster ¨C and probably expulsion from the team or even the guild.


    Beside him, Willow began firing arrows right as his first skeletons reached the Acolyte and engaged. He studied the battle carefully, cycling through his minions using Eyes of the Damned just to make sure he didn¡¯t miss anything.


    A hissing noise caught his attention, and a thin green vapor began billowing out from the ground around the acolyte. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Poison!¡± Willow shouted, and Seth instantly recognized one of the more potent traps they had encountered down here among the higher-level sewer denizens. Fortunately, his undead were immune to poison so he didn¡¯t pay much attention to the green miasma billowing up from a large circular region of the grimy floor.


    The water in the channel just beyond shimmered and swirled and something bluish and translucent slithered up onto the moss with a wet splat.


    ¡°Adds from the water, two oozes,¡± he called out.


    ¡°Can you take care of them?¡± Willow asked.


    ¡°Yup,¡± he answered, peeling off two zombies to attack the newcomers. Oozes tended to get wound up in the bones of the skeletons and the zombies had far more health anyway.


    ¡°I need a heal!¡± Nicholas yelled.


    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t! Use a potion!¡± Teagan shouted, edges of panic and stress making her voice sound shrill.


    She seemed to be furiously casting her healing spells but her gaze was locked on Braden as if she were terrified of losing him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a potion!¡±


    ¡°Get out of the poison, you moron!¡± Willow shouted at him.


    ¡°Basil, make me a potion!¡± Nicholas yelled, sprinting toward them.


    ¡°I¡¯m busy!¡± Basil yelled, handing a blue potion to Teagan and pulling out some more ingredients so rapidly that some of them spilled to the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯m dying! Help me!¡± There was a clear note of panic in Nicholas¡¯s voice as he stared with wide eyes at Basil.


    ¡°Here,¡± Seth said, handing him his own health potion. It was his only backup, and it had cost him a substantial chunk of his meager funds.


    Nicholas downed it in a flash and sprinted back to the acolyte.


    ¡°Poison, you idiot!¡± Willow yelled at him again.


    Seth was about to say something when a surge of heat and a crushing blast slammed into his chest, knocking him flying into the wall. He bounced, slamming his hip on the ground. In a daze he shook his head, trying to scramble back to his feet and tearing the crisped, burnt skin off his hands in the process.


    He had forgotten about the mage. Beside him, Blair groaned, her hair singed, and the entire left side of her face a mess of burns. Willow sprang to her feet, shooting arrows at the mage, and then sprinted off in a big circle around the room.


    Everything hurt. His new shirt had smoking holes in it, and he found his health was well below half. He quickly fired a Volatile Wraith at the two Brine Oozes, realizing they were out in the open and he would not be hurting anyone when they exploded, hoping his Life Drain would trigger and recover some of his damage.


    ¡°Seth, curses,¡± Willow called out as she sprinted past him on her next lap with the Fire Mage hot on her heels, trying to cook her with a rapid stream of Firebolts.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± he muttered, realizing he¡¯d let his curses drop. He swapped to the eerie vision of his Volatile Wraith and sure enough, the mana of his curses had faded. He circled the room, refreshing Amplify Damage on the highest-priority targets.


    A booming shout rang out from the center of the room, catching his attention. The Kobold warrior turned and smacked Braden with a vicious swipe of his shield, knocking him sprawling, and the black-scaled rogue beside him shimmered and vanished into the shadows.


    Seth¡¯s eyes widened in horror ¨C he happened to be using the sight of his Volatile Wraith ¨C and within that strange, distorted streaming gray world, he saw the rogue¡¯s shadowy form sprinting for Teagan.


    ¡°Teagan! Watch out! Rogue loose!¡± he yelled, commanding one of his skeletons to protect her, but it wasn¡¯t nearly as fast as the fleet-footed Kobold sprinting through the shadows. With a second shimmer, the rogue appeared, dagger flashing, and Teagan hit the floor hard, her shield rolling free.


    ¡°Healer down!¡± Willow yelled from the other side of the room. Braden, at least, downed a health potion immediately.


    Seth¡¯s skeleton arrived, striking the rogue with its bone sword, but the black-scaled Kobold shimmered again, vanishing from his sight, reappearing a few moments later to backstab Blair. She dropped without even a yelp of surprise.


    ¡°Fucking run!¡± Willow screamed. ¡°Get out!¡± Behind her, the room lit up in an inferno of heat and flame as another fireball detonated.


    Seth did not have to be told twice. Instantly, his recall potion was in his hands, but Teagan lay unmoving on the ground and Blair was moaning softly, not even reacting to her surroundings.


    ¡°¡± he commanded, and fled from the chamber, firing a parting Volatile Wraith while two of his unflappable skeletons dragged his unconscious teammates to safety and the rest mobbed the Kobolds.


    Teagan


    She came to, with a sudden gasp and a surge of remembered pain in her lung just under her left shoulder blade.


    She groaned, opening her eyes to find herself staring at the inquisitive ugly green face of a Goblin.


    ¡°Teagan ok?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ thank you, Havok,¡± she wheezed ¨C but she kept her frustrated sigh to herself. If Havok was here, that meant Aiden¡¯s team was ready, and they had lost. ¡°Thanks for healing me.¡± She levered herself into a sitting position and looked around, finding the rest of her team sprawled out on the mossy ground in one of the endless sewer tunnels. Blair seemed unconscious, but Teagan¡¯s senses told her she had been healed, too. Nicholas, Willow, and Braden were still badly hurt, so she spent the meager remains of her mana helping Havok finish the healing.


    An angry argument raged beside her.


    ¡°Why did you just stand in the poison, you moron?¡± Willow shouted, gesturing angrily at Nicholas, who stood too close to her with his chest puffed up and a furious expression on his flushed red face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lecture me! You don¡¯t even have a beast yet and you¡¯re a Beast Tamer ¨C what can you even do?¡± Nicholas yelled.


    Willow¡¯s face crumbled and as she turned away, Teagan could hear her choking on her sobs as she failed to prevent herself from crying.


    ¡°Weakling,¡± Nicholas spat and threw himself angrily to the ground.


    But Teagan had to agree with her friend, she was simply unable to keep up with the insane healing and Nicholas had not helped in the slightest by repeatedly getting himself poisoned.


    She was about to get up to comfort her friend when a cool voice interrupted her.


    ¡°How was it?¡±


    Teagan glanced up to find Aiden crouching beside her.


    ¡°Harder than Vivian said,¡± she admitted, biting her lip against the pride in her heart and angrily blinking away the bitter tears of defeat. But even if he was her rival, and even if it meant losing to him, she could not simply let him take his team in there without a proper warning.


    ¡°We nearly died.¡±


    Aliandra


    Ali let her point of view drop from her Kobold warrior raid boss and rubbed the back of her neck.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Both groups failed badly, but nobody died, thankfully.¡± That had been her biggest worry ¨C she hadn¡¯t been even the slightest bit concerned that she might be reducing their experience by supervising the fight and intending to save them if it went wrong.


    ¡°That hard?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± It seemed she had a lot to learn about boss design and group strategy. With Calen¡¯s help, she had made her first boss, and whether she considered it luck or the opposite, she had created something extraordinarily effective ¨C at least for its level.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°The boss taunted Braden off the rogue, and it ran wild, almost killing their healer and mage. Aiden¡¯s group simply couldn¡¯t keep up with the healing and had to run.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that group has a weakness in healing ¨C their only healer is Havok, who is also their tank. I wanted to talk with Aiden about that.¡±


    ¡°I forgot to mention I put the Brine Oozes in the sewer channel ¨C both groups were surprised in the middle of the fight. None of them figured out how to handle the mage. It seems that the increased damage from the domain enhancement is something they aren¡¯t equipped to handle.¡± Ali sighed. Her first boss was a dismal failure ¨C at least for the purpose of helping the guild grow.


    ¡°Give them time,¡± Calen answered. ¡°Remember our first try at the Skeletal Wyvern?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± she answered. It had been an epic rout ¨C worse even than the two she had just witnessed from the novices. Without escape potions, she would have died there.


    Vivian Ross


    Vivian sat on the couch in the guild hall, calmly surveying the devastation and defeat that filled the room. Some of them were shouting, some were crying, and some others stared blankly at the walls as if considering their own mortality for the very first time.


    ¡°But she¡¯s a guild member! Why would she make an impossible boss for us? Is she trying to get us killed?¡± Nicholas yelled. He was bickering with Aiden, and although Aiden was defending Aliandra, he lacked his usual energy and poise, seeming to be deflated.


    Vivian had been waiting for this moment for a while now, unsatisfied with the commitment to excellence that was required to be a successful adventurer from many of the guild members. When Aliandra had come in a panic to warn her about the new raid boss, she had realized that it would be the catalyst that brought things to a head. She was just glad nobody had died in the lesson, although by the snippets of their accounts, it had been a close call for many.


    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re just not good enough,¡± Vivian declared, cutting through the angry voices, and leaving a wake of shocked silence across the entire guild hall. She could guess who would stay and who would give up, but there were a couple that teetered on the edge. How they chose would change the course of the guild for the next couple of months for certain.  After all, without consistent quality, a single weak member could take out a team of even the most experienced adventurers in the blink of an eye. She had seen it before. She had lived it. Going easy on them now would be the same as killing them herself.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Nicholas said, turning on her. ¡°That boss is impossible!¡±


    ¡°If you had followed the instructions, listened to your teammates, and paid attention, you might have won,¡± Vivian answered, keeping her voice calm ¨C aloof.


    ¡°Fuck you. You can take your provisional membership and shove it up your ass, I¡¯m done with you morons,¡± he yelled, and stormed out of the guild, throwing his ring at Mieriel on the way out.


    ¡°Anyone else?¡± Vivian asked, her voice sounding loud in the shocked silence.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s too much for me. I¡­ I don¡¯t want to be Fireballed again. I nearly died,¡± Blair said, getting up and walking out. She at least handed in her ring politely before she left.


    She was followed shortly after by both provisional members of Aiden¡¯s team.


    Vivian thought, pressing her lips together. Every single provisional member had now abandoned the guild and she was back to square one, if not worse, depending on what followed.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Vivian asked, turning to hold Willow¡¯s teary-eyed gaze. ¡°You done too?¡± Willow was one of the two that she was most worried about. The girl had great instincts, but something had happened down there that caused her to be an emotional wreck, and Vivian was not quite sure what it was.


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving my friends in the lurch. If you think I¡¯m too weak, you will have to kick me out yourself,¡± Willow sniffed, but her tear-stained face was nonetheless reddening with anger.


    Vivian thought. She was already familiar with Willow¡¯s class and her inability to find a good beast companion to unlock the full power of her abilities. Willow was doing the right thing by waiting to find something strong, a good fit, but someone must have called her out on it, and it had struck a nerve.  Unfortunately, she needed to be sure.


    ¡°If you¡¯re too weak, you will bring your friends down with you. What can you bring to the team?¡± Vivian asked, never letting her voice deviate from her calm rational delivery, not able to give even an ounce of softness to acknowledge the tears and frustration.


    ¡°I¡­ I know I don¡¯t have my beast yet, but¡­ I can see the poison traps. I learned I can kite the Fire Mage¡­ But what¡¯s the point? We don¡¯t have enough people anymore¡­¡± she sniffed and wiped her eyes. ¡°Are you going to throw me out?¡±


    Vivian thought, a little surprised. She had expected Willow to cave and walk out, but there seemed to be some resilience to the girl, the way she bent under pressure but didn¡¯t snap in a way that seemed reminiscent of her name.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t kick you out,¡± Vivian said. ¡°And it seems we have the perfect number of people.¡±


    There were a few surprised noises throughout the room before she continued.


    ¡°Now that they¡¯ve left, we¡¯ll reform you all into a single group,¡± she said. This was where her last challenge lay. If Teagan could accept it, they would continue, but without her, the group would fail. They simply didn¡¯t have enough healing otherwise.


    ¡°You will form a raid group of ten, under the leadership of Aiden,¡± she announced, keeping an eye on Teagan as she absorbed the news.


    ¡°May I ask why him and not me?¡± she said, her voice struggling with emotional strain.


    ¡°Yes, he is better suited to the leadership role for this fight. You were too hasty, driven by your competitiveness, and you took on the fight without proper preparation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have taken the risk with their lives. I understand and I hope I can still be a member even if you don¡¯t want me to lead.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get the wrong idea, Teagan. You have good skills and the potential to be a great group leader. Today was a lesson, not a demotion, you¡¯re still the leader of your team. For this fight ¨C just this raid ¨C Aiden is the better choice. If you continue to learn and keep improving, it will be you who is the better choice for some fights.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Teagan said, her eyes downcast and her arms wrapped tightly around her chest.


    ¡°Now tell me what you learned from that fight, and we¡¯ll formulate a proper strategy.¡± Vivian already knew what the boss configuration was from her meeting with Aliandra, but the process was as important as the fight itself, and they all needed to experience it for themselves.


    ¡°The warrior and the rogue hit a lot harder than the trash Kobolds in the sewers,¡± Teagan muttered, still seeming somewhat deflated by her decision, but perhaps encouraged by the feedback. ¡°More than twice as hard. It took all my healing just to keep Braden alive.¡±


    ¡°The warrior has a Taunt, I lost the rogue,¡± Braden said.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Aiden gasped.


    ¡°I can map the poison traps,¡± Willow added, still looking upset, but making an effort to contribute positively.


    ¡°There are Ooze adds in the water,¡± Seth said. ¡°Two of them. I think they¡¯re linked to the boss.¡±


    ¡°The rogue is very good at slipping into the shadows if you are even slightly distracted,¡± Kaitlyn added. ¡°Probably need someone with high perception to mark him at all times.¡±


    Vivian thought, listening to the list of abilities and observations each of them had made while the fight had been collapsing around them. With that, the entire group shifted their focus to what they had learned, sharing observations and beginning to formulate a plan. Vivian sat back and listened, only offering input and guidance when they seemed about to make a serious mistake.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 152: Death’s Unyielding Grasp

    -


    Alexander Gray


    ¡°Arise.¡±


    The voice spoke with the authority of an undeniable will.


    To Alexander¡¯s immense surprise, his body obeyed, rising to his feet even before he even knew it had happened. But that was a distant second to his surprise at the fact that he could hear anything at all.


    His body felt strange, like his skin had been removed and stitched back on just a little too tight. His joints were creaky, and his muscles felt stiff ¨C like he hadn¡¯t used them in a long while, and they had somehow grown dusty and decrepit in the meantime, but he seemed to move with a power he had not had before waking.


    He opened his eyes.


    Before him he saw a cobbled stone street, badly in need of repair, leading to a town square that was stained and broken. Around the square was the rubble of several caved-in buildings that had once made a town. A town he recognized.


    It filled him with a bubbling cauldron of rage and frustration to recall the killing blow from those whelps. He should have been the one to destroy them, and yet his life had drained away as his Bone Avatar failed and he had fallen to the ground, thoroughly drained of mana by that irritating Ahn Khen girl.


    ¡°¡± the chilling voice interrupted his thoughts of revenge with a thrum of power that hammered through his body, driving him to his knees in the dirt. The voice conveyed implacable, undeniable power, as if a dark hand had reached within and grasped his heart with frozen claws.


    ¡°Master¡­¡± he managed before the voice continued, and his own throat cut him off from interrupting.


    ¡°¡±


    He glanced down at his hands, finding his skin black and tight around his bones as if his very flesh had withered and rotted away within. And yet he could still move. It was only then that he noticed he was not breathing, nor could he feel the beating of his own heart.


    With growing horror, he identified himself.


    He had been raised as an undead, and now he was beholden to his master by an intimate and inescapable bond of compulsion. He was a minion. Like his own zombies and skeletons had been his to command.


    ¡°¡±


    Alexander risked glancing up to see the robe floating past where he still groveled in the dirt. The Blind Lich did not even look at him as he passed, instead heading toward the broken town square.


    ¡°¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± He tried to ask a question, but the compulsion that bound his dead heart denied him the words.


    Beside Nevyn Eld, a huge prism of black stone suddenly appeared, crunching into the cobblestones, crushing them under its apparently immense weight.


    The Lich made a few adjustments, and suddenly the entire stone artifact levitated a few feet into the air, and runes flared with sudden brightness as he activated it. It flickered, and its name changed.


    ¡°.¡±


    It was a command, and his body obeyed. He rose to his feet rushing to do his master¡¯s bidding. His gnarled, desiccated hand touched the artifact and a chime resonated within his mind.


    His own will was irrelevant. He accepted at once, binding himself to the shrine as commanded.


    He carefully read through the offered skills, painfully aware that Nevyn Eld was floating beside him, with an unnerving stillness, waiting for him to comply.


    Quickly, he discarded Twin Binding and Summoning. He was still a Blight Summoner, so he needed no assistance summoning minions. Enrage he discarded next, along with all the attribute enhancements other than wisdom or intelligence. Affinity Aura was clearly the most powerful, and he could apply Nova Strike to his Death Evocation or his Sacrifice, but neither seemed all that exciting.


    He considered it for a couple of moments, trying to decide if he had the courage, but the compulsion did not seem to be blocking him.


    ¡°Master, may I ask if you have any advice for choosing Domain Magic?¡± Undead were supposed to be immune to fear, but he felt himself trembling inside as Nevyn Eld turned his inscrutable blindfolded face to regard him.


    ¡°¡±


    ¡°As you wish, Master.¡±


    He selected his options quickly.


    The artifact thrummed and its power surged through Alexander¡¯s withered body, expanding his mind and his undead flesh. He screamed as it soaked deeper, tearing at his mana and his unlife. His bones stretched. His withered skin tore from the pressure, reforming and knitting closed under the influence of the forces coursing through his shriveled veins.


    Slowly the power waned, and then his own mana reacted, bursting forth from his body in a surge that bathed the entire town square in death magic. Finally, it ceased.


    ¡°¡±


    Nevyn Eld¡¯s approval sent a thrill through his dead flesh, superseding even the feeling of an enormous augmentation to his power. Alexander gazed north and said, ¡°With this power, I will raze Myrin¡¯s Keep to the ground, and bring you the dungeon of ¨C¡±


    ¡°¡±


    A chill grasped Alexander¡¯s dead heart as the Blind Lich turned toward him. Instantly, he fell to his knees, frozen in place, unable to speak.


    ¡°The voice echoed strangely in Alexander¡¯s mind, like the tearing of old parchment in a vast crypt. ¡°¡±


    ¡°W¡­ what are your orders, Master?¡±


    ¡°¡± the Blind Lich whispered, his voice speaking directly into Alexander¡¯s mind. ¡°¡±


    The Lich¡¯s voice ripped through his body, tightening its chilling icy grip of compulsion on his heart.


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± He somehow managed to remain on his feet, but his entire body trembled.


    With that, Nevyn Eld vanished, leaving Alexander bound to the shrine in the center of the ruined town square of the former town of Lyton, the awful grip of his presence suddenly gone. But the chilling claws clamped around his heart remained, and he knew he would never be free of their unyielding grasp.


    ***


    His Master had left, and with him went any opportunity for Alexander to get answers to the thousands of questions that tumbled through his mind.


    That thought rankled most ¨C that this directive would leave his appetite for revenge unsated. Yet, his Master¡¯s purpose was vast, and he had been chosen for greater things, a greater purpose.


    Deciding to explore first, he walked toward the nearest of the collapsed buildings. He tried to remember what Lyton had been like, but he couldn¡¯t ¨C it was one more of so many little towns just like it. But as soon as Alexander stepped more than three yards from the giant floating prism of black stone, he felt resistance and pain that grew sharply with every inch he moved beyond the invisible limit.


    He backed up, returning to the shrine, and the pain and resistance vanished. He tried again in several different directions, but the result was the same. He was confined within a tiny three-yard radius of the shrine his Master had bound him to.


    He had orders, and he felt the chill of the compulsion pressing in on him, but he still had no idea how to proceed. Unable to leave the area, he turned his attention to inspecting the shrine instead.


    Lyton Ruins


    Owner: Alexander Gray.


    Teleportation Locus .


    Mana Siphon .


    Mana: Deconstruct an unresisting or inanimate target, imprinting its structure. Range: Domain.


    Mana: Summon an imprinted item or creature.


    Mana: Apply a Domain Enhancement.


    Mana: Recharge the shrine¡¯s mana reserve. 219/20,000


    Shrine ¨C Artifact


    Immediately, he saw a way to obey, and he switched the Teleportation Locus to ¡®Active¡¯, as Nevyn Eld had commanded. As he did so, the icy clutch of his compulsion eased, and he might have breathed a sigh of relief, but he seemed to have forgotten the skill of breathing.


    There were several curious abilities listed on the shrine, and as the owner, he would be able to use them. Presumably, they held the answers to most of his questions, but first, he needed to understand what ruin his transition to undead had wrought on his class and abilities.


    sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He studied the status page for a long time, stunned by the changes. The first, and perhaps most obvious change was that he was no longer human ¨C and that he had lost seven class levels to his death. Again, he felt the anger and the powerful urge to seek his revenge, but his compulsion tightened, reminding him that he was to head south ¨C the opposite direction to Myrin¡¯s Keep and the frustrating group that had caused his untimely death.


    Several of his class skills had lost skill levels, but he had lost none of his advances, meaning his class was almost entirely intact. He had some of his gear, and his ring still held several potions and the couple of the most important corpses he kept in there for emergencies.


    But it was his new Aptitudes and his resources that captured his attention. His ascension to undeath had granted him immunity to poison and disease, and the ability to heal from death magic damage. That change alone was going to make him nearly unkillable, provided his Blight and the miasma it produced counted.


    His binding to the shrine had granted him three Domain Magic skills ¨C a wide aura of death magic and a huge boost to his wisdom and intelligence ¨C and a damage multiplier that more than doubled all his damage. But his life, mana, and stamina had been raised to absurdly high levels. The number of minions he could raise with thirty-nine mana was frankly insane, and despite not having a working heart, he felt excitement rising within him. He heard his own voice rhythmically grating and realized he was laughing ¨C a freakish sound created by undead flesh that did not need breath. But that simply made him laugh more.


    Eventually, he turned his attention back to the shrine, and the abilities listed there. He attempted to use the first one, focusing on the cobbled stones of the town square beneath his feet. It took a tiny amount of mana from the shrine¡¯s reserve, and over the space of about ten seconds, the stone sparkled, emitting floating motes of light until suddenly it vanished in a pop of light, leaving a gap in the paving. He experimented with it several more times, trying to figure out what it was for. After destroying a sizeable chunk of the cobbles, he suddenly received a notification.


    He had found two of the shrine abilities referenced imprints ¨C it seemed the first one was for collecting imprints, and the second one was for using them, so he switched to the second one to see if he could figure out how it worked. As soon as he focused on it, the skill presented him with a list of choices.


    He suddenly understood Nevyn Eld¡¯s orders. He was to produce an army of Wights and Skeletal Wyverns for him, and there they were at the end of the list of imprints. But the prior dungeon had filled the imprint slots with a lot of other things, some of which looked like they may be useful, but most looked like a waste.


    he mused, rubbing his bony chin. All he heard was the rasp of his fingers. There was no sensation at all.


    He chose one of the two empty slots to record his new granite imprint, finding it to be rather intuitive, and then he tried to create some, but the shrine was out of mana. He quickly refilled it with twenty-thousand mana from his own mana pool, leaving him with a still-astronomical nineteen thousand mana, which was already beginning to regenerate. He used some of the mana to create granite and found that it created cobblestone-sized chunks of stone, taking about a minute to complete each one.


    He started working his way through the imprints to see what each one could do. Bone simply created various bones that seemed surprisingly worthless because they were not corpses he could resurrect. Perhaps he could use them to create an abomination, but there were so many better options. Most of the early imprints were various forms of weapons or armor, several of the imprints creating slightly different variations, seemingly at random.


    But when he got to the twelfth entry and made a Blackened Deathcap Mushroom, he felt something shift in his sense of the domain he had been granted. His space was so small, that he instantly felt the release of pressure closing him in, and in moments he found that the mushroom had expanded the space he could comfortably be in. The radius grew slowly, but he immediately planted a bunch of them all around the edge of his area, excited to be able to acquire access to more space.


    While he waited to see how much room the mushrooms would ultimately give him, he summoned a Kobold warrior. The monster appeared before him, gleaming with green scales and a reptilian face. And just like his zombies or skeletons, it appeared to be bound to his will. Immediately, he cast Sacrifice on it, reaping its life for a temporary power boost, and then raised its skeleton to serve him.


    He had always had to carry corpses to start his army or find something to kill first with his bolts of death magic. But now he could just summon living monsters and turn them into undead whenever he needed. He amused himself for a while creating every kind of monster and turning them variously into zombies or skeletons. Only the Piercer Scorpion and the Spitter Drone proved to be duds ¨C elementals that were not compatible with his mana. He simply had no use for them and would replace them as soon as he found something better.


    When his mushrooms stopped expanding his domain, he grew new ones all around the border, expanding yet again in an ever-growing ring that blanketed the former town square. When he finally reached the forest, he used his Deconstruction skill to demolish the dead trees, making himself more and more space, until his notification chimed again.


    Curious, he added the imprint to the final empty slot and created a Blighted Oak at the boundary of his domain. As soon as he completed it, he knew he would keep it. The black tree was large, spreading dead boughs wide, and every inch of its surface oozed the miasma of his Undead Blight. And more importantly, it expanded his domain far quicker and wider than the mushrooms.


    As he strolled through the decrepit and run-down streets of Lyton, his new domain, he understood how he could serve. He had an enormous mana pool, thanks to the shrine and Nevyn Eld¡¯s advice, and he had the imprints to serve him. All he needed now was to expand and gain his levels back, and maybe earn some more powerful imprints. There were so many little towns along the way to plunder.


    He channeled his mana into the shrine imprints and began his task.


    ¡°¡± he commanded. Myrin¡¯s Keep would pay. It was only a matter of time. First, he needed to get stronger.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 153: The Forging of a Raid Team

    - Thomas Belray, Rogue, Last Words.


    Willow


    Willow picked her way among the mushrooms sprouting from the vibrant moss growing on the damp brick of the sewer and hopped over the water channel, keeping her eyes on the dark nooks and side tunnels. The nervous chatter from the newly formed raid group filtered up to her, letting her know they¡¯d finished with the last Kobold she had brought them.


    She turned the corner, catching signs of movement in the water and the telltale glow of a root trap off to the side. The entrance to the chamber with the powerful Kobold boss loomed darkly at the end of the tunnel. Willow drew her bow, aiming at the dirty green slime lurking below the surprisingly clean water. She was no longer being embarrassed by her tears, but every time she thought of the Guildmaster and her harsh assessment, she felt a burning in her cheeks and a thickness in her throat. Why she hadn¡¯t been kicked out of the guild, she had no idea. She was level nine already ¨C one of the highest in the guild ¨C but she was by far the weakest on the team. Half her skills lay dormant, still at level one, because she had been unable to find a good beast for her Ritual of Bonding.


    Without the cooperation of a beast, she would remain half a class. The problem was the forest had been consumed by blight and all the natural beasts had been turned into undead. In theory, her ritual was capable of breaking a monster from the clutches of a dungeon and inviting a fresh soul into it, but that would require finding a beast dungeon somewhere ¨C and who knew how long that would take? She sighed, eyeing the Toxic Slimes that hauled themselves out of the water channel to pursue her.


    Willow sprinted back to the approaching team with her slimes blobbing along behind her. The strategy discussion at the guild had been quite eye-opening. Aiden¡¯s group had discovered several things that she hadn¡¯t even noticed ¨C for example, that only two of the oozes, the biggest blue ones, were linked to the boss. The rest could be pulled separately ¨C something she hadn¡¯t even thought to try. As the weakest damage dealer, they had assigned that job to her.


    She grimaced at the thoughts of charity ¨C pity. The group killed the slimes so quickly that Willow barely had time to pause.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear to the entrance,¡± she said.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s form up and review the plan,¡± Aiden said.


    Willow listened patiently while Aiden summarized a vastly more complex plan than the one they had tried the first time around, her heart beginning to race. The most subtle nuances of the plan had been hard-won through painful experience, and everyone knew it. Chatter faded as tension rose to fill the tunnel.


    ¡°You ready?¡± Flynn whispered. He was a slightly chubby guy with a boyish-looking face, and he would be her partner for most of the fight.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Willow said, glancing at the brown-robed earth mage putting on a brave face ¨C his fake confidence marred by the white knuckles of the hand that gripped his plain wooden staff. He had suggested summoning some rock walls for her as she kited the Fire Mage. Her job would be to keep the deadly mage busy, and it rankled that she couldn¡¯t even be trusted to do that by herself ¨C even if she knew that was irrational. She forced a smile at Flynn, but his sudden return grin lit his face banishing all signs of anxiety ¨C and, surprisingly, lifted her spirits.


    ¡°Let¡¯s kick some Kobold butt,¡± he declared.


    Despite her despondency, she snorted.


    ¡°Willow, can you pull the slimes when you¡¯re ready?¡± Aiden asked.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to do it?¡± Willow asked, glancing at Kaitlyn ¨C the other archer in their group. She grimaced. Her insecurities had betrayed her again.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried my lightning arrows will aggro the whole room,¡± Kaitlyn said. ¡°You¡¯re the better choice.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Willow said. She crept forward to the entrance and scanned the room, picking out the highly camouflaged water-affinity oozes lurking in the sewer channel. A little of her confidence returned. She nocked an arrow and drew, sighting carefully before releasing her shot. It flew out into the room with a quiet swoosh, piercing the water and the slime crawling beneath the surface. The monster surged out of the channel, splashing water across the damp brick as it slithered up and onto the land. Willow ducked back into the tunnel as a high-speed bolt of water took a chip of brick out of the wall, and she sprinted for Havok, luring the ooze into the relative safety of the tunnel.


    The tiny Goblin lit an array of holy magic buffs, turning himself into a beacon of light in the dark tunnel, and charged the incoming Brine Ooze. The dull wet splat of enchanted wood striking ooze signaled that Willow was free. Leaving it to them, she headed back to the boss room, searching out the next ooze, relieved to find the Kobolds still standing there in the back of the chamber.


    The pulls all went smoothly and, in a few minutes, the room was cleared of everything she could split. ¡°That¡¯s the last one,¡± Willow said as the blue ooze popped. She eyed it closely as Seth raised it as a zombie.


    ¡°Ok, buff up,¡± Aiden said. ¡°Havok will pull the boss and tank the rogue. Braden, go in second and pull the warrior off him.¡±


    Havok and Braden nodded in turn. The tanking decision had been made, Willow recalled, entirely due to Havok having enough wisdom to resist the warrior¡¯s taunt. At least in theory, he should be able to keep the rogue under control. Also, the plate-clad Goblin¡¯s class was far more invested in the defense trait than Braden¡¯s, and Teagan had been hopeful that would mitigate the ridiculous damage the rogue dished out.


    ¡°Willow and Flynn will take care of the mage for the first part of the fight while everyone else kills the healer. After the healer is down, the kill order is mage, then rogue, and finally the warrior,¡± Aiden continued.


    That was the tricky part, Willow would have to make sure she didn¡¯t get hit by the fireballs. Healing was expected to be hard, so she had made certain to stock up on health potions from the alchemy shop, Pretty Powerful Potions, near the guild.


    ¡°Havok will mainly focus on healing the tanks, and Teagan will heal everyone. Did I miss anything?¡± Aiden concluded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stand in the poison?¡± Willow said. ¡°I left an arrow with a red ribbon in the center of all the poison traps on this side of the channel.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s clever,¡± Aiden said.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t be strong, at least be useful, right?¡± Willow answered, but her attempted joke fell flat, getting only a quiet chuckle from Flynn and a hesitant smile from Seth.


    ¡°Aah, yes, thanks,¡± Aiden said. ¡°Ok, get ready.¡±


    ¡°Can I get Amplify Damage on the mage if you have time?¡± Willow asked quietly as the tanks readied their shields. It was an amazing curse, and with it, she could be certain to keep the mage¡¯s attention even after the entire group swapped to it.


    ¡°Yup, no problem,¡± Seth answered. Some of the members of Aiden¡¯s group were conspicuously keeping their distance from the necromancer and his fresh army of zombies and skeletons, but Willow liked him ¨C he was dependable and pretty friendly.


    ¡°Ok, Havok, get us started.¡±


    The small green Goblin, blazing with the light of his holy magic, stepped through the entryway and into the room. The rest of the group filed in behind him, taking their positions, and as soon as the formation was set, Havok charged. He shot across the moss-covered room in a blur of high-speed movement. Right behind him, Braden followed with a similar charge skill, and the Kobold warrior¡¯s sword clashed against his shield as he shouted the alarm. Every Kobold immediately sprang into action.


    The moment the Fire Mage paused to summon an angry red ball of flame, Willow let her arrow fly. Undetected amid the sudden eruption of chaos and noise, her arrow struck the mage, burying itself in his left shoulder, and drawing an angry yip of pain. His head snapped around, and hateful reptilian eyes locked on her. Willow fled, making for the far corner of the chamber as new fire sprang from the monster¡¯s fearsome talons. She leapt the water channel and dodged the poison trap, glancing back at the red glare of fire and angry eyes trained on her.


    she thought, even her inner voice growing shrill with rising panic. There was no cover anywhere and she was a sitting duck if that Fireball came her way. She loosed a second arrow but missed.


    The sewer brick creaked and then splintered, showering her with dust and rubble as a massive wall of stone burst from the ground. She dove for cover as the roiling ball of flame shot out toward her. Even behind the rock wall, the powerful concussion shook her to the core and a vast wave of flame surged past on both sides, scorching her skin and singeing her hair.


    Willow popped her head out from behind her cover and loosed another arrow, sending it flying across the chaos of the battlefield to strike the mage in the leg. The instant it hit, she could tell Seth had remembered the curse ¨C the Kobold screeched and stumbled before the Acolyte healed him. But that wasn¡¯t her problem ¨C all she had to do was keep it facing the corner and the fireballs coming her way allowing the rest of the team to do their jobs.


    Another creaking and splintering of rock told her there was a second rock wall behind her, and she turned and sprinted again, keeping her stamina flowing through Fleet Footed so that she could reach cover in time. She caught the high-speed flash of flame and dove for the ground as the Firebolt scorched past her ear. She rolled up onto her feet and fired an arrow, ducking behind the rock wall without even waiting to verify the hit.


    She caught a quick glimpse of the flickering frenetic chaos of the battlefield. Pressed up against the far wall of the chamber, wreathed in holy magic, the little Goblin faced off against the high-speed dagger strikes of the vicious, black-scaled rogue ¨C Willow could hear the rapid clanging of steel against plate even from where she crouched. Standing side-by-side with him, Braden tanked the giant Kobold warrior, deflecting powerful blows of the vicious bone sword with his already battered shield, taking advantage of the healing fire of Havok¡¯s consecrated ground at his feet.


    Dead center in the chamber, the beleaguered Kobold Acolyte was being mobbed by a massive melee of skeletons and zombies, interspersed with the close-range members of their raid. The blinding white of Aiden¡¯s ice blades shone brightly amid the undead, while the air shimmered as Devan¡¯s Wind Cutter dagger strikes danced among them.


    Willow couldn¡¯t keep track of all the details, but it was enough to tell her things were more or less going according to plan. She ducked behind the rock wall and put her fingers in her ears right as a fresh Fireball detonated against her cover. From the pain and ringing in her ears, she wasn¡¯t quite certain her fingers had even helped, but at least Flynn¡¯s rock walls were remarkably effective barriers against the explosive fire.


    with a wild yell, she sprinted back to the other rock wall, firing an arrow on the way. She grinned at the sight of her arrow striking home, burying itself in his ribs, leaving only the fletchings jutting out from the crimson robes. In the background, the crack of rocks flying into things with wet thuds, the loud reports and flashes of lightning, and the clashing of steel were overlaid with the shrill unholy scream of Seth¡¯s Volatile Wraith. As she lined up another shot, she saw the Wraith flying through the Fire Mage¡¯s chest, drawing a pained howl from the monster.


    she thought. It was the only monster without any allies near it, it had Amplify Damage on it, and the Wraith¡¯s distraction of her target was already creating bigger windows of time for her to shoot and dodge. She managed to get off two shots before sprinting off to the next rock wall, leaving the mage approaching the now vacated one.


    Willow popped out and fired again, barely dodging a Firebolt as she continued her deadly game of cat-and-mouse with the furious Fire Mage. The rest of the battle faded into the background as the crashes and shouts blended into an incoherent buzz of noise. It was just her and the mage, and if she made a mistake, she would be badly hurt, if not killed. She found herself grinning maniacally as she ducked and dodged between the rock walls, always barely a step ahead of the explosions. Always vigilant for any changes to the mage¡¯s routine. She darted sideways just in time, wincing as the skin on her neck began to blister.


    Suddenly, the shouting grew closer, and, when she popped her head around the wall to fire, she saw the frost-gleaming swords slashing through the crimson robes as Aiden charged the mage. A heavy barrage of lightning arrows hit it squarely in the chest and Willow¡¯s eyes widened at the powerful display of Kaitlyn¡¯s lightning archery. Willow snapped off another arrow, careful not to hit her teammates, and ducked behind cover, catching a glimpse of Devan appearing from nowhere with her daggers flying. A gruesome shower of Kobold blood sprayed into the air.


    Her glance took in the crumpled body of the Kobold Acolyte lying beside the sewer channel and realized she had missed the chime of it dying. For the first time since they had tried this boss, excitement and hope began to rise within her heart.


    she told herself, but the combination of her arrows and Seth¡¯s Amplify Damage curse had so badly angered the mage, that she continued to draw all its fire while dodging between the walls of stone. Not even the full power of the raid unleashed at it could shake its focus.


    It took perhaps five or six minutes before an anticipated explosion of flame failed to materialize, and instead, she heard the beautiful sound of a chime in her mind. She poked her head out cautiously, and sure enough, the deadly Fire Mage lay in a bloody, battered heap on the damp ground while the entire raid sprinted for the far wall to corner and tackle the cunning rogue.


    She took a deep breath and emerged from cover, joining the small group of ranged damage dealers. ¡°Thanks,¡± she nodded to Flynn.


    ¡°No problem,¡± he smiled. ¡°Good work!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the cat-on-hot-bricks technique was great, right?¡± she grinned back.


    There was only a single trap belching poison off to the side, but nobody was standing in it. Teagan fired a green beam of healing into the pair of tanks while downing a freshly crafted potion Basil handed her. She wore an intense expression of pure focus, but it was different than before. Willow studied her friend for a moment.


    Willow smiled and nocked an arrow to her bowstring. The rogue was solidly locked down by Havok, and Willow didn¡¯t have to move an inch for the entire five minutes it took for their group to whittle down his strength until the kill chime finally sounded. But it was a further ten minutes of constant attack before the warrior finally dropped, and Willow was running low on arrows and stamina by the end.


    she thought.


    The incredibly durable warrior finally collapsed with a chime and a crash of heavy armor against brick, and Willow walked over and slumped down beside Teagan, both spent. She smiled at her friend and got an exhausted grin in return.


    It barely felt real. She even opened her notifications to double-check.


    ¡­


    Willow¡¯s mind¡¯s eye glazed over. While the others were chatting excitedly about the battle, and the above-average quality of the items the Kobolds had worn, Willow simply stared at the notifications, barely seeing most of them.


    She was officially a bronze-rank adventurer. Her notifications continued chiming as her class offered her choices for her first class skill unlock.


    ¡°Hey! Beast Tamer!¡±


    The loud shout from the other archer, Kaitlyn, cut across the jubilance of the raid. Willow cringed inside. Criticism of her abilities, her class, and her limited role and performance in the battle. This was where they would decide she was weak enough that she didn¡¯t deserve a cut of the loot that they had earned as a team.


    But the biting words and critical glares didn¡¯t¡­ arrive? The tall girl stood over a hole at the far end of the chamber, staring intently at something below her feet. She glanced back at Willow and urgently gestured her over, with a look of ¡­ excitement?


    Willow clambered to her feet up, still half-expecting hostility and criticism, but when she got to Kaitlyn, the other girl grinned at her and pointed. There was a spiral staircase made of glowing transparent golden magic that hovered in the air leading downward into a cavern.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say your ritual works on dungeon spawn?¡±


    ¡°It can,¡± Willow said. Of course, that was all theoretical given she¡¯d never had the opportunity to try it. ¡°But it¡¯s harder, the literature says it requires time to invite a new soul to replace the dun ¨C¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a beast, will it work for you?¡± Kaitlyn said, interrupting her and pointing down into the darkness below.


    Willow frowned at her in confusion, letting her eyes follow the direction she pointed. And from deep in the darkness a pair of emerald-green eyes gleamed back at her. Electricity seemed to jolt up through her spine, causing her scalp to prickle as if it were trying to tear itself loose.


    Willow identified it twice, just to be sure. Her voice cracked as she yelped, ¡°Teagan! Help?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Teagan exclaimed, alarmed and sprinting across the chamber to join her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t attack it, please?¡± Willow asked, turning to Kaitlyn. ¡°I might get hurt in the process, please just heal me, no attacking.¡±


    She gulped as she stared at the enormous dark shape of the Timber Wolf. This was her chance. It had to be.


    Both the girls nodded, and Willow darted down the stairs as fast as she could. She was channeling her Ritual of Bonding skill before she even reached the bottom of the stairs.


    The wolf howled and charged immediately, its heavy jaws clamping down on her arm and thrashing back and forth savagely. But Willow just gritted her teeth against the pain, adamantly refusing to budge. She would not lose focus. A beam of green lanced down from above, healing her wounds even as the fangs lacerated her arm.


    This was what her class was, what she was. She could not ¨C would not ¨C give in. Besides, the wolf was gorgeous and powerful, and she dared to hope.


    She struggled with her ritual while an immense pressure built in her mind like an unseen magical tug-of-war ¨C herself against the wolf. She fed it more and more of her mana. The wolf growled, lunging low and snapping its jaws shut on her calf. Pain blossomed as the fangs tore a chunk out of the muscle and she staggered, hamstrung, fighting for consciousness. If she passed out, she would probably die. Worse, she might lose her chance.


    ¡°Willow!¡± Teagan shouted.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    ¡°She alright?¡± Havok worried.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡±


    ¡°Fine at getting eaten!¡± someone shouted. ¡°Get her out of there!¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    She fought on and on. Suddenly, the pressure from her ritual caused something to snap, and the wolf went wild, growling and tearing at the arms she brought up to protect herself. But she refused to attack it, simply blocking and defending herself against the vicious teeth while she pressed more of her mana into her ritual spell.


    ¡°Wait!¡± she called out, sensing Kaitlyn nocking her bow. She simply clung on to her magic, while the wolf savaged her in a one-sided display of violence.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to die!¡± Kaitlyn yelled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot it!¡± Willow shouted.


    ¡°Willow, you¡¯ve got this!¡± Teagan screamed. ¡°Come on!¡±


    Her mouth made a rasping groan she barely recognized as her own.


    Without warning, the wolf backed off, and crouched down, growling deep in its throat.


    The crazy look in its eyes faded and Willow sensed a sudden innocence and curiosity trickling through her ritual magic. She met its gaze and tried to send thoughts of kindness, sharing, exploration, and growing together ¨C all her hopes and dreams bundled together into a messy mishmash of emotions. The very essence of herself.


    ¡°¡± she sent to the brand-new soul inhabiting the wolf before her.


    The wolf lowered its head and finally stopped growling. Willow, trembling so violently she had to clench her teeth lest she chip them, reached out her hand towards the beautiful creature and let it smell her. A few moments later, she retrieved a piece of jerky from the pouch at her belt and offered the snack to the wolf. It sniffed at it and looked at her for a moment, but then it took the offering and ate it. The wolf suddenly sat up, startling her, but it simply licked her face with its enormous tongue.


    There was a sudden rush as her mind connected with the wolf. She could see what the wolf saw, and smell what she smelled. She could taste her own tears as the wolf licked her face again. She sank to the ground and hugged the enormous creature who was suddenly the most beautiful thing in her world.


    ¡°Willow? Are you alright?¡± Teagan asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Teagan, her name is Cami!¡± Willow cried.


    The team¡¯s cheers ebbed and flowed in her hearing as she struggled to come to terms with her emotions.


    Aliandra


    Ali let her awareness return fully to her body, releasing the sight and senses of her minions through which she had been watching the scene.


    ¡°They won,¡± she said ¨C to the obvious relief of her friends.


    ¡°Nobody died?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Nope,¡± she confirmed. ¡°And they all reached at least level ten.¡± Vivian was going to be ecstatic ¨C ten novices had entered that chamber and come out alive as bronze-ranked adventurers. Even Basil and Seth had reached ten.


    ¡°Bronze rank means they can take jobs now,¡± Calen said. ¡°That will be a huge step for the guild. I will go talk to Vivian about it if we¡¯re done with Elvish grammar for today. She will be overjoyed.¡±


    ¡°I think we can let the new bronze ranks break the news,¡± Ali said. ¡°They earned it.¡±


    ¡°Aah, true,¡± he said.


    He had always been invested, but the quiet half-elf seemed different somehow ¨C ever since he had his hair cut and he had donned the Pathfinder cloak. He was right though; this changed a lot for the guild. Bronze rank meant that they were strong enough now to take the zombie kill quests and help clean up the disaster Alexander Gray had unleashed upon the entire region. Good for the guild and for the town, but it would also provide abundant opportunities for them to level up and earn money.


    Lira just sipped on her tea, watching everyone with a serene curiosity and calm, and Ryn was lost to the world immersed in the grammar books Ali had copied earlier.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t pay that much attention to the novices before,¡± Ali said. Vivian had done much to restore their broken trust, but their relationship was cordial rather than friendly. There had to be a different reason.


    ¡°Lyeneru told me to help Vivian tutor them on strategy as part of my own training,¡± he answered with a grimace. But Ali knew it was his discomfort with speaking in front of people and not a reluctance to help them.


    ¡°That sounds like a great idea,¡± she said ¨C and it was. Calen had a mind for strategy and an intuitive grasp of skills and how they interacted. She could also see it helping him get out of his shell a bit and develop more confidence in his own abilities. Questing on his own without Mato, joining the Pathfinders and this new task his mentor had set him seemed to be encouraging him to find himself a little more.


    ¡°True,¡± Calen said. ¡°I just wish it didn¡¯t require lectures.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably a good time to take a break from language lessons, too,¡± she said. They had been working on grammar for the better part of the morning and her two eager students were getting tired.


    She reflected on the encounter she had just witnessed. In order to let them gain full experience for the fight, Ali had not observed from within the chamber, so she had only a peripheral awareness of the strategy they had used, but she trusted Vivian to set them right. She had had to content herself with the sharp snapping of her mana as the Kobolds died one at a time in the order she would have expected.


    It had been nerve-wracking to wait without seeing, hoping she wouldn¡¯t see a kill notification for one of the eager novices. But her fears that her first boss would be the death trap that destroyed all her guildmates hadn¡¯t come to pass ¨C but by the number of levels some of them had earned, it had been hard fought.


    When her reservation holding the Timber Wolf snapped and it went berserk trying to kill Willow, Ali had very nearly intervened to save her. Willow¡¯s impassioned cry to her friends, begging them to hold back, had been the only thing that had stayed Ali¡¯s hand.


    The sensation of Willow¡¯s ritual spell slipping into her Timber Wolf had been skin-crawlingly uncanny, and had replaced her mana bond to the monster. She just wished she had had a minion with mana sight nearby to see what had happened next. she thought, meeting Lira¡¯s eyes.


    Lira had been certain Ali¡¯s minions were merely extensions of her mana, and therefore her will. But that wolf¡­


    And then, there were Willow¡¯s tears of joy as the wolf accepted her¡­ well, Ali would be lying if she tried to pretend that she hadn¡¯t shed a few sympathetic tears herself.


    Ali took a deep breath and switched focus to a different topic ¨C one that she could do something about. She opened Domain Mastery and looked at her enhanced monsters list. It was a short list containing only one monster.


    Kobold Warrior


    Domain Enhancement: Raid.


    Status: Dead.


    Domain: Respawn. Recharge: 5 hours 58 minutes.


    Ali shared the details with everyone. she thought. In six hours, all signs indicated that her domain would resummon her Kobold boss and it would be ready for another fight.


    ¡°A six-hour respawn is nice,¡± Calen said, noting it in his book. ¡°This explains a lot. Remember that pack of wolves that respawned on top of us?¡± Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°How could I forget?¡± Ali said. She had been the one eating dirt that day.


    ¡°I wonder if all dungeons have the same recharge timer?¡± Calen mused. ¡°I suppose it might depend on aptitudes and specializations. Are there advancements that reduce your respawn timer?¡±


    He¡¯d begun to ramble as he speculated, and Ali had no definitive answers for him. At least at this point ¨C maybe she would unlock an advancement like that in the future. ¡°I¡¯ll come with you when you go up to town,¡± she decided. ¡°I need to resummon the other monsters they killed in the sewer.¡± She also hadn¡¯t checked on the trash her Kobolds had collected in a couple of days, and it would be the perfect opportunity to inspect her former wolf.


    ¡°Are you going to use that domain respawn ability on all the trash monsters in the sewer?¡± Calen asked. ¡°It would save you the chore of respawning them all manually.¡±


    ¡°If it increases the reservation cost, I can¡¯t afford it,¡± she answered, still worried about her mana. It was certainly worth exploring given that she had only tried the raid enhancement so far. It was always frustrating testing abilities with long recharge timers.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure the description didn¡¯t say it increased the cost. Come on, let¡¯s go test it,¡± Calen said, getting to his feet. After saying goodbye to Lira and Ryn, the two of them flew to the Kobold warrior¡¯s chamber together.


    The boss chamber looked like a disaster scene. Giant scorch marks marred the walls and floors, leaving wide stretches of blackened moss and burnt mushrooms. Several massive slabs of dark gray basalt jutted out of the ground on one side of the chamber and the corpses of her four Kobolds and several Brine Oozes lay strewn about. All the equipment she had made for them was gone, presumably looted by the raid for gear upgrades or to be sold for expenses.


    ¡°I hope the gear respawns too,¡± she said, but she had a feeling that it might ¨C she could tell the domain imprint was quite extensive. Ever since her Grimoire had added Customization, her monsters were summoned with semi-random gear they were capable of using and she expected either that or the exact same gear to be respawned. None of her traps had been destroyed and they had simply reset on their own as usual.


    ¡°Looks like they marked the traps with this,¡± Calen said, pulling up a snapped arrow with a red ribbon attached to the end.


    ¡°Clever,¡± Ali said, beginning the chore of cleaning up and deconstructing the corpses. she thought, realizing their skeletons were missing. At least, based on her experiences with the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra, she guessed that removing the corpses wouldn¡¯t affect the respawn effect.


    ¡°They must have kited the Fire Mage,¡± Calen said, examining the scorched rock walls. ¡°Someone ran around here dodging Fireballs until they killed the healer.¡±


    It seemed like a good strategy to Ali, at least from what she¡¯d seen of Calen¡¯s ability to kite. But the rock walls were ugly and burnt. First, she added this variant of basalt to her imprint, and then she used the magic of her Grimoire and Domain Mastery in tandem to reshape the remainder, growing the rock walls into thick symmetrical pillars that reached the ceiling before transmuting them to marble.


    ¡°That looks nice,¡± Calen said. ¡°That will provide some cover ¨C it should make the fight just a little easier for teams without earth mages.¡±


    With her Grimoire open, she resummoned the Brine Oozes that were missing or turned into nasty puddles over by the door, and then picked one for her experiment.


    she thought, making her selection.


    Ali waited, but there were no additional notifications, and her reservation remained unchanged. Curious, she opened her Domain Mastery and checked her minions on the list.


    Kobold Warrior


    Domain Enhancement: Raid


    Status: Dead


    Domain: Respawn. Recharge: 5 hours 36 minutes


    Brine Ooze


    Domain Enhancement: Domain


    Status: Alive


    Domain: Respawn. Recharge: 2 hours


    ¡°It works,¡± Ali said, once again sharing the details with Calen. ¡°And it didn¡¯t cost any extra.¡±


    ¡°Two hours,¡± Calen said. ¡°That¡¯s even better.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because the enhancement is weaker, or if it¡¯s just drawing less on the domain itself,¡± Ali mused.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same thing?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t exactly know,¡± Ali said ¨C but she could see the domain mana had far less load on it than when her boss walked in this chamber.


    ¡°At least you can use it on everything,¡± Calen observed.


    ¡°The only disadvantage is that they are limited in how far they can move from where I attach them,¡± Ali said.


    She smiled, realizing just how much time this ability was going to save her.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you finish up here,¡± Calen said. ¡°I¡¯ll go take care of things at the guild.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said, calling a few higher-level minions to join her as guards. Calen vanished into the darkness, leaving her to her task, and she set to it with enthusiasm, resummoning all the slain monsters and bestowing the respawn buff on every last one.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 154: A Gift for a Friend

    Tala¡°Why do I have to do it? I¡¯m an assassin, not a hiring manager,¡± Tala grumbled, glaring at Kieran Mori, but she kept most of her frustration to herself. His orders for her had become more and more annoying of late, and she had held her tongue mostly out of fear of his reputation, but this was too much.


    Politics, administration, and talking to people ¨C it all got in the way of her growth. . An Assassin hiring a mercenary team to kill someone was an Assassin who had given up on their own development.


    Kieran fixed her with a flat, level stare that extinguished her annoyance instantly. He didn¡¯t speak, and the longer he held her gaze the more uncomfortable she got, until she broke eye contact to avoid him.


    ¡°You are ambitious,¡± he said, his voice flat and just as unemotional as his face.


    She squirmed inside, certain she had just annoyed him. Waiting for him to continue was like teetering on the edge of a cliff, not knowing which way she would fall.


    ¡°But you¡¯re surprisingly short-sighted,¡± Kieran said, sighing and finally leaning back in his chair. ¡°Why do you think I put you in charge of the protection operation?¡±


    ¡°Because those two¡­ got themselves killed?¡± She almost said ¡®idiots¡¯ but she didn¡¯t want to risk annoying him further, especially when she couldn¡¯t read his emotional state. She had been shocked when she discovered that Adrik and Edrik had been killed in the street in the middle of a job but, now that she had long since passed their paltry level twenty, she had a far better assessment of just how weak they had been. Being saddled with their responsibilities had really put a crimp on her personal growth, though ¨C filling her time with useless busy work. Nobody seemed to be smart enough to just keep things running without her input.


    ¡°You need to think about the bigger picture. When they got themselves killed, they left a gap in the organization. A leadership position that I had you fill. You¡¯ve done a good job, earning some minor attention and praise from Mr. Hawkhurst himself,¡± Kieran said.


    Tala stared at him without speaking, uncertain if the praise was a buildup for something rough or violent.


    ¡°Although, I could do with less complaining from you,¡± Kieran continued, not even acknowledging her discomfort. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m giving you the job of hiring mercenaries to kill that dungeon?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know?¡± she said. There was absolutely no way she was going to admit it might be because she couldn¡¯t do it yet. His line of reasoning was a perspective she had not expected to come from his mouth.


    ¡°Roderik Icecrown is dead. I need someone to do his job, but you see only the low-level work,¡± Kieran said, his gaze still intently focused on her, like she was a specimen pinned to a board. ¡°You are somehow oblivious to the opportunities presented by his vacant position. I¡¯m giving you this job because I think you can do it, and you will earn the trust of Mr. Hawkhurst if you take care of this matter for him. It will open many more opportunities for you in the long run.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± she nodded, inwardly grinding her teeth as she strove to appear properly demure. She had just assumed that Jax Hawkhurst would appoint another noble to replace Roderik ¨C most of these political maneuverings taking place behind closed doors and beyond her view.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you do,¡± Kieran said, his voice dropping to a quiet whisper. ¡°Roderik and Alexander were both agents for the Shadow Council, and their assigned task involved killing the dungeon. The rumors trickling down suggest that the Master himself had his eye on this project. Now that they¡¯re dead, their job remains unfinished, and the Council is furious. While they bicker amongst themselves about who should take the blame, we have a brief window of opportunity. If you can bring me the corpse of Aliandra Amariel, I can use it as leverage to get you invested as a junior agent.¡±


    Kieran had been stubbornly close-lipped about the organization after he¡¯d briefly mentioned it, and now, for the first time, it seemed the wheels were beginning to turn. While she knew little about the obsessively secretive organization, Kieran had already given her a few jobs in support of their goals, and those had been by far the most rewarding. This could very well be her ticket out of this shithole town. ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°I see you understand now,¡± Kieran said, a satisfied smile on his lips.


    she thought, but still, she was a little disappointed that she wouldn¡¯t be the one to get the experience for plunging her daggers into the back of that Fae. Her lip curled.


    ***


    Tala pushed open the well-worn door to the Crooked Crown and walked directly up to the bar, automatically noting the two tables that might be her customers.


    ¡°Lime Spritzer,¡± she told the bartender. It was a drink for fancy well-to-do people in the nicer parts of town who wanted to be noticed for wasting silver on watered-down wine ¨C not for the likes of the Crooked Crown. But it was her code phrase, and even though she had worked with the Crooked Crown in the past, following protocol was important.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± the bartender said. He slammed a smudged glass down in front of her and poured water from a jug, sloshing it onto the countertop. Then he crushed a slice of lemon over it in his giant vicelike hands and dropped the mashed remains into the glass.


    There was no way she would let that abomination touch her mouth, but she took it anyway, dropping two large silver pieces on the bar. His fee for setting up the meeting.


    He smiled and nodded toward the second table she had identified on her way in.


    Tala strolled casually over to the wobbly table, one leg propped up by a wad of beer-soaked paper ¨C at least, she hoped it was beer ¨C studying the four that sat there.


    The mage was tall and skinny, and he tracked her approach with eyes that flickered with inner fire. His robes were expensive, obviously out of place in an establishment like this one, and although she couldn¡¯t identify him, her sources suggested he was level sixty-three with an impressive set of skills ideally suited to this sort of job.


    Her gaze switched to the muscular half-elf who wore his bow on his back, rather than keeping it stored in a storage item. He had pure white hair down to his shoulders and seemed to be running some aura enchantment that radiated cold from his body, making some of the nearby patrons shift uncomfortably.


    She nodded to the assassin, predictably dressed in black leather armor, and glanced quickly at the warrior before returning her gaze to the mage. He was clearly the leader.


    ¡°No names,¡± she said, sitting down at the open chair without invitation. ¡°I¡¯m your coordinator for this deal. You get five gold up front, and twenty more when you bring me proof of the target¡¯s death.¡± She obviously didn¡¯t mention that Jax had raised the bounty on Aliandra to sixty gold ¨C she would be pocketing the difference. She didn¡¯t even have to pay their fee herself, that money was coming directly from Kieran Mori. She retrieved five gold pieces and placed them neatly stacked on the table in front of her, noticing the sudden alert attention from the assassin. The mage simply ignored it. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°What¡¯s the job?¡± he asked.


    ¡°This is your target,¡± Tala said, retrieving a picture and placing it before them. ¡°Aliandra Amariel, a Fae Arcane and Nature-affinity mage. You can find her below the sewers, using this map.¡± She placed another piece of paper in front of the mage ¨C a map to the rockfall that led to the underground cavern where she had first found Aliandra, about to be eaten by wolves. Idly, she wondered how different life might have been if the problematic Fae had simply let the wolves eat her that day.


    ¡°Level? Skills? Any allies we need to worry about?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s level fifty. She wields barrier magic and can summon minions ¨C mostly Kobolds. She has three friends of a similar level, but two of them haven¡¯t been seen for quite a while.¡± Tala paused for a moment while the mage absorbed the information, and then she dropped the rest of it. ¡°She¡¯s a dungeon.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± the mage said calmly, finally reaching for the map and the portrait, surprising Tala. She was certain that would have gotten at least a look of surprise. ¡°We did our homework when your people contacted us, and we assumed it was something like that. We have experience clearing dungeons, and my skills are uniquely suited for disrupting mages, so this should be an easy job.¡±


    ¡°I require the corpse, mostly intact,¡± Tala said, drawing a raised eyebrow. It was not a common requirement for a job, but not unheard of. Mostly it meant that a death ritual or necromancy would be involved, and secrecy would be of utmost importance.


    ¡°That will be extra,¡± the mage said, his expression closed.


    ¡°I can offer twenty percent,¡± Tala said flatly. This was for her ticket into the Shadow Council, and so it would come out of her own funds. Would he negotiate further, or ¨C


    ¡°That works.¡±


    ¡°Very well, I look forward to seeing the results when you¡¯re done,¡± she said, adding one of her own coins to the pile and pushing it across the table where he made the stack disappear with a casual touch.


    Ryn


    Ryn hummed a half-remembered tune to herself as she rearranged the books on the shelves. There were enough now to require proper organization, and she was happy to see it slowly beginning to take the shape of a real library ¨C even if it was still quite small. That would require finding a competent enchanter and getting her Arcane Archive skill imbued into an artifact ¨C no doubt an expensive commission, but Ali had repeatedly shocked her with just how much money she could conjure, seemingly from thin air.


    More and more, Ryn found herself preferring to spend her free time down here with the books she and Ali had collected, rather than passing time in The Reading Corner up in town. Perhaps it was the feeling that she owned at least a part of this endeavor, but she couldn¡¯t deny how it captured her imagination. Every time she gazed up at the dark, empty shelves rising out of sight into the distance, she imagined what it would be like to see it fully lit and loaded with books with people coming just to admire the grandeur of so much knowledge being collected in one place.


    She also shared similar tastes in tea with Lira and had spent quite some time hunting down interesting varieties in town for them both to try.


    ¡°Hi, Ryn, what are you up to?¡±


    She glanced up and smiled as Ali flew in through the upper atrium entrance. ¡°Just finished sorting the books.¡±


    ¡°Do you know if Volle has a library?¡± Ali asked. It was a rather odd question, and she wasn¡¯t quite certain what she was after.


    ¡°I believe so, but it isn¡¯t particularly extensive or renowned, so it wasn¡¯t on my list,¡± Ryn answered. ¡°It¡¯s probably best to spend our money on something more important ¨C I was thinking maybe Southport?¡±


    ¡°Would you mind recording it, as a favor?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°I can, I¡¯m just curious why you want that one of all places?¡± Her Library Teleport had leveled up several times from her extensive use collecting books, and she had several available destinations she hadn¡¯t yet filled.


    ¡°I want to check up on Naia,¡± Ali said. ¡°I left her there by herself and I¡¯m a little worried she might be stuck or something. Or lonely.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t mind,¡± Ryn said. She most certainly didn¡¯t mind using her skills to help Ali reconnect with a friend. Even though Volle¡¯s library was nothing spectacular, it would be another source of books to fill their shelves. There was just one problem. ¡°I don¡¯t think we have enough money for it though ¨C and how am I even going to get there?¡±


    ¡°I have an idea for that,¡± Ali answered, hopping off her barrier and opening her gorgeous magical grimoire.


    But Ryn just stared in confusion at what her friend made. It was a transparent blob filled with many bright sparkling lights. Ali¡¯s grimoire flared once more and a minute later, a chunk of intensely glowing yellow-white crystal appeared on the table.


    ¡°What is this for, Ali?¡± Ryn asked, still baffled.


    ¡°Take this to Weldin Thriftpenny at the guild shop and sell it,¡± Ali said, handing her the Glowstone. She recognized it as a piece of magicite about the size of a chicken¡¯s egg. ¡°You should be able to get enough money to afford teleportation to Volle from Professor Addlestone at the Novaspark Academy. Hopefully, there will be enough left over to purchase a membership at Volle¡¯s library.¡±


    That was all good and well, but¡­ ¡°And what¡¯s the ooze for?¡± Ryn asked, studying the glowing blob.


    ¡°A present for Naia,¡± Ali answered with a grin. ¡°You can pretend it¡¯s your familiar and I¡¯ll make it follow you around. After you get to the library, take it with you out of the city gates and leave it somewhere where nobody can see, and then come home by yourself.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ok!¡± Ryn said. Delivering presents sounded like fun!


    Mato


    Mato hiked out to the furthest outlying fields of the farm, trying to blot out the anguish of the blighted plants from his mind. There were times when it was an enormous advantage to be able to understand the language of plants, but this was not one of them.


    He picked his way carefully through the ruined fields, choosing his first spot, near the dead and rotted trees of the great forest. This would be the last of the farms that needed cleansing. From here on out, it would take some kind of major working of healing magic to banish the blight from the forest ¨C a ritual so great that he had no idea who even might be capable of wielding such power. But if she did, surely she would already have used it?


    It grated on him just how much destruction Alexander Gray had wrought upon the land with his evil necromancy.


    He shifted, twisting his arms toward the sky, stretching and growing while his feet pushed down through the earth, turning into roots. He was becoming much more familiar with his Tree Form, finding the shape to be comforting and soothing now instead of foreign. As he stretched himself into his broad branches and grew his leaves, he reflected on life, as he often did in this form. The lesson Lira had taught him via the Elder Tree had been one of balance, and he had not understood it in the slightest at the time. However, after having spent so much time giving back to the land, healing it from the necromantic blight, he was beginning to grasp the edges of the principle.


    He knew it, of course, deep in his heart ¨C he had friends and family. But, in a way, his service to the land brought it into sharp focus, and it made him feel somehow complete.


    His aura bloomed outward and upward, rippling across the blighted fields and through the land, soothing the plants and trees. The taint of the undead blight infused everything his mana touched, corrupting the very land with its dark magic. But his Sanctuary was like a cleansing tide that swept away the blight, consuming it, dissolving it, and restoring the land.


    He relaxed, contented by the rightness of it.


    Sometime later, he felt movement ¨C an invader within his Sanctuary. He didn¡¯t know quite how long it might have been ¨C time passed differently as a tree. Although the blight was almost entirely erased, the shambling shape that entered his awareness was . Wrong in a way that made his bark crawl and his branches shiver.


    But it was the foul unnatural death of those who worshiped undeath itself.


    He focused his mind, reaching for his skills, but combat skills required stamina and he had none as a tree. He switched his choice, and throughout his broad sanctuary aura, life exploded into rampant growth. Roots shot up from the ground, brambles thickened and twisted, weeds grew, and vines sprouted, and he wielded them all, twisting, grasping, breaking.


    It was not necessarily a primary combat skill, but life hated the undead ¨C and it was more than sufficient for this. A few minutes later, the zombie collapsed to the sound of a simple pure chime in his mind, and his peace was restored.


    But it was not for long, and a few moments later his Sanctuary was invaded yet again ¨C this time by a pair of skeletons emerging from the dead forest. He crushed them with his roots and vines, but more came in dribs and drabs, but never ceasing like a leaky pipe dripping undead into the world. He crushed them one and all.


    But something came that he could not crush. Something that made him recoil even within the calm of his Tree Form. Something more horrific than he had ever encountered. A true abomination walking on mismatched feet and spewing forth blight and dark billowing miasma with every breath. A being so twisted and warped, he couldn¡¯t even tell what it was supposed to be.


    The Patchwork Horror tore through his roots, decaying them with the withering miasma while ripping its unreasonably powerful body through the entangling brambles as if they were barely a nuisance, and Mato knew he was powerless to fight it.


    With a thought, his body twisted, shrinking, growing muscle, sprouting fur, and he roared as his tree was replaced with his Bear Form. He charged the abomination, slamming the full weight of his bulk into the smaller monster, and lashing out with his claws. His magic slammed into the creature tearing rents through its tough, stitched undead flesh, triggering his Brutal Restoration to begin healing him.


    -1% to maximum health


    +1 count per day


    10% chance to spread Undead Blight on contact


    If you die while infected, your body will be raised as a zombie


    Disease ¨C Count: 1


    He ignored the searing pain bursting into his lungs as he breathed the miasma and attacked again. The monster shrieked and quivered, lashing out with no fewer than seven mismatched claws and hands, limbs that had been stitched onto its back, nestled among the protruding yellowed rib bones.


    His Swipe tore into it, again ripping through its skin to perforate its unnaturally tough flesh, the health cost draining away, ignored just like the blight itself. He had Brutal Restoration and it would need to be enough. With his mana, he grew his roots and brambles again, a vastly smaller surge of life in this form, grasping at the abomination and restricting its movement even as its plague rotted the growth, causing it to blacken and wither.


    He ignored it again; he would deal with it later. He roared, and struck again, blocking several piercing claws and random mouths that tried to bite him.


    He could feel his body weakening with each infection as if his very life were being drained from him, but he endured. Such a monster was an abomination to the very idea of life and death itself, and he would bring balance with tooth and claw.


    His great paw slammed into the monster, slashing its bloodless flesh. It screeched, trying to scurry away. He reacted, instantly retaliating with his Battle Master, empowering his strike with every support skill he had. His claws ripped clean through the monster, crashing into the ground and sending a spray of soil and stones flying through the air. The monster fell twitching and twisting with an unearthly scream that emerged in chorus from many mouths. He struck one more time and the monster was silenced, his chime heralding his victory.


    But the miasma did not cease, continuing to pour out of the corpse of the monster unabated.


    Quickly, he shifted himself back to his Beastkin Form and, using the enchantment of his guild ring, he stored the corpse, finally halting the spread of the blight. Then he shifted once more, returning to the serene sanctuary of his Tree Form, settling in to wait for his Vitality Rejuvenation to heal his blighted body.


    He instinctively despised the reek of death that seeped from his body, but Lira owed him an irredeemable debt, and Ali had vouched for him. Mato trusted both of them with his life ¨C if they could tolerate him, he would too. Besides, Mato couldn¡¯t deny he had just verified the source of the plague was an undead abomination, just as Seth had claimed.


    ***


    ¡°Ok, show me,¡± Vivian said.


    Mato retrieved the corpse from his ring and immediately the miasma began pouring from it, forming a cloud at his feet and causing Ali¡¯s moss and mushrooms to blacken and die.


    ¡°Mato, that thing is killing my dungeon!¡± Ali exclaimed, backing up quickly.


    ¡°It¡¯s killing me too,¡± he replied. ¡°It doesn¡¯t stop giving off the blight even after you kill it.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s nasty,¡± Vivian said. ¡°Put it away.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s evil,¡± he agreed, storing the corpse. ¡°But it means our necromancer boy was right, these are the reason the forest is still blighted and throwing out countless zombies and skeletons.¡±


    ¡°I see why you wanted to show me outside, but why did you specifically want to do it in the dungeon?¡± Vivian asked.


    ¡°Yes, why here?¡± Ali demanded.


    ¡°I was hoping Ali would use her deconstruction to eliminate all traces of it,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°Actually, that¡¯s a pretty solid idea,¡± Vivian agreed.


    ¡°Won¡¯t I catch the blight, though?¡± Ali asked. She stared worriedly at the dead circle of moss on the ground beneath his feet. ¡°And what if I learn the imprint? Ick!¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I will heal you with my Tree,¡± Mato offered, and after she nodded her reluctant approval, he dropped the corpse on the withered moss again and stepped away, shifting himself into his Tree Form beside the shrine. Through the strange awareness of his Sanctuary aura, he watched as Ali destroyed the remains of the undead abomination and began to replant her moss.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the mayor and see if we can get the word out to the nearby towns,¡± Vivian said, before she vanished, and Mato returned to his normal form.


    Mato touched Ali¡¯s arm, ¡°Sorry, I should have warned you.¡±


    Naia


    Naia flowed along the rocks and crags of the cavern roof, hunting, observing, and directing her slimes in a battle she could not win. Every single slime she had was fighting, and still, she could not make a single inch of progress. She had even removed most of the defenders she used in the caverns above to pretend she was still the same to the humans, desperate for more slimes to hold back the tide.


    When Ali-friend had opened the wall, she had been overjoyed to have space, freedom, and new things to explore. She had learned to hunt the flappy-things ¨C the bats. She had hunted the things in the water, and she had grown, taking the caverns and the pools for her own.


    But she had not found any new slimes or oozes, and when she had stumbled upon the hive, her progress had ground to a halt. The hard-shells were too many; Borer Beetles that tunneled and ate her Slimes. She could always make more, but there were so many beetles they filled the caverns. Below her, the rock face of the cavern cracked, and chunks of rubble fell, collapsing into the fight below with loud vibrations that she felt through the rock all the way above. She had felt the beetles tunneling, but there was nothing she could do.


    She felt the clacking of its hard legs on the stone, and the crunching as it ate through the wall. Emerging, the hard-shell scramble-clacked its way down the wall, the vacated space behind it in the new tunnel immediately filled with another hard-shell as they began streaming into the cavern, attacking her Slimes from above.


    She would need to give up this cavern soon, falling back to the next one. But then the fight would be repeated, and she would lose. She found herself wishing once again that she could talk with Ali-friend.


    She would know how to defeat the beetles ¨C she had defeated the wall! If Naia had found a few more slimes, she might have been smart enough to figure it out, but she knew her own limits. Below was the hive, and above were the humans. And she was stuck in the middle, just like when she had been stuck in her cave with not even the tiniest crack for her to slip through.


    Suddenly, her mana vibrated, somewhere way above at the entrance to the human world, and she felt a chill of fear, knowing she was critically vulnerable. She had nothing left to defend herself from a second attack.


    Her senses vibrated again as the thing moved, triggering her curiosity and surprise.


    Abandoning her lost cavern, she twisted her body into the tiny mana-crevice that connected herself to one of the few remaining slimes she had in the upper cavern and squeezed herself through, emerging through its body into the pool of water at the entrance, immediately concealing herself and her mana, taking the form of a rock. Her senses detected the thing, beautiful, glowing, and filled with mana as it crawled, slid, shifted across the wet rock toward the pool.


    But she stopped, body quivering as the thing moved. She could taste-feel the mana of it, and she recognized it.


    ¡°Ali-friend?¡± she warbled, certain, but uncertain. It was an ooze, but where was Ali? Her senses ranged around but all she could find was the single ooze.


    The ooze bobbed up and down quickly before becoming still once more.


    She waited, but it did not speak. She considered the problem for a while.


    ¡°Ali cannot speak?¡± she asked.


    The slime bobbed up and down again, and she recognized the attempt to copy her happy mood. Cautiously, Naia slithered out of the pool and approached the Sparkling Ooze, reaching out with a pseudopod to touch the shiny warm membrane. Slowly, a pseudopod emerged from the Sparkling Ooze and touched her back.


    ¡°Ali!¡± She bobbed up and down in excitement, unable to contain her joy. It didn¡¯t matter that she couldn¡¯t talk, her friend had come to visit! For a moment, she forgot her troubles with the beetles and the humans, just filled with happiness again.


    But then the reality of her situation intruded once more as she felt a chunk of the cavern below collapse with a powerful vibration that she could feel even from all the way up here, and several of her slimes vanished from her mind.


    ¡°I am going to lose to the beetles,¡± she explained as the Sparkling Ooze tipped a little to the side in a gesture that seemed like curiosity and surprise. It was hard reading Ali¡¯s reactions, but she explained what she struggled with below, just happy to be able to share her worries and struggles with someone who cared.


    She paused as a pseudopod touched her membrane, tugging gently. Not certain what it wanted; Naia allowed her body to grow a new pseudopod where it pulled. Curious, she let it pull another couple of pseudopods out and place them slowly around its own body.


    Naia watched in confusion as it pulled another, placing it around itself. The membrane felt good to touch, and she hadn¡¯t realized just how much she had missed her friend.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± she asked, still not quite understanding. The Sparkling Ooze began to pull itself into a ball and nestle up against her body while pulling her pseudopods further and further around it.


    ¡°Eat?¡± she asked, suddenly, incredulously getting the message.


    The Sparkling Ooze bobbed once up and down.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked, not quite believing it.


    The ooze bobbed again.


    There was no doubt about it, and Naia didn¡¯t hesitate, flowing herself around the larger ooze, quickly enveloping it entirely within herself. Her mana flowed into her center, piercing the Sparkling Ooze and dissolving it quickly. Suddenly it was gone, and the remnants of its released mana flooded into her.


    Her mind expanded, instantly growing sharper and clearer as her skill reacted to the new imprint by growing her intelligence, and then she was filled with sadness. Ali was gone and she was alone again.


    And somehow that was enough. The gift she had been given filled her with joy and a rush of new hope.


    Reaching out with her mind, she connected with the few slimes that remained in the deep cavern. It crawled with bugs now, and she didn¡¯t have much time before a queen arrived. A shudder rippled across her membrane. Squeezing her body through the mana connection, she poured herself out of the slime that she had left clinging to the ceiling. Below her, the room was filled with the crunching, clacking of the swarm of beetles. She stretched her mana into a pseudopod, expanding and growing, shifting it to be just like the Sparkling Ooze before she divided and separated from it. She repeated the process three more times before she was ready.


    Slipping her mind into her new slimes, she pushed, ejecting the intensely glowing balls of mana, and a hail of orbs cascaded down onto the swarm below, detonating in a continuous explosion that rocked the cavern for more than a minute before she ran out of mana. But in the cavern below, nothing moved, nothing shook the silence. No clacking or crunching. Just mush and sludge that slowly dripped off the walls.


    She bobbed happily; all her new oozes ¨C Aliandra¡¯s gift to her ¨C had leveled up. The bugs were dead, turned into mush. Against her instincts, she immediately put all thirty points into intelligence. She was a slime, she had never needed intelligence, but she knew she could never defeat the hive unless she was smarter.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 155: Disruptor

    MalikaMalika had said her goodbyes, but as the billowing smoke of the recall potion yanked her body out of Toria, dumping her in the receiving room at the Novaspark Academy of Magic, she knew it wouldn¡¯t be goodbye forever.


    She settled her teleportation fee quickly and headed out into the sunshine and the familiar bustle and ever-present undercurrent of suspicion, anxiety, and fear that made up the unique atmosphere of the streets of Myrin¡¯s Keep.


    But she didn¡¯t let it intrude on the calm serenity of her mind. She had gained so much from her short stay in Kezda. When she had left Myrin¡¯s Keep, she had scarcely been able to pay attention to anything, wholly reliant on her friends and struggling against the onslaught of the pain of her bloodline consuming her body and soul from within, but somehow Ali, Mato, and Ryn had found an Elder and she had been healed. Now, she was back on the streets of Myrin¡¯s Keep with an awakened bloodline, an active Soul Sight skill, and the ability to dodge magic. Much more even than that ¨C she had Rezan¡¯s mentorship and an Ancestral Name.


    That Street Rat with a target on her back seemed more than a world away. Her old tormentors were gone, but Kieran Mori still lived¡­


    Standing there in the ruins of Bakahn Village, staring at the blackened foundations that were all that remained of her old home ¨C the resting place of her parents ¨C Malika had finally made peace with her past. For so long, she had borne a heavy guilt, blaming herself for surviving when they had not. Her memories of that time would always be rough, but seeing Sabri, just as bright-eyed and filled with excitement as she had once been for the martial artist she might become had triggered a startling clarity. Without her class, and the progress she now enjoyed, she had been powerless ¨C just like Sabri was now. With this new perspective, much of her guilt had faded.


    Her steps were light as she reached out to open the door to the Adventurers Guild, eager to see her friends after so long ¨C Ali¡¯s studious manner and unpretentious brilliance, Mato¡¯s easygoing humor, and Calen¡¯s shy tactical genius.


    she thought as she stepped into the guild hall, but the only people present were Mieriel and Vivian, both of whom raised their heads from a pile of paperwork at the sound of her entrance.


    ¡°Oh, hi Malika, welcome back,¡± Mieriel greeted her with a cautious smile. Things had become much easier since she had come clean with her class and abilities and had played a big part in helping them with the Town Council trial. However, she still sensed an undercurrent of uncertainty.


    ¡°Hi Mieriel, do you know where Ali is?¡± Malika asked. She had already decided to forgive the Elf, figuring that if she held a grudge against someone who genuinely seemed to want to be better, then she didn¡¯t deserve the friends she had. It didn¡¯t hurt that she had a lot more wisdom now. She made a point of returning Mieriel¡¯s smile.


    A flicker of relief and happiness creased Mieriel¡¯s eyes and she said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her today, but Ryn stopped by a few hours ago with an egg-sized chunk of light-affinity magicite for Weldin, so I assume she¡¯s probably still down underground.¡±


    Malika glanced at the empty guild store, realizing that Weldin had probably dashed off to the Novaspark Academy to negotiate the best price ¨C he did love a good haggle, after all. Light affinity was not the best for value, but all magicite was extremely rare and an egg-sized piece would fetch a handsome price.


    Vivian got up and strode across the carpet to join them, powerful flickers of stamina coursing through her muscles as she moved, strangely twisted and tangled as if her body were at odds with her energy. ¡°Welcome back, Malika. It seems you¡¯ve grown stronger.¡±


    ¡°I trained in Kezda under Elder Rezan,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°It shows. I overheard you asking Mieriel about your friends ¨C I was at the shrine earlier today with Mato,¡± Vivian said, her expression turning grave. ¡°He uncovered an undead abomination that spreads the Blight and wanted to show me without infecting the whole town. Aliandra was there with him.¡±


    ¡°Ok, thanks.¡± It seemed everyone had been busy while she was training. She knew Mato cared a lot about the land and the destruction of the forest had hit him hard. It didn¡¯t surprise her that he had continued working against the undead at the core of the blight.


    She would probably never fully forgive Vivian for what she had done, but the Guildmaster had been a model of good behavior ever since ¨C and Malika was not above using her and her vision to grow her friends and further her own goals.


    ¡°By the way, while I was in Kezda, I invited the Elder to bring one of the girls from the village here to use Ali¡¯s class shrine. I told him to look you up if he couldn¡¯t find me or Ali. I hope that¡¯s ok.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s raised eyebrow signaled a little surprise, but she didn¡¯t otherwise show it. ¡°That¡¯s not a problem,¡± she said. She paused for a moment as if hovering in between a decision and then continued. ¡°Malika, can I ask a favor? Recruitment is not going very well at all¨C¡±


    ¡°Maybe recruitment is bad because you keep kicking people out?¡± Mieriel said with a wry smile.


    Malika ironed a smile off her lips.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve only lost the unmotivated and the weak so far,¡± Vivian said, acknowledging Mieriel¡¯s point. ¡°But it¡¯s also hard to get people who are interested in taking combat classes ¨C and so many of those want reliable, less risky jobs instead of the guild.¡±


    ¡°Why is it so hard to get people to sign up?¡± Malika asked curiously. It seemed obvious for the people of Kezda, given the ridiculous cost, but Ali refused to take money for the service, even if she had a pretty good idea why her friend might be hesitant to do it again.


    ¡°There are not enough people in the town, only a few are ready, and most are crafter applicants,¡± Vivian sighed.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, this town is enormous, there are lots of people. I think you¡¯re just not looking in the right places,¡± Malika said, suddenly realizing the nature of the issue. Class shrines cost money that most people couldn¡¯t afford. If Vivian was pitching the guild and the shrine to those who showed up to the mayor¡¯s advancement ceremony, she would only be looking at a small fraction of the potential ¨C those who could afford it.  she thought wryly remembering her own class unlock.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The slums and the poor quarters have tons of people. Desperate¡­ people.¡± She cleared her throat awkwardly. ¡°After the perfect advertisement, courtesy of the Town Council trial, many people know that Ali¡¯s shrine is free. You simply need to let them know to contact the guild if they are interested.¡± For people like her, screwed over by the circumstances of life or birth, opportunities were hard to find. Something unheard of, like a shot at a good class, would be life-changing for many people and their families. Even though Ali¡¯s shrine was probably public knowledge, most people either didn¡¯t know how to get to her ¨C or maybe even thought it was a scam. On the other hand, if it were backed by something a little more credible, like the Adventurers Guild¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s a good idea, but people train hard for the combat class trials. I can¡¯t send the unclassed against monsters with absolutely no preparation ¨C they will just die,¡± Vivian answered firmly.


    Malika seethed inwardly. Suddenly, she wondered about Vivian¡¯s background, the stiffness in her manner that she had simply taken for age or world-weariness. Her eyes flickered briefly between the two.


    Mieriel prompted, ¡°You have an idea, Malika?¡±


    ¡°Train them. Invite them to the guild, give them a sword, and get them some basic training. Then they will be ready for Ali¡¯s sewer monsters.¡± To her it seemed obvious ¨C she had been trained rigorously from birth, but basic dagger or sword skills were not hard ¨C certainly not with expert instruction. At least to the level required to kill a toxic slime in a group of five. For someone as experienced as Vivian Ross, it should be a matter of a week or two to get a motivated person ready, and who would be more motivated than someone facing a life of poverty and crime?


    ¡°I¡­¡± Vivian closed her mouth with a frown upon her brow. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Some of the nobles will be pissed off,¡± Mieriel countered.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t pay me to care,¡± Vivian growled, but with a thoughtful expression that suggested an undercurrent of excitement. ¡°Part of the long-term mission of this guild is to be a stabilizing force for the town. Giving the poor opportunities for powerful classes and training to those who have little hope of anything is a great way to turn this town onto a much better path.¡±


    ¡°And likely a substantial boon for the guild,¡± Malika said, driving her point home. Against her expectations, the Guildmaster¡¯s delivery sounded genuine rather than condescending. Again, she wondered what secrets the powerful warrior might be hiding.


    Vivian¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°I asked Aliandra if we could use the shrine for more people, but she seemed quite hesitant. Would you mind asking her about it, Malika?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll chat with Ali. I think I can convince her,¡± she answered. ¡°I don¡¯t mind helping to train the initiates or whatever you decide to call them.¡± It wasn¡¯t just that she didn¡¯t mind. There was no way she was letting this opportunity slip her by. Training was a way of life for her, and for most of the Ahn Khen, and this would be an important step to achieving the kind of life she wanted to live. Nobody deserved to be forced into being a Street Rat, to become entangled with the likes of Kieran Mori, or that girl Tala ¨C whatever had become of her?


    Her hands tightened into fists by her sides. Helping people claw their way out of poverty by giving them proper training, a chance at a good class, and a place to belong would be something she could certainly be proud of. And with any luck, their growth would reduce the crime and corruption that plagued this town.


    Aliandra


    Ali pottered around within Mato¡¯s broad aura, letting the soothing regeneration of his Vitality Rejuvenation slowly dissolve the Blight that had infected her when she deconstructed the abomination. Ridding the world of that horrific thing had been worth the few moments of discomfort, and while she recovered, she busied herself planting more of the gentle white soul-affinity peacebloom flowers. She wasn¡¯t bothered by the fact that she couldn¡¯t talk to Mato in his Tree Form ¨C rather, it felt much like sharing a couch with a friend while reading a good book.


    She giggled inwardly.


    Ali bent down toward her new batch of flowers and inhaled deeply, calming herself. The scent was beautiful, and she wasn¡¯t about to let Lyeneru Silverleaf discourage her from growing flowers simply because they weren¡¯t useful for defenses.


    As the last remnants of the Blight finally faded, she turned to study Mato¡¯s huge form, growing near the shrine. He still had patches of rot and ugly twisted black mana infecting his trunk and branches, so she let him be, heading out toward the flower garden Basil had helped her with. She stepped out over the edge of the threshold of new mossy growth and felt the regeneration of Mato¡¯s powerful Sanctuary fade.


    she decided, considering whether to widen the garden or simply interleave the new tiny white flowers.


    She was halfway through sprucing up her flower garden when an unusual vibration impinged on her senses shared almost constantly with the slime that she kept by her side. Immediately, she sensed another, and then another, and a fourth. Her head snapped up and her mind reached out to the eyes of one of her Timber Wolves, just in time to see a flare of flame and feel the reservation supporting her minion snap as it died.


    Gasping, she cast her attention wider, reaching for several more wolves, and found a trio of figures tearing their way through her minions, magic flaring brightly as they shouted to one another.


    She froze. The hunter and the warrior were in front, but the mage flew behind them wreathed in a nimbus of flame, firing a continuous stream of firebolts at her minions, killing most of the wolves with single shots.


    ¡°There she is!¡± the Half-elf invader shouted, launching a powerful, coruscating bolt of bluish ice from his bow.


    Ali snapped a barrier in place just in time to intercept the bolt, causing it to shatter into thousands of pieces right in front of her face. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest at the sudden aggression and violence directed at her, shattering her peaceful mood like the shards of ice that rained down to the ground.


    A firebolt sizzled and crashed into the barrier but it held, bolstered by the power of her domain magic. Her mind raced, trying to catch up from the surprise attack.


    She could only see three of them, but her slime had most definitely sensed four distinct vibrations.


    Ali cast about briefly. It had to be a rogue.


    Fear chilled her bones as she realized just how far she was from Mato¡¯s Sanctuary, and the fact that he couldn¡¯t sense anything beyond it in his Tree Form and would therefore be unable to help her. She was on her own out here.


    ¡°¡± she called, reaching out to every single minion. Her barrier popped into place, lifting herself and her two Kobolds into the air while she fended off arrows and firebolts with a second barrier. She fled toward the giant tree and the safety of his Sanctuary.


    Suddenly, the barrier beneath her feet vanished, and she found herself falling headlong toward the ground.


    She summoned another barrier to catch herself, but nothing happened, her skill failing with a fizzle of unused mana. Desperately, she tried again, her eyes fixated on the rapidly approaching ground, a boulder-strewn patch she definitely did not want to visit at high speed. At the last possible instant, she switched skills, exchanging positions with a Moss Creeper almost twenty meters away using her Minion Teleport skill.


    She fled, running toward the far too distant green glow of Mato¡¯s sanctuary, ever thankful for the accelerated mental reflexes provided by Arcane Recall. She pulled up the description of Barrier, desperately urging her minions to fly, run, or crawl faster, and discovered that her skill had inexplicably gained a thirty-second recharge.


    Her frantic mind suddenly registered the laughter from above and the flying Fire Mage shouted, ¡°No mage can win against my Disruption!¡±


    His attitude, and entirely inappropriate violence, triggered the fury deep within her breast. As the warrior activated a rush skill toward her, she reached out and teleported again, but complex formations of purple arcane magic flickered about the flying mage and her teleport failed, leaving her stranded thirty meters from Mato¡¯s Sanctuary with Sage of Learning drawing heavily on her mana.


    It was literally the worst possible moment; she was already almost out of mana and there were four of them ¨C one still invisible ¨C charging toward her. Whatever the mage had done had given Minion Teleport a forty-second recharge instead of the ten seconds it was supposed to have.


    Separated from her minions, and with neither her Barrier nor her Minion Teleport available, she used the only option she had ¨C she sprinted, running as fast as she was able while the warrior and the hunter closed in. A heavy thump detonated heat and flame behind her, knocking her down, and her reservation to her nearest pair of Kobolds snapped as they both died. Instantly, her intelligence and wisdom dropped ¨C and with it, her maximum mana plunged, well below the total she had reserved for monsters. Throughout the cavern, screeches and howls broke out as dozens of her minions were forcibly severed from her mana, instantly going wild.


    She scrambled up and sprinted forward, but a bolt of ice pierced her right arm, shattering the bone, and sending her sprawling in pain. As she rolled over and over, spitting dirt and moss from her mouth, she felt the presence of one of her Kobold rogues sprinting into range. At once, she reached for it, swapping it in as her Empowered Summoner target, and her dexterity jumped by nearly one hundred and thirty.


    With unexpected agility, she sprang up from the dirt so fast that her feet cycled in the air before she landed and sprinted off at multiples of her usual speed, feet barely making contact with the ground. Desperately recalling how Calen sometimes ran, she tried to emulate his zigzagging and felt the whoosh of a near miss from the ice archer caressing her cheek. He was the one she most feared.


    A moment later, a second detonation slammed into her, knocking her flying through the air, searing her skin, and filling her nose with the stench of her own cooked flesh. At the snap of her reservation breaking, her body suddenly felt like she had been plunged into molasses.


    But the brief burst of speed and the detonation had knocked her across the threshold and into the vast ring of thicker moss. Instantly, the surge of Mato¡¯s regeneration kicked in, and the burns on her back began to slowly heal as she landed on them, the wind knocked from her lungs and the pain still gripping her mind.


    But her fury kept her conscious despite the pain.


    She drew a little mana from the orb still strapped to her wrist and connected with the senses of a Giant Bat soaring in from the north of the cavern, dodging the wild monsters that tried to attack it. With the first click of its echolocation, she saw him. The hidden rogue loomed large right behind her, dagger raised to strike downward at her prone form. Aloft, flying nearly close enough to bathe Ali in his flaming nimbus, was the mage who had disrupted her magic, currently completing the mana formation of a massive fireball. He was still laughing like a maniac.


    She drew on her orb once again and stopped time. She would have sighed in the suddenly still gray world if she could have breathed, but the pain of her burns and shattered arm was mercifully gone, if only temporarily. She opened her Grimoire, judged the maximum distance, and then summoned a Forest Guardian several meters above the flying Fire Mage.


    Time restarted, and she made her Giant Bat unleash its stun attack, the conical sonic weapon striking both herself and the rogue behind her. There was no other way, he was already too close to her to avoid it, and she had no more time. The bat screeched. The air shimmered and she blacked out.


    Ali¡¯s vision shuddered as she came to with a jolt, a tremendous headache slamming through her brain. The splattered remains of something that had possibly once been human were churned up into muck beneath the feet of an enormous, and very angry Forest Guardian. Behind her were the charred remains of the rogue, tightly bound in the brambles and roots of Mato¡¯s Rampant Growth spell. Shakily, Ali clambered to her feet, careful to summon a barrier to protect herself from any stray shots from the warrior and the ice archer who still clashed with her powerful Forest Guardian.


    Absently, Ali wiped something from her face, and then almost threw up when she realized it was a piece of the Fire Mage. With a roar that echoed through the cavern, Mato barreled into the fight in his Bear Form, slamming into the hunter and knocking him down where he became pinned by the double growth of her Guardian and Mato¡¯s magic and was immediately trampled. Ali winced at the loud cracking of bones.


    She fired a barrier shard into the fray right as a burst of petals filled the entire area, blinding everyone. But Mato had Survival Instinct, and she was using the senses of the bats that were now arriving in droves. She quickly gave up on her shards, relying on the bats to dive-bomb the remaining intruders with their claws and teeth, and adding the occasional stunning attacks.


    Mato shifted out of his Bear Form. ¡°Ali, you¡¯re a maniac!¡± he exclaimed.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You shot yourself with your own bat, and then took a Fireball to the face while stunned, just to take out that rogue.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I guess so?¡± she answered, looking down at her heavily burned robes, splattered by gore and blood. It was a gruesome sight, one that churned her stomach. But the feeling passed quickly as she recalled the mage¡¯s insane laughter as he tried to kill her.


    ¡°And you squashed that mage¡­¡± His eyebrows waggled expressively.


    ¡°Aah¡­¡± She had no desire to look at whatever was left of him. Instead, she pulsed a little mana into the self-repair enchant Lydia had put on the clothing that had no doubt helped her to survive the abundant magical damage from the Fire Mage and the Ice Archer ¨C and her own bat.


    She glanced up and blushed at Mato¡¯s expression of open amazement. ¡°Respect, little one,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not little, you¡¯re just¡­¡±


    ¡°Big,¡± he finished for her. ¡°You¡¯re pretty big yourself. But next time warn me before you decide to tank a level sixty-three Fire Mage, a Giant Bat, and a Dark Assassin simultaneously¨C¡±


    ¡°Too busy swallowing Fireballs.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but that was more damage than you could have survived on your own,¡± he said softly.


    ¡°Thanks for having my back,¡± she said, as the reality slowly trickled in. It had been very close, and she was not nearly as prepared as she had thought she was. One mage with a fancy disruption skill and suddenly she had been left stranded and vulnerable, unable to defend herself. Mato had always been the one telling her to make minions to protect herself, and she suddenly realized she hadn¡¯t made nearly enough.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ¡°I just hoped you weren¡¯t asleep in there,¡± she said, trying to lighten the mood a little.


    He chuckled. ¡°For reference, I can¡¯t sleep in Tree Form. It¡¯s more like how Malika always describes her meditation. I¡¯m always aware of what¡¯s going on. Come, let¡¯s collect this stuff for Malika to sell when she gets back. Or maybe Calen would like a new bow? This one looks decent.¡±


    Ali braced herself for the gruesome task of cleaning up, deconstructing the remains of the attackers, and the monsters she had lost when she had run out of mana, now dead, killed by the remainder of her minions.


    She would never be able to pull it off without mana. For one thing, she was vulnerable to losing her minions and therefore her Empowered Summoner buffs, and as she had discovered, she would lose minions if she didn¡¯t have enough reserved to cover them all. She resummoned her Acolyte and her mage, so she could reactivate her buffs when the recharge expired.


    But it wasn¡¯t something she could fix immediately. Instead, she dropped all her free attribute points for level fifty-one into wisdom and then called her Forest Guardian over while she waited out the full duration of her recharge. When she had summoned it using the stored mana from her orb¡¯s mana battery, the reservation had bumped several other lower-level minions out of her reservation. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was based on level, a queue, or some other system, but she wasn¡¯t that keen on needing to find out in the middle of combat again. While she waited, she ran over several ideas to test it with the minimum of risk. It was just fortunate that her Guardian and the nearby bats had remained under her control ¨C things would have gone horribly wrong if one of those had been released forcibly.


    Finally, her recharge expired, and she added her Acolyte to her Empowered Summoner targets, feeling the welcome surge in her wisdom and mana pool. Then she turned to her enormous minion.


    She reached out, resting her palm against the bark on its foreleg, and activated Domain Mastery.


    ¡°she said, directing her will into her skill. She had a very clear idea of what she wanted for this boss, and it was likely to become the most powerful creature in her entire dungeon.


    She immediately chose Minions for the first ability.


    She called over four Floral Menaces, and three Spore Spreaders, did a quick bit of math, and summoned one more Floral Menace to fill out the one hundred and sixty levels she could use.


    For her second ability, she chose Summoning.


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    She opened her Grimoire and paged to the Bat imprint. She could tell her customization would allow her to restrict the summons to specific level ranges and variants, but she chose the entire imprint, deciding that random bats would be fine.


    And for her final enhancement, she selected its strength attribute. Forest Guardians had enormous power ¨C already having twenty attribute points per level. She wanted something that provided an overwhelming force to guard the forest cavern and the shrine in particular, and doubling down on strength would leverage one of its innate advantages. She had already tried to be thrifty with her limited mana, but this surprise encounter had violently disabused her of that notion.


    There was a powerful surge through the mana of her domain and the Forest Guardian drew it into itself, growing even larger, legs thickening, torso broadening, and bark armor growing until it was fully twice the size. Its minions grew too, huddling in the shadow of the behemoth of wood and bark.


    ¡°That¡¯s sure impressive,¡± Mato exclaimed. ¡°What does it do?¡±


    ¡°I copied the synergy between the Floral Menace petal attacks and the bats. This thing will summon bats while the Floral Menaces will make it impossible to see.¡± She could again see the weight of the enormous enchantment straining her domain mana throughout the broad area around them. It was abundantly clear that this boss was nearing the limits of what her domain would be able to support and, if she needed to make another, she would need to do it outside of the range entirely.


    ¡°And the bats can use echolocation? Clever¡­¡± Mato said. ¡°And the Spore Spreaders¡­ wait, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, they will fill the air with Dreamcloud spores and put anyone to sleep ¨C like the one that got you and Malika,¡± Ali said. ¡°The Guardian can heal its minions, and it has the roots to trap people in the spore cloud.¡± This boss even had Life Sight, which would be a potent asset in detecting rogues and assassins.


    ¡°That sounds pretty vicious.¡±


    ¡°After facing the guys that came after us, I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡±


    She had guessed approximately how much it would cost, and with the loss of her lesser minions and her additional wisdom, she could barely afford the cost. But it was still a steep reserve, over two thousand mana for a single monster, and she was unlikely to be able to afford another like it for a while.


    ¡°¡± she instructed, setting her monstrous raid boss to patrol along the shores of the lake and around the grove. It raised its head and rumbled, making the ground shake, before it ambled off with its little minions following like ducklings after their mother leaving a trail of mushrooms and flowers in its wake.


    ***


    Rezan


    Rezan knelt quietly under the shade of the old peach tree, watching Basir and Hala spar in the ring. Somehow, the two of them had both been individually inspired by Malika¡¯s exquisite command of her fundamentals and had both made significant advances in their understanding of their martial arts technique. It was quite clear that Malika had had exceptional instruction in her youth.


    A little off to the side, so as not to disturb anyone, Sabri practiced. Even she had picked up some of Malika¡¯s martial arts movement from the short opportunity she had had to observe it. It made him proud to see her so diligent with her practice.


    His attention shifted back to the match in the middle of the ring, but suddenly he caught a powerful shift in Sabri¡¯s energy, and his head snapped around to see her standing still, staring off into space. As he watched, her expression crumbled, and he knew with a chilling certainty what had just happened.


    ¡°Class?¡± he asked.


    She nodded, holding in what looked like an imminent flood of tears. ¡°Laborer,¡± she whispered, and then turned and fled.


    ***


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t moved since she came home. Is there nothing that can be done? Maybe I can go to Vertias and beg for an exception? Do you think they will take the farm as payment?¡±


    Sabri¡¯s mother was almost as distraught as she had been. For her to offer to sell the family farm to cover Sabri¡¯s shrine fee was a testament to just how desperate she was. He didn¡¯t have the heart to tell her the farm wouldn¡¯t even come close to covering the fee that Vertias had started demanding.


    The word had landed like a gut punch from a Dragonkin Brawler, and Sabri¡¯s reaction had crushed his heart in an instant. Sabri  martial arts. She spent every free moment studying it. For someone like her to be stuck for life as a farmhand because her natural class was Laborer was an affront to the Ancestors themselves.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Seyah, there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± He simply didn¡¯t have enough money to pay the fee. In fact, the entire town probably didn¡¯t have enough money. But as he said it, his mind recalled Malika and her unthinkable offer, and his heart squirmed at the thought of leaving the untruth spoken.


    ¡°What is it, Rezan?¡± Seyah asked, clearly clutching at anything, desperately hoping.


    ¡°It¡¯s just something Malika said before she left. Her friend Aliandra has a shrine, and she offered to let Sabri use it for free.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that before, Rezan?¡± she exclaimed.


    ¡°Because Aliandra is in Myrin¡¯s Keep. And she is a dungeon.¡±


    Seyah¡¯s face blanched instantly. But it was Sabri¡¯s teary voice that called out from the house.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±


    yet, those two words gutted him. Dungeons were fickle and dangerous, way worse than monsters. But in the back of his mind, his conscience prickled, a sensation he had long learned to respect.


    ¡°Sabri!¡± Seyah exclaimed.


    ¡°I trust Malika, Mom,¡± Sabri said, emerging from the doorway, her face a mess of smeared dust and tears.


    Aliandra¡¯s image sprang unbidden to Rezan¡¯s mind, a small Fae who, even supposedly being a dungeon, had traveled across the kingdom to find help for Malika. A person who, with absolutely no chance of winning, had still interposed herself between him and Malika when she had believed he would kill her.


    he thought, chiding himself for being afraid of her simply because she was a dungeon.


    ¡°I can¡¯t afford the teleport cost¡­¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll walk,¡± Sabri said instantly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, you can¡¯t walk to Myrin¡¯s Keep in a week,¡± he countered. ¡°But¡­ I think I can afford to rent a fast mount. If we go now, we can make it with a day or two to spare.¡±


    ¡°You would go with her?¡± Seyah asked.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let her face an unknown town in another kingdom, and a dungeon, by herself. I can¡¯t promise there is a shrine or a class, but I will protect her,¡± he said, and then turned to Sabri. ¡°We will need to leave immediately. Go get your things.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Sabri said without moving. But it was the joyous smile on her face, the radiance of hope he could feel from her that told him he was making the right choice.


    he thought as Sabri made her hasty goodbyes with her mother.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 156: Emberforge Mines

    Calen  Calen jogged down the dark and dingy alleyways between the run-down and mostly abandoned warehouses, his feet making no sound on the rough stone pavement. His powerful vision picked out every detail, even in the darkness of the cloudy, moonless night. Wrinkling his nose at the stench of the rotting trash heaped against the walls and spilling out across the pavement, he thought, his inner voice dripping sarcasm like syrup. Ciradyl had spoiled him. He sped up, eager to be done with this job, his smooth, effortless stride carrying him faster than an ordinary man sprinting ¨C far faster than he had been capable of less than a month ago.


    The directions Seth had shared were clear. He had no trouble locating the dilapidated warehouse with a door half-hanging on broken hinges. Across the way, he noticed a steel grate set into the stone leading down into the sewers below. There were a few scrapes where it hadn¡¯t been put back precisely as before, revealing that he had found the spot where Seth had finally fled his captors down into the Myrin¡¯s Keep sewer system.


    Calen slowed, coming to a halt before he entered the alleyway, and surveyed the darkened doorway, as always, not wholly relying on his stealth or silent movement just in case someone had an advanced perception skill. When Vivian had personally asked him to take this job, he had learned that the kidnapping ring was a surprisingly well-funded and equipped operation. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising to find magical wards or people with advanced skills in this operation. But the fact that Seth had escaped with only a level one class implied that none of them could have been all that powerful.


    He crept up to the doorway and peered in, finding a long passage with several doors on either side, ending at what looked like a stairwell. Not a single thing moved, but there were several discarded papers and track marks on the ground where something heavy must have been dragged away.


    Calen crept through the doorway, careful to keep his stealth and silent movement magic running, stalking down the hallway and peering into each of the rooms one at a time. All were dark and empty ¨C all hastily vacated, by the signs he read with his tracking skills, with only discarded trash remaining littered about to indicate that anyone had been using this place recently.


    Finally, he descended the stairs, remaining vigilant for any traps or people that might notice him. But nothing disturbed the silence.


    he thought. He had talked with the quiet boy, finding him to be rather smart and observant. Sure enough, as he exited the stairs into the basement level, he found it. There were several barred doors indicating that each of the rooms here had been used as cells to imprison people, all of them now sitting ajar.


    In the middle of the hallway, he found a corpse. Well, what was left of it ¨C it looked like the body of a person whose skeleton had been forcibly ripped out of it whole, and it stank of rot and putrescence. At least, what he knew of Seth¡¯s skills indicated that this was clearly the work of his class.


    Dismissing the notification irritably, he picked his way through the prison slowly, checking each of the cells until he arrived at the final room. Here, he found the second body, lying in a pool of dried blood. The tracks that led back into the hallway were old, blackened blood in the shape of a human footprint, but without the normal flesh around the bones. He had seen enough skeletons to know their tracks.


    His eyes surveyed the room, taking in the details. The door was covered with knife marks, forming the rough outline of a person, and, along with the splatters of dried blood soaked into the wood, told a story of torture. He grimaced, but then his eyes fell on a small shape, sticking out from behind a scratched and scuffed chest of drawers.


    Reaching over, he recovered a small notebook, along with several Kel¡¯darran coins. The coins reminded him of his own incarceration at the hands of the mercenary slave traders, and he studied them speculatively before storing them in his ring. If they had Kel¡¯darran currency, chances were that they had strong ties with the crime syndicate and had an easy, profitable market for selling slaves.


    There were no tracks out front of the warehouse ¨C at least none he had been able to discern, but as he paged through the notebook, he realized he had records of several deals that had taken place over the past few months.


    He stored the notebook too. His skills were limited at this point, without clear tracks or any obvious targets, but with her skills, he was certain Mieriel would be able to turn up some leads from the notebook he had recovered.


    Aliandra


    Ali sat quietly beside the shrine, experimenting. As was normal, she felt shaken and scared after the run-in with the Disruptor Mage, especially given just how close she had come to being killed.


    But she was no longer defenseless, and the heavy thumps of her giant forest guardian boss patrolling nearby felt somewhat reassuring, and, if that wasn¡¯t enough, Mato was preparing a meal nearby ¨C his brand of self-care, but one she had come to appreciate more and more, and one that his mother clearly regarded as being an essential skill for his future marriage prospects. It was no myth that Beastkin loved their food.


    She examined her skill description yet again, trying to figure out what exactly her domain mastery meant by ¡®anything you have made¡¯. It literally said she could use anything, not just monsters. It was curious, but more than that, it helped keep her mind busy and not so focused on her fears.


    she thought.


    She glanced about, deciding to try it out on a few mushrooms that grew nearby. They were her golden glowing arcane mushrooms, and even now she marveled at how pretty they were. It took nothing more than a few points of mana and her touch to bind the mushrooms to her domain. She watched curiously as the domain mana adjusted around them, but apart from that, very little that she could see actually changed. However, they now appeared in her list of things that her domain mastery would respawn after an hour.


    she thought. It would not be an effective defense against having her entire domain burned to the ground, because it required the mana of the dungeon to function. But if Basil came by and harvested the mushrooms, she wouldn¡¯t need to manually replant them. Idly, she wondered if the young herbalist would be coming down into the forest cavern now that he and his team had defeated the Kobold warrior. She hadn¡¯t seen much of the now bronze adventurers, because Vivian Ross had approved them for taking jobs on the jobs board, and there were plenty of jobs hunting zombies out in the nearby forest.


    Ali paged through her Grimoire and decided to try something else. She made a chunk of nature affinity magicite about the size of Mato¡¯s fist and embedded it in the stone near the shrine.


    Just as she had attached her mushrooms to the domain, she did the same thing with the magicite. As soon as her magic was completed, she saw the swirling of her domain mana pouring into the stone as it glowed brighter and brighter until it finally settled on an intense green light, like a glowing crisp apple from one of the trees Sigurd had brought her.  She studied it for a while, deciding it wasn¡¯t going to oversaturate, thankfully.


    For the next part of her idea, she decided to try inscribing some power transfer runes into the ground around it. She carefully spliced in some of the runic structure she remembered from the library enchantment and some pieces she borrowed from her Orb of Mana ¨C specifically the elements related to drawing mana from the magicite crystal sliver embedded within the glass orb. She tinkered with it for a while, absently accepting a bowl of food from Mato while she worked.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she told him, briefly distracted when the delicious flavor exploded in her mouth, but she quickly returned to her work.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Mato asked, dropping himself to the mossy ground nearby.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to see if I can make a battery for the shrine. If I¡¯m right, I should be able to recharge it faster with this.¡± She continued scribing her runes and chatting with Mato, the work not quite difficult enough to demand her entire focus.


    Suddenly, the runes pulsed as she completed the final section, and a powerful cascade of green nature-affinity mana surged from the magicite and poured into the shrine. It was already at full capacity, so she didn¡¯t know if the recharge rate had improved, but before she could consider ways to use some of its mana safely, her chime sounded.


    ¡°Oh, my shrine advanced!¡± Ali had no idea that had even been a possibility. She blinked at the zeroes.


    ¡°Nice, what did you get?¡± Mato asked.


    She quickly shared the options with him. One million mana to her reservation seemed like a lot, but she was almost certain the Living Mana option would be the better long-term choice ¨C provided the proportion was reasonable.


    ¡°Living Mana,¡± Mato suggested, agreeing immediately with her assessment, so she chose that option.


    The shrine flared with the light of complex mana formations growing and twisting. Her Grimoire immediately responded with a sympathetic glow and the shrine¡¯s mana poured into her book while the pages flipped back to the magicite variant. And then she felt her Domain Mastery activate without her own intention.


    The mana rushed through her as the shrine usurped her skills for its own purposes, channeling magicite and reforming it with her domain mastery. The shrine began to grow, glowing intensely as it summoned more and more magicite, folding it into itself in an intricately complex structure. Finally, the mana rush slowed and the glowing subsided to the normal luminance of the runic inscriptions on the surface of the once again black stone obelisk. But it was several meters taller now, and noticeably wider at the base.


    Shrine of the Ancient Grove


    Owner: Aliandra Amariel


    Mana Siphon (Active)


    Mana: Unlock class experience


    Mana: Unlock or enhance latent magical affinities


    Mana: Unlock alternate classes


    Owner¡¯s Mana: Recharge the shrine¡¯s mana reserve. 1,250,003/1,896,250


    Shrine ¨C Artifact


    ¡°It gained almost six hundred and fifty thousand mana,¡± Ali said in surprise. It wasn¡¯t quite as much as the one million mana option, but if she grew her domain, it should continue increasing, eventually surpassing the flat increase option.


    Ali glanced at the chunk of magicite she had made for her experiment, now looking pitifully small compared to the sheer amount of nature affinity magicite the shrine had consumed in its reconstruction endeavor. she thought but decided to leave it anyway. If the adventurers grew strong enough to take on her Forest Guardian boss, it would be a nice reward for them, and her domain was already set to respawn the magicite if they took it.


    It hadn¡¯t escaped her notice that the shrine had only used the nature-affinity magicite, which got her thinking. There had been an arcane condenser, but she was pretty certain it was one of the missing ones, presumably buried deep under the rubble or entirely destroyed by whatever explosion had been strong enough to destroy half the city and level the mountain above.


    Ali¡¯s guardian alerted her to a presence, and she quickly flickered her awareness through her monsters just as Malika called out to them.


    ¡°Ali, Mato, what are you guys doing, I saw some bright lights.¡±


    ¡°Malika!¡± she squealed, springing to her feet and sprinting off to greet her, sending a quick command to her Forest Guardian to stand down.


    Their happy reunion took some time, and Ali was overjoyed to have her friend back healthy and looking well. Mato, of course, greeted Malika with a bear hug swiftly followed by a bowl of savory stew, which was gratefully accepted, and they all sat down to catch up on their various activities.


    ¡°So, I poured a whole lot of mana into the shrine and then it advanced,¡± Ali explained, answering Malika¡¯s questions about the brightness of the light.


    ¡°Oh, Vivian asked me to talk to you about using the shrine for class advancement again,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°I told her I¡¯d think about it,¡± she answered. In truth, she hadn¡¯t thought about it much, but she was still hesitant given her experience last time.


    ¡°Ali, I know you seem hesitant, but I think it¡¯s a great idea. I told Rezan to bring one of the girls from Kezda to you for a class because Vertias is charging thirty gold to use their shrine. I know Myrin¡¯s Keep only charges two large silver, but still, that excludes almost the entire population simply because they cannot afford it. I told Vivian I would help her train the applicants if she finds them from the poorer sections of town just so we can give them better opportunities. I¡¯m excited about the idea, and I think it¡¯s a way we can make a big difference.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m certain that the last time was how people learned I¡¯m a dungeon, and that¡¯s why they came to hunt me.¡± But she knew her fear wasn¡¯t quite rational. After the trial where she had proudly announced the fact, it had become common knowledge in the town.


    ¡°I won¡¯t make an issue of it if you don¡¯t want to,¡± Malika said, but she was unable to hide her disappointment. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ali bit her lip.


    Lira had told her that her father had done something similar for the whole city of Dal¡¯mohra and had confirmed Malika¡¯s thought that it would make a difference. In fact, Ali was certain Malika might be underselling the value for a messed-up town like Myrin¡¯s Keep, provided most of the candidates had good role models and guidance ¨C regardless of her personal concerns around Vivian¡¯s occasional use of questionable methods, she was undoubtedly a fantastic resource for any newly classed adventurer.


    ¡°Maybe we can do one more and see how it goes?¡± Ali suggested. It was hard to block something that Malika was so clearly passionate about on something as nebulous as a fearful memory.


    ¡°Thank you, Ali,¡± Malika said. ¡°Is there anything I can do?¡±


    ¡°Actually, there is,¡± Ali answered. ¡°I promised Thuli that I would search for the mines under Dal¡¯mohra. Maybe when Calen gets back from his job, we can go clear some more of the jungle to get to the entrance?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Mato exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯m tired of fighting stupid zombies.¡±


    Ali winked at Malika and said, ¡°Clearly he¡¯s bored with beating up zombies. What about you?¡±


    Folding his arms across his chest, Mato growled, ¡°You got that right. Filthy work!¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m in,¡± Malika said meeting Ali¡¯s smile with one of her own. ¡°It¡¯s good to be back.¡±


    ***


    ¡°What about here?¡± Ali asked, glancing at Calen as she tried to wipe the sweat from her face and neck with an already-soaked sleeve.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± he answered, ¡°but this spot seems most likely. We already checked the other possibilities.¡± If he was affected by the humid jungle, he didn¡¯t show it, studying the gigantic pile of rock and rubble as if he might stare right through it to glean insights as to what might lie beyond.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll try,¡± she answered. ¡°I just need a few minutes for my domain to propagate.¡± They had been hunting for the entrance to the mines for several days now and she was beginning to worry that they would never find it. It didn¡¯t help that the entire area was vastly changed by the passage of time, jungle, and the fallen rubble and rock, and she had poor memories of a place she had rarely visited anyway. The entrance was undoubtedly buried somewhere underneath this wreckage, but the ancient overgrown rubble of half a city was vast, and they had to fight through the denizens of the jungle for every meter.


    On the other hand, she plowed through the jungle like a ravenous devourer, consuming all manner of trees and vegetation, and leaving in its wake a jungle reborn from the hundreds of imprint variants she acquired, now glittering with arcane and nature mana instead.


    ¡°How is it?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Much calmer,¡± Ali said, glancing back at the expanse of her new domain. Obviously, she didn¡¯t have the time to replace everything, but once she had established enough trees ¨C particularly her towering Lirasian Oaks, her domain settled over the region. In her wake, her industrious minions filled in the gaps with mushrooms, moss, and wildflowers.


    It all had a second purpose, though. To penetrate the rubble and find the entrance, she needed to rely on her powerful Domain Mastery skill and its ability to affect large areas within her domain. Tunneling through the rock with Deconstruction had been far too slow.


    ¡°It¡¯s still as sweaty as a Troll¡¯s armpit around here,¡± Mato grumbled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember Trolls being that sweaty,¡± Ali answered absently as she checked her domain mana carefully, picking at her uncomfortably sticky, damp clothing. ¡°I met a few from Telim Gor once ¨C they had an ice-affinity bloodline.¡± One advantage of planting all the new trees and expanding her domain area through the jungle was that her shrine¡¯s mana reserve had been slowly growing. It was not an immediately useful improvement, but Ali was happy that she had picked the Living Mana advancement now that she could see how effective it was.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± was all Mato said.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m ready,¡± Ali said, deciding that the domain mana emitted by the nearby enormous oak had grown sufficiently strong that it would support her skill, and she reached toward the rubble and rock lying beneath the dense cover of moss and plants. Her domain mana immediately responded to her will, infusing the rock and it began to bend away from her, flowing like a thick viscous treacle. She stepped toward the mountain, pushing the rock up and around to reinforce the walls and the roof of her slowly growing cave. With a thought she added her Deconstruction, wielding both skills simultaneously to dissolve tons of rock while simultaneously growing a tunnel into the heart of the broken remains of the city. She took a step forward, trying to ignore the tons of rock bearing down on her tiny tunnel causing the primitive part of her brain to clamor with alarm.


    She stepped forward again, absorbing mana from the rock with her Deconstruction and redirecting it back out through her domain mastery to slowly shift the rock to the sides and open up the way forward. As she did so, she summoned a slowly growing carpet of moss at her feet.


    She ignored the notification as she continued to bore her way through the tons of stone and rock, focused on the mana that she could see penetrating several meters deep into the walls, searching for any hints that might help direct her.


    She shifted uncomfortably, pouring her mana into her skills constantly, and beginning to sweat profusely.


    ¡°Is it getting hotter in here?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°I think so,¡± Calen said from a little way back.


    Ten minutes later she was certain ¨C a scorching heat radiated from the rock in uncomfortable waves, leaving her sweltering and short of breath. It was getting hotter than standing in front of Thuli¡¯s forge ¨C almost like she imagined bread must feel baking in the oven. She pressed on, taking the unusual heat as a good sign ¨C something that was notably different about this location compared to all the other attempts they had made.


    She ignored the various notifications of additional variants of decorative or structural stone, presumably remnants of the city¡¯s construction, content to explore them later. If nothing else, she would have plenty of new options for artistic sculpture.


    ¡°If this doesn¡¯t work, perhaps we should hire an Earth Mage?¡± Calen suggested.


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Malika answered. ¡°Some of them have Earth Sight or perception skills that work through rock. Basir, Rezan¡¯s disciple, can do that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty good idea,¡± Ali said. Anything to avoid the uncomfortable heatwave. ¡°Or we could find an earth affinity monster and I could just take a look myself.¡±


    ¡°Not sure where to find one of those,¡± Mato said. ¡°But that¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    Suddenly, up ahead in the rock, something shifted in her mana sight. Instead of her structured domain of nature and arcane magic, something else flared and flickered, like tiny flames of red.


    ¡°I see some fire-affinity mana,¡± Ali said, recognizing it from long familiarity with the magic of her favorite Kobold mages. With mounting excitement, she pressed forward.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Malika murmured.


    Calen added, ¡°Have a barrier ready, alright, Ali.¡±


    ¡°Ok, here it goes,¡± she said, warning her friends to be prepared, and then broke through. Rock walls gave way to a sudden intense blast of dry heated air that banished her sweat in an instant, searing her skin and burning her face. She reacted with an instant barrier, but even the ambient air burned, blistering and reddening her skin.


    ¡°Yeowch! That¡¯s hot!¡± Mato hissed.


    As the soothing holy magic from her attentive Acolyte settled into her body, repairing the damage, she studied the effect. ¡°It¡¯s the mana, not the air,¡± she said.While the air itself was scorching hot, most of the damage seemed to be coming directly from the ambient fire-affinity mana that was pouring out from the large open space she had connected to with her tunnel.


    From the darkness beyond, a strange glow shifted, throwing shadows that flickered and danced, and suddenly a sizzle broke the silence as a bolt of flame shot toward her, crashing into the golden barrier with a loud bang and a shower of flaming blobs.


    ¡°Incoming,¡± Calen shouted, and from the dark cavern beyond their position came a being born of pure flame and heat.


    It was the intense fiery orange-red of her Kobolds¡¯ fireballs, but larger, flickering and shifting like a bonfire. Two intense white flames near the center gave the impression of eyes, and two protrusions of flame evoked the idea of arms, creating a vaguely humanoid squat, broad shape. It was impossible to tell if the monster had any substance to it, or if it was entirely composed of flame, but the white-hot core was dense enough to be entirely opaque.


    ¡°Fire elemental!¡± Ali and Calen yelled simultaneously.


    It launched another bolt of flame, this time crashing into Mato as he charged forward to engage it, his fur instantly igniting as he entered the intense aura of fire emanating from the monster. It swung an ¡®arm¡¯ and struck Mato with a resounding thump that sizzled as its touch burnt deep into his hide.


    ¡°Heal him,¡± Ali said, but her Acolytes were already casting their holy spells.


    The Shard of Flame struck again, driving Mato backward. As it approached, the aura of its flame touched her domain, and an immense pain slammed into Ali¡¯s mind, driving her to her knees in agony. Unable to see, she barely registered shouting and screaming, and the roars of her minions. Someone grabbed her roughly and she felt herself being carried. She struggled with the searing pain that raged unfettered through her mind.


    ¡°Ali! Are you ok?¡± She heard the shout from right beside her, and yet from so far away.


    ¡°Malika,¡± she gasped, not even knowing if she spoke aloud.


    It was Malika carrying her as they sprinted through the tunnel and out into the jungle, pumping her healing magic into her. Her mind slowly began to adjust to the pain as she realized her minions were still in there, unleashing everything they had.


    she managed. But only her Kobolds managed to make it out alive, her Forest Guardian succumbing somewhere deep in the tunnel, its mana reservation returning to her with a stinging snap.


    ¡°It¡¯s a dungeon,¡± Calen cried in sudden realization.


    Ali slowly struggled to her feet, trying to regain control of her faculties, her minions, everything ¨C merely trying to process what was happening.


    As her mind slowly recovered, getting used to the pain ¨C for it was not abating in the slightest ¨C she began to understand. It was a familiar pain; one she had experienced twice before. The first time when she had inadvertently overlapped her mana with the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra in the forest cavern, and once again when she tried to save Lira by merging their domains. Somehow, she instinctively knew that merging domains with a hostile dungeon would be disastrous. The Shard of Flame surged out of the tunnel, still trading blows with Mato, while Ali¡¯s Kobolds unleashed all their energy and might at it, uncaring for the damage.


    ¡°¡± Ali commanded, trying to force her will through their rage. ¡°¡± They were killing Mato with Fireballs in their ardor to protect her from the monster.


    Reluctantly, her Kobolds obeyed, switching from Fireballs to Firebolts and the pressure on Mato eased a little.


    ¡°Ali?¡± Malika¡¯s concern pierced through the haze of pain.


    ¡°Dungeon-rage,¡± she managed. ¡°I¡¯ll be ok in a minute.¡± Of course, she had no idea if she would really be ok ¨C the pain showed no signs of fading.


    ¡°Still?¡± Calen said, raising an eyebrow as he continued to unleash his arrows.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Elemental,¡± Ali said. The Shard of Flame was emitting a potent aura of fire-affinity mana, and she finally recognized what was familiar about it. It reminded her of Naia¡¯s slimes, and how they propagated Naia¡¯s domain wherever they went. Just like her trees, only mobile. The domain of the fire dungeon was being laid down by the elemental¡¯s aura, extending back into the tunnel she had bored through the rock. And it was burning her domain wherever the two came into contact.


    ¡°Go,¡± she said, slowly standing up on her own, freeing Malika from having to hold her. ¡°Mato needs you.¡± She sent out her will, forcibly bringing her minions under control. Her melee forces ¨C three rogues and a shaman ¨C were all literally on fire, being burned by the mere presence of the Fire Elemental. As she struggled to keep her balance, one of her rogues collapsed in a smoldering heap, filling the forest with the stench of charred meat.


    She moved her Kobold Fire Mages and Acolytes back out of range of the aura and set them to some vague semblance of strategy. At her side, one of her Acolytes flared with the pillar of holy light as she triggered her devotion skill to cope with the excessive damage.


    Ali quickly merged her perceptions with the nearest Acolyte, observing with its Healer¡¯s Sight, shocked to find just how low on health her melee minions were. The Kobolds seemed to be doing a bit better than the shaman, but her Forest Guardian was long gone, presumably unable to keep up, given its vulnerability to fire. With her potent temporary boost in healing power, her Acolyte was bringing her minions back from the brink, but it was a close call.


    All around her, she could feel her domain fighting with the expanding fire domain, but it was hers that was being pushed back. More than just the fire domain being more powerful ¨C the mere presence of the Elemental set her grass on fire, destroying the plants that created her domain in the first place. And the agony in her mind was preventing her from even thinking straight.


    She reached out and placed her hand on the giant oak she had planted so that she could make the tunnel and deconstructed it. As it evaporated in a giant explosion of mana motes, her domain recoiled, receding rapidly, and suddenly her mind cleared as the pain subsided.


    She breathed a sigh of relief. Malika was in the thick of it, fighting hard beside Mato, and by the frequent flickers of her magic, Ali could tell she was rapidly burning her energy to heal him and herself. Her Acolytes were healing constantly, and her melee forces were barely holding onto life.


    Ali quickly threw up a couple of barriers to protect her Acolytes from the continuous barrage of Firebolts blasting in all directions from the Shard of Flame.


    ¡°It¡¯s not dying,¡± Calen said through clenched teeth.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t?¡± Ali¡¯s eyes snapped to the elemental in surprise ¨C it was a single monster, by itself, and even though it was formidable, they were an entire group. She slipped her mind back into the Acolyte¡¯s Healer¡¯s Sight and studied the elemental.


    ¡°It¡¯s at full health¡­¡± Ali could easily see Mato¡¯s powerful strikes, Malika¡¯s rapid ones, and the damage from her shaman when the Lightning Bolt slammed through the elemental, but then the elemental suddenly recovered its health.


    ¡°What the¡­ it¡¯s healing!¡± she yelled. ¡°¡± she commanded, eliciting a chorus of yips and chirps from her remaining Kobolds. She ignored the second rogue collapsing behind the elemental.


    ¡°How is it out-healing all of us?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°I have no idea.¡± Ali fired several barrier shards at it, finding them only able to strike at the dense core of the monster. She anxiously tracked its health as her minions hit it. A massive strike from Mato and the health dropped noticeably. Malika¡¯s flurry of punches hit, and it dropped a little more. Several arrows from Calen and the health dropped noticeably again. Her mages fired a volley of firebolts and¡­


    The Shard of Flame was suddenly back at full health.


    ¡°Oh fuck!¡± she exclaimed. She was not one for careless profanity, like Morwynne, but this time she had been rather stupid. In her defense, the dungeon-rage had done a number on her concentration and focus.


    ¡°What?¡± Calen asked, staring at her in surprise.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Fire Elemental. I¡¯m shooting it with fire¡­¡± Ali explained.


    ¡°Oh. Fire damage absorption?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s the only explanation,¡± Ali grimaced. She was unable to study the aptitudes of any of the Elementals she had acquired, save for the Forest Guardian. But her Guardians would heal from any nature or poison damage due to the absorption of its affinity. There was no reason to believe the Fire Elemental didn¡¯t have a similar aptitude ¨C and the evidence she had just observed confirmed it.


    ¡°¡± she growled in draconic, telling her Kobold mages to simply stand by. It was clear they were upset about her orders, but they obeyed, nonetheless. She studied the health of the monster carefully, watching it slowly decrease as they fought, but it was no longer healing itself. It was a stressful few minutes, particularly when the fires killed her shaman, but her Acolytes were able to keep up with the intense damage ¨C at least for Mato in the thick of the flames ¨C and, with their combined efforts whittling it down, the chime finally sounded.


    ¡°Thank goodness,¡± Malika said, wiping soot off her face.


    ¡°Sorry, guys,¡± Ali said, mortified that she had missed the crucial ability in the chaos and pain and had put them all in danger.


    ¡°No problem, we got it,¡± Mato answered, sauntering over to join her. ¡°Hey, what are they doing?¡± he asked, pointing to the two Acolytes who were standing with heads bowed over clasped hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s a skill called Prayer,¡± Ali answered. She had studied her Acolytes¡¯ abilities extensively ¨C they were one of her most essential minions, after all. The Prayer ability was similar to Malika¡¯s meditation, they could greatly improve their regeneration, but they could take no other actions while using the skill.


    ¡°What do Kobolds pray to?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know,¡± Ali answered.


    ¡°Some ancient dragon, I think,¡± Calen answered.


    ¡°You guys aren¡¯t worried about me healing the monster?¡± Ali was surprised at their casual attitude toward her mistake.


    ¡°It happens,¡± Malika shrugged.


    ¡°You figured it out, and we won,¡± Mato answered, as if that was the only thing that mattered.


    ¡°He¡¯s right, Ali,¡± Calen said when she frowned. ¡°We learned something. Here, take a look at this read on the dungeon, I think it confirms that we¡¯re in the right place.¡±


    [Explorer]


    Emberforge Mines ¨C level ??


    Affinity: Fire, Lava.


    Age: Ancient.


    Known Creatures: Fire Elemental.


    Known Bosses: --


    Dungeon


    ¡°Another dungeon?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°And it¡¯s ancient,¡± Ali added. It seemed like the dungeon was almost as old as she was, but the name confirmed they had found it. Unfortunately, the mines were inhabited by a dungeon, which meant that getting Thuli his information would take a lot longer than she had anticipated.


    ¡°Won¡¯t this help you level up and get that mana you needed?¡± Mato asked, grinning.


    ¡°It seems unreasonably hard,¡± Ali muttered, clamping her lips together as she realized how sulky she had just sounded. On the other hand, leveling up would definitely be the most effective way for her to solve her mana issues.


    They all trooped back to the tunnel and Ali noticed that the rock itself was glowing. Several fissures had opened, spilling lava out of the entrance and into the jungle. Lava that was brimming with mana that emerged to mingle with the remnants of the fire aura the elemental had left, pinning it in place and expanding the domain of the hostile dungeon.


    ¡°Wait, that was a dual-affinity dungeon again?¡± Ali asked, finding the description Calen had shared.


    ¡°Yes, fire and lava,¡± he confirmed.


    ¡°I think this lava is propagating its domain, too,¡± Ali said, pointing it out to the others.


    ¡°Hey, this is cool,¡± Malika said, calling attention to the corpse of the Shard of Flame. She stood over it with an intense orange-red thing resting in the palm of her right hand, a flickering dancing flame that refused to go out. Periodically, she pulsed her mana to heal her hand against the burning of the flame.


    ¡°I think Thuli might like this,¡± Malika grinned.


    ¡°Incoming,¡± Calen shouted, snapping everyone¡¯s attention back to the tunnel as a second Shard of Flame emerged.


    Ali thought as she scrambled for battle.


    ***


    - Heal ¨C level 17


    Mana: Heal your target. Range: 45.3 meters.


    Holy, Healing, Ranged, Wisdom


    - Restoration ¨C level 15


    Mana: Heal your target over time. Range: 43.5 meters. Duration: 30 seconds.


    Holy, Healing, Buff, Ranged, Wisdom


    - Healing Mastery ¨C level 12


    You are proficient with healing magic. All healing spells gain +64%  spell power.


    Holy, Healing, Mastery, Intelligence


    - Azryet''s Blessing ¨C level 13


    Mana: Your Wisdom, Intelligence, and Perception are increased by +60.3% . Reserve: 20%


    Holy, Buff, Intelligence


    - Healer''s Sight ¨C level 11


    Mana: You can see the health of creatures and people around you. You can see their wounds and injuries and understand how difficult they are to heal. Range: 39.9 meters.


    Holy, Healing, Perception


    - Prayer ¨C level 14


    Focus: Seek the guidance of your patron. Mana regeneration is increased by +270% . Movement or using an active skill cancels your focus. Your Patron may choose to double your bonus at their discretion.


    Holy, Wisdom


    - Devotion ¨C level 9


    Mana: All your healing spells gain Spell Echo, targeting up to 1  additional nearby targets. Your healing spells gain +18%  spell haste and the effects of all Healing Mastery skills are doubled. Duration: 30 seconds. Recharge: 15 minutes.


    Holy, Healing, Area, Intelligence


    - Faith ¨C level 4


    Stamina: Your will is strong, and your faith is pure. Resistance is increased by +177 . Reserve: 10%


    Holy, Defense, Wisdom


    -


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    -


    -


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    -


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    -


    -


    Tala


    This was turning into an extremely annoying and frustrating job.  Tala darted along the rooftops, letting her stealth skills keep the curious prying eyes from finding her as she made her way to the bar. Her prospective contractors had declined to meet at the Crooked Crown and instead proposed the Pig ¡®n Poke, and while she appreciated their caution, it not only meant a trip to the other side of town, but it also meant she would have to deal with the patrons that frequented the place. Hopefully, it was late enough that most of them would be too drunk or too dead to cause trouble.


    If only that arrogant mage had done his job properly, she wouldn¡¯t still be stuck hiring mercenaries. How could someone with his ridiculous skills and reputation fail to kill a lower-level mage mark? His body ¨C and those of his entire team ¨C had never been recovered, which she supposed was what he got for dying in a dungeon, but she had recognized some of his group¡¯s gear showing up on the market a few days later.


    She grinned wryly at her own pun.


    This time, though, there was much more at stake than simply killing Aliandra and wiping out the dungeon. With the intel that the Adventurers Guild was running a private class advancement, and had been drawing in people from the poor and rundown slum areas in town, Jax Hawkhurst himself had gotten involved. He had been furious, calling it a declaration of war against his business interests ¨C an escalation which had to mean Bastian Asterford was leaning hard on him. It wasn¡¯t about the silver; it was about control. Control and leverage led to results.


    Tala smiled grimly as she spied the mercenaries through an open window.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 157: Portentous Divination

    - Dorin Crimsonhammer, Platinum Adventurer.


    Tol¡¯zerath


    Tol¡¯zerath bowed his head, the ceremonial tusk beads brushing against his broad chest as he closed his eyes. Slipping his hands into the Divination Pool, he released his mana, and the temperature in the whole cave plummeted as the silvery electrum of the ice runes painstakingly etched into the rock responded to his magic. The fickle, capricious tendrils of divination mana drifted from his hands, suffusing the pool, and tugging at the edges of his mind.


    Divination magic would fight you, writhing and twisting like a slippery snake if you sought to bend it to your will. But over his many centuries of life, he had come to an understanding with it, and gradually turned it into the ally that had won him the title of the  of Telim Gor. It could not be forced ¨C would not ¨C but with patience it would show him what he sought.


    With the swift suddenness of a deep-ocean predator, his magic reached up and dragged his mind under, and with its unexpected urgency came his first glimmers of concern.


    His mind plunged through the boundary with a shocking chill but then emerged into the familiar gray, colorless world of the Spirit Realm above the familiar mountain temple of his tribe¡¯s nemesis ¨C Aman Rak. He had scried upon the Trolls of blood and bone many a time, seeking an advantage in their endless skirmishes and disagreements, but today the ancient buildings nestled on the jungle-covered slopes were ignored.


    His attention was immediately captured by the huge cloud of dark, shifting miasma on the horizon, rapidly growing closer. Even his heart, having seen the battles of ages, began to hasten in response to the ominous wall that began eating up the sky as it rapidly bore down on him. His sight could not penetrate it, and all he could make out were shadows and shapes lurking in the darkness.


    The world flickered, and suddenly the miasma appeared right before the gates of Aman Rak, huge, towering up to fill the sky.  Below him, arrayed in full battle paint with weapons at the ready, stood every single adult Troll of the Aman Rak tribe, the gleaming magic of blood and bone adorning their bodies, only barely less impressive for being washed out and gray.


    The miasma rippled and shadows flew, charged, and crawled within the seething thunderheads. Skeletal Wyverns and Dragons, Wights of bone and death, and all manner of zombies, abominations, and skeletal undead. They charged, a torrent unending, with unearthly shrieks and howls ¨C answered by the booming battle cries of Aman Rak¡¯s Giant Troll Berserkers.


    Tol¡¯zerath flinched backward, trying to avoid the wall of miasma, cloaking his presence with a twist of ice and divination magic. It may be an echo of a potential future, but this was the . Everything was real, even if it wasn¡¯t, and dying to a future echo of an undead dragon would be just as disastrous as in the real world.


    The clash of steel and bone was deafening, as the roars and stomping of the Blood Berserker Giant Trolls shook the battlefield as their gargantuan bone and steel greataxes bit into unyielding undead flesh and bone.


    But the undead horde did not abate, pouring more and more monsters into the fray, like an unassuaged ravenous tide. He saw Troll warriors fall, shamans bitten in two, and then even one Giant Troll Berserker crashed to his knees, followed soon by a second.


    Tol¡¯zerath shivered. The voice bore a sepulchral chill from beyond the grave, that froze even the heart of a hardened Troll Ice Mage. To his horror, the first fallen Blood Berserker stirred ¨C and then got back to his feet. Its flesh withered and darkened, the white of bones jutted through the torn, blackened skin, and when it roared the entire battlefield faltered at the horror of an undead Giant Troll. It swung its axes, and its former brethren were sent flying from the shattering violence of its blade.


    Tol¡¯zerath¡¯s vision snapped. Disoriented and dizzy, he gasped, finding himself back in his ice cave. Gradually, he reunited his mind with his body and returned his awareness to the darkness of the cave, the glow of the runes, and the silent vigil of his servants.


    Tol¡¯zerath sat trembling in the darkness, greatly troubled by the visions he had seen in the waters. It had been centuries since a divination had shaken him so much, and it would not do to show weakness before his servants.


    Slowly, once he felt he had regained control of his trembling arms, he lifted his hands out of the Divination Pool and removed his Mask of Scrying.


    The centuries of honorable battle between the Telim Gor and the Aman Rak meant nothing in the face of an inexhaustible horde of the dead. The fact that he could not penetrate the miasma, nor see the face of the voice within it, meant that something powerful was blocking his sight.


    The only possibility was someone of a high enough level to deny a . There were only two within the Aman Rak: Tol¡¯brekk their headman, or Kir¡¯vella the champion. Kir¡¯vella was powerful enough that in a lesser tribe, she would easily have been . But neither would be capable of anything on the scale he had just witnessed.


    . He glanced at his servants, who were gazing at the floor, shivering in the chilling remnants of the mana he had used for his ritual. He could sense their worry in the glances and shifting when they thought he wasn¡¯t watching. They knew he had returned angry from his spirit journey, but this time, his preparations had been perfect. The Divination Pool had been tested and was filled with the purest mana-purified water. His ritual face paint had been checked multiple times, and the runes inscribed into the ground around him within his cave were still filled with his unique blend of ice and divination mana. Whatever he had seen was the truth, though, as with all divination, it might not be fixed yet.


    He snarled as the unwanted thought rose within his mind, and an icicle snapped off his left tusk, falling to the ground and shattering with a musical tinkle. A ripple of cowering passed through his assembled servants. This thought worried him the most, a dungeon that could consume Aman Rak would be a fearsome thing indeed, but he was forced to consider the possibility ¨C the mana of a powerful dungeon could easily obscure his scrying. The world had not seen such a horror since The Breaking.


    It had not been a Troll.


    Slowly, he rose to his feet, stretching his back as his mind raced with the tasks he must accomplish, the new plans he must set in motion before it was too late.


    ¡°Get Mok¡¯freja,¡± he commanded. His servants scrambled to do his bidding, not even bothering to try and preserve their pride, not knowing why he was so angry. No, this time they had done their jobs. Now, however, he was faced with the distasteful task of treating with the enemy, and worse, involving the lesser races.


    He spat on the ground, turning it to ice as he released his mana in frustration. There was no avoiding it. Their customs demanded it ¨C tradition stronger than steel or law ¨C and by the sight of his vision, if Aman Rak fell, Telim Gor would be next. Without the aid of Ciradyl, they would quickly fall against this horde. He was as proud as any Troll, but he knew an overwhelming force when he saw it.


    The creaking of new ice announced the to his cave


    ¡°You will take a delegation to Aman Rak,¡± Tol¡¯zerath commanded as he regarded her closely, and offered her a glimpse of his vision. ¡°You will warn them of the army of the dead.¡±


    ¡°And you?¡± she asked, making the braids adorning her slender tusks quiver with her intensity.


    ¡°I will go to Ciradyl and warn the Long Ears,¡± he spat. He had had enough of the lesser races¡¯ ignorance of the proper standing of the Trolls. ¡°They had better send someone of status to treat with me this time.¡±


    ¡°You would break the treaties? Trample the customs? Aman Rak will have our heads on pikes outside their gates before listening to us,¡± Mok¡¯freja growled.


    ¡°You will them listen.¡±


    She snarled at him, ice flashing into being all across her arms and shoulders before shattering and falling to the floor. A potent display of her power. She said, ¡°Yes, zerath!¡±


    Tol¡¯zerath smiled. Mok¡¯freja was ambitious, but she had that most important of Trollish attributes ¨C she was strong.


    Garret


    Garret sat quietly at their table in the darkest corner of the dimly lit ¡®Pig ¡®n Poke¡¯ tavern, watching as Caspian led the young woman toward their table. Even without the daggers and leather, or his Identify skill, he could pick out the assassin simply by the way she moved, always balanced on the balls of her feet. Her eyes, the only visible part of her face behind a mask, were constantly scanning the room.


    She wore her blonde hair in a braid, and she was clad in tight, form-fitting black leather armor complete with the mask that obscured her entire face from just below her eyes ¨C leather of a quality he was certain had to be imported from elsewhere. If this shithole town had crafters capable of that quality leather, he was certain he would have heard of it already. There were daggers and throwing knives fastened to her armor in various places, but he was certain they were for show ¨C distractions ¨C and her real weapons were probably stored in one of the two rings she wore.


    As taverns in the seedier parts of town went, this one was surprisingly good. Nobody came to disturb them as they conducted their business in the back corner of the room. Garret moved his untouched ale slightly. He had purchased it to keep the proprietor happy, but he wasn¡¯t about to drink anything that smelled like piss. He glanced at his companions with contempt ¨C it was good that they were left alone, Dak¡¯resh and Ixora usually attracted a lot of attention wherever they went.


    Dak¡¯resh was a Kel¡¯darran spear warrior, and quite frankly, the lizard annoyed him constantly. Why Caspian had hired him, he never knew. Sure, he was powerful in a fight wielding his enormous weapon, but in every other way, Garret despised the reptile. Just because he was a melee fighter didn¡¯t mean he had priority on all the weapons they looted. If he had to explain seniority to the creature one more time, he was going to insist that Caspian kick him out.


    He sighed. His gaze drifted to Ixora, and he hastily caught himself and looked away. The woman was beautiful, sure, and she was fond of wearing very low-cut and tight tops, but frankly, she terrified him. Her style of combat, using Mind Control and Mind Flay, was bad enough, but she had more than a few cards short of a full deck. She had mind-controlled him once when he had propositioned her, and he had found himself naked and trying to drown himself in a toilet when he recovered his senses. Ever since, he had given her a wide berth. He had no idea how Caspian kept her in line, but for some reason, she listened to him.


    ¡°Hey, this is our contact for the job,¡± Caspian announced and the two of them took the remaining empty seats at the table. Garret didn¡¯t know how he did it, but Caspian had a nose for good jobs, always finding one within the first day of entering town. Good jobs too, the kind with a steep bounty and a certain amount of discretion required. It was too bad he was convinced his good nose extended to his gambling habit, but he assumed that was likely the reason they were always doing profitable jobs.


    ¡°This is the mark,¡± the woman announced, getting right to business. Her voice was light and soft, and his eyes fell to the picture she dropped on the table. It was a humanoid monster-race creature with pointed elf-like ears, green hair, and amber eyes. ¡°She is a Fae, about this tall,¡± their contact said, holding a hand up a little below the height of the tabletop, ¡°and she is the dungeon lurking below Myrin¡¯s Keep. The job is to eliminate her and disrupt the Adventurers Guild from conducting a class advancement ceremony at her shrine tomorrow. The bounty is one hundred and fifty gold, paid on proof of death. My boss wants it done quietly and you leave town immediately after.¡±


    That was most certainly a handsome reward for what seemed like a simple enough job.


    ¡°Level? Known abilities?¡± Garret asked.


    ¡°Last she was seen, she was level fifty. She can summon several level forty plant elementals, and mostly her dungeon is a pushover. Just low-level Kobolds and Slimes besides her personal minions.¡± The woman pushed another paper into the center of the table. ¡°Just enter here through the sewers, I¡¯ve marked the path to the shrine they will be using.¡±


    ¡°What about the others?¡± Ixora asked, her sultry voice grating in his ears.


    ¡°We don¡¯t care, you can kill all of them if you like, but we won¡¯t pay for the extras.¡±


    Garret ignored Ixora¡¯s evil laugh and instead studied the map while Dak¡¯resh asked stupid questions and Ixora salivated over the opportunity for a bloodbath. Everyone in their group was higher level than the mark ¨C just the kind of odds he preferred ¨C and they had a powerful combination of abilities. His Feral Puma synergized well with Caspian¡¯s rogue class skills, and he could always pop out of his form to use his healing magic if necessary. He was not much of a healer, but just having the option had saved their group from several sticky situations. This job was going to be a walk in the park.


    he almost laughed out loud.


    Aliandra


    Ali stared at the tunnel entrance in frustration. She had expected one, perhaps two Shards of Flame, but it seemed the dungeon-rage had roused the Emberforge Mines to spawn a continuous stream of Elementals that seemed intent on wiping out all life in the jungle and conquering the whole area with their domain of fire and lava.


    she thought, considering that the dungeon must have spawned inside the mine centuries or more ago, and it had probably become trapped by the enormous pile of rubble that had collapsed on it during the disaster. The moment Ali had opened a path, it had begun expelling Elementals in a continuous dungeon-break. she thought ¨C realizing that this dungeon had an effective tool to break out of its imprisonment.


    ¡°That fire aura is a real problem,¡± Ali said. Even with their racial resistance to fire damage, her rogues died every single fight, to the point that she had already stopped resummoning them, and instead began experimenting with other varieties of Kobolds. A second big issue was most of her minions were far too low-level to be going head-to-head with a level forty elemental, and she wasn¡¯t about to waste her scarce mana on Forest Guardians who would just die due to their vulnerability to fire.


    ¡°The archers seem to work a bit better,¡± Calen said. ¡°We killed it a little faster this time.¡±


    ¡°Yep, but now I need to make more arrows,¡± Ali muttered. She finished resummoning her dead shaman while she studied the tunnel that she had bored through the rockfall, unleashing the dungeon upon them. Every time an elemental came through there, it seemed to broaden the fissures and spread the lava flows further out into the jungle, to the point now that it looked a little like a glowing orange river delta surrounded by the blackened remains of the trees and plants that had grown there.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside and see what¡¯s in there,¡± Mato suggested. It was the first time they had a little bit of a break between fights.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a smart idea,¡± Malika said, eyeing the blisteringly hot tunnel.


    ¡°I think scouting it out is a good idea,¡± Calen countered. ¡°We need to know what¡¯s in there if we want to formulate a strategy.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, ok,¡± Malika relented.


    They all followed Mato through the rock tunnel, trying to pick their way around the lava flows as best they could. As soon as Ali stepped through the far end of the tunnel, she felt the searing heat of the dungeon¡¯s domain hitting her like a wall. She yelped as her hair spontaneously caught alight and grimaced as her skin began to crisp and blacken, filling her nostrils with the disgusting stench of her own flesh cooking.


    ¡°This is not good,¡± Malika said, pulsing her healing magic through Ali and herself. ¡°Hot enough there, Calen?¡±


    ¡°Yes, while I like a good roast, I prefer not to become one,¡± he chuckled.


    The cavern was broad but with a low ceiling of jagged rock ¨C some parts of which looked artificially hewn from ancient stone. Everything glowed with the dull orange light radiating from several prominent lava flows, but it was the searing red of fire-affinity mana that caught Ali¡¯s eye ¨C much denser than the mana the elementals had managed to spread about outside.


    ¡°More elementals,¡± Calen whispered, drawing Ali¡¯s attention to the far end of the cavern where she could count no less than ten glowing red forms, drifting about in seemingly random patterns. As she studied them, one turned and began to float toward them.


    Mato roared, slamming his hefty bulk into the elemental as soon as it got close enough. His fur ignited like a torch, burning continuously as the healing magic from Ali¡¯s Kobold Acolytes repaired it just as fast as the flames consumed it. But, from the moment combat was engaged, Ali could already tell it wasn¡¯t going to go well ¨C less than five seconds in, her Acolytes immediately used their powerful Devotion skill.


    Ali¡¯s skin was crisping just from the ambient damage from being inside the dungeon¡¯s domain, and the moment the Shard of Flame was engaged, their entire group began tanking volleys of Firebolts launched in all directions. Her barrier magic flickered a golden accent to the angry red of flame, but there was no way she could cover everyone, and her minions began to fall.


    First, the shaman collapsed, and then each of the archers, one by one, as she was forced to prioritize the three Acolytes by keeping consistent barriers floating in front of them. With their natural racial resistance to fire and the copies of Lydia¡¯s Tailored Cotton Clothing, her Acolytes were her most robust minions.


    ¡°We need to run!¡± Malika shouted. ¡°I can¡¯t keep up!¡±


    ¡°Go!¡± Calen shouted, agreeing with Malika.


    Mato roared in frustration, but he was right alongside as Ali turned and fled, flying down the tunnel to keep up with her friends and throwing up barriers behind them as the Shard of Flame chased them out into the jungle.


    ¡°Hide!¡± Calen shouted, leading them sideways behind a tree as three intense beams of light scored the ground, ripping through the rock and charred logs. As they all ducked behind the tree Calen had picked, the Shard of Flame burst from the tunnel and immediately fired its Firebolts into the air, striking the trio of Coruscant Rays that had been flying past right at that moment.


    ¡°Smart,¡± Malika whispered as they hid, watching the battle unfold. The Shard of Flame was a higher level, but there were three rays, and their beam attacks were powerful.


    ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Ali asked. It was clear that the dungeon was not going to let up on making elementals to send out into the jungle, and just as clear that they couldn¡¯t let it have free rein in the area.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just¡­ dungeon it?¡± Mato asked, waving his hand in an obscure gesture.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ali asked. She opted to wink at him. ¡°Are you being rude, because I warn you, this friendship is on rocky ground.¡±


    He winced at the admittedly terrible pun. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a dungeon and it¡¯s continuously spawning monsters. But you¡¯re a dungeon too, right? Can¡¯t you do the same thing?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s stronger than me,¡± Ali muttered, not relishing the idea of standing here in the hot and muggy jungle summoning monsters continuously. She had unlocked Domain Respawn, and her domain extended quite far into the jungle. It was just a matter of mana.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, though,¡± Calen said. ¡°If it keeps sending elementals one at a time, you could potentially outnumber it.¡±


    ¡°What do you think I should make?¡± Ali asked. Her attempts to use melee monsters were ineffective ¨C especially against the higher-level elementals and their potent fire auras.


    ¡°Archers. Definitely ranged attackers,¡± Calen suggested. ¡°We need to find you some Frost Dragons or something.¡±


    ¡°Fliers,¡± Mato said ¨C pointing to where the Coruscant Rays were still holding their own.


    ¡°I have Wyverns,¡± Ali said. ¡°But I don¡¯t think the poison will be effective.¡±


    ¡°Do you have anything higher level?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Only the Forest Guardians,¡± Ali said, ¡°But they have a vulnerability to fire.¡±


    An old memory popped into her head. A strange memory of her wandering the jungle in a daze, summoning monsters at random. Quickly, she paged through her Grimoire, stopping at the Goblinoid imprint. She studied it carefully.


    ¡°Something interesting?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Hobgoblins¡­¡± Ali answered, a sudden cascade of ideas pouring into her head.


    ¡°Ooh, that might work,¡± Calen said. ¡°They get incredible bonuses for fighting in groups ¨C the bigger, the better.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I just don¡¯t have lots of mana,¡± Ali said, juggling the requirements as she struggled to figure out how to make it work. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can afford a boss, and I¡¯m not sure I can make enough respawnable monsters for this to work. Unless¡­¡±


    Quickly, she checked with her Domain Magic skills and ran the calculations. Especially given that she could make minions for it and have it hold the reservation for them.


    She opened her Grimoire and began summoning. It required unsummoning her entire library guard and calling in some unbound minions from the forest cavern, but she needed an army.


    Ali studied the tall, muscular female goblin her Grimoire had produced. She had crimson skin over muscled biceps and shoulders and sported a thick topknot of long black straight hair. The Grimoire had automatically summoned a decent-quality leather jerkin and pants and equipped her with a shortsword and shield combination.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Ali said, pursing her lips.


    ¡°What are my orders?¡± the Hobgoblin asked, glancing around at the jungle and the scorched earth with calculating eyes.


    ¡°You will protect this area,¡± Ali said. ¡°But first, let me give you an army.¡± She ran her calculations one more time, had Calen review her figures, and then wielded her Grimoire. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ali smiled and then reached out to rest a hand on her Hobgoblin¡¯s thigh.


    Her Hobgoblin required goblins for its bonuses to apply, and she had decided to seed her army with two shamans. On the other hand, healing against that fire was essential, and her Kobolds had innate fire resistance.


    Ali quickly assigned her Kobolds and shamans as her Hobgoblin¡¯s new minions.


    Next, Ali chose the ability that had so frustrated them in the Skeletal Wyvern fight ¨C summoning. If she didn¡¯t have enough mana to support a horde of goblins, she¡¯d just make her newest boss do it for her. Sure, they¡¯d unsummon automatically sometime after the fight like the bone elementals the Wyvern had summoned, or the bats her own Forest Guardian summoned. Neither monster had a summoner class, and couldn¡¯t leverage a reservation to make the summons survive beyond the initial infusion of mana. But the longer the fight went, the more goblins there would be. From her measurements, her Forest Guardian¡¯s bats lasted almost an hour. She had also provided healing to ensure the goblins didn¡¯t get killed outright.


    Ali did have a little spare mana, so she summoned a handful of low-level Goblin hunters and a Kobold Bone Mage and attached them separately to the domain nearby. Then she flew down two Giant Bats and did the same. The strain on her domain was immense, but although it felt uncomfortable, it held up.


    ¡°Bats are a good idea,¡± Calen said. ¡°Their sonic attacks should work well.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± Ali said. Even with the fact that she had repurposed the bats, and unsummoned the guards she had in the library, it was still an extremely expensive undertaking. She glanced at her paltry fifteen hundred remaining mana, worried about how she was going to function. It seemed that filling a dungeon with monsters was expensive enough, but the moment she tried to use ones that had high enough levels to afford good protection, her mana simply evaporated. she thought. Most dungeons would probably not need mana free to mount expeditions into other dungeons ¨C instead, they would probably just trigger a dungeon-break to free up mana for anything urgent or new.


    As soon as she had her new minions summoned and placed, all attached to her domain mana in order to take advantage of her automatic domain respawn, she placed a large barrier blocking the spawn location from the tunnel. After a few moments of thought, she summoned several quivers of arrows and put them nearby, attaching them to the domain too. Her monsters respawned with all their gear, but a couple of respawning sets of extra arrows would probably be essential, especially if the archers managed to survive for a long time.


    For her final act, mostly because they did not cost her any reserved mana, she inscribed two inspiration circles and two restoration circles near the spawn location, marking them with rocks so that her minions could find them easily, and erected a few more permanent barriers strategically for the archers and inevitable stone throwing Goblins to use as cover.


    ¡°Now what?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°We wait for another Shard of Flame,¡± Ali said.


    They did not have to wait for long. Angry red light and a sizzling sound from the tunnel heralded the arrival of a fresh Shard of Flame.


    ¡°¡± Ali said. Then, recalling her first encounter with a Goblin Warband, she added, ¡°¡±


    Immediately, her Hobgoblin took charge, barking orders in Goblin, ignoring the fact that the Kobolds couldn¡¯t understand her. But the Kobolds were canny creatures and easily understood what was required of them.


    Ali and her friends hung back and waited, observing the fight.


    There was a sizzling crash as the Hobgoblin engaged the Shard of Flame with her sword and shield, flanked by the two shamans who immediately dropped their totems and began attacking with lightning enchanted weapons.


    A thrum of power came from Ali¡¯s Grimoire as the boss borrowed her skill and five circles of mana appeared on the ground in quick succession. Five Goblin Skirmishers appeared, one at a time, clad in scraps of leather armor and bearing pouches of stones. They all cackled and scrambled for the barriers Ali had placed, taking cover and immediately launching their rocks with hooting calls.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Mato said quietly at the sight of the Hobgoblin¡¯s blade accelerating.


    ¡°Yes, Goblin horde buffs are no joke,¡± Calen observed. ¡°Looks like haste for the commander, and a heck of a lot of it.¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Ali said, verifying by checking her boss¡¯s combat status. ¡°They¡¯re getting some flanking bonuses too.¡± As arrows began to fly from the back, Ali glanced over to find the Kobold Acolytes all clustered around the Inspiration circles, healing rapidly. They were automatically using the same strategy she had drilled into them from the Skeletal Wyvern battle.


    Mana flickered, and a pair of level fourteen Goblin Hunters appeared as the Hobgoblin augmented her army with her Summoning Domain Magic.


    ¡°They¡¯re not dying,¡± Malika said. ¡°How are they so robust?¡±


    ¡°The boss has a five times multiplier to all her resources,¡± Ali explained, remembering that Malika hadn¡¯t been there for the first boss she had summoned. Or even the second.


    ¡°Health?¡± Malika asked, staring at the Hobgoblin incredulously.


    ¡°And stamina and mana,¡± Ali said. ¡°Her immediate minions get it too.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why those shamans are still standing in the fire aura without dying,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Yup, and the Acolytes have the mana to keep going.¡±


    ¡°Bosses are ridiculous,¡± Malika observed.


    ¡°The raid ones get ten times,¡± Calen noted. Malika just coughed.


    Ali studied their tactics for a while, but it soon became clear that her minions would likely be sufficient to kill the monster. Mostly on the strength of her Hobgoblin being able to tank it, and most of the rest of the monsters standing at maximum range beyond the reach of the flames.


    Several of the lowest-level Goblin Skirmishers lay dead already, victims of stray Firebolts, but the Hobgoblin simply summoned more. Their purpose was really to provide enough of a horde to boost the Hobgoblin¡¯s unique aptitudes.


    ¡°Looks like they have it,¡± Malika said, nodding her approval.


    ¡°Not nearly as fun, though,¡± Mato grumbled.


    ¡°You enjoy being set on fire?¡± Malika asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.


    ¡°Err¡­ well, you see¡­¡± Mato muttered.


    ¡°This is good for now,¡± Calen said. ¡°It should hold the Elementals back while we prepare. We need fire resistance if we¡¯re going to go any further into that mine.¡±


    ¡°How do we get that?¡± Ali asked. The combination of Lydia¡¯s armor and the orb she was carrying granted her nine hundred resistance and a little more than thirty-eight percent magical damage reduction. But even with all that, the dense fire mana of the dungeon¡¯s domain had lit her like a torch, burning her rapidly. She felt a momentary pang of jealousy that her domain mana wasn¡¯t nearly that powerful ¨C but if it were, she wouldn¡¯t be able to have her friends in her space.


    ¡°There are some potions we can try, I think I saw some at Pretty Powerful Potions,¡± Malika said. ¡°The rest of it probably needs to come from custom gear. That¡¯s not going to be cheap.¡±


    ¡°Well, we probably need to talk to Thuli, so he knows it¡¯s going to take a bit longer than we expected,¡± Ali said. ¡°Maybe we can ask him about fire resistance? How about Weldin and Lydia too?¡± Expensive she could handle, even with the worries about annoying Hadrik Goldbeard, and upending the town¡¯s economy ¨C in this instance they would be buying the products of the crafters¡¯ or merchants¡¯ labors.


    ¡°Oh, another essence,¡± Malika said, darting over to snap it up.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 158: Negotiations with the Guild

    Aliandra¡°A dungeon? Ach¡­¡± Thuli said, scratching the back of his head.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali answered. ¡°It¡¯s a fire and lava dungeon, and just being inside it is extremely deadly. I was wondering if you know how to make any gear with fire resistance?¡± The dungeon had two fire-aligned mana affinities: the general fire one, and the specialized fire-earth hybrid of lava. The interaction between the two produced a synergistic effect that burned everything within its domain. If it weren¡¯t so painful, it would be endlessly fascinating to study. In the back of her mind, Ali connected with her Hobgoblin boss¡¯s senses, studying the fight with yet another of the endless fire elementals ¨C mostly to keep an eye on things.


    ¡°Aye, fire resistance is not a problem. Fire-aligned enchants take to my Fireforged steel like fish ta water. The problem is the materials ¨C I need a source of concentrated fire affinity to create it, and those are quite expensive and hard to find in this town.¡±


    ¡°What about this?¡± Malika said, producing the Lesser Essence of Fire with the flair of a marketplace conjurer aiming to liberate coins from purses. Ali could smell the faint scent of cooking meat as it danced beautifully on her hand, the bright trickle of soul mana the only sign that Malika was actually healing herself to hold the dangerous essence.


    ¡°Oh! Now there¡¯s a pretty thing,¡± Thuli exclaimed, his eyes widening as they took in the orange-red glints of the essence. ¡°Where did you get that?¡±


    ¡°From the fire dungeon this morning,¡± Malika answered.


    ¡°Will it work?¡± Ali asked. It would certainly be a stroke of good fortune if they had already acquired the crafting component they needed.


    ¡°That is perfect,¡± Thuli answered, reaching out to take the essence of flame. He held it up, examining it carefully, and Ali was surprised to notice that he was not burnt in the slightest. It would certainly be convenient ¨C and logical ¨C for a blacksmith to have resistance to incredible heat and flame.


    ¡°We¡¯ll need a new plate armor for Mato,¡± Ali said. ¡°And plate for my Hobgoblin, and some chain mail for the shamans. Oh, and a couple of shields with fire resistance¡­¡± She was assuming that shields could take fire resistance enchantments simply because they were the other item that could be made with innate magical resistance ¨C just like her orb. Her Hobgoblin and her shamans both used shields.


    ¡°Hold up, lassie, this here essence is good for one piece. And only for a moderate enchantment. If ya want that much work, you will need a lot more than just this.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± She truly didn¡¯t understand how crafting worked. Probably because her dungeon magic typically shortcut all the complex material components and skills that went into creating a novel piece. But, of course, the drawback was she could only duplicate something she had studied and learned ¨C it took skilled crafters like Thuli to create custom orders.


    ¡°I have another one,¡± Malika said, producing another self-sustaining flame and offering it to the Dwarf.


    ¡°Ach¡­ then I¡¯ll start with the wee Beastkin,¡± Thuli grinned, tossing the essence from one hand to the other. ¡°Kav¨¦! Let¡¯s get to work! Off with ya lot. Come back in three days. Kav¨¦!¡±


    ¡°Looks like we will have to farm the Shards of Flame for a few days,¡± Calen said thoughtfully as they all filed out of the smithy.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Malika agreed. ¡°We need to check on Ali¡¯s Hobgoblin regularly too; the essences don¡¯t stick around for very long if you don¡¯t store them.¡±


    Switching to the eyes of her Hobgoblin, Ali searched the ground. ¡°She killed two more elementals.¡± As she watched, the shamans unleashed their lightning and Ali received a notification.


    ¡°No, three now. Ooh, and I just reached level thirty in Martial Insight,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Cool,¡± Mato said. ¡°Wait, we¡¯re not even there¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Calen asked, stopping dead in the middle of the street to stare at her.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Ali said, not immediately grasping the significance.


    ¡°That changes everything!¡± Calen gasped. ¡°You can level up without even being there! That¡¯s incredible. I¡¯ve never heard of anything like that!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited, Calen,¡± Malika grinned. ¡°She¡¯s a dungeon ¨C that¡¯s what her class does. It¡¯s not particularly surprising she earns experience for it. And besides, she didn¡¯t get a hundred levels overnight.¡±


    ¡°I just got one level in Martial Insight,¡± Ali said, realizing what had gotten Calen so riled up. ¡°My boss has been fighting elementals almost constantly.¡± Not to mention, her wolves and bats had been tangling regularly with undead in the Forest Cavern and she still wasn¡¯t swimming in experience.


    ¡°Aww,¡± Calen said. ¡°I can¡¯t leave stray arrows lying around and monsters will step on them and I¡¯ll get experience?¡±


    Malika chuckled, ¡°Monster pit traps, maybe?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m in much danger, save by rampant nearby silliness,¡± Ali responded, quirking her lips as she puzzled through it. ¡°Mostly my minions are killing very low leveled undead, and this is the first time I was watching the Hobgoblin remotely¡­¡±


    ¡°With low risk, the gain is probably small,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Even a small trickle with low risk is amazing,¡± Calen said, returning to his more normal quiet calm.


    ¡°I think I need to observe the fight,¡± Ali mused. Her Martial Insight, at least, explicitly said so in the description.


    Perhaps it was fortunate then that the fire dungeon insisted on respawning the Fire Elementals and spewing them out into the jungle in a continuous dungeon-break. It would be easy to monitor the fights constantly. Fighting the elementals outside the intense domain was manageable, if hard, and hopefully, once they built up enough fire resistance, they would be able to survive the flames of the dungeon itself long enough to look for the Forge and earn some good experience along the way. She needed the levels if she was to ever resolve her mana shortage.


    Malika


    Malika thought, gazing at the outside of what had to be a converted warehouse in one of the cheaper districts of town ¨C not quite the slums, but far from the places the nobles frequented. The wooden sidings on the building looked like they had needed replacing several years ago, and there was even evidence of scorch marks on some of the walls where a fire had been hastily put out and the damage just barely patched up. However, the sign over the door had been freshly painted.


    Malika walked up to the door, pulled it open to the sound of a musical chime, and stepped into a small reception hallway. Immediately, she heard the sounds of a waltz coming from somewhere beyond the entryway.


    The woman sitting at the desk immediately glanced up and greeted her, ¡°Welcome in. How can I help?¡±


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Malika,¡± she said, studying the woman. She wore her chestnut hair in a high ponytail, and she was dressed in stylish athletic black. ¡°I have an appointment with Polina?¡±


    ¡°Oh, hi, Malika. I¡¯m Polina Densmore,¡± she said, getting to her feet. ¡°Come, let me show you around first before we get started.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Malika said, but her attention was riveted to the energy coursing through the woman¡¯s body. While it was not nearly as powerful as Rezan, she matched him in efficiency and control. Every movement oozed poise and grace and even without the ability to identify her directly, Malika would have known she was a professional dancer.


    ¡°You can see?¡± Polina asked.


    ¡°Stamina,¡± Malika confirmed.


    ¡°That will help a lot,¡± Polina smiled, leading her to an open doorway. ¡°This is the main ballroom. No street shoes, please.¡±


    The ballroom was a wide-open expanse of gorgeous wooden floors ¨C completely at odds with the building¡¯s exterior. Not a single copper had been spared in making this space. At the far end, several chairs were arranged around small circular tables, and three couples whirled around the dance floor with obviously diverse skill levels.


    Malika sat and quickly removed the Pathfinder Initiate Boots Calen had brought back from Ciradyl for her, wincing at the loss of speed and dexterity, and placed them in an empty cubbyhole along with her socks, and then joined Polina as they wove their way past the dancers to a smaller room at the back.


    ¡°This is the room I use for private lessons,¡± Polina said. It had an equally beautiful floor and an entire wall had been converted to a mirror. She shut the door behind Malika and the sounds of the music and dancers faded ¨C presumably the result of an expensive sound ward. ¡°Why don¡¯t we talk a little about your goals first?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Malika said, considering how to approach it. ¡°I¡¯m a monk, and I have combat skills that are mainly dexterity-based but have the Dancing general skill. Occasionally my dancing skill levels up from combat, and I wanted to find out if it was possible to improve my fighting ability by working on my dancing. Is that actually a thing?¡± Her mother had encouraged her to pursue dancing, but back then she hadn¡¯t really considered how it might work.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Polina said. ¡°Dancing is an understanding of one¡¯s body, momentum, balance, and rhythm. I have trained many people like yourself who want to improve one of these aspects for combat.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Malika said. ¡°So, what do we do? I don¡¯t know waltz or any of the fancy ballroom dances¡­¡±


    ¡°For your goals, I¡¯d recommend modern or contemporary ¨C at least, for now,¡± Polina said. ¡°Something solo that we can use to explore your own sense and style before we get into partner dancing.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good.¡±


    ¡°Ok, how about this¡­¡± Polina said, making some adjustments to a device on a small table in the corner. After a few moments, the small dance room filled with the sounds of an upbeat, popular rhythm.


    And then she moved.


    Malika could only stare at the incredible, if brief, performance. Her movement did not merely follow the music, it was the music. Every single muscle worked in harmony, a delicate flow of stamina that pulsed in time with the beat as her body performed feats of understated strength and balance that Malika couldn¡¯t even believe.


    ¡°Aah¡­ you want me to do that?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Polina said, grinning at her. ¡°It will be fun. Here, let¡¯s begin with the first step. First, place your foot forward like this, and then put half your weight on it.¡±


    A little uncertainly, Malika did as she asked.


    ¡°Turn your foot out a little more to accept your weight,¡± Polina suggested, bending down and pushing her foot into a slightly more ¡®correct¡¯ position. Then she adjusted Malika¡¯s shoulders and lifted her arms. ¡°Better. A touch more arch in your back¡­ good. Now, you said you can see stamina. Try to copy this.¡±


    Two hours later, Malika left the dance studio feeling entirely wrung out and drained. Not even Rezan¡¯s exacting drills had pushed her this far. Muscles that she didn¡¯t even know she had were trembling with exhaustion, but she smiled broadly as she made her way back to the guild.


    It had been nothing like she expected. Studying the movement patterns with Soul Sight and trying to duplicate them in her own body had pushed her mind and body equally hard. Malika extended her arm in the swooping gesture she had been struggling with so much, rotating her wrist like she had been taught and reaching to create maximum stretch. She chuckled at the image of Mato prancing around the dance floor to the music in his Bear Form. Polina would probably make him wear protective socks on his paws, so he didn¡¯t rip up that fancy wooden floor with his claws.


    As she turned a corner, the back of her neck suddenly prickled. A watcher? She scanned her surroundings surreptitiously but saw nothing out of place. Odd. She knew these streets like the back of her hand. Maybe that little dance move had attracted attention? When the premonition did not recur, Malika shook her head and walked on purposefully, turning her thoughts to more pressing matters.


    Aliandra


    ¡°So, tell me, what did you like about Ciradyl?¡± Lira asked, arranging the cups on the table, and pouring the tea for each of them. She had been excited to help with Calen and Ryn¡¯s language lessons and had immediately switched to conversing with both exclusively in Elvish.


    Ali smiled and sipped on her tea as she corrected Calen¡¯s grammar and pronunciation and helped him find the correct words. They were both progressing rapidly, but she was certain Calen was on the cusp of making a breakthrough. Surprisingly, her Sage of Learning would periodically nibble at her mana while she taught ¨C although, she assumed that was simply due to her making deeper connections for her own language due to the process of organizing clear explanations in her mind.


    She loved teaching and watching both of them grow. It was an activity she only rarely experienced growing up, given that she had always been a student in a city full of masters and experts. But now her friends needed her, and she looked forward to their sit-down sessions in the library, practicing language. It didn¡¯t hurt that the library enchantment she had repaired was helping them.


    ¡°You need to conjugate it the other way,¡± she suggested. ¡°And the word you¡¯re looking for might be ¡®splendor¡¯, ¡®magnificent¡¯, or perhaps ¡®astounding¡¯.¡± Just like Lira, she spoke exclusively in Elvish ¨C both her students having advanced enough that the challenge would be helpful.


    Calen tried again. He was describing the Well of Souls, an artifact of some significance she had gathered. Quickly, she corrected the pronunciation again and he spoke the sentence correctly. Suddenly his face registered surprise and Ali¡¯s chime sounded.


    ¡°I got it!¡± he exclaimed in Elvish, an expression of delight replacing the surprise.


    Sage of Learning ¨C level 21


    Your ability to learn languages, magical systems, history, and similar academic knowledge is significantly enhanced. You have enhanced memory for the content you have studied.


    Mana: Channel mana and uninterrupted focus to enhance Sage of Learning while studying. Cognitive function, memory, and reading are enhanced in speed and clarity.


    Mana: Channel mana while teaching to share your Sage of Learning¡¯s passive ability with your student.


    Arcane, Knowledge, Channeled, Perception, Intelligence


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± Ali said, enjoying Calen¡¯s excitement. It was no surprise that Calen had been the first to make the breakthrough ¨C even though both of their classes thrived on intelligence, his was at the higher level.


    As she glanced over in his direction, she noticed Lira eyeing her with curiosity.


    ¡°I got something, too,¡± she admitted, sharing her advancement.


    ¡°That seems to be an excellent skill,¡± Lira said.


    ¡°Yes, I like it,¡± she answered. Something about it resonated with her ¨C perhaps it was simply the enjoyment she had experienced teaching Ryn and Calen. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t help with my mana problems or make me stronger for defending my domain.¡± She was still critically low on mana and would probably lose several of her minions if she allowed her Empowered Summoner to drop. And she had the periodic touch of the dungeon-rage, and the regular stream of background notifications to remind her that she was still under continuous attack.


    ¡°Not everything should be about growth and power,¡± Lira said, allowing a frown to pass across her brow. ¡°If only I were not so diminished¡­ if only I could help more, then you would be free to focus on sharing knowledge. That is what I would wish for you ¨C I believe that sharing makes the world and the people around you better, more capable, and stronger. Time invested in teaching others is never wasted.¡±


    As usual, Lira had seen through to the core of who she was, her words resonating powerfully with the kind of person Ali aspired to be. Killing Roderik, or the disruptor mage had been an uncomfortable necessity ¨C and one she was learning to cope with, without hesitation. But it was teaching and learning that truly inspired her ¨C fixing the library enchantment, saving Lira, teaching Calen Elvish, and even seeing Havok, Ryn, and Basil growing with powerful new classes that she had helped them achieve ¨C all of these filled her with joy and a deep sense of satisfaction.


    ¡°You have already done so much,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°What have I done? It is you who have saved me. I live only on your providence.¡±


    ¡°You keep the forest above the library safe, driving off any monsters,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°That is but a trifling thing. If I still had my forest¡­¡± Lira trailed off with a grimace of fresh pain.


    ¡°You will recover your strength in time,¡± Ali said. ¡°Besides, it is your advice that has helped me the most. I believe I will take this one, then.¡± She accepted the advancement with a clear conscience, but more than that, she now understood why she would offer her shrine to the people of Myrin¡¯s Keep, regardless of the potential for negative or dangerous attention.


    ¡°It is the least I can do, dear,¡± Lira answered, but the grimace and frown slowly faded from her face.


    Rezan


    The guild hall was smaller than Rezan had expected, certainly much smaller and less ostentatious than the Adventurers Guild in Vertias. His eyes took in all the little details, carefully evaluating everything. While the guild in Myrin¡¯s Keep seemed small, he noticed the smiles on the faces of the low-level adventurer party sharing a meal at the bar while they chatted about their exploits. One of them, to his surprise, was a Goblin with an unusual holy mana signature, but the Goblin¡¯s familiarity with his companions spoke clearly for his acceptance as an equal in their group. Even the easy price haggling at the store that they had placed within the guild hall, and the care with which the entire room had been arranged was not what he had expected. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he thought, stepping across the threshold, followed by Sabri. Basir and Hala entered behind them, taking up positions on either side of Sabri, as if to protect the smaller girl. It had been a hard ride, and they hadn¡¯t even stopped to refresh themselves when they reached Myrin¡¯s Keep, heading straight for the guild, so he was sore and covered with dust and sweat. But his dignity would have to take a back seat, Sabri had a little less than two days left.


    He strode up to the desk and the elegantly dressed Elven woman looked up at him as he arrived.


    Whatever this guild was, it was certainly breaking every expectation he had had.


    ¡°Welcome travelers,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m Mieriel, the guild administrator, how may I help you?¡± Her mana flickered quickly and in a complex formation, and the others seemed briefly disoriented, but his own energy simply disrupted the low-level magic before it reached him.


    ¡°Sorry, bad habit,¡± she said, having the decency to blush with embarrassment.


    ¡°Is the Guildmaster, Vivian Ross available?¡± Rezan asked flatly, recalling the name Malika had given him. A lifetime¡¯s discipline kept a frown off his face, but the woman must clearly have sensed his reaction.


    ¡°She is training the aspirants; she should be done soon. May I say who is looking for her?¡±


    ¡°I am Elder Rezan. We have come from Kezda in northern Toria. Malika said I could speak with the Guildmaster about using a class shrine.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, I was told to expect you. Please make yourselves comfortable, I¡¯ll go let the Guildmaster know you¡¯re here,¡± Mieriel said.


    Rezan took a seat on a soft couch to wait, studying the guild hall as he dismissed his mild annoyance at the luxurious seating and rather, took in details about the adventurers and the wares displayed in the small store. His senses ranged further, searching through the building. In a training room below, he found her ¨C an intense brightness of someone perhaps nearing their first evolution.


    It didn¡¯t take long before they began moving toward the stairwell, and he noted with pride how quickly his disciples reacted to the powerful energy, first Hala and then Basir.


    But what emerged from the stairwell was a procession of unclassed people carrying basic training swords and daggers, chatting rowdily amongst themselves, followed by Mieriel.


    The woman who emerged, following the Elf, had braided black hair and carried her swords openly on her hip, rather than in a spatial storage enchantment. But what was most striking about her was the powerful energy within and surrounding her body. Rezan immediately recognized someone well-trained in combat. She would be a formidable foe on the battlefield. But her energy seemed twisted and warped. Damaged. Not as bad as Malika had been when he had first met her, but something was definitely amiss ¨C it was only when he saw her level that he understood. Rezan rose to his feet as they approached, meeting her eyes and finding them exactly as sharp and powerful as her aura suggested.


    ¡°Welcome, Elder,¡± she said, making a close approximation of a respectful bow between peers. ¡°I am Vivian Ross, the Guildmaster of this little guild. How may I help you?¡±


    ¡°Guildmaster,¡± he greeted, returning the bow. ¡°I was hoping to speak with the Fae, Aliandra. I understand she is a member of your guild ¨C it is a matter of some urgency.¡± The Guildmaster¡¯s eyes flickered to Sabri and then back to his.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a seat? I assume this is about class advancement?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered warily. It was perhaps unfortunate that Malika had shared so much with this woman, as it severely limited his ability to negotiate effectively.


    ¡°Mieriel said you¡¯ve come all the way from Kezda?¡±


    ¡°That is correct.¡±


    ¡°You come a long way then,¡± she said. ¡°I assume shrine access in Vertias has become too expensive?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you have understood my position accurately,¡± Rezan winced, and his grimace actually made it onto his face, earning a surprised look from the perceptive Hala, sitting nearby.


    ¡°You are in a tough position,¡± Vivian continued, pointing out what was clearly obvious, ¡°to be forced to seek help from a kingdom that is technically at war with your own.¡±


    He schooled his face. Even if she was going to try to take advantage of his position, it was not appropriate to lose composure. Although, he had no other options. He just wished he could find Malika, but her energy was shrouded from his sight somehow. It was like looking for a light at the bottom of a vast well of swirling and shifting mana ¨C precisely how it would appear if she were in a dungeon ¨C which brought him right back to his worries.


    ¡°I understand why you would want to seek out Aliandra,¡± Vivian continued.


    The door to the guild opened and several people entered, and with them a dark energy he had not felt in many years.


    But before he could speak, the Elf called out from the reception desk.


    ¡°Seth! I said, no zombies in the guild hall.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°They stink, and I had to clean up that foul black goop they leaked all over the carpet. They stay outside!¡±


    He had never imagined a guild that would have a mind mage arguing with a necromancer.


    ¡°What is your fee for accessing the shrine?¡± Rezan asked, tuning out the argument behind him. Whatever was going on seemed normal to the members and the necromancer was only level eleven. It was time to see what kind of person Vivian really was, and how she was intending to profit from this exchange.


    ¡°Shrine access is free.¡±


    Despite his composure, her response left Rezan speechless for a moment. Malika had offered Aliandra¡¯s services, claiming they would be free, but he had found that impossible to believe. Free shrine service was unheard of. Even if Aliandra¡¯s shrine was free, it was expected for the guild to levy some kind of charge for something so valuable.


    ¡°Why would you offer such a thing with no advantage to yourself?¡± In his surprise, his question was more direct than he had intended.


    The Guildmaster sat back on the couch. ¡°You are aware that Aliandra is a dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Malika told me, yes,¡± he answered. While he knew, he was again surprised that the Guildmaster knew ¨C it implied a depth of cooperation he had not expected. But then he recalled the trainees emerging from below and it suddenly became clear to him.


    ¡°Aliandra values equality and she insisted on equal access to her shrine. It may simply have to do with her being friends with Malika who was a street urchin and wouldn¡¯t have been able to afford any shrine fees on her own. As part of her agreement with us, Aliandra insisted that I do not restrict access to anyone, be they crafters, artisans, combat classes, rich or poor. Or even foreign applicants seeking more affordable options.¡±


    ¡°And that is why you are training the unclassed?¡± Rezan asked. ¡°You can offer combat classes to grow your guild?¡± If guild membership was a requirement to use the shrine, that at least was something they could afford. However, he would have to explain to Seyah why he¡¯d left her daughter in a foreign kingdom.


    ¡°You want to know what I get out of this deal?¡± Vivian asked. At his nod, she pointed to the group of adventurers who were sitting at the bar finishing off their breakfast. ¡°That is the first set of people we unlocked with her shrine. As you can no doubt see, they all unlocked a class with a powerful mana affinity. There were a few others; crafters that we placed with good mentors. I just started the new training program for those poor and disenfranchised who want a shot at a combat class ¨C Malika¡¯s suggestion, by the way. I give them enough training to hopefully allow them to survive the trial, and then they can optionally sign up with the guild. They get discounted combat training and mentors. Aliandra even made a low-level training ground in the sewers as part of her dungeon for them to level up quicker.¡±


    he thought. Vivian Ross was not interested in money, she simply wanted to grow her guild ¨C and as he well knew, a competent person with a good class was much more valuable than all the money in the world. The care invested in the guild hall suddenly made more sense. Even the internship idea had significant merit; the trial and the first few levels after unlocking a class were always the riskiest. Almost anything could still kill you and you had no idea what your limits were.


    ¡°How long do they have to be affiliated with the guild?¡±


    ¡°The only obligation is to pay off the training and the guild storage ring by doing quests for the guild,¡± she said. ¡°For all that Aliandra¡¯s dungeon does not drop much equipment, it¡¯s still remarkably lucrative for the adventurers, especially those willing to escort the herbalists on guild quests. Those five have already paid off their obligation, and they earned accolades for defending the city effectively against a necromancer attack recently.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Rezan said.


    ¡°Even though my program is optional, I¡¯m hoping to make it attractive enough that people will seriously consider it. The economics of the shrine tax in Vertias is good news for me because it will likely drive even more people to seek out Aliandra¡¯s generous offer. Then at least some of them might find my offer enticing enough to stay for a while and grow. You asked what I get out of it ¨C building a reputation as a guild that grows strong adventurers. That is what I seek.¡±


    Rezan sat and considered her words. There seemed to be no deception within her, her energy remained calm, without any apparent anxiety. While it was not a truth-detector divination, he had become adept at reading hidden stress and anxiety with his sight, and Vivian Ross seemed to be genuine about wanting to grow people to enhance her guild¡¯s reputation. While he didn¡¯t care much about building a reputation himself, the desire to grow the youth resonated deeply with him.


    ¡°I will leave the choice to take you up on your guild membership up to Sabri,¡± he said. ¡°I appreciate what you are trying to accomplish with your program, and if it works out for her, I will share it with the other villages near Kezda. The only issue is she has at most two days left.¡±


    ¡°That will not be a problem, I have already scheduled a trip to the shrine for tomorrow,¡± Vivian smiled, obviously happy with his offer to advertise for her.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 159: Visiting

    AliandraThe dungeon-rage stabbed into her mind, making her gasp with pain and stagger into the table. Ali vaguely heard the exclamations of concern, but her vision was dim, and the sounds came to her faintly against the roar that smashed through her brain.


    Her vision flickered and lurched back to some semblance of normal and she found Lira kneeling on the floor beside her holding her tightly, so she didn¡¯t fall.


    ¡°Are you ok, dear?¡± The concern on her face was echoed by all of them.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s fading,¡± she lied. In truth, she was simply getting used to it, but Lira and her friends would worry about it and there was nothing she could do to fix it for now. It was the suddenness ¨C the surprise ¨C that always caught her off guard.


    The pain suddenly eased.


    For the price of locking up almost a thousand of her precious mana, her minions were fighting the Emberforge Mines and its continuous dungeon-break, holding back the elementals that it was spewing forth into the jungle. And every so often in the chaos of battle, the elemental might clip her domain mana with its aura of flame, and she would experience the excruciating pain anew. It was quite debilitating, not knowing when or where it would strike.


    She sat gingerly on the chair and accepted Malika¡¯s offer of a cup of water.


    She tried to cast her mind back over the conversation they were having before it had struck.


    ¡°Morwynne can make fire resistance and fire absorption potions, but they require some fire extracts from the herbalists,¡± Mato noted, his eyes glancing her way to check if she was really ok. ¡°Eliyen can make it, but they need fire-affinity plants, and of course, there are none nearby. She said the closest is a several day hike up in the mountains near some small fissures and volcanic lava flows. She did offer me Basil if we want to try that.¡±


    Finding fire resistance gear and potions was proving harder than she had expected.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably a good option, though,¡± she said. If they could find a fire-affinity plant, she could spend one of her Grimoire chapters to learn it, and then they could make as much as they needed, and the potions would simply cost the money for the other ingredients and the time to make them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind making the hike if we think that¡¯s going to be worth the effort,¡± Mato answered.


    ¡°Calen or Ali may be faster though, because they can fly,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Is there anything I can do?¡± Ryn asked.


    Before she could answer, Ali felt footsteps and a heartbeat approaching from the darkness and looked up to find Calen stepping out of the shadows.


    ¡°Six this time,¡± he announced and walked over to where Malika was sitting and transferred the bright glowing handfuls of flame to her storage enchant, getting a heal in return.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably enough for Thuli to make our plate order,¡± Malika said. ¡°It¡¯s the leather and the cloth that we¡¯re stuck with. And I have no idea what I¡¯m going to do, I can¡¯t even wear armor.¡±


    ¡°My mom can¡¯t do any fire resistance enchants,¡± Calen said, looking a little down about it. Ali was immediately reminded how Lydia had seemed the same way, expressing the feeling of being trapped by her profession and the way the guilds treated independent crafters.


    ¡°None of the other tailors in town can either, I checked all of them,¡± he finished.


    Cloth armor was their biggest problem. While she did have general magic resistance, something that had made herself and her Acolytes more robust than most of her minions, Ali still had extremely low health compared to almost anyone else, and she would need more protection against the dungeon¡¯s mana if she wanted to be safe.


    ¡°There are no decent leatherworkers in town,¡± Calen lamented, but his eyes danced in a clear signal that he already had an idea. ¡°I was thinking I¡¯d check in Ciradyl when I go back for training. I can check for other things while I¡¯m there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make you a list,¡± Malika said. ¡°You might want to take a lot of gold; I don¡¯t think this stuff will be cheap.¡±


    It was a good thing she could make so many valuable resources, otherwise she had no idea what they would do.


    ¡°What is Ciradyl¡¯s library like?¡± Ryn¡¯s voice piped up from the table where she was laying out the books she had collected.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Calen answered. ¡°But I can take one person with me, do you want to come?¡±


    Ryn¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Ooh! Oh! Yes! Please?¡±


    ¡°How can you resist,¡± Mato chortled, slapping his friend on the shoulder. Calen turned pink.


    It was the capital of the Wood Elves, and, by Calen¡¯s account, an enormous and advanced city. Her mind drifted briefly, daydreaming about the kinds of knowledge they might find there.


    Lydia¡¯s problems with her tailoring class collided abruptly with her thoughts of the extensive knowledge that might be in the Ciradyl library.


    ¡°That¡¯s brilliant!¡± she exclaimed and suddenly felt the flush of embarrassment as everyone stopped and stared at the intensity of her outburst. ¡°Well, maybe not that amazing, but¡­ Calen, didn¡¯t you say the Guild of Tailors spans New Daria?¡±


    ¡°Almost all of the human kingdoms,¡± he answered. ¡°The only reason mom can be independent is that Myrin¡¯s Keep is too far out of the way, and too unimportant to attract attention.¡±


    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t operate in Ciradyl?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± he answered, suddenly realizing what she was asking.


    ¡°Now that you and Ryn are both fluent in Elvish, perhaps you could search the library for books on tailoring enchantments? Specifically, fire resistance? And then maybe your mom can make some things for us?¡± If Lydia could learn the enchantment and make decent gear, she could get custom pieces made for her acolytes and her mages too, and then she could learn them herself and make as many as needed.


    ¡°That¡¯s an awesome idea, Ali,¡± Malika said enthusiastically. ¡°And it will be a lot cheaper than buying all the pieces already made.¡±


    Mato raised his huge paw of a hand and tapped Ali with greatly exaggerated gentleness upon the shoulder. ¡°There.¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡± Ali squeaked.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t want to flatten my favorite little dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Mato!¡±


    Ryn


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m ready,¡± Ryn said, trying not to bounce on her toes and failing miserably.


    She had taken the time to pack a few things she thought she might need, but she probably wouldn¡¯t need to stay too long in Ciradyl. Just long enough to secure a library membership and the books they needed, after which she would be able to return as often as she wanted. Just the thought of seeing the fabled Elven tree city, and the library sent tingling excitement prickling along the backs of her arms.


    ¡°Have fun!¡± Ali said, her voice taking on a melodic tone with the lyrical speech of the Elven tongue. The new teaching skill Ali had unlocked had been crazy, she had literally felt her mind forging new connections in a state of pure focus like none she had ever experienced before. It had been a matter of a few relentless hours of study before she had received the notification that she had achieved fluency. While she hadn¡¯t yet had a chance to test her new spoken skills with a native speaker, she could read!


    She took a deep breath. She was about to visit the biggest Elven city on this side of the continent, perhaps the world.


    Contrary to what she had said, she didn¡¯t feel nearly prepared enough when Calen reached out his hand, but she took it anyway. Her stomach lurched as if the floor had just vanished out from under her feet, and she was no longer . She stumbled on the wooden floor and reflexively summoned her wings, but she found herself standing just fine in the center of a magic circle with white-robed Elves looking on with amusement on their faces. She blushed in embarrassment and hurriedly put her unnecessary wings away. When she used her Library Teleport to the Grand Library Arcana, she always made sure to appear in the air of the atrium while flying ¨C it was far easier that way.


    ¡°Welcome to Ciradyl.¡±


    The voice was soft and feminine, and it took Ryn a moment to realize that the beautiful Elven lady was speaking Elvish.  It even felt natural. Her embarrassment forgotten, she gazed eagerly around the room, taking in her first impression of Ciradyl.


    ¡°You have pretty wings,¡± the Elf added. She was tall, dressed in the flowing white robe of the Temple of Lunar¨¦, and she had gorgeous long flowing brown hair and kind green eyes.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ryn replied. Almost a dozen Wood Elf Acolytes and guards sat or stood about the receiving room, but nobody seemed at all disturbed by their sudden appearance in the center of the large glowing white circle of runic magic.


    ¡°You ok?¡± Calen asked, also speaking Elvish. She nodded and let him lead her out of the circle.


    ¡°Um, could you perhaps direct me to the library?¡± Ryn wasn¡¯t certain of the customary level of formality or politeness yet. Her brain was full of conflicting information she had read on the topic, but the Elven Priestess just smiled at her and offered a folded piece of paper.


    Puzzled, Ryn glanced at it, and then unfolded it, finding a small, detailed map of what must be the city.


    She studied the map carefully, but she couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of it. It was vastly more complex than a map had any right to be, so she showed it to Calen. ¡°Can you understand this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I know where it is either. This is only my second time here, and I got lost last time ¨C quite thoroughly lost,¡± Calen admitted, looking more than a little embarrassed.


    ¡°Theolias, would you guide them to the library, please?¡± the Priestess asked.


    A male Wood Elf in robes that looked noticeably plainer, but no less well-crafted, bowed to her. ¡°Of course, High Priestess.¡± He turned to them, gesturing with his hand toward the doorway, and said, ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°Lead the way, Theolias,¡± Calen said.


    Ryn followed the Elven Acolyte out of the door, but as she exited, her jaw dropped. The receiving room for the teleportation locus was situated dizzyingly high up the largest tree she had ever seen ¨C way larger than even the Elder Lirasian Oak that Ali had planted in the center of the library. In every direction, and as far as she could see, Elves soared, swooped, or walked along branches and hanging walkways among the trees in a stupefyingly complex web of streets, highways, and flight lanes that pulsed with the energy, the lifeblood of the busy Elven city. But even with the busyness, the city did not bustle ¨C infused instead with a palpable calm serenity, a tangible elegance and grace that could never have been achieved by a human city.


    Her very human stomach lurched unhappily, and she hastily reminded it she had wings. No problem.


    In the center, her eyes were drawn to a pool illuminated by a towering pillar of shifting blue light, within which danced brilliant white sparks and wisps, reminding her of the wisps of nature that were drawn to Ali¡¯s library tree, except on a scale that staggered her imagination.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite a sight, is it not?¡± Theolias said, a soft smile on his face. ¡°I envy you seeing it for the first time.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡± Whatever it was, it was beautiful, eye-catching, and filled with the serene energy that suffused the very air throughout the city.


    ¡°That is the Well of Souls. It is an ancient artifact under the care of the Temple of Lunar¨¦ and the source of much of the power of our city. Without it, the Ciradyl trees do not grow, and our defenses do not work. But not much is known now about its purpose, and its origin is shrouded in mystery.¡±


    Ryn followed their guide, her head bobbing back and forth trying to take in far too many sights at the same time. She was so distracted that she almost tripped several times. It was no wonder the map had been indecipherable, the entire city was fully connected in three dimensions, sprawled among the branches of the giant trees.


    Suddenly, Theolias gasped and stepped to the side, pulling her with him and bowing low. Surprised, Ryn turned to find a procession of strange beings walking down the broad arboreal highway like they owned it. They were huge, every one of them over seven feet tall, and some had to be approaching nine feet, towering over the Elves that stepped aside to give them space. Their leathery skin ranged from deep cobalt to an icy blue so light she might have said it was white. Shocks of white hair stuck up, styled into topknots, braids, or spikes. They had pointed ears like the Elves, but larger and thicker, and adorned with heavy metal piercings. From their mouths jutted a pair of tusks, most of which were painted with geometric designs or bound with ceremonial braids of leather and beads. Each of them walked on bare three-toed feet, and their hands were similarly shaped and powerfully built. The largest one in the front glanced at her haughtily and she quickly copied Theolias¡¯s bow, noticing his ornately decorated robe and the intense aura of cold that followed him as he swept past with his entourage.


    She shivered, both from the chill of his magic and the intensity of his presence, and remained bowing until Theolias finally stood.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°That is the troll delegation from Telim Gor,¡± Theolias said, breathlessly. ¡°That was Tol¡¯zerath himself, their leader or chief.¡±


    she thought. The descriptions in the books had not done justice to the sheer presence of Tol¡¯zerath, but he was unmistakably a Troll. One of the most ancient races, and among the most powerful, they were reputed to be quite arrogant and superior. Living in deceptively primitive cities and dwellings, they were nonetheless feared for their battle prowess and extremely advanced magic.


    ¡°What are they doing here?¡± Calen asked, echoing the question in her own mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m not certain, but there have been rumors and portents of dark forces on the move. Tol¡¯zerath is one of the foremost practitioners of divination magic. He¡¯s probably here to talk with the Council of Archmages.¡±


    ¡°Divination?¡± she asked, suddenly curious about another being with her rare affinity.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Theolias said. ¡°His Visions have guided the Council of Archmages and their alliance with the Troll Kingdoms for ages. I heard. I¡¯m just a lowly acolyte, so I don¡¯t get much more than rumors.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± Ryn said, quickly recovering from the intensity of the encounter and peppering Theolias with dozens of questions whenever the incredible city didn¡¯t distract her. For his part, Theolias seemed quite proud to talk about the city, the Trolls, and even history ¨C happily taking up the mantle of tour guide.


    ¡°And here you go,¡± he said, drawing to a halt before a large set of ornate wooden doors that seemed to have been grown right into the side of the tree, rather than crafted, as if that were a perfectly normal thing for a tree to do. ¡°The Library of Ciradyl. If you need someone when you leave, the librarian should be able to contact me. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy your stay.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Theolias. You have been an excellent guide,¡± she told him, offering a clumsy bow, but it seemed to be their custom. At least he was smiling when he said goodbye.


    When she turned back, Calen was already pushing the heavy doors open. She hurriedly followed, and, as she stepped across the threshold, her body twisted and warped with a disorienting feeling that was mercifully brief and painless. She stopped and stared, dumbfounded. Within the tree, she found herself gazing at a room of unimaginable size, far bigger than what could have even fit inside the enormous tree trunk. Rows and rows of books lined the shelves, disappearing into the distance and she suddenly had the disconcerting sense that she now knew what it might be like to step inside a storage enchantment ¨C although no storage enchantments she knew of could be used with living beings.


    ¡°Welcome to the Ciradyl Grand Library.¡±


    The voice speaking Elvish drew Ryn¡¯s attention away from the impossible size of the library, and the wealth of books it contained. The Elf woman who spoke sat primly behind a desk, several books open in front of her, and one hovering in the air beside her.


    ¡°Is this your first time at the library?¡± she asked, smiling at them.


    ¡°Um¡­ yes?¡± Ryn said. Even the librarian surpassed her level. She hadn¡¯t met a single person so far that she could even identify.


    she chided herself. The elven librarian must think she had never seen a library before. To be fair, the library was impossibly extensive, powered by magic on a scale that she had never imagined.


    ¡°Ryn would like to apply for membership,¡± Calen said.


    She collected herself and asked, ¡°How much does a library membership cost?¡± She had brought a lot of gold, but seeing the incredible scope of the library, she feared it wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    ¡°It¡¯s free,¡± the librarian said, glancing at Calen standing beside her. ¡°All you need is a sponsorship from a Pathfinder above the rank of Novice.¡±


    ¡°Free?¡± Ryn asked, her voice coming out a little like a squeak. She wasn¡¯t quite sure she had heard right for a bit. It had taken a king¡¯s ransom of gold for access to the Myrin¡¯s Keep library, and the ones at Vertias and Volle had been even more expensive. All of those put together wouldn¡¯t even take up a small corner of this space.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just take your friend¡¯s name, dear,¡± she said, eyeing Calen, who nodded immediately.


    ¡°I¡¯m Calen Avery,¡± he said.


    ¡°Lyeneru Silverleaf is your mentor?¡± the librarian asked Calen as she entered his name into the library system. ¡°You¡¯re in for an¡­ exciting time!¡± She grinned, but it seemed good-natured. Ryn almost expected her to ask for the latest gossip.


    She placed a blank token on a panel, and something flashed. After examining it briefly, she handed it to Ryn. ¡°Here you go. This token will let you access the library whenever you need.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Now, young librarian, let me inform you of the rules,¡± she said, folding her hands into her sleeves. Ryn immediately ensured that she looked appropriately attentive and respectful. Here came the inevitable librarian¡¯s lecture. ¡°You may borrow as many books as you want, for as long as you want, but any abuse of this freedom will reflect badly on your sponsor and his mentor. The restricted section at the back is off-limits without explicit approval of the Council. Please keep any noise or flashy magic to a minimum within the library, people come here to study. Magic is allowed, but nothing that can damage the books or hurt other people. Is there anything you want help finding right now?¡±


    Ryn nodded, feeling oddly more at home now. The rules were not much different than at the other libraries, with the exception of the extraordinary freedom to borrow books without using money or fees as collateral. For the members of the exclusive Pathfinders Guild, reputation and standing must be worth more than gold. Calen certainly seemed very proud of his membership. She glanced at him, grateful for the trust he was extending to her.


    Remembering Ali¡¯s suggestion, Ryn asked, ¡°Do you know where I might find some books on tailoring and crafting?¡±


    ¡°Here, let me show you how to use the index and search spells,¡± the librarian offered, directing her to a magical construct on a table nearby, a more advanced set of artifacts and spells than she was used to, but familiar enough to understand quite quickly.


    ¡°Ryn, I¡¯m going to head out. I have a class on skinning in a few minutes,¡± Calen told her. ¡°Are you ok on your own?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m good, thank you!¡± Ryn bade him goodbye and devoted her entire attention to the library¡¯s indices, awed by the sheer weight and volume of knowledge contained within this vast chamber. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She pinched her arm hard and winced at the pain.


    Lyeneru Silverleaf


    Lyeneru knocked on the aged oak door, taking a deep breath. It had been a long time since she had been summoned by her former mentor, the Archmage, Nathaniel Sunstrider.


    The door clicked and sprang ajar by itself. ¡°Come in, Lyeneru.¡±


    She pushed the door open and entered his office. It had not changed one bit since the first time she had entered as a nervous young novice ¨C much like Calen a few days ago. The walls were filled with bookcases, laden with heavy tomes of magical knowledge. His desk was just as cluttered with unfinished work as it always was, and Lyeneru wondered if some of the projects she had seen all those years ago may still be buried somewhere under there, untouched over the years that had passed. It still smelled of ink and parchment, and the faint ozone haze of unbound arcane mana.


    Nathaniel stood in his resplendent robes, adorned with arcane silver symbols and runes, his back to the door. His silver-white hair spilled unbound down his back, reaching to the crest of the Pathfinders Guild that was prominently embroidered with shimmering thread, allowing the robes to serve as a symbol of his station as the Guildmaster a ranking member of the Council of Archmages.


    His form shimmered with his hand resting upon the smooth, clear surface of a perfectly spherical glowing crystal orb. Such artifacts were impossibly rare now, knowledge of their making a lost secret of the Age of Enlightenment from before The Breaking. His mouth worked silent incantations continuously while his eyes remained glued to the sights within.


    Lyeneru shut the door and stood waiting with her hands clasped loosely behind her back, studying the wise Sun Elf.


    Something deep within the orb swirled ¨C a chorus of whispers and screams. Several dark, insubstantial tendrils shot out, whiplike, striking at Nathaniel¡¯s wrist. With a loud crack, a reactive spell formation triggered, and the black tendrils burst apart, the remnants retreating into the orb like an injured predator withdrawing to their lair. The Archmage snatched his hand back with a hiss.


    ¡°A Scrying Stone, Nathaniel? You risk inviting calamity upon us,¡± Lyeneru said. ¡°It¡¯s far too dangerous; not even the Trolls know who crafted those.¡±


    ¡°Someone needs to keep an eye on that Shadow Council. Indacus Argyle has made a new artifact, and they move to take advantage of the rising conflict between Toria and New Daria,¡± he said, rubbing his hand for a moment before he shrouded the orb with a black velvet cloth. ¡°Besides, that¡¯s what ward spells are for.¡±


    ¡°Still¡­¡± she said, worried more than she cared to admit by the strange attack. Those tendrils of darkness were in a way she had never experienced before, leaving her with echoes of horrifying whispers in her mind. At least she had enough experience to know when she was afraid, or strange mana was involved.


    ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing, Lyeneru.¡±


    Lyeneru frowned, but let it go. The relationship between them had never truly evolved past initiate and mentor, even though she had long moved on. In his mind, he was always the teacher, and she the unruly apprentice.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯m sorry it took so long to find time. With the Shadow Council, the Archmage Council, and now the Troll delegation from Telim Gor, I¡¯ve not had a moment to even sit down. What do you have to report?¡±


    ¡°Alexander Gray is dead, but he unleashed a plague on the forests south of Myrin¡¯s Keep. An undead Blight that spawns endless zombies and skeletons,¡± Lyeneru began. Even though she had finally defeated the far higher-level Death Knight, the scope of the disaster the Necromancer had unleashed went far beyond her abilities.


    ¡°This must be the disruption the Shadow Council is trying to take advantage of,¡± Nathaniel said, taking his seat at his cluttered desk and inviting her to sit too. ¡°How did he die?¡±


    ¡°Killed by a local dungeon.¡±


    ¡°You took care of it, I presume?¡±


    ¡°I chose not to,¡± Lyeneru answered, twisting her mouth. Nathaniel would not like that ¨C not one bit. She still wasn¡¯t certain she hadn¡¯t made a big mistake, but how could she kill someone after sitting down with them and their¡­ aunt for tea? ¡°Her name is Aliandra. She and her friends took care of the Necromancer for us.¡±


    ¡°An unbound sapient dungeon?¡± Nathaniel asked, eyebrows arching in surprise.


    ¡°Yes. Nature and arcane affinities,¡± Lyeneru said, adding, ¡°Her arcane magic is golden.¡± She knew him well enough by now to know where his primary interests lay. If anything was going to get his attention, it was that golden mana.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ unusual,¡± Nathaniel said, rubbing his chin and leaning back in his chair. ¡°I remember this Myrin¡¯s Keep now¡­ I got a report from the Guildmaster of the Adventurers Guild ¨C some preposterous claim about the Blind Lich showing up.¡± He chuckled dismissively.


    ¡°That report is almost certainly accurate,¡± Lyeneru said, grimacing as she realized the likely impact of her report.


    Nathaniel¡¯s levity vanished instantly. ¡°I have no patience for jests, Lyeneru.¡±


    ¡°When have I ever joked about the undead?¡± Lyeneru asked, reining in the annoyance that threatened to spill over into her voice. ¡°They found the ruins of Dal¡¯mohra, Nathaniel. I saw it with my own eyes. Aliandra was born in Dal¡¯mohra, and her dungeon is nestled in the Grand Library Arcana.¡±


    ¡°The library!¡± Nathaniel exclaimed, sitting bolt upright.


    ¡°Just the building, the books are gone. The learning enchantment is real, she restored it. And she recovered Nevyn Eld¡¯s original treatise on dungeons. She confirmed many of our theories about the Blind Lich and his abilities ¨C and she has evidence he doesn¡¯t need to enslave dungeons. He can create them using an artificial shrine artifact.¡±


    ¡°That is¡­ an incredible claim,¡± Nathaniel said, his surprise giving way to thoughtfulness.


    ¡°Nathaniel, she witnessed him turning the kings of Dal¡¯mohra. We need her,¡± Lyeneru stated flatly.


    ¡°I see. I think it¡¯s time for me to pay a visit to this Myrin¡¯s Keep,¡± Nathaniel said.


    ¡°Shall I come?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Nathaniel said. ¡°I have another task for you. Tol¡¯zerath has had a Vision ¨C a very troubling one. He saw a vast army of undead spilling forth from a dungeon and consuming Aman Rak.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s dire news,¡± Lyeneru said. If the Troll kingdoms fell, nothing would stand between the undead and Ciradyl. The Well of Souls could not fall into their bony grasp. ¡°What shall we do?¡±


    ¡°I want you to go and investigate. The Trolls believe their kingdoms, and by extension, Ciradyl, are in grave danger ¨C but you well know the fickle nature of divination. I need information, Lyeneru. Reliable intelligence.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it at once.¡±


    Nathaniel Sunstrider


    Despite the pressing urgency of a rash of high-priority tasks that all required his attention, Nathaniel sat in silent contemplation for quite some time, staring at the seat Lyeneru had vacated.


    The last time an unbound sapient dungeon had spawned and had been left to gather power, the world had lost an empire.


    When Vivian Ross had initially sent him the report of a possible dungeon in Myrin¡¯s Keep and the sighting of the Blind Lich, he had dismissed it out of hand. But it had at least been discreet.


    However, there was no way he could ignore Lyeneru¡¯s report. Just the political ramifications of what she had uncovered at Myrin¡¯s Keep would blow up to an enormous headache as the details filtered out.


    She was a phenomenal Pathfinder ¨C one in a millennium ¨C but the girl had absolutely no sense of practical politics. She should have taken care of the dungeon, as she always had before. None of this sentimentality. He sighed. No, sapience notwithstanding, the policies existed for a reason. There was no room for sentimentality ¨C he would just need to take care of this situation personally. In his thousand years of life, he had never heard of a trustworthy dungeon.


    On the other hand, Lyeneru was never wrong about dungeons. That fact alone gave him pause.


    Nathaniel¡¯s eyes fell upon the great tome resting, battered and worn, on the reading stand. He knew exactly what she had been implying and decided that, while he resented her presumption, he had to allow that she might be right ¨C against all odds.


    Everyone knew that arcane-affinity mana was violet or purple, depending on the style or personality of the wielder. He had just assumed she had been mistaken, after all, Lyeneru was a great Pathfinder, but not much of a scholar. But the golden glowing runes on that tome¡¯s cover ¨C an artifact from the City of Learning itself ¨C hinted at ancient secrets waiting to be revealed, if only he were intelligent and tenacious enough to unravel its mystery.


    Yes. He mistrusted these strange events and somehow, this golden dungeon was embroiled in the currents of fate he sensed swirling about many possible futures. Tol¡¯zerath¡¯s presence in Ciradyl was proof enough.


    Filled with purpose, he rose to his feet. Reaching out a hand, he levitated the ancient tome, taking it and wrapping it under one arm. It was a particularly frustrating book, so dense with mana that it could not be stored in his ring. Nor could it be memorized or copied ¨C the slippery tome was never the same, no matter how many times he read it. Even his memories of what he had studied were warped by the confounded book when he wasn¡¯t paying attention, a feat of Knowledge magic so prodigious he was at a loss for how to even begin to unravel it. He would need to carry the book and reference it directly. However, it would be better to have the annoying tome with him and not need it than to need it and have to come back for it, especially if there was truth to Lyeneru¡¯s discovery of golden arcane mana.


    He waved a hand and a quill on his desk penned a note to his assistant, informing him that he would be out investigating a dungeon near Myrin¡¯s Keep. he decided. It would fend off much of the unwanted speculation and keep the Trolls appeased by the appearance of taking their concerning vision seriously while Lyeneru obtained more actionable clues. He spent a few moments collecting artifacts and spellbooks he might need and storing them.


    He levitated the Locus Directory from his shelf and found the entry he needed. It was not one he kept memorized. After studying it for a few seconds, he activated his Greater Teleport skill.


    He stepped out of the locus to the awed gasps of the low-level mages present, and the scrambling of people getting to their feet in their haste to bow.


    Quaint and homely in comparison to the wonders of Ciradyl, it hearkened to simpler times ¨C times ever receding into ancient history and now, a notion perhaps forever crushed by the weight of that unprecedented Divination. If Tol¡¯zerath himself was concerned¡­


    ¡°W¡­ welcome¡­ Archmage?¡± the official stuttered.


    Smoothing a grim smile off his lips, he nodded, acknowledging the official, and opened his mind to the ambient mana, ranging outward ever wider as his awareness soared along the currents and eddies in the flow surrounding him.


    What he found was startling.


    It was obvious where the dungeon was, given the towering intensity of the mana he could sense. The nature-affinity mana was well into the second tier in density, possibly even stronger than his own. He would need to proceed with both haste and caution. But the arcane-affinity mana was what caught his breath, not nearly as dense, but bright and sparkling. And golden.


    Suddenly, he was glad he had brought Elowynn Amariel¡¯s: .


    He teleported again, heading downward in relentless pursuit of his goal, protective wards snapping into place.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 160: The Class Shrine

    AliandraAli sat at the broad walnut table in the library with  lying open in front of her, but her eyes were not seeing the pages. It was still too early for her friends; Mato and Malika were still sleeping. Calen and Ryn, of course, were still off in Ciradyl.


    Shaking her head, she tried to refocus on her task ¨C she had been studying this book, searching for new magic for making better traps, but she was far too distracted, and her heart was simply not in it.


    Today was the scheduled class advancement for the guild. Today was the day she would be screaming to the world that she was a dungeon.


    As if in response to that thought, her notification chimed.


    she told it.


    ¡°Deep thoughts, child?¡± Lira asked, her body twisting a little as her mana rippled through the heavy branch and she stepped out onto the deep-pile rug Ryn had bought for the area.


    ¡°Am I making a huge mistake, Aunt Lira?¡± Ali asked, putting voice to the question weighing on her heart. Malika was quite invested in helping the guild recruits and had been the one asking if she could help out with her shrine. Well, her friend probably cared more about helping the poor and disenfranchised and saw the guild as a means to an end ¨C but was it really smart to be doing something as public as this? It was a noble goal, but every time Ali had drawn attention to herself and her abilities, it had just heaped problems upon her head. Serious problems, like Roderik and his murderous intentions. She barely had enough mana to make a passable defense for her domain ¨C sometimes she wished she had claimed a far smaller, more defensible area far from civilization and the prying eyes and grasping ambitions that came with


    ¡°What mistake?¡± Lira asked, trickling a little mana into the pot to summon water for tea.


    ¡°Obviously, it will be good for the recruits to get better class choices,¡± Ali said. ¡°And probably good for the town in the long run, but is it smart to draw that much attention to myself and my class? I just wish people would leave me alone. I know the Guildmaster really wants it, and so does Malika, but ¡­¡±


    ¡°What does your heart tell you?¡± Lira asked. ¡°I think everyone in the town already knows what your class is, but they don¡¯t necessarily know who you are. Perhaps this is a way to show them?¡±


    ¡°You think it¡¯s a good idea to show them I¡¯m a dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Everybody knows what a dungeon is,¡± Lira said, looking up from the tea set to regard her closely for a moment. ¡°Who is I suspect they do not know who are ¨C you are not just some evil monster-spouting dungeon, right?¡±


    Ali paused in the middle of making a face as Lira¡¯s meaning became clearer. It was an unexpected perspective, and one of the things she appreciated most about her aunt ¨C with so much experience, she had a unique perspective that sometimes shone such clarity onto problems that unexpected solutions might simply leap out of the confusion.


    ¡°I guess they¡¯re already attacking me,¡± Ali said, letting a little of her frustration color her voice. ¡°I may as well be open about it.¡± But that was not exactly what Lira was getting at. People were afraid of dungeons and, without anything else to go on, they would be likely to support the people trying to kill her. If she stood up and showed them who she was, maybe some of them would want to help her?


    When she put it like that, it was a remarkably difficult question to answer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Ali said, looking to Lira for help.


    ¡°What were you thinking when you saved that dear Goblin from the Ice Mage? Or rescued the necromancer boy, Seth?¡± Lira asked, pouring the tea and bringing it to the table for her.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Ali stopped as an easy answer failed to materialize. She hadn¡¯t really been thinking at all; those things had just happened. She had done the only thing that seemed right at the time. Like jumping off the city ring to save Calen, sometimes things just had to be done. But then there were other times when she had needed to decide; saving Mato after he had savaged her, choosing to let her friends use the shrine to unlock their classes before she even knew them, or even trying to save Lira. In each case, there was an easier way out, but there had never been any doubt in her heart, so she had simply followed it without necessarily giving it much thought.


    Suddenly, understanding flooded in. She wanted to help the novices get good classes because in her heart she knew it was the right thing to do. As to the rest, she would just have to figure it out along the way.


    But she suddenly found herself wishing she could sit with her father in his Grove and talk it over with him like she always had when she was younger, and the comforting warmth of the idea that she might do good splintered under the weight of her grief. She was afraid of him ¨C the Blind Lich. Afraid of his power. Afraid of his overwhelming presence, and the specter of his returning to finish the job. And yet¡­ somewhere deep within her, that defiant rage leaked through the cracks. Perhaps she had¡­ other reasons to want to offer her shrine.


    ¡°My heart says it¡¯s the right thing,¡± Ali said, her stomach still churning with apprehension. Such idealism did not make the problems any less real, though ¨C she was really going to need to get her defenses shored up. There was no number of low-level adventurers with combat classes like Aiden and Havok that could save her. She ¨C a dungeon ¨C needed strong allies.


    ¡°Your father would have been proud of you,¡± Lira smiled, joining her at the table and sipping on her tea. ¡°He made the same choices. Occasionally, the paths he chose did cause him some big problems, but in the long run, he made an enormous difference to many people¡¯s lives.¡±


    ¡°Why did he do it?¡± Ali asked, wrestling with the specter of the mountain of problems she might be about to create.


    ¡°He lived his life according to his values,¡± Lira said. ¡°Everything else, he said, would take care of itself. He was strong and had your mother, powerful friends, and allies in the three kings, but he always stood firm for what he believed was right. He didn¡¯t talk too much about it, but I think it gave his heart a deep, abiding peace ¨C at least, that¡¯s what I always sensed and observed about his Grove and the life he made here.¡±


    ¡°I wish it wasn¡¯t so hard,¡± Ali said, but she had always gone to him when her world had been shaken. She would have given anything for the steady rock of his comfort and calm assurance right now.


    Sabri


    Sabri stepped down off the last rung of the rusty iron ladder bolted into the side of the crumbling brick wall and found herself in a dimly lit chamber. She huddled back against the wall, slipping a little on the slick moss that carpeted the ground, trying to avoid the press of all the strangers chatting excitedly around her. Threaded through the hubbub was the sound of trickling water and the faint foul odor of sewage. Sabri pulled her eyes away from the small circle of sunlight confined to the top of the brick shaft, briefly wondering if she¡¯d ever see it again. Firmly, she pushed the unwanted thought out of her mind.


    ¡°Welcome to the Myrin¡¯s Keep sewer, where those of you seeking to unlock combat classes can conduct your trial. I¡¯ve made the monsters back off for now so that we can pass through uninterrupted, but usually there are up to level five kobolds, goblins, or slimes in this area.¡±


    The musical voice had an unusual accent and came from the Fae perched upon a small glowing magical disk, levitated to a height that everyone might see.


    She continued explaining, pointing out notable sights as she led the group deeper into the sewer, but Sabri anxiously searched the crowd. Somehow, she had managed to become separated from Rezan, Hala, and Basir, finding herself entirely surrounded by strangers. She hung back a little, giving herself a little more room by being at the back of the group. She shrunk back further and then yelped as she bumped into a hairy giant of a man who seemed to be all muscle and power.


    Sabri bounced off him, but he might as well not have noticed given how little the inadvertent collision affected him. Her eyes snapped up to his face at the sound of a sharp crunch and the sudden scent of sweetness. He glanced down at her with smiling eyes and bit into a shiny red apple.


    Her stomach grumbled audibly, and she looked away as a burning flush filled her cheeks.


    ¡°Catch.¡±


    The voice and a flicker of motion triggered her reflexes and, with a slapping noise, she suddenly found a second apple caught in the palm of her hand. She stared at the beautiful thing while her stomach clenched with hunger. But she had nothing to offer in exchange.


    ¡°I can¡¯t afford it,¡± she said. It took all her willpower to stretch her hand out to return the apple to him. But he just took another bite of his own apple, conspicuously ignoring her hand.


    ¡°You remind me a little of Malika. She didn¡¯t like gifts either.¡±


    ¡°Ali has a few apple trees down in her forest, and I help cultivate them with my mana. I¡¯d bet anything you¡¯ve never tasted anything as good as a dungeon-grown apple,¡± the hulking Beastkin added, seemingly not minding carrying the conversation. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Feeling stupid holding the apple out to him, Sabri withdrew her hand, glancing at his face trying to discern if he was being serious or making fun of her. He just smiled and continued munching his apple with great relish while they followed along behind the group. Her eyes returned to her hand and the shiny fruit so large she struggled to get her fingers around it. The last time her mother had been able to afford an apple they had split it as a treat ¨C it must have been the summer before last, and she still remembered the sweetness. A sweetness she could still smell as the Beastkin bit into the apple again, already almost finished with his snack.


    Without her even being conscious of moving, Sabri found herself holding the apple to her mouth, the faint scent of it filling her nostrils. The crisp fresh crunch of her teeth biting into it was followed by a rush of sweetness in her mouth as the juice sprayed everywhere. She gasped and reached up to catch the drops running down her chin, not wanting to waste even a tiny bit of the heavenly nectar.


    He chuckled beside her. ¡°Good, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    But she barely heard him in her rush to devour it.


    ***


    ¡°¡­ and this chamber is where I made my first boss. It is a raid threat, so do not engage it until you¡¯re prepared and have reached high enough levels.¡±


    Sabri tuned into the words of Aliandra floating way up at the front of the group as they all filed into a dank chamber lit by the mystical-looking glowing mushrooms that dotted the entire sewer. It was a strange place with plants growing up the walls, moss on the ground, and surprisingly clear and fresh water flowing through the channels in the ground. Entirely unlike the dirty, smelly place she had expected when they had told her it was a sewer.


    As she entered the large chamber, her eyes widened, and her heart began to thump behind her breastbone. Standing up against the far wall, silhouetted by the rising glow emanating from a jagged hole in the floor, were four of the largest, meanest Kobolds she had ever seen. The muscular green-scaled one at the front bared its teeth, brandishing a well-honed shortsword and rattling a solid-looking shield of polished gray bone.


    None could be Identified which meant they were higher than level five, but Sabri did not need her skill to tell they were powerful. She could feel it. The sheer presence they emitted and the intense looks in their reptilian eyes sent shivers up her spine.


    Aliandra barked words in a guttural harsh language, and all four Kobolds stepped aside.


    ¡°I have instructed them not to attack without provocation for today, so you can complete your trials. I don¡¯t suggest you test them.¡± A whisper and murmuring swept through the crowd as the powerful monsters responded to her commands.


    Even with the reassurance from the dungeon herself, Sabri still hung back, battling with a surge of fear triggered by the sight of sharp fangs and the powerful aura emanating from the monsters in the back. She briefly shut her eyes and used her Meditation to try to calm herself down, wondering why she was the only one who was afraid.


    The monsters bowed to the small Fae floating by as she led the way to the hole in the floor and the stairwell below.


    ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    Sabri jumped at the sound of the familiar voice from right beside her, and when she turned, she found Malika standing beside her. Her heart still thumped in her throat, but she knew it was not entirely due to being startled. The first time she had seen Malika, it had been in the ring facing Basir. She had been curious, knowing most people who faced him tapped out after mere seconds, but Malika had gone head-to-head with him for ages, never giving an inch, facing down his rock and stones with a shocking resilience. Sabri yearned to be that strong. If she could only be as powerful as Malika, she would have no trouble earning money to help her mother. They wouldn¡¯t have to work the fields all spring and summer, and still have to beg for food in the winter.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m scared,¡± Sabri blurted out. Immediately she blushed and covered her mouth with a hand. How could she betray herself to someone so strong?


    ¡°I was scared the first time I came down here, back when it was a dungeon of bone and death magic,¡± Malika said softly. ¡°I see you¡¯ve already met Mato. We all unlocked our classes at Ali¡¯s shrine. Come, let¡¯s walk together.¡±


    She stared at Malika¡¯s back as she led the way forward.


    It somehow seemed impossible, but Malika had sounded honest and genuine, and she acted like being scared was nothing special. She glanced up at the huge Beastkin, Mato, but he just gestured for her to go first. Sabri scrambled to catch up to Malika and walk beside her, glancing nervously as they approached the four terrifying Kobolds but, while she felt their stares on her the whole way, the scaled and fanged creatures stood aside and let them pass.


    She put a foot on the golden magical stair, finding the floating step unexpectedly unyielding and then she rushed down, following Malika. It seemed to be made from the same stuff that Aliandra was using to fly on. She was so preoccupied with the stairs that she only looked up when Malika spoke.


    ¡°Impressive, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    She froze on the last stair, gaping at the sight. The ground below fell away, drawing her eyes to a vast cavern that stretched out into the distance. A vast lake nestled among huge trees emitting a soft blue magical light and the entire space was filled with constellations of golden glowing plants and mushrooms. As their group wound its way between the trees and along the moss and grass, monstrous black wolves stood aside watching their progress with intense green eyes.


    A green light darted by, nearly bumping into her face as it zipped off into the trees. ¡°What¡­¡± she yelped, startled.


    ¡°A wisp,¡± Mato said, chuckling. ¡°Pretty, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Y¡­ yes.¡± Neither he nor Malika seemed even slightly perturbed by the strange creature. Searching the trees, Sabri found dozens of them, darting back and forth, filling the air with the ethereal glow of their mana.


    The hike through the forest took quite some time, but Sabri spent all of it staring, trying to take it all in, taking comfort in the fact that someone as powerful as Malika was beside her the entire way. Eventually, she emerged from the forest into a mossy grove dotted with fairy rings of glowing mushrooms and she saw it.  She had never seen a shrine before, but there was no mistaking it. The giant obelisk of polished black stone towered above her ¨C above everyone ¨C nestled in the center of the grove with a small stone pathway inviting them to approach. Vast power emanated from the artifact, a palpable hum that was felt in her bones rather than heard, and it positively shone with magical runic inscriptions etched all over its surface.


    The ground beneath her feet shuddered. And then again, and Sabri snapped her head to the side to follow the loud creaking and grinding noise. Gasps and yelps echoed from the recruits. Slowly approaching the shrine was a monster of wood and bark large enough to crush them all, and heavy enough to make the ground shake with every step of the four gnarled trunks it used for legs. Trailing along in its wake were smaller monsters of various kinds, wood and mushrooms, and as they swept past, they left flowers dotted across the ground.


    ¡°Stop.¡± The monster instantly ground to a halt at Aliandra¡¯s command. ¡°This is my second boss, made to protect the shrine.¡±


    Sabri shivered at the sheer power of the monster. She stared, finally understanding how a deer felt gazing at a wolf. The Kobolds had been powerful, but this thing made her feel insignificant. Like a speck of dust in a storm. It was only when Malika touched her on the shoulder that she realized Aliandra was gazing at her waiting for a response.


    ¡°I can unlock your class experience before the trial,¡± she repeated.


    ¡°I¡­ mine is already unlocked. I have only one day left,¡± Sabri said, her gaze dropping to her feet worried that, somehow, she would not be eligible for the shrine because of it.


    ¡°Oh. Would you like to choose your class now?¡± Aliandra asked. ¡°Or did you want to attempt the trial first to try to earn more experience and improve your chances?¡±


    ¡°I can choose?¡± Sabri had not expected that she could simply walk in and pick her class immediately.


    ¡°If you¡¯re happy with the direction of your natural class and just want to look at a few other options, we can take care of it now. The trial is necessarily risky; just because the monsters are mine doesn¡¯t mean they can¡¯t kill you. If I interfere in any way, you won¡¯t earn experience for the trial. But if you really want to improve the chances of getting a good class, the actions you take during the trial matter a lot.¡±


    The whole reason she was here was  her natural class committed her to the same life of poverty her mother had endured. Unlocking something like her natural class was the last thing she wanted.


    ¡°I would like to do the trial?¡± she said. ¡°Um¡­ if that¡¯s ok?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Aliandra said with a disarmingly pretty smile. ¡°Malika, can you give her some armor and a sword while I unlock everyone else?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Here, this should fit you,¡± Malika said as Aliandra turned to the next candidate. She turned to find Malika holding out a sword, not unlike the one wielded by the Kobold warrior in the sewer above, a small buckler, and a set of leather armor. She stared at the items, a flush rising in her neck and reaching her cheeks.


    As if her dirt-stained bare feet and torn shirt hadn¡¯t already given it away.


    ¡°Take them,¡± Malika insisted. ¡°You will need protection for the trial. Unless you¡¯re interested in an unarmed monk class? I can get you different weapons if you have a preference. You¡¯re not the only one who needs equipment, I¡¯m not singling you out.¡± The last part was said much softer, pitched so that only she could hear.


    Reluctantly, Sabri took the sword and let Malika strap her into the uncomfortably stiff leather jerkin. She hated the attention of all the people watching her, but Malika had been truthful, and after she was done, she went to help several other people.


    ¡°Sabri, why don¡¯t you join this group?¡± It was the Guildmaster who led her to a group of several other applicants, all of which were standing around in varying states of excitement or her own dazed bewilderment.


    ***


    Elder Rezan was gone. Basir and Hala were gone too, and so was Malika. Sabri would have been happy even to have Aliandra, or the Beastkin who had given her the delicious apple. She stood and stared down the dark sewer tunnel with four complete strangers, most of them wielding borrowed weapons and armor without the classes and skills to give them true power. Sabri was terrified. The unfamiliar sword she held trembled lightly in her grasp.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this done,¡± the tiny Gnomish girl with the shock of blue hair said, waving an expensive-looking wand around in the air. ¡°I want to get my Lightning Mage class today.¡±


    They had all introduced themselves before setting out, but she had been so nervous about the trial that she hadn¡¯t had the presence of mind to remember any of their names. The Gnomish girl seemed to be a little impatient and somewhat arrogant. Still, she was comfortable leading, so Sabri simply followed along at the back of their group, trying to be vigilant to everything, squinting in the dim light cast by the mushrooms.


    The tunnels twisted and turned haphazardly and before she knew it, Sabri was lost in the endless enchanted sewer tunnels. She turned a corner and heard a strange sloshing sound followed by a plop. Another splat followed close behind and something wobbly and mottled-brown crawled its way across the mossy ground.


    Even though they were explicitly searching for them, she had irrationally hoped they wouldn¡¯t find any. Her heart thumped loudly in her throat and her sword shook as her grip tightened on the hilt. The creatures sloshed closer, their forms stretching and oozing along the ground as they pulled themselves forward with protrusions formed from their bodies. She wanted desperately to run, but her feet seemed glued to the mossy ground.


    Panicky yells echoed from the tunnel walls as the others charged the slimes, but Sabri stood there, unable to even move. Three of her companions attacked the first slime, leaving just the tiny Gnome to face the higher-level one on her own. Amid the frenzy of yelling and awkward clanging of swords, the Gnome leveled her wand, and a bright spark shot out, hitting the slime. But the monster hardly budged, flowing forward undeterred as the Gnome scrambled backward until she was pressed up against the wall. She fired again, her eyes growing wide with terror as the monster flowed up against her, enveloping her legs.


    Sabri stared in horror as the Gnome began to scream, battering the squelchy monster as it slowly enveloped her body. It covered her legs and then flowed up her chest while she thrashed ineffectively, arms making pitiful splatting sounds against the greenish sludge. The screaming cut off abruptly as slime flowed over the girl¡¯s head.


    It was a certainty. But the thought floated around in Sabri¡¯s head, unattached to any perception of meaning. The Gnome was going to suffocate and die, or drown, or be dissolved. Suddenly, time seemed to freeze between one panicked thud of her heart and the next. Everything became clear, extraordinarily clear, and it seemed she had entered a waking dream.


    She could have just chosen her class, she should have. She should have avoided the danger, but she had the arrogance, the temerity, to want a better class, and now she was going to have to watch someone die.


    She still couldn¡¯t move a muscle. Her gaze locked with the terrified eyes of the Gnome, seen through the transparent murky membrane of the muddy green slime¡¯s body.


    Sabri had no idea where the thought had come from, but the idea of Malika standing rooted in fear while someone was eaten by a monster was so unimaginable that it snapped her mind right out of its fear with a sharp jolt of clarity.


    Without a second thought, Sabri rushed forward, waving her shaking sword at the monster that was trying to eat a Gnome. She screamed as her wayward slash connected and toxic fluid splashed against her skin and the poison burned into her flesh.


    +0.15 Poison damage per second.


    Poison ¨C Duration: 10 minutes. Count: 1


    She slashed again, and again and again.


    Sabri tore into the monster with a single-minded fury, slashing with the bone sword and battering it with her fists, letting the endless hours of practicing forms take over her body, reacting to her will to tear the monster from the weakly struggling Gnome.


    Her sword pierced the slime¡¯s membrane tearing a hole in its jelly-flesh. She dropped her buckler and thrust her hand into the hole, ignoring the searing pain, and pulled with all her strength, ripping it wider to free the Gnome¡¯s head.


    The blue-haired Gnome sucked in a ragged breath, coughing and spluttering, while the monster tried to reform its body, but Sabri kept ripping and slashing, not letting up until the slime slid off the Gnome and collapsed into a foul-smelling, gooey puddle on the ground and a chime sounded in her mind.


    Sabri sank to the ground panting from the exertion, fear, and pain, trying desperately to keep the apple inside her churning stomach. The sword slipped out of her nerveless fingers. She would need a healer after this, her skin was severely burnt, but the Gnome was far worse off than she was.


    She looked over to find the Gnome on all fours beside her, coughing and retching, her blue hair slicked down by the remains of the slime.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Brena said weakly. ¡°You¡­ you saved me.¡±


    Sabri sat stunned for a while. She had never imagined those words would be spoken to her. Saving people was for the heroes of the stories her mother told her when she was a child.


    ¡°Here,¡± Brena said, producing two small vials of red liquid and offering one to her. ¡°For the poison.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Sabri said, taking it, but before she could examine it, a sloshing splash from the water interrupted her and a new slime loomed up behind Brena. Leaping to her feet, Sabri scooped up her shield and slammed it into the slime an instant before it reached the other girl. Brena yelped and scrambled backward, leaving Sabri alone to contend with the monster.


    Desperately, she fended it off with her shield but, right at that moment, something bright flashed past her shoulder, crackling as it impacted the slime. Sabri glanced back, locking eyes with the grim-faced Gnome who leveled her wand at the monster and fired again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡± the Gnome screeched, sounding almost¡­ happy? ¡°Potion!¡±


    Dumping the potion down the back of her throat, Sabri discarded the vial and scrambled to snatch up her sword from where it had fallen. She slashed upward, knocking the Toxic Slime backward. A soft glowing warmth pulsed from within her as the potion began to do its work. She might be outmatched, but she was not alone.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 161: Raid at the Shrine

    Malika It was quiet in the Grove now that all the applicants had left. The crafter, merchant, and artisan aspirants had been escorted back up to town by Vivian Ross to undergo their trials with their respective mentors and masters, and the combat class aspirants had been dropped off in the sewers. She wrinkled her nose. Lucky them.


    All that remained was to wait for them to return. Malika found herself pacing restlessly back and forth, worrying about the recruits she had helped train. Would they survive? Would they get hurt? She had been the one to encourage many of them to undergo the trial, and now that they had to fend for themselves, she worried that she might have been too hasty. What if they don¡¯t get good classes? She glanced over to the shrine and found Ali propped up against Mato¡¯s trunk, reading a book. Rezan sat quietly while Basir and Hala meditated beside him, leaving Malika to her own devices.


    Malika sat deliberately. Meditation was good for calming the mind, so she took her posture, emulating the Elder, and began to breathe. Presently, her mind turned to considering the problem of resistances and the challenges presented by the fire dungeon. Calen was certain to find some useful resistance armor in Ciradyl, and she had confidence that Ryn and Ali could figure out the cloth armor with Lydia. Mato¡¯s armor was already in production at Thuli¡¯s smithy, but she did not have a good plan for how she would survive the fire aura. It was true that some classes were unsuited to certain kinds of fights, but she hadn¡¯t expected to run into something quite so fundamental so soon.


    Slowly she opened her eyes and then got to her feet. She walked over to where Rezan sat, hoping he wouldn¡¯t mind the intrusion ¨C but just in case, she waited until he acknowledged her before speaking.


    ¡°Elder, may I ask your advice?¡±


    ¡°Ask,¡± he said, his eyes remaining shut. Although, she was well aware his magical sight was vastly better than his eyes.


    ¡°How does a monk deal with resistance fights? We¡¯ve encountered a fire dungeon with elementals that burn constantly with an aura of flame. I cannot use armor or a shield, so it seems I cannot find any resistance equipment.¡±


    ¡°Aah, this is an easy question. You simply need to meditate upon the nature of magic damage.¡±


    She considered his words and the extraordinarily trite but unhelpful message, searching for any hidden meaning.


    He cracked an eye and looked at her momentarily, and then Hala and Basir laughed. ¡°You must find your solution in your skills. Defensive skills and advances exist for improving magical resistance ¨C you already have one. You can dodge magical explosions. You can seek another. I would suggest studying the Path of Earth, or as it is better described, the Path of Defense. Meditate on its teachings and you will find an answer.¡±


    She ironed any doubt out of her voice. ¡°Thank you.¡± While this answer was far more practical, Malika still had a seemingly insurmountable problem. ¡°I do not know the ancient language, and I have no access to the Nine Paths. How can I study?¡±


    ¡°Take these to your friend. She can translate them for you, or better yet, teach you the language. She has my permission to copy them, just please ask her to return the original to me before we leave for Kezda.¡± Rezan produced nine thick leather-bound volumes and handed her the priceless heirloom of their culture and knowledge.


    Malika suddenly found herself holding the Nine Paths of Ahn Khen, with her jaw dropping in surprise. She picked it up and stared at the volumes in her hands. ¡°I¡­ ok,¡± she managed.


    ¡°As a favor, would you mind asking her if I can test my students¡¯ skills against her monster?¡± he indicated to the oversized Forest Guardian waiting patiently at the side of the Grove.


    ¡°Hala and Basir are going to fight that thing?¡± she asked, incredulously.


    ¡°I have one more student,¡± Rezan said, grinning wickedly. ¡°Or did she forget already?¡±


    ***


    ¡°So, any ideas?¡± Basir asked, his deep resonant voice sounding quite serious as the three of them studied the giant Forest Guardian.


    ¡°The wood creatures fill the area with petals so you can¡¯t see, and the stumpy ones grow mushrooms with spores that can knock you unconscious. The big one has a regeneration aura and a wide area roots spell. I don¡¯t know what else because I¡¯ve never seen this boss fight.¡±


    ¡°Basir, you tank. Malika, you¡¯re on heals. I¡¯ll take out the little ones first,¡± Hala said, her tone businesslike.


    It was a decent plan, simple as it was, and it probably all hinged on their being able to kill the mushrooms fast enough, and then out-damage the regeneration.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready, Ali,¡± Malika called out. Her friend nodded from where she stood, now beside Rezan, with Mato reverted to normal so that he could watch the fight.


    ¡°Ok, releasing it.¡±


    As soon as she said it, Basir fired a rock projectile at the elemental and it roared, charging toward them. Even though she had faced these elementals before, Malika still felt the rush of fear at the sheer mass of the thing ¨C twice the normal size ¨C bearing down on them in fury.


    Malika sprang into action, stepping up off the air and out of reach of the grasping roots as rock spread across Basir¡¯s body and the monster slammed into him with a great crash. She hopped right over it, stepping on its back twice, and came down with an elbow strike on one of the Spore Spreaders, knocking it off its perch and onto the ground among the rest of them.


    A flicker in her Soul Sight got her to look up and, in the air above them, several bats suddenly materialized.


    ¡°It¡¯s summoning bats!¡± she called out.


    ¡°I got it,¡± Hala yelled from the sidelines.


    An incandescent flash registered from the corner of Malika¡¯s eyes, and Hala suddenly materialized beside her in a shower of arcing sparks and little balls of lightning that cascaded out in all directions. In her hand, a javelin of pure lightning appeared, and she threw it with a powerful motion that began from the legs and feet, traveling up through her hips and torso and culminating in a snap from her arm. The javelin shot forward, striking the Spore Spreader clean in the gut, and then it split, forking to the two nearest Floral Menaces, splitting again, and in a fraction of a second the entire battlefield was filled with lightning arcing between every monster, even leaping into the air to proliferate among the diving bats.


    Malika had seen this ability in the couple of bouts she had had against Hala, but she had never imagined the ability was focused on area damage, it had always seemed so powerful, but there had only ever been one of her, and she had never imagined it could fork like that.


    The remaining Spreaders suddenly both planted themselves and the violet mushrooms began to sprout from the ground, while at the same time, the Floral Menaces all released a giant cloud of pink and purple petals into the air, clouding her vision. She felt her first moment of panic having her eyesight taken from her, but that was merely her lack of comfort fighting with her Soul Sight skill. She closed her eyes to focus her attention on her perception skill, pinpointing all the monsters and her fellow students.


    Basir vanished from where he was tanking the Guardian and appeared amid the smaller minion monsters. Immediately, the ground erupted into a maelstrom of stone and rock. Malika dodged inward, touching the rock armor on his chest and releasing a pulse of her Healing Mantra into him, topping up his health from the surprisingly small amount of damage he had sustained so far.


    The whirlwind of jagged stones tore through the monsters, ripping up the delicate mushrooms and shredding the petals while Malika used her Enlightened Evasion to dodge most of his magic. The entire battlefield flashed an intense white as Hala unleashed another lightning javelin strike and several of the lower-level monsters and bats fell to the ground.


    Quickly, Malika located the remaining Spore Spreader and unleashed a flurry of kicks and punches into the rooted monster, empowered with as much soul magic as she could until it also died. She breathed deeply, knowing that at least the first major hurdle had been cleared. Killing the Spore Spreaders under the influence of the regeneration aura had been the shakiest part of their plan. She hopped up again into the air as the Forest Guardian charged Basir, ensuring that she would not be rooted by its annoying control magic, and she left the remaining adds to the others. Their skills were way more suited to area damage than hers, and she was well aware of how hard it was going to be to kill the guardian itself.


    She switched her Soul Strike to Mana Drain and began to lay into the Guardian, beginning the long slog to whittle down its gigantic health pool, while she searched her Soul Sight to ensure she wouldn¡¯t be taken by surprise and stunned by any of the summoned bats.


    Sabri


    Their group was bedraggled and exhausted, covered in dried slime and blood as they made their way back through the forest, but they were all alive. There had been several close calls, but as soon as everyone had reached the experience threshold, they had unanimously decided to return. She scraped a bit more of the nasty goop off her scored and battered shield. It would probably not last longer than another fight.


    The lurking black shapes of the huge wolves slunk deep within the shadows, but Aliandra was true to her word, and none of them emerged to attack. Brena limped along with acid burns over much of her body, but although she grimaced and used Sabri for support, the stubborn Gnome never once complained. Her wand had broken toward the end, but rather than sit the fights out, Brena had insisted on collecting rocks and clubbing any monster Sabri fought with them.


    But as they approached the Grove, the thunderous sounds of battle became clearer and clearer. The ground shook from the heavy impacts, and the air was filled with the pungent reek of ozone.


    ¡°Careful,¡± Brena said, keeping her voice low. ¡°Stay hidden.¡±


    They crept up behind a massive tree to peer out into the space beyond. A huge crash resounded, followed by the crack of lightning that lit the entire cavern for a fraction of a second, followed by a roar and a ground-shaking thump.


    Sabri gasped, staring at the forms of Malika, Basir, and Hala locked in combat with the giant elemental of wood and bark. ¡°They¡¯re fighting¡­¡± Basir looked tiny in front of the beast, but he took the monster¡¯s hits without budging. Hala flung lightning, flitting from place to place to create the optimal angle, and Malika stood astride the monster¡¯s back, hands flashing with blue light as her high-speed flurries of punches slammed into the bark-armored monster.


    ¡°It¡¯s safe to come out,¡± Aliandra said, calling them over. ¡°If you¡¯re injured, come stand next to Mato and he¡¯ll heal you.¡±


    Cautiously Sabri emerged from behind the tree, with her little group and they all walked over to the shrine, staring at the violent display of power and strength, magic and force.


    ¡°Why are they fighting?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Rezan thought it would be good training,¡± Aliandra said, her eyes locked on the action.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been going at it for more than forty minutes,¡± the Beastkin ¨C Mato ¨C said.


    ¡°Malika almost has it cinched, in a few minutes the regeneration aura will drop because of her mana drain, and then they will win,¡± Aliandra answered.


    ¡°Why did it take so long?¡± Sabri asked. Forty minutes for a fight was unreal ¨C she would be exhausted after ten minutes of drills.


    ¡°Ali was crazy and made a boss with thirty-three thousand health and seven hundred percent health regeneration. They don¡¯t have enough damage to kill it while the regeneration aura is running. Basir is tanking, and Hala takes care of the bats while Malika drains its mana and keeps everyone alive. It¡¯s a solid strategy, but it¡¯s just slow,¡± Mato explained, while she felt some sort of magic ¨C presumably his ¨C trickling through her body and slowly repairing the burns on her hands.


    Sabri studied the fight, matching Mato¡¯s explanation to what she was seeing. She had never witnessed Hala¡¯s Lightning Javelin technique used in this fashion before. Every strike lit up the sky and took out several bats at a time. And Malika was dancing  the air. In a loose half circle, all the rest of the applicants sat watching, some of them cheering them on, and some of them even experimenting with skills that they had obviously just unlocked. Every single one of them identified as having a class.


    ¡°There it goes,¡± Aliandra said.


    ¡°Yup. It should be over quickly. That Hala can dish out an enormous amount of damage,¡± Mato said. ¡°Do you think she would want to spar after this?¡±


    ¡°Hala likes matches,¡± Sabri murmured, but her attention was locked on the fight. Immediately, she noticed two changes. Firstly, Malika¡¯s punches were now much more white than blue, and Hala had unleashed a veritable lightning storm on the giant monster itself, a barrage of magic that seared purple afterimages into Sabri¡¯s retinas with its intensity. An intensity that continued unabated for ages, letting up only when the behemoth crashed to the ground. Sabri staggered at the quake from its falling. The conclusion of the battle spawned an eruption of cheers and Sabri found herself clapping in excitement.


    ¡°You need to learn to hit harder,¡± was all that Rezan said, eliciting groans from the exhausted fighters. ¡°Not bad.¡±


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you guys your classes,¡± Aliandra said, gesturing toward the shrine. ¡°You¡¯ve earned it.¡±


    The battered group gathered around the huge shrine of stone, listening to Aliandra explain the process.


    ¡°I¡¯ll unlock the remaining features. I suggest using the shrine to enhance or potentially unlock any latent magical affinities you may have before you use the class advancement. It is not a guarantee, but some of you might unlock an affinity and possibly stronger class choices if you use that. You¡¯re welcome to share what you get but don¡¯t feel obliged if you¡¯d rather not. Who wants to go first?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Brena said, but without any trace of the arrogance she had displayed earlier in the day.


    Aliandra simply nodded and indicated for her to use the shrine. For a moment, nothing happened, and then suddenly a powerful light illuminated the entire Grove, silencing all the conversations as lightning arced from her body, hands, and head ¨C striking the ground and the obelisk nearby in a display reminiscent of Hala¡¯s potent attacks a few minutes ago. A few moments later, the powerful display dissipated, and the Gnomish girl stepped back with a happy grin on her face and sparks dancing across her fingertips.


    Sabri thought as she watched the rest of her group go through the process.


    Finally, it was her turn. She didn¡¯t think her exhausted body could be nervous, but she was. She placed her hand on the cool stone of the shrine and found the option Aliandra had mentioned. Carefully, she let some of her mana flow into it.


    She accepted the vaguely ominous-sounding warning.


    A surge of power tore through her tired body and mind as a loud rushing noise threatened to deafen her. Her body rose from the ground as she began to glow with a powerful bluish light that seemed to burst forth from deep within her core. Sabri screamed, but the sound that came out shook the very air around her with a rush of power and shimmering light.


    Suddenly, the power rush cut off and she dropped, hitting the ground at the same time as her chime sounded.


    She shook her head trying to clear her mind as she sat up. Finally, after a few moments, she placed her hand on the shrine and activated the class advancement.


    Sabri stared at the options in dismay.


    Carefully she read through each of them, envying Brena who had known before she even started. But the pressure and significance of the decision she faced crashed in on her, stalling her thinking and making her balk. She looked up as someone sat beside her on the moss of the Grove.


    ¡°Did you get a good class?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know how to decide ¨C I haven¡¯t decided yet,¡± Sabri mumbled. To come so far and then to be stymied by her own exhaustion and indecision was almost enough to make her cry. She wished she was as confident as her. But Monk was an uncommon class, and she knew she should be considering the rarer magical options.


    ¡°This might sound a little corny,¡± Malika said. ¡°But when they were alive, my parents always told me to check each option carefully, and once it has a little time to settle, go with the one that most resonates with who I am.¡±


    She wanted to be strong and powerful like Malika, but was that really who she was? She remembered the first slimes and how terrified she had been. All her martial arts training had evaporated from her mind in the face of a battle, and she had simply stood trembling in fear.


    She shared each class option with Malika, and they read them over together. ¡°If I take a combat class, will I be able to earn gold to help my mom?¡± she asked, latching on to the one idea she could definitely grasp.


    ¡°Definitely,¡± Malika answered. ¡°And if you take the guild membership, they have quests even for the early levels.¡±


    Sabri felt a little better, she had eliminated Laborer and Farmer. ¡°You¡¯re a monk? Do you think I can be like you one day?¡±


    ¡°I chose a class called Soul Monk, not the mundane Monk class.¡±


    Sabri frowned looking at her options, again. Her only two magic options were Soul Mage and Soul Defender, neither of them matched Malika¡¯s choice.


    ¡°Should I pick the Soul Defender because it¡¯s the magic class, then?¡± She felt like she needed to pick one of the two magic options, and Soul Mage wouldn¡¯t allow her to grow her martial arts skills in any meaningful way.


    ¡°Do you like Monk because you see yourself as a Monk? Or are you just trying to walk my path? The Soul Defender looks like a strong class, but you have to see yourself in that role, otherwise you won¡¯t flourish.¡±


    In the midst of her struggle over her class choices, a small figure walked over. Brena looked much better now that the slime and terror had been washed off her face, and the burns had been healed.


    ¡°Thank you again for saving me, Sabri. If you choose the Guildmaster¡¯s internship program, I was hoping we could team up together?¡±


    Sabri nodded to the Gnome. ¡°Ok. I think I would like that.¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As Brena moved away, Sabri caught the curious look from Malika, and slowly, haltingly at first, she explained what had happened. She was as honest as she could be about her fear and hesitation ¨C her mother had always taught her to be truthful. Sharing the story with Malika felt like baring her soul with all its flaws.


    When she finished, Malika sat in contemplation for a moment, before speaking. ¡°I think you know who you are.¡±


    ¡°Someone who¡¯s weak and scared?¡± She shrank into herself at the admission of what she knew to be true. She had overreached herself by dreaming of being strong like Malika. Maybe she had been offered Laborer because that was all she deserved.


    ¡°Someone who will overcome their darkest and most paralyzing fears to protect their friends and allies.¡±


    Sabri struggled to hear the words. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even hold the sword straight. Malika, I ¨C¡±


    ¡°Everyone gets scared,¡± Malika interrupted gently. ¡°But you overcame it, and Brena is walking around with a fancy Lightning Mage class because of you. Your actions. Did someone else¡¯s hands pull her out?¡±


    Sabri stared. What Malika said was true. However, she had simply not thought of it that way ¨C she had never been strong enough to save people.


    ¡°Hey, Mato, come tell Sabri what you do in our group,¡± Malika called out, and the large Beastkin boy walked over with an easy smile on his face.


    ¡°Want another?¡± he asked, sitting down, and offering her another shiny red apple. She took it this time and listened in awe while he told her about a crazy battle against a Skeletal Wyvern that seemed even more epic than the fight she had just watched, and how terrified he had been falling down a hole into a Kobold nest with Aliandra. The stories didn¡¯t matter so much to her, but how he felt about himself, his role as a tank, and his dedication to protecting his friends ¨C somehow, that all resonated powerfully with her. She glanced over at Brena, seeing her talking with the Guildmaster. Then she found Elder Rezan sitting with Hala and Basir, watching her conversation with Mato and Malika. She considered her mother, and how much she wanted to be able to help and protect her.


    By the time Mato finished up his stories, she knew what she wanted to be.


    ¡°I want to protect people.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a great fit for you,¡± Malika smiled at her.


    Happy, she finally made her choice and let a sigh hiss between her teeth as lines of glowing text carved themselves into the granite cliff face that warded her heart.


    Defensive Arts ¨C level 1


    You are proficient in the use of basic one-hand weapons (sword, dagger, mace, axe) and a shield. You may use either for blocking or attacking.


    Stamina: Strike at your enemy with your weapon or shield.


    Stamina: Block an incoming melee attack with your weapon or shield.


    Physical, Melee, Strength


    Soul Power ¨C level 1


    Mana: Imbue a Melee attack or block with the power of your Soul Magic. Your attack gains +32% additional Soul damage, or your block absorbs that much more damage.


    Soul, Melee, Wisdom


    Unyielding Body ¨C level 1


    Mana: Your Vitality, Strength, and Endurance are increased by +42% . Reserve: 20%


    Soul, Buff, Endurance


    Shield Mastery ¨C level 1


    Requirements: Shield.


    The defensive attributes of your shield  are increased by 21%


    Physical, Mastery, Endurance


    Plate Mastery ¨C level 1


    Requirements: Plate or heavy body armor.


    The defensive attributes of your body armor  are increased by 21%


    Physical, Mastery, Endurance


    Soul Shout ¨C level 1


    Mana: Taunt and damage all the enemies around you with a shout imbued with the power of your Soul Magic. Range: 10.3 feet. Recharge: 30 seconds.


    Soul, Area, Taunt, Wisdom


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 162: Surprise Assassination

    Garret The scent in the sewer was surprisingly fresh, and the damp crumbling brick was covered with a lush carpet of moss and mushrooms. As they traced the path indicated on their map, the monsters became progressively higher and higher in level, but they were all easily dispatched, usually with a single strike of Dak¡¯resh¡¯s Spear Rush.


    Garret loped alongside in his Feral Puma form, not even bothering with stealth in such a low-level dungeon. As dungeons went, this one was a big yawn.


    ¡°Trap on the left,¡± Caspian called out, and Garret sidestepped to avoid it. He had to respect the dungeon for its effective placement of the traps, but against Caspian¡¯s Trap Sense, it was mostly worthless.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Dak¡¯resh crowed, deliberately walking right through the trap, laughing as he ripped the roots from the ground with brute force when they tried to entangle him. ¡°Barely tickles!¡±


    But Garret bit his tongue ¨C provoking a fight in the middle of a job would likely get Caspian pissed off, and the last time he had done it, he had had his share docked. Instead, he passed the time inventing new and progressively more sophisticated insults for the Kel¡¯darran, while watching him systematically stomp through every single trap Caspian pointed out, leaping on some of them several times to get them to trigger.


    ¡°Final chamber,¡± Caspian announced.


    Garret rounded the corner to the final sewer chamber listed on their map and stopped. Guarding the stairwell down into what the map called the ¡®Forest Cavern¡¯ and their goal, were four larger Kobolds, kitted in armor and holding weapons that seemed to be a cut above the rest.


    ¡°Raid boss,¡± Caspian announced. ¡°Level ten, shouldn¡¯t be much of a problem.¡±


    ¡°Bah, bloody waste of time,¡± Dak¡¯resh declared, stomping his foot on the ground.


    ¡°Ooh!¡± Ixora cooed, her voice dripping with sensuality and playfulness. ¡°I want the mage! Can I have him? Please, Caspy?¡±


    Garret shivered, having personally experienced her ¡®playfulness¡¯.


    ¡°Ok. Ixora on the mage, everyone else, kill the healer first and then just destroy the rest.¡± Caspian vanished into the shadows, and Garret did the same, sneaking silently into the chamber.


    Dak¡¯resh did not hesitate. Hissing loudly, he blurred into motion, stabbing forward with his giant spear. There was a great crash and a cacophony of chirping alarm calls from the surprised Kobolds, and Dak¡¯resh¡¯s spear burst out from the healer¡¯s back, spraying blood across its companions.


    Garret grudgingly admitted.


    Black streamers of shadow magic sprung from Ixora¡¯s garishly rhinestoned fingernails, and the Kobold mage was hers. Garret ignored her; she would play with the creature, toying with it before she mind-flayed it to death. He could already hear her cackling in the background.


    He dropped out of stealth with an Ambush attack, drawing a spray of blood from the Kobold healer¡¯s back. Even against such weak opponents, Garret never tired of the rush of combat, relishing the feel of his claws tearing the creature¡¯s flesh and its screeches of pain. Firebolts began raining around the room striking the other Kobolds randomly as Ixora abused her plaything. He dodged backward as Dak¡¯resh wound up for his whirling strike, barely avoiding the whistling spear tip as it tore gashes in every Kobold around him.  It was a good thing Garret had seen the bloody lizard fight many times and had recognized the skill before he got clipped.


    Raid boss or not, the fight was over quickly. Kobolds were pathetically weak enemies, barely worth the stamina to put them down. Fortunately, they were too small and low-level for a loot dispute, and Caspian just handed each of them something to sell later while Ixora poked at her new Fire Mage with a dagger. Garret looked away, preferring not to watch her drawing blood from the helpless monster.


    The passage downward was a jagged hole in the ground, lit by a remarkable glowing staircase, but his natural paranoia proved unfounded when Caspian declared that it was safe and there were no traps. His initial assessment proved to be quite accurate. He shifted back ¨C two legs were better on stairs ¨C and glanced out into the cavern sprawled below them.


    he thought in surprise. Many blackened dead trunks rose from the floor, immense pillars that seemed to be holding up the rock overhead. However, even though it was underground, there were living trees dotted amongst them, growing everywhere he looked. Everything was lit by countless green or golden lights, some of which darted about in erratic movement. In the distance, his sharp vision picked out a group of people gathered around a glowing stone.


    ¡°I see the shrine,¡± Garret said ¨C and nestled between them and their mark was a large lake glowing with soft blue magic.


    In spite of himself, he stopped and stared, until Dak¡¯resh poked him with his spear.


    ¡°Piss off,¡± he snapped, annoyed that he had been caught distracted, and finished the descent.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with,¡± Caspian said. ¡°Don¡¯t give them a chance to prepare.¡±


    ¡°Kill everything,¡± Ixora cooed.


    Dak¡¯resh just grunted and broke into a sprint.


    Garret dropped into stealth and stretched his body into a fast-loping run, using a small trickle of his stamina to keep up with the others. He ignored Dak¡¯resh and the whirling spear that took care of the Timber Wolves as they ran, or the firebolts and mind flays from Ixora to take out the bats diving from above, and instead, he identified the curious lake as they passed.


    Garret boggled at the sight, barely able to contain his surprise. He was suddenly eager to be done with this job and fill up everything he had at the lake on the way out. There was more than enough to set him up for life ¨C vastly more than this job would pay.


    ¡°Hey boys,¡± Ixora¡¯s sultry voice interrupted his visions of retirement and a wealthy life. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    Dak¡¯resh charged the group surrounding the shrine, and Garret pursued in stealth, his first target already picked out.


    Nathaniel Sunstrider


    Nathaniel appeared in a crumbling brick tunnel, his feet hovering several inches above the water in a slow-flowing channel. Thick green moss covered the damp ground, only allowing the ancient brick to peek through in occasional scuff marks and scars that appeared to be the slowly fading signs of battle.


    A green-scaled Kobold chirped loudly, drawing a bone sword ¨C and a pair of friends from around the corner.


    None of them were strong enough to even touch him, but he still summoned his book of prepared spells and paged through it, selecting Greater Shroud. With an infusion of his arcane-affinity mana, he activated the inscribed runes, and the page disintegrated into tiny purple sparks. He grimaced at the cost and the time it would take to remake that spell, but it was the best concealment spell that he had ever encountered in all his centuries of study. His body shimmered, becoming translucent even to his own eyes and he knew that nothing would be able to detect him.


    Three Kobolds abruptly stopped, yipping in confusion and searching the tunnel.


    A squeal of iron across stone drew Nathaniel¡¯s attention to a side passage filled with broken furniture, offcuts, and rotting trash. Swarming down a rusted iron ladder were four people with grim looks on their faces.


    He studied them for a moment. This was a dungeon, and a delve would be expected, but something seemed off. For one thing, they were all above level fifty and there were only four in the group, not to mention the apparent composition of their classes. he concluded. He guessed the Druid shifting into a Feral Puma form might be able to fill the role of a healer, but this was far from the typical strategy for the Adventurers Guild.


    The moment the group encountered the Kobolds, the Kel¡¯darran spearman charged, impaling the first, and cutting down the other two in a flash.


    Nathaniel sighed, sending his senses ranging outward ¨C and, There. He teleported again; this time, he appeared floating in the middle of a vast underground cavern. Trees sprouted among giant blackened pillars, but the first thing he noticed was a sea of thousands of arcane-affinity mushrooms, casting a golden radiant glow that pushed back the darkness.


    The domain was spectacular ¨C denser down here than it had been in the sewer ¨C an unbelievably subtle and complex structure of powerful nature mana, woven together with the golden strands of the unfamiliar arcane mana to form a tapestry that pulsed with vibrancy and energy. It sparkled. Somewhere in the distance, a towering pillar of nature mana beckoned to him through the intervening rock beyond the cavern. But it was to the opposite side that his eyes were drawn.


    There, nestled in a small grove of trees and mushrooms stood a Great Shrine. All about, Nathaniel sensed the remnants of an incomprehensibly powerful arcane spell that must have been detonated there. Mana traces and glowing golden shards blazed with dying energy embedded into the rock and dirt, mostly covered now by the moss and mushrooms that grew vibrant, feeding off the mana. When he glanced up, he could clearly see that same mana residue blasted into the rocky cavern roof hundreds of feet above.


    Several figures sat beside the shrine, watching while three others battled a dungeon boss, but Nathaniel¡¯s eyes were drawn, not to the two most powerful auras, but to the smallest figure, perched on a disk of the very same golden magic with her legs dangling over the edge.


    But then, the phenomenon that was her domain would unravel. It was abundantly clear from the mana flowing through the creature that she was the dungeon. The very structure of the domain emanated directly from her and flowed through her like it belonged to her.


    he thought, pulling out Elowynn¡¯s magical tome from where he had tucked it under his robe. He floated past the figures watching the fight intent on the shrine itself, and the remnants of magic all around it. To his surprise, quite a few of the people sitting around and spectating, cheering the fighters on, were all level one, and many of them had surprisingly powerful mana affinities.


    But he was suddenly distracted by the powerful pulse of magic from the weathered old man beside her, and he recognized an Elder of the Ahn Khen.


    Yes, he would stay his hand for now. He bent down and plucked out a shard of golden magic and immediately consulted the book held in his other hand to try and unravel the exquisite structure of the spell fragment. Shockingly, it eluded his comprehension ¨C all that was revealed by his vaunted perception skills and centuries of study was that this small fragment was ancient ¨C far beyond his years. How it still held potency after so long was a mystery he would dearly love to unravel. He slipped the shard into his pocket, not bothering to try to use his storage enchantment.


    He ignored the banging of stone and the brilliant flash and thunder of lightning magic in the background, choosing to examine the shrine next. It, too, was an enigma ¨C far more advanced than any level fifty-one dungeon had any right to be. His scholarly side yearned to study it ¨C he had not had such a shrine available when he had created the synthetic ones that had led to the Class Renaissance across the kingdoms.


    Even if it took decades of hard work to refill such an enormous mana reservoir, it would still be worth it. An alternative to the Aman Rak shrine would catapult the Elves to unheard-of heights of power. In a few short decades, he could unlock dozens of potent class evolutions, selecting among the most powerful who remained stuck at the threshold of the second tier. Not to mention the unprecedented opportunity to study such an artifact and unravel its secrets ¨C something those arrogant Trolls had never allowed.


    He glanced toward the Fae, but immediately backed up as he saw her approaching. His Greater Shroud was good, but it didn¡¯t make him incorporeal. Stumbling along behind her followed several rather beaten-up classless people.


    Typically ceremonies were rather mundane affairs, conducted with the synthetic shrines he had painstakingly crafted and bestowed on the Kingdoms. The only time dungeon shrines were used was when the dungeon itself was defeated and the shrine became temporarily available for use ¨C a strategy only used by those most desperate to advance beyond level one hundred without risking a Natural Path evolution.


    And then, without fanfare, the dungeon activated her shrine. Dazzled by the complexity of the formations, Nathaniel could only stare as the immense power of the artifact warped the very mana around it. Again and again, she activated it, and each time one of the five initiates earned a mana affinity and then a class. Nathaniel suddenly glanced back at the crowd, recalling all the level-one spectators with affinities.


    Suddenly the Fae looked directly at him and spoke.


    ¡°Malika, something is here!¡±


    Aliandra


    Ali felt a tiny pang of disappointment when her Forest Guardian finally died, but then immediately felt guilty about it. After all, Malika had been part of the training fight, and she didn¡¯t want to accidentally hurt her friend.


    ¡°Good boss,¡± Mato said, nodding his approval.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ali said. She had tried to emulate the strongest combination of minions she had faced when she created it, and for the enormous cost of more than two thousand mana, she had hoped she would have a strong defender. But it had surpassed even her most optimistic hopes, fighting the three powerful Ahn Khen fighters to a standstill for over three-quarters of an hour. she thought ¨C and that had been with Malika already knowing the surprises beforehand. ¡°It¡¯s probably a bit weak against ranged attackers, though,¡± Ali observed, considering the incredible Lightning Javelin attacks that Hala had unleashed.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mato said. ¡°But the bats seem to help with that.¡±


    Suddenly something prickled in Ali¡¯s senses ¨C nothing was seen, just an electric tingle along the back of her neck and down her arms. The sense of powerful mana flowing nearby. Quickly, she focused on her nearby Luminous Slime, trying to catch a glimpse of what it might be ¨C the fleeting feeling of a nearby heartbeat. But it was gone before she could pinpoint anything unusual.


    Ali quickly cycled through the perceptions of her nearby bats and wolves, but she was unable to find anything out of the ordinary. Certainly nothing more than the novices excitedly discussing the battle they had just witnessed or playing with their brand-new skills.


    She turned to the bedraggled and tired members of the last group to return from their trial. It looked like they had had a rough time.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you guys your classes,¡± Ali said, gesturing them toward the shrine, her thoughts shifting to excited anticipation at what they might unlock. Despite her worries yesterday, her conversation with Lira had really cleared up the muddled confusion in her heart, and today she had been excited, even eager to see what classes everyone would get. Many of the adventurers had already gained classes with enormous potential and the entire event had already been a great success. Being more open about who she was and stepping a little more into the public eye would be fraught with challenges, but she had a strong boss now, and she was still growing.


    Ali explained the shrine to them as she led them up to the giant stone artifact. ¡°Who wants to go first?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    The Gnome was the first one in their group to step forward, and Ali instantly recognized Donella Novaspark¡¯s daughter. She was the spitting image of her mother, but perhaps not quite as forged and tempered yet. Something in her trial had spooked her though, and her mood had lost some of the edge Ali had seen when she had first led them down through the sewers.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± Ali said, smiling at the downcast but determined Gnome. As Brena unlocked her lightning affinity in a spectacular display of magical energy, Ali felt the same prickle in the back of her mind a second time.


    Someone, or something, was watching from nearby.


    She focused on all the minions in the area simultaneously, feeling the flood of sensory input, but it felt like trying to pin down one of Naia¡¯s Stinging Jellies ¨C transparent in the water. Invisible, felt by the faintest brush on the skin before vanishing once again.


    Again, she was unable to find it when she searched, but now she was alerted to the fact that something strange was happening nearby. But she knew somehow that was not it, and she kept her sensory connection to all her monsters while she worked her way through the remaining applicants. All of them unlocked impressive classes, but she felt a little too distracted to truly enjoy the experience to the fullest.


    It happened moments after the last girl, Sabri, had finished choosing her extraordinary soul magic tank class, and the shrine¡¯s energy had begun to dim. Ali flipped her awareness up into the sewer, but most of her monsters were already dead, and by the time she had eyes in the Kobold chambers, it was empty of everything except three corpses of her Kobolds. Even her domain respawn recharges confirmed that both her bosses were dead and had almost six hours remaining before they were respawned.


    ¡°Malika, something is here!¡±


    Malika was on her feet and instantly alert the moment she spoke, and Mato too, a fraction of a second later.


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been sensing something shrouded nearby, and just now something killed my Kobold warrior boss. I can¡¯t see them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get Rezan and Vivian to help look,¡± Malika said, sprinting off to where they stood among the novices, answering class-related questions.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look too,¡± Mato said, immediately planting himself on the spot and growing into his Tree Form.


    Ali darted through the senses of her minions, pulsing the echolocation of her bats, and drawing several Timber Wolves in closer to see if she could catch the scent of the intruder.


    A sudden flurry of activity broke out when Mato¡¯s roots erupted from the ground near the shrine, and an explosion of violet arcane energy tore them to shreds. Instantly, Rezan and Vivian rushed toward the disturbance, but Ali still could not perceive it. Even the pulse of magic had been far too quick for her hasted reactions to identify it.


    She scanned everywhere, ranging wider with all the senses at her disposal, and that was the only reason she found the second group of intruders. The large reptilian form of a Kel¡¯darran Spear Warrior, and a priest of some kind, controlling the Kobold Fire Mage with a leash of dark shadow magic wrapped around its neck. They approached at high speed, rushing through the forest on a collision course with the group of worried level-one combat classes. Neither of them looked friendly, with spells and weapons held at the ready and set to attack. The pulse of a swooping Giant Bat picked up two additional intruders, both in stealth.


    Ali had no idea why, but the intruders¡¯ intent was abundantly clear. They charged for the newly initiated with hard expressions fixed on their faces. Rezan and the group of high-level classes hunting for the elusive shrouded figure were too far away to reach the new threat in the seconds that remained. The only other person who noticed the intruders was the hesitant little Ahn Khen girl, Sabri. She readied her scored bone shield with a grim expression on her face.


    Ali thought, but they would need much more than a level one warrior with a shield. She used her Arcane Recall and stopped time.


    It was only the vaguest notion of a plan, and Ali had absolutely no idea if it would work. She froze, mentally as well as physically, as her powerful spell took hold. The entire Grove darkened and faded to gray, and she could see every single person frozen. The landscape flickered to an earlier moment in time, briefly showing an empty Grove, before flickering back to the present. It was not the first time Ali paused to wonder what it might mean.


    Out on the moss, near Vivian and Rezan, Ali beheld the strangest disturbance she had ever seen. It was as if a gray, glowing cloud hovered above the ground taking a vaguely humanoid form. Streaming from it were long undulating ribbons of midnight black, attached to the figure with lamprey-like barbs and hooks. The¡­ tentacles¡­ writhed slowly ¨C unsettling movement in the frozen landscape, as they trailed away from their anchor into the distance.


    Ali would have shivered in fear at the sight, but her body was unable to move. What the thing was, she had no idea, but she was certain it was what had been prickling at her senses all this time. She almost Identified it automatically but caught herself before she wasted her Arcane Recall on something so trivial.


    With two sets of intruders on opposite sides, she had to decide. The apparition was terrifying, but¡­ The novices had no chance against four high-level attackers bent on murder.


    Arcane Recall explicitly said it ignored recharge timers, so she called up her Domain Mastery and triggered her Domain Respawn, trying to target her Forest Guardian. For a second, she was certain it wasn¡¯t going to work, but then time restarted with a lurch. Immediately, she pulsed her mana into a domain-enhanced barrier sphere around the shrouded figure she had seen in her strange gray vision moments before.


    An immense quake of mana surged through her entire domain. Every single domain-powered minion respawned instantly. The recently defeated Forest Guardian, and all its minions, suddenly appeared right in front of the crowd of novices. The little Ahn Khen defender yelped in surprise. Ali¡¯s Kobold Warrior boss respawned. Every defeated monster in the sewer respawned, and even several goblins down by the Emberforge Mines reappeared. The force of the mana surge staggered her, but she held her focus with an iron grip.


    ¡°¡± she commanded her Guardian, sending her intent firmly through her connection. But her boss was just a little too far away. The Kel¡¯darran leveled his spear, and Sabri raised her bone buckler, stepping forward to protect her companions. There was a rush and a loud crack as the Kel¡¯darran blurred, appearing before Sabri, towering above her with his spear piercing clean through the shield, leather armor, and her chest, emerging from her back with a spray of crimson blood.


    The Guardian roared and charged, making the ground buck and shake with the weight of its stamina-empowered stride. The Kel¡¯darran warrior ripped his spear out of his victim¡¯s chest, tossing her aside and turned to meet it, skillfully bracing the spear against the ground, impaling it through the Guardian¡¯s thick chest plates of bark armor using the momentum of its own charge against it. But the Guardian did not falter. Roots, thick brambles, and thorny branches burst forth from the ground, entangling, entwining, and crushing.


    Ali gasped in horror at the sight of the girl flung from the warrior¡¯s spear like discarded trash, but Sabri rolled to her feet, coughing up blood and gasping in surprise. Ali glanced sideways to find blood dripping from a great sympathetic hole in Mato¡¯s trunk, already slowly growing closed, and a palpable relief flooded through her as she realized Mato had caught the damage.


    The Forest Guardian roared, and the Kel¡¯darran roared back and, as they clashed, the strange priestess made the Kobold mage shoot firebolts at it. Bats screeched, swooping in from nowhere while an explosion of petals filled the air. Novices scattered, screaming and panicking. The two stealthed intruders revealed themselves with powerful ambush attacks, but the Forest Guardian¡¯s enormous health pool barely budged.


    Ali said, but the Spore Spreaders were already growing their rapidly spreading hyphae down into the moss-covered dirt. Tiny glowing purple mushrooms sprang up from the ground, unheeded by the attackers, quickly maturing under the powerful nature-affinity magic of growth and vitality, and suddenly all of them exploded simultaneously with an audible cascade of popping. A vast cloud of spores filled the space between the petals.


    The priest collapsed, releasing her shadowy leash on the Kobold mage, followed by the druid shifting back from his puma shape to human as he fell unconscious. The assassin collapsed under the soporific effects of the Dreamcloud mushrooms next, but the Kel¡¯darran warrior staggered, clinging tenaciously to consciousness. Two Giant Bats swooped down to dive-bomb the spear-wielder with sonic attacks, and he dropped to the ground with a thud, visible to her only via echolocation and the strange senses of her slime.


    The Forest Guardian¡¯s roar caused the pink petal cloud to quiver and vibrate. Heavy stomps and crashes shook the ground, punctuated by the distinct sounds of bones cracking. A few more stomps and the cracking sounds were replaced by sickening wet splats, and then a series of notifications chimes sounded.


    Ali shivered reflexively. Her deliberate hesitation had sealed their fate.


    Silence descended as the petals slowly drifted to the ground, revealing the giant Forest Guardian with blood stains up to its knees walking calmly among four vaguely humanoid, petal-covered lumps on the ground.


    Something stirred within the empty sphere of barrier magic Ali had created, slowly resolving into a tall Elf with a robe covered in runes that pulsed with potent mana. He made an idly dismissive wave with one hand and caused a flicker of a complex violet arcane magic to appear. Ali¡¯s Sage of Learning drew heavily from her mana pool, trying to memorize it, storing it, struggling to unravel the forms and floating runes, and suddenly he released it and her barrier popped into thousands of tiny golden sparks that drifted away, fading as they lost form and substance.


    ¡°Well, that was impressive,¡± he said, applauding softly.


    But Ali only had eyes for the book he was holding open in his hand. A book she recognized instantly.


    ¡°Nathaniel Sunstrider,¡± Vivian said, clearly recognizing the Elf. ¡°To what do we owe this honor?¡±


    ¡°I am following up on a report from Lyeneru Silverleaf about a strange dungeon she found below Myrin¡¯s Keep,¡± he said. ¡°Elder,¡± he inclined his head toward Rezan.


    Although Ali refused to lower her guard before the strange Elf, the body language of both Rezan and Vivian clearly indicated that they recognized him and didn¡¯t consider him to be a threat. While the three of them talked, Ali picked her way through the battlefield and the gruesome lumps strewn around it, grateful that Malika chose to join her as she set about deconstructing the dead and dismembered.


    Ali froze, a sudden revulsion rising like bile from her gut.


    The implications were clear ¨C she had killed and deconstructed enough people that her Grimoire was allowing her to add humans to her repertoire.  Part of the disgust that gripped her was the certain knowledge that the imprint would be extremely valuable and powerful ¨C the sapient races had the broadest access to classes and affinities. Any dungeon that could, would definitely summon humans to defend their domains.


    ¡°You doing ok, Ali?¡± Malika looked up from her gory work of sorting the gear.


    ¡°I just got the human imprint. It¡¯s the smart choice. I know I should take it, but I just can¡¯t¡­¡± She wanted to throw up, run, or scream. She felt disgusting.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to take it if it makes you uncomfortable,¡± Malika said. ¡°I would feel weirded out too.¡±


    Right in the midst of her discussion, she was interrupted. ¡°You must be Aliandra.¡±


    The mellifluous, cultured voice spoke Common with only the slightest hint of his native Elvish accent, and Ali glanced up to find the Sun Elf, Nathaniel Sunstrider, approaching with Rezan and Vivian in tow.


    ¡°I am,¡± she said, her tone guarded, tearing her thoughts away from her dilemma. Somehow, she couldn¡¯t shake the image of the shadowy barbs and hooks of an unknown sinister-looking magic that had seemed to be feeding on his image when she saw him during her Arcane Recall spell.


    ¡°I am curious how you were able to pierce my Greater Shroud,¡± Nathaniel said.


    ¡°My ooze felt your heartbeat,¡± Ali said. It was technically true, but she wasn¡¯t ready to trust him enough to explain her magic and how she¡¯d really found him.


    ¡°This age¡¯s greatest Archmage, laid low by the lowliest of monsters.¡±


    Ali offered a smile at his attempted humor, but with everything that had just happened, she had to force it. At least she was relieved to see Sabri chatting away with Mato, amazingly alive and showing off a fresh hole through the center of her leather armor to her companions.


    ¡°I would like to discuss your dungeon with you if you have the time,¡± Nathaniel said.


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m feeling terrible. I was just forced to kill four people who were no doubt hired to assassinate me and kill all these novices, for what reason I have no clue,¡± Ali said, earning several surprised looks from Vivian, Rezan, and the three-mark Elf. She knew he was important and all, especially being an Archmage, but she simply couldn¡¯t face it today. She still struggled to keep her roiling stomach under control. ¡°Can you come back tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Nathaniel said, clearly disappointed, but too polite to make anything of it. ¡°Vivian, would you like my services to teleport everyone back up to town?¡±


    ¡°That would be great,¡± she answered.


    Ali carefully studied the extraordinarily intricate formation of arcane magic as Nathaniel weaved his teleportation spell, feeling her Sage of Learning once again draining her mana rapidly.


    Ali waited till his spell neared completion, and then said, ¡°When you come, please bring my mother¡¯s book with you.¡±


    ¡°Your¡­ mother?¡± He glanced down at the book he was still holding in his hand, and his eyes snapped back to her, registering shock and surprise as he and everyone visiting for the class advancement vanished.


    She smiled grimly at the emptiness, then slowly wrung out her trembling hands. This did not bode well. Of all the shocks she had received today, seeing her mother¡¯s book was easily the most poignant, the most unsettling. How dare he ¨C how dare he even it so casually?


    Malika


    Malika felt the unexpected lurch of teleportation in her gut and realized that Nathaniel Sunstrider had literally meant everybody except Ali. She appeared in the guild hall, somewhat stunned by the raw power of the archmage, able to teleport the entire group on a whim ¨C and not even needing to make use of the locus.


    She ignored the elf, leaving him to his discussion about accommodation with Vivian Ross, and sat herself down beside Basir and Hala. Honestly, after the battle of attrition in which they had eked out a victory against Ali¡¯s ridiculous Forest Guardian, followed by the chaos of the assassins and Nathaniel Sunstrider showing up, she was quite worn out.


    ¡°Congratulations, you all earned a class level,¡± Rezan said, sitting down on the floor next to them with the natural cross-legged posture of a lifetime of his personal meditation style.


    Surprised, Malika glanced at her notifications, and sure enough, she had reached level forty-two. ¡°Only one, though,¡± she said, frowning a little. It had been three of them against a raid boss, and although they were a little higher in level than it was, she, at least, was not much higher.


    ¡°It is extraordinary to gain  class levels from a sparring match,¡± Rezan answered.


    ¡°Sparring?¡± It certainly hadn¡¯t felt like a friendly spar in the ring. Although she had earned many broken bones in her spars against Basir and his frustrating rocks.


    ¡°Supervised fights don¡¯t typically earn class experience,¡± the Elder explained. ¡°You never leveled up from sparring with Basir and Hala. They would not have killed you even if you were completely incapacitated.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± Malika said. Ali had been quite focused on the fight most of the time, and she would never have let her monster kill any of them.  Perhaps there had been real risk while the others had been distracted, and therefore the reason she got even the single level.


    ¡°I got some good skills growth,¡± she said, studying the notifications.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Basir said, a big smile on his face.


    Recalling Rezan¡¯s advice about her attributes, she split her points carefully, putting two of them into raising her strength. Two more each went to endurance and wisdom, leaving three for dexterity and one for perception. Hopefully, she would have enough power to get through Basir¡¯s armor soon.


    ¡°That is good,¡± Rezan said, ¡°but it was not the true purpose of the match.¡±


    She considered his words and all the teaching he had offered during her stay in Kezda before asking, ¡°Was it for training teamwork?¡±


    ¡°So, you were listening,¡± he said with a grin. ¡°The purpose of sparring with your allies is not just to practice your skills. How easy was it to team up with Basir and Hala?¡±


    ¡°Effortless,¡± she said, realizing they hadn¡¯t needed a whole lot of preparation for the challenging battle. ¡°I already knew what they could do, mostly.¡±


    she corrected. She understood their combat styles and how they reacted well enough to form a cohesive team with vastly less preparation time than she would have expected.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Rezan smiled. ¡°Whenever you have the opportunity, spar together to enhance your understanding of teamwork and cooperation. You never know when you might need it.¡±


    She nodded slowly. ¡°I value this lesson, Elder.¡±


    It had been a good lesson, delivered with Rezan¡¯s particular style of teaching, namely throwing her in the deep end and only explaining afterward. As Malika contemplated what she had learned about teamwork, she smiled to see Sabri and Brena chatting excitedly as they walked back from Mieriel¡¯s desk, both wearing a copper version of what looked remarkably like her own guild ring.


    Rezan


    Rezan would never have admitted it to anyone, but he had been extremely anxious waiting for the applicants to return from their trial. More anxious than he remembered being for anything in recent memory, and as more and more of the candidates had trickled in, and he still hadn¡¯t seen Sabri, he had almost given in and searched for her with his sight. However, such supervision would have most likely interfered with their ability to earn experience properly and could have negatively affected their trial and class selection. Or worse, forced them to endure it for much longer.


    His second challenge came when Sabri was struggling to make her class choice. Such a crucial decision in anyone¡¯s life and he had had to ruthlessly suppress the urge to advise her. With her difficult life, she would have chosen whatever he recommended, not because it was the right choice, but because he was the Elder. It was a harsh way to teach the lesson, but if she came out of it with more self-assurance for her own decision-making, it would be worth it.


    He noticed the new ring she was wearing as she said goodbye to her new friend and headed over to join them. Sabri would not be returning home with him when he left.


    he thought. But this guild was a good place with a lot of promising people, and it would be the perfect environment for Sabri to grow, both in level and in the depth of her interactions with others. Teamwork was such a great tutor.


    Malika would have been his pick for a mentorship role with her levelheadedness, but he hadn¡¯t missed how quickly Sabri had bonded with the unruly Beastkin boy who had saved her life from the Kel¡¯darran spear. Nor how she had connected with the Gnomish lightning mage ¨C it seemed she would have friends when he left.


    His right fist clenched deliberately by his side. He glanced around the guild hall, wondering if this place ¨C and Aliandra¡¯s generosity ¨C may be the catalyst of a new hope for his people.


    He glanced up as she approached, pretending to have just noticed her, but he had been studying her vastly more powerful aura through his sight. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Perhaps such thoughts were more to reassure himself than for her.


    ¡°Elder Rezan,¡± she began hesitantly, waiting for him to acknowledge her before she continued. ¡°Would you please give this to my mother?¡± Nestled in the palm of her outstretched hand he saw a couple of dull copper pieces and a small gleaming silver crown, and he knew in an instant that she had sold everything she had earned from their combat trial to send money home.


    ¡°Sabri, you have a great heart looking out for your mother. But I cannot do this for you.¡± Her smile at his compliment faded as he finished.


    ¡°I¡­ why?¡±


    ¡°How can I tell your mother that you gave everything to her when you will be fighting monsters without any equipment to protect you? Your mother loves you and she will want you to be safe. You shared your class with me ¨C spend that money on the best armor and shield you can afford, and I will tell your mother that you are being careful.¡±


    ¡°But she will starve without me to help on the fields.¡± She was clearly feeling the anguish of this decision.


    ¡°She will strangle me if I don¡¯t teach you how to be safe,¡± Rezan said, hiding his amusement. ¡°How about this; I will take care of your mother for now, but you must promise me you will only send money back home if you don¡¯t need it to protect yourself from the monsters. Ok?¡±


    Sabri looked at him with a frown on her brow, but eventually nodded and closed her fingers around the pitifully small offering of coins. The girl and her mother were cut from the same cloth ¨C both would starve themselves just to see the other with something to eat.


    ¡°Sabri, I want you to visit Kezda when you earn a bloodline skill. Don¡¯t be like Malika here and let it go so late that it breaks.¡± Malika, sitting nearby, had the decency to look embarrassed. ¡°And please let Malika or the Guildmaster know if you need help.¡±


    Sabri looked at Malika and they both nodded.


    ¡°Sabri, before I go, I would like to offer you my mentorship.¡± He had the capacity for only one more prot¨¦g¨¦, and such things usually took a lot of thought and consideration ¨C a process of months or even years. But life sometimes had a way of hurrying you along ¨C first with Malika and now with Sabri. He had watched her grow up from a serious little toddler to the adult that stood before him wearing a shocked expression. He knew the dedication and determination she had for learning and the passion with which she approached the martial arts. But it was in that moment when she had readied her buckler and stepped in front of her new friends to defend them, facing down the level fifty-six Kel¡¯darran spearman without a hope of winning that all Rezan¡¯s doubt had vanished.


    He expected her to immediately accept, given that he was the Elder, but to his surprise, and no small amount of pride, she appeared to give his words serious consideration.


    ¡°I know I¡¯m not the perfect fit for your new class, I am not a tank. But we share a soul magic affinity and I think my mana can help you grow," he explained.


    ¡°I would be honored, Elder,¡± she said finally, giving him a bow.


    He reached out and placed his palm above her heart and released his mana ¨C certainly a lot gentler this time than with Malika.


    Prot¨¦g¨¦ ¨C Sabri


    Class: Soul Defender


    Traits: Soul, Defense, Bloodline, Melee, Strength, Wisdom, Endurance, Mastery.


    Your experience, mana, and traits will influence the experience gain of your prot¨¦g¨¦. Experience tithed back to you via the mentorship tithe may influence your own traits and growth.


    Enchantment ¨C Tithe


    Rezan felt relief and pride mingling within him. At least with this, he was certain she had the best opportunities he could create for her, and the rest would be up to her.


    ¡°Ok, I will come back every now and then to check on you, and I¡¯ll watch your growth with my sight.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Elder,¡± Sabri replied in Ahn Khen, using the traditional farewell blessing and a simple bow.


    ¡°Be strong,¡± Rezan answered, using the same language and clasping his palms together in front of his chest as he returned the bow.


    Vivian Ross


    Vivian rubbed her temples and sat down beside Mieriel.


    Of all things, she had not expected to be hosting the highly acclaimed Archmage and Guildmaster of the legendary Elven Pathfinders at her fledgling guild. Nathaniel Sunstrider had a presence that defied explanation ¨C not even the stories did him justice.


    She had just finished inducting all the newly classed members as novices in the guild, giving them their rings and explaining their new roles and the facilities and training available to them. She would not admit just how worried she had been about how it would all go, assuming the results from the first time must have been atypical. However, Aliandra¡¯s shrine had once again unlocked an abundance of magical affinities and powerful class choices for every single applicant ¨C even the artisans and crafters would grow into powerhouses in their chosen fields. It was unreal. The typical proportion of magical affinities and related classes was vastly lower, and this was the second time Aliandra¡¯s shrine had shattered her expectations.


    It was a sobering thought.


    Furthermore, of the fifteen combat applicants, ten had chosen to join the guild immediately ¨C including all the candidates she had enrolled in preparatory combat training under Malika. The most surprising being the girl Rezan had brought, Sabri. And, of course, Brena Novaspark. Vivian had no idea how the girl was going to break that news to her mother, but that was not her problem. Even the class distribution was close to ideal; she had been able to break the novices into two teams of five, both groups having a tank and a healer.


    There was suddenly a lot to do! She had to clean out the dorm room below ¨C at least three of the novices had nowhere to stay.


    She had seen how Sabri looked to Malika and Mato for advice, and it had immediately given her the idea of using the more advanced guild members to help the new novices grow. She was sure Aiden and Havok would help too, and perhaps Teagan for the healers, especially now that they were closing in on level twenty.


    Then her expression soured.


    She allowed herself a brief snort of amusement before knuckling down to her work.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 163: Books of the Past

    Aliandra


    Ali woke to the sound of her chime and slowly sat up. Yesterday had ended on a rough note and she had retired to the library to withdraw from the world, but a long discussion with Lira over tea before bed had helped settle her heart, and she looked around the library with her cautious optimism mostly recovered.


    If she considered the day as a whole, it had been a resounding success. Twenty-one people had gained new classes, more than two-thirds of them had unlocked magical affinities, and nobody had died in the assassination attempt near the end. She would need to chat with Vivian Ross about that, though ¨C she had assumed they were trying to kill her for being a dungeon, but it was abundantly clear that they had also been targeting the newly advanced novices.


    She despised them for invading her home and trying to murder the novices under her care. She loathed them for thrusting their imprint on her ¨C and hated that it had taken her till morning to discard it. She grimaced. It was clear her aversion was not rational ¨C she had Goblin and Kobold imprints to prove that she would not be summoning people, and as a dungeon, she would almost certainly encounter imprints like this again. It would undoubtedly be powerful, but still¡­


    Then there was Nathaniel Sunstrider. She still didn¡¯t know what to make of him. An Elf from Ciradyl, the Guildmaster of the prestigious Pathfinder Guild that Calen had joined, and a member of the Elven Council of Archmages. He was a scholar of international repute, and widely respected across the continent.


    He had done nothing overtly hostile unless she counted invading her domain while shrouded and spying on her activities. Likely she would have been in awe from meeting one of the most preeminent scholars of this age, except for the strange vision of the shadowy barbs in the eerie and silent gray world of her Arcane Recall.


    An involuntary shiver shook her at the disturbing memory. Spying an impressively large pile of books on the table and a handwritten note, Ali made her way over and sat down, trying to decide how she was going to handle the Archmage when he inevitably showed up to talk.


    ¡°Good morning, dear.¡±


    Ali smiled and accepted the cup of a new Elven green tea that Lira offered. ¡°This smells amazing!¡± she said.


    ¡°Your dear friend Basil grew that,¡± Lira said with a gentle smile.


    ¡°Aunt Lira, would you mind keeping me company today when that Archmage comes to talk?¡± While she felt a lot better today, she was certain Lira¡¯s presence would settle her, and she really didn¡¯t want to face him alone, irrational as that seemed.


    ¡°Of course, dear, that young boy can be a bit pompous and aloof.¡±


    Ali chuckled quietly over her tea at the way Lira referred to the Elf, who was probably centuries old and past his evolution, as a ¡®young boy¡¯. But she supposed everyone was young to Lira.


    But because she hadn¡¯t experienced all the intervening millennia, she didn¡¯t feel older and wiser.


    Ali enjoyed her quiet teatime chat; Lira was a great listener, and she unloaded most of her worries to her receptive ears. After they finished, she sat herself down in front of the huge pile of books and decided to do something productive while she waited for everyone to wake and the day to begin.


    she said, using Martial Insight to send the command to her two trash-collector Kobold rogues who had just finished dumping their haul from the night into the sewers. Ryn had suggested she work on finding a spider imprint if she wanted creatures with good perception, and she wasn¡¯t about to let the one that just fell into her lap go to waste.


    As usual, Ryn had collected a wide variety of interesting books, but right on the top of the pile was a cloth-bound book with the title: ¡®Ali picked it up and paged through it, glancing at the well-organized contents, explanations of technique, and magical runes that would presumably help someone with a tailoring class understand how to weave them into their creations. Ryn had clearly outdone herself, there was even an entire chapter on resistance enchantments.


    she thought, quickly memorizing the entire book with her Sage skill. But then she paused for a moment ¨C the book was written in the elegant Elvish script, which she was certain Lydia did not read. She could spend the time teaching her, but a different idea popped into her head. Carefully working her way through the entire memorized book, Ali translated it to Common in her head and then re-memorized it. It took a while to get the hang of holding both images in her mind simultaneously, but she had invested so much in her intelligence attribute at this point that it turned out to be rather easy once she got it.


    In just a few minutes of working with her Grimoire, she produced two almost identical books, both copies of the original tailoring manual. But the one on the left was in the original Elvish and, with a quick browse through, she verified that the other was a correctly translated version in Common.


    A clatter and a thump pulled her attention from the books, and she found her two rogues standing beside the corpse of the Cavern Crawler. ¡°Good work,¡± she said. ¡°Bring it here.¡± When they did, she deconstructed it and then switched back to the books on the table, practicing her newly discovered ability by translating them each to random languages she knew in addition to copying the original.


    An hour or so later, she glanced up from her work, noticing for the first time the clang of pots, the crackle of a fire, and the aroma of Mato¡¯s cooking. Malika was meditating quietly beside her at the table waiting patiently for her to finish her work.


    ¡°Morning, Malika,¡± she said, greeting her friend. She and Mato had both been extremely supportive yesterday, helping to ensure the safety of the novices and even helping some of them make good class choices.


    ¡°Hi Ali,¡± she said, opening her eyes. ¡°Can I ask a favor?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Ali¡¯s eyes caught her touching a new bronze ring.


    ¡°I picked this up off the corpse of the assassin yesterday,¡± Malika said, answering her glance. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind if I use it? I took the value out of my share.¡±


    It was a moment of surprise as she realized Malika was still dividing all their loot fairly among the four of them, something she had actually forgotten.


    Seal of the Quartermaster ¨C level 40


    +30 Strength


    +12 Vitality


    Mana: Store or retrieve an item. Capacity: 0 / 1000 kg


    Requirements: Dexterity 140, Strength 37


    Ring


    ¡°I think you¡¯re the only one of us who can use it,¡± Ali said, studying the requirements closely. It was a rather nice ring of uncommon grade ¨C particularly useful for Malika, who was always the one carrying whatever they found to Weldin Thriftpenny¡¯s store for sale.


    ¡°I think Calen could equip it too,¡± Malika said, twisting it around her finger in thought. ¡°He might have the strength for it now.¡±


    ¡°I still think it works better for you,¡± Ali said. ¡°That vitality will come in handy in the mines.¡±


    ¡°There was also a picture of you, and a map to the shrine inside it,¡± Malika said. ¡°We should probably talk to Mieriel about gathering some information.¡± As she spoke, Malika retrieved a stack of nine leather-bound books from her new ring, placing them with utmost care upon the table beside the library books she had just duplicated.


    ¡°The Nine Paths?¡± Ali asked, recognizing the drake-leather bound ancient books instantly.


    ¡°Elder Rezan offered to lend them to you while he is here in Myrin¡¯s Keep. He says you have permission from the elders to copy it for yourself,¡± Malika answered. ¡°Ali¡­ would you teach me to read them? I want to study the forms and techniques ¨C and I think there might be something in there that could help me against the fire elementals.¡±


    ¡°I can translate them into Common if you¡¯d like,¡± Ali said, staring at the books, feeling a little guilty at the acquisitive instinct that bubbled up within her. The Nine Paths of Ahn Khen represented an entire system of ancient knowledge, simply waiting within the pages for her to study. If Malika and Calen were right, she should be able to teach the techniques to her minions using Martial Insight. Having already examined the books, she also knew there was a wealth of Ahn Khen magic inscribed within those ancient tomes.


    ¡°That would be very convenient, and probably quicker,¡± Malika answered. ¡°But I think I would like to learn the language of my ancestors.¡±


    Malika sounded a little uncertain, and Ali could guess why. For at least half her life she had believed the ancestors of her people had forsaken her, and she had actively ignored them ever since. But now, she seemed to be reaching out and seeking to reconnect with her culture and heritage. First with the Elder as her mentor, and then by making friends with his students. This would be a step further, a substantial investment in learning the language and advancing her techniques according to the ancient path.


    ¡°Ok, let me copy them quickly and then we can start,¡± Ali didn¡¯t believe the ancestors offered guidance or wisdom, but she wanted to support Malika¡¯s search. ¡°Do you think he¡¯d like a couple extra copies to take back?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯d make his decade,¡± Malika said with a wry smile.


    Nathaniel Sunstrider


    Nathaniel had accepted a room at the Adventurers Guild for the night ¨C plain lodgings, to be sure ¨C but he had been way too busy to sleep. Even from outside the domain, he could still sense the mana. Study it. Test it.


    He had so many questions, and all of which hinged on who exactly Aliandra was, and why her dungeon was created in that precise fashion. He had seen the name ¡®¡¯ on the shrine, but he had not connected it to the book until she had asked him to bring it with him.


    Not her descendant ¨C she had claimed Elowynn was her mother. The premier mind in magical research of the entire age. They were lucky ¨C he was lucky ¨C to possess her book. Somehow, the tome had survived The Breaking intact, and even after all his centuries of study, there were still chapters he barely understood.


    He spent most of the night studying Elowynn¡¯s book, searching for insight into the things he had witnessed, but the dense text and abstract concepts yielded far more questions than answers. His first, and foremost question was what had caused the remnants of the magical disaster at the shrine. The second question was to understand the glowing golden arcane magic ¨C what made it golden rather than purple or violet like his own and that of every other arcane mage? Other questions could wait ¨C like why a level fifty dungeon possessed such dense mana, and why she radiated the presence of an ancient being, and yet was so clearly just starting out.


    By the time dawn broke, his patience had long vanished. He had agreed to come back ¡®tomorrow¡¯, and it was tomorrow. He grabbed the heavy tome and teleported directly back into the dungeon, appearing just as he had the day before. He burned another page of his spellbook shrouding himself so that the denizens of the dungeon would not see him, and he flew down to the shrine and began to study the flow of mana.


    Glowcaps were common mushrooms, present in huge varieties across the continent and often used in many simple and low-level tinctures and potions. But, down here, even the mushrooms emitted the golden arcane mana, spilling it into the domain, binding it, and structuring it into a delicate lattice that filled the entire space. Elowynn spoke at length about domains, but so much seemed to rely on long-lost knowledge that he struggled to piece it together. The fragments of golden shards seemed to predate the dungeon, but that was just about all he was able to determine.


    That he ignored the shrine just demonstrated the magnitude of his frustration. He turned, sending his senses roaming through the area, and quickly homed in on the vast pillar of dense nature mana bursting upward in a geyser the likes of which he had only ever seen in the strongest evolved dungeons.


    He took off, flying in the direction of the mana-gusher, surveying the wide variety of plants and trees as he went. As soon as he passed beyond the cavern and entered a second forested cavern, he sensed something had changed. This area was mostly filled with the enormous nature-affinity oaks, but the mana had changed. The original lattice and structure of the sparkling arcane and nature mana was still visible to his perception, but layered on top of it, was the heavy dark green nature mana of an even more ancient and powerful being.


    For the first time on this trip, he readied his escape spell, a hair-trigger teleport designed to be impossible to disrupt, and headed deeper into the forest. Moments later, he froze in surprise. Before him, towering up through the center of a ruined building, was the canopy of an oak that was surpassed only by the magical trees of Ciradyl itself. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Speechless, he studied the impossible tree. It was an evolved tree, which in the absence of something like the Well of Souls was almost unheard of. There was no way a level fifty dungeon had made a level hundred and seventy-three tree, and yet her domain mana poured from it like a never-ending waterfall.


    Keeping his defenses at the ready, he flew into the ruins, following the enormous tree trunk downward, scattering nature wisps as he went.


    Lyeneru had mentioned it, and yet he had not believed her. Yet here he was, in the hallowed halls of the greatest library in recorded history. He was certain that if Lyeneru had mentioned the legendary city of Dal¡¯mohra to anyone else, it was unthinkable that he would be the first person inspecting this dungeon.


    Both the Shadow Council and the Council of Archmages would become unmanageable if knowledge of this got out.


    ¡°Welcome, child.¡±


    Nathaniel jerked to a flustered halt as an ageless green face emerged from the trunk of the enormous tree right in front of him, staring at him directly despite the magic of his Greater Shroud. Her voice was melodic and resonant, filling the entire space with soft and gentle echoes, sounds that vibrated along the strings of her mana.


    ¡°Great Mother of the Deep Woods,¡± he said, instantly dropping his shroud spell and bowing to the Dryad. For a spell designed to cloak him from all senses, it had been undone twice now in as many days. He would most certainly need to go back to the drawing board.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you join us in the library for tea?¡± Lirasia said, drawing herself out of the trunk and dancing barefoot along one of the giant branches. ¡°Aliandra awaits you there.¡±


    ¡°It would be my pleasure,¡± he answered, following her downward to where several tables and couches had been arranged around a cooking fire.


    The fact that she was here explained the uncommonly dense nature mana, but how it coexisted with the domain of Aliandra¡¯s dungeon he could not say. It was a feat that defied everything he had ever learned about domains. His lip curled.


    He flew down and alighted by a surprisingly ordinary-looking couch. Beside the couch was a small teapot emitting wisps of steam and an aroma of high-quality brewed Elven tea. ¡°It seems you have excellent taste,¡± Nathaniel observed.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lirasia said.


    Off to the side, a dark-skinned monk girl sat reading a book in the center of a poison cloud runic circle, her body periodically flickering with healing magic. His eyes narrowed slightly. One of Elder Rezan Jin¡¯s disciples who had fought the dungeon boss yesterday.


    And sitting at the table surrounded by dozens of books sat the Fae herself. ¡°Hello Aliandra,¡± he greeted her equably, accepting an offered chair at the table where she sat next to a dark-haired librarian, unloading an enormous pile of books.


    About to launch into his first question, he suddenly noticed the strange blend of violet divination and arcane dissipating from the Librarian ¨C arcane mana that glittered just as golden as the Fae. His words lay forgotten upon his tongue.


    Aliandra


    ¡°Thanks for rescheduling,¡± Ali said. Nathaniel Sunstrider appeared to be a touch rattled ¨C perhaps at the sight of Lira ¨C and it took a few moments for him to collect himself.


    ¡°It was nothing,¡± he said, looking around, his piercing blue eyes taking in everything. ¡°So, this is  Grand Library Arcana?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali answered. She was still not quite sure she trusted him, but she felt safer because Lira, Mato, and Malika had decided to stay, lending her some much-needed moral support.


    ¡°Are you truly her daughter?¡±


    ¡°I am. And this is my aunt Lira.¡±


    ¡°How is that even possible?¡±


    ¡°My mother bound me in a barrier spell of arcane magic, and I survived the destruction of Dal¡¯mohra, waking up here when it finally expired.¡± She didn¡¯t go into detail, but she was well aware that the Archmage had the power to wipe her out or order people like Lyeneru to do it. He seemed to be more interested in asking questions for now, so she would oblige.


    ¡°That must have been quite a spell,¡± he prompted.


    ¡°Legendary grade,¡± Ali admitted, taking more than a little pride at her mother¡¯s final achievement.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it happened. I would have given much to see it,¡± Nathaniel said.


    ¡°Perhaps not,¡± Ali demurred. ¡°The Blind Lich was present, and in the process of unleashing The Breaking upon the world.¡± The last was a deduction on her part, but everything Ryn had been able to dig up on the subject so far had pointed to her personal tragedy coinciding with the grand-scale catastrophe that had been unleashed upon the world.


    ¡°Aah, of course,¡± Nathaniel murmured, stroking his chin in deep thought. ¡°I wonder¡­ can you tell me why your mana is golden? It¡¯s a highly unusual manifestation.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s always been that way.¡± The answer was clearly not what he wanted to hear, but it was the truth. She had always been happy that her magic looked like her mother¡¯s, ever since she had been old enough to wield her first cantrip, but even back then, her mother¡¯s mana had been unique.


    He proceeded to bombard her with an unrelenting assault of questions, and Ali continued answering as best she could without giving away too many secrets. With the Town Council trial, she had at least been prepared in advance ¨C here she was entirely at the mercy of his intense scrutiny and towering intellect. Although Nathaniel appeared at ease, his manner remained aloof. Ali was exquisitely aware of the unstated threat his presence presented. She had been worried about advertising her class to the town of Myrin¡¯s Keep ¨C but here was a member of the Elven Council of Archmages ¨C who knew how far his influence reached?


    However, every time Ali began to flounder, to feel overwhelmed, Lira would interrupt with a seemingly innocuous question for the Sun Elf that knocked him disproportionally off his stride. A moment of respite Ali used to recover her composure while the Archmage grappled with Lira¡¯s unshakeable poise.


    Suddenly he gasped, leaping to his feet mid-sentence. ¡°What is this?¡± Before Ali could react, he reached for her bookshelf and snatched up the ominous black-and-silver tome. Nevyn Eld¡¯s book.


    ¡°This is an extremely dangerous book,¡± Nathaniel said, staring at it, purple mana formations flickering rapidly in his eyes. Potent wards snapped into place about him, leaving Ali¡¯s skin prickling from mere proximity to the Archmage¡¯s spells. ¡°Where did you find it?¡±


    ¡°It survived in a secure preservation enchantment in the library,¡± Ali said. ¡°Ryn found it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I will have to take this with me, it is too dangerous to leave here.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Ali said, standing up from her chair. ¡°I am the sole survivor of Dal¡¯mohra, and that book is the property of this library. I¡¯d thank you for not engaging in petty thievery.¡±


    He leveled a hard stare at her, but she met his gaze with unflinching resolve. She was not about to give up her book ¨C even if it was the Lich¡¯s magnum opus. ¡°I watched my mother holding off his dark necromantic bolts. I saw his Death Knights, raised from the Council of Kings. I watched while he tore the city down around me. And I was forced to watch helplessly when my mother gave all her life energy to save me from his grasp. You may not take that book. It is mine, and I intend to use the knowledge it contains to defend myself and my friends.¡±


    She held his gaze, their wills at an impasse. He could certainly take it by force, but she would not back down even in the face of his arrogance and obvious power. Besides, he would have to demonstrate he was going to steal it in front of Lira, someone he appeared to hold in high regard.


    ¡°In the wrong hands, this book can be used to ¨C¡±


    ¡°Make dungeons stronger?¡± Ali finished. ¡°I¡¯m well aware of that. In fact, I¡¯m counting on it. The only way I¡¯m letting that book go is if you offer my mother¡¯s book in trade.¡±


    He sighed, breaking the stare, and sat back down, laying the black tome on the table before him. Then he produced the heavy, worn tome she had seen in his hands the first time she saw him, retrieving it from inside his robe instead of from a storage enchantment. He laid it beside the first one. It was scuffed and scratched from ages of use, but she could not fail to recognize it.


    ¡°I cannot let you have ¨C¡± he grimaced, at least realizing what he was saying ¡°¨C your mother¡¯s book. It contains far too much knowledge and magic crucial to the survival and defense of the realm. It is for this very purpose that the Pathfinders were founded so many thousands of years ago. We stand against the timeless tides of evil first unleashed by the Blind Lich ¨C it is why we exist. Without this book, I cannot be certain to hold the encroaching darkness at bay. Death Knights assemble in the far south under the command of the undead general, Haverron, The Devastator. The Dracolich, Kryostria, raids the northern kingdoms. I wish I could give you what you want, but I cannot.¡±


    Ali shivered. Lira had mentioned it ¨C and Ali could scarcely believe it ¨C but the fall of the great blue frost dragon known as The Frozen Scourge had to have shaken the world. This was the true terror of the Blind Lich ¨C his bony fingers had reached out and grasped the hearts of the world¡¯s greatest heroes and twisted them, corrupting and turning them into undead servants, slaves to his dark will. ¡°Perhaps a different trade then?¡± Ali suggested, deliberately moderating her tone as she stared at her mother¡¯s finest work with a strange ache in the depths of her heart. ¡°I will copy Nevyn Eld¡¯s work for you if you let me make a copy of my mother¡¯s book for myself.¡±


    ¡°No scribe has been able to copy this book, it is too steeped in magic,¡± Nathaniel scoffed.


    ¡°I bet no scribe you ever met had Runic Script and a dungeon¡¯s creation magic,¡± Ali countered.


    Lira murmured, ¡°Intriguing.¡± That was all she said, but it seemed her words rippled across the tense stillness of the room, soothing and even inviting.


    For a long moment, the Elf steepled his fingers, concentrating on a future perhaps only he could perceive. Then he sighed. ¡°Very well, if you succeed in copying it, I will agree to your trade.¡± His tone indicated skepticism, but she didn¡¯t miss the eager, covetous glance at the black tome of the Blind Lich, but it was far too fleeting for her to be certain.


    She sent the mental command as a set of intentions, impressions, to her Kobolds, earning several nods and the impression of alertness echoed back along her connection.


    Then, she activated her study trance and got to work. It was a process she had practiced countless times, growing the small collection of books every time Ryn returned from the various libraries. They had started from nothing, and although it was still tiny, the several bookshelves that now made up her library were a source of great pride to her. She rapidly committed Nevyn Eld¡¯s book to her memory using Sage of Learning, Arcane Insight, and Runic Script to ensure her recollection of every word, every inscription, and every rune was perfect.


    Then she reversed the process, using Grimoire of Summoning, recreating the book in all its dark malevolence until her spell was completed and the book appeared on the table in front of her. She was most certainly getting better at this ¨C the book was almost indistinguishable from the original.


    She pushed it over to the surprised Archmage, watching him struggle to keep his excitement from leaking past his mask of composure. But he reciprocated, placing her mother¡¯s book in front of her.


    .


    Ali¡¯s hands trembled as she reached for the cover. It was bound in a similar black leather to Nevyn Eld¡¯s book, but instead of the cold silver runes and a dark foreboding aura, this book shone with the golden glow of hundreds of tiny runes inscribed into the cover and along the spine. It was worn and scratched, sporting several dents, but otherwise seemed fully intact ¨C and as beautiful as the first day her mother had shown it to her.


    The book shivered as she laid a hand on the cover, or more accurately, her hand still trembled. Beside her, Nathaniel was already engrossed in reading his copy, so she began.


    Ali activated all her skills, for this was no ordinary mundane text. The pages exuded mana like an endless geyser of golden dust and the dense script glowed with the light of hundreds of runic markings outlining the concepts and principles within.


    Her awareness of the room and the arrogant Elven Archmage faded until there was nothing but her existence and the book itself. Time passed unnoticed as she struggled to commit the book to memory, to read every line, and to recall every rune. She had to reread many pages and spells to ensure she had gotten it just right before she was able to move on.


    Finally, she closed the book and looked up to find Nathaniel studying her with an inscrutable expression on his face, his reading presumably long completed. It didn¡¯t show, but Nathaniel had to be old. Either that, or the manner and fashion of the elves had not changed much in three thousand years. If it were not for the arrogant cast to his eyes, and the harsh line to his mouth, Ali might have considered him handsome for an elf ¨C especially dressed in his almost regal enchanted robes. Nothing like the creature of mist she had seen bound and hooked by tendrils of ominously dark barbed mana. That had been a disturbing sight, and one which had vanished the moment her Arcane Recall ceased. She wasn¡¯t quite certain how her spell worked, but she decided she was curious enough to try it again.


    She stopped time. The library dimmed, and everything froze in the familiar silent stasis of gray. Nathaniel Sunstrider sat before her, unshrouded this time and also frozen. The dark tendrils of strange mana writhed and twisted about him; their barbed hooks still embedded into the image of his body. She studied the disconcerting phenomenon for a while, but she could find no explanation. All she could guess was that it was something unique about him ¨C and that magic was the only thing that moved in this strange world. And that it creeped her out like nothing she had ever experienced before.


    She shuddered at  memory.


    She ignored Nathaniel and summoned her Grimoire, beginning to work before the giant image of her mother¡¯s book began to fray in her mind. She poured her mana into the construction, channeling her Runic Script to reproduce the magical runes, and studying the entire formation with her Arcane Insight. But her magic slowed, almost resisting her efforts as if something important was missing.


    The original book lay upon the table ¨C even the sparkles of arcane mana hanging in the air frozen and gray. The same mana her mother had used to create the barrier that had saved her. The same as her own barrier magic. Trusting her intuition, she fed her barrier magic into the construction, hoping that the construct was detailed enough to repurpose the spell as it needed. Something connected right then, and her mana drained rapidly as the construction of the book neared completion.


    The snapping of a whip caught her attention. One of the barbed tendrils of mana had come loose from Nathaniel, recoiling back and then flicking forward again. It paused, and to Ali¡¯s horror it seemed to search around ¨C like a monster, sniffing the air ¨C and then sinuously began to weave its way toward her, as if seeking out the mana of her spell.


    She struggled instinctively, but there was no way for her to move a muscle, or even feel her body. Her Arcane Recall spell would not end until her creation was completed ¨C if that would even be any protection against whatever dark magic this thing was. She grappled with the unruly complexity of her creation, barely hanging on to her magic while the dark tentacle rushed in from the corner of her eye.


    Right as the dark barbed serpentine magic was about to reach her, her mother¡¯s book flared with an intense golden light ¨C a sudden flash of brilliant color against the stark backdrop. Spontaneously activated runes burned with furious golden energy, flowing out to cover the book with an intricately formed barrier. The cover popped open halfway, and the barrier grew across the opening of the book in sharp, jagged protrusions that looked shockingly like fangs. Then the book leapt, snapping shut on the tendril of dark mana like the jaws of a crocodile crushing bones.


    Ali would have screamed, but she could not.


    The dark mana ruptured into a cloud of magic dust, and the remainder of the tendril recoiled away into the distance emitting a wail that faded rapidly. Like  far beyond ordinary sight snatching back a wounded limb. The book dropped back to the table and simply bounced up and down for a bit, as if proud of itself, a broad crimson silk bookmark hanging out from between its pages and its rather vicious-looking jagged golden fangs. Its insouciant manner made her want to smile slightly despite the nausea clawing at her gut.


    Before Ali could form another coherent thought, her spell finished, and the duplicate book appeared on the table. But Arcane Recall failed to end. She remained frozen in the gray world, the only source of color being the bizarre creature her mother¡¯s book had turned into, and her floating Grimoire.


    She didn¡¯t know how to end it. The binding of this place had always faded immediately. Movement caught her attention once again as the strangely animated book shuffled across the surface of the table to the gray duplicate she had just completed. It snuffled around for a moment, looking for all the world like it was sniffing her copy. A pulse of magic, almost too fast for her to register, enveloped the new book and suddenly the copy exhibited identical scuff marks, dings, and scratches, making it indistinguishable from the original.


    Her jaw would have hit the table if that were possible.


    Then to her absolute astonishment, the book scooted around and shoved the copy across the table, trading places with it, and then settled down by turning around once and plopping itself onto the wooden surface in front of her. The barrier magic slowly receded, and the fangs faded, leaving the book as it was before she had started. Then even its color began to leech away until it too appeared gray and lifeless.


    Her spell ended.


    Immediately, notifications appeared before her.


    ***


    Nathaniel stayed for ages, unleashing a formidable curiosity and a deluge of questions about her past, Dal¡¯mohra, her mother, and her magic. Ali answered all of it as best she could, but lurking below all her polite civility was a burning curiosity and confusion directed at the now deceptively inert book resting on the table.


    The book¡¯s surprising animation, vicious magical teeth, and its power to manipulate her spells were quite terrifying ¨C and she would have blurted out the entire thing, demanding answers, save for one thing. The book had undoubtedly saved her from the even more ominous dark magic that seemed to infect the Elven Archmage. Or perhaps it originated from him, she had no way to tell. All through Nathaniel¡¯s barrage of questions, Ali carefully avoided looking at the book. Every now and then, her guilt worked its way to the surface of her mind, and she would again be tempted to tell him about the switch. But she always came back to the fact that the book had chosen her and had in fact gone to quite some lengths to make the switch undetectable even to the powerful scrutiny of a three-mark Archmage.


    she told herself. But it was a poor consolation because she was quite certain she hadn¡¯t duplicated whatever it was that had caused the book to wake up. Cautiously, she identified it.


    Both books identified as exactly the same. She knew every single word and rune was copied exactly ¨C Nathaniel would have what he needed, even if he didn¡¯t go home with the original, and yet¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure you understand the significance of your shrine, Aliandra,¡± Nathaniel said, collecting the copy of the book she had just made and tucked it into his robe. ¡°The only other Great Shrine on the continent that isn¡¯t buried deep inside a hostile dungeon resides in the Troll city of Aman Rak, and they¡¯re notoriously aloof and condescending toward other races. It was exceptionally difficult to gain even limited access to study it and they always prioritize spending their precious shrine mana on Troll advancement ¨C even their adversaries ¨C over all other races. As you know, I¡¯m also the Guildmaster for the Pathfinders Guild in Ciradyl. Would you be open to allowing me to study your shrine at some point in the future? Would you consider taking a few Elven novices to join your class advancement ceremonies? I can offer a substantial remuneration per magical class unlocked.¡±


    ¡°That would be fine,¡± Ali answered. She knew her shrine was special, but she hadn¡¯t realized it was quite so rare. ¡°Please coordinate the novices with Vivian Ross ¨C she¡¯s responsible for setting up the groups. But I¡¯m a dungeon, I have no need of gold.¡± She pulsed some magic through her Grimoire, creating a Dal¡¯mohran gold coin and dropping it on the table in front of him.


    ¡°What can I offer, then?¡±


    Behind the carefully controlled fa?ade of his calm, schooled expression, she could tell he was eager to gain access to her shrine services.


    She was about to repeat her commitment to keeping her shrine free, but she glanced at Ryn busy sorting books and a different idea popped into her head. ¡°I would like Ryn to be able to borrow books from the restricted section of the Ciradyl Grand Library,¡± she suggested, gaining a sudden excited gasp from Ryn and a shocked expression from Nathaniel.


    ¡°You know those books are irreplaceable?¡± he said, after recomposing himself.


    ¡°Not after I¡¯ve borrowed them for a day or two,¡± she answered, gesturing to the pair of books on the table in front of her. ¡°I¡¯ve already duplicated the previously lost Nine Paths of Ahn Khen several times for Elder Rezan. Consider it security for your most valuable knowledge ¨C a backup copy, if you will.¡±


    ¡°Would you accept keeping it to a single book at a time?¡± Nathaniel asked, his face paler than normal.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Ali answered. In response, he retrieved a sheet of paper and an expensive-looking pen. He wrote a note and then imbued the entire page with his mana signature before passing it to her. ¡°Thank you,¡± she told him.


    When the Archmage looked away for a moment, she flicked her gaze to her Aunt. Lira nodded almost imperceptibly.


    ¡°I will have Lyeneru create a quest for Calen when we have some candidates for the shrine,¡± the Archmage said. ¡°Have him keep an eye on his ring, it will notify him when the quest is available.¡± He finally rose to his feet. ¡°I must take my leave and return to Ciradyl. This has been a very productive meeting, thank you, Aliandra. I will be in touch.¡± And with that, he vanished, leaving the remnants of his Greater Teleportation spell slowly dissipating into the library.


    Ali immediately tried to store the book in her ring, but for some reason, that failed. She let out a big sigh and flopped back into her chair. It had indeed been productive, but the unrelenting tension had turned her knees into jelly.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Ryn asked, reacting to her sudden display of pent-up emotion.


    ¡°Yes, that was just very stressful.¡± She hadn¡¯t quite realized how much she had been holding bottled up until the pressure was abruptly removed and she was once again alone with her friends. She retrieved Nathaniel¡¯s permission note and handed it to Ryn.


    ¡°At least you got a copy of your mom¡¯s book, right? I got a level when he read the book you made for him.¡± Ryn said, examining the note excitedly before making it vanish.


    ¡°Yes, about that¡­¡± Ali glanced over to the big table where she had left the suspicious book, but that spot on the table was suddenly empty.


    ¡°On the coffee table, dear,¡± Lira said mildly. ¡°Another cup of tea with a drop of honey?¡±


    Ali paused mid-leap to the coffee table, arrested by the almost playful offer ¨C much like her mother¡¯s apparent shenanigans with the book ¨C and the fact that the tome was quietly resting on the coffee table right in front of her couch, like nothing had happened. Ali hadn¡¯t even sensed any magic. Clearly, she had been premature in blaming the Archmage. Oops. And she had even stood up to him ¨C where had that suddenly come from? Could the book have¡­ surely not?


    ¡°What you?¡± she asked it, and then squeaked and leapt backward onto the couch when it wiggled slightly. ¡°Aunt Lira! It ¨C it just ¨C¡±


    ¡°Yes, dear?¡±


    Ali tried to wave away the teacup with a shaking hand, but her aunt had other ideas. A deft touch found her gripping the saucer and she took a desperate unsteady sip of the brew, inhaling its fresh herbaceous scent as she stared through the swirling steam at the book. She identified it again.


    ¡°What is an Eldritch Tome?¡± she asked, embarrassed to hear the quaver in her own voice. The impossibility of it was unnerving. It had just been level forty-seven and easy for her to inspect, and now it inexplicably registered as less than level ten but obscured to her Identify skill.


    ¡°It¡¯s a monster, why? ¡­ Oh!¡± Ryn exclaimed as she saw the book inching its way closer to Ali.


    Suddenly, the cover of the book burst open, and the pages riffled past, too fast to track, until it fell open and propped itself up as if inviting her to read.


    Cautiously, Ali leaned forward, her barrier ready in case the sharp magical teeth made a reappearance, but what she found was a page she knew for certain hadn¡¯t been there when she copied the book.


    It was a note and a thoughtful gift, intended for a future that her mother had missed by a week, and she had missed by three thousand years. Coming on top of the stress of talking at such length with the Archmage, barely surviving an unknown and scary magic attack in the middle of her spell, and the bizarrely terrifying book that had saved her, Ali broke down and cried.


    After a few minutes of tears with Lira and her friends trying to comfort her, a sudden presence of weight drew her attention downward, and there, nestled in her lap, was the book, as if it too wished to console her.


    She laid her hand upon the cover.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 164: Farming Fire Resistance

    Aliandra The well-oiled doors swung open, and Ali stepped into the guild hall, blinking a little in the relative dimness after the bright sunlight outside. She had recounted the terrifying experience of being at the mercy of whatever ominous spell infested Nathaniel Sunstrider and her narrow escape due to the inexplicable actions of her mother¡¯s book. However, the Archmage had amassed a towering reputation, and it was challenging to accuse him of anything when all she had was a strangely disturbing visual from a realm that she wasn¡¯t entirely certain was even real. Still, Lira promised to consult with a Troll sage she was certain still lived, and Ryn offered to use her skills to research information in Ciradyl¡¯s vast library, leveraging the writ of access to the restricted section. At least they took her account seriously, and that had set her heart somewhat at ease.


    ¡°So, what did you guys learn about fighting bosses yesterday?¡± Vivian said. She stood by the guild jobs board, addressing a crowd. Almost the entire guild was seated in the hall, either on the couches or on the floor, listening to her ¨C and for the first time, the room was full. All the familiar faces were there; the regular ranked members, and many of the novices who had earned their classes yesterday ¨C but there were also quite a few unfamiliar faces identifying as classless and carrying training weapons.


    Their entrance to the guild hall earned them quite a few glances, but Ali noticed that the eyes of many of the unclassed people lingered on her for longer than she expected.


    ¡°Don¡¯t suck,¡± someone called out from the middle of the group, provoking a few snorts and laughs, guiltily suppressed.


    ¡°That¡¯s about accurate,¡± Vivian said with a smile. ¡°But I would say it more like, don¡¯t show up to a raid boss unprepared. That way you won¡¯t get a slime sucking off your face.¡± Laughter attended to her stern, finger-waggling imprecation. ¡°Other ideas? Speak up.¡±


    Ali floated over to the reception desk. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked quietly.


    ¡°Vivian wanted to hold an all-hands meeting ¨C to talk to all the new guild members,¡± Mieriel said.


    ¡°She seems happy.¡±


    ¡°She got ten fresh combat novices out of the group you took to your shrine yesterday, she¡¯s been insufferably bubbly all day.¡±


    Ali shot Mieriel a surprised glance. The idea of the powerful and stern Guildmaster being described as insufferably bubbly seemed incongruous, but she assumed that Mieriel was referring to the sense of any inner emotions leaking from Vivian¡¯s mind.


    ¡°I do have a more serious question,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°I can probably guess, but go ahead.¡± Mieriel adjusted her collar self-consciously.


    ¡°Do we know who sent that assassin team?¡± This was the main reason Ali had wanted to stop by the guild in the first place. Random assassins were one thing, but this was the second coordinated group that had been sent against her, and this time they had even targeted the novices.


    ¡°As far as I can tell, they were hired to disrupt the class advancement ceremony in any way they could and to assassinate you. I got a lead that implied Jax Hawkhurst sponsored the hit this time,¡± Mieriel said, with a matter-of-fact tone that would have been more appropriate for discussing breakfast cereal selections.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean he¡¯s desperate? I thought he doesn¡¯t like getting his hands dirty?¡± Ali had little knowledge or aptitude for politics, but Malika had shared the basics of how the crime syndicates were set up in Myrin¡¯s Keep, and how they evaded the attention of the authorities. In essence, Jax Hawkhurst operated a legitimate business, and all the shady stuff was done through intermediaries.


    ¡°Jax is under a lot of pressure right now. With the blight, the southern road is impassable, and that means a lot of his merchant business is bleeding money,¡± Mieriel explained. ¡°He¡¯s been forced to rely on kidnapping, slavery, and protection or loansharking. Or at least his affiliated businesses are doing that. But you keep selling exceptionally valuable resources to the guild store, and now that Donella Novaspark is getting a supply of magicite, her people are making some incredible new crafted items. The Academy is making enormous profits, none of which he can touch. So, you¡¯re personal enemy number one for him.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± She really did see ¨C this wasn¡¯t some convoluted political scheme. She was eating his business when he was in a bind because of the blight. Ali smiled thinly. ¡°Strictly business?¡±


    ¡°His sort of business.¡±


    Another burst of laughter nearly lifted the rafters. Ali closed her eyes briefly, fighting back nausea. When would this end? She had no desire to live all her days in fear. No. Her tiny fists clenched. That, she would not do.


    ¡°Aliandra, do you mind doing the Guildmaster a favor?¡± Mieriel asked suddenly.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Ali glanced at the stern Guildmaster, still talking to the majority of the guild members.


    ¡°Word about the shrine has been trickling out and we¡¯ve been receiving a steady influx of new recruits from the poorer parts of town. There was an enormous amount of competition for spots to access the shrine. Many of them think it was a one-time deal and those that didn¡¯t make it are emoting a lot of despair, frustration, or feelings like it was all a waste of time. Perhaps you could mention that you will do another class advancement when they¡¯re ready?¡± Mieriel said. ¡°I mean if you¡¯re ok doing another one, of course.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± It certainly explained some of the complex looks she had gotten from the unclassed recruits.


    , she thought. She had already decided that sharing her shrine was one way she wished to make a difference in town, and she was rather grateful that someone like Vivian was so invested in helping the novices grow in productive directions.


    She didn¡¯t bother answering Mieriel any further, knowing the Elf would simply read her ambient emotional state and get her answer that way. Instead, she floated over to where Vivian was wrapping up.


    ¡°And this is Aliandra, everyone. For those who haven¡¯t met her, she¡¯s one of our silver-ranked adventurers, and she ran the class advancement yesterday.¡± Vivian introduced Ali without mentioning her class, even though it should be obvious.


    Ali nodded to the group, hearing murmurs and conversation spring up at her introduction. She smiled at a few familiar faces, Havok, Basil, Seth, Aiden, Willow¡­ in fact, all the bronze adventurers seemed happy to see her. Even the newly classed Sabri and Brena were grinning, which had been a worry for Ali after the trauma they had both experienced.


    ¡°Guildmaster,¡± Ali said, using her title in front of the guild. ¡°I just wanted to let you know the shrine will probably be recharged enough to use again in a week.¡± Multiple sharp inhales around the room made her pause. Even she sensed their desperation, their hunger. ¡°Perhaps not for as big a group, but for any of the recruits that are ready by then. Just let me know if there are any emergency cases like Sabri who need it on short notice ¨C we can probably squeeze them in earlier if we need to.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Aliandra,¡± Vivian said, and then she turned and addressed the group again. ¡°You heard her, those of you who didn¡¯t make it will have another chance in a week. Focus hard on your training with Malika today and I¡¯ll evaluate you all over the week. For those of you who are team leaders and provisional leaders, I want you all to make time for Calen¡¯s lectures when he returns. That way your teams can be more like the successful Ahn Khen disciples and less like the mercenaries that got crushed. That is all.¡±


    The group immediately broke up into smaller groups and the guild hall filled with a busy commotion. It was really beginning to feel like a proper guild with so many people in it.


    Seth


    Seth lurked by the guild jobs board, keeping mostly to himself. There were a few people in the guild who accepted him ¨C his own team, the Guildmaster, and the administrator. Also, Aliandra and her team had been very kind to him. But the room was filled with strangers, and many of them eyed him warily. Especially after the accident with the zombie.


    He studied the jobs board, a little anxious to get out of the room and get some quiet and space. There were several jobs related to killing undead and clearing blight with the concoctions the herbalists and alchemists had come up with, but for those he would need his team, and they were taking a break for a day or two. Surprisingly, killing other undead was quite difficult for his class and abilities ¨C he had to forego his Volatile Wraith skill entirely, given that death magic typically healed zombies and skeletons.


    His eyes passed over a spider kill quest, an herb collection quest, and a few equipment purchase orders, not finding anything particularly exciting.


    In the background, he overheard Aliandra calling out, ¡°Hey Mato, while you¡¯re off foraging with Basil, I¡¯m looking for spiders. If you find any and can bring me their corpses, that would be very helpful.¡±


    ¡°Ok, no problem,¡± the large Beastkin answered, waving.


    The two of them had rescued him from the sewer and basically handed him a new life here at the guild. His eyes returned to the spider kill quest.


    He reached out and took it, turning to find Mieriel and let her know. It didn¡¯t pay well, but it was a job he could do solo, now that he had reached level fourteen ¨C and he could do it at night when nobody would bother him and his skeletons. Ever since he had started using the life drain of his volatile wraiths, he found he needed less and less sleep because of the rejuvenation effect they granted him.


    He sighed, wishing not for the first time that life had not turned out quite like this. At least his class let him work alone when he needed space ¨C such a big cloud had to have at least a little silver lining, right?


    Aliandra


    Ali left the busy guild hall by herself. Mato and Basil had headed off to go hunting some fire-affinity plants in the mountains, and Malika was still at the guild teaching combat training classes to the recruits.


    She was a little anxious about walking around town without her friends, given the target painted on her back by the criminal organizations, but she had two Kobolds and a level thirty Luminous Slime following her around, and she could sense her ¡®moss munchkins¡¯ ¨C as Mato had taken to calling the Moss Creepers ¨C lurking in the sewer below, in range of an emergency teleport in case things got out of hand.


    It was a bright and sunny day, and the town bustled with activity. Ali stopped at a street vendor, drawn by the aroma and sizzle of frying spiced meat. She purchased two skewers, storing one in her ring for later, and nibbled on the tasty snack as she continued onward through the market district.


    She turned a corner finding a busker sitting on the side of the street. A youthful-looking girl who had a sound-magic affinity, a small carpet, and a collection bowl. Curious, Ali stopped, still enjoying the tasty skewer.


    And then the girl began to sing.


    Ali stared, spellbound for the entire song. The girl sang several voices simultaneously; bass, alto, and soprano, and she even sang the flute accompaniment in a flawless concert. It was not just the sublime sound of her voices; Ali could the music flowing from her throat and chest in the vibrations and harmonies within the mana she wielded. A beautiful story of love lost, tragic despair, and then at the brink, a blossoming of unexpected new love.


    She found herself clapping without restraint at the conclusion of the song, and she was not the only one, a crowd had formed during the show without her noticing. Amid the cheers and excitement, Ali flew over and dropped a large silver piece in the collection bowl, thanking the girl for her performance.


    Eventually, Ali found herself on the familiar Artisan¡¯s Row, and just a few moments later she pushed open the door to Lydia¡¯s Allure, finding Lydia herself seated at the desk.


    ¡°Hi Aliandra,¡± she said, greeting her as she entered with her Kobolds. She left the slime outside just in case it would mess up the floor or brush against the clothing displays.


    ¡°Hi Lydia, I see you leveled up again,¡± Ali answered.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, a sad look flashing across her face before she replaced it with a smile. ¡°Though it¡¯s slowed down a lot. What can I do for you today?¡±


    ¡°I have a big favor to ask,¡± Ali said. Lydia¡¯s eyes lit up with just a hint of her previous curiosity and excitement. ¡°I need a bunch of robes with fire resistance enchantments made.¡±


    Her face instantly fell. ¡°I already told Calen I can¡¯t make them; he asked me the other day. I would have thought he told you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he did,¡± Ali said, retrieving the tailoring book from her ring. ¡°He took Ryn to Ciradyl, and she found this in the library for you. Well, she found the original in Elvish and I translated it.¡± She offered the book to Lydia.


    Lydia¡¯s eyes widened as she saw what Ali offered. ¡°This¡­ is this a book on Tailoring Enchantments?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Ali grinned. ¡°I just hope it has the right information for you to figure them out. Do you mind giving it a try?¡±


    ¡°You do know this is illegal, right?¡± Despite the tart response, Lydia snatched the book up, immediately opening it and reaching for some paper and a pencil. ¡°Let me copy the enchantment quickly so you can have your book back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your copy,¡± Ali said. ¡°I only need the fire resistance enchantment, but I do hope you find the rest of it helpful.¡±


    Lydia looked dumbstruck, pencil paused in mid-air, staring as if Ali had just conjured something unimaginable. Actually, given the iron grip the Guild of Tailors kept on information across the human kingdoms, producing a book on tailoring enchantments was probably more unexpected than her sprouting a second head. Hmm. Now she had lots of ideas, and some involved sending monstrous books to bite her enemies¡­


    ¡°This is way too valuable to just give away,¡± Lydia finally managed, holding it as if it might accidentally break or fly away.


    ¡°Just thank Calen. He¡¯s the one that earned a Pathfinder Guild membership and access to Ciradyl¡¯s library.¡± It certainly had been an enormous boost to her efforts to rebuild the library, and she was rather enjoying the surprise she had created for Lydia. ¡°Besides, this isn¡¯t giving away. It¡¯s passing a book to a friend.¡±


    After moving through a series of complex emotions Ali could not entirely follow, Lydia¡¯s face finally shifted back to her normal shrewd business-like expression and said, ¡°Like you had nothing to do with it. Thank you for this priceless gift ¨C I¡¯ll begin studying the fire enchantments immediately. I¡¯ll leave a message with Mieriel if I make any breakthroughs.¡±


    Ali smiled and said goodbye and Lydia immediately put up a ¡®closed for lunch¡¯ sign in the window as she left to head back.


    she thought with a smile.


    Mato


    It felt good to be on the move again, to be doing something instead of forever waiting. He was waiting for his friend to return from Ciradyl, he was waiting for Thuli to make his armor, he was waiting for the others to find fire resistance, it was an endless wait while the flame elementals and the Emberforge Mines simply sat there unchallenged.


    Mato desperately needed to something.


    Now that all the farms and farmers had been cleared of the blight, he had found himself to be a little bored. His aura was powerful, but up against the vastness of the entire blighted forest, it would be insignificant. Instead, the Guildmaster planned to build up the bronze-ranked adventurers and use the quest system to hunt abominations in the blighted forest and protect the farms that way. Once they tracked down the Blighted Patchwork Horrors, he might be useful again.


    He had spent quite a lot of the time studying within Lira¡¯s tree, or in his own Tree Form but, while it was productive, he still missed the rush of combat or even just the sense of being able to do something productive.


    He took a deep breath of fresh air. Basil led the way up the rocky pass far into the mountains above Myrin¡¯s Keep. The young herbalist reminded him a lot of Calen when they were younger ¨C shy and quiet. But he was exceptionally smart and knowledgeable about his plants, and the moment he got going on his passion, he had a lot to say.


    Right now, he was talking about fire resistance potions, and what plants were needed to make them. Mato listened, fascinated by the intricate ways in which the natural bounty of life and growth was crafted into something potent. He was not personally interested in crafting, but like any ecosystem, growth would lead to change, and the effects would ripple throughout the system. Once they found the proper plants, he would try and help Ali grow them in the dungeon, and the effects on the herbalist and alchemist crafters would be the direct result of their introduction of the new species.


    Basil had reached level fourteen already, but the hike would have still been impossible for him alone. Most of the monsters they encountered along the way Mato could scare off with a roar, but occasionally he had to fight off the more insistent ones, and even a level ten monster could quite easily kill someone like Basil who had a non-combat class.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re close,¡± Basil said, and indeed, Mato could feel the heat building through the rock beneath his feet.


    ¡°Up over that rise?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Basil said. ¡°At least, according to the directions Eliyen gave me.¡±


    Mato crested the rise and looked down into a small ravine. Waves of heat rose into the air, making it shimmer. It would be a rough descent down the steep, scree-covered slope, but they had certainly found their goal.


    ¡°It¡¯s called the Hellmouth,¡± Basil said, glancing at his notes. ¡°Or the Devil¡¯s Crack. Also, Fire Elemental¡¯s Picnic.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s colorful,¡± Mato grinned. ¡°I guess it depends on who you ask? This would be a great place to grill some meat skewers.¡± There was a deep fissure in the cliffside that glowed red with radiant heat. A slow viscous flow of lava seeped out of the fissure, pooling below at the base of the ravine before dripping over the far edge to somewhere unseen.


    ¡°Look, things are growing down there,¡± Basil exclaimed excitedly, clearly not picking up on the idea of pausing for a snack.


    Mato squinted his skill-enhanced eyes in the direction he pointed and saw some kind of climbing plant growing up the cliffs beside the radiating fissure, sporting red flowers. There was something else too, a kind of ground cover sprouting between the rocks beside the lava pool. ¡°Looks like we found the right place.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Basil answered.


    ¡°Grab on,¡± Mato said, switching to Bear Form and using his weight and strength to offer Basil something stable to hold on to for the climb down the ravine. They clambered over boulders, slipping occasionally on the loose jagged stone, but they made it to the bottom with only minor cuts and scrapes that were quickly healed by his regeneration aura.


    ¡°Look! Fire Grass!¡± Basil rushed forward to look at a clump of what seemed to be grass, either unaware or uncaring of the searing heat radiating from the lava pool. Immediately, he reached down to the plants, pulling out some tools to gather them.


    Mato ambled along behind, remaining close enough to ensure his regeneration aura would repair any of the burns he sustained. He sneezed energetically.


    The little scrubby plants were perfectly normal clumps of grass, aside from the fact that the blades were red and wreathed in dancing flame. Basil hissed as he got his fingers seared, but he was determined to dig up that clump.


    ¡°What do you use this for?¡± Mato asked, crouching down and examining the strange-looking grass. The flames seemed to dance endlessly without consuming the leaves.


    ¡°Well, you asked about fire resistance potions. This would be one of the more useful ingredients to have in large quantities. It¡¯s difficult to harvest because it burns¡­ ow!¡± He snatched his freshly blistered hand away, but he reached for it again. ¡°It only grows in areas with fire-affinity mana, so it¡¯s normally quite rare. As you can imagine, it doesn¡¯t keep long either, once removed from its native environment.¡±


    ¡°How do you normally harvest this stuff?¡± Mato asked, curious how the herbalists handled dangerous affinities.


    ¡°I brought health potions,¡± Basil answered.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ a way, I guess?¡± Mato said. He had expected something a little more¡­ sophisticated.


    As Basil dug around in the scorched earth, Mato redirected the damage from the flames to himself, earning a grateful glance. Basil worked quickly and soon had the clump of grass wrapped and stored.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to collect a few extra so that Eliyen can use whatever Ali doesn¡¯t need,¡± Basil said, hunting around for some more. ¡°Do you want to learn how to gather them?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Here, use this, it will help you learn the skill.¡± Basil retrieved a small silver trowel with a wooden handle and handed it to him.


    Novice¡¯s Gathering Trowel ¨C level 3


    +1 to Herb Gathering skill.


    Requirements: Wisdom 10


    Main Hand ¨C Gardening Tool


    Basil was a remarkably good instructor, confidently demonstrating and explaining what he was doing with simple and easy-to-understand concepts. When Mato made his first attempt, Basil corrected a few things and then let him collect as many as he could, while explaining other aspects of gathering, the history, and subtle details of the herbalist arts of collecting interesting and useful plants.


    When they finally had about twenty samples stored, Basil stopped. ¡°I want to see what that is growing up the cliff face.¡± He got up and scampered over to get a closer look while Mato finished up his gathering. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mato whipped his head around at the sound of a sudden scared yelp and saw Basil thrashing and grabbing at rocks while being dragged toward the lava by several vine-like tendrils.


    Mato roared, transforming into his Bear Form. Dropping the last clump of Fire Grass he had harvested, he charged into range, barely in time to redirect the damage from Basil as he fell into the lava pool with an agonized scream, saving him from a crispy death. The vines were connected to the plant growing up the cliff face, many of its tendrils extending below the surface of the lava. It was a thick, ropy-looking plant, with a reddish-brown bark-like texture, and all along the vine grew tiny flowers made entirely from flame.


    Way too late, Mato realized that the strange, blackened shapes wrapped up in the vines along the cliff face were the charred skeletal remains of several animals. He plunged his head into the lava, ignoring the surge of pain, and bit down hard on Basil¡¯s leg, redirecting the damage he inflicted back to himself along with the continuous use of Arboreal Sanctuary to keep Basil alive in the lava. His own health plummeted as he shouldered the damage for both of them. He growled his frustration and hauled as hard as he could. Even with his enormous strength, the Flame Lasher resisted with a surprising amount of power, but their tug-of-war ended in a great ripping sound as several of the attached vines split and tore. Basil shot up out of the lava with a sucking sound and landed on the rock with a yelp, clearly shocked to still be alive while slapping the remains of the vines and molten rock off his arms and legs.


    Blinded and nearly deafened by having dunked his head in the lava, Mato charged the Flame Lasher by memory, but he was immediately intercepted by a tentacle of lava lashing out of the pool and striking him heavily on the flank.


    He Identified the attack using his Survival Instinct.


    Another searing strike came for him, and he blocked reflexively, wincing as the scorching ooze seared his hide with the heavy impact. But the newcomer had not discouraged the Flame Lasher in the slightest, and Mato felt the rapid whipping strikes lashing at him from a distance.


    Blinded as he was, he knew the ranged attacks would be a problem, but he had to deal with the onslaught of fire damage from the ooze first. He roared, taunting both monsters to attack him, and not be distracted by the easier target Basil presented nearby. Then he burned some of his own health to power his Bestial Combat and struck at the amorphous blob of lava intent on eating him. The health cost was a risky move, but as soon as his claws ripped through the heavy, viscous body of the ooze, he felt the welcome surge of his Brutal Restoration kicking in and beginning to heal him.


    It was a bizarre and uniquely uncomfortable sensation to feel his eyes regrowing, but one he was unfortunately quite familiar with by now. He struck again and again, his attacks becoming more effective as first his hearing and then his eyesight returned.


    He blocked several whip strikes from the lasher ¨C scorched lines of burnt flesh and fur that he took across his shoulders ¨C and then swiped one more time at the ooze.


    ¡°On your left!¡± Basil yelled.


    Survival Instinct suddenly registered an attack from his direction. Mato ignored it, focusing on blocking the much more dangerous coiling limb from the large blob of animated lava in front of him. A small glass vial arced overhead and came down on the rock beside him, shattering in an explosion of ice and frost that leached the heat out of the environment rapidly. The cold bit into his hide damaging him, but the effect on the ooze was far more dramatic. It recoiled, parts of its body blackening and cracking.


    Seizing the opportunity, Mato powered his attack to the maximum and unleashed his retaliatory battle master strike. His claws shredded through the ooze, shattering the blackened pieces and tearing it almost in half, spraying chunks of rapidly congealing lava in all directions. It collapsed, splatting against the ground to the sound of a soft chime, and he whirled about and charged the Flame Lasher over by the rocky cliff, ignoring the whip strikes of its vines.


    Without its ally, and without the ability to move, the vine was a poor match for Mato¡¯s abilities. Swipe tore into the fire plant, ripping it from the cliff and shredding it until it ceased moving.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Mato asked as he reverted to his normal form.


    ¡°Frost bomb potion,¡± Basil answered. ¡°It¡¯s pretty weak, but I think the lava ooze was vulnerable to cold.¡±


    ¡°You just happened to have one with you?¡±


    ¡°No, I made it. I packed some things in case the fire was a problem.¡±


    ¡°It worked pretty well,¡± Mato said. For a non-combat class, Basil certainly had good instincts. Presumably from his practice with his bronze-rank adventurer group, fighting in Ali¡¯s sewer, and all the training Vivian had been investing in them.


    ¡°We should definitely collect this,¡± Basil said, bending down to examine the remains of the Flame Lasher, his voice filled with excitement and awe.


    ¡°That thing almost killed you, remember?¡± Basil had lost half his health while he had been taking care of the ooze and the lasher, but he just downed a health potion and remained close to Mato while studying the plant.


    ¡°These are incredibly rare fire plants,¡± Basil continued, more or less ignoring Mato in his excitement. ¡°They¡¯re impossible to cultivate and hard to find. Did you know their flowers can be used for some very powerful reagents and tinctures? The engineers and alchemists in town are going to love Ali if she can grow these. Eliyen too ¨C she will make a fortune refining the essences and reselling them to the crafters.¡± Then his mouth twisted into a wry smile, ¡°Well, she¡¯ll most likely make me do it, she doesn¡¯t like fire.¡±


    ¡°Ok, you collect those. I¡¯m going to regenerate our health.¡±


    Pausing briefly to store the corpse of the Lava Lurker, knowing Ali would probably like it, he shifted into his Tree Form, boosting his regeneration aura substantially. In the cool serenity, he ranged out with his plant senses, locating a couple more vines for them to collect and taking a moment to check his notifications.


    Herb Gathering ¨C level 1


    Mana: Your knowledge of botany and plants allows you to use your mana to properly harvest many plants for use in herbalism and alchemical potions. Skill increases the range of plants you can harvest, and the speed and quality of your work.


    Wisdom


    he thought, imagining rubbing his tummy in happy anticipation. All this jumping into lava sure made a Beastkin hungry.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 165: Her First Shield

    - Baldin Steelshaper,


    Aliandra


    ¡°What do you think? Will this work for your rogues?¡± Calen asked, hauling out several compact leather jackets with sturdy steel studs covering the shoulders and sides. They were heavy enough to thump as he laid them out on the table.


    Studded Jacket ¨C level 20


    Evasion: 192


    Resistance: 42


    +20 Vitality


    Requirements: Dexterity 56, Intelligence 14


    Body ¨C Leather/Steel


    Ali reached out and ran her fingertips over the closest jacket, studying the threading and the texture of the studs carefully. It seemed well-made, at least by her decidedly non-professional assessment. She was no crafter, but these must be better than anything she had ever given her rogues. The base structure of the jacket had been fashioned from a very dark brown leather that she couldn¡¯t immediately identify, but it seemed to be fairly pliable to her touch, and yet durable. The inside of the jacket had been fitted with cloth and padding to make it sit better on the body.


    ¡°It has an unusual distribution of requirements and defenses.¡± The back had even been notched with a v-shaped cutout so it would sit well on a kobold without restricting the freedom of its tail.


    ¡°That¡¯s why it took so long,¡± Calen said. ¡°I had to find a leatherworker capable of doing some non-standard customization. I had them reduce the intelligence requirement to what your rogues can wear, but that took the resistance down substantially. I just hope it¡¯s enough for the mines.¡± Calen¡¯s habit of noting every detail down in his book had come in handy yet again ¨C the rogues that were high enough level to wear the armor, and had fifteen or sixteen intelligence, just barely made the requirement that had been custom crafted.


    ¡°I think they¡¯re fantastic,¡± Ali said, chuckling to herself at the memory of the first outfit he had asked his mother to make for her, and how badly he had messed up the measurements. It didn¡¯t take a Tailor to tell that these jackets would fit her kobolds perfectly. Pulsing her mana through her fingers, she deconstructed each one carefully. Ever since she had caused Lydia¡¯s class to level up by learning one of her items, Ali had ceased to feel guilty about destroying a crafter¡¯s signed work to commit it to her Grimoire.


    Whoever the elven leatherworker was, she hoped the sudden influx of experience gained from her learning to make the Studded Jacket helped them grow.


    ¡°Is yours the same?¡± Ali asked, noticing that Calen was wearing a new jacket of a very similar design.


    ¡°Yup. I needed less customization to the resistance and evasion because I have high enough intelligence and dexterity to wear conventional hybrid gear. It results in a more efficient defensive stat spread. See for yourself,¡± he answered, showing her his jacket by striking a hilariously exaggerated pose.


    Studded Jacket ¨C level 40


    Evasion: 336


    Resistance: 336


    +30 Vitality


    +24 Strength


    Requirements: Dexterity 80, Intelligence 80.


    Body ¨C Leather/Steel


    ¡°That¡¯s decent! Did you keep this leatherworker¡¯s details?¡± Ali asked, chuckling at his antics. ¡°I might want this variant if I can find some higher-level rogues.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she has a shop in the second tree, twelfth level in Ciradyl,¡± Calen offered, giving more detail than strictly necessary.


    ¡°Sweet. Maybe when Mato comes back, we can go see if Thuli is done with his plate armor and then we can try fighting those Shards of Flame again?¡± It would be nice to finally push the Emberforge Mines domain back just a little so she could stop having to worry about dungeon-rage striking at random times. Ali couldn¡¯t wait to see what effect some decent fire resistance gear had on their survivability in the scorching domain fighting against a fire elemental ¨C it was proving to be a real chore to craft all the pieces.


    ¡°That sounds good,¡± Malika called out from her cross-legged meditation pose in the middle of the poison cloud runic circle.


    ¡°What is she doing?¡± Calen whispered.


    ¡°Training,¡± Ali said, matching his conspiratorial tone. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if Rezan was messing with her or if it¡¯s a real training technique, but she said she wanted to study magical damage.¡±


    ¡°You know I can hear you guys whispering over there?¡± Malika said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Calen said.


    Ali had been happy to help Malika learn to read the Nine Paths and to make the runic circle, but it had made her a little sad that all her friends had formal mentorship enchantments with very powerful and accomplished people, and she did not.


    The fundamental magical enchantment for mentorship was based on the patron-tithe system, similar to mana signatures, which meant that both people were influenced by the relationship. Most people would probably be terrified about being contaminated with her mana and traits. Even the idea of finding a benevolent dungeon to mentor her was just plain crazy.


    ***


    Ali sat with Malika on the couch in the guild hall, waiting for Calen to organize his class schedule with Mieriel when Mato and Basil returned. The guild hall was much quieter than she remembered, and Mato and Basil¡¯s excited chatter caught the attention of almost everyone.


    ¡°We found something cool!¡± Mato declared, coming up to join them on the couch.


    ¡°More like the opposite of cool. Hot. Very hot! Here, take a look at this,¡± Basil said, excitedly producing a clump of bright red grass that was literally on fire. There was a sizzling sound and the sudden smell of burnt skin and he snatched his fingers away, dropping his prize.


    ¡°Oi, we don¡¯t need to burn the guild hall down! Take it into the workshop,¡± Mieriel yelled. ¡°I had to clean zombie guts off the carpet once already this week. I don¡¯t want to have to replace it because you burnt it.¡± Everyone froze at the outburst. With the usually calm Mieriel laying down the law, they all hopped up off the couches and fled to the workshop.


    As soon as they entered the stark, empty room, Basil and Mato proceeded to lay out their haul on the stone floor where nothing would be damaged.


    ¡°What  that?¡± Ali stared at the strange pile of jumbled reddish-brown vines and broken petals, along with what looked like bloodstains and something that might even be thorns.


    ¡°It very nearly ate Basil,¡± Mato chuckled, his jovial light tone clashing with the horrifying content of his statement.


    ¡°Ate?¡± Ali was aghast. She hurriedly examined Basil, but all the usual parts seemed to still be attached.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Basil confirmed, nodding his head vigorously. ¡°It¡¯s a carnivorous vine or creeper that tried to eat me! It managed to dunk me in the lava. How cool is that?¡±


    ¡°Not cool,¡± Mato said. ¡°Hot, remember.¡±


    ¡°Mato! You were supposed to look after him!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s alive, isn¡¯t he?¡± Mato said, cocking an eyebrow at her. Both he and Basil burst into raucous hoots of laughter.


    ¡°Boys,¡± Ali muttered, rolling her eyes and giving an exasperated sigh before turning to the mess lying on the floor. ¡°Hmm. Let¡¯s see what we have here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very rare. It grows gorgeous hand-sized flowers of the purest fire-affinity mana,¡± Basil explained, his tone turning more serious, but his eyes still sparkled with excitement. ¡°They¡¯re seriously beautiful, but we could only find these four. I really hope that you can grow them because we can make some amazing stuff with those flowers.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t promise anything, but I¡¯ll try,¡± she said. Basil was certainly quite animated describing the vine that had almost eaten him, so she decided to forgive him for being a boy and deconstructed each of the vine plants. Her forgiveness wasn¡¯t in any way influenced by his description of how pretty the flowers were. Not at all.


    When the third plant did not give any notification, she concluded that her Grimoire had, in its rather arbitrary categorization, decided to make them an entirely new chapter, but as soon as the fourth one dispersed to her magic, she felt the familiar pressure and the notification as her Grimoire began to inscribe the imprint.


    ¡°I got it!¡±


    ¡°It probably needs to be planted near some fire mana,¡± Basil said. ¡°They¡¯re quite impossible to cultivate because they¡¯re very sensitive to their environment.¡±


    ¡°Also, they try to eat anyone who comes close,¡± Mato observed.


    Malika snickered, ¡°Like you and anything that comes in a pot, right?¡±


    ¡°I have my beautiful figure to preserve.¡±


    ¡°You two bicker like an old married couple,¡± Calen observed slyly.


    ¡°How about we plant these down in the mine, after we take over some of the space?¡± Ali asked, wondering how she might achieve the right growing conditions. ¡°It will be hard for Basil to survive down there, though,¡± she mused, wondering how he had survived a lava bath before realizing that Mato must have saved him from being fried. ¡°We would need to escort him past the jungle monsters, and I don¡¯t know if he can survive that fire mana.¡±


    ¡°Basil taught me the Herb Gathering general skill,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s handy,¡± Ali said. It certainly solved the problem for now ¨C and perhaps Basil could take care of it after he leveled up a bit more.


    ¡°You could also try growing a big patch of this Fire Grass and plant the vines beside it,¡± Basil suggested, pointing to the clumps of still-burning grass.


    ¡°Huh, would that work?¡± Mato grunted.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Ali said. Her domain plants emitted their mana affinity into the area around them, so she could ¨C at least in theory ¨C create a compact fire-affinity zone that might be ideal for these plants. She quickly deconstructed the grass clumps until she heard the notification and let Basil collect the rest to give to Eliyen.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see if Thuli is done and then go down and try the mines,¡± Ali said, even more excited to explore now that she had two new imprint variants and the new leather jackets Calen had commissioned for her rogues.


    ¡°Oh, Aliandra,¡± Mieriel called out, catching her attention as they headed for the door. ¡°If you¡¯re off to the blacksmith, could you take Sabri and introduce her to Thuli? Vivian said she needs some equipment.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ali said, beckoning for the shy Ahn Khen girl to join them. Sabri shot over as if she had been released from a catapult. Ali frowned. Did she need permission to join in? Was that cultural? She might have a word with Malika about that.


    Kav¨¦


    Kav¨¦ stood quietly behind the counter, listening carefully as Thuli conducted business with Aliandra and her group. She counted them as some of her only friends in this town, but she wasn¡¯t about to interrupt Thuli¡¯s business. Besides, he had asked her to watch and learn, and so she did.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the new lass?¡± Thuli asked, pointing to the unfamiliar girl wholly absorbed with the wall display of her master¡¯s finest shields. He refused to let her call him master, so she didn¡¯t ¨C out loud ¨C but he was the master, and she was the apprentice, as was proper. She had been remarkably fortunate to have run into Ali and Thuli, without whom she would have likely been begging for scraps on the streets with an undeveloped class. Especially with how most humans viewed Dragonkin.


    ¡°That¡¯s Sabri. She¡¯s a new member of the Adventurers Guild ¨C uh, and of the Ahn Khen people like Malika. She got her class yesterday and needs some armor. She doesn¡¯t have much money yet and she hates handouts. Is there anything you can do for her?¡± Aliandra said, coloring as she realized her prattling had revealed several truths Sabri might have preferred to keep private.


    Kav¨¦¡¯s ears perked up, curious to see how Thuli would choose to handle this situation, knowing he would ask her about it later. He always expected her to have an opinion.


    ¡°Hmm, I admire that spirit,¡± he said, running his hand over his large beard as he did when he was thinking. She had no idea how he had never burned it off working the forge, but he was quite proud of it. ¡°I have an idea.¡± And then to her surprise, he turned to her and said, ¡°Kav¨¦, yer first job. Go get her!¡±


    Before her brain even caught up with her, she scrambled off to invite the novice, who was only a level three warrior, to join them.


    ¡°Let me give you a few tips on reading customers,¡± Thuli said, when she returned with the girl in tow, addressing her as if the others weren¡¯t listening in. ¡°What do you think her role is in the adventurer team?¡±


    ¡°This one hasn¡¯t asked,¡± Kav¨¦ answered, not quite understanding what he was getting at.


    ¡°What kind of class comes into the blacksmith shop and swoons over the big shields?¡± Thuli rumbled, a broad grin cracking his face at the blatant hint.


    ¡°Oh. She is a tank?¡± Kav¨¦ glanced at the girl once again, taking in the leather armor with the perfectly concentric hole right through the center of her chest and a matching one out the back. She didn¡¯t exactly look like a tank, but she had definitely been smitten by Thuli¡¯s best shields.


    ¡°As a blacksmith, yer bread and butter will be swords and daggers,¡± Thuli continued. ¡°Everyone wants a sword or a dagger. Yer chores will be making arrows or chainmail because they¡¯re a lot of work. But yer best work and materials should always be reserved for the tank.¡±


    ¡°May this one know why?¡±


    ¡°The tank gets hit a lot. It may be educational to watch a serious fight,¡± Thuli said. ¡°Adventurer groups are organized around having all the monsters hit the tank and everyone else shoots or stabs the monsters. This means that the armor sets worn by any other class will only occasionally be needed ta keep them alive, usually when things are going poorly. Mostly they will care about the enchantments buffing their attributes. But the tank will try to take every hit, only surviving because of excellent equipment and the skills ta use it. The rest of the team relies on that ta survive. When ya make a good tank breastplate or shield, yer skills are not just protecting the tank ¨C every member of the team is effectively hiding behind those pieces.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your wisdom. This one begins to understand,¡± Kav¨¦ answered. It made a lot of sense when he put it that way, just based on how much each piece was used, the tank would be routinely hit way more than any other member of the team.


    ¡°If ya wish to grow and gain experience, form a relationship with a good tank, and make them the best shield ya can forge. The shield is where most of the blacksmith¡¯s experience comes from ¨C remember, that shield is protecting the whole group. Sure, a rogue¡¯s daggers see a lot of action and can be a good investment, but the tank will do more, and more often, with the shield. Yer second priority is the tank¡¯s breastplate.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Kav¨¦ said, nodding excitedly. It was turning out to be a rather important lesson for her, important enough that she didn¡¯t mind having to have it in front of everyone.


    But then he surprised her again.


    ¡°Ok, measure young Sabri here. You will craft her first steel shield and breastplate. Keep it simple, match the lass¡¯s level, and practice yer Fireforged Steel technique. Don¡¯t forget what I said about the importance of the shield ¨C she will be putting her life and the lives of her team in yer hands. Nothing but yer best work, hear me?¡±


    Kav¨¦ glanced down at her hands, turning them over once. ¡°Yes, m¨C Thuli.¡±


    Thuli turned to Sabri and said, ¡°I will inspect the pieces, but my apprentice is quite skilled, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re going to be very happy with her work.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t pay for something that good,¡± Sabri said, embarrassment leaking from her voice and even her posture.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, lassie. Yer Guildmaster and I have an arrangement. I give good discounts ta anyone that isn¡¯t at least bronze rank in exchange for being the guild-recommended blacksmith. The guild will also pay me up front and let ya pay off the cost of the items when ya take quests later. It¡¯s a pretty good deal if I say so myself. Yer Guildmaster is a sharp lass, prioritizing safety even for those who haven¡¯t got enough levels to earn their keep yet.¡±


    Sabri bobbed her head. ¡°I¡­ see.¡±


    Thuli clapped the girl on the shoulder, his heavy hand making a surprisingly solid connection ¨C and the girl barely flinched. Not unimpressive. ¡°Besides, you¡¯ll be back when you grow.¡±


    Heart racing, Kav¨¦ quickly measured Sabri and then fled to the forge to begin her work, leaving them to their discussions and business ¨C which seemed to involve a great deal more Lesser Essences of Flame and the challenging shapeshifter piece Thuli had been sweating over for the last few days.


    She drew the steel into the forge with her magic, shaping and restructuring it while she added the appropriate quantities of each component, just as Thuli had taught her. Trace ingredients, ores, and reagents that must be blended at the perfect temperature and time to produce the strongest alloy. As she fell into the familiar zone of shaping the molten steel with her magic, skills, and hammer, her anxiety fell away, and she touched the pure joy of creating. She worked quickly, but every strike was practiced, every application of her skill purified the metal, shaped it to her will as the breastplate and shield slowly took form on her anvil.


    When she finally pulled them out of the quenching trough and polished them with a quick pulse of her steel magic her breath caught in her throat. She knew. She studied the gleaming pieces, but they were perfect ¨C the best she had ever crafted. She glanced up, realizing that Sabri had found a perch nearby and had been watching her work the entire time. Gesturing for the girl to follow, she made her way to where Thuli was engrossed in a conversation with Aliandra and the others.


    ¡°Master,¡± she said, placing her work on the table before him, forgetting in the moment that he had forbidden her from calling him that. She wiped the sweat off her brow, eagerly awaiting his reaction.


    He glanced at the pieces and then stared openly at her. ¡°Kav¨¦! Your first masterwork pieces, well done!¡± He slapped her heavily on the shoulder making her stumble, forgetting his true strength for a moment. ¡°Och, sorry lass. Now watch carefully,¡± he said. Picking up a random dagger from a box, he channeled his mana into the piece, signing it. It was a process she could see simply by how it affected the metal itself, and she had watched him do it many times.


    ¡°Now, you sign yer pieces,¡± Thuli said.


    ¡°But this one is still an apprentice and only level seventeen?¡± Kav¨¦ exclaimed in surprise. Apprentices never got to sign their work. If it was good enough to sell, the master would always sign it. Only when she had graduated to at least journeyman rank would she be allowed to place her mana signature on her work. It was simply unheard of for a level seventeen blacksmith to be doing such a thing.


    ¡°Poppycock. I don¡¯t believe in that nonsense,¡± Thuli declared, gesticulating widely with a hand. ¡°Ya made a masterwork piece. Two even. Ya deserve the experience earned by putting your signature on it. It would be wasted on me at that level. I would rather have ya level up faster so ya can learn how to make more advanced items. Those other blacksmiths are just slowing their apprentices down for their stupid pride.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± she said, bowing low. She could scarcely believe her ears.


    ¡°None o¡¯ that master stuff,¡± he said gently. ¡°Now give it a try.¡±


    With a trembling hand, she placed her mana into both the shield and the breastplate, signing them, the process itself proving to be simpler than she expected. Then, she helped Sabri into the breastplate and shield, finding that the girl¡¯s unrestrained excitement was infectious. Before she knew it, she was grinning just as broadly.


    Steel Chestplate ¨C level 3


    Armor: 43


    Requirements: Strength 11


    Quality: Masterwork


    Body ¨C Fireforged Steel


    Steel Round Shield ¨C level 3


    Armor: 21


    Block Chance: +15% (


    Requirements: Strength 11


    Quality: Masterwork


    Off Hand ¨C Shield ¨C Fireforged Steel


    Mato


    Mato had enjoyed watching Thuli teaching his apprentice how to identify adventurers. His insight into the relative value of good equipment would stand Kav¨¦ in good stead as she advanced her blacksmithing skills. She would of course need a more nuanced approach as she grew so that she could recognize other styles of tanking, such as his own. He blocked with his shoulders, paws, and weight, using his superior strength to break the momentum of his attackers, and so he had never been interested in a shield. But he certainly empathized with Sabri¡¯s wide-eyed wonder as she had studied the heavy, well-crafted gear on display. There was a sense of security that came from having the substantial weight of steel between your flesh and the claws of a monster. Sabri was just starting out and had a lot to learn, but she could hardly go wrong with someone as skilled as Thuli looking after her equipment.


    As soon as Kav¨¦ had rushed breathless and excited into the forge, Thuli turned and summoned a massive construction of articulated steel, dumping it on the table with a thud that shook the foundation of the smithy.


    Mato¡¯s eyes widened as he took in the heavy plate bands burnished to a dark, gleaming reddish shine. ¡°Is that¡­?¡±


    ¡°Aye, laddie. Yer armor is ready!¡±


    ¡°YES!!¡± he roared, identifying it at once.


    Banded Plate Armor of Fire Resistance ¨C level 40


    Armor: 336


    Resistance: 336


    +31 Endurance


    +25% to resistance against Fire damage


    Mana: Shapeshift


    Requirements: Shapeshifter, Strength 80, Wisdom 80


    Body ¨C Fireforged Steel


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± He had been waiting for so long, and now it was done, which meant they could finally try a rematch with those Shards of Flame. ¡°Looks¡­ heavy,¡± he said, suddenly finding his tongue struggling to find words adequate to match the beauty of the armor set resting there.


    ¡°But yer so strong,¡± Thuli growled, making it sound like ¡®you¡¯d better be.¡¯


    Mato reached out to get a sense for the weight, solidity, and the perfect finish ¨C and perhaps to reassure himself that it was real.


    ¡°Impressive, isn¡¯t it, lassie?¡± Thuli said. Mato glanced over to find Sabri staring, just as wide-eyed as he was. ¡°Level up a little and I¡¯ll make ya one of yer own.¡±


    Mato chuckled to himself; if she was this fascinated with heavy plate armor already, there was no doubt she had picked the right class.


    ¡°Let me help ya try this on, lad,¡± Thuli said, lugging the giant armor over with one heavily muscled arm.


    It took a lot of hefting, shifting, tightening, and adjusting of straps. Thuli even tried to apply the universal lubrication of several choice dwarven swearwords before he stopped and frowned. ¡°Ach, gonna take a little percussive persuasion,¡± he declared, producing an enormous steel hammer twice the size of Mato¡¯s head.


    ¡°Hey, what are¡­¡± Mato said, drawing back a little.


    ¡°Hold still laddie, this shouldn¡¯t hurt ¨C¡± Thuli said, and before Mato could blink, he heard several loud clangs and the armor slipped firmly into place ¡°¨C much.¡±


    ¡°Oof,¡± Mato announced.


    Sabri had the cheek to be giggling behind her hand and bouncing on her toes. He wagged a finger in her direction. ¡°Just you wait.¡±


    ¡°I made the fastenings from Fire Drake leather, so it shouldn¡¯t burn even if ya get dunked in lava,¡± Thuli chuckled meantime. ¡°Go on and give ¡®er a spin.¡±


    Mato shifted to his Bear Form, feeding the required mana into the armor, and it stretched, expanding with his growing chest, wrapping around the upper part of his shoulders and going all around to protect his ribs and belly. He took a few paces, finding the smithy suddenly a lot smaller. He swung his paws a few times to get the feel of it without endangering the spectators. It was a fair bit heavier than his old armor, but on the other hand, he had quite a lot more strength now, and it felt quite easy to move around. Thuli¡¯s articulated plate bands glided across each other, adjusting perfectly to every twitch of his muscles.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect,¡± he said, shifting back to his normal form. ¡°And the resistance is exactly what I need.¡±


    ¡°Why would you want resistance instead of armor?¡±


    Mato glanced down at the intently curious Sabri. ¡°The monsters down in the mines are fire elementals, and they do lots of fire damage. More fire than physical.¡±


    ¡°You commissioned a custom armor made just for fighting fire elementals?¡± Sabri asked breathlessly, seeming rather more impressed than incredulous.


    ¡°Yup, it¡¯s totally worth it,¡± he answered, realizing now why Malika and the Guildmaster had both been excited for them to bring Sabri along for their armor fitting. Without realizing it, she was already absorbing the importance of proper gearing. ¡°It¡¯s also better overall than what I had before, so I¡¯ll use it in other situations as well, unless I need something specific again. It really helps, if possible, to study and understand the monsters or foes you¡¯ll be up against beforehand. Calen¡¯s especially good at that, you should ask him for some tips.¡± S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I will,¡± she said, all seriousness now.


    Then it was her turn, and Mato simply sat back enjoying how excited she was to receive her first level-three plate armor and shield. He glanced back at Thuli, about to make a joke, but he held his tongue at the sight of the gruff dwarf wiping something from his eye.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 166: The Dungeon’s Flames

    Aliandra ¡°Is it just me, or is this getting a little easier?¡± Ali asked. It took only half an hour to fight through the denizens of the jungle to the entrance of the Emberforge Mines, but she was already sweaty, and her Tailored Cotton Clothing was drenched.


    ¡°There are fewer monsters,¡± Calen observed. Either their earlier efforts had had a lasting impact, or the presence of Ali¡¯s new boss, and the constant stream of fire elementals spewing forth from the dungeon, was thinning out the monster population.


    As Ali¡¯s minions, barriers, and runic circles came into view in front of the tunnel of dense rock, she had her answer. Strewn across the blackened and scorched ground fanning out from the entrance were the corpses of dozens of elementals; Shards of Flame, Coruscant Rays, Glimmer Shards, and even the occasional Radiant Brawler. The blackened and charred heaps of two Forest Guardians spoke to the sheer power of the fire magic used against a vulnerable monster.


    Out amid the fissures of molten rock that radiated from the entrance, her goblins and kobolds were fighting. A mob of summoned goblins hooted and hollered from behind the strategic barrier emplacements Ali had created, slinging stones or firing arrows ¨C although a far larger number of them lay burnt and smoking among the corpses. The battered Hobgoblin stood front-and-center tanking a blazing Shard of Flame while the archers and mages shot it from afar.


    ¡°That Hob is doing an impressive job,¡± Mato marveled.


    Ali connected to the senses of her Hobgoblin boss and the two Storm Shaman minions using Martial Insight, getting a sudden front-row seat to a battle with a raging monster of flame. Her Hob barked orders, sharp and staccato. The shamans both fired their lightning magic, flanking the elemental using a simple but effective group strategy. Directly connected with the boss, Ali felt the surge of mana and saw the reaction from her domain. A fresh level-three goblin Skirmisher appeared out in the open, only to immediately eat a Firebolt from a radial volley and collapse with a scorching hole through its chest. Mana surged again, and again in quick succession, producing two more low-level goblins and a mid-range archer before the Hobgoblin bottomed out her nearly empty mana pool and stopped summoning.


    ¡°It¡¯s running on empty,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Decent strategy, I think,¡± Calen said. ¡°Summon as many monsters as possible and then just top them up as mana regenerates.¡±


    ¡°Seems like it,¡± she answered. It made even more sense with the cumulative bonuses they all received for having a bigger group.


    The Hobgoblin snapped an order and the goblin hunters in the back fired arrows. The kobold archers took their cue, just a few moments delayed. The intense heat from the Shard of Flame billowed outward, scorching her red goblin skin, and Ali had to catch herself from flinching back, mentally reminding herself that it was her minion¡¯s senses, not her own body. It was a good thing indeed that these monsters were just constructs of her mana.


    Calen¡¯s arrows of pure light began to whip past her shaman¡¯s ears, slamming into the elemental with pinpoint accuracy. A roar told her Mato had joined in, and then Malika was there too. It didn¡¯t take long to burn it down.


    Ever since she had learned that she could level her skills remotely with her boss, Ali had been spending lots of time observing the fights with Martial Insight. Already she could feel an intuitive understanding of the Hobgoblin¡¯s group fighting tactics and she was beginning to unravel some of the nuances of how they used timing and flanking.


    ¡°Good work,¡± Calen said as the noise of battle faded and the Hobgoblin returned to a restful vigil back behind the barriers.


    Ali scanned through the minions and then directed her Hobgoblin to stand in the Inspiration circle and recover her mana quicker.


    The battlefield was a disaster zone, but it had not grown to encroach further into the jungle since she had placed her boss here to guard it. But now she needed to change strategies. She had new armor for the shamans and she would not be able to enter the mine with minions that were constrained to her domain.


    ¡°I need a few minutes to prepare,¡± Ali said, considering her options. First, she deconstructed most of the corpses in the area.


    Her Grimoire continued to flicker with updated runic fragments for several other variants as she deconstructed the corpses. Malika followed her around, collecting the Lesser Essence of Flame, and then settled near the entrance of the tunnel just within the fire domain to meditate, the pulses of her healing magic flickering with consistent regularity as she burned.


    ¡°Maniac,¡± Mato muttered, observing her.


    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk,¡± Calen chuckled.


    When they had tried to enter the mine last time, the sheer amount of fire damage from the domain itself likely meant that none of her lower-level minions would survive. First, though, she needed mana. Quickly she unsummoned all the extra monsters in the area other than her Hobgoblin boss and her assigned minions, grimacing at how little that freed up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much mana,¡± Ali said. She had no idea how to remove monsters from her domain, other than unsummoning them, but she was certain other dungeons simply rescinded their mana reservations, ejecting them as a dungeon-break ¨C which she was not comfortable doing. ¡°What do you think I should make?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose having the boss summon a horde for us would work?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°Too low-level,¡± Ali said. ¡°They¡¯ll just die in there.¡±


    ¡°Do you have anything with ice magic?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Fire resistance?¡±


    ¡°Just the kobolds,¡± Ali said. ¡°I think they¡¯re the best choice. That and a few goblins, perhaps?¡± She glanced at her Hobgoblin boss and then began to summon.


    Her new Hobgoblin had a more angular face and some impressive scars across his chest. Without the potent buffs from her domain and only the three shamans, he was unlikely to be nearly as effective, but Ali didn¡¯t have a lot of options. At least Thuli had finished the chainmail shirts she had commissioned. Ali wielded her Grimoire and created three sets, much to the shamans¡¯ delight.


    Chain Shirt of Fire Resistance ¨C level 18


    Armor: 151


    Resistance: 151


    +19 Endurance


    +17% to resistance against Fire damage


    Requirements: Strength 36, Wisdom 36


    Body ¨C Chainmail ¨C Fireforged Steel


    ¡°Thuli did a great job with those,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali agreed. Granted it had taken a lot of essences, but it seemed they had a large supply now, if what Malika had just picked up was anything to go by. Also, Mato looked amazingly scary in his Bear Form with the banded plate armor.


    Ali turned the pages and began summoning kobolds.


    She fed the extra mana into her customization, encouraging her magic to create both the archers and rogues with the Studded Jackets Calen had commissioned in Ciradyl. She only had to fix two incorrect summons, and that was only because her Grimoire made kobolds below level twenty twice ¨C the minimum level to wear the armor.


    ¡°I just hope the mages and Acolytes don¡¯t get hit too much,¡± Ali said. Each of them sported a duplicate of Lydia¡¯s work providing general magic resistance in addition to their natural racial resistance to fire, but they all had lower health totals which wouldn¡¯t help.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have some interesting slimes?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°I do, what are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s test them out. Those steam slimes might be resistant to heat,¡± he said.


    ¡°Good idea,¡± Ali answered. ¡°I have water too, maybe that works against fire¡­¡±


    Without the benefit of wearing armor, she wasn¡¯t quite certain if they would be able to survive ¨C although they did have a higher attribute progression than the kobolds or the goblins. As to whether fifteen points per level would make enough of a difference, Ali wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m ready,¡± she announced.


    ¡°You¡¯re keeping the boss?¡± Malika asked, getting up and joining them.


    ¡°It¡¯s a nice backup plan in case we have to run,¡± Ali admitted.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go try to pull them out one at a time,¡± Calen said. ¡°Wait here.¡±


    He vanished from all Ali¡¯s senses, even the slimes. He had explained it to her before ¨C he was using the combination of two stealth skills ¨C one that cloaked his image from vision, and one that cloaked his movement, sound, and tracks. Without any sound, her slimes couldn¡¯t see him, and he was careful to not use much mana. In fact, he was just about as difficult to detect as the fire assassin illusionist who had been sent to kill her.


    Before she knew it, Calen was sprinting back out of the cavern, steam rising from his body in clouds and his skin blistered and reddened by the fire within. Hot on his heels was a burning angry shape, blasting a constant stream of firebolts while he dodged rapidly back and forth.


    ¡°¡± she instructed, and her Acolytes sprang into action. With their Healer¡¯s Sight, she could tell just how much damage he had taken in just the few minutes he had been gone ¨C even with his brand-new jacket improving his resistances. All her minions waited at the ready behind the barriers.


    Mato roared and charged in, taking the role of tank. Malika joined him in a flash.


    ¡°¡± Ali instructed, and her hob, shamans, and rogues all sprinted into the fire, but Ali kept her Hobgoblin boss back for now. Immediately her Acolytes reacted by pumping out heals, but to her relief, they didn¡¯t instantly go for their Devotion powerup skill. Carefully, she studied the fight.


    Beyond the fire aura, her ranged minions were only taking occasional blasts of firebolts, but inside, everyone was burning. Surprisingly, Mato needed no additional healing ¨C the combination of his brand-new armor and his own Brutal Restoration was keeping him comfortably topped up. She could even tell whenever he used his potent Bestial Combat support skill because his health dipped each time he used it, slowly recovering over time afterward. Her shamans and rogues needed constant healing though, even with their new armor, and Malika and her Hobgoblin were taking far more damage than everyone else ¨C neither wearing any fire resistance gear.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen enough,¡± Ali said. ¡°¡±


    ¡°Yes mistress,¡± her boss said, and instantly the domain mana around her surged as she began summoning goblins to throw into the fray.


    Against their preparation and numbers, the Shard of Flame fell quickly.


    ¡°How¡¯s it look?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s ok,¡± Ali said. ¡°We need to check with the domain mana adding damage. The Hobgoblin and Malika are taking a lot of damage, and it will be worse in that furnace down there.¡±


    ¡°I can heal myself,¡± Malika said. ¡°And I can look out for the goblin.¡±


    ¡°¡± Ali told her nearest Acolyte as Calen prepared to enter the tunnel once more. Knowing her minions¡¯ abilities had drastically improved her ability to optimize her forces. Restoration healed over time, and it was perfect for loading him up with a buff that would keep him safe while he was hunting for their next target. At least for the first thirty seconds.


    They kept at it for about an hour, Calen pulling the elementals out of the cave beyond the tunnel one at a time for them to kill in the safer environment of the jungle itself. After each one was killed, she deconstructed it for mana and Malika collected the occasional essences they dropped.


    ¡°Resistance definitely made that easier. Mato, your armor is fantastic,¡± Malika said as they took a short break once Calen declared the cavern cleared.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Ali said. While the fights required constant healing, her minions were never in any real danger ¨C and Mato¡¯s health barely budged at all.


    ¡°Yes, Thuli did great with this,¡± Mato said, grinning broadly.


    ¡°I wish I could wear resistance,¡± Malika complained. And it was true that her health had been the most volatile, but she had her own healing to help mitigate the issue, and with only two to worry about; Malika and the Hobgoblin, Ali was far less worried about the sheer amount of damage they had experienced the first time.


    ¡°Time to go in?¡± Mato was as eager as ever to get going, but Ali had to admit she was enjoying the challenge of managing her minions in battle once again.


    The dungeon¡¯s domain had receded from the jungle, leaving just the powerful heat of ambient unbound fire mana leaking from the fissures and the tunnel entrance, but as they made their way through, the heat began to grow until it was radiating off the very rock walls. All her sweat vanished, and her skin slowly began to redden from the scalding air. As soon as she stepped across the threshold, and into the now-deserted cavern, everyone caught fire from the raw intensity of the dungeon¡¯s domain mana.


    This was why she had made four Acolytes, and they immediately busied themselves loading up everyone with a Restoration that would heal them for thirty seconds before needing to be refreshed. She didn¡¯t exactly need all four to do this job, but if they were going to fight too, they would probably need the extra healing, and the ability to take turns recovering their mana. It wasn¡¯t like the dungeon was going to give them a break.


    The cavern itself appeared devoid of life, barren and scalding hot. Fissures ran through the rocky floor and walls, leaking lava in pools and rivulets that had to be avoided as they walked. It was wide, with a lowish roof of jagged protruding stone, marked up with scrapes and gouges, the legacy of the ancient miners who had excavated this place, tracking veins of ore or carts of gems and valuable stone. The lava and the ruddy glow lent a soft ambient light, hot enough to cause heat shimmers to ripple through the air.


    ¡°This is uncomfortable,¡± Mato observed, coughing a little.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to even breathe,¡± Malika agreed.


    ¡°That¡¯s because your lungs are burning,¡± Calen unhelpfully pointed out.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a pleasant thought,¡± Ali said sarcastically. It was certainly a good thing they had abundant healing magic. ¡°Where do we go?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s another tunnel back there,¡± Calen pointed toward the shadowed section at the back of the cavern.


    The tunnel was broad and wound its way ever downward, the walls and floors bearing the marks of the ancient miners as it meandered, following whatever vein of ore they had harvested. Sections of the tunnel were remarkably smooth, as if someone had suddenly decided to employ a designer instead of a pickaxe ¨C clear signs of the work of earth mages. But the tunnels carried the weight of ages. Half melted rubble and slag piled up in all the nooks and crevices, deeper than her waist in some places. Many of the side passages had caved in or been eroded away by the slowly dripping lava that seeped from the ever-present fissures in the rock.


    It had been so long since she had taken this passage, and even that had been only one time, that she simply had no recollection of it. Besides that, it now flowed with rivulets of lava which were only present because of the dungeon¡¯s mana. As they carefully picked their way around the treacherous footing, she was ironically reminded of her own sewer with its brick tunnels and flowing sewer water ¨C now purified by her mana and mushrooms. Except these tunnels had lava instead of water, and nothing grew here.


    ¡°Side passage, one elemental,¡± Calen called out from up front.


    Ali turned into the side tunnel, finding that it opened up into a small chamber, meticulously carved out of the solid rock by the ancient miners. In the far corner was a dark hole leading downward, presumably a shaft to a lower excavation, now a sink for a ¡®lavafall¡¯ ¨C a brilliant cascade of glowing molten rock that poured down into the depths from the river that wound its way through the chamber.


    This one would be a challenge to fight ¨C she could see its flame aura filling the entire chamber.


    ¡°Mato? Can you tank it over by the lava river?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yup, sure thing,¡± he answered, sounding quite jovial about the whole thing, especially considering he would be the one sticking his face in the fire. But he was clearly in his element, so to speak, at least the fighting part ¨C not necessarily the burning part.


    He charged it, smacking it with his paw, and drawing it back away from the group. Ali had to react quickly to position her healers close enough to reach him, but remaining out of the range of the flame aura.


    ¡°¡± she said, sending in the rest of her minions, keeping an eye on her monsters and the Shard of Flame¡¯s health. It took all of ten seconds before she noticed the first problem. ¡°Fuck,¡± she muttered and pulled her Scalding Slimes out of the fight.


    ¡°No good?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re not taking much damage,¡± Ali said. ¡°But it seems that steam is close enough to fire to not do any damage either. They may actually be healing it a little, I can¡¯t tell.¡±


    Firebolt volleys exploded outward in devastating sprays from the Shard of Flame, striking the burning figures in the chamber. Mana flickered continuously as the healers rotated through their entire party, topping everyone up.


    Ali was just about to fire off a shard of barrier magic when something surged out of the river of lava. A great blob lashed across the jagged stone and slapped Mato in the face. And then another stretched out and yanked one of the kobold rogues into the river, dragging it under.


    A giant, black-speckled orange glowing glob burst from the river, sloshing itself across Mato¡¯s back, and immediately began enveloping his body. Even with his powerful regenerative magic and the fire resistance provided by his new armor, his health began to plummet.


    ¡°Adds!¡± Calen announced.


    ¡°¡± Ali instructed.


    ¡°Yes, Ancient Mistress.¡± The kobold¡¯s glowing pillar of light filled the room with lambent holy radiance as she poured her healing into Mato¡¯s body while he struggled with the animate lava and the Shard of Flame.


    A sudden snap in Ali¡¯s mind told her that her rogue had perished somewhere deep under lava, and the river surged again as a second blob splashed its way ashore, leaving a trail of molten rock on the ground behind it.


    ¡°Lava oozes,¡± Ali said, immediately recognizing the name from the blobby corpse of searing lava Mato had brought back with him when he returned with Basil from their fire plant expedition. And with that realization came the possibility that this Emberforge Mine dungeon had not been as trapped as she had thought.


    One of her mages erected a wall of bone, blocking the ooze from reaching them, but its body simply blackened and incinerated pieces of the bone wall and it oozed its way through the small gaps, reforming like a relentless puddle of viscous, super-heated goo.


    ¡°The oozes are healing the elemental,¡± Ali yelled, suddenly realizing that the two great blobs of lava were producing enough heat from their bodies and the trails of lava they left behind to trigger the Shard of Flame¡¯s fire absorption. Presumably lava affinity was close enough to fire that it counted. Whatever it was, the Shard of Flame was almost back to full health.


    ¡°Swap attacks to the oozes. The left one,¡± Calen called their target, synchronizing their efforts. ¡°I¡¯ll try to pull the other one off of Mato.¡±


    Ali redirected all her minions, and as she did, the pillar of holy magic faded from her acolyte. Suddenly, the health of her Hobgoblin and Malika both began to drop precipitously.


    ¡°¡± she called out desperately, but she was too late to save the Hobgoblin who perished under the weight of the ooze of lava. The ooze mindlessly ignored everything hitting it and finished enveloping its meal. Malika saved herself with her own healing spell, but as soon as the kobold lit the room with its empowered magic, everyone¡¯s health stabilized once more.


    ¡°We have to kill it fast,¡± Ali said, pouring mana she really couldn¡¯t afford to waste into shards of barrier magic, firing them into the ooze in the hopes of accelerating its death and relieving the pressure from her healers. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The whole chamber suddenly filled with brilliant light as Calen clearly came to the same conclusion she had. An intense hail of radiant arrows of pure light mana filled the air, slamming into both oozes simultaneously, somehow managing to accurately fire two arrows at the same time.


    The ooze which had just made a meal of her Hobgoblin turned to attack one of her shamans, its health slowly ticking up, presumably from having just eaten, but the one that had been trying to consume Mato peeled itself off him and tried to slither-crawl its way toward Calen. In an instant Mato whirled and struck, slamming his paw down through the ooze, spraying molten lava into the air in a sizzling cascade. Tough roots sprang from the ground to grapple with the monster, instantly set alight by the lava and the fire of the domain. The ooze ignored them, slipping its body between the roots and flowing past as if it hadn¡¯t even noticed. But Mato¡¯s strike had taken its toll, and all three of her shamans finished it off with a triple blast of lightning, enhanced by their vulnerability curse.


    But they were by no means out of the woods. Malika flickered with constant healing magic as she hammered the lava monster with her bare fists, each punch burning away the flesh on her fists, only to be healed again by her magic for the next punch. Ali could only imagine how much pain she was in, but somehow Malika seemed calm, almost serene, dancing with grace and balance around the clumsy ooze.


    Ali retaliated at once, sending in her Brine Oozes, but both of them lasted as long as a few droplets of water tossed into a scalding pan.


    Calen¡¯s arrows ceased splitting into two, focusing on the remaining ooze, and its health began to fall rapidly. The only problem was that they didn¡¯t exactly have a tank for it, and it was bigger than her shamans. It began enveloping one of them, lava flowing rapidly around the goblin¡¯s body, its touch incinerating flesh and muscle. But the shaman did not falter, igniting both her shield and sword with lightning enchantments even as she was being consumed. She summoned a Lightning Nova totem to her hand and shoved it into the center of the ooze¡¯s body, following up with a potent Lightning Bolt right before she died.


    Ali slashed again and again with her barrier shards, working desperately to whittle its health down and simultaneously corral the monster. Finally, with Malika¡¯s flurry of punches, the last few seconds of Calen¡¯s righteous fury, and the full force of the remainder of her minions, they defeated it, right before it could finish consuming the shaman¡¯s corpse.


    ¡°¡± Ali instructed, handing the nearest Acolyte a mana potion. They were already running low, and it would do nobody any good to run out of healing while they were down here. Most of her force was quite low, some of them even below half health already, but with the two lava oozes down, the pressure eased noticeably, and the healers began to get everything back under control.


    Finally, after what seemed like ages, the fire elemental imploded, dropping its flaming core to the ground, along with a Lesser Essence of Flame, and Ali breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Well, that was insane,¡± Malika said. ¡°I¡¯m almost down to half stamina.¡±


    ¡°Half?¡± Ali gasped. She could scarcely believe it. Among the insanity of fire and lava damage, Malika had been healing more or less continuously, keeping herself alive, and even supplementing Mato¡¯s healing while they fought the Lava Lurkers.


    ¡°Yep, they took a lot out of me.¡±


    Ali glanced forlornly at her own nearly empty mana pool. Granted she was supporting an entire dungeon with more than seven thousand mana, but that left her with just a little over a thousand mana to fight with. It was just more than a little unfair ¨C if she could have brought her bosses in here, the fights would be more than a little different.


    Her guardian was vulnerable to fire ¨C it had more than thirty thousand health, but still, this was a fire lava dungeon. And her Kobold warrior was only level ten. The Hobgoblin would be the best choice, but she didn¡¯t have any fire resistance yet.


    ¡°At least Thuli will like these,¡± Malika said, storing the essence.


    While Malika sat to meditate ¨C noticeably choosing to sit a small pool of lava ¨C Ali set to the task of recovering her mana.


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 167: A Web of Fire

    - Inferno [The Consuming Flame]. Unique Fire Elemental.


    Malika


    The continual burning of Malika¡¯s skin, hair, eyes, lungs, or basically every part of her exposed to the air, left her feeling drained and exhausted. She sat cross-legged the pool of lava, simply because the wretched had clearly indicated that she could learn defensive skills by meditating on the nature of the damage. It had sounded quite straightforward when she had first read it, but after days of sitting in poison traps while meditating, she had made no breakthroughs ¨C and sitting to meditate while her flesh blackened and burnt from the magic of the dungeon¡¯s fire and lava was easier said than done.


    ¡°You look toasty,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°I¡¯m busy, Mato,¡± she said, her prior irritation making her words sharper than she liked.


    ¡°Mhm,¡± he offered unhelpfully.


    She pulsed another heal, regenerating the burnt flesh and feeling a fresh rush of pain from the newly regrown nerves that instantly began to char again in a never-ending cycle, and tried to force her mind to become calm.


    The words of her father¡¯s teaching, guiding her through her first meditation, sprang clearly to her mind and she sighed as she let go of her need to make anything happen. Instead, she focused her attention on the incredible pain and the sensation of her flesh cooking from the magical energy and molten rock. To her surprise, her mind quietened, settling into the waves of alternating burning and healing. As she contemplated the rhythm, she began to notice how fire felt different from the poison of her prior study subject matter. Then another cycle flowed by her steady awareness, and she began to sense the distinction between fire and lava.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Ali said, her voice echoing from the small side chamber.


    Malika released her meditation after finally having achieved something resembling calm, reminding herself to also release her annoyance at being interrupted by Ali¡¯s voice right when she was making progress. At least she had invested heavily in her endurance. It was certain that without it, her rather extreme training would not have been accessible to her, even with healing. The confounded book clearly stated the importance of a calm and receptive mind.


    she decided, getting up and reequipping her stored equipment straight from her storage enchantment with a thought ¨C a handy trick Calen had taught her. Ali emerged from the side chamber with her repopulated army following her about like a brood of ducklings.


    ¡°I found this while deconstructing the corpses,¡± Ali said, summoning an essence and balancing it on a small disk of her barrier magic.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Malika said, taking the ever-burning flame and instantly noticing just how different the essence felt from the ambient fire and lava as it burned at her skin. she decided, storing it in her Seal of the Quartermaster ring.


    Calen¡¯s voice echoed from beyond the far entrance, ¡°Lots of side passages up here.¡±


    They headed out, Malika taking her spot near the front, resting a hand on Mato¡¯s furry shoulder and pulsing her healing constantly to keep them both topped up. At least with the benefit of Mato¡¯s aura, her stamina regenerated faster, and her healing would take some of the burden off Ali¡¯s Acolytes.


    She hopped over a lava flow, landing lightly on the other side, and then confronted a much larger pool that filled the tunnel, spilling out across into a side passage. Rock crackled and popped constantly from the fluctuating heat of the lava stream.


    ¡°Dead end,¡± Calen said, emerging from the passage, and flying over the lava.


    While she could have simply Divine Stepped over the large expanse of molten rock, she chose instead to copy Mato and waded through it, healing them both constantly while the holy magic of Ali¡¯s acolytes ticked her health up. she thought, waiting till Ali had finished ferrying her minions across before continuing.


    The tunnels continued to meander randomly with excavations of many different sizes and extents branching outward. It took ages to progress with each side passage needing to be investigated, explored, and deemed safe, rather than risk monsters adding from behind when they least expected it.


    ¡°There¡¯s a difficult pull up ahead,¡± Calen said, raising his bow and aiming with a grimace. ¡°I¡¯ll try to split them.¡±


    They were clustered up in a wide bend in the tunnel. Up ahead, Malika saw the glow of two Shards of Flame, gliding back and forth between the main tunnel and what looked like it might be a passage to the side in a complex weaving dance. They vanished and re-emerged as their paths took them into and out of view, causing the angry red glow to dim and brighten erratically. She held her breath, tension building as Calen studied their movement, aiming for the perfect shot.


    Suddenly, his bowstring twanged. The arrow fletching buzzed loudly over the soft sizzling and creaking of superheated rock. The white, glowing arrow slammed into the core of the nearest elemental as it popped into view, and it immediately turned, surging toward their group with a hissing roar like bellows fanning a forge. It glided over the rock, clearing pools and rivulets of lava without slowing.


    But a second roar echoed from within the side tunnel and the other Shard of Flame emerged right behind it.


    ¡°Fuck, missed that,¡± Calen swore.


    Mato answered the challenge with a roar of his own and immediately charged forward past Calen to intercept the elementals.  Malika sprang forward, alongside Mato, keeping pace with his tremendous speed. But as soon as she entered the auras of flame the elementals were emitting, she realized the problem. Her body immediately ignited as she entered the two overlapping auras of ravenous consuming flame. Urgently she unleashed a flurry of blows, supplementing the sudden demand for healing magic with her Soul Strike.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t doing any damage. They¡¯re healing each other!¡± Ali yelled.


    Malika slapped Mato, unleashing a torrent of healing into his burning flank, and then whirled to do the same for Ali¡¯s Hobgoblin. But the instant her hand touched the crimson, burning skin, the powerful goblin collapsed, reduced to a heap of rapidly charring flesh and dense coils of smoke.


    ¡°Split them!¡± Calen shouted. ¡°Malika!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the left one,¡± Malika said, immediately taking on the role of the second tank and letting Mato know which one she wanted him to ignore, so she could peel it off him. He just grunted, never letting up his focus on his attacks.


    Malika had no fire resistance because of her class¡¯s frustrating gear restriction, and she was already struggling to keep up with the damage, but there was nobody else. The only difference between her and the Hob was that she had a healing skill. So, she leaned into her attacks, punching harder and interleaving her attacks with rapid kicks and brutal knee strikes, imbuing every single one with her mana-stealing Soul Strike. It took several long seconds and more than a dozen hits before the elemental whirled about and punched her with its strangely insubstantial fiery arm. She brought up her forearms in a cross-guard block, but it was only partially successful, most of the damage slamming through her defense and crushing her ribs. She doubled over from the sharp spike of pain, feeling her health drop precipitously.


    she thought, reacting instantly with a full heal, ignoring the stamina cost, and began to back away from Mato. And here she encountered her second problem.


    ¡°Where can I take it?¡± The brawl had erupted in a tunnel ¨C broad if one were merely walking through, but constricting for a fight. If she moved away from the group, she would be isolated and likely die on her own. But, if she moved toward the group, she would bathe them all in fire. Making the safer decision, she began to draw it away.


    ¡°No, bring it here,¡± Calen called, countering her decision decisively. ¡°We need to kill yours first.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡± It was not the decision she would have made, but she trusted him to know what he was doing. At the very least, a coordinated strategy was far better than arguing about which might be the ¡®best¡¯ one. She sprinted straight up the tunnel toward Ali and Calen, leaping lava streams, dodging firebolts, and even occasionally managing to avoid the magical damage from the auras themselves with her advanced Enlightened Evasion, but never enough to give her a moment¡¯s pause. She was burning through stamina rapidly, and now that she was beyond Mato¡¯s aura it wouldn¡¯t regenerate nearly as quickly.


    ¡°More,¡± Ali said, making golden flashes as she wielded her barrier magic, reminiscent of the time Rezan had blocked the entire seventh form¡¯s punch sequence with just his palms. ¡°You¡¯re still in the aura. Another five meters. Uh¡­ fifteen feet.¡±


    The elemental hit her with a staggering blow, followed by a firebolt, neither of which she managed to dodge, and her health dipped instantly into dangerous territory. Somewhere behind one of Ali¡¯s barriers, a pillar of holy light shone forth, but she poured her stamina into her healing again, unwilling to risk waiting for the Acolyte. Her health shot up and instantly vanished as the Shard of Flame landed a heavy blow on her back. The gentle embrace of holy healing settled onto her, but with a rapidity and force that had been empowered.


    She dragged the elemental further and further down the tunnel in an effort to escape the aura of the other elemental.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Ali called out. ¡°Right there!¡±


    Malika breathed a sigh of relief as the intensity of the overlapping fire auras halved. She glanced over to see Mato still fighting over by the distant lava stream, and she hoped the little Kobolds would be able to keep him safe from that far.


    ¡°Healer down!¡± Ali yelled, urgency making her voice shrill.


    Glancing backward, she saw the kobold Acolytes all on fire, healing rapidly. As she watched, a second one triggered its potent desperation magic, forming a new pillar of brilliant holy light. One of Ali¡¯s rogues collapsed, followed shortly by one of the shamans.


    She filled her own body with a constant stream of healing, focusing intently on dodging as much as she could to take the pressure off the beleaguered kobold healers. It was clear that Ali was forced to make them stand in the fire aura to reach Mato.


    ¡°Another healer down!¡±


    ¡°Recall?¡± Malika yelled.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Calen said as he lit the tunnel with his powerful Righteous Fury skill, unleashing a hail of arrows to try to burn the monster down as fast as possible.


    she thought, going all out with Soul Strike, trying to match Calen and hold the Shard of Flame against his prodigious damage. She didn¡¯t have a taunt skill like Mato¡¯s roar to recover it if she let it get away from her. Several more of Ali¡¯s melee minions collapsed in burning heaps as the healing throughput dropped dramatically.


    Suddenly she found Ali beside her, standing on a platform of barrier magic.


    ¡°What are you¡­¡± Malika¡¯s voice cut off as the elemental punched through her guard and hit her in the stomach.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move from here,¡± Ali said, and then something flickered almost imperceptibly in Malika¡¯s Soul Sight ¨C as if Ali¡¯s energy was, for the briefest of moments, in several places at once. Then she felt the pulse of magical restoration coursing through her body.


    She couldn¡¯t see the runic circle that Ali had made in that instant, but she most certainly recognized the feeling of the spell that rapidly healed her, taking the place of the fallen healers. Grateful for Ali¡¯s quick thinking, Malika diverted some more mana to stamina and focused on picking up the remainder of her own healing so that the two Acolytes could help Mato instead.


    In the zone of continuous punching, dodging, healing, and blocking, Malika became aware of the fading of Calen¡¯s light, but her Soul Strike suddenly came up empty, and the Shard of Flame imploded with a dull and collapsed to the scorching rock.


    She turned to charge over and help Mato, but Calen brought her up short. ¡°Mato, bring it back here to the runic circle.¡±


    Malika thought, waiting in the circle, letting it top her up before she yielded it to the burning Bear. With two healers down, the Acolytes had to be running low on mana, and they still had a second Shard of Flame to deal with.


    The intensity of her self-healing dropped dramatically as she no longer found herself contending with fiery punches blasting through her defenses. Instead, she unleashed her martial arts upon the fire-spewing elemental, dodging in and out to heal Mato whenever she could. It was just her and Mato, and the only remaining shaman Ali possessed, and under the potent effects of Mato¡¯s aura, her stamina began to recover. More and more, she wove heals in between the forms of the Nine Paths, shouldering a progressively larger burden of healing now that he was taking care of the tanking.


    With Mato in the circle and her own increased output, the flow of battle suddenly reached a precarious stability.


    Aliandra


    Ali surveyed battered and burnt remnants of her minion army, with a frown that provoked feelings of uneasiness to spill over through her connection to her few remaining kobolds. It had taken a mere two Shards of Flame and her minion army had been wiped out. The overlapped auras of flame, combined with the underlying fire of the dungeon¡¯s domain, had proved all too deadly for her forces.


    The Hobgoblin had died almost instantly, caught in the crossfire of the auras and both volleys of firebolts. Without any fire resistance, her highest-level monster had proved to be worthless, incinerated like so much kindling on a bonfire. Even her Acolytes had rapidly fallen once exposed to even one of the elementals¡¯ auras ¨C a necessity for them to reach Mato with their healing skills given the confines of the tunnel system.


    ¡°Deep thoughts?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°My minions don¡¯t have enough health,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Even with the Studded Jackets I got?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Those are fantastic! Vitality and resistance ¨C they¡¯re the reason the rogues can survive at all,¡± Ali said. However, being dragged under the lava by the crushing grasp of a lava monster while still taking fire damage from the ambient dungeon domain proved far too much for a level twenty kobold rogue, regardless of his natural racial boosts to fire resistance and the quality of his gear. ¡°The Hobgoblin was useless, and I didn¡¯t even get to test my Brine Oozes properly before they disintegrated.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Calen said. ¡°Fire resistance really is good? Maybe we can see if Thuli can craft something for your Hobgoblin once we collect more essences?¡±


    ¡°That would help,¡± Ali said. Even with fire resistance gear, the rogues and shamans had struggled. Higher-level monsters like the Hob were at less of a disadvantage against the elementals and had more vitality and therefore health.


    ¡°Maybe we can find you a few higher-level monsters in here?¡± Mato suggested.


    ¡°As long as they don¡¯t have fire,¡± Ali grumbled. ¡°Even my Scalding Slimes have enough of the fire trait in their steam that they¡¯re healing the elementals.¡±


    ¡°Nice save during the fight, by the way,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°I had to use Arcane Recall to inscribe that restoration circle,¡± she admitted. They needed to know her ace skill had been burned and she would not be able to pull off that maneuver again ¨C at least for today.


    ¡°Ok, if I see a potentially tricky pull again, we go home instead of risking it,¡± Calen suggested. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°You mean to continue?¡± Malika asked.


    It was the question on Ali¡¯s mind too. Just being in the fire dungeon was dangerous enough, not counting the elementals, or the lava oozes, and who knew what else lurked up ahead.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s worth exploring a little further unless you all would prefer to stop here,¡± Calen said. ¡°I have a better idea of their range now, so I can be more precise.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said. ¡°Let me resummon my minions.¡±


    Her friends waited patiently while she rebuilt her little army. When she was finally done, she put her Grimoire away, knowing that she had scoured it for ideas and come up wanting. She knew every option she had and understood the limitations she faced, but it was not like she had many better choices.


    It always came back to that. In particular, a more robust healer would be fantastic. For various unrelated reasons, all her highest-level monsters were unsuitable for this dungeon in some critically important way ¨C from the fire vulnerability of her Forest Guardians to her frustrating inability to summon most of her elemental imprints. She could only imagine how effective a Radiant Brawler or a Coruscant Ray might be down here. Burning down the Shards of Flame with beams of intense light from the far end of the tunnel would be so easy.


    At least she might find some success with her Hobgoblins if Thuli was able to turn the latest batch of Essence of Flame into some decent plate armor like Calen suggested. The only problem with that approach was collecting enough essences. This excursion into the mines had so far added two to their haul, and delving deeper had the potential to earn more. Alternatively, they could just wait for her boss to kill enough of the monsters the dungeon spat out, but that seemed frustratingly slow. Not to mention, she needed to earn experience so she could grow her mana pool.


    Ali sighed and announced, ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± If there was one thing she had in abundance, it was problems to solve.


    ¡°Ok, follow me,¡± Calen said.


    Even given the struggles of the prior battle, Ali found herself surprisingly curious about what lay ahead. When they had first explored the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra she hadn¡¯t known she was a dungeon, and for at least the initial exploration, she hadn¡¯t even had her Arcane Insight skill to see mana. Now with so much more information under her belt, from personal experience and finally studying Nevyn Eld¡¯s book on dungeons, she found it extraordinarily educational to study the domain of the Emberforge Mines.


    They pressed onward, following Calen through the twisting mine tunnels and exploring the frequent side excavations. Occasionally they ran into isolated Lava Lurkers ¨C mostly in lava-filled chambers off the central path ¨C but, true to his word, Calen managed to pull each of them separately, allowing them to overcome the threat with minimal danger.


    Ali spent most of her time between battles trying to ignore the oppressive heat and the weight of tons of rock overhead. It surprised her that it felt so uncomfortable, given her entire dungeon was underground, but somehow the rock ceiling being so close overhead conspired to prevent her from ignoring it. Interestingly though, the best way she found to manage the incipient claustrophobia was to keep the point of view of at least one of her slimes. With their strange amorphous biology, they perceived space vastly differently, and small crevices and large openings seemed interchangeable within their otherwise simplistic minds.


    As she rounded the next bend, Ali¡¯s eyes were instantly drawn to a jagged sliver of dark gray rock jutting out of the ceiling overhead. Up in a corner, by a small opening, a set of cobwebs hung loosely from the bare stone. What caught her eye was the fact that they were on fire. Nothing down here could be on fire for long without being utterly consumed, so the fact that the cobwebs were still there meant they were either very new, or¡­


    Focusing on the sense of the mana, she struggled to parse it out from the background of the domain itself, but the web was clearly burning on its own. It seemed to be spun by winding fire affinity into the substance of the silky webbing itself.


    ¡°Do you see that, Calen?¡± she asked, pointing.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered, his alert eyes scanning the crevices constantly. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any sign of what made them¡­ yet. Always the spiders, right?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t wait to smoosh them,¡± Ali grinned wryly.


    The tunnel led further downward, punctuated by small holes and crevices, some of which leaked lava into the main path. As they picked their way over the streams and boulders, more and more webbing appeared draped among the rocks overhead until the entire ceiling vanished behind a dense net of burning web.


    ¡°Another Shard,¡± Calen said. ¡°Solo.¡±


    His radiant arrow made shadows flicker down the long tunnel. A loud sizzle and hiss echoed back as the arrow slammed into the blazing Shard of Flame up ahead.


    Mato roared, as usual, and rushed to meet the surging elemental midway down the tunnel. Malika danced in behind him, flickering with soul magic as she healed both of them. Ali¡¯s barriers went up with their golden radiance, easily in time to catch the first volley of firebolts before they slammed into her healers.


    Halfway through burning down the elemental, with her forces fully engaged, she heard something unusual. Well, it was more that she it. Connected as she was to the senses of her Brine Oozes lobbing water bolts from behind her barriers, she detected an unusual, rapid scrabbling as if many things approached quickly. She shivered despite the heat, uncomfortably reminded of that Bone Skitterer crawling across her skin. She glanced around rapidly but couldn¡¯t see anything with her eyes or her mana sight, so she focused back, splitting her awareness into both her remaining oozes simultaneously.


    Her eyes snapped to the erratic glow from within the cracks and holes beyond the webbing. ¡°Something is coming!¡± she yelled. Moments later, a stream of gleaming black shapes skittered out of the holes, crawling along the ceiling and the web. Fire mana radiated from each creature, wreathing them in auras of flame.


    ¡°Shit, bunches of spiders!¡± Calen yelled, reacting to her warning. ¡°Incoming!¡±


    The endless swarm spilled from the crevices above, attracted to the sounds of combat. Ali¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of the growing aura of flame. ¡°If they reach the Shard, we¡¯re going to lose!¡±


    ¡°Mato, move!¡± Calen shouted, provoking a roar from the burning Bear.


    ¡°,¡± Ali commanded, and her Bone Mages instantly filled the corridor up ahead with their Bone Wall spells. But the ridges and cracks of conjured bone began to blacken under the onslaught of the combined flame of the spider swarm building up behind the blockage.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hold them off long!¡± Ali shouted, spending a sizeable portion of her precious mana on a floor-to-ceiling barrier to reinforce the bone wall.


    ¡°Mato, further!¡± Calen shouted.


    Ali immediately reacted by moving her mages and Acolytes so that they remained out of the flame aura, but still close enough to heal Mato as he moved.


    ¡°Ali, can you make a small opening in the barrier?¡± Calen asked. ¡°We can¡¯t let them build up for too long, we won¡¯t be able to handle the rush when they break through. Put all the ranged attackers on the hole and leave the Shard for the melee.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Ali said, reorganizing her minions according to his directions. She glanced over, but Malika was fully occupied healing Mato, so she redirected one of her shamans instead. When it reached the barrier, she shifted it sideways, creating a gap between the rock and her defensive spell. A stream of spiders burst forth from the gap, right into the shaman¡¯s lightning-enchanted shield. Immediately, volley after volley of water bolts, arrows, and bone spears tore into the horde of spiders as Ali redirected all her minions. She could barely add a single barrier shard, most of her magic tied up in the enormous barrier she was using to block the entire tunnel.


    For a moment it seemed like they would hold them back, but then spiders began pouring out from nearby crevices, bypassing the barrier and beginning to overwhelm their arrows and bolts by sheer numbers. Calen responded instantly with Righteous Fury and volleys of triple-conjured light-affinity arrows. To Ali¡¯s relief, the horde began to fall back slowly. But then something else came through.


    ¡°Big one!¡± Calen spat through clenched teeth.


    Big was an understatement. Ali had no idea how something larger than her had managed to crawl through that tiny tunnel, but it emerged, unfolding long spindly legs of shiny black chitin, blazing with powerful flame. It tipped its abdomen toward them, and with a wet thump a blob of fire arced overhead, sizzling as it unfolded into a flaming web. With her barrier magic fully committed, Ali could only watch as the web slammed into her and her ranged minions with a splat. The weight of it knocked her flat and pinned her to the ground. She struggled against the tough silk, her skin blistering and blackening wherever the sticky flaming silk touched, but she had nowhere near enough strength to break free.


    But the same was not true of her oozes, they slipped free of their bindings with ease, heading for the walls. Ali picked one and switched places with it, freeing herself and putting the ooze right back into the trap, from which it promptly escaped once again.


    A surprising chime sounded, followed by the sight of Malika sprinting right up the wall and into the flaming silk web on the ceiling to punch at the huge Flame Spinner, freeing Calen to concentrate on the little spiders once again. Mato stomped into the center of the tunnel and roared, provoking most of the spider horde to swarm him.


    ¡°¡± Ali instructed, wincing at the sight of fire converging toward him on far too many legs. She left her Acolytes webbed, choosing instead to use her barrier shard to saw away at the threads binding her archers, but it took mere seconds before she realized it was futile. Instead, she reached out with a hand and began to deconstruct the binding web, strand by strand.


    While she worked to break her minions out of their flame bindings, she studied the deluge of monstrous spiders swarming the tunnel. Her mages¡¯ walls were creaking under the weight of the spiders building up behind them.


    ¡°¡± Ali commanded, pointing to where she wanted it. ¡± she added. Still bound by the flaming web, her Bone Mages threw up their walls. She did not intend to block the spiders, instead, the new walls formed a series of baffles to channel the tide, funneling them through the center channel and serving them up to Mato¡¯s claws and Calen¡¯s arrows.


    ¡°¡± she said, lining her shamans up behind Mato, and making certain that they were deploying their lightning effectively through the bulk of the spider horde.


    ¡°Good work, Ali,¡± Calen said, nodding his approval and unleashing a fresh volley of arrows.


    With each archer she broke free, she added a stream of arrows to help Malika with the oversized spider still clinging to the ceiling. Fortunately, Malika had drawn all its ire, and the blasts of the burning web were exclusively aimed at her. Even more fortunately, Malika had managed to dodge all of them.


    The chimes continued to ping as the smaller spiders died in droves.


    Ali grumbled, annoyed that she hadn¡¯t thought of it earlier. The strangely glittering oozes with their light-affinity area damage would have decimated the clumped-up spiders in seconds. she thought, observing the Brine Oozes trying to blast the spiders one at a time.


    The crawling black tide slowly began to ebb. Bunched up as they were by the bone walls, Mato¡¯s claws killed them by the dozen as he slashed furiously back and forth. Calen¡¯s new multishot, conjured arrows seemed similarly effective, killing three at a time, which left Ali feeling more than a little jealous. Typically, she brought the area damage, and taking care of a swarm like this would have been her job. But, without her Fire Mages, she was relegated to the sidelines, making do with shamans and barriers, and just taking care of the bulk of the healing.


    Instead, she switched her attention to the giant spider on the roof and sent her barrier shard slicing upward to assist Malika.


    ***


    ¡°What are you looking at, Malika?¡± Ali asked. Her friend was bent over poking at some burning web on the ground.


    ¡°This stuff is insanely strong,¡± Malika said, shaking her hand vigorously as she got a bit stuck on her fingers. ¡°Appraise says it¡¯s a valuable crafter resource. How about we collect some and see if Lydia can use it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a great idea,¡± Ali answered, not having considered the crafting angle at all. She was debating whether to commit the Flame Web imprint to her Grimoire solely on the strength that she might be able to make some good traps with it, but if Lydia could use it, that would be so much better. It wasn¡¯t exactly what she had had in mind, but she was excited to see if they had some good perception skills she might put to use.


    Her Grimoire had the space right now, so she added both new imprints while Malika burned herself collecting as much of the burning web as she could find. ¡°How did you get it off your fingers?¡±


    ¡°I stored it in my ring,¡± Malika said, grinning as she produced a still-flaming chunk of web and then made it vanish.


    ¡°Where did the big spider land?¡± Ali asked. While there had only been one, she wanted to make sure to get it so that she could learn the variant as soon as possible. If the little spiders proved useful, she just knew the big one would be far better. she thought, recalling the flames and burning web.


    ¡°Over here, Ali.¡± Calen pointed to where it lay, a thick carapace jutting out of the middle of a heap of hundreds of Flame Skitterer corpses.


    ¡°I vote we call it here; I have a lot of stuff to sell,¡± Malika said, and everyone agreed.


    ¡°Yep, I¡¯m getting tired too,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°Hungry, did you say?¡± Calen piped up.


    ¡°Always. Besides, your mom told me to help you put some skin on those bones.¡± The half-elf¡¯s eyebrows lifted, whereupon Mato said in a terrible falsetto, ¡°Mato, please look after my poor little Calen and make sure he eats three square meals a day, because no girl wants to marry a stick, no matter how handsome he thinks he is.¡±


    ¡°As if!¡±


    Saving their potions, the quartet shared a few more playful insults as they retraced their steps back through the tunnels. On the way out of the mine, Ali couldn¡¯t help noticing that the domain of the fire dungeon ran up against the opening she had bored through the rubble of the fallen city, but without Shards of Flame drawing the domain out, the only fire mana that escaped was a dense flow of ambient and unstructured mana, similar, but not as chaotic in nature as the original mana that pervaded the jungle itself.


    ¡°Can we take a moment here?¡± Mato asked, stopping their group. ¡°Ali, how about planting some of those fire plants we collected? That way I can harvest some and see what kind of potions Eliyen can make for our next trip.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Ali said. It was a great idea actually ¨C the lashers at least required some ambient fire mana, and this was the only place near her domain that had any. Pulling out her Grimoire, she planted a giant Lirasian Oak outside the entrance to the mine, close enough to extend her domain through the tunnel, but not too close that her mana would overlap with the dungeon within. With that towering detail taken care of, she filled the cracked and burned ground with Fire Grass and grew a couple of dozen Flame Lashers up the rubble walls beside the tunnel entrance. It took a while for her to finish, but by the time she was done her domain had reclaimed the space, and using that, she blocked the entrance with a series of dense barriers that she attached to the domain itself, hopefully sealing the fire elementals inside in the event that the dungeon respawned them.


    It was a tricky tradeoff. Blocking the entrance would preserve her domain from the Shards of Flame, but that meant her boss would no longer be killing them and generating a steady stream of essences. she decided, watching him harvest the pretty fire flowers and samples of grass.


    ***


    - Flame Bite ¨C level 11


    Stamina: Bite your target. Bite does additional Fire damage. Range: Touch.


    Fire, Physical, Dexterity


    - Flame Aura ¨C level 10


    Mana: Emits an aura of fire doing damage to everything in range. Aura combines with overlapping auras of swarm members. Range: 1.3 feet. Reserve: 100%


    Fire, Area, Swarm, Intelligence


    - Flame Sight ¨C level 10


    Can see heat sources directly. Can sense nearby fire.


    Fire, Perception


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 168: Protégé

    MalikaThere was a brawl going down in the middle of the guild shop, and the few adventurers that were loitering in the guild hall had all stopped to stare. It was not a knock-down drag-out brawl like it might have been if someone like Mato was involved, but it was most assuredly a fight. The two combatants circled one another in their stylish outfits, unleashing ripostes and parries with words and glares.


    Malika pulled up a stool and sat at the display table on the outskirts of the guild shop eavesdropping on the altercation. It wasn¡¯t as if it was a secret anyway, everyone in the building could hear it.


    Weldin thrust an angry finger at his opponent¡¯s face and shouted, ¡°Giddy Clicksprocket! You take that back this instant! I am no Dwarf-loving, Gnome-hating brigand!¡± He was red in the face and clung to the bare remnants of his civility with an intensity that set his good eye to twitching.


    ¡°I stand by what I said! Why would you sell them to the Dwarf and not your own kind? You¡¯re a sellout!¡± His opponent was a slightly built female Gnome, but she was no slouch in this kind of fight, standing up to him with confidence and bristling passion. For a moment Malika thought she might even bite his finger. ¡°Everyone with eyes can see that Beastkin¡¯s armor has a twenty-five percent fire resistance enchantment. You can only make that with Essence of Flame! Where else would he have gotten that, if not from you?¡±


    ¡°For the twentieth time, I did not sell him the essence. I did not even see it!¡± Weldin exclaimed, barely holding back from a yell of frustration and anger.


    She sat up straighter. They had been up and around town both today and yesterday and Mato¡¯s eye-catching burnished reddish Fireforged Steel plate had definitely turned some heads. Obviously, anyone with Identify or Appraise could look at it.


    ¡°If you did not sell it, then I will have words with Hadrik Goldbeard. Heads will roll!¡± she declared, spinning on her heel as if to storm out of the shop.


    Weldin mopped his forehead theatrically. ¡°Heads other than mine!¡±


    Malika quickly weighed up the consequences of getting involved or letting it play out. On one hand, it was not polite to butt into an argument, especially when there was a good chance she might get drawn into it. But on the other hand, they were already on rather shaky footing with Hadrik anyway, given Ali¡¯s class, and they had to play it by the book.


    ¡°It is legal to offer material components in lieu of payment for commissioned work. I have all the proper invoices,¡± Malika said, injecting her words into the boiling silence, earning a startled glare from the angry, red-faced Gnome jeweler.


    ¡°It was you?¡± she snapped, firing the question with all the sharp force of a crossbow bolt. Malika had the sudden disconcerting urge to dodge somehow. ¡°Are you not aware that resistance enchants are my specialty? I could have made a stylish hairpin or a beautiful pendant instead of some bulky, clanky metal suit. I¡¯m the best jeweler in this town and I should have had the job. How many essences did you give that filthy Dwarf? Two? Three?¡± Her voice continued rising to higher and shriller registers as she planted her fists on her hips.


    ¡°Twelve.¡± The idea of Mato charging into battle with a stylish hairpin in his fur instead of his plate armor almost made her laugh out loud. Almost.


    ¡°What!¡± Giddy yelled, growing even more livid.


    ¡°He¡¯s a tank,¡± Malika explained, leaning on her skills to project patience. ¡°We need plate armor with resistances. He still needs to be able to take a hit. And our summoner needs chain mail and plate armor sets for her minions. Are you able to make something like that?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Giddy Clicksprocket plopped herself down on a chair with a glower and a pout, crossing her arms across her chest and making certain that everyone in the room could appreciate her unhappiness. ¡°Hmph! Nobody respects real skill anymore.¡±


    ¡°Hi, Malika,¡± Weldin said, his expression still tightly controlled, but his voice coming down several notches in volume. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. What can I do for you today?¡±


    ¡°Dwarf lover,¡± Giddy muttered, staring pointedly at the wall. The grumbled insult was made in a faux whisper designed to be heard by everyone, and Malika could even hear Weldin grinding his teeth together in an effort to not lose his calm.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Ever since Giddy noticed that enchantment your friend is wearing, I¡¯ve had every single crafter and artisan in town beating down my door to get in on the essence ¡®action¡¯,¡± Weldin complained.


    ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re incredibly rare, especially here off the beaten path and out of the major merchant guilds¡¯ trade routes. Not to mention, many crafters around her level stagnate unless they can work higher level components and enchantments.¡±


    ¡°So, they need the essences for experience?¡± It seemed understandable, just surprising that something like Mato¡¯s armor would trigger a frenzy of jealousy among the crafters. It was particularly ironic, considering what she had for trade today.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered with a big sigh. ¡°It¡¯s rather tiresome.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯d just sold them to me, you wouldn¡¯t be in this mess,¡± Giddy snapped.


    ¡°Giddy Clicksprocket! Don¡¯t make me get the Guildmaster!¡± Weldin snapped, rounding on her for a moment. He glowered at her until she relented and looked away.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m about to make your life a lot more exciting, then,¡± Malika chuckled, and dumped most of their haul from the dungeon onto the steel surface of the nearest display table, keeping a few back just in case.


    Mana: Combine 3 Lesser Essence of Flame into one Essence of Flame


    Value: 5 gold


    Reagent ¨C Mana Essence


    ¡°Holy, ever-loving sprockets and cogs!¡± Giddy had her body pressed up against the table in less time than it took to blink, staring wide-eyed at the pile of ever-burning flame essences as if she had just witnessed a miracle.


    ¡°Giddy¡­¡± Weldin said, and the excited Gnome suddenly realized she was rudely interrupting a deal and returned to her seat, but now with her eyes glued to the flaming essences with a palpable anxiety.


    ¡°Same percentage as last time?¡± Malika asked. Essences were expensive and, like Magicite, it was unlikely that Weldin had enough coin on hand to pay her outright. This way, Weldin could sell them first and leave a cut of the profits in her account instead ¨C and it had the benefit of not advertising their agreed-upon price to the world of curious Gnomish ears.


    ¡°Deposited into your account, as usual?¡± he asked, nodding to her with a frazzled smile.


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure,¡± Weldin smiled, making the essences vanish with a wave of his hand.


    ¡°Have you made any progress on my other request?¡± Malika asked. She was still looking for fire resistance options to augment what they already had, and if possible, any base resistance that did not come on a shield or armor.


    ¡°As much as she annoys me, Giddy is probably your best shot. She works for the Novaspark Academy and it¡¯s her mana signature on your guild ring. She isn¡¯t just boasting, she¡¯s the best jeweler you¡¯re likely to find in a hundred miles.¡± Weldin delivered this in a voice pitched low enough that she was certain the Gnome couldn¡¯t hear them ¨C unless she had some unlikely perception skill.


    ¡°Ok, thank you,¡± Malika said. It was curious that Weldin would stick up for her skills even though they¡¯d been fighting so vociferously just moments ago. Sometimes people expressed their caring for one another with passion and emotions, but she would not have expected that from the elegant and proper storekeeper.


    She turned toward the jeweler, but Giddy had eyes only for Weldin, springing up as soon as Malika turned, indicating her business was done. She was on him like a leech.


    ¡°How much? I¡¯ll buy all of them.¡±


    ¡°Six gold,¡± Weldin answered evenly.


    ¡°For twenty? I¡¯ll take them,¡± Giddy declared, her words bumping against each other in her urgency.


    ¡°Each,¡± he countered.


    ¡°What? Are you trying to rob me?¡± Her expression reddened with outrage.


    ¡°Your Appraise skill is just as good as mine, don¡¯t give me that act,¡± Weldin said shortly.


    ¡°But then¡­ I will only be able to afford one¡­¡± Giddy said mournfully, and Malika suddenly realized that was her genuine concern. The jeweler must be struggling, and to see the answer right in front of her and fail to acquire it because she couldn¡¯t afford it must be eating her up inside. She probably couldn¡¯t afford the materials to make anything that would get her out of that hole either ¨C a chicken-and-egg problem indeed.


    ¡°One it is, then,¡± Weldin pronounced, producing a single essence and offering it to the Jeweler.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, her expression forlorn, but she handed over the gold quickly enough and turned away with her prize.


    ¡°Ms. Clicksprocket?¡± Malika called out before she fled the guild hall.


    ¡°What? You want to gloat?¡± Judging by her expression, she was ready to fight again, but Malika was beginning to realize this might be her default demeanor.


    Before it could escalate, Malika asked, ¡°Can you make any jewelry with a flat resistance enchantment on it?¡± This was the biggest problem for her. A percentage increase in resistance was worthless if you had zero to begin with.


    ¡°I can. And I can also do the twenty or the twenty-five percent resistance enchants for most common affinities,¡± Giddy puffed her chest up proudly. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°How much essence would that take?¡±


    ¡°I can make about three good pieces out of one of these, maybe more if I¡¯m lucky,¡± she answered, her face now burning with curiosity. ¡°You want a cute hairpin for your Bear?¡±


    ¡°Something for me, and for her,¡± Malika countered, pointing across the hall to where Ali and Seth were chatting beside the jobs board.


    ¡°A mage and a monk, hmm¡­ perhaps a silver hairpin with a ruby to hold the enchantment?¡± Giddy said, her expression instantly shifting to an intensely focused thoughtfulness. Probably, she had small waterfalls of gold tinkling inside her ears. ¡°Definitely topaz to go with her coloring. Resistance and the extra fire percentage? It will probably be quite expensive; how much do you want to pay?¡±


    ¡°How about this?¡± Malika offered, producing another Lesser Essence of Flame.


    ¡°Ooh!¡± the Gnome said, her eyes going big and round, reflecting the dancing flame. Giddy must have been assuming she would make Malika¡¯s order from the essence she had just purchased. Offering a second one in lieu of payment would allow her to craft at least six items, and the lure of all that experience must be strong ¨C especially considering she could now sell the remaining pieces and make some obviously much-needed coin.


    ¡°That¡­ might work,¡± she murmured, still seeming stunned.


    ¡°Giddy, you need lessons in being a merchant. Take the deal,¡± Weldin said.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Look, where do you think they are getting twenty essences from? Why would they need fire resistance?¡± Weldin said, taking a patient tone with her for the first time. ¡°They will be wearing your pieces when they fight whatever high-level fire demons or elementals they have found. You will be gaining adventurer experience, too.¡±


    From the silent ¡®oh¡¯ she made with her mouth, it was clear that Giddy had not even considered that part. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, reaching out and accepting the second essence. ¡°I will have your pieces done by morning and I will drop them off at the guild. Is that ok?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect,¡± Malika answered, smiling at her, happy to finally have some progress on protecting herself from the insane fires in the dungeon.


    ¡°Oh, Giddy,¡± Weldin said, his words bringing her up short yet again. ¡°Hawkhurst¡¯s people have been lurking around the store every afternoon. You know what that means, right?¡±


    The name jolted Malika into sudden vigilance as she glanced around. The standard Hawkhurst playbook would be intimidation or cornering the market on the rare resource and, with the Guildmaster always present, the intimidation strategy was probably off the table. If his people were visiting, that meant they would certainly buy up all the rare essences, doling them out to the crafters at an unreasonable markup, or selling them in the capital instead. This was how they maintained their grip on the local crafters and artisans, forcing them to become more and more beholden to Hawkhurst Trading Company for any progress or growth.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Oh!¡± Giddy exclaimed, suddenly looking far more worried. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Belli and Fyr immediately. And Hilda and Forin. We¡¯ll buy out your entire stock. Wait for us!¡± She spun around and left the guild hall at a dead run.


    Malika pursed her lips. Jax. The name stank worse than the town¡¯s sewers before Ali got ahold of them. She should have a word with Vivian. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Aliandra


    ¡°Aah¡­ Miss Aliandra, do you have a few moments?¡±


    Ali stopped scanning the jobs board and glanced down from her perch atop her barrier to find Seth staring up at her. He had cut his hair and sported a bright red t-shirt and navy pants that looked new.


    ¡°Hi, Seth,¡± she greeted him with a smile. ¡°Nice outfit.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± he said, glancing down. ¡°Lydia made it. She said I should do something more stylish, but I just couldn¡¯t wear anything that fancy.¡± He shifted from foot to foot as if the very idea made him uneasy.


    ¡°You¡¯re leveling up fast.¡± The boy seemed to have a new level or two every time she looked at him.


    ¡°Oh, yes. Well, I take jobs at night because my Life Drain rejuvenates me. I don¡¯t need to sleep much anymore.¡± He grimaced momentarily and added, ¡°Also, nobody sees my zombies or skeletons in the dark.¡±


    she wondered, but she kept it to herself. Most people feared necromancers and the undead, and after the attack by Alexander Gray, almost everyone in the town had some personal story to reinforce that fear. She felt sorry for him, but at least Seth had some friends among the adventurers and seemed to be progressing well. His Life Drain appeared to offer a stupendous advantage.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± she asked, lowering her barrier till she wasn¡¯t looking down on him during their conversation.


    ¡°I took a kill-quest for spiders at one of the outlying farms last night¡­ and I found these,¡± he said, dumping a corpse onto the floor in front of him. It was a black spider about half the size of her entire body with dark green markings on its abdomen and legs. Markings that still glowed with the light of poison affinity mana.


    ¡°Seth! Carpet!¡± Mieriel yelled from across the room.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, storing the spider and moving off the carpet to a location of bare stone before producing it again.


    It was an interesting spider, but she wasn¡¯t quite sure what he was after yet, so she floated down to the floor and stepped off to get a closer look. There were remnants of web around its feet and abdomen, but nothing else seemed out of the ordinary. Ali reached out and pulled something gray from a staved-in section of the chitinous abdomen and then grimaced at what she found. Holding it gingerly between two fingers, she offered the gray finger bones to Seth.


    ¡°Oh¡­ sorry,¡± he said, retrieving them. ¡°I wondered where those went.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any more spiders? Can I buy them from you?¡± Ali asked. She had just inscribed her first spider imprint, and this one looked like a nice low-level addition to fill out her Grimoire.


    ¡°I took the quest because I heard you talking about spiders,¡± Seth admitted.


    ¡°You took it because of me?¡± It had to have been when they were in the guild last, and he must have overheard something. But for him to take the job just to collect some spiders for her was entirely unexpected.


    ¡°I did. I sold the Monstrous Silk they weave to Weldin. That¡¯s how I could afford this new shirt,¡± Seth said. In a sudden rush, he added earnestly, ¡°Weldin said the tailors are going to be quite excited about the silk and I thought maybe we could get some more caster gear. A lot of the newer adventurers are struggling to find enough money to buy potions and armor, so, I was hoping you¡¯d learn these spiders and put some in the sewers for people to kill? We could farm for silk or spider venom.¡±


    Necromancers, almost by necessity, would tend to be loners. Even Seth was already taking jobs on his own in the dead of night, simply because people wouldn¡¯t understand. But he was bringing back resources to make his friends stronger ¨C both through money, better gear, and something they could hunt for experience.


    ¡°It¡¯s not entirely altruistic,¡± Seth said, almost answering her thoughts directly. ¡°My skeletons and zombies are immune to poison. The Tunnel Weavers are very easy to hunt and they make great zombies ¨C they have Venomous Strike and Web Sense. I can¡¯t usually bring my undead into town, so often I have to lose them ¨C and then rebuilding my army when I leave on a job is a real chore. If I had access to an easy monster that I could hunt right here in the sewer, it would make my life a lot easier.¡±


    ¡°Web Sense sounds interesting, what¡¯s that?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°I thought you might be interested. It allows the spiders to extend their senses through the web they spin,¡± Seth said.


    ¡°That does sound intriguing,¡± Ali said. ¡°If you have enough spiders, I¡¯ll add some to the sewer for you.¡± His proposal was remarkably well considered, and it would seem he would benefit while simultaneously giving everyone else something they needed. Basil had already learned proficiency with anti-venom and anti-toxin potions, so it would take some remarkably bad luck or stupidity for any prepared adventurer group to die to the spiders.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± Seth said, dumping out four more Tunnel Weavers, much to Mieriel¡¯s dismay, but Ali deconstructed all of them quickly, including the puddle of ichor that had collected on the polished stone floor.


    ¡°Thank you, Seth.¡±


    But it seemed Seth wasn¡¯t quite done. ¡°I have one other request, but this one is harder. I don¡¯t know how to make it valuable for you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Vivian Ross gave us a lecture on the importance of mentorship and choosing the right person, matching traits and intents. Some of the bronze ranks have already found good mentors, and they¡¯re growing much quicker now. Willow unlocked a very nice skill option because of hers, and Teagan is going to ask Theia. Druids and Shamans have a lot of overlap. It seems like a huge advantage.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Ali agreed. Mato had Lira, Malika had Rezan, and Calen had Lyeneru ¨C all three of them had unlocked unbelievable skills and advancements because of it. Mato¡¯s Tree Form had already helped defeat Alexander Gray. Calen had a Mirage armor of illusions and multishot, and Malika could dodge fireballs. ¡°You really do need to pick well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡­ can you think of any sane person who would mentor me? I¡¯m a necromancer. I¡¯m sure only another necromancer would agree to it, but most of them are mad or evil like Alexander Gray, and thankfully he¡¯s dead.¡±


    The thought had crossed her mind many times, ever since Mato had gotten his mentorship. She had even been jealous of him for a while, but while Lira would have been willing, she could no longer offer Ali her mentorship. She most certainly understood the difficulty facing the bronze-ranked necromancer shuffling his feet before her.


    ¡°Aliandra, would you¡­ mentor me?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± He was asking to be his mentor? ¡°But I¡¯m arcane and nature.¡±


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m not going to find a good match for death magic. But your class must follow the intelligence, wisdom, and minion traits ¨C we share those. What do you think? Am I crazy?¡± His eyes seemed filled with hope.


    she thought. She likely shared Perception and Defense with him also. Knowledge, Domain, and her affinities would not match, but it was hardly a problem to not overlap all traits. Ali nodded slowly. ¡°Seth, I¡¯d be willing. Let¡¯s go talk with Vivian. I¡¯m not even sure I know how to do it.¡±


    ***


    ¡°It should work,¡± Vivian said after Ali explained the situation. ¡°Normally you would need to be much higher level, but having a high wisdom attribute allows more prot¨¦g¨¦s and mentorship at lower levels.¡±


    ¡°How is it done?¡± Ali asked. She had studied the theory, and even seen Thuli do it with Kav¨¦, but she had no idea how it worked in practice.


    ¡°It can be a bit tricky; you must release your mana without casting a spell, and then focus it into him. If it works, he will get the option to accept it. Probably it will be easier for you because you can see mana, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she answered. She had earned her first cantrip magic by emulating Lira doing precisely the same thing Vivian had just suggested. Only she had never tried to give it to someone.


    She concentrated, releasing a small flow of her mana, both affinities swirling together, entwining into a ribbon of gold and green that drifted out from somewhere near the center of her heart. The sight of it reminded her of the way her mana reached her minions and connected to the core in the center of their chests or whatever their middlemost point seemed to be.


    It was easy to control the ribbon of mana, much easier now that she could see it than when she had sat on Lira¡¯s knee, practicing her first use of magic. She made the ribbon stretch out toward him and her notification chimed the instant it touched.


    ¡°It worked!¡± Seth exclaimed excitedly. ¡°I see it! Um¡­ are you sure? Can I accept?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± she told him.


    Prot¨¦g¨¦ ¨C Seth Weston


    Class: Undead Commander


    Traits: Death, Minion, Intelligence, Wisdom, Perception, Defense, Curse.


    Your experience, mana, and traits will influence the experience gain of your prot¨¦g¨¦. Experience tithed back to you via the mentorship tithe may influence your own traits and growth.


    Enchantment ¨C Tithe


    ¡°Thank ¨C thank you, Aliandra.¡±


    She glanced at him as his voice cracked. ¡°I¡¯m honored by your trust, Seth.¡±


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 169: Market Forces

    AliandraAli and Malika entered Lydia¡¯s boutique clothing store to the sound of the soft musical chimes, but to her surprise, it was not Lydia Ali found behind the counter. Instead, she found herself staring at a tall, dark-haired young man dressed in an elegant black suit that was clearly Lydia¡¯s work.


    A little surprised, she found herself not quite sure what to do.


    ¡°Good morning. Welcome to Lydia¡¯s Allure,¡± he greeted them in a voice that seemed cultured and just as elegant as his suit, but a little hesitant, like he was unsure of himself.


    ¡°Hi, is Lydia in?¡± Ali asked, glancing back at Malika for a moment, before returning to study the new person.


    ¡°She¡¯s in the back working on an order and asked me to take care of anyone who came in. Is there anything I can help you with?¡±


    ¡°Could you get her for us?¡± she asked, and the young man reacted with obvious discomfort and uncertainty.


    ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to¡­¡± he began, but Lydia emerged from the back room and interrupted him.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, Elton,¡± she said, patting him on the shoulder. ¡°Aliandra and Malika are our most important customers.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ok,¡± he said, seeming relieved that he hadn¡¯t blown it somehow.


    ¡°Welcome back,¡± Lydia said, turning to her and Malika. ¡°This is Elton Moss, he¡¯s my new apprentice ¨C he just started yesterday, so he¡¯s getting to meet all the regulars. With all the work you guys have been giving me, and the popularity the store has been gaining lately, I simply couldn¡¯t work in peace anymore. He wants to be a tailor when he unlocks his class, so I offered to take him on as an apprentice.¡±


    ¡°Good to meet you,¡± Ali said and then turned to Lydia. ¡°How are the studies going?¡±


    Lydia had not leveled up since the last time she had been in the store, and when she looked closely, she could see dark smudges below her eyes and a surprisingly disheveled ¨C at least for her ¨C appearance, as if she had not slept in a while.


    ¡°I learned the enchant! That book is incredible, there are over two hundred tailor enchantments, many of which I¡¯ve never seen before.¡± Lydia beamed happily. ¡°I found a source of monstrous silk, which might work for your new piece, and I¡¯m just looking for the remaining components. I think I heard a rumor that someone had found an essence of fire, but I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s true or if I can get one.¡±


    Ali noted. It was a marked difference from the cloud of despondency and defeat she had been struggling with the last time they had talked. .


    ¡°About that, I think we can help with the essences,¡± Ali said as, at the same time, Malika produced two from her storage.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Lydia exclaimed. ¡°Elton, grab that storage box under the counter quickly. The purple one.¡± When he produced the correct box, she pulsed a little mana through it and the two essences vanished into its storage enchantment before they could burn anything. ¡°That¡¯s going to be very helpful, thank you! What can I pay ¨C¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s this too,¡± Malika cut in with a smile, pulling out a tangled clump of Flame Web. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if this will be useful but Appraise tells me this should be a fairly valuable crafting material, so we thought we¡¯d check with you. It comes from a big fire-affinity spider we found deep underground.¡± The sticky web was bundled up into a clump now, but it was still burning with red flame, and Malika¡¯s healing magic pulsed every now and then while the tailor shop filled with the unmistakable smell of burnt skin.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s really something!¡± Lydia said, studying the clump of burning web. ¡°May I?¡±


    ¡°Careful, it¡¯s really sticky and it burns,¡± Ali told her, but her hands were already gloved by a delicate formation of her mana, and she picked at the sticky mess without the flame bothering her in the slightest.


    ¡°Would you hand me the spool please, Elton?¡± Lydia said. ¡°No, not that one, I need the one for dangerous threads. The black one on the top shelf.¡± As soon as her apprentice found the right spool, Lydia picked a thread¡¯s end from the clump of tangled webbing, and with a deft swirl of her protective mana, she pulled, easily untangling the clump into strands and rapidly wound it onto the magical spool.


    It was a fascinating use of magic that she had never seen before, and Ali studied the formations carefully. Clearly, it was some intrinsic non-affinity tailoring skill that drew from her mana to untangle and manage the tricky webbing. It looked like an extremely useful skill for a tailor.


    ¡°Can you please run next door and get Hilda for me, Elton?¡± Lydia asked her agog apprentice. ¡°She¡¯s the dwarf weaver who owns the fabric store ¨C we¡¯re going to need her skills to make some cloth.¡±


    ¡°So the web is good?¡± Ali asked. She had learned the imprint for it, hopeful that it would turn out to be something nice, but the way Lydia was reacting, it might be better than she had hoped for.


    ¡°This stuff is amazing; I haven¡¯t seen such high-level silk before ¨C I was hoping to use some of that monstrous silk for your items, but this is far superior,¡± Lydia answered. ¡°How much do you want for it? And the essences?¡±


    ¡°Will you take it as payment for the sets of clothing I need?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect,¡± Lydia answered. ¡°I know you can¡¯t sell it directly to her, but if you find more web, tell Weldin that Hilda will buy all of it. Then I will have a supply of high-level fabric to work with. I should have something ready for you by tomorrow.¡±


    As she and Malika headed back, Ali reflected happily on Lydia¡¯s breakthrough with the book she had given her, and the anticipation of something to help her fire resistances.


    ¡°A lot of people are being affected by us needing fire resistances, aren¡¯t they?¡± It was something that Ali just suddenly connected in her mind. Lydia progressed because they needed an enchantment and she had translated a book. Then Lydia involved a new person with weaving skills and got a new apprentice to handle the expanded work. And it was not just her, Thuli too. Ripples and more ripples.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Malika answered. ¡°And if Weldin is successful at preventing Hawkhurst from cornering the market, many of the crafters are going to make a lot of progress, particularly as we delve deeper into the mines and pull out more and more essences, and web, and whatever else is down there.¡±


    It was a kind of attention Ali hadn¡¯t anticipated. Something rather different than using the shrine and declaring her class to the world, one that seemed far less under her control. Every single request seemed to have a broad web of impact on the crafters and artisans of the town, many of the interactions probably occurring beyond her ability to observe, but she had to believe that growing higher-level and more capable crafters must be a positive influence on everyone¡¯s lives. What possible downside could there be if an unknown dwarven weaver lady gained a few levels because of her request to have something made from the flame webbing?


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, if we can somehow contribute to cracking the Hawkhurst stranglehold on Myrin¡¯s Keep, it could become a much more prosperous and better place for everyone. We do need to be careful, though.¡±


    Ali nodded. Jax¡¯s reaction would be all too predictable.


    ***


    Ali found herself with a bit of spare time on her hands before they were scheduled to hit the Emberforge Mines again, so she made her way down into the sewers, searching out the best spot for her newly acquired Tunnel Weavers.


    Seth¡¯s idea had been rather compelling, and she thought of people like Sabri and Brena trying to afford equipment and potions without much opportunity to earn gold. Almost all the quests and jobs required a minimum of bronze rank ¨C mainly for safety reasons. Most of the novices would likely be leveling exclusively down here until they ranked up.


    she decided, walking up a branching tunnel section that had several chambers and connections and was currently only sparsely populated. She unsummoned some of the monsters in the tunnels, leaving just the toxic slimes, and then she began to create spiders. Probably several of the guild rogues, rangers, or hunters had tracking and scouting skills, or even treasure senses, and this might give them something to hunt.


    It didn¡¯t take long, her Grimoire¡¯s summoning benefiting substantially from the spell haste provided by her slowly growing Arcane Recall, and soon enough, her chosen area was crawling with Tunnel Weavers, ranging from level two through level eight, giving a reasonable range for the novices to cut their teeth on. As she went, she adjusted the tunnel walls, carving out nooks and crannies for the spiders to hide in, and creating some boulders on the ground for cover.


    While she worked, she reflected on Seth and his request. She could sense him somehow through the magic of the tithe enchantment that bound them together. It was nothing like an actual perception skill, but she could tell he was connected. She wondered how she appeared to someone like him ¨C a reviled class, unable to be accepted in most parts of the civilized world. How would someone like him find a good mentor, other than walking the path of evil and choosing a necromancer? It just so happened that his traits overlapped substantially with a dungeon that he happened to trust ¨C what were the chances of that?


    she thought, but the problem seemed insurmountable. Her class was arguably even more terrifying than his, and there were no convenient people around to grant her a mentorship. she thought, trying to console herself. The problem was that mentorship could often unlock options that couldn¡¯t be earned without help. And she would likely never know what she had missed out on.


    she told herself. After all, if Seth had managed, perhaps it was possible somehow. She put the downward spiral of her thoughts away, and attached her spiders to her domain, giving them the ability to be respawned automatically.


    Going with the coincidental poison theme for this corridor, she planted several dozen Forest Amanita mushrooms in various corners and cracks and marked them for respawn too. The mushrooms, she had learned, could produce a rather potent poison for their level, one that her rogues liked a lot, and she was certain would be highly sought after by some of the novice guild members.


    She stepped back to survey her work, finding that the Tunnel Weavers had already begun to spin, draping web across the walls and the roof of the tunnels, creating pockets of dense webbing in and around the holes she had provided.


    Happy with her work, she headed down to the library to see if Mato and Calen were done shopping.


    Malika


    For all her bluster and argumentativeness, Giddy Clicksprocket was a fantastic jeweler. Weldin had vouched for her, and Malika decided she needed to give him a big thank-you. In her hand, she held two hairpins ¨C one with a topaz and one with a ruby, just as the Gnomish jeweler had suggested. Both were crafted from platinum, making the mundane components substantially more expensive. But the Gnome had insisted that something with fire resistance on it should not melt in battle ¨C and she had covered the extra cost personally.


    But it was the craftsmanship that took Malika¡¯s breath away ¨C both pins were simple in design, but that simplicity deceptively belied the superb quality. Everything from the choice of materials designed to be robust to extreme heat, the compact design making certain they would be effective in combat, to the color choices and cut of the jewels to match the intended recipients. She loved her ruby pin, and the topaz would be stunning in Ali¡¯s green hair.


    Ruby Hairpin ¨C level 40


    +20% to resistance against Fire


    +168 to resistance against Fire


    Requirements: Wisdom 140


    Quality: Magic


    Value: 14 gold


    Head ¨C Jewelry


    Somehow Giddy had managed to squeeze a resistance enchantment onto a hairpin. While most people would probably find the whopping twenty percent increase to be the defining feature of the piece, she had zero resistance, and the modest hundred and sixty-eight flat resistance would make all the difference in the world to her. It would only work against fire, unlike a normal piece of armor, but down in the Emberforge Mines, fire was all she needed.


    She pinned her hair up with the clip, happy to find the quality of the craftsmanship extended to how well it served its primary function too. With the hairpin, she had just under fifteen percent damage reduction against any monster at her current level. It didn¡¯t sound like much, but the dungeon put out so much continual fire damage that even this small reduction would make a huge difference.


    ¡°Ooh, that¡¯s pretty!¡± Ali said as she flew down into the library from the cavern above.


    ¡°I got you one too,¡± Malika said, holding out the second hairpin and enjoying the instant delight on her friend¡¯s face.


    ¡°I love it! Thank you!¡± Ali exclaimed, followed immediately by, ¡°Oh, wow!¡± when she took the pin and examined the enchantments. ¡°This is incredible. Wow, would you look at that regeneration stat?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something, right?¡±


    Topaz Hairpin ¨C level 40


    +20% to resistance against Fire


    +63% Mana Regeneration


    Requirements: Wisdom 140


    Quality: Magic


    Value: 14 gold


    Head ¨C Jewelry Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°And it¡¯s so pretty, a girl really can¡¯t battle elementals looking less than her best! Who is Giddy Clicksprocket?¡±


    ¡°A jeweler that Weldin recommended. She has a bit of a temper, but her work is amazing.¡±


    ¡°Heya,¡± Mato said as he and Calen finally arrived from their excursion in town.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± Malika asked. They had done the run-around between Eliyen and Morwynne, trying to organize potions for their next excursion.


    ¡°Perfect, look at these!¡±


    Elixir of Fire Resistance ¨C level 41


    Consume: +20% to resistance against fire damage. Duration: 1 hour


    Value: 2 gold


    Potion


    ¡°That¡¯s really good,¡± Malika said. And it really was ¨C for someone like Mato who couldn¡¯t drink potions every few minutes because he was a bear or a tree, this would add a lot to his defenses against fire. She didn¡¯t even mind that it was two gold for a single potion. But for her, another twenty percent wouldn¡¯t be a very large number. ¡°It¡¯s probably too expensive to waste on me, though.¡±


    ¡°I got something else for you,¡± Mato said, pulling out a crate of small vials of red liquid.


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s gifts all around,¡± she teased gratefully.


    Potion of Fire Absorption ¨C level 40


    Consume: Absorb up to 576 Fire damage. Duration: 3 minutes


    Value: 1 gold, 20 silver


    Potion


    ¡°Yep, Eliyen is a wizard,¡± Calen said. ¡°When I explained your situation, she immediately whipped these up.¡±


    The potions were outstanding. ¡°Just like a health potion,¡± Malika said, examining it closer.


    ¡°Better,¡± Calen observed. ¡°You drink it before you go into the fight, and it blunts the first chunk of damage you take, as long as it¡¯s within three minutes.¡±


    ¡°So, I down this when I see a double-pull of Shards of Flame?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Calen said, wincing visibly.


    ¡°One gold, twenty silver per shot though,¡± Malika grimaced. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m going to be drinking all our hard-earned essences.¡±


    ¡°Welcome to the club,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Seems worth it,¡± Mato said. ¡°Besides, we paid with the bucket of mana-purified water Calen hauled up with us, and I just gave her double the number of fire flowers she needed, so she can make other stuff. We didn¡¯t pay any gold for this.¡±


    ¡°Still feels a little wrong,¡± Malika said, but she knew it would make a big difference down there. It helped that Mato confirmed her potions took fire flowers instead of essences ¨C something Ali could grow.


    Calen


    Calen stalked back to the group, his skin beginning to burn as the restoration spells wore off.


    ¡°The double pull is next,¡± he said. He had studied it for quite some time, but there did not seem to be any way to split them, and the tunnel was rather narrow.


    The Emberforge Mines had respawned most of the monsters since they had cleared it the first time, but they were progressing substantially faster this time. Knowing where everything was helped, but the extra fire resistance from the elixirs was the biggest difference. Less downtime meant they were fighting more and resting less, and they were already coming up on the tunnels full of fire spiders.


    ¡°I think we should all stand in the intersection,¡± Calen said. It was a bit risky, but he had an idea of how to do it. ¡°Mato, you charge the first one, take it into the side tunnel, and Malika I¡¯ll pull the second one down here to you and you can tank it here.¡±


    ¡°Pull it far enough so there¡¯s no overlapped aura in the intersection, right?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s my thought,¡± he answered. Malika and Mato would be down separate passages, unable to see each other, but they didn¡¯t need to, from the intersection, Ali should be able to have her Kobolds heal everyone. The only problem would be the beginning of the fight where the Shards of Flame were being dragged over everyone.


    ¡°Ok, sounds good,¡± Mato said, transforming into his Bear Form.


    ¡°Ali, maybe block off a corner for yourself and the healers, there¡¯s going to be a storm of firebolts as they come through.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Ali said, and a golden wall appeared immediately.


    ¡°I got the one at the back. Go,¡± he said, and Mato charged down the dark rocky tunnel, smacking into the Shard of Flame.


    Calen released his arrow and struck the far Shard of Flame squarely in the center of its core, making it hiss angrily as it tore past Mato toward the group. Ali and most of her minions sprinted off down the tunnel toward the intersection while hiding behind the barrier she took with her. Many of them immediately ignited in the fire aura of the oncoming Shard of Flame before the burning was extinguished by healing magic.


    Calen thought, seeing Mato disappear down the side passage and Malika¡¯s punches landing on the elemental that was burning him just by its presence. But Malika did her job well, and the elemental never even got a chance to take a shot at him before it turned to her in rage.


    He left her to it, sprinting down the tunnel to get out of the aura of flame. From the intersection, he found he could clearly see both elementals, one down each tunnel, and with a little work, he positioned his bow horizontally, splitting his arrows to fire almost ninety degrees apart, one down each tunnel to strike each elemental. While Multishot split the base damage between each of the arrows fired, his light-damage enchantment applied the full damage to both, and he only paid for it once. For the skills he had, Multishot was almost always a win, unless he was forced to shoot without enchants.


    Multishot had been his reward for training with Nendir at Ciradyl the first time, and he had tried for another advance the last time he had gone, but no matter what they did, he could not unlock anything. Both Nendir and Lyeneru had recommended focusing on some other form of area damage, particularly given how he wanted to develop his class, and so they had been focusing on his arrow enchants this time.


    he thought, remembering his last training session before he returned. He had even extended his stay just a little, certain he was about to unlock something, but it hadn¡¯t been enough.


    The anxiety he had over what had to be the most dangerous pull in the dungeon so far slowly faded as the fight progressed. No unexpected adds sprang out of the lava to join in, and the monsters were separated enough that nobody except the melee was getting the extra burn damage from the auras. He grinned as Malika¡¯s elemental collapsed and he heard the chime sounding in the background.


    Malika and all the melee minions had to run the long way around, but that wasn¡¯t much of a problem, given how stable Mato seemed to be now. Knowing what was coming up next, he withheld his Righteous Fury, choosing to keep it for the tunnel of spiders instead. He nocked a normal arrow because it would do just a little more damage when fired at a single target, but he was still happy that his Multishot generated its own arrows ¨C it was so much less work and money to avoid ammunition.


    A few minutes later, the second Shard perished with a muffled implosion.


    And then his chime sounded a second time.


    Blinding Flash


    Mana: Cause an extremely bright flash when your arrow hits, blinding nearby targets. Range: 20 feet.


    Light, Area, Ranged, Intelligence


    Explosive Shot


    Mana: Your arrows explode on impact, dealing light damage to all targets in the immediate vicinity. Range: 10 feet.


    Light, Area, Ranged, Intelligence


    Armor Piercing


    Stamina: Your arrows will pierce armor, ignoring a percentage of the target¡¯s armor value


    Physical, Ranged, Dexterity


    Mote of Light


    Mana: Attach a Mote of Light to your arrow, fixing it at the destination


    Light, Ranged, Intelligence


    he thought, eyeing the requirements. The only explanation he could think of was that he had needed some time to internalize his training. Quickly, he scanned through the offered options.


    Without hesitation, he selected Explosive Shot. According to Nendir, it would work just like his light-damage enchantment ¨C each bolt would gain an explosive payload and he would pay once for the shot itself. Certainly, Nendir should know, he was a master with multishot.


    he thought wryly. He had wanted to get it the last three times his skill advanced, and each time there was something more important.


    His skill advancement was perfectly timed, too. He tested it immediately on the next pull. He enchanted an Eimuuran Steel arrow with both Enhanced Range and Explosive Shot, and when hit struck, it detonated with a loud bang and a blinding flash.


    ¡°Oh, a new advancement?¡± Ali exclaimed.


    ¡°Yes, Explosive Shot,¡± Calen said. ¡°I¡¯m excited to try it on the spiders.¡±


    ¡°Looks like the Sparkling Ooze light bombs,¡± Ali noted as they whittled the next elemental down.


    Calen led the group through the tunnels drawing the elementals from the side passages and the Lava Lurkers from the glowing pools and rivers one at a time before finally reaching the spider tunnel.


    ¡°Spiders,¡± he said, eyeing the flaming web draped from the ceiling and walls.


    ¡°Give me a few minutes, I want to summon some Sparkling Oozes,¡± Ali answered.


    ¡°Good idea.¡± The swarm of spiders had been a real challenge the first time they had run into it, but they had been unprepared. Usually, Ali kept a good set of Fire Mages, and their fireballs took care of groups, but they couldn¡¯t use fire down here, and that had exposed a weakness in their area damage output.


    While Ali worked her summoning magic, he stalked up ahead to scout the tunnel, marking the locations of the tiny holes the spiders had poured out from, and the few individual spiders that hung up in the webbing, but as he tried to step forward, he sensed a premonition of danger and froze. It felt like something was watching him, able to somehow see through his stealth.


    Not willing to risk it, Calen backed out slowly and silently and rejoined the group.


    ¡°I think there¡¯s something big lurking back there, but I can¡¯t quite detect it, so keep your eyes open,¡± he told them. He wasn¡¯t quite sure if it was his Explorer skill or just random paranoia, but he couldn¡¯t shake the sense of being watched.


    In the lull that followed, Ali finally spoke up. ¡°Have you noticed this dungeon doesn¡¯t seem to bother with low-level monsters? I mean, the Flame Skitterers are the only thing below thirty-five, and they¡¯re a swarm mob.¡±


    ¡°Seems about right for most dungeons,¡± Calen answered. Everything he had read seemed to follow similar patterns. Usually, dungeons had a level spread of monsters, but they were supposedly clustered close to the level of the dungeon itself.


    ¡°How does it have enough mana for that? I can¡¯t seem to afford even the low-level monsters I have,¡± Ali grumbled, her voice leaking frustration.


    Malika glanced up and said, ¡°Perhaps their class offers them some substantial discount that you haven¡¯t found yet?¡±


    Calen considered the question for a moment, but then it came to him. ¡°The owner of the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra were the Twin Wights, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, what of it?¡±


    ¡°They were a raid boss,¡± he answered. ¡°And your raid boss has some ridiculous mana pool. Didn¡¯t you say your Domain Mastery might let you do that to yourself?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I should have thought of that,¡± Ali said, her brow furrowed. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m pretty sure my skill can apply the boss transformation to me, but I get the impression that it¡¯s permanent, and there¡¯s no way I¡¯m doing that. Domain Withdrawal is enough of a limit for me, I don¡¯t want to be confined to a cave.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably smart,¡± Malika said. ¡°You can¡¯t unsummon yourself if you make a mistake.¡±


    ¡°Ok, well, I¡¯m ready,¡± Ali said, still frowning with evident frustration. ¡°What¡¯s the plan? Charge in and blow everything up?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s about right, maybe send your oozes in first and flush them out, and I¡¯ll shoot from here, and try not to hit your monsters,¡± Calen said. Ali¡¯s face was lit up brilliantly by the presence of the six Sparkling Oozes that surrounded her, taking the place of several other minions that she had unsummoned to make enough mana to support them.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about the Sparkling Oozes, they¡¯re immune to light magic,¡± Ali chuckled. ¡°Go crazy.¡±


    ¡°Oh perfect.¡± Calen resummoned his motes and sent them floating out into the tunnel to make sure nothing was hiding in stealth. The oozes slithered and crawled after them, more or less flowing up the craggy walls, ignoring the web as they went. In seconds, the tunnel filled with a hissing sound, and blobs of fire began to shift and scurry around. Hundreds of eyes gleamed down from behind the webbing and spiders began to pour out of their hiding spots in the cracks and crevices in the walls.


    The tunnel suddenly filled with a strobing light and deafening roar as the oozes let loose, but even given the intensity of the clash, his enhanced vision still picked out the densest groups of spiders clearly. Ali clamped her hands over her eyes, and as she did, Calen triggered his Righteous Fury, filling the air with triple-shot volleys of magical arrows enhanced with additional light magic damage and his newest Explosive Shot. The roar from the tunnel washed over him, but he didn¡¯t let up until the mana in his veins stopped burning and the crawling in the dark tunnel ceased. The only thing left moving were the oozes plopping down from the ceiling to consume the occasional twitching spider, and Mato tanking the few almost dead higher-level Flame Spinners that had survived the gauntlet.


    he thought, switching up his arrow enchantments to help finish off the remaining spiders.But he still felt the sense of something watching him with far too many eyes.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 170: Broodmother

    - Dorin Crimsonhammer, Platinum Adventurer.


    Willow


    Willow studied the terrain up ahead as Cami padded silently back to her side, tongue lolling out the side of her mouth. ¡°Good work,¡± she whispered, scratching Cami behind her ears. She was growing larger and more powerful with every level they gained together, and she already outweighed nearly every Timber Wolf they encountered down here.


    ¡°Good to go?¡± Teagan asked. Braden adjusted his shield restlessly while Basil dug up a mushroom.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Seth said, walking over from the corpses with a new zombie Timber Wolf in tow. Cami growled suspiciously at it, but Willow sent her soothing thoughts.


    Willow caught Teagan¡¯s eyes and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll get the next group,¡± she said, keeping her bow ready while scanning the cavern for the dark shadows of the bats that roosted among the giant oaks. The team had decided to take a break from scouring the blighted forest, choosing instead to spend a day or two gaining some experience in Aliandra¡¯s dungeon. Clearing the zombies in the forest was their highest priority ¨C not to mention that the kill quest paid handsomely ¨C but most of the undead were too low-level for them to grow their classes and skills now. At least down here, some of the wolves and bats provided a better challenge.


    A sudden thrill spilled over through her connection from Cami, and she turned to find her excited companion with her nose pressed to the ground. ¡°Did you find something, girl?¡± she asked, studying the ground with her tracking skill. The tracks were fresh, and Cami was already following the scent.


    ¡°Wha¡­ what is ¡± Braden exclaimed.


    Willow¡¯s eyes snapped up, latching onto an incomprehensibly bizarre scene unfolding down by the river that ran through the shrine grove.


    Something flapped about like a demented bird attacking an invisible prey. It was a small rectangular shape that opened and shut every now and then with softly audible thumps that carried across the intervening mossy forest.


    Even with the range granted by her enhanced perception skill, she was barely able to identify the thing.


    ¡°It¡¯s a¡­ a book?¡±


    Cami quivered, staring at the thing, a low growl coming from deep within her throat. Slowly she began backing up.


    Suddenly the¡­ ¡­ shone with a golden glow, snapping its covers shut with a sharp . The dark form of a leather-clad rogue materialized, dodging and covering his head with his hands as he tried to evade the airborne book, which now sported rows of vicious-looking golden teeth.


    ¡°The¡­ fuck?¡± Braden murmured, drawing his shortsword.


    ¡°An assassin!¡± Willow exclaimed, knowing her friends wouldn¡¯t be able to identify the person from this far. She had heard the novices talking about the assassin team that had attempted to disrupt their class ceremony and deny them access to the shrine. Apparently, one girl had even taken a spear through the chest and almost died.


    ¡°Hold,¡± Teagan said, as Braden made to move. ¡°That¡¯s the raid zone.¡±


    Willow¡¯s eyes widened as she realized where it was. As the harried rogue backed away to avoid being bitten by the flying eldritch tome, he grew closer and closer to the glowing shrine itself.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not going to be pretty,¡± Seth said.


    Willow shivered.


    With their hands protecting their head, the beleaguered rogue clearly could not see the patrolling Forest Guardian ¨C the raid boss that Willow had been carefully avoiding all morning. Teagan grabbed her hand anxiously, but she too chose to remain silent.


    A grating roar shook the trees. Leaves burst from branches in a sudden cloud. Wisps and bats took to the air in fright. The huge monster of wood and bark blurred with tremendous speed, tearing up the ground and filling the air with flying dirt and clods of moss. Even from their distance, Willow grimaced at the heavy thump and gruesome crunch. Her enhanced vision took in every detail of the spray of blood. It was over in the briefest of seconds, and the giant monster stopped, eyeing the flying book for a moment before turning around and resuming its path.


    Then the book vanished.


    ¡°Uh¡­ what just happened?¡± Willow croaked, her voice cracking hilariously.


    No-one laughed.


    Aliandra


    Ali frowned as she searched the giant pile of still-burning spider corpses for the larger Flame Spinners to deconstruct. Calen¡¯s idea that the dungeons might be abusing the raid boss resource increase to support their legions of monstrous defenders had to be correct. But it was very much unfair ¨C she had already sacrificed a lot of freedom to take the Domain aptitude for her class, so why should she have to bind herself to a specific area within her domain just to have enough mana to be a proper dungeon?


    ¡°Got the Flame Spinner,¡± she said.


    Calen glanced up from where he was studying the cracks and tunnels. ¡°Nice. Too bad you can¡¯t use them in here, though.¡±


    The variant notification took her mind off her internal grumbling for a moment, and she decided she would need to test to see if the Flame Spinner could produce the Flame Web. If so, she could free up the imprint chapter she had used to learn it separately. she thought, but the idea of doing that didn¡¯t hold much excitement for her. She would much rather have something that doubled as a defender and could make the web. That way, she could sell the web to have someone else make the thread.


    She flinched, startled by the unexpected notification, momentarily frightened by the word ¡®assassin¡¯ appearing in her mind. She still had nightmares of rogues hunting her from the shadows, waiting to pounce when her back was turned.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ali?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°My forest guardian just killed an assassin.¡±


    ¡°Seems like it¡¯s working then?¡± Mato asked.


    She eyed him askance, but he just smiled at her. It was, she supposed, a perfectly normal notification for a dungeon to be receiving. The entire point was that her minions should protect her space, more-or-less autonomously. However, it would be much better to learn to be aware of what was going on at all times, just in case she needed to intervene.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s just a surprise when it dings at random times.¡± It had started happening when she began populating the forest cavern with wolves and bats and they began eliminating zombies that crept in through the lower entrance, but she still hadn¡¯t gotten used to it. There seemed to be no way to turn it off, but it had opened her eyes to the number of monsters constantly drawn to her domain. Splitting her awareness through Martial Insight, she slipped into the senses of her Forest Guardian to check in on the situation. Below its feet were the mangled remains of what must have been the assassin. Surveying the surroundings, she picked up a few bright green sources of energy with her elemental¡¯s Life Sight, but they appeared to be one of the bronze-ranked adventurer groups, observing from a safe distance. None appeared to be hurt. Good.


    She found her industrious kobold rogue collectors and sent them down to the Grove to collect whatever could be salvaged from the assassin¡¯s corpse, but she wasn¡¯t holding out much hope.


    ¡°Can you give me a few minutes?¡± Ali asked. At least her forest guardian boss was fulfilling its function, as Mato had said.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Malika said.


    As quickly as her Grimoire allowed, she summoned a Flame Spinner. The sleek, shiny black spider seemed far more intimidating up close, especially when it ignited the moment it appeared, forcing Ali to step back lest she get even more scorched. With just a quick perspective shift, she accessed her newest monster¡¯s skills.


    ¡°Anything nice?¡± Calen said. His notebook was conspicuously absent this deep into the fire domain.


    ¡°Nothing that will change our strategy,¡± Ali mused, dropping her awareness and unsummoning the magnificent spider. It would be worse than useless down here. But she grinned happily and added, ¡°It has a very interesting blend of heat vision and web sense, though. I can¡¯t wait to try it out somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Oh, very nice!¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m ready to continue.¡±


    They picked their way through the tunnel lit by the tattered remains of the flame web on the jagged rock overhead with Ali choosing to fly over the sea of mangled spider corpses, preferring to avoid getting ichor all over herself like Mato. She grimaced, trying to tune out the continuous crunching of broken chitin underfoot.


    A sudden twang from Calen¡¯s bow, and a hissing screech in the darkness as something dropped to the ground with a thump, reminded Ali that she should stay vigilant. Progress was slow and cautious, with Malika collecting as much of the intact web as she could find, however, they soon reached the end of the tunnel. Ali studied the switchback to a lower tunnel and the several staggered side tunnels where the miners must have followed some valuable ore vein while Calen quickly prepared to scout them out.


    ¡°Calen, I can see some spiders in those tunnels,¡± she offered. Each of the passages glowed with the dull, softly flickering red light cast by the dense web draped across the roof and walls. Deep in the shadows, black shapes crawled, gleaming eyes peered out, visible through a surprising amount of rock just by the glow of their fire mana.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to clear them out, one at a time,¡± Calen said when he returned. ¡°Mato in front with Ali¡¯s Hob and shamans to catch anything that sneaks through. Malika, do your thing, and Ali and I will hold the back line and provide area damage.¡±


    They slowly advanced, blasting their way down the passage, painstakingly clearing each of the side excavations with a deluge of Sparkling Ooze light bombs and Calen¡¯s devastating volleys of explosive arrows. The slimes swarmed across the rocky roof, relentlessly hunting down spiders from every crack or crevice, ignoring the continuous barrage of explosive light magic.


    It took forever. Especially when Ali had to stop to inscribe new Inspiration circles so Calen could regenerate his mana quicker.


    Nothing like the first time they had entered this domain without any fire resistance gear.


    They continued, following the main passage through its switchbacks and twists and turns as it proceeded ever lower, exterminating the spider infestation as they went, until they found the tunnel expanded into a large adjoining cavern before continuing onward. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ali was about to head in with Mato when Calen called out, ¡°Stop. Boss.¡±


    She instantly froze, gazing around the cavern, but her eyes were not able to identify what had given Calen pause. She turned to him and saw him pointing up at the center of the ceiling. Nestled there, hidden within the dense flaming web, she could just make out the dark gleam of a suspended hulking black shape. She shivered, a trickle of fear touching her spine, raising the hairs on the back of her neck.


    ¡°That¡¯s huge!¡± she whispered. The creature was pitch-black with red flame wreathing its entire body, but where the other spiders had been smooth, this one had wicked-looking spines growing from its legs and thorax. A powerful aura of fire-affinity mana emanated from its body, seamlessly blended with the backdrop of the dungeon¡¯s domain and the density of the flame web in which it had concealed itself.


    ¡°Plan?¡± Mato asked, his eyes never leaving the gigantic spider.


    ¡°It identifies as a regular boss, not a raid boss,¡± Calen said, ¡°but we should still be very careful, it will be vastly stronger than the other spiders.¡±


    ¡°Level? Can we avoid it?¡± Malika asked quietly. The dark hollow of a tunnel exit loomed nearby, and it was possible they might be able to skip this entire chamber if they were able to sneak past the giant Broodmother.


    ¡°Level sixty. But I don¡¯t think we should try to sneak by,¡± Calen said. ¡°I¡¯m almost certain it already knows we¡¯re here.¡±


    And then Ali saw it ¨C an almost imperceptible rhythmic pulse of fire-affinity mana that flowed outward from the Flame Broodmother along uncountable strands of flame web, passing beyond even the cavern itself and into the various side tunnels and cracks.


    Her Tunnel Weavers had a Web Sense that operated like an extended sense of touch via the webbing they were connected to, and this looked like a vastly more extensive version of the same thing, just augmented somehow with the monstrous spider¡¯s flames.


    ¡°I definitely don¡¯t want something that nasty chasing us down in the dark tunnels,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Ali agreed. Although, while the spider certainly appeared terrifying with its black spines and glowing red eyes, she could Identify its level ¨C and Calen had said it was a regular boss. Any surprises would be manageable, and if not, she had her recall potion.


    ¡°Mato, do you think you can get it to come down?¡± Calen asked, pointing toward the craggy rock wall on the far side of the room. ¡°Maybe tank it over there? I¡¯m guessing there will be some web-based attacks, so Ali, your oozes might be the most effective.¡±


    Mato downed a dark red elixir. ¡°Ok, let¡¯s see if it takes the bait,¡± he said, shifting into his Bear Form and strolling out into the middle of the chamber like he owned the place.


    Ali wished she had his level of confidence ¨C to be the first to face the monster, trusting that everyone else would support him. As she directed her minions to file into the cavern, spreading them around at the edges, she contemplated that she was only confident at stepping in there at all because she knew her friends would do their best.


    Her tension rose as Mato approached the center of the cavern with two of Calen¡¯s motes of light bobbing after him. When he reached the spot directly below the monstrous spider hanging from the ceiling, he let out a deep roar, taunting it. His challenge was answered immediately by a loud hiss and a blast of flame that smashed into the ground right where he was standing. The blast rocked the cavern, sending Ali¡¯s minions ducking and dodging as chips of rock and globs of slag clattered off the walls. Still, Mato simply stood his ground, trusting his life to the fire resistance on his armor and the elixir he had just downed ¨C and the gentle pulse of the holy restoration magic that worked to bring him back to full health.


    From deep within the flaming web, the dark, spined form of the massive spider slowly emerged suspended on a thick strand of burning silk. Ali gasped.  Four hind legs gripped the silk strand as it spun more, a continuous ripple of precision and strength as it paid out the line to descend into the chamber. The front legs waved in the air as if tasting it, while eight eyes lit with inner fires took in everything.


    It paused in midair for a moment and then dropped the last couple of meters to the ground. Sharp chitinous legs blurred, attempting to skewer Mato from above, but he sidestepped, and the spider landed in a crash of sharp spines and wicked stabs that sliced through the rock as if it were clay.


    Mato flared with the telltale green of his nature-affinity magic and his huge paw Swiped horizontally across the face of the spider. The great crash and angry hiss told Ali that he had severely annoyed it. Still, she waited as Mato shuffled backward, maneuvering the giant Flame Broodmother to face away from them.


    Mana swirled within the monster, and it let forth a roaring blast of intense red fire, a cone that seared across the back half of the cavern, knocking Mato rolling despite his huge, armored bulk and leaving a track of glowing slag in its wake.


    Faster than Ali could track, the Broodmother was upon him, razor-sharp gleaming jagged edges of its blurring front legs slicing through Mato and rock with equal ease. Mato¡¯s blood sprayed across the cavern, steaming as it struck the super-heated rock, and her Acolytes yipped in surprise. While the damage was substantial, it still seemed manageable. The wounds were deep, but the healers were already restoring him. The spider struck again, the attacks somehow even faster.


    ¡°She has a Frenzy ability,¡± Malika announced. ¡°Watch Mato¡¯s health.¡±


    Ali recalled, remembering the ability from her studies. Mato was not the most dexterous tank, and dodging wasn¡¯t exactly his style.


    ¡°Go,¡± Calen announced, punctuating his statement with an incandescent arrow.


    ¡°¡± Ali commanded, relaying the instruction mentally to all her minions. Immediately, arrows flew, Lightning Bolts crackled, and her rogues sneaked out across the chamber, invisible to mundane senses in the darkness.


    A red formation of magic coalesced within the Broodmother¡¯s abdomen, and Ali immediately focused her attention. Having no prior experience with this boss, she needed to be exceptionally cautious ¨C any ability could be deadly with the element of surprise. Sage of Learning ticked, drawing some of her meager mana supply away, and the formation suddenly became clearer to her. Her potent perception skill highlighted similarities between the formations etched in fire and her memories of something similar in the flavor of bone magic.


    ¡°It¡¯s summoning monsters!¡±


    ¡°Above!¡± Calen yelled, and within the dense flaming web along the ceiling, several dozen Flame Skitterers fanned out along thin filaments of the fire web. Still, the Broodmother pulsed her summoning magic every couple of seconds, and each time a new batch of spiders materialized, scurrying away into the dense webbing, or one of the larger Flame Spinners dropped down from the ceiling.


    The ceiling blazed with the light of Calen¡¯s explosions.


    ¡°¡± Ali backed it up with the mental image for the benefit of her simple-minded Sparkling Oozes, and they immediately flowed up the walls, lobbing explosions of light into the center.


    ¡°¡± Her Kobolds nodded, acknowledging her instructions. ¡°¡±


    The dark cavern began to flicker and flash as the intense explosions ripped through the webbing and small spiders that hung above the giant flame-wreathed boss. Some of the flashes were so intense that they overwhelmed the light of the flame and the web, leaving the cavern strobing between pitch-black and brightness so strong that it hurt her eyes. Everything moved in stop-motion, and with the amount of mana exploding, she was struggling to understand even her mana sight.


    She almost missed the second magical formation within the spider.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Ali yelled as she suddenly found the almost fully complete magical formation pulsing with red angry power. There was no time to analyze the spell.


    With a sound like a fireball detonating, a sphere of flaming strands burst from the Broodmother like a whirlwind of blazing silk. A strand lashed across Ali¡¯s chest and her shins, picking her up and slamming her into the wall. She coughed, winded, and found herself glued to the wall a meter off the ground with the skin on her legs blistering and burning. The Broodmother screeched loudly and charged Mato where he had also been pasted up against the wall but, with a great ripping sound, he tore himself free and engaged with a roar.


    ¡°Ali, healers,¡± Calen called from where he too was struggling against his bonds.


    Quickly, Ali connected her perception to her three Acolytes and found that all of them had been blown too far for them to reach Mato with their spells. Minion Teleport pulsed to the will of her mana and Ali appeared near the ceiling. Suddenly free, she summoned a barrier to catch herself while the Sparkling Ooze she had switched places with, slithered back up the wall like the flame webbing didn¡¯t even exist.


    Ali flew down to the center of the chamber, urgently counting down her recharge. As soon as it expired, she switched places with an Acolyte, teleporting it out of its fiery bindings and into the center of the room, where it would hopefully be in range of the already profusely bleeding Mato.


    ¡°¡± she demanded, harsh draconic syllables making bone-affinity mana flare from her trapped Bone Mages. She hissed at the searing pain of the flaming bindings that had until just a moment ago restrained her Acolyte, but she just gritted her teeth and began to deconstruct them. While the placement of her Acolyte was calculated to be ideal for healing Mato, there were still Flame Skitterers being spawned, and they would quickly destroy her healer without any help. She tossed out a barrier to help it. Expansive, thick walls of bone sprung up around the lone Acolyte, hopefully enough to protect her while she labored to free more of her minions. As soon as her recharge was up, she switched with another ooze, again appearing near the ceiling of the cavern and landing on a hastily summoned barrier. She created four barrier shards, making them as sharp as she could, and split her attention between Malika and Calen, tearing at the strands of fire silk gluing them down while she flew down trying to decide what to free next.


    . Her trapped Acolytes had not been idle, they were actively healing against the damage of the flaming webbing ¨C but it was Mato she was most worried about.


    , she decided. Ali found one of her shamans, and teleported herself into his web prison, freeing him to protect her Acolyte from the spider swarm.


    Her shaman dropped his nova totem near the bone walls and lit his shield with electricity as he waded into the spawned monsters. She continued freeing her minions, using her teleport every time the recharge was available, and tearing at the webbing with her barrier shards. When she finally sawed through and deconstructed enough strands to free Malika and Calen, the fight regained a modicum of stability. Ali breathed a sigh of relief and set herself to freeing her remaining minions.


    She ran through her options in her mind.  she decided.  She puzzled over the tradeoffs, considering all the options while the cavern flashed with the bright explosions, Lightning Bolts, and the Broodmother¡¯s flame blast. At least Mato wasn¡¯t being pushed back by that anymore now that he was fighting up against the rock wall of the cavern, but he and the Broodmother seemed to be fighting with sound as much as brawn, trading angry hisses with furious roars. Enacting her plans, she rearranged her minions, shifting them across the cavern so that they stood in two main groups on either side of the Broodmother, with just rogues and shamans behind her.


    Soon enough, she saw the giant spider drawing heavily on the domain mana within the cavern.


    ¡°Web Explosion!¡± she yelled, throwing up three barriers instantly. One protected two Acolytes that she had made stand beside each other, the second materialized in front of Calen, and the third covered two of her shamans.


    The maelstrom of flaming silk rope ripped through the cavern as the web blasted everyone else outward from the boss and glued them to the walls. Sticky, burning strands clung to the surface of her barriers, but they had served their purpose and Ali dismissed them at once. Calen and four of her minions were free, and with her adjustment to the placement of her minions, they were only stuck to the walls in two places, all well within range of the healers.


    she thought, as she switched with her ooze to free herself and summoned her sharpened barrier shards to begin cutting Malika and her remaining minions free.  she thought while teleporting back up to the ceiling again. But, getting everyone freed and back into combat faster would have a much more significant impact on their fight than if she threw her shards at the boss directly.


    From her high vantage point, near the ceiling of the room, she looked down and studied the fight. Many of the spawned spiders were dropping down near the center of the cavern, or scuttling down the walls, and if she could deny them half the room through clever use of the bone walls or barriers, she could potentially corral them into a clump for more efficient elimination by her shamans¡¯ lightning abilities.


    ¡°¡± she sent, along with the detailed image of her intent. As she made her way down, several diagonal walls of bone appeared and Ali augmented them with her barriers, causing the skittering spiders to bunch up in the center. Without even needing to instruct them further, the shamans tossed their Lightning Nova totems to land amid the spiders to devastating effect.


    With all her minions freed and the spawned spiders taken care of, she checked on the Broodmother¡¯s health using her Acolyte¡¯s Healer¡¯s Sight.


    ¡°Twenty percent,¡± she announced, surprised to discover how low the boss already was. But she had been frenetically busy the entire fight and hadn¡¯t been aware of just how long they had been at it.


    Right as she announced the value, the Broodmother let out an angry hiss, and the flames on its body surged, intensifying into a furious blaze of heat and flame that began melting the rock on which it fought. Its legs blurred and a fountain of blood flew from the sudden array of new deep wounds on Mato¡¯s flanks, shoulders, and back.


    The first of her Acolytes triggered Devotion, the pillar of holy light gleaming out brightly against the dark red of molten rock and flame.


    ¡°It¡¯s enraged,¡± Calen shouted, immediately triggering his Righteous Fury, and unleashing a brilliant storm of arrows at the boss which seemed to be shredding Mato with its unbelievably powerful, hasted strikes, leaving a gruesome display of blood splattered against the wall.


    Ali shot a few barrier shards at just to get in a little extra damage, when she noticed the surge of fire-affinity mana within the Broodmother again.


    ¡°Web Explosion!¡± She summoned her three barriers immediately, trying to cram more of her minions behind each one. This time she managed to get all her shamans and Acolytes, while also protecting Calen from the explosive snare of the web. Her head cracked against the rock wall as she was glued to it by the webbing, and she saw stars briefly before she freed herself by teleporting her ooze into her spot.


    She gasped as several hasted strikes cut deeply into Mato while the flame blast simultaneously smashed him into the wall, and his health dropped precipitously low. But just as the blurred forelegs of the spider sliced downward, his health skyrocketed.


    ¡°He used Last Stand,¡± Malika confirmed, dodging in to heal him.


    Mato must have used his potent perception skill to anticipate the need for his final defensive skill, Last Stand, casting it with perfect timing and giving them thirty seconds of breathing room to smooth over the transition through the enraged Web Explosion.


    Malika somehow managed to dodge the web this time and tore into the boss with a dazzling display of precision martial arts, so Ali worked to cut her archers and bone mages free instead, prioritizing the monsters with the most damage.


    Ali was still cutting web from her last minions when her chime sounded.


    Ali immediately spent all twenty points on wisdom, growing her mana pool by six hundred.


    She released her barrier shards, allowing them to disperse into the golden glitter of unbound mana as the urgency of the fight suddenly waned. The sounds of explosions and arrows faded as the last remaining spiders were quickly hunted down and eliminated. Ali freed her remaining minions using Minion Teleport or deconstruction exclusively because it conveniently detached the exceptionally sticky web from them, instead of leaving annoying burning strands stuck to skin or armor.


    Finally, she finished and landed near the great black spiny corpse of the spider. It was lying upside down with its legs curled up into a ball, all the spines sticking outward. Slowly dying flames still flickered along the surface of its heavy chitinous armor, now covered with cracks and scrapes.


    Mato emerged from behind the corpse, clambering up out of a shallow depression of still-glowing rock, fused by the intense flame blast. Plastered up on the wall was the gruesome image of an enormous amount of his splattered blood burned and seared into the rock.


    ¡°The chitin is worth a moderate amount if Myrin¡¯s Keep had any crafters able to work it, which it doesn¡¯t. But it¡¯s not worth passing up any of the skills you might learn from deconstructing it,¡± Malika said, poking at the enormous dead spider.


    ¡°Ok,¡± she said, and got to work deconstructing it, while Malika circled the room, storing every piece of flame web she could find.


    ¡°Enrage and Summoning?¡± Calen guessed, twitching visibly as he must have tried to summon his notebook and remembered at the last moment it would just burn in the atmosphere down here.


    ¡°No, actually,¡± Ali said, glancing again at her notifications in surprise. ¡°It must have those two as regular skills. I got Nova Strike and Perception.¡±


    Nova Strike she had already learned from the Piercer Scorpion boss, and the Broodmother must have been using it to empower the web ability to create the devastating Web Explosion. But it was the perception enhancement that grabbed her attention.


    ¡°Nice, you wanted perception, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, hopefully, I can get enough mana to make some more bosses now.¡± But now she wanted the Flame Broodmother too. More and more she was growing convinced that her effectiveness was rooted in a diverse set of minions, and the Flame Broodmother had been a very effective monster. Most of her highest-level monsters were either elementals that she couldn¡¯t summon or had a fire affinity, and so they would be useless against the Emberforge Mines. However, the Broodmother was a level sixty swarm-summoner with enrage and frenzy, and potent fire and web attacks ¨C as a boss or a roaming monster protecting her domain, it would be deadly.


    She sighed and stretched her back.


    ***


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 171: The Landing

    AliandraThe tunnel out of the Flame Broodmother¡¯s lair wound steadily downward, occasionally narrowing enough that they were forced to proceed single file. Every so often, they paused to clear Flame Spinners from dimly glowing side caves, or Lava Lurkers from the ever-present pools of lava. It took ages, but leaving monsters to creep up on them from behind sounded like a disaster waiting to happen. Eventually, the rough-hewn tunnel widened, opening into a wider, straighter passage that had been cut through the rock by ancient stone mages. What had once been a smooth stone floor was marred by deep gouges, like something extremely heavy had been dragged away. Lava spilled from cracks in the walls, pooling here and there, making for extremely treacherous footing for her friends and minions.


    As the end of the passage came into view, Ali found herself staring at a massive, reinforced stone archway, through which a flickering red-orange light spilled.


    Calen¡¯s eyes seemed round as saucers. ¡°What is this?¡± he breathed.


    Mato chuffed, not bothering to switch forms to talk, but Ali could feel the teasing intent in his voice and body language.


    ¡°This is the Landing,¡± Ali said, finally recognizing something down here. ¡°It¡¯s where the supply lines for all the various mining operations connected. There should be several passages leading on to different sections of the mine. One of those passages should lead to where Thovir Emberforge had his forge and anvil.¡±


    Excited, they approached, but as they reached the broad archway reinforcing the tunnel against uncountable tons of rock above, Ali gulped as the cause of the glow presented itself. The expansive chamber beyond the archway that had once been the Landing was filled with restlessly shifting elementals of pure flame. Heat rolled out from the opening like standing before the open door of a furnace.


    The familiar Shards of Flame circled around the perimeter of the chamber, dangerous in their own right, but appearing small and insignificant beside their towering cousins.


    Large enough to make even Mato or Calen look puny, the Living Flame elementals had cores of deep blue flame so dark it might as well be black at the center. Red-orange flames flickered and danced as they glided across the heat-shimmering stone. The closer she got, the louder the ambient roar of surging flames dominated Ali¡¯s hearing.


    ¡°This looks nasty,¡± Malika observed.


    ¡°One of the bigger ones at the back is a boss,¡± Calen said. ¡°Actually, I think it might be both of them.¡±


    ¡°What now?¡± Ali asked. She hadn¡¯t even noticed the larger Living Flame elementals at the back, towering even over their kin, but what she did see was the intense aura of fire that suffused the entire Landing.


    ¡°I think I can get some of these to chase me out here,¡± Calen said thoughtfully. ¡°If it works, we could fight them one at a time in the tunnel back here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m game,¡± Mato announced, having finally shifted, unsurprisingly eager at the prospect of a new fight.


    Ali glanced at Malika quickly, who answered, ¡°I think we should at least try. Just be careful, we don¡¯t know what these may do. Be ready to run or recall if it goes badly.¡±


    Reflexively, Ali checked on her stash of recall potions, reassuring herself that she was set if things came unstuck.


    Ali backed up into the tunnel again, drawing her minions with her, and waited while Calen vanished. This time, she happily noted that she could make out the barely visible streamers of his mana warping the area he passed through. The slightest trace of light affinity against the heavy cloak of fire and lava affinities. When he used mana skills, provided she knew what she was looking for, she could see him with Arcane Insight. Or at least, she could see the effects of his presence like an inverted shadow of light. Ali noted, knowing he would want to train his skills to be as undetectable as possible.


    She studied the strangely distorted mirage of his mana as he cautiously entered the room and paused there, presumably choosing an appropriate target, or waiting for an opportunity only he could see. The slightest flicker of mana was Ali¡¯s only warning that he had acted. An intense flash of light appeared as an arrow slammed into the closest Living Flame elemental right as it glided into a relatively open space.


    Hissing like water splashed into a scalding pan, the elemental turned and surged towards the archway where Calen¡¯s form had suddenly become visible as he sprinted back to where they all waited.


    ¡°Face him away, just in case,¡± Calen said as he ran past where Mato was waiting in his Bear Form.


    Mato just snorted, informing his friend in no uncertain terms that he knew his job.


    With a throaty roar, Mato engaged, charging the elemental. He Swiped across what looked like the torso of the vaguely humanoid pillar of self-sustaining fire and spun it around so that his back faced the archway instead of the group. Mato¡¯s fur ignited in the intensity of the elemental¡¯s aura, filling the tunnel with the stench of burnt fur and cooking meat. Blasts of firebolts shot out at Mato, crashing into the walls and flying into the Landing beyond the archway. Ali thought, erecting a protective barrier just in case. Her own skin began to burn and blister, and she backed away even further to get out of the aura that was quite a bit larger and more potent than the smaller Shards of Flame.


    But the flame felt strange, almost rejuvenating. It even looked strange, red flecked with the dark blue-black from the elemental¡¯s core.


    ¡°Is¡­ the fire regenerating my mana?¡± Ali asked. It was tricky to tell over the chaos of battle, her attention already diverted a dozen ways already by the incredible damage output from the Living Flame.


    ¡°Mine is¡­¡± Calen said, surprise registering in his eyes. Immediately, his rate of fire doubled as he filled the air with light-affinity mana and arrows.


    Mato¡¯s health spiraled in freefall, and Ali pushed her kobolds to heal more. A large heal landed, stabilizing his dwindling health before he landed a powerful strike with his right paw. His green mana flickered, and his health became substantially more buoyant, ticking up from the combined magic of nature and holy healing. Another big heal landed and Ali breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°¡± she commanded. The rogues stalked forward, visible to Ali only via her minion perception skills. The shamans and the Hobgoblin rushed in with no thoughts of stealth. Screeches and hooting calls broke out as all of Ali¡¯s melee minions caught fire in the oppressive aura rolling out from the giant elemental. Shaman shields sparked brilliantly, coruscating as sparks cascaded out onto the ground.


    ¡°Fuck, that¡¯s a lot of damage,¡± Ali swore, observing the flashes of retaliatory flame that burst from the elemental with every blade that struck it. Her connection to her Acolytes¡¯ Healer¡¯s Sight told an even grimmer picture.


    ¡°Is it manageable?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ we¡¯d better kill it fast,¡± Ali said. ¡°Faster.¡±


    To Ali¡¯s left, the brilliant pillar of holy radiance shone forth as the first Acolyte burned her Devotion skill, boosting her holy magic and accelerating her healing. It was a remarkable skill, but it had limits. For thirty seconds, the health of everyone in the flame aura stabilized, and Ali concentrated on attacking instead of worrying. Still, when the Acolyte¡¯s radiance faded, their health began to dwindle rapidly.


    Twenty seconds later, the second Acolyte burst into a pillar of radiance.


    The skill had a long recharge, and Ali did not have unlimited Acolytes. ¡°¡± she commanded. ¡°¡± At least at range, her shamans wouldn¡¯t be taking nearly as much damage ¨C it wasn¡¯t much, but hopefully, it would help the healing to go further.


    Ali¡¯s thoughts were suddenly wrenched back to the Living Flame as mana surged and then suddenly condensed within its core, an unfurling blossom of flame that roared with power.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± she shouted. It was all she was able to get out before an intense spherical shockwave of compressed flame blasted outward, tossing her minions into the air like dolls in a hurricane. Her hasty barrier shattered instantly, and Ali felt a disorienting moment of weightlessness before her body bounced off the rock wall and everything went dark.


    Ali groaned as she came to. She was face down with an uncomfortably hot jagged rock pressing into her cheek.  Groggy, she raised her head, and the memory of the fight came back in a rush. Half her Hobgoblin lay burning in a puddle of lava. Corpses of rogues were strewn about and one of her shamans seemed to be impaled on a sharp sliver of rock halfway up the wall. Beside her, an Acolyte stirred. Of Calen and Malika, she could find no sign. And Mato¡­


    She turned in horror, realizing he had been on the opposite side of the explosion. Within the Landing, there was a commotion. Mato¡¯s bear charged towards her from where he must have been flung like a ragdoll, and he was being chased by at least six angry Living Flame elementals.


    She scrambled to her feet, struggling to find her stored recall potion while gesticulating wildly to him. But, even covered with rapidly burning fur, the grim focus on his face gave her sudden pause.  Ali¡¯s eyes widened in horror as his body charred in the potent overlapping auras of flame. His personal nature-affinity healing had dwindled to a fading spark. Even at this distance, Ali¡¯s skin began to crisp and sear from the onrushing heat.


    Mato needed help.


    The heat vanished and the flames froze, fading to gray as Arcane Recall gripped the world. Everything hinged on how long her Guardian could last in that fire. With a mental gesture, she manifested her Grimoire and in the still silence of her most potent spell, she summoned a Forest Guardian, watching the flow of her spell as it wended its way to completion as if blissfully unconcerned about the tense backdrop of the frozen instant.


    ¡°¡± she screamed the instant the world restarted. The enormous wood elemental let out a grating roar and charged for the archway.


    As Mato approached the archway, Ali teleported out of the flames, switching with an Acolyte that was running frantically down the passageway to reach her, talons glowing with a readied healing spell. ¡°¡± she yelled, eyes ¨C and borrowed perceptions ¨C locked on the burning bear. An instant-cast Restoration spell flashed with the bright color of holy mana, pulsing softly. The terrifying plummeting of Mato¡¯s health slowed while Ali held her breath.


    Heat began to mount once more, growing more and more intense as the pillars of vengeful flame glided toward the tunnel, but Ali¡¯s Kobold stood there, robes on fire, casting another, much larger and slower healing spell.


    Mato¡¯s recharge must have just expired because he suddenly charged, pulling ahead of his pursuers briefly, right as Ali¡¯s Forest Guardian shot past him and smashed into the pack of Living Flames. As Mato passed beneath the enormous archway, Ali slammed her strongest barrier across it, taking advantage of the tiny gap created by his charge and her Forest Guardian¡¯s surprise attack. Mato¡¯s jaw clamped down on the diminutive Kobold Acolyte¡¯s shoulder, scooping her up as he continued to run. Behind the glittering barrier, the Forest Guardian blazed out like a flaming torch. The Kobold dangling from his jaws did not even pause for a moment, casting her healing magic continuously. Ali turned and ran, shoving more and more mana into the barrier that blocked the archway.


    ¡°Run, Mato! Go!¡± she shouted. Forced to rely on her legs, she rapidly fell behind, unable to keep up with Mato, but she had a skill he did not. As soon as she sensed she was in range, she teleported ahead, swapping places with a Sparkling Ooze that had been blasted further up the tunnel. Her barrier shattered, a cascading tinkle like the breaking of glass that was felt through her mana. Picking a narrow section of the tunnel, she snapped a new one into place, leaving enough capacity for a small personal flying disk.


    She ranged ahead with her senses, but most of her minions were gone, killed by the enormous explosion or the burning fire of the domain once they lost healing. Back down the hallway, brilliant flashes of white light and muffled thumps told her the Living Flames had found her Sparkling Ooze. Apart from the Kobold dangling from Mato¡¯s jaws, she had just two shamans left. Both were up ahead with Calen and Malika who were rushing back down the tunnel to rescue them.


    As Ali zipped around a corner and caught sight of them, she yelled, ¡°Run!¡±


    The flashes of light bombs ceased with the snap of her reservation breaking, and moments later Ali¡¯s second barrier shattered. She threw up another, right behind them as Calen and Malika abruptly reversed direction and ran.


    They were almost back in the jungle by the time Ali realized her final barrier had not been shattered. Just to be safe, she let everyone keep running until they emerged from the mines. ¡°I think they gave up,¡± she said, bringing everyone to a breathless halt. ¡°My last barrier is still intact.¡±


    ¡°That was fun,¡± Mato said, making a wry expression.


    ¡°Fun? You were down to fifteen percent health!¡± Ali exclaimed.


    ¡°Yeah, I know. Thanks for saving me, that was some quick thinking.¡±


    Ali calmed down as she realized he had been making a sarcastic comment rather than being his usual combat junkie self.


    ¡°That was too close,¡± Malika said. ¡°Far too close.¡±


    ¡°How did you survive that, anyway?¡± Ali asked. ¡°And why were you bringing the elementals to me?¡±


    ¡°I used Last Stand,¡± Mato said. ¡°I could see you lying there unconscious, so I was going to use Charge to reach you, switch, and then hit you with a recall potion.¡±


    ¡°But you were on fifteen percent health¡­¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Mato said, no trace of his usual cheery smile on his face.


    ¡°You would have¡­¡± Ali trailed off, unable to continue. The reason Mato typically did not transform out of dangerous situations to use potions was that his Natural Prowess skill boosted his vitality attribute ¨C but only in Bear Form. Transforming dropped his maximum health by a lot. Even if his desperate plan had worked ¨C and that was a big if ¨C he would not have survived.


    ¡°Yup. I¡¯m glad you had a better plan. I¡¯m not that much of a hero.¡± Gazing at him, Ali¡¯s lower lip trembled. He reached out and squeezed her shoulders with his big arm. ¡°Whatever. We¡¯re alive and that¡¯s what counts.¡±


    ¡°So, what should we do now?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Dinner,¡± Mato said firmly, and added, ¡°We will think better after we are calm and fed, and you know that food is the ultimate recipe for everything.¡±


    Yes, and that he had to say it was a measure of how shaken he was.


    ***


    Ali woke the next morning feeling physically refreshed, but mentally worn down by the worries that had plagued her sleep.


    The discussion that began over dinner yesterday went late into the night with everyone eventually turning in without a clear resolution. Obviously, Mato would not be fighting the elementals with his back to the archway in the future. But besides that, the inescapable conclusion was that they were just not strong enough. Either they needed to drastically increase their health, or they needed even more fire-resistance equipment ¨C likely both.


    It had been some time since Ali had done her dungeon maintenance chores, and as her mind roamed her dungeon, she noted the growing piles of corpses and trash. Needing something to take her mind off the immediate worries, she wrote a quick note letting her friends know she would meet them at the guild once they woke up and headed out into her forest cavern with her personal guard of minions following her.


    Her first stop was the shrine. During the day, while they couldn¡¯t scour the town for useful stuff, she had her trash collector Kobolds gather any corpses littering her domain to pile them up beside the Grove. That way, she only needed to make one stop to deconstruct all of them.


    She gritted her teeth and deconstructed the mangled remains of the assassin, before tackling the pile of zombies, skeletons, and random monsters that her defenders had taken care of over the last couple of days.


    She dismissed the notifications for skeletons and zombies, only the low-level spider being of any use or interest to her ¨C although, she already liked Seth¡¯s Tunnel Weavers better. Still, she dutifully summoned one to familiarize herself with any useful skills or abilities it might have.


    Then she made the rounds through the sewer tunnels, deconstructing the nearly unmanageable piles of trash. All the junk yielded several new coins, some variants of wood and stone that she hadn¡¯t seen before, and a bunch of worthless imprints that she immediately discarded.


    When she had read about the scavenger dungeon¡¯s strategy, she had had high hopes for the idea but, while she wasn¡¯t about to abandon the plan, it was proving to be much less effective than what she had imagined. Unless she was willing to invade people¡¯s homes or shops for stuff, she was unlikely to get much more value with this plan. she thought, but then caught herself with a grimace. Wishing for war was not a thought that sat well with her.


    She had not earned any usable monster imprints this way, for obvious reasons. But she had received a great spider variant from Seth¡¯s quest. She had more than enough money to put up a few collection quests.


    Ali shelved that idea for later and turned her attention to her real purpose for being in the sewer today. She had gained two levels from fighting the Flame Broodmother. This had meant a three percent reduction per level in the reserve cost for her entire minion army ¨C everything in her dungeon was a little cheaper ¨C and she had invested all twenty attribute points into wisdom. While she wasn¡¯t exactly rolling in mana, she felt positively flush compared to what she had been eking by with the last few weeks.


    And that brought her to the second thing she realized she had learned from the Flame Broodmother encounter. The Emberforge Mines was a powerful dungeon, and hers was pitiful by comparison. It was not just that the domain itself burned intruders, but the boss of the Emberforge Mines could have wiped out all her minions, bosses included.  It was entirely unfair that she didn¡¯t have enough mana to afford a good selection of bosses at her class level ¨C she had minions with enough mana to do it, so why not herself?


    She couldn¡¯t afford another Forest Guardian boss.


    Ali finally found herself at the spot she had been searching for. It was a crossroads of sorts ¨C five tunnels joined in a small chamber, all the flows merging into a single large outlet, roughly in the center of the entire sewer system. Probably right beneath the marketplace if her sense of direction wasn¡¯t entirely haywire.


    She pushed the walls of the chamber backward, her Grimoire glowing as she created stone and brick and fed it to Domain Mastery. It took maybe ten minutes to widen the chamber to an appropriate size for the boss she had in mind. Carefully, she adjusted the channels to make them less uniform, meandering a little, and creating a modest-sized pool in the center.


    Her mana lit up the appropriate imprint, and in short order, she had her newest minion.


    Toxic Slime ¨C Ooze ¨C level 5 (Poison).


    Her purpose for this boss was primarily to ensure that fewer assassins made it down into the forest cavern undetected to somehow be trampled by her Forest Guardian. Or at least give her forewarning. Her secondary purpose was to have something a little easier for the new guild members to practice on.


    Quickly, she selected the choices she and Calen had hashed out last night over dinner during a break from the interminable fire resistance problem.


    She and Calen had worked out all the details in advance but seeing the number in her notification drove home the reality of it. A level-five monster cost her almost nothing compared to something closer to her class level. Even a group threat boss ¨C something that would challenge a whole group of level-five adventurers ¨C cost her next to nothing.


    Choosing the lower ¡®boss¡¯ domain enhancement gave her new boss a quicker respawn time than a raid boss would have had ¨C four hours instead of six ¨C which suited her goal of having a sentinel in the middle of the sewer.


    Next, she chose to implement Calen¡¯s other suggestion, quickly creating a small assortment of low-level weapons and arrows, spreading them around the chamber, and attaching them to the domain too. Calen thought this would give the novices a strong incentive to test themselves against the boss, and Ali was happy to provide rewards that would make them stronger ¨C a bit of a ramp-up before they needed to face her Kobolds. She finished up the room by adding a few poison traps.


    she thought, slipping her awareness into the mind of her new Toxic Slime boss to survey the world through its senses. She had quite a lot of experience using slimes for this purpose, and instantly she felt the shape of the sewers all around her, feeling the flow of the water through the channels, and the heartbeats and footsteps of her various monsters crawling through the tunnels. To her delight, the perception enhancement substantially boosted the range of the ooze¡¯s Tremor Sense, and she could ¡®see¡¯ clearly what was going on several tunnels away.


    she thought, happy with the easy success. She flew off to check on the Tunnel Weavers she had installed in what she was now thinking of as the ¡®spider wing¡¯ of the sewer. A section of tunnels and rooms closer to the Kobold raid where the average level of the monsters was a little higher.


    Her spiders had certainly been very busy, and this entire section of the sewer had a creepy spider-lair feel now, with dense webs covering the ceiling and walls, and draping down to the ground from above in many places. Lurking in the web overhead were many watchful eyes.


    She reached the end of the tunnel and stood in the center of the chamber, looking up at the ceiling.


    ¡°¡± she said, and the Tunnel Weaver that had made its lair above descended on a thick strand of spider silk, an action so similar to the Flame Broodmother¡¯s descent that she shivered even though she was in no danger.


    She touched the spider¡¯s smooth carapace with her fingertips and bound it to her domain mana.


    Again, she wanted a sentinel in the dungeon, a monster that could provide some early warning of intruders and incursions, so her first pick had to be perception. Besides, the Tunnel Weaver had some interesting perception skills to work with.


    For her second choice, she wasn¡¯t quite certain if her skill would allow it. Technically, poison affinity was a subset of nature, although it depended highly on who you chose to ask. She chose the Affinity Aura option, and to her surprise, her notification chimed.


    Her spider¡¯s black carapace swelled, growing substantially larger as the domain mana rushed through its body, enhancing its power. The pressure of the powerful domain enhancement bore down on the domain lattice as if weighing heavily upon the mana. Although the choice of the boss enhancement was noticeably less powerful than her two raid bosses, she was quite sure it would prevent having another similar boss in this space. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She studied the phenomenon carefully, filing it away for the next time she was in the mines. Being able to recognize the phenomenon might just give them an early warning of an upcoming boss encounter. It seemed to be somehow related to the domain¡¯s mana density, and how much magical load the structure could bear. Theoretically, her own domain in and around the library should be able to support much more, given that the density had been so dramatically enhanced by the elder tree that grew there.


    Affinity Aura snapped on as her magic upgrade completed and toxic green mist billowed from the abdomen of her empowered spider, filling the room. Before it could engulf her, Ali snapped a spherical bubble around herself and banished the rest of her retinue to the tunnels outside. It wasn¡¯t exactly a huge threat to her, but there was no reason to sit in the poison. For a level-eight party, this would provide a substantial challenge for healing, or for their ability to source antidote potions, but against her high-level magical resistance, it barely itched.


    As soon as she released it, the Tunnel Weaver boss rapidly climbed back up and concealed itself among the webbing on the ceiling.


    For this boss, the web itself would provide the hopeful novices with a substantial reward. Malika had checked the current market rates, and the adventurers tackling this boss would find themselves quite well rewarded by the tailors¡¯ and weavers¡¯ demand for quality monstrous thread. Still, she spent the time to fill the nooks and crannies at the edges of the chamber with Forest Amanitas and even three small Violet Dreamclouds to offer a reward that would interest the herbalists and every class that used poisons. The Amanitas were a great low-level poison, according to Basil, and the three Violet Dreamclouds were substantially more valuable, providing a potent ingredient for soporific potions or poisons. It didn¡¯t take long to attach everything to her domain so that it would respawn automatically if harvested, and she finished up by inscribing a few Grasping Roots traps inside the room.


    She connected with her Tunnel Weaver boss and reached out through its senses. She saw the chamber rather blurrily and in various shades of blue and what looked like ultraviolet through its strange eight-eyed vision, but that was not the sense she was most interested in. Its perception magic pulsed through the web under its eight deadly venom-slicked legs, and she simultaneously saw the pulses rippling out in waves through the web. She felt the world through the net. The entire body of the spider acted as a resonator, and the sense, much like that of the oozes, used vibration to carry information about the world back to the spider in its lair. But this spider could sense mana, and the range it could see around the web strands was large enough to perceive herself as she stood all the way down there on the floor of the chamber.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 172: New Robes

    S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    by Bixi Bargainhunter, Silver Cog Trading Co.


    Malika


    After the quick breakfast Mato fixed, Malika headed up with him and Calen to visit the guild once more. It was clear that progressing past the Landing in the Emberforge Mines was going to take more than just a pretty hairpin for her to survive. Never had she been forced to spend so much stamina on her healing so fast, just to stay alive.


    The Flame Broodmother had been a challenging fight, but she had been able to avoid the brunt of the flame blasts that the spider had used to melt the rock wall behind Mato. But against the Living Flames, she was forced to survive the aura and the blast just to hit it. And she was certain it had some form of retaliatory flame attack that burned every time she struck ¨C something particularly problematic for her hasted melee strikes.


    At least she was getting stronger ¨C the Broodmother had been worth three levels for her, presumably because her class level was lagging behind Ali¡¯s by a substantial margin now.


    But she had earned no breakthrough advances for all her study and meditation sitting in poison or fire. Frustration was beginning to wear on her. If she didn¡¯t do something, make some breakthrough, she was going to struggle when they returned to the Landing.


    she thought, trying to find the silver lining.


    Malika twisted her mouth as she considered her thirty attribute points. On one hand, she needed to survive, so vitality was a must. So was wisdom to boost her Healing Mantra. she thought, recalling just how hard their strikes had been ¨C which meant dexterity and endurance were essential for boosting her defenses. And then, there was Rezan¡¯s advice that she shouldn¡¯t neglect strength just because her class rewarded accuracy over power. She wrestled with the dilemma for most of the trip up to town before she finally decided to trust the Elder and spent ten points on strength, reasoning that she could drop five points into wisdom and vitality each to boost her survivability against fire by splitting the difference between health and healing power. Then she spent five on dexterity to improve her ability to dodge, and at the last minute, she traded endurance for perception, deciding to invest in her Soul Sight this time around.


    They entered the guild hall, and Malika was greeted with the unexpected sight of a line of grumpy merchants waiting to talk to Weldin. While nobody was fighting this time, the mood was undeniably tense and sour.


    She nodded and smiled to Lydia who was next in line and walked up to the front with Calen who clearly just wanted to give his mom a hug.


    ¡°If you give me the money upfront, I can put you on the reserve list, but only one essence can be reserved each. You get your money back if I can¡¯t fill the order in a week,¡± the Gnome said. Weldin must have given the same speech multiple times and the bored look on his face vanished the instant he saw her entering his shop.


    ¡°Would you like to go first?¡± Lydia asked, offering her the front spot in the line.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Malika answered with a sliver of a grin for Lydia, guessing what would happen next.


    ¡°Hey! No fair!¡±


    ¡°No cutting the line!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting all day, you know!¡±


    she thought, ignoring them and walking up to Weldin¡¯s steel-topped counter and dumping out all the essences they had collected from their delve. Clearing everything all the way down to the Landing had been extremely lucrative.


    The angry voices turned to excited gasps as the pile of flame essences grew larger and larger as she unloaded her stores.


    ¡°Eighteen today,¡± she said, as usual, keeping a few in reserve.


    ¡°Usual price?¡± Weldin asked, his eye gleaming with delight and no small amount of amusement at the theatrics.


    ¡°That¡¯s good for these,¡± Malika said. ¡°We found something new, though.¡± As Weldin stored all the essences, she dumped out a huge pile of Flame Web, recovered from the respawned Flame Spinners in the tunnels, and the Flame Broodmother herself. A new round of gasps or annoyed inquiries as to what the hold-up was greeted this new feat.


    ¡°Oh!¡± he exclaimed.


    ¡°Good delving?¡± someone yelled.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Malika threw over her shoulder. ¡°Be careful with this, it¡¯s very sticky.¡± She was certain he hadn¡¯t seen Flame Web before, so he probably didn¡¯t know who would buy it, but Lydia was right there at the front of the line.


    ¡°Would you like some help?¡± Lydia asked, pulling out a spool from her storage, and after a quick nod from Weldin, she quickly wound it onto the spool and handed it back to him. ¡°I¡¯ll buy all of this if you want to sell it.¡± To punctuate her statement, she produced a heavy purse that snagged Malika¡¯s Appraise sense like a bloodhound catching the scent of prey.


    ¡°You can use it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Hilda can turn it into cloth, and I can craft with that. I recommend you sell any more you get to her,¡± Lydia explained. ¡°But I¡¯ll happily take it all off your hands right now and settle up with her on my own.¡±


    Malika quickly negotiated a price with Weldin and then left Lydia to purchase her web and essences and headed off downstairs to the training rooms, leaving a babble of excited, far more amenable voices in her wake. Vivian¡¯s program had attracted a particularly enthusiastic group of fresh recruits, and she was excited to see how much progress they had made since the last time.


    Calen


    Calen grinned as he darted up the stairs to the meeting room he had reserved for the strategy class, happy to have run into his mom at the guild store on the way in. Even before he identified her, he knew she had done something important. She was too excited for it to be anything else ¨C all the despondency over her class being stuck had vanished.


    But she had seemed busy, so he left her to her business.


    Lyeneru had impressed upon him just how important these strategy classes would be for his own development, and Vivian had seemed excited to have a Pathfinder to help train the novices ¨C even if he was just starting out. Even though he wholeheartedly agreed, he still experienced anxiety over the idea of taking the lead and putting himself on the spot.


    he chuckled to himself,


    He was more than ten minutes early, so the meeting room was empty when he arrived. He left the door open and sat to review his notes and the notifications he had received from their delve through the Emberforge Mines yesterday. He had planned to discuss the Flame Broodmother today, to dissect the strategy and take the opportunity to refine his plans ¨C especially given they would likely have to kill it several times as they pushed deeper into the dungeon. It took less than a minute for him to finish adding the new details to his map and checking his notes on the abilities the boss had displayed during the fight, and then he turned to his class and skills.


    He had spent all his points immediately on receiving them after the fight ¨C and a good thing too, given how badly the Landing had gone. Two points went to wisdom, endurance, and vitality. Eight each went to intelligence, dexterity, and perception. He made a quick note that he would need to shift things up a little the next time to get his points back on the curves he had plotted.


    He glanced up at the sound of the door opening to find Vivian Ross escorting four people into the room. Aiden and Teagan he recognized immediately, happy to see their class growth, but the two new people he recognized only from faces seen in passing at the guild hall.


    By their extremely low levels and the copper rings he saw on their fingers, he assumed they had just recently earned their classes and they were part of Ali¡¯s new crop of adventurer recruits for the guild.


    ¡°Hi Calen, I want you to meet Brena and Belmar,¡± Vivian introduced them. ¡°I have selected them as provisional team leaders for two new groups, and I wanted to start them early on strategic thinking and planning ¨C even if the fights are substantially more advanced than they will be facing, it will do them good to begin honing their thinking.¡±


    ¡°Hi,¡± he said, nodding in greeting. ¡°I¡¯m Calen.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a Pathfinder?¡± Brena asked, staring at his cloak with the distinctive sigil of the Pathfinders Guild.


    ¡°I am, but I¡¯m also a member of this guild. I¡¯m part of Aliandra¡¯s group, who I assume you¡¯ve both met?¡±


    They both nodded.


    ¡°Good to meet you,¡± Belmar said, dumping himself heavily onto a chair in the casual manner of most dwarves he had met.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably a good thing they¡¯re here,¡± Calen said, turning back to Vivian. ¡°Did Ali mention the two new bosses she made in the sewer?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she did,¡± Vivian said, seating herself at the table, much to Calen¡¯s surprise. He hadn¡¯t expected that the Guildmaster would sit in on his discussion group. ¡°What are we discussing today?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to break down a fight we just had. A monster called the Flame Broodmother ¨C a fire-affinity spider with a Web Explosion skill that immobilizes the entire group, a swarm-summoning ability, and a breath weapon that melts stone. I was hoping we could brainstorm ideas to make the fight more efficient in the future because the dungeon will respawn it every time we go down.¡± He shared the results of his Explorer skill identifying the boss.


    ¡°You want to help you with a fight?¡± Brena asked, wearing an incredulous expression.


    ¡°Active participation makes for better brainstorming,¡± Aiden answered, parroting one of the Guildmaster¡¯s mantras. The obvious eagerness of the mayor¡¯s son anticipating the discussion went a long way toward easing Calen¡¯s anxiety.


    Calen leaned forward. ¡°Ok, here¡¯s what I¡¯ve learned about the boss and what it can do¡­¡±


    Mato


    Mato strolled through town, idly watching the weeds reacting to his aura as headed to Thuli¡¯s Steelworks to pick up Ali¡¯s order of plate armor for her Hobgoblins. Becoming something of an expert on heavy armor ¨C at least for their group ¨C he inspected the craftsmanship carefully, but if there were any mistakes in Thuli¡¯s work it was well beyond his abilities to detect them.


    After paying Thuli and thanking him for all the hard work he¡¯d put in, he left on the rather strange quest his father had given him. He had crashed brunch at his parents¡¯ place instead of visiting the guild with the others, and it had been at the family dining table that he had asked his father about new recipes for his cooking skill. But instead of sharing, his dad had told him to seek out a certain ¡®Tabitha the Crone¡¯ who lived in the slum district, and sample her cooking. According to him, it was a rite of passage of sorts for the Bahr family men, but knowing his father, and judging by the smirk on his mother¡¯s face, he was almost certainly being set up for an elaborate prank. The only reason he was going at all was that his father¡¯s pranks always yielded something of truth or value.


    The streets grew progressively narrower and dingier, eventually becoming more like alleyways ¨C strewn with trash and dotted with potholes. he told himself, stepping around an unfeasibly large heap of manure.


    As he strolled through the slums, he drew a rag-tag group of dirty children and stray dogs that followed along behind him, always hovering between fifteen to twenty feet away ¨C just far enough that they could bolt if he got upset, but close enough to dip into his Sanctuary aura. This kind of thing had become more common lately ¨C likely the kids had injuries or illnesses that they could not afford to have healed, and he was pretty much a walking regeneration potion that was always on.


    He slowed down and took the time to check his advances from the battle in the mines, but mostly to allow them the time to fully heal. He was not in a particular hurry.


    The moment they had defeated the Broodmother, ten of his points had immediately gone into vitality. And it was a good thing too ¨C he had needed it during the Landing fiasco with the Living Flame. For the rest, he split them five each to endurance, strength, perception, and wisdom.


    It had been a great fight for him. The Flame Broodmother¡¯s hasted attacks had pushed him to the limit, earning him skill growth in most of his defensive skills, and when it had enraged, he had required Survival Instinct to guide him as he used Last Stand to give him time to outlast the web.


    And then again, when he got tossed into the Landing. He scowled at that memory, but hastily wiped the irritated expression from his face as several of the urchins startled, clearly primed to flee if his mood changed.


    Finally, after getting lost twice, and having to ask one of the urchins for directions, he found the dilapidated wooden hut situated in a surprisingly open plot of unkempt land. Weeds sprouted everywhere, some as tall as himself, and the path to the half-rotted door, barely hanging onto its hinges, was a simple rut in the dirt, free of growth only because of the passage of the owner¡¯s feet. The urchins and even the stray dogs vanished as soon as he entered the property, but he didn¡¯t pay them too much heed, walking up to the door and knocking carefully. It wouldn¡¯t do to break her door down because he forgot his strength.


    ¡°Go away!¡± the raspy thin voice echoed from somewhere inside, followed by a bout of chronic-sounding coughing.


    He knocked again.


    ¡°I have no money, don¡¯t bother robbing me.¡± There was more coughing followed by something that sounded awfully like choking before the voice called out again. ¡°Piss off.¡±


    he thought. ¡°I¡¯m not here to rob you. I¡¯m here to talk to Ms. Tabitha.¡± He decided to drop the crone title because it sounded very much like an insult.


    There was some stomping inside and then the door creaked open just a little and an eye peered out. ¡°Oooh, nobody has called me Ms. Tabitha in a hundred years! Most folks call me ¡®The Crone¡¯, or ¡®The Hag¡¯ and throw rotten vegetables at me.¡± The door opened a little more, revealing an old woman clad in ragged homespun clothing, hunched over a walking stick that seemed to be nothing more than a branch hacked down to approximately the right length.


    He doubted this woman had lived more than a hundred years.


    ¡°Who be you, young man? You look handsome ¨C have you come to ravish me?¡± She sounded surprisingly eager about the last suggestion before breaking into cackling that soon became another bout of hacking coughs.


    ¡°I was told to come try your cooking,¡± he said, a little nonplussed by her attitude.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± she replied, rubbing her hands together and a gleeful expression lit up her wrinkled face. ¡°Come in. Come in.¡± She stepped away inviting him to enter the dark and messy home. ¡°I just so happen to have a stew on the fire.¡±


    He entered the room and followed her to what passed as a kitchen ¨C little more than a firepit in the dirt floor with a cauldron bubbling on top. The aroma that wafted from the stew was¡­ well, he wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but it did not smell like any food he had ever had.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± she said, dunking a ladle into the pot. She pulled out a dripping helping of the steaming stew and offered it to him. ¡°Eat up.¡± And then she fixed him with an expectant gaze as if waiting for something to happen.


    He hesitated, uncertain of the smell, or what he was getting himself in for, but his father wouldn¡¯t have recommended anything dangerous. He lifted the ladle and took a generous mouthful.


    His mind literally froze as the taste overwhelmed his senses. It was by far the most disgusting thing he had ever tasted, more disgusting than he could imagine. It made his toenails feel like they would curl up and fall off. He manfully summoned his willpower and choked it down, clamping his teeth and throat shut against the powerful urge to hurl. His stomach turned into several painful knots as it violently clenched, trying desperately to rid itself of the violation he had just subjected it to.


    ¡°Delicious, isn¡¯t it?¡± Tabitha said, cackling gleefully.


    ¡°It¡¯s absolutely vile,¡± he croaked, which only set her off into gales of laughter and knee-slapping, punctuated by hacking coughs, but he still had enough presence of mind to notice the coughing seemed a touch less extreme and not quite as debilitating.


    +4 to Vitality.


    Duration: 6 hours.


    he thought, still unable to speak comfortably.  Mato choked down the last bit. When his body had calmed down a little, he asked, ¡°How did you get it to buff my vitality?¡±


    ¡°Aah, there¡¯s a secret,¡± Tabitha gasped, still out of breath from her fit of laughter. She paused, looking at him expectantly, but Mato just raised an eyebrow. ¡°Ach, fiddlesticks,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re the only person who¡¯s been interested in ages. Here, this is my key ingredient.¡± She produced half a mushroom and waved it in his face like a kid displaying their favorite mudball.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Mato gasped, staring at the golden mushroom. The glow had faded a lot, but there was no mistaking where it had come from. As to how Tabitha had gotten her grubby fingers on it was anyone¡¯s guess.


    ¡°Aah, you see it, don¡¯t you!¡± she cackled, and then her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper as she glanced about furtively, as if there could be hidden ears in her tiny hovel. ¡°The secret ingredient is dungeon-grown food!¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Mato said. He had cooked with Ali¡¯s mushrooms before, and eaten her dungeon-grown fruit, and nothing like the ¡®Well-fed¡¯ buff had happened. ¡°There has to be more to it than just that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a little trick to the preparation,¡± Tabitha said, tapping the side of her nose knowingly.


    ¡°Can you teach me?¡± Mato asked. ¡°I can pay you for your time.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I can teach you, you seem to be good for my cough,¡± she cackled again, ¡°But there¡¯s not enough of this left,¡± she said, staring at the mushroom piece mournfully. ¡°You would need to bring me some more dungeon-grown ingredients.¡±


    ¡°How about these?¡± Mato asked, summoning several large apples. He liked to keep them on hand for snacks, especially for Ali, given that she often forgot meals.


    ¡°Ooh!¡± Tabitha crooned, caressing one of the apples in a way Mato frankly would have preferred not to see. ¡°How about apple pie?¡± Without even waiting for his answer, she moved about the tiny kitchen and began to explain her recipe and how she cooked it. As he listened to her words, he realized she must be one of the typical poor people ¨C handed a weak or inappropriate class by chance, and then eking out a living by developing a general skill far beyond what was normal.


    She was an incredibly knowledgeable and skilled cook, held back more by a lack of appropriate ingredients or decent cooking utensils.


    He had just one burning question though. ¡°Does it have to taste so foul?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± she answered, grinning like a lunatic. ¡°But where would the fun be in that?¡±


    Several hours passed surprisingly quickly as he came to realize that he would need to visit the old lady Tabitha more often if he wanted to truly explore the possibilities of his cooking. And the apple pie tasted heavenly.


    ¡°You know, you could make a good living selling this outside of the Adventurers Guild,¡± he said after tasting it. ¡°This one, not the first one. You could even buy dungeon monster meat or these apples from the guild to explore some of the more potent recipes you were telling me about.¡±


    ¡°Tch. I do not have the money for a cooking cart, and with these old bones and my cough, I wouldn¡¯t make the walk. I¡¯m so slow, even a sloth could mug me.¡± She brandished her stick at him for emphasis.


    ¡°Well, I think I can help you with both of those issues,¡± Mato said, earning a look of surprise from her for his trouble. ¡°Here. This is for teaching me four levels of Cooking, and sharing your recipes,¡± he said, handing her a gold coin. It was probably way more than she would have even asked for, but if she was to set up a small business, she would need a little more to get started. At least her eyes grew satisfyingly wide and round at the sight of gold.


    Then he said goodbye, leaving via the rickety front door, and picked a spot in her yard. he thought, and planted himself among the weeds, shifting into his Tree Form.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a nifty trick,¡± Tabitha said, hobbling out of her hovel and smacking his trunk a few times with her stick. ¡°Put your back into it, young ¡®un.¡±


    As soon as his transformation completed, his aura bloomed outward, filling her entire yard and beyond into the slums ¨C and the sense of her injuries and the blight that had infected her lungs for what seemed like decades began to slowly erode under the influence of his magic. If he had a mouth, he would have smiled as he felt first one, then another, and then a slow but steady trickle of people emerging from the surrounding shacks to sit for a while in the aura of his magic.


    Aliandra


    Ali entered the guild hall to discover Lydia sitting on one of the couches as if waiting for someone.


    She zipped across the hall to meet her. ¡°Hi Lydia, what brings you over to the guild?¡±


    ¡°I had some business with Mr. Thriftpenny, but I also have something for you,¡± she said. Her expression seemed calm, but there was an undercurrent of suppressed excitement in her voice and a bit of a twinkle in her eyes. On a hunch, Ali identified her.


    Lydia still had dark smudges under her eyes, but she seemed much happier than she had been in a while, and the two levels she had gained spoke to a very important breakthrough.


    ¡°Here, this is for you,¡± Lydia said, retrieving a flat box from her storage enchantment and handing it to her.


    ¡°For me?¡± Ali asked, eyeing the fancy flat white box tied shut with an elegant burgundy ribbon.


    ¡°Of course. Go ahead, open it,¡± Lydia smiled.


    Carefully, Ali untied the ribbon and lifted the lid of the box. Instantly, her eyes were drawn to the fabric of what looked like a carefully folded robe. It seemed to be made from a fine white silk, but it shimmered with a life of its own. Deep red patterns played out through the material like dancing live flames. Echoing the mesmerizing visual effect, fire-affinity mana rippled and waved through the robe. It was undoubtedly the most beautiful garment she had ever seen.


    ¡°What¡­ is this?¡± Ali asked breathlessly as she carefully lifted it out of the box.


    ¡°Fire Silk,¡± Lydia answered with a beaming smile. ¡°It was a bit of a breakthrough for me. When you showed up with all that web, I had Hilda spin it into this cloth, and it really likes fire enchantments. It was so easy to craft that I was able to learn how to do a double enchant in only a few hours. Take a look.¡±


    Elegant Robes of Fire Resistance ¨C level 50


    Resistance: 720


    +25% to resistance against Fire damage.


    +35 to Vitality


    Requirements: Intelligence 175


    Body ¨C Fire Silk


    Ali¡¯s jaw dropped when she identified the robe. Not only did it have the most resistance she had ever seen on a single item, but the twenty-five percent resistance to fire damage would be absolutely insane combined with the resistance from her new hairpin. The unexpected extra vitality would definitely come in very handy down in the fires, especially after what she had seen of the Landing itself. The fabric felt delightfully silky on her skin as she briefly ducked into a side room to put it on.


    ¡°Oh, my!¡± Mieriel exclaimed and came rushing over to see. ¡°That is stunning!¡±


    Ali spent the next few minutes doing turns and letting various people touch the robe as half the room wanted to know where it came from and how they could get one too. After they finally calmed down a little, Lydia produced five more flat boxes.


    ¡°Here, I made five of these,¡± Lydia handed her the entire stack. ¡°These are all level twenty, which is the lowest I could get this fabric to go, cut to fit your Kobolds. The resistance percentage is lower because the item is lower level, but I hope this still works for you. I still can¡¯t control the attribute for the second enchantment yet, so I¡¯m sorry if some of them seem a bit random. I got lucky with your piece.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect, Lydia, thank you so much!¡± She was honestly ecstatic; the extra enchantment was an entirely unexpected bonus, and anything was perfect. She pulled the robes out of the boxes one at a time and deconstructed them to the sound of an odd, strangled gasp coming from Mieriel, but she didn¡¯t miss Lydia¡¯s class leveling up again as she finished.


    She chose her last remaining open chapter and committed the variant to her Grimoire.


    ¡°How much do I owe you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Lydia answered firmly.


    ¡°But you need to make a living,¡± Ali objected. She wasn¡¯t just going to take such incredible craftsmanship without Lydia getting anything in return. ¡°I¡¯m not stealing the bread out of your mouth.¡±


    ¡°You saw the reaction to your robes,¡± Lydia answered. ¡°The entire noble court is going to be bashing down my doors to get their hands on this. For many of them, the minimum level requirement of twenty is going to be exceptionally upsetting, but the exclusivity will just drive the price higher. Trust me, I won¡¯t run out of money any time soon.¡± Then she leaned in a little closer, pretending to straighten the robe Ali wore, and whispered, ¡°The book is more than enough payment for these.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ali answered. She loved the robes because of the stats and enchantments, but she hadn¡¯t expected them to be so beautiful.


    ¡°Is there any way to ensure that the web you sell to Mr. Thriftpenny gets to Hilda? It would be sad if someone else bought it all,¡± Lydia asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but we could go ask him.¡±


    ¡°If I may, Aliandra?¡± Mieriel interjected. ¡°You could use the guild¡¯s quest service.¡±


    ¡°How does that work?¡± Lydia asked, and suddenly Ali was curious too. She had wondered how she might use it to collect more varieties of spiders and had wanted to talk to the Guildmaster about that today.


    ¡°A collection quest is a type of quest we¡¯re authorized to offer. You set your price and pay a small fee to the guild, and we put the quest on that board. If any adventurer collects the item, we pay them your fee, and deliver the item to you,¡± Mieriel explained. ¡°It¡¯s a way to buy something when you don¡¯t know who will get it for you. The guild shop is a way for adventurers to sell stuff when they don¡¯t know who to sell it to. In your case, because Aliandra is sourcing the web and you¡¯re buying, the quest system allows you to effectively buy it directly from her without upsetting Hadrik Goldbeard.¡±


    ¡°Will I be taking business away from Mr. Thriftpenny?¡± Lydia asked.


    ¡°He handles the item or reagent collection quests for us, so he gets paid for each one.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good. Can I put in the quest with you now?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Mieriel said. ¡°Will this timely information push me up the queue for your next piece?¡±


    ¡°It might,¡± Lydia said, a shrewd businesslike look coming over her in an instant. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t perhaps be going to Bastian Asterford¡¯s party this weekend, would you?¡±


    ¡°I have an invitation, but I wasn¡¯t planning on going,¡± Mieriel admitted. ¡°Would you like me to spread the word?¡±


    ¡°No, I was thinking I¡¯d make you a piece with my mana signature and you just show up and make light conversation for an hour or so. Why don¡¯t you stop by the shop later and we can talk about what style would best suit you? I have a few ideas.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Mieriel said, a genuine smile gracing her lips.


    Ali got the distinct impression of two predators discussing a hunt, and their prey had absolutely no chance of avoiding the descending talons.


    After they were done, she placed her own quest titled ¡®Spider Hunter¡¯ ¨C a simple collection quest for spiders she didn¡¯t already have, inspired by Seth¡¯s gift of Tunnel Weavers, with bonus bounties paid for interesting perception skills or even mana affinities.


    she thought, watching as Mieriel pinned her quest to the board near Lydia¡¯s one for collecting the Flame Webbing and Monstrous Silk.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 173: The Eldritch Tome

    AliandraAli stretched, rolling her neck side to side and hearing several loud pops from her tired muscles as they loosened. She placed the final book ¨C the original ¨C on the top of the large tower of assorted tomes beside her, done at last with the task of copying the mountain Ryn had collected. Quickly verifying that her version was accurately copied, she got up and added it to the bookshelf beside the table, ready for her friend to categorize and sort into their growing library. Her skills were becoming so accurate at copying them now that she had to be careful to not muddle them up, but, even with the incredible fifty percent boost to her spell haste from Arcane Recall¡¯s passive mastery, it had still taken the better part of an hour to complete her chore.


    But the books Ryn had selected from Ciradyl¡¯s renowned collection were extraordinary ¨C deep theories on the nature of spell construction, practical guides to leveling your skills, unique and niche enchantments, martial arts styles ¨C Malika was going to love some of those ¨C and even several fascinating accounts of the ancient history she had missed in the thousands of years she had spent in magical stasis. Ryn had a sense ¨C a deep intuition ¨C for what mattered. Ali would be spending every free moment in the library studying these new works ¨C taking the time to properly understand the concepts, rather than the frenetic cycle of memorization, copying, and then purging the memories to make space for the next book in the pile.


    A burst of gold-and-violet mana twisted out over the atrium and suddenly Ryn materialized, seen through the eyes of Ali¡¯s watchful Kobolds. Ali snapped her head up, immediately certain something was wrong; Ryn¡¯s head was bowed, and she just hung suspended there with her wings vibrating, shoulders shaking.


    Ali dropped her book and shot up to comfort her friend, ¡°Ryn? What¡¯s wrong? Is everything ok?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± she sniffed, glancing at Ali with red-rimmed eyes and then looking away.


    ¡°But¡­ you¡¯re crying?¡± Smudged ink was spread across her face where her hands had been.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ ok,¡± Ryn said, gasping through the sobs, hovering in the air as if unsure what to do.


    Ali stared at her for a moment, frustrated that she didn¡¯t want to share what was bothering her, but it didn¡¯t take much to realize that Ryn wasn¡¯t ready to open up. Whatever had caused this didn¡¯t seem to be immediately life-threatening or dangerous, at least.


    ¡°Would you like a cup of tea?¡± Ali asked, changing tack.


    Ryn nodded, sniffing, and allowed Ali to lead her down to the couches. Ali filled the kettle, preparing the tea leaves and offering a small-talk monologue to fill the space while she let it steep. Ryn curled up on the couch with her arms wrapped around her knees, just listening. Using the pretty cups Ryn had found at the market, Ali poured one for each of them and then joined Ryn on the couch. Hidden within the base of each cup was a simple runic structure that kept the heat on the inside, making the outer surface cool to her touch, but it would keep the tea warm for much longer.


    Ryn took a sip and sighed. ¡°Thank you, Ali.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ¡°I lost my job,¡± Ryn blurted out, followed by a sudden waterfall of tears.


    ¡°Oh no! The bookstore?¡± Ali exclaimed.


    Ryn nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ryn,¡± Ali said. Ryn loved The Reading Corner, always happily immersed in the books of the store, sorting them, and reading. They had both spent many happy hours discussing stories in that bookstore.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± Ryn repeated herself, but Ali could see it was anything but.


    ¡°I knew the owner wanted to retire ¨C I¡¯ve known for a while. He finally picked out a new home down south by the ocean.¡± Ryn sniffed and then picked up her tea again for another sip. It seemed to calm her down a little because she continued to share with a steadier voice. ¡°He told me yesterday that he had sold the store and the new owner would be coming by today. The new owner is with the Hawkhurst Trading Company ¨C they have wanted to buy the store for ages, looking to get into the book trading business between the nearby cities. I don¡¯t know why, but I just assumed I would be working for them too, but they told me to leave today. They want to employ their own people.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s horrible,¡± Ali reached over and tried to comfort her friend by squeezing her hand. She had a personal grudge against the Hawkhurst Trading Company, both for how they had treated Malika, and how Jax Hawkhurst had behaved towards her at the Town Council trial, but she kept silent about her own feelings. She was just happy Ryn wouldn¡¯t be working for such a crooked boss.


    ¡°I mean, I should have expected it. They have no obligation to keep me on,¡± Ryn said. ¡°But I still feel so discarded, like I wasn¡¯t even worth considering.¡±


    They sat in silence together for a few moments.


    ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡±


    ¡°Can I have a little more tea?¡± Ryn asked, holding up her empty cup.


    ¡°Certainly,¡± Ali said, springing to her feet and pouring some more from the teapot which was still steaming on the tea stand. ¡°Here you go.¡±


    ¡°Do you mind if I just hang out here for a while and mope while reading some books?¡± Ryn asked. ¡°I think I¡¯ll feel better after a little quiet time.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ali said, ¡°this is your library too, you¡¯re always welcome here.¡±


    Ryn gave her a wan smile, ¡°Thank you for listening, Ali.¡±


    As soon as Ali saw Ryn was comfortable on the couch with fresh tea and a book to read, she got herself a book, and the two of them passed the time reading.


    ***


    Ryn shut her book and lowered it to her lap. The tears were gone, and she even had a small smile on her face. The book Ali had suggested was a delightful story ¨C she had read it herself a few days ago. She put her book down and smiled back at her friend.


    ¡°I finished copying all those books you brought yesterday,¡± Ali said. ¡°There are some really good ones in there!¡±


    ¡°I know, I was really happy with that set,¡± Ryn answered.


    ¡°Oh, and congratulations on level twenty.¡± Ali had noticed Ryn¡¯s level as soon as she teleported into the library, but it hadn¡¯t seemed the right time to mention it while she was crying.


    A look of momentary confusion passed across Ryn¡¯s face, and then she exclaimed, ¡°Oh! I missed it!¡±


    ¡°Did you get anything nice for your skill unlock?¡± Ali guessed Ryn had been in the middle of being fired when Ali was duplicating the books, and that was probably the reason she had missed the notification of her level-up. At least hitting level twenty was a good milestone for most classes ¨C Ryn could certainly use something to cheer her up.


    ¡°Let me see¡­¡± she looked off into the distance for a second or two and then answered, ¡°Summarize, Runic Script, and Teaching ¨C those are my choices. I can summarize books that I touch, understand and write magical script, or help people learn from books with teaching. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Is that Runic Script the same as my skill?¡± Ali asked, her curiosity instantly piqued by the familiar skill name. It was a highly sought-after skill for arcane and magic scholars, and Ryn¡¯s class was based at least in part on arcane magic too.


    Ryn shared the description, which read almost identical to her skill when hers had been level one. ¡°I really like Runic Script¡­but I¡¯m biased,¡± Ali said. ¡°It¡¯s the same skill I have. Although, I guess you will be able to use divination runes instead of nature.¡±


    ¡°This is the skill you use to read the spells inscribed in the magic books, right?¡± Ryn asked, her eyes alight with a fresh excitement.


    ¡°Yes! And it lets me write them with my mana when I copy the books,¡± Ali answered, ¡°I can read any magic, and technically write it, but I can only use nature and arcane mana, so the spells only work when I¡¯m writing my own mana affinities. It doesn¡¯t matter for books though, because the spells are just the formations, not actually activated.¡±


    ¡°I think I want it, too; it will help me understand more of the books we are collecting. It¡¯s almost like knowing a new language, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a good way to think of it,¡± Ali answered. ¡°The written language of magic.¡±


    ¡°Ok! I took that one,¡± Ryn said, after a brief pause. ¡°Are there any runes you can teach me?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Ali smiled. It was good to see her friend back to her normal curious self. Losing her job at the bookstore must have been a hard knock, but Ryn was resilient and bounced back quickly. She was sure it would still be a sore point for her for a while but learning something new was a great idea ¨C and a good way to take her mind off her troubles for a bit.


    ¡°I have a spell called Cleanse ¨C an arcane runic circle for removing dirt and grime,¡± Ali said. ¡°It¡¯s the easiest one I know, so let¡¯s start with that first. Ready?¡±


    Ryn leaned forward, eager to learn and Ali poured her mana into Sage of Learning to enhance her ability to teach her knowledge.


    ***


    Ali sat back in her chair and let her gaze roam around the room. They were nowhere near filling even this level of the ancient library, but several of the shelves beside the area with couches and tables were now full of books. Perhaps it would take years to finish, but the sight of her collection made her feel warm and happy inside.


    Mato and Calen had not returned from town yet, and so she found herself with a surprisingly free afternoon. Lira sat quietly nearby, content to relax with her tea and a book Ryn had recommended. Ryn was deep into her book on arcane runes, her favorite Kings and Emperors board set up on the table beside her ¨C one of the few possessions she had retrieved from the bookstore. Malika sat cross-legged on the floor reading one of the martial arts manuals Ryn had found in Ciradyl with the Nine Paths of Ahn Khen stacked up beside her, presumably so she could study those next.


    Ali¡¯s roaming gaze soared out past the walls of the library, alighting in the senses of her minions as she rippled out across her domain. Everything seemed quiet. Everything, except¡­


    Irregular thumps of footsteps echoed in her mind, followed by the steady beat of several hearts. Connected with the senses of her newest Toxic Slime boss in the middle of the sewer, she knew someone was approaching, but with its strange senses, it was hard to tell who.


    She sat with it for several moments, examining what she felt. Each heart felt different, some quicker, some louder. There were definitely five unique heartbeats. She could even feel the shape and guess the type of boots that pressed into her moss or struck the crumbling brick. But try as she might, she could not guess who was sneaking toward the chamber ¨C learning to use this boss as an early warning sentinel for her dungeon was harder than she had anticipated. Flickering across the tunnels, she split her awareness into a nearby Kobold and peered around the corner.


    Relief washed through her as she recognized the gruff Dwarf from her shrine ceremony, and his white priestly robes easily gave away his class ¨C only slightly stained with mud and moss. She spent a few moments studying them, familiarizing herself with the newly formed novice group, trying to memorize the vibrations of their heartbeats and attach that sensation to their faces and names in her mind. Surprisingly, Sage of Learning helped more than she expected.


    As they set up for an attempt on her boss, she left them alone, trusting that Vivian had ensured they would be properly prepared. If she learned to recognize all the adventurers, it would be far easier to tell the difference between them and intruders.


    Ali¡¯s awareness settled back into her own body, relaxing a bit now that she knew she wasn¡¯t under immediate attack. She had some fantastic, well-crafted fire resistance gear now, both for herself and her minions, and she was eager to try her newest pieces. The two new bosses she had made with domain-enhanced perception significantly improved the surveillance of her domain, at least in the sewers, taking one of the most urgent items off her list. Clearly, she needed to familiarize herself with their abilities more, but it was progress. However, she still struggled to develop her domain and defenses properly, primarily due to a critical lack of mana. It was unfair just how many high-level monsters the Emberforge Mine could afford, and she couldn¡¯t even make a Flame Spinner boss as a source for Flame Web because it would be too expensive to reserve.  she thought. Just a few of the high-level spiders would bankrupt her.


    she thought, pulling out a notebookWhile not as versatile as monsters, her domain would fully support any traps she made, completely covering the maintenance reservation. There were limits of course. She couldn¡¯t just stack up thousands of traps in the same place without overloading her domain in the area, but she could certainly make more traps and learn more powerful spells to use with them.


    A flicker of movement drew her attention and her eyes alighted on the heavy, scratched Eldritch Tome containing her mother¡¯s life¡¯s work, somehow innocently resting on the table right beside her pile of completed books. It had most certainly not been there when she started. Strange events like this were precisely why she had been avoiding it.


    The book had scared her while she was in the grips of her Arcane Recall spell, but somehow it seemed to want to protect her. Ever since, she had found it in random places within the library, almost always within arm¡¯s reach. she chided herself, deliberately trying to ignore the fact it was actually a monster that she was unable to even Identify. It was still her mother¡¯s book, and her mom had been one of the most acclaimed researchers on the nature of magic in an age when many historians believed the understanding of magic had reached its pinnacle.


    Ali recalled her struggles when trying to inscribe Calen¡¯s light magic with her mana and runes. While she had memorized the book once to copy it, memorization did not require understanding ¨C and she had long since purged the mental images of the pages. She reached out a hand to pull the heavy tome over to her. It bounced excitedly. Ali snatched her hand back with a startled yelp. But the book¡¯s cover popped open, and the pages flipped furiously past until it fell open at a chapter on Tithe Enchantments.


    Gingerly, now, she reached out once again. This time, the book made no sudden movements, but still, it seemed to quiver under her fingertips. Screwing up her courage, she flipped the pages back to the table of contents, still not sure how she felt about the prospect of reading a monster, but she found a chapter on mana translation that seemed rather promising and began to read.


    But after several hundred mana burned to her Sage of Learning, she felt she was not even beginning to understand. It was a concept built upon a foundation of learning and understanding for which she had not begun to fathom the basics.


    As best as she could gather, her mother¡¯s core premise was that all power derived from a single source. Something she referred to as Every affinity of mana, and even stamina or life arose from it. The endless richness of traits and experience seemed to derive from interactions between and the fabric of the realm itself. What she couldn¡¯t fathom was whose authority it referred to. Or what ¨C it seemed unclear. Even what it was an authority over. Perhaps all of reality? The only thing that made sense was that apparently, this was the reason affinity translation might be possible at all.


    Ali sighed and closed her eyes, massaging the back of her neck with her fingers, hoping to avert the beginnings of a headache. Her eyes snapped open at the rustling of pages and she found the book once again open to the chapter on Tithe Enchantments.


    ¡°Hey, you lost my place,¡± she grumbled, venting her annoyance aloud at the book. To her dismay it shuffled backward a little, drooping its pages as if remorseful, and slowly turned back to where she had been reading.


    ¡°Um¡­ thank you?¡± she said, feeling unexpectedly guilty, like she had been overly harsh with a misbehaving puppy.


    While the book had returned her to the place she had left off, she decided that mana translation was beyond her ability for now and spent a little time browsing the other chapters before pausing when something caught her attention.


    It seemed she had found a chapter devoted to the efficiency of various runic formations, but the spell being used as an example was one that seemed well within her grasp; a spell called Arcane Blast. Given that it was an area damage spell, and in one of her affinities, she saw no reason she shouldn¡¯t learn it at once.


    First, she read the spell itself using her Sage of Learning, mastering the basic runic formation. Once she was certain she had it, she read through the discussion on rune efficiency. Again, the concepts were challenging to understand without her mother¡¯s years of mastery, but with the spell freshly memorized, she found herself becoming more and more absorbed in the runic manipulations which aligned something referred to as ¡®mana currents¡¯ within the construct, yielding a more potent transfer of mana to energy. According to this, the proximity of certain runes could cause the mana currents to bleed over into unwanted parts of the runic structure, creating resonance or echoes in poor places. If the analysis was to be believed, such effects could also be exploited to amplify the spell, if arranged correctly.


    After nearly an hour of further study, Ali finally gave it a try.


    She pushed the heavy tome away, examining her creation. She had applied all the runic transformations she had been able to grasp from the dense and obtuse text ¨C far from all that was suggested ¨C and now that she saw the final construct, she understood their purpose in a much more practical way. She could literally see the flow of mana through the runic circle and the unintuitive runic choices and placements definitely made an enormous difference.


    she thought to herself. She needed some better defenses in the forest cavern at the entrance below the sewers where all the zombies were entering. As they had delved deeper into the Emberforge Mines, she had been cannibalizing from her defenders to afford better minions. A few of these traps, well placed, would go a long way to improving her defenses.


    she decided. It would be heartbreaking for a newly bronze-ranked adventurer to walk over an unseen level fifty-one trap and die. A trap closer to level twenty-five would be just as effective against the typical undead but not quite as deadly to the adventurers. There were two spawning pools down there, and a higher-level dungeon, after all.


    As she was studying her newest trap, she heard the rustling of paper and glanced up to find the book frozen, a page halfway turned. Nothing happened as she stared at it. Slowly, she pretended to look away. The page turned, and the next one began to flip. As soon as she looked, it stopped again.


    She looked away, and there was a frantic rifling of paper and by the time she looked back, the book had stopped, once again on the same chapter on Tithe Enchantments. With little scooting motions, the book shuffled itself toward her and then stopped.


    ¡°Why do you want me to read this chapter so badly?¡± she asked.


    But it was a book. She wasn¡¯t sure what kind of response she expected. It just bobbed up and down a little.


    she decided, eyeing the chapter. The first two pages were mostly background information that she already knew, explanations of the various kinds of tithes, and how they worked. There were a few she hadn¡¯t encountered yet, like the commander and the soldier variations, or the fealty one, but she supposed that made sense.


    As she reached over to turn the page, an almost imperceptible formation of mana flickered outward through the spine and suffused the pages before vanishing. Ali snatched her hand back instantly, fearing the return of the magical barrier teeth, but nothing moved. The brief glimpse she had caught looked a bit like her ring¡¯s storage magic, but vastly more complex. Almost as if impatient, the book began turning the page for her.


    The first thing she noticed as the page peeled back was the page number.


    But her attention was instantly caught by the vast complexity of the mana formation that sprang forth as the book fell open. Leaping out from the page was the single most intricate magical structure she had ever seen ¨C more complex even than the biggest imprint she had recorded. It hovered there, scintillating, sparkling, and pulsating with beautifully delicate mana tracery that rotated in and out of existence as if traversing through paths in higher dimensions. Ali couldn¡¯t even make out any of the runes, such was the densely interconnected nature of its construction ¨C all she received from her skills was a sense of overwhelming density and an exquisite progressive refinement of infinitely recursive detail that exceeded any ability of hers to even detect.


    ¡°What is that!¡± Ali gasped. The only thing she could think of was that it reminded her of the sight of Thuli imbuing his mana signature upon Kav¨¦ when he offered her his mana for mentorship. She leaned forward to study it, ignoring the sensation of her Sage of Learning burning through her mana.


    Suddenly her notification chime sounded.


    Mentor Patronage ¨C Clarence


    Traits: Magic, Knowledge, Arcane, Intelligence, Wisdom, Perception, Domain, Runic Magic, Tithe, Language, Reading.


    Experience gain is increased for actions aligned with your mentor, or under their supervision.


    Gain additional skill unlocks and advances aligned with your mentor¡¯s traits and experience.


    A portion of your increased experience is awarded to your mentor, increasing their reputation.


    Enchantment ¨C Tithe


    ¡°Your¡­ your name is Clarence?¡± Ali asked, latching onto the most mundane of details she could, to prevent herself from bursting into tears over this silly book for the second time. It bobbed eagerly, shuffling a little closer to her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Ali?¡± Ryn asked. Ali looked up at her and saw Lira, Ryn, and even Malika hovering beside her, concern clearly etched on their expressions.


    ¡°The book,¡± she pointed, blinking to hold back the welling of emotions in her eyes. ¡°It ¨C it is called Clarence ¨C offered me a mentorship.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I think you should accept, dear,¡± Lira murmured, and for the first time in her memory, Ali heard astonishment, awe, and shock in the ancient dryad¡¯s voice as she too stared at the magic projected from the page. ¡°That is your mother¡¯s magic, what little of it even I comprehend.¡±


    ¡°Mom?¡± Several drops fell to her cheeks, but she spared no thoughts for them, staring instead at the book and the shimmering magic on the page.


    ¡°Only Elowynn¡¯s genius could divine a way to mentor you from three thousand years in the past. This magic was once your mother¡¯s mana signature, given the ability to grow with her unique brilliant insight. It has somehow become the core of this book.¡±


    Ali stared in amazement at the magic her mother had wrought, and the Eldritch Tome that was baring its heart to her. She had no doubts.


    ¡°Thank you, Clarence,¡± she said, and gratefully accepted its offer of patronage.


    Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The book snapped shut in an instant and then took off, flying around her in excited swoops and rolls before it alighted back on the table and bounced a little, while Ryn clapped her hands in delight. ¡°Clever book!¡±


    The tome rose to make a droll dip in the air as if bowing to her, before shaking with what looked suspiciously like unseen laughter and returning to its preferred position on the tabletop.


    Lirasia clapped her hands softly. ¡°Well, I do believe this calls for a bracing cup of tea, what do you say, dears?¡±


    Mato


    Mato carefully ladled the stew into bowls for everyone and passed it out, keeping his expression entirely neutral. Stew for breakfast was a little strange, but he passed it off with a taciturn, ¡°Leftovers.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t mentioned his excursion to the slums yesterday and he sat down and began eating, keeping a surreptitious eye on the others.


    +4 to Vitality.


    Duration: 6 hours.


    Calen sat bolt-upright, beginning to yell, ¡°What?¡± before he choked on his mouthful.


    Mato swatted his friend¡¯s back. ¡°Alright?¡±


    His creation had worked, and while it wasn¡¯t a particularly large boost, it was vitality, which was arguably the most important attribute. And it lasted a whopping six hours ¨C more than enough time for their delve into the mines today.


    ¡°What did he just ¨C uh, Mato?¡± Malika spluttered.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Ali¡¯s exclamation followed moments later.


    Calen opted to finish his mouthful in silence, but the look of surprise on his face was more than enough.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Mato rumbled, and then chuckled. After the appropriate outrage at his feigned ignorance, he shared his story, with maybe a few embellishments, particularly with how awful Tabitha¡¯s first stew had tasted.


    ***


    The thrill of excitement rushing through him made his ears prickle as he gazed once again into the Landing ¨C the giant chamber stretched out before him filled with elementals. Shards of Flame drifted back and forth, weaving their way around the much larger Living Flames.


    ¡°Did anyone else notice their mana regenerating in the Living Flame aura last time?¡± Ali asked, suddenly.


    ¡°It regenerates stamina too,¡± Malika answered. ¡°Not much, but it¡¯s nice.¡±


    he thought. He had not noticed the effect himself, but this time he would pay more attention. He retrieved a red elixir from his storage, studying the expensive concoction.


    Elixir of Fire Resistance ¨C level 41


    Consume: +20% to resistance against fire damage. Duration: 1 hour.


    Potion


    ¡°A little less burn,¡± he chuckled, imagining the words in the voice of Morwynne before he downed the elixir. As soon as he stored the empty vial, he shifted to Bear Form, pulsing his mana through his armor to make it shift with him, enjoying the feel of its reassuringly solid weight resting on his shoulders and back. In the mines, lit only by lava and elementals, the dark, banded plate armor gleamed reddish, taking on the ambient color of flame. The elixir, and its one-hour duration, was a godsend for him ¨C unable to drink regular potions, it gave him solid protection for the duration of most fights.


    Clearing the dungeon all the way down to here had taken just a little over an hour, including the Flame Broodmother, which Calen insisted they couldn¡¯t sneak past. But he didn¡¯t mind that; they were getting much better, and he liked pitting his strength against the heavy-hitting spider.


    ¡°How about here, Mato?¡± Calen asked him, picking out a spot quite a way back from the entrance. ¡°If you tank it here with your back to the wall, we should be safe from getting blown back into that cavern again.¡±


    Mato dipped his head with a huffy grumpy-bear growl, setting himself up a couple of feet further to the left of the location Calen had picked ¨C a little more distance from the open and inviting archway.


    ¡°That works. Getting the first one,¡± Calen said, vanishing into the shadows.


    . These monsters had sent them packing, and now they would turn the tables on them.


    Out in the Landing, brightly lit by the many flame elementals beyond the ancient stone archway, one of the Living Flames whirled and surged forward as a flash of light slammed into its core. Calen appeared from nowhere, already sprinting toward the doorway, his leather armor steaming.


    Their plan, should Calen¡¯s arrow draw two or more elementals, was to flee. Ali had even splurged on a teleportation circle a little way back down the tunnel, marked by a cairn of rocks, just in case. It was not a glorious plan, but it was certainly the smartest one ¨C Calen was becoming remarkably proficient at timing his shots to split monster packs, giving them the best chance of defeating everything safely.


    The archway flickered with the bright red light of the elemental monster¡¯s flame and a wave of heat billowed out in front of it, searing Mato¡¯s eyes and his lungs as he breathed. Calen passed his position at a dead sprint, and Mato patiently waited for the perfect moment. As soon as the Living Flame was in range, he charged, smashing into the elemental with the power of all his momentum and strength. Flames surged around him, burning his flesh and setting his fur aflame, but his eyes survived the fire, and he could still see.


    He roared and smashed his paw crosswise into the elemental using his Battle Master retaliation powered by Brutal Restoration and Bestial Combat. Roots sprang from the rocky ground, instantly ignited by the heat. Mato backed up slowly, drawing the elemental to his spot as his restoration magic began to pulse within him. He attacked again, ducking a little at the last moment to avoid the sweeping strike of a burning arm. The Living Flame didn¡¯t quite have a stable physical form, most of its body except the core seemed to ripple and flicker like flame. But it attacked with extensions of flame that resembled thick arms that certainly were dense enough to knock him back from the sheer physical impact. He had learned that well enough ¨C getting hit meant taking an enormous amount of both physical and fire damage.


    His body filled with his own regeneration magic, along with the softer, warmer feel of Ali¡¯s Acolyte using her holy magic. He smiled inwardly, the Kobold had only used her slower, but more efficient, heal-over-time magic which meant he had kept the damage down to a reasonable non-panic-inducing amount. He placed the elemental perfectly and then focused on attacking and blocking with everything he had. At the same time, the rest of the team deployed around his spot, taking their positions and attacking. He only really paid attention to Malika, who would be healing him in emergencies, and the melee minions Ali had brought: the rogues who were already causing their dark daggers to flicker and shimmer with rapid attacks in the intense heat, the Hobgoblin sporting its new fire resistance plate armor, and the shamans with their lightning arcing and crawling along their shields and weapons, casting harshly brilliant counterillumination to the softer red of fire and lava.


    His Survival Instinct suddenly went crazy, and he braced himself against the wall.


    ¡°Explosion!¡± Ali yelled in the background.


    Mato¡¯s eardrums burst and his world filled with fire as the force of the detonation slammed into his face and chest, flinging him up and into the rock wall right behind him. He tumbled down, gasping for breath and falling to the ground still at his tanking spot, just like Calen had hoped. The rogues, shamans, and even the Hobgoblin were airborne, launched away on the shockwave of flame. But Malika must have dodged the explosion with her ridiculous evasion because she was right beside him, slamming her healing magic into him. Off behind the Living Flame, a lone Kobold Acolyte stood in a glittering golden sphere of magic, pouring holy magic into him from maximum range.


    He scanned the cavern. Nobody had landed in the lava and, more importantly, nobody had been tossed into the Landing with the rest of the elementals. Instead, everyone scrambled, ran, or flew back to the fight as soon as they landed.


    He checked his health, but with the fire resistance elixir and his armor, he hadn¡¯t even gone below half, and Malika and the acolyte had already topped him off.


    He roared his taunt and attacked again, burning his health for more damage rather than wasting the constant pulse of the restoration magics healing him.


    Every time the Living Flame struck, Survival Instinct warned him of heavy damage. He blocked furiously, deflecting blows into the rock wall behind him, but not all. Each time he was hit, his health took a dive as he was smashed, ribs cracked, and flesh burnt. Each time he attacked, the elemental¡¯s flame retaliated, burning him some more.


    But Malika¡¯s reactions were lightning quick, and the holy Acolyte a constant source of healing.


    A second explosion blasted him, and again Malika managed to dodge it as the two of them weathered the storm together until the group recovered.


    ¡°Thirty seconds again,¡± Calen said, his voice carrying over the sizzle and crackle of magic.


    The next explosion was predicted a few seconds in advance, and Malika hunkered down beside him, taking the blast and bouncing off the wall with him.


    But when the fourth detonation ripped through the room, the giant elemental suddenly froze in place. A wave of heat burst forth from its body as a torrent of flame swirled around it like a red, blazing tornado. A dense glowing shield snapped into place, enveloping the monster in a transparent barrier. Mato¡¯s paw smacked into the shield, bouncing off painfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s regenerating!¡± Ali yelled.


    ¡°Break the shield!¡± Calen called out.


    Magic rained down from the back line while Mato Swiped furiously at the barrier, trying to make any kind of impact on the dense magic. Not even his Bestial Combat could sunder it. Visible on the other side of the barrier, Malika¡¯s fists were a blur of high-speed punches as the entire team went all out against the shield.


    For many long moments, he couldn¡¯t tell if they were having any effect on the shield at all. Still, he loaded his Swipe with Bestial Combat, burning health with every strike, until suddenly the impervious shield cracked a little beneath his claws. Calen¡¯s sharp eyes caught it, and his next arrow struck the crack dead on. The weakness spread the sound of ice cracking across a frozen lake. Malika¡¯s shin hit the crack and suddenly the barrier exploded into glass-like shards, crashing to the ground and cascading off the rocky walls. Several whizzing pieces sliced through his fur and into his hide, but Mato ignored the minor cuts, reaching through to attack the Living Flame within, finally able to reach his opponent once again.


    ¡°It¡¯s back to half,¡± Ali called, and then immediately she yelled, ¡°Explosion!¡±


    The Living Flame struck him with a well-timed blow on the shoulder causing his front legs to buckle at the same instant the flame detonation struck, smashing him into the wall. All the melee, even Malika this time, went flying down the tunnel. As he hit the floor, he realized he was on his own. Even the ever-present Acolyte in Ali¡¯s bubble was missing, just leaving a cloud of dissipating golden shards.


    The Living Flame struck, and he missed his block, stumbling on legs that still felt sluggish. He grunted at the searing impact, painful even with his enormous endurance.


    He was down to below fifteen percent health and falling. His regeneration magic was rapidly falling behind against the onslaught of flame. Another powerful elemental arm flew toward him, and Survival Instinct screamed.


    Without conscious thought, he used Last Stand. His body surged with power, growing larger as his health doubled and his hide thickened, growing denser and augmenting his armor.


    That was what his skill had bought him. The next attack seared deep into his wounded flesh, but his armor was tougher, and he had a temporary new lease on life, so he struck back with everything he had.


    Malika was the first one back, her feet blurring as they ate up the distance at an incredible rate, half the time not even bothering to step on the actual ground. She ran up the wall at his back, slapping him on the shoulder with her hand and he felt the burning surge of her heal tearing through his body, causing his breath to hitch.  His health skyrocketed. He roared, blocking another attack as she flipped down off the wall above him with a blindingly fast kick combination. A few moments later the rest of the team appeared, and they hunkered back down for the fight.


    Three more explosions ripped through the rocky mine before the Living Flame once again used its shield-and-tornado combination. This time he didn¡¯t need to be told, everyone unleashed their magic and attacked the shield trying to shatter it as quickly as possible.


    ¡°Back to twenty-five percent,¡± Ali called out, again followed immediately by, ¡°Explosion!¡±


    This time Malika dodged it, so the transition was much safer. He had already burned his Last Stand, so any dangerous situations coming up would need to be survived the hard way. As soon as the others returned, Calen¡¯s magic flared, filling the entire tunnel with a brilliant white light. Arrows shot across the way in a glowing storm, slamming into the creature¡¯s core.


    ¡°Explosion!¡±


    Mato¡¯s Swipe landed in a sudden puff of dissipating flame, and his chime sounded. Instead of the detonation smashing him into the wall, the creature flickered and died and the core fell to the ground with a heavy crash that sent tremors through the rock.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 174: Mana

    Malika


    she thought, staring down at the still-pulsing dark blue-black fiery core that was all that remained of their first defeated Living Flame. And beyond the archway, dozens of these monsters still lurked. While the others were all able to use the Elixirs of Fire Resistance, Malika¡¯s resistance was way too low for that to be effective. Her Ruby Hairpin was literally keeping her alive down here, but it was still woefully inadequate on its own in the face of something like these powerful elementals.


    She had been excited when she had learned to dodge magic and explosions, but the reality was she could dodge about a quarter of all attacks, and if she didn¡¯t drink one of the fire absorption potions right before the Living Flame¡¯s explosive shockwave of fire, she usually lost around three-quarters of her life from the blast and whatever additional damage it did as she was buffeted about by the flame or the rock she was slammed into. And then she would have to sprint back, burning her stamina to heal herself and just barely reach Mato in time to heal him.


    One of the explosions had been terrifyingly close ¨C both she and the acolyte had been flung out of range simultaneously, and Mato had been left facing the elemental¡¯s wrath entirely alone. When she had made it back, she could tell from the surging stamina energy that he had burned his powerful defensive ability just to stay alive. When she had touched him with her Healing Mantra, it had been instantly clear that he had lost way more life than he actually possessed, and he was surviving entirely on the thirty-second buffer of temporary health granted by his skill.


    It was not even a question; she knew that she was the weakest of their group. And it had nothing to do with the fact that she had the lowest class level of the four of them. She loved her class, her bloodline abilities, her relentless aptitude, and her speed. But the harsh restriction of not being able to wear armor or use a shield ¨C the main source for defensive attributes and enchantments ¨C was making her more and more vulnerable the deeper they delved into this dungeon. And by extension, she could feel she was holding her friends back.


    Enlightened Evasion had scaled nicely, but the incoming damage profile was simply too choppy and chaotic for tanking. When she had first learned Soul Armor, it had provided a whopping twenty percent reduction in physical damage. She had been filled with excitement, anticipating how her skills would grow and how she would transform herself into a robust melee fighter, capable of shrugging off monster attacks with the aid of powerful skills.


    But as she¡¯d leveled up, the skill had simply not kept pace. It required more and more armor or evasion rating to match higher-and-higher level monsters, and at her level, Soul Armor had dropped to just a little more than ten percent damage reduction. And, try as she might, she could find no way to fix it. Without the ability to wear armor, there was little option for improving her armor rating, other than grinding out more levels for Soul Armor. The others ¨C Mato for instance ¨C could simply switch the armor they were wearing to match the dungeon or upgrade their defenses with an appropriate amount of gold and access to a good blacksmith. It was a versatility she was becoming increasingly envious of. At some point she was certain it would become better to give up on her defensive skills and rely on gear instead ¨C but then her skills would cease to advance, and she would have been better off picking a warrior class instead of her monk.


    None of this accounted for the fact that she still had no skill for magical resistance.


    She sighed.


    She kicked the elemental core on the ground, and it rolled over, exposing something unusual beneath it. She reached out to grab the flickering dark blue flame that seemed to have been a part of the Living Flame¡¯s core, but to her surprise, it did not burn or give off much heat at all, instead, she felt a slow trickle of energy causing her stamina and mana to tick up like little pulses of regeneration.


    Mana: Combine 3 Essence of Living Flame into one Greater Essence of Living Flame


    Mana: Split Essence of Living Flame into 3 Lesser Essence of Living Flame


    Value: 45 gold


    Reagent ¨C Mana Essence


    The value appraisal did not do justice to the feeling she got from her skill. Something told her that not only was this a valuable find, but it was useful for crafting rare and powerful items.


    ¡°That was a tough fight,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to try another one till my Last Stand recharge expires,¡± Mato said. ¡°Can we wait here for a bit?¡±


    ¡°Malika?¡± Ali¡¯s voice had an unusual tone, and she looked up, irrationally expecting to be called out on her worthlessness to the group, and the weakness of her class. She was certain Ali would never do anything like that, but it was hard for her to ignore the unwanted fear.


    ¡°I was wondering¡­¡± Ali spoke, looking at the corpse. ¡°Right before each explosion, there is a surge of mana that¡­ well, it¡¯s humongous.¡±


    Malika¡¯s mind flipped gears instantly. She could see stamina usage, but Ali could see mana. If the creature¡¯s mana was surging for the ability, that meant¡­


    ¡°You think the explosion is expensive?¡±


    ¡°Yup, almost certain.¡±


    ¡°I can try on the next one.¡± Malika didn¡¯t know why it hadn¡¯t occurred to her. Perhaps it was the melee style of combat the Living Flame employed. But, if the explosions really did consume enormous amounts of mana as Ali suggested, she could attack that directly with her Soul Strike.


    ¡°I think the tornado thingy only regenerates its health as a side effect of it being fire magic,¡± Ali continued. ¡°It looks a lot like my Inspiration skill. I think its purpose is to regenerate mana.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Calen said, realization dawning in his expression.


    There were always four explosions before the tornado regeneration. That meant the explosion likely cost a quarter of the creature¡¯s entire mana pool, give or take a bit, depending on how much its attacks cost. If she attacked its mana, there was an excellent chance they could reduce it to three, or perhaps even two explosions per tornado.


    ¡°Hopefully it doesn¡¯t just regenerate faster,¡± Malika said thoughtfully. ¡°But if that ability is on a recharge, then we may be able to kill it much faster. All that time spent running back between explosions would be spent shooting it instead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be ready to try it again in seven minutes,¡± Mato announced.


    She looked over at him, a little surprised, but she had noticed several times that, although he seldom participated in their strategic discussions, Mato always paid attention, and clearly demonstrated that he understood everyone¡¯s role. She found herself a fire near him and sat down to meditate until he was ready.


    As soon as he was ready, Calen vanished into the shadows and Malika sprang to her feet, curious to see how their new plan would go. With a flash and a hissing sizzle of fire, Calen reemerged from the Landing with a single huge elemental chasing him.


    The intense heat of the elemental¡¯s aura of flame washed over her as she stood back, waiting for Mato to secure it. She studied it curiously, noticing the intense white swirls and flows of its stamina coursing within its ambiguously shaped flaming form, most of it concentrated within the dense blue flame of the core. She was getting used to fighting with Soul Sight now, but after their strategy discussion, she wondered how this monster appeared to Ali¡¯s mana-sight ¨C she had mostly taken Ali¡¯s ability for granted, but it must reveal a world she simply couldn¡¯t perceive.


    Her skin began to crisp, and her hair singed as the Living Flame rushed into the mine tunnel. Mato swiped at it, drawing it quickly to the tanking spot facing the rock wall, and she stepped in to begin her assault. As she had discovered against Alexander Gray, speed was vastly more effective at draining mana than power, so she focused mainly on her punches. All she had to do was release Soul Strike as rapidly as possible, which meant short-range punches delivered as fast as possible while managing her stamina. She felt rather strangely blind, attacking its mana. It was an unseen, invisible energy ¨C what might it be like to see it the same way every detail of its stamina flow was revealed to her via her Soul Sight?


    She used Healing Mantra continuously, keeping her mana pool below full so that the constant stream of the Living Flame¡¯s mana that she stole with every punch was not wasted. But keeping her own health topped up was not sufficient, and she began to divert the excess mana, converting it into stamina and adding extra heals for all Ali¡¯s melee minions standing nearby, helping to lighten the burden on the dedicated acolyte healers.


    ¡°Explosion!¡± Ali yelled.


    Malika downed a fire absorption potion immediately, but she successfully dodged the explosion this time and continued her assault.  If Calen was right, they tended to come every thirty seconds, so she had a little time to wreck its mana pool ¨C and having successfully dodged the blast meant she could be that much more efficient. She fueled her Divine Step, accelerating her body till her punches began making a whistling noise as they flew through the scorching air.


    Thirty seconds later, as exactly as she could determine, Ali called the next explosion. This time, the magic smashed into her body with the force of a giant hammer tossing her across the hallway like a leaf in a hurricane, ripping through the entirety of the buffer her potion granted her in an instant. Her body smacked into the roof, and she controlled her momentum absorbing much of the force using Divine Step. Her Healing Mantra surged as she repaired the flesh that had been burnt to the bone and restored the cracked ribs from the impact of the shockwave.


    She was off like a flash, running back to the battle, stepping off the air directly, rather than waiting for her body to reach the ground first. She pulsed some healing into Mato, but the acolyte was doing a good job of keeping him healthy, so she resumed her flurry of punches, flickering with stamina in her Soul Sight while the Soul Strike energy flashed off the Living Flame. Each time her punch landed; she felt more stolen mana flowing into her.


    She kept up her assault, and for a while, she thought she had simply misjudged the time, but as the seconds drew out, she realized the explosion wasn¡¯t coming. Suddenly a Soul Strike returned significantly less mana, and then the next one returned nothing.


    ¡°It¡¯s dry,¡± Malika called out. Immediately she switched to attacking health with most of her strikes, throwing in a single mana attack now and then just to collect any mana that may have regenerated. The next explosion time came and went without effect.


    Suddenly the shield appeared along with the tornado of flame. This time Calen burned his Righteous Fury on the shield, and it went down in record time.


    ¡°It¡¯s only at fifteen percent,¡± Ali started, and then yelled, ¡°Explosion!¡±


    she thought as the shockwave shattered her ribs again, flinging her down the tunnel and searing through her skin and flesh. She tucked in the air and spent her stamina on Divine Step, hardening the air under her feet with her magic and springing forward. Immediately, she healed herself and charged back to the fight, switching fully to stealing mana again. There was no next explosion, the Living Flame just imploded, collapsing to the ground soon after the anticipated thirty-second mark had passed.


    As she picked up the Essence of Living Flame that it dropped, storing it in her ring with the first one, she reflected for a moment that she no longer felt useless ¨C and all it had taken was one simple realization about how to use her skills more effectively.


    Sabri


    Sabri sat on the couch looking at the enthusiastic faces of her team.


    ¡°We should do it!¡± Brena said, excitement and pent-up energy spilling out from the Gnome.


    ¡°I¡¯m game for some smashing,¡± Theon said, the big paladin hefting the enormous two-handed hammer that probably weighed more than she did. It was bad enough that he insisted on naming it.


    Sabri glanced at the other two, sitting across from her. Cai nodded silently, the monk not much for speaking, and Malise purred her assent, the catkin rogue always seeming a little too eager for stabbing.


    ¡°What about you, Sabri?¡± Brena asked, making her start in surprise. It always surprised her when Brena made a point of explicitly seeking her opinion ¨C especially given how obvious the Gnome¡¯s preferences were. ¡°We can¡¯t let the other group get ahead of us.¡±


    That was really what all the excitement was about; the Guildmaster had warned them that Aliandra had made two new sewer bosses. The other novice group had already found and killed the first one ¨C a Toxic Slime, guarding a cache of weapons in the center of the sewer. They had come back filled with excitement, sporting a few new weapons and class levels, and her entire team was now talking about how they should be the first ones to find the other boss and defeat it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come,¡± Sabri answered. She wasn¡¯t particularly excited about being the first, but seeing how quickly the other group was leveling up had certainly caught her attention. If she could get stronger, she could take on more jobs and earn some money to pay back her armor, shield, and ring. She was in debt already, and she had to earn it back before Rezan would let her send any money home to her mother.


    ¡°Yay!¡± Brena said, hopping to her feet. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    As they stepped outside, Sabri¡¯s nose caught the aroma of frying meat and another vaguely familiar smell she could not quite place. Glancing around, her eyes caught sight of a small, wooden food cart with an old, wrinkled woman busy working her cooking skills and filling the street with smells that made her stomach grumble.


    She was about to turn around when Brena said, ¡°Hey, do you want to try it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, ok,¡± she said, quickly running a mental tally of the few coins she had as everyone crowded the cart.


    There were only two items on the menu ¨C a skewer of Bristletusk Boar meat for twenty-five copper, and something called ¡®chef¡¯s choice¡¯ for just a single copper.


    ¡°Why is there such a big price difference?¡± Theon asked.


    But Sabri didn¡¯t have to consider it for long, ¡°Can I try the Chef¡¯s Choice?¡± she asked, holding out the hard-earned copper coin. The old lady took it with a toothy grin, ladled out a bowl of what seemed to be a stew, and slid it across the countertop in exchange. Sabri accepted the bowl with a polite smile; twenty-five copper pieces for a snack was an extravagance she couldn¡¯t afford.


    Everyone, save for Theon and her, opted for the skewers. Sabri spooned a large helping of her stew into her mouth. The flavor that blew up her tastebuds could only be described as revolting. Week-old rancid rat had tasted better, and this was over-spiced with some intense peppers that made her break out in a sweat instantly.  She swallowed and took another bite, the inside of her mouth and her throat on fire. She quickly shoveled the rest into her mouth, working to minimize the damage with speed.


    +5 to Vitality.


    Duration: 6 hours.


    she thought, studying the surprising buff while she polished off her stew in short order. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said, returning the empty bowl, surprised to find the old lady giving her a befuddled stare.


    ¡°How was it?¡± Theon asked.


    ¡°Hearty,¡± she said, struggling to find something nice to say about what she had just eaten. ¡°The buff is really good.¡±


    ¡°Oh? A buff?¡± he said, and immediately stuck his spoon in his mouth. His face turned a bright shade of red and he spat it out instantly, alternating retching noises, profanity, and trying to scrape it off his tongue.


    Behind the food cart, the old lady doubled over in a fit of cackling laughter as she slapped her knee, pointing at Theon as she wheezed helplessly.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Brena asked, her skewer half eaten already. ¡°This is delicious! And I got four vitality!¡±


    Sabri glanced back and forth between the old lady, still laughing at Theon, and the happy Brena and she got it. ¡°The chef¡¯s choice is cheap because it¡¯s a prank?¡± she asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re a smart one, young lady,¡± Tabitha gasped at last. ¡°How come you could eat it? Do you not have tastebuds?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had worse,¡± Sabri answered. Not much worse, for sure, but there had been a few times etched into her memory.


    ¡°Ooh, a challenge! You¡¯re a good sport, here, take one of these, you¡¯ll like it better,¡± Tabitha said, offering one of the skewers. ¡°On the house.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Sabri said, and tried the skewer, finding it to be quite delicious as Brena had said.


    ***


    ¡°You really need to get a two-hand weapon like my Seraphina, here,¡± Theon said, caressing his hammer while he strode along beside Sabri. ¡°You will never be able to do enough damage carrying that dinky little shield.¡±


    Sabri tuned him out, studying the sewer walls and the roof as they passed. Theon loved explaining to her why she was inadequate, unlike himself. She had tried to be polite and point out the advantages of her shield and sword, but it was like talking to a wall for all the good it did.


    The most frustrating part was that he had a good point. She didn¡¯t do much damage with her sword and shield compared to the others, and she was constantly reminded that she wasn¡¯t pulling her weight in the team. Of all of them, she was dead last in how much damage she could do ¨C Brena and Malise could beat her with their eyes closed. Her only small consolation had come when she had realized that even Cai¡¯s fire-enchanted kicks and quarterstaff did more damage than Theon and his stupid hammer. When she had pointed that out to him in frustration, he had gotten angry and hadn¡¯t talked to her for the rest of the day.


    Sabri recalled the encouraging words the Beastkin, Mato, had offered when she had been struggling to choose her class, using them as a talisman to ward off her insecurity about her role.


    Sabri followed along behind Theon as they delved deeper into the sewer tunnels. The normal ambiance of damp moss and mushrooms slowly gave way to something decidedly darker. Instead of the crumbling brickwork illuminated by the ever-present soft golden glow, she found the roof draped with thick curtains of spiderweb that seemed to gleam and absorb the scant lighting. The effect was eerie and beginning to creep her out.


    ¡°Spiders,¡± Malise purred, her cat-like pupils dilating to enormous size in the darkness. ¡°And something¡­ something is watching.¡± She hissed softly and claws extended from her fingertips. Malise was almost creepier than the dark passage, but Sabri had come to trust her phenomenal senses.


    ¡°Sabri in front, Theon pull back to second,¡± Brena said, reiterating the marching order.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I go in front?¡± the big paladin complained. ¡°I have plate armor too.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re our only healer and Sabri¡¯s the tank. You know this already,¡± Brena said, her voice clearly carrying an edge of annoyance at the repeated explanation.


    Theon grumbled, but fell back to his assigned spot, giving Sabri a few blissful moments of peace during which she did not have to see his glares that no doubt drilled into her back.


    Up ahead, a dark shape shifted deep within the webbing, lowering, many legs unfurling. Several eyes glinted in the dim light.


    she told herself, mustering her courage and stepping forward, determined to do the job the Guildmaster had selected for her in this group. ¡°Incoming.¡± She readied her sword and shield and as the monstrous spider descended, and, as soon as it came into range, she smacked it with her shield, imbuing it with a little of her magic to do some extra damage.


    The dull thud of her shield was answered with a loud hiss. Then the full bulk of the monster emerged, dropping to the ground. With a scramble of limbs, it raised itself up to a height that was almost level with Sabri¡¯s chest, and she immediately took an involuntary step backward as it lunged toward her. She raised her shield to intercept the rapid flurry of strikes from its razor-sharp legs and snapping mandibles, grudgingly giving ground under the weight of the impacts that left splatters of glistening green fluid.


    ¡°Die, vermin!¡± Theon roared, barreling into the spider with a huge overhead strike of his massive hammer. The heavy impact drove the spider to the ground with a crunch, and it hissed and turned, lashing out at him with its legs, leaving a line of blood dripping from his arm. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Argh! I¡¯m poisoned! Tank this damn thing, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± he yelled.


    Sabri frowned. but she kept her thoughts to herself. Instead, she used Soul Shout. Her voice rang loudly in the tunnel, shimmering and vibrating in the air as her soul magic imbued her shout with potency. The spider flinched, instantly turning back toward her, and lashed out twice. She blocked the first gleaming black slashing leg, but the second slipped under her guard.


    +0.3 Poison damage per second.


    Poison ¨C Duration: 10 minutes. Count: 1


    Sabri ignored the poison and retaliated with her sword, a compact thrusting strike that bit shallowly into the chitinous thorax armor without compromising her guard further, and then the rest of the team engaged. Cai¡¯s feet and quarterstaff blurred, leaving trails of fire lingering in the air as he struck. Malise appeared out of the shadows with a wicked dagger strike that crunched through the abdomen, spraying ichor across the webbing and the walls. Sabri blinked as the entire tunnel lit with the searing white flash of Brena¡¯s arc lightning tearing into the monster.


    Theon glowed with a flash of yellow-white and the wound on his arm closed rapidly before he hefted his hammer and unleashed a great whirling strike.


    Sabri frowned. The big Paladin had insisted that he couldn¡¯t heal while he was wielding his hammer, but now, when it was himself that was injured, his spells suddenly seemed to work. Health potions were expensive, and she had mostly been forced to rely on them during battles.  she wondered, not for the first time. The other team loved their priest, but it was not her place to question the Guildmaster, or even her teammates who were already far more experienced than her.


    She grew more and more defensive, blocking and deflecting as many strikes as possible while her health slowly trickled away. All she needed was to land enough damage to keep the spider focused on her ¨C and if she failed, she would just shout to taunt it again. But the monster stuck to her like glue until the others managed to whittle it down.


    ¡°Good job, everyone,¡± Brena said.


    While the others began to chat about the fight, Sabri sat, her mind filled with calculations as she studied the several poison debuffs she had earned. She was down about a third of her life and the poison had a while to go still. There was no way around it ¨C she used her ring¡¯s storage enchantment and retrieved a precious health potion.


    But before she could open it, Brena said, ¡°Theon, heal Sabri, she¡¯s poisoned.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± he said, and she felt the welcome pulse of his holy spell and suddenly she was full.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she offered. Not having to burn one of her potions was a relief.


    ¡°But I got poisoned too,¡± Theon declared. ¡°You need to learn to hold aggro better. If you had a better weapon, you wouldn¡¯t have lost the spider, and I wouldn¡¯t have needed to hold back.¡±


    Sabri sighed and stashed her potion. She would just need to listen to his rant while she waited for the poison to wear off ¨C likely she would need another heal in a couple of minutes and it would be better if she wasn¡¯t arguing with him when that happened.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 175: Tanking Flame

    AliandraThe core of the Living Flame evaporated into motes of mana as Ali¡¯s notification chime sounded. Calen had managed to lure several of them from the Landing one at a time, and each had been defeated quickly ¨C their new mana drain strategy made the fights far quicker.


    Ali frowned at the sight of the message. Her Grimoire¡¯s imprint chapters were a precious resource and now her Elemental imprint was full ¨C spending another chapter to expand it seemed wasteful and inefficient. In her entire elemental imprint, she had only the one Forest Guardian which was usable, everything else was for a mana affinity incompatible with her own. Well, there was the Bamboo Crawler, too ¨C a monster that seemed to have been claimed by both the elemental and the grass imprints.


    Other than purely academic interest, there was little reason for her to keep the imprint for the Living Flame. And yet, her study of the Glimmer Shard had advanced her understanding of the use of her barrier magic, allowing her to learn to fashion sharp shards for attacking. Besides, she was quite interested in studying the unique flame of these elementals. She paged through her Grimoire thoughtfully, pausing for a moment at the imprint for coins. Given her access to magicite and mana-purified water, coins did not add much in the way of value, other than the convenience of making currency directly. Just selling magicite had a far greater impact on the economy, provoking great excitement and growth among the crafters. Even her Flame Web imprint should be a great boon to the tailors and weavers.


    a fact that rendered the Flame Web imprint redundant. With just a few minutes and a few hundred mana, she summoned one, verifying that it could produce the valuable flaming silk threads on demand.


    she decided, removing the Flame Web imprint, and deciding to rely on making the monsters instead. They would serve double duty in defending her domain. The only downside would be that she couldn¡¯t transmute other materials into Flame Web, weaving it directly with Domain Mastery, but she couldn¡¯t immediately see any benefit to that, and besides, she could always recover the imprint from the spiders if she needed it in the future.


    ¡°Bad news,¡± Calen said, catching her attention. She turned to find him squinting through the archway at the remaining elementals within the Landing. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can split any of the remaining groups, they are just too close. We¡¯re going to have to fight more than one elemental at the same time.¡±


    Peering through the archway herself, Ali was dismayed at the number of elementals that remained within. At the far side, she could now make out the two larger ones that would be the boss Calen had pointed out before. There were obvious gaps in the room though, where Calen had cleared the easier-to-reach monsters.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you can tank a Living Flame?¡± Calen asked, glancing at Malika.


    ¡°I¡­ no,¡± she said, looking down. ¡°That¡¯s too much for me.¡± She seemed ashamed or embarrassed to have to admit that, but Calen simply accepted her assessment and moved on.


    ¡°What about that group, maybe?¡± He pointed. He seemed rather uncertain as if he didn¡¯t have the choice but to put Malika on the spot again. ¡°It should come as a group of three.¡±


    ¡°How do we do it?¡± Ali asked. They had fought many of the Shards of Flame, even two at a time. But the Living Flame elementals were extremely powerful and dangerous, even on their own. Each of the elementals had a powerful aura of flame, and they all healed from fire damage, so they would have to be separated.


    ¡°We need to split them up, and the Living Flame is the most dangerous,¡± Calen said, his expression thoughtful. ¡°Maybe Malika can tank both shards off to the side while we kill the Living Flame, and then we split them and finish them off?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can handle two at a time,¡± Malika said, looking utterly forlorn. ¡°I don¡¯t get any resistance from armor like you guys, just the little I get from this hairpin. I think two of them for that long will kill me unless I get very lucky with dodging.¡±


    Ali glanced at Malika, more than a little worried about her friend. Something in this mine had gotten to her, and badly shaken her spirits and the attitude she had toward her class and role. She knew her friend had a powerful resolve to get stronger and be a force for positive change in the world, but this challenge of not having enough fire resistance seemed to have undermined her confidence more thoroughly than she would have thought possible. She wanted to see Malika smile, and have her unshakable, calm, self-assured friend back.


    ¡°The Living Flame is the most dangerous,¡± Ali began, thinking through all the abilities they knew about. ¡°But without Malika¡¯s drain, it will take a very long time to kill.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we should kill the Shards of Flame first?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Maybe. Mato, can you tank the Living Flame and one of the shards at the same time?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yup, this armor is really good,¡± he said, not picking up on how sensitive Malika might be to hearing about his cool armor with all its fire resistance. ¡°The only really dangerous time is if all the healers get blown away.¡±


    ¡°What if we have Mato tank the Living Flame and the Shard the tunnel where it¡¯s a little narrower? I can put two Acolytes up against the wall on the opposite side and that way, they can¡¯t be tossed out of range by the blast wave.¡± Her little Kobolds would have to take the blast wave and the crushing impact of being smashed against the wall almost simultaneously, but if she was careful to make certain they used Restoration on themselves right before the explosion, she was sure they could survive it reliably. It would be even better if she could spare a barrier or two to deflect some of the blast.


    ¡°That means¡­¡± Calen said, glancing about. ¡°You want Malika and the last Shard over there?¡± He pointed to Mato¡¯s original tanking spot by the wall.


    ¡°Yup. It should be far enough to split the auras and keep her out of range of the explosion too. With Malika¡¯s stamina and an Acolyte over here, I think we can keep her healed.¡± Ali surveyed the room for a moment while her friends considered her idea. ¡°We kill Malika¡¯s shard first, and then she gets the second one and takes it away from Mato, separating it from the fire aura and the blast wave, and then we kill that one too. Finally, we all kill the Living Flame with Malika¡¯s mana attack. What do you guys think?¡±


    ¡°I can definitely handle one Shard of Flame,¡± Malika said, giving Ali a grateful look.


    ¡°It¡¯s better than my idea,¡± Calen said. ¡°I think the blast wave has a larger range though, maybe Malika should be here instead.¡± He indicated a spot somewhat further separated. ¡°Ali, without resistances, Malika will be taking a lot of melee damage from the shard that she isn¡¯t normally subjected to when Mato is tanking. Can you afford to make another healer?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Ali said. ¡°Two Acolytes for each tank, just in case anything random happens.¡± While she was hopeful her adjustment placing two of her healers against a wall would help stabilize the fight, the explosive blast wave was so quick it was sometimes challenging to predict and a substantial source of randomness in the fight. The extra healing was something she should have thought of herself.


    Their strategy discussions took quite some time, but even the usually impatient Mato simply listened quietly. It was abundantly clear to everyone that without a strong plan, they would have no chance of defeating the group. They all waited patiently while Ali created her Kobold Acolyte and restored her mana with Inspiration. She had to admit that the picture of her little Kobolds wearing the highly fashionable fire silk robes made her smile ¨C but Lydia¡¯s phenomenal craftsmanship and their racial resistance to fire was about the only thing keeping the low-level Kobolds alive against the sheer damage output of a level sixty Living Flame.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m ready,¡± Ali announced.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go get them,¡± Calen said.


    Malika and Mato both moved over to the giant stone archway, waiting while Calen vanished as he stepped across the threshold, blending into the shadows and illusion of his stealth magic. Everyone held their breath for several long minutes while the denizens of the Landing slowly drifted back and forth. Right as two patrolling groups separated, Ali saw a gap open, and into that gap flared a brilliant flash of light and magic as an arrow punched into the core of the Living Flame. Calen suddenly reappeared from a shimmer of dissipating illusion, sprinting through the arch of stone trailing smoke and flame from his burning body while the three angry elementals surged after him.


    ¡°Incoming,¡± Malika murmured redundantly, but Mato simply chuffed softly beside her.


    Ali stood well back from the archway with her minions arrayed around their two anticipated tanking spots. As the elementals crossed through the archway, there was a chaotic flurry of melee. Mato roared and swiped. Malika¡¯s magic flashed several times in rapid succession and both of their health dipped dramatically as their bodies were set alight by the powerful confluence of fire within the close confines of the archway.


    ¡°,¡± she instructed, and her nearest Acolyte instantly reacted by activating her skill, suffusing herself with the familiar pillar of potent holy light. Mere moments later, Malika and Mato¡¯s health began to rise in response to the powerful surge of healing magic. Mato charged away from the archway toward the tunnel, while Malika ducked to the side up against the wall somehow miraculously with only a single Shard of Flame emerging from the fray to follow her.


    A brilliant red formation of fire mana sprang into existence within the Living Flame, drawing a mind-blowing amount of mana into its flowing shape.


    ¡°Explosion!¡± Ali yelled, suppressing the sudden surge of panic. They hadn¡¯t accounted for the fact that the monster wouldn¡¯t patiently wait for them to set up their positions before using its powerful blast wave attack. She threw up a barrier in front of the Kobold still empowered by her Devotion skill and then, using every scrap of her hasted mental reactions, she timed her Minion Teleport for the precise instant after the blast wave slammed into her chest. The detonation sent everything in the room flying: Mato, Malika, the Shards of Flame, and most of her minions. The only exceptions were the Acolyte cowering behind her barrier, and herself and the second acolyte she had switched places with as she leveraged her teleport skill to dissipate the momentum from them both.


    ¡°¡± she told her empowered Kobold. He had bounced off the wall and the Living Flame was about to smash into him ¨C and he had not yet had the time to establish his Brutal Restoration magic and was therefore in the most precarious position. ¡°¡± she told the other stationary Acolyte. Malika only had one Shard of Flame to deal with now that she was out of the fire aura of the other elementals, and while she had very weak resistance to magic, she also had her own healing skill.


    She cycled her point of view rapidly through her minions, casting barriers to catch the ones that were at most risk of dying, preventing one of her shamans from flying back through the archway and into the Landing. Every ounce of damage she could prevent during the explosion was damage her acolytes wouldn¡¯t need to heal, and she knew she had saved many of her monsters from dying to falling on the rock or landing in lava.


    ¡°Lock it down, Mato,¡± Calen yelled, landing with a flare of his brilliant wings, arrow nocked and ready.


    Several rapid flickers and flashes pulsed around Malika as she halted her momentum midflight and alighted on the rocky ground near her assigned spot. She waited until her flying Shard of Flame landed and turned, floating across the room at great speed to engage her.


    Mato¡¯s great bulk slammed hard into the rocky wall of the tunnel with enough impact to extinguish the flames burning his fur. Ali winced at the crunch of bones breaking, but Mato charged the Living Flame, shaking off the impact like it was nothing, and smacked it with his paw, drawing it back towards the tunnel where he was supposed to tank.


    There was a moment of tense anticipation while the remaining Shard of Flame landed and paused, as if looking around, although, what it might be using for eyes Ali couldn¡¯t imagine. But Mato had clearly annoyed it more than enough, because it made a beeline through Ali¡¯s recovering minions as it charged him down, triggering a ripple of holy magic spells through her minions ¨C her healers reacting to its aura of flame passing by.


    Ali breathed a sigh of relief as a modicum of stability emerged from the midst of the chaos of the pull and the juggling for position.


    ¡°¡± she told her waiting minions, and her shamans, Hobgoblin, and the rogues swarmed across the rocks toward Malika, daggers and swords gleaming in the light of the fire, and shields beginning to arc with lightning. The bone mages and archers opened fire, filling the air with their yipping battle cries. With a thought, Ali fired off a pair of barrier shards to add to the attack, but the bulk of her attention was devoted to observing the fight through the senses of her acolytes, monitoring Mato and Malika¡¯s health constantly. The amount of damage inflicted by the elementals was enormous, and she clearly felt the lack of Malika¡¯s healing and the extra elemental in the chaotic swing of Mato¡¯s health as he tanked in the tunnel. Malika¡¯s health, on the other hand, was a gut-wrenching skiff bobbing in a stormy sea, steady for long moments as she dodged everything the elemental dished out, and then suddenly plummeting alarmingly when several attacks in a row made it through.


    ¡°Second explosion in ten,¡± Calen called out in a steady voice.


    She knew he couldn¡¯t see the magic, but she was grateful for his assistance and his impeccable sense of timing. Sure enough, in approximately ten seconds, a giant surge of fire mana shot through the Living Flame.


    ¡°Explosion!¡±


    Ali was out of range of the blast wave this time, so she got to watch the effect of the compressed shockwave in action. A powerful surge of brilliant white-orange burst outward from the elemental¡¯s body, like an outgassing of flame, followed by a detonation reminiscent of an empowered fireball triggered by its core of fire mana. The explosion instantly compressed the flame into a dense shockwave that blasted outward in a giant sphere around the elemental, picking up and tossing everything within its radius.


    Mato slammed up against the wall, bouncing off the rock and landing back in front of the Living Flame. The two acolytes she had assigned to him were standing opposite him inside the tunnel, and they too were picked up and slammed into the wall, despite the hasty barrier she summoned to protect them. But her plan had worked, both were battered and burnt, but still in range of Mato when they landed. Mato¡¯s Shard of Flame went flying right across the room, landing almost on top of her mages and archers, and the sudden presence of the flame aura caused a second ripple of holy magic spells to cascade across the room. She didn¡¯t need to check; she could already recognize the efficient restoration magic that would heal each of them for the next thirty seconds.


    ¡°Mato, can you shift it to the other side next time?¡± Ali called. If he could arrange to have the Shard blasted away from the group and down the tunnel, that would save a lot of healing. She got a loud grunt in response.


    Ali checked in with all her minions regularly, making certain they were topped up and standing in smart positions, and she assisted them with her barriers through several explosions while they wore down Malika¡¯s Shard of Flame. Even though the second shard was tossed into the room a few more times due to the explosions, only once did it get close enough to potentially heal the other one with its aura, and Ali intercepted that with a barrier mid-flight, making it land short of the target. She ignored the shield and fire-tornado, allowing the Living Flame to regenerate fully, focused entirely on keeping everyone alive and her unfortunately low-leveled attackers on target.


    With a soft chime, Malika¡¯s Shard of Flame guttered and dropped to the ground, and Malika was about to charge into the fray when Calen called out. ¡°Wait, Malika! Explosion in ten, go in after.¡±


    She paused outside of the range of the blast wave, and Ali found herself with some downtime, so she flew over to the fresh corpse of the Shard of Flame to deconstruct it for some mana. She wasn¡¯t exactly low, but it never hurt to have more.


    ¡°Explosion!¡± she yelled, seeing the dense formation in her mana sight.


    She caught a flying Kobold Acolyte that had been a little out of position when the explosion went off with a quick barrier, guiding it back to the ground while switching one of Malika¡¯s ones in to keep Mato healed.


    This part was likely to be the most dangerous of the entire battle. Malika had backed off and caught the Shard of Flame as it landed in the middle of the room, but Mato had been hitting it for quite a while, so it charged back toward him, forcing Malika to chase it down into the double flame aura, and without much resistance. Her healing magic began to flicker continuously.


    ¡°¡± Ali instructed, triggering empowered healing to try and smooth over the transition.


    Malika¡¯s punches were a rapid strobe of white light as she went all out with her combinations, trying to peel the Shard of Flame off Mato with sheer fury and speed.


    ¡°Ten seconds,¡± Calen called out. Malika¡¯s punches accelerated to a blur and her magic switched to a bluish color as her punches began to steal the creature¡¯s mana, in an attempt to get its attention faster. Five seconds to go, and she still did not have it.


    ¡°Explosion!¡± Ali called out as the mana surged through the Living Flame. Malika landed a strong kick which flashed blue, and the Shard of Flame turned and punched her right as the blast wave exploded outward, picking up both Malika and the Shard itself, and flinging them across the room. Malika halted herself in midair, pulsing her heal as she sprinted downward to the ground and stood in her spot. The Shard of Flame returned to her, not Mato.


    ¡°Nice,¡± Calen yelled.


    Ali gave Malika a few more seconds to secure the elemental before instructing her minions to attack. Lightning bolts cracked, bone spears flew, and rogues stabbed. The darkly gleaming shafts of dozens of Eimuuran steel arrows filled the air ¨C they were the only ones Ali could make that didn¡¯t spontaneously combust in the intense heat down here.


    ¡°Explosion!¡± Ali checked on her Acolytes, but they seemed to be ok on mana. Four of them seemed to be the magic number, and she was pleased she had decided to spend the mana on the extra one. Off to the side, the Living Flame encased itself in its shield of flame and a tornado of fire as it regenerated. She ignored it again and focused all her attention on the Shard of Flame.


    It took several cycles of explosions before the Shard of Flame finally expired, collapsing into a core of slowly dying flame.


    ¡°Wait or go?¡± Ali asked. There was only one more explosion before the next shield and she wasn¡¯t certain if it would be better to wait it out or begin their attack earlier.


    ¡°Go,¡± Calen answered immediately.


    She didn¡¯t question his decision, sending her minions in immediately. In cases like this, it was better to be coordinated than right. If Calen was mistaken, it would still be fine, provided they were all following the same strategy.


    Malika began draining its mana and all her minions attacked. Everyone was now within the blast wave range, so Ali kept most of her barrier magic in reserve, moving in closer so she could protect whoever needed it.


    ¡°Explosion!¡± she yelled, protecting three of her acolytes with barriers to reduce the damage and downing a Potion of Fire Absorption as she opted to take the blast herself.


    The wave of flame smashed into her body with a deafening crash. She felt something crack within her chest, with a simultaneous stabbing pain that seemed centered on her heart. Her skin blistered and blackened from the heat as she was tossed high into the air. She cast Minion Teleport, switching places with an airborne archer, using the versatile skill to arrest both of their momentum. She summoned a quick barrier each to return them to the ground without breaking more bones in the process. As soon as she got back into range, one of her acolytes cast a restoration spell on her and the warm soothing sensation of holy magic filled her body, repairing her burns and cracked ribs. By the time she was back on the ground and creating barrier shards, she was mostly healed up.


    Those elementals could certainly dish out the damage.


    As soon as she was back in position, the Living Flame used its tornado of fire to regenerate its mana. The whole cave was filled with dazzling white illumination, and Ali didn¡¯t need to turn to see that Calen had used his Righteous Fury. She simply made as many shards as she could and attacked the flame shield without holding back.


    With the two extra elementals killed, this had turned into the same fight they had learned while clearing this cavern ¨C with the exception of the resources already spent. Once Malika ran it out of mana, it would be easy.


    ¡°Explosion!¡± she yelled, hoping this would be the last one. But right before the fiery core detonated, the Living Flame lashed out and hit Mato with a brutal punch of flame that burned through his hide. A loud crack and a stumble told her that it had broken his leg, causing him to roll on the ground. Normally not a big problem, it would be healed rapidly, but at that very moment, the Living Flame detonated its blast wave, flinging Mato and all the melee up out out into the room beyond, leaving Ali staring down the gigantic elemental through her now entirely inadequate-seeming barrier.


    The Living Flame turned toward her, drawing back a massive arm of flame.


    Malika


    Malika failed to execute her dodge, and the blast wave of flame impacted her face and chest with crushing force, tossing her into the air like her weight was insignificant. She pulsed her Healing Mantra automatically, feeling her ribs snap back into place, but right then she registered what she was seeing down below.


    Mato was flying off in a different direction, no longer beside the Living Flame, and none of their melee team had avoided the explosion. But Ali was all alone facing the Living Flame from behind her golden barrier as it swung about to face her.


    She poured stamina through her Divine Step skill, halting her momentum with an abrupt, bone-jarring stop in midair, and sprinted downward as fast as she could move, pushing her skill to the absolute maximum.


    The Living Flame swung an arm that was bigger than Ali¡¯s entire body, smashing the barrier into a spray of golden glitter and shards, leaving her completely defenseless. The second arm swung, smashing through a second hastily summoned barrier at the instant Malika landed. Burning stamina, she dove between the massive descending blow and the diminutive form of the Fae, choosing deliberately to block instead of dodge.


    The monstrous elemental¡¯s strike crushed her raised forearm, burning through flesh and exposing the bone as the flame tore past her block searing her face and chest. She gritted her teeth, poured her stamina into healing, and unleashed a jab with her good arm, powered with her mana-draining Soul Strike. She struck again and again in rapid succession, urgently trying to gain its ire before it could even react. With each strike, she earned deep searing burns from its retaliatory fire, but the next strike was aimed at her instead of Ali.


    ¡°Run, Ali!¡± Malika shouted as she broke into a sprint, taking several steps through the air to get up and around the giant Living Flame, turning it to face the wall of the tunnel again. She blocked another hit, feeling her flesh crisping and tearing from the heavy searing impact that knocked her flying. Her body slammed into the wall before she could halt her momentum and several ribs snapped, and something in her spine crunched.


    She healed herself and simultaneously felt several holy magic spells landing to top her back up. Her wounds closed almost instantly, flesh rapidly regrowing under the onslaught of holy magic. She pressed her lips tightly together and unleashed the full punch sequence of the seventeenth form ¨C or, as her father had once called it, ¡®Scorpion Strikes.¡¯


    She dodged, and then luckily dodged a second attack before the third struck home, unblocked. Her body smashed into the floor, crushed by the impact with her shoulder and arm burned almost clean off from the sheer intensity of the flame.


    The onslaught of healing spells rapidly rebuilt her body and she scrambled to her feet trying desperately to dodge the next attack.


    And then he was there, the giant bear, fur burning and claws striking with palpable force. He roared, but the Living Flame somehow resisted his Taunt.


    ¡°Ease up a bit and let him take it back,¡± Calen said. ¡°Everyone, hold off attacking. I think the explosion is an aggro dump.¡±


    Malika ignored most of Calen¡¯s analysis, focusing all her energy on anticipating the ridiculous strikes and dodging or blocking everything she could while the battlefield became strangely calm as most everyone stopped attacking and just waited. She did ease up on her punches but suffered from not being able to steal health on every strike, but every few seconds her mana and stamina ticked up just from standing in the strangely rejuvenating flame, and she immediately turned all of it into healing.


    ¡°Explosion!¡± Ali yelled.


    This time she deliberately did not dodge; she did brace in anticipation, though. The detonation slammed her against the wall, and she bounced off the jagged stone, careening off the Living Flame and rolling on the ground. She healed the crushing damage to her body once again, but with a glance, she could tell Mato had regained control and she breathed a sigh of relief.


    Slowly, she settled into her normal role, punching the monster and draining its mana. But her racing heart had not nearly calmed down by the time the elemental finally collapsed.


    She collected the Essence of Living Flame the elemental had dropped and sat to meditate next to the core, healing herself as usual. She spent one point on vitality and one on strength and then considered the rest of her attributes. Making her decision, she allocated three each to dexterity and endurance, reserving the final two for wisdom. But her notifications were not done.


    Soul Armor ¨C level 23


    Requires: No body armor or shield equipped.


    Mana: Your soul reinforces your body increasing your natural defenses. Reserve: 10%


    Armor +503


    Poison Resistance +876


    Soul, Melee, Defense, Endurance, Wisdom


    Soul Armor ¨C level 23


    Requires: No body armor or shield equipped.


    Mana: Your soul reinforces your body increasing your natural defenses. Reserve: 10%


    Armor +503


    You are immune to Fire damage.


    Soul, Melee, Defense, Endurance, Wisdom


    Soul Armor ¨C level 23


    Requires: No body armor or shield equipped.


    Mana: Your soul reinforces your body increasing your natural defenses. Reserve: 10%


    Armor +503


    Resistance +561


    Soul, Melee, Defense, Endurance, Wisdom


    She sat and stared at the notifications for a long while, letting the complex torrent of emotions cascade through her. Ever since asking for Rezan¡¯s advice, she had been studying ¨C meditating ¨C in fire, lava, and poison, and yet nothing had seemed to help. But now, down here in the mines, after risking her life, her skill had finally advanced.


    ¡°You ok?¡± Ali asked, coming over and sitting down beside her.


    She nodded and shifted over to give her a little space where she could sit without being in the fire of the elemental core.


    ¡°Thanks for coming to rescue me,¡± Ali said. ¡°That thing smashed my barrier like it was nothing.¡±


    ¡°It hits really hard,¡± Malika agreed.


    ¡°Oh, I know. I nearly died every time I saw your health drop like that,¡± Ali said. ¡°I¡¯m grateful that you saved me, but I don¡¯t want you to die doing it.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully next time it won¡¯t be so scary,¡± she said. ¡°Here look at this.¡± She shared her skill advancement choices.


    ¡°Holy¡­ fire !¡± Calen exclaimed. ¡°Do you know how strong that is?¡±


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± Mato said. ¡°But you really shouldn¡¯t have shared that advance.¡±


    Malika snapped a confused look at him. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I share?¡±


    ¡°Now they know you can tank better; they will keep making you do it,¡± he told her in a mock-conspiratorial faux whisper. ¡°Better to pretend you don¡¯t have it!¡± It was only then that a big grin cracked the deadpan look on his face.


    She swatted him on the shoulder, half annoyed that she hadn¡¯t caught onto the joke quicker, but honestly, she was just excited that she now had resistances. With their group makeup, they had easily fallen into the pattern of letting Mato tank everything because his class was so well suited to it. When they had first started out, she had done a lot of the tanking, and her defensive skills had grown rapidly, but with her current role of mainly healing or extra damage and the occasional mana drain, her defensive skills had lagged somewhat.


    It was only here in the mines that they needed two tanks, and Ali¡¯s Forest Guardians were not suited to the fire affinity dungeon.


    She was also glad that Rezan had been right, and not secretly pranking her. Not that he would do something like that, but there had definitely been times when she was sitting in the fire that she had considered he might have been.


    ¡°So, which one are you going to choose?¡± Ali asked.


    And that was really the question. The requirements for the advancement told the story of her struggles, and the offerings matched the poison clouds and fire she had been meditating in as often as she could.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± she answered finally. All three of the choices dramatically improved her armor by tying it to her endurance attribute. The poison resistance used an extremely high-value formula, scaling by three times her wisdom and twelve times the skill level. But it would only affect poisons, leaving her just as weak in this dungeon. On the other hand, the second choice was full fire immunity, which probably wouldn¡¯t work against evolved monsters far above their levels, but still, it was a ridiculous ability. And the last option offered her magical resistances similar to her armor value.


    ¡°Fire immunity,¡± Calen said. ¡°You could simply grind on fire elementals forever and level up super-fast.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that would be too specialized?¡± Ali countered. ¡°After all, how often do we really choose what we need to fight?¡±


    ¡°True, but she could probably solo a Living Flame with that,¡± Calen added.


    ¡°Probably not,¡± Malika said, but the idea was certainly attractive. Definitely one of the Shards would be no problem with fire immunity. ¡°The Living Flame hits with physical and fire, and the explosions do some physical damage too. I don¡¯t think I could break the shield by myself before it fully regenerated.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, the general resistance is probably the smartest choice, but still¡­ immunity to fire is ridiculous,¡± Calen said.


    she thought, recalling the Nine Paths of Anh Khen had a lot to say about smart skill choices. In cases like this, the breadth of applicability for her Soul Armor was the strongest feature. With all three defensive stats, she would become a far more versatile fighter, able to tank when needed, and able to survive against any foe, regardless of the kind of damage it used.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the general Magic Resistance one then,¡± she said and committed her choice. Despite knowing what would happen, her eyes still widened at the sight of her magic damage reduction jumping to over thirty percent. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Want to try the double Living Flame group next?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°See, I told you!¡± Mato exclaimed.


    ***


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 176: Figuring out a Strategy

    Sabri¡°We found it,¡± Malise said, emerging from the shadows beside Sabri and startling her. ¡°That¡¯s a boss. The entire room is filled with a poisonous cloud, and it knows we¡¯re here. I couldn¡¯t even get close.¡±


    Sabri stared into the gloomy chamber. There were a few of the glowing mushrooms providing light that diffused through a greenish mist that filled the room. Dangerous-looking red-and-white toadstools sprouted in clumps around most of the perimeter of the chamber. Of the boss, she could see no sign, other than the dense webbing that hung in drapes from the roof and down the walls. Creepy as the scene was, she gave no sign of her unease.


    ¡°I want some of those mushrooms,¡± Malise said, grinning and showing her gleaming white pointed canines. ¡°Good poisons for my daggers.¡±


    ¡°We should collect the web after we beat it,¡± Brena added. ¡°I saw a quest for it on the jobs board this morning. It pays quite well.¡±


    Sabri thought, perking up at that. At least she could make some money today and make a dent in some of her debts.


    ¡°Everyone ready?¡± Brena asked.


    Sabri nodded, getting to her feet and readying her shield and sword. ¡°Where is it?¡±


    ¡°In the center, up on the roof,¡± Malise said, pointing, and then she stepped into the shadows and vanished again.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Sabri said and advanced into the greenish mist.


    +0.3 Poison damage per second within the aura.


    Duration: Indefinite.


    The green miasma clawed its way down her nostrils and into her lungs, provoking a bout of nausea and dizziness, but she strode to the center of the room, gazing upward into the dense shadowed webbing. Something lurked up there, deep within its lair. A hiss prickled the hairs on the back of her neck, and a massive black and green spider dropped down into the chamber suspended upon a silken thread as thick as a rope. Legs unfurled and it leapt.


    Sabri dropped her weight into a defensive crouch and swung with her shield, imbuing it with her soul magic to strike with more damage. Her shield caught the spider right in the face, with a resounding crack, making the monster shy back, hissing angrily.


    The spider¡¯s legs clawed the ground like swords scraping across granite and it advanced, nearly as tall as Sabri ¨C far larger than all the spiders they had fought on the way to the lair. Vibrant green markings on its razor-sharp legs glistened with viscous venom that flicked into the air as tiny droplets as it lashed out. She dodged backward, deflecting the strikes with her sword, and then retaliated with a counterthrust of her own.


    ¡°Avast, foul beast!¡± Theon yelled, rushing in with his heavy two-handed hammer already descending. Sabri winced as the massive steel head struck the spider with a loud crack, but this time the spider stuck to her instead.


    The sword-like legs blurred toward her, one strike blocked by her breastplate, but Sabri judged the attack poorly, and her guard was just a little too high. The second strike slashed deeply into the flesh of her forearm, slicing down to the bone in an instant.


    +0.3 Poison damage per second.


    Poison ¨C Duration: 10 minutes. Count: 1


    To her dismay, the poison stacked with the aura, leaving her seeing double for a moment and taking damage twice as fast. With the speed and power of its strikes, she would need to be extremely cautious. She didn¡¯t hesitate, immediately retrieving one of her potions and downing it.


    The loud crack and flash of lightning and trails of flame announced Brena and Cai¡¯s entrance into the chamber, but Sabri had eyes only for the monster before her as it lashed out again. Desperately, she blocked and deflected its rapid slashes, retaliating with another sword strike, but she didn¡¯t come out of the exchange unscathed.


    Theon hammered at the spider¡¯s abdomen, drawing its attention away from her, and she reacted by using her Soul Shout, taunting it back to her before he could get bitten or slashed. But the strike intended for him glanced off the edge of her shield and found a gap between the plates of her armor, slicing into her leg.


    She grimaced at the wave of dizziness and weakness from the rapidly mounting poison and hit back at the spider, trying to ensure that it would stay focused on her. She fell into an anxious zone of blocking and deflecting while seeking openings to strike, but her health dwindled steadily away, even with the magic of her healing potion working to repair her wounds.


    As soon as her healing potion wore off, she downed a second one, but her health was not doing well at all. As she blocked another furious flurry of strikes ¨C some of them so sharp and fast, all she felt was the warmth of her own blood ¨C her health dipped below half and continued to fall.


    Twenty percent was their trigger to run and as she saw her health decline under the heavy strikes and constant poison drain, she dreaded having to be the one to call the retreat. Theon would not let her live it down.


    But it was Brena¡¯s voice that called out, ¡°Run!¡±


    She smacked the spider in the face with her shield and sprinted out after the others, feeling a guilty sense of relief flooding her body, but the massive spider did not give up the chase until they had entirely left the long web-covered tunnel. It chased them all the way, keeping the aura of poison on them right up until it finally gave up and returned to its lair.


    ¡°Why did you run?¡± Theon demanded. ¡°I was just getting going.¡±


    ¡°I am on fifteen percent health,¡± Brena told him angrily.


    ¡°Well, use a health potion!¡±


    ¡°I did. You need to heal, Theon. Remember what the Guildmaster told you about your role on the team?¡± Brena¡¯s face was flushed with anger.


    ¡°But then I can¡¯t hit it,¡± he objected.


    ¡°I saw you heal yourself twice,¡± Malise said, joining the argument.


    ¡°Guys¡­¡± Sabri said, trying to make herself heard over the arguments. Her health had passed twenty percent and was still spiraling downward at an alarming rate. The spider¡¯s venom still coursed through her veins, only the aura having been withdrawn.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point!¡± Theon yelled back.


    ¡°I need a heal!¡± Sabri yelled, losing her patience.


    ¡°What the fuck for? Take a potion,¡± Theon yelled.


    ¡°I used two already, I have ten stacks of poison. I¡¯m going to die if you don¡¯t heal me immediately.¡±


    ¡°Stupid weakling,¡± he snapped, but she felt his healing magic infusing her body with warmth, and her Tenacious aptitude reacted to improve the amount healed.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll need another one in a minute.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Whatever.¡±


    The whole team sat down to wait out her poison, and she tried to ignore the daggers Theon was glaring her way.


    ***


    Sabri slumped down on the couch in the guild hall, tired and sore, and feeling rather sick after all that poison in her system. They had made several attempts to kill the spider, but they had not been even close to successful. To his credit, Theon did heal her during the later fights ¨C whenever she asked for it ¨C but he grumbled about it every time, and she had been forced to call the entire thing off when she had run out of health potions, earning even more glares and grumbles.


    She tried to ignore everyone, wanting to be alone, but she basically lived at the guild and had nowhere else to go. To her surprise, one of the bronze-ranked girls walked over and sat on the couch beside her.


    ¡°Here, you look like you could use this,¡± she said, offering Sabri one of the skewers she had sampled that morning ¨C when she was still full of hope and excitement about hunting the new boss. Normally, she would have refused, but she felt miserable, and hunger was at least a part of it. With the number of health potions she had wasted today, she would be on light rations for the rest of the week.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. And then remembering her manners, ¡°I¡¯m Sabri.¡±


    ¡°Teagan,¡± the girl replied and Sabri remembered she was the lead for one of the higher-level groups. A shaman.


    She ate her skewer in silence for a while, and then because the girl seemed relaxed and friendly, she decided to ask. ¡°How do you handle poisons in your group?¡±


    ¡°I have a poison cure spell,¡± she answered.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not fair,¡±she muttered, uncharacteristically frustrated.


    But the other girl didn¡¯t seem offended. ¡°Did you find a monster with poison?¡± Teagan asked, studying her curiously.


    ¡°We found the second sewer boss. It¡¯s a level-eight venomous Tunnel Weaver with a poisonous aura that fills its entire lair. After I get about ten stacks on me, I can¡¯t survive and we have to run, even with all my healing potions and Theon¡¯s healing. When he remembers to heal.¡± She couldn¡¯t help letting the frustration creep into her voice, even though her mother had taught her not to say unkind things about other people.


    ¡°That sounds difficult,¡± Teagan said, pursing her lips. Then she looked up and yelled loudly across the guild hall, ¡°Hey, Basil, do you have a minute?¡± A quiet, studious-looking boy turned to face them, seeming a little startled at the volume.


    Sabri hadn¡¯t intended to let the whole world in on her problems and so she found herself fighting off a wave of heated embarrassment as Basil scurried across the hall to join them.


    ¡°What do you need, Teagan?¡±


    ¡°Sabri is struggling with poisons.¡±


    Teagan said it so matter-of-factly that Sabri wanted to just sink into the floor and disappear. But Basil smiled at her.


    ¡°What kind of poison?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Venomous Tunnel Weaver,¡± Teagan supplied.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy, here take these,¡± he said, retrieving a small crate with several dozen vials filled with dark viscous green liquid.


    Antidote Potion ¨C level 5


    Consume: Attempt to cure toxins, venom, or poisons afflicting you. Duration: 30 seconds.


    Potion


    ¡°But¡­ those are expensive,¡± she stammered, not wanting to take such a valuable gift.


    ¡°Morwynne let me have these to help with my studies, but now that I¡¯ve learned the recipe I don¡¯t need the extras,¡± Basil answered. ¡°You can owe me a favor. Maybe bring me some samples of the spider venom, or a few poisonous mushrooms to play with and we can call it even.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ thank you,¡± Sabri said, accepting the gift.


    Calen


    Calen stepped into the Landing and surveyed the now almost empty chamber. Ever since Malika¡¯s skill advancement, the more difficult groups of elementals had been going quite smoothly ¨C even the few double Living Flame pulls had been tanked and burned down with minimal chaos and panic. Once they had figured out just how far to split them apart, that was. Double explosions were no joke, and they had wiped out most of Ali¡¯s lower-level minions a few times figuring that out.


    The key had been learning just how fast the elementals could move and judging the distance to the first explosion. That, and making sure that they didn¡¯t get bunched up in the archway and detonate on top of Malika and Mato while they were scrambling to secure them.


    All that remained now were the two enormous elementals guarding the three stone doors at the far side of the landing. Towering substantially taller than all the other elementals that they had fought thus far, he knew he was looking at a boss, even without using his Explorer skill.


    ¡°Can we fight them one at a time?¡± Ali asked, standing behind him at the arched stone entrance to the Landing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± he answered. Explorer identified the pair as a singular boss. It didn¡¯t matter which one he focused his skill on, the result was the same.


    ¡°The flame auras are a lot wider, and they look more powerful,¡± Ali said, squinting into the room. ¡°I can¡¯t see the full extent, but they¡¯re filling the entire Landing.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Calen said. It was a good thing they had decided to pull each of the elementals out of the chamber to fight them in the smaller cavern entrance before the archway. The boss auras would have made all the elementals in the room impossible to kill by healing them with their fire auras.


    ¡°Ali, how far do you think the boss will chase us before it has to return?¡± They had been down here quite a while and, at some point, the elementals back in the tunnel were going to be respawned. It would be rather risky to flee from the boss right into fresh elemental respawns.


    ¡°Maybe into the tunnel?¡± she answered, looking back over her shoulder.


    ¡°Ok, I think we should check that first,¡± he said, retrieving a gold coin from his storage, flipping it into the air, and pulsing a little mana into it.


    +12 to Dexterity.


    +8% to Movement speed.


    Blessing ¨C Duration: 3 hours.


    He smiled happily at his patron¡¯s blessing ¨C for a boss with an unknown set of abilities, being able to run faster would be perfect. He didn¡¯t even mind the loss of a gold coin this time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s all back up into the tunnel and be ready to run. I¡¯ll pull it and see how far we can go.¡± Everyone backed up to the far tunnel, but Calen remained in the archway entrance by himself. Right before they got into position, all of Ali¡¯s Acolytes loaded him up with Restoration spells. He smiled a silent thank-you and slipped into the illusion of his stealth magic, vanishing from sight as he ran forward on silent feet.


    The instant he entered the Landing, his body began to burn, ignited by the powerful auras of flame emanating from the two boss elementals at the far side. At least this would be a fight he would not be starved for mana. He hit his maximum range, and drew his bow, firing a single shot at the closest elemental instead of using multishot, not bothering to ambush or preserve his stealth. The bosses were certainly linked, but it didn¡¯t hurt to be thorough. As soon as his arrow struck, both elementals turned, surging toward him in a smooth, flowing rush, while the air around them sizzled and shimmered with the intense heat and flame.


    He spun about and sprinted back, making full use of his movement speed buff, but the two elementals were fast, almost keeping pace with him across the rocky ground of the Landing. He hopped over rivulets of lava and dodged rocks as he passed through the archway, running flat out, but he hadn¡¯t been able to outrun the twin auras, and the intense burning was beginning to eat into his health as the restoration magic began to expire.


    As he closed in on the tunnel where his friends waited, he saw them beginning to back up further, and the Kobolds refreshed their restoration magic when he reached the maximum range of their spells. But as they did, their little bodies ignited from the fire auras in a wave that clearly depicted the forefront of the flame aura. They scrambled to make more distance, letting out shrill chirps of alarm.


    Calen sprinted up the tunnel, easily catching up with them, but suddenly the intensity of the flame abated, and he spun to find the two giant elementals returning to the Landing after almost reaching the tunnel.


    ¡°That looks like the limit of the domain enhancement,¡± Ali observed. ¡°They¡¯re tied to the area in the Landing.¡±


    ¡°Not quite to the tunnel,¡± he said. ¡°That gives us a bit of time.¡± The dungeon would respawn the elementals in this region of the tunnels at some point, but not for a while yet. Now he just needed to figure out how to split them apart so they could kill them safely.


    He made his way back to the arched stone entrance and surveyed the chamber beyond. Other than the twin Living Flames and the stone doorways behind them, the chamber seemed to be a roughhewn artificial cavern, carved out of the stone and left unfinished simply because the miners had little need to make it pretty.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try having Mato tank one on that side by the wall, and Malika tank hers over here by this wall,¡± he suggested as the others looked in on the chamber beside him. It was just about as far as they could get within the Landing itself.


    ¡°You mean to fight it in the Landing?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Yes, there are no other monsters left,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that will be far enough,¡± Ali said. ¡°The aura coverage is huge.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try it,¡± Mato said. ¡°We can run out if it doesn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°How do we split them?¡± Malika wanted to know as she stared nervously at the two enormous Living Flames. While she had unlocked a potent tanking upgrade, it was recent enough that she was probably still a little uncertain of her abilities ¨C and Calen had to admit, the larger elementals sure looked intimidating.


    ¡°Wait in the center with Mato, and the two of you agree which one you¡¯re going to hit. I¡¯ll pull them up the center to you guys and then you hit one and run off to your spot.¡± This wouldn¡¯t be a difficult pull, he just had to make sure he didn¡¯t do unnecessary damage so that it was easy for them to redirect their target¡¯s attention from him, and for that, unenchanted multishot was perfect. It even split the damage so each shot would be weaker individually.


    ¡°Hmm, ok,¡± Malika said, hopping on one leg and then the other to limber up.


    ¡°Over here,¡± he said, leading them into the Landing, to where he had marked ¨C just out of the range at which the two giant elementals had noticed him ¨C and then gave them a few moments to set up.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready,¡± Malika said after Mato finished transforming.


    ¡°Getting them.¡± Calen conjured two glowing arrows of light onto his bowstring, enchanted them with increased range, and then fired, immediately backing up to wait behind Mato and Malika.


    The surge and hiss of the elementals gliding toward them was followed immediately by the sudden intensity of the flame washing over him. It felt like being dunked into a pool of raging fire, and his hair, and even the skin on his arms and ears, caught alight. The pain was mitigated quickly by the holy restoration magic from Ali¡¯s minions, but nothing could be done about the stench of burnt fur, hair, and cooking flesh.


    The pull went off like clockwork. The two Living Flames surged forward and there was a flurry of punches and clawed swipes and then Mato and Malika took off in opposite directions, and he took the opportunity to back away, trying to exit the aura of flame.


    ¡°Explosion! Double!¡±


    Calen sprinted at Ali¡¯s shout, only stopping when he was certain he had outranged both Living Flames. But the simultaneous detonations filled the entire Landing, a shockwave crashing into him from the left and then, as he became airborne, the second catapulting him to the right. His ribs crunched from the first impact, and his arm snapped audibly on the second. Flaring his wings briefly, he dropped himself down to the ground and surveyed the damage.


    Ali hovered in a golden bubble while Mato and Malika had both weathered the explosions well enough, bouncing off the walls and still holding the attention of their respective targets in more or less the appropriate location. But at least a third of Ali¡¯s minions slid down the rock walls, landing in crumpled unmoving heaps, or splashed down in lava pools.


    ¡°Healers?¡± he asked, checking in quickly.


    ¡°Three alive,¡± she responded.


    ¡°How does it look?¡± If they were not in immediate danger of a wipe, he was most curious to see how the strategy would work.


    ¡°Not nearly far enough,¡± Ali answered. ¡°Both of their auras fill the whole Landing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to work,¡± he muttered. Then, raising his voice, he yelled, ¡°Retreat for now!¡± Everyone scrambled for the archway and the anticipation of safety in the tunnel beyond. Well, Ali sacrificed two of her Kobold healers to ensure Mato and Malika made it back safely ¨C mostly Mato. Malika¡¯s sprint left her Living Flame far behind.


    ¡°That didn¡¯t go too well,¡± Malika observed as the giant elementals gave up and returned to their lair.


    ¡°Crispy,¡± Mato agreed, gruffly.


    ¡°I¡¯m honestly not sure how to do this,¡± Calen admitted, eyeing the Living Flames as they glided smoothly back into the Landing. The auras were bigger than he had anticipated, and so were the radius and power of the explosions.


    ¡°Calen, the auras cast shadows,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°What do you mean, shadows?¡±


    ¡°I see it as a bright, turbulent glow of fire mana that fills the entire room. It¡¯s a little like a ghostly bonfire burning on the rock. But it works like a light, the space behind the archway is dark, it only comes through the gap.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so we can hide out of line-of-sight, and it won¡¯t hit us?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes, the flame aura projects out of the archway like a beam, about halfway into this space even from where they are right now.¡± She drifted over toward the archway and stopped a little off to the side. ¡°Here, I¡¯m next to the flame aura, but I¡¯m not in it.¡±


    He joined her, noticing that the ever-present burning sensation of this dungeon¡¯s ambient atmosphere felt ¡®normal.¡¯ He stepped sideways to where he could see the twin elementals and suddenly his hair ignited, and his skin began to blister. Stepping back to where Ali was made it vanish instantly.


    ¡°Oh, well that changes everything,¡± Calen said, studying the space with an entirely new focus, trying to imagine the auras he was blind to, and where would be the best setup.


    ¡°Yes, Mato could do his cooking right here,¡± Malika suggested, wiping her brow. It only caused more soot to smudge across her forehead.


    ¡°If you like cinders,¡± Mato agreed. ¡°What¡¯re you thinking, Calen?¡±


    ¡°We should tank them here,¡± he said, walking up to the rock wall next to the stone archway, but a little off to the side ¨C and outside of the Landing.


    ¡°Both of them?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Well, we should put the other one on the inside of the Landing. Backing up to the same wall.¡±


    ¡°Oh, back-to-back, with a wall between them?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Calen answered.


    ¡°Where do I put the healers? In the archway? Won¡¯t they get burnt by both auras?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking two inside and two on the outside, near the wall so the explosions don¡¯t blow them around so much,¡± he suggested.


    ¡°That could work, so the wall provides cover blocking the damage from the other one,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s the idea,¡± Calen confirmed.


    ¡°My minions are too weak to survive the pull, though,¡± Ali pointed out.


    ¡°Actually, I had a thought for that,¡± Calen said. He remembered something Mato had told him about his trip to the alchemist for fire elixirs. ¡°Mato, how many of the level-twenty elixirs did you get?¡±


    ¡°Twelve,¡± he answered.


    ¡°You want to use them on my minions? Isn¡¯t that expensive?¡± Ali seemed a little surprised.


    ¡°Well, if we hide them behind the wall on the first pull, only Mato¡¯s healers will be exposed to the double aura. With some elixirs and careful barriers, I think we can make sure they survive long enough to beat the boss.¡± Burning fire resistance elixirs was going to be expensive, and he was sure people would think him crazy for spending them on minions. But the kobolds contributed enormously to their group¡¯s healing and damage and making them more robust just seemed to be a sound strategy. Besides, for them, the potions and elixirs cost a few essences. Mato could easily harvest a batch of Ali¡¯s fire grass and flowers, and then there was just the time for Eliyen and Morwynne to make them ¨C a chore for certain, but a relatively reasonable investment.


    ¡°That actually sounds like a good plan,¡± Malika approved.


    Calen quipped dryly, ¡°I know, who would have thought ¨C us having an actual plan?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try it!¡± Mato sounded excited already and quickly transferred the softly glowing red vials from his ring to Ali and her minions as she replaced the ones that had died.


    ¡°Why no shamans, this time?¡± Calen asked. Ali had switched up the distribution of her minions dramatically, heavily favoring rogues and bone mages, and had made an extra Hobgoblin and Acolyte.


    ¡°I can¡¯t make them above level nineteen, so they can¡¯t use the elixirs. The explosion is so large nothing can outrange it, so the rogues and hobs do more damage than the archers. I need to get some higher-level minions,¡± she said, sounding a little frustrated.


    But it was understandable ¨C they were facing a level sixty-five boss, and most of her minions were barely above twenty. It was probably only due to the fact that she had extraordinary gear and elixirs, and the Kobolds had a natural racial resistance to fire that this was even working at all.


    ¡°Ok, Mato, you take yours to the inside of the Landing. Malika, bring yours out here, we¡¯ll kill it first and then all go inside.¡±


    He set up the pull again, noting that Ali had hidden almost her entire force of minions behind the wall, leaving only herself and two Kobold Acolytes waiting near Mato¡¯s tanking spot, barriers already up to protect them.


    He fired. The glowing pair of arrows soared through the scorching air, striking both Living Flames dead center in their cores.  The familiar hiss and sizzle filled the Landing as they surged forward, gliding effortlessly across the broken rock and lava pools.


    He waited, a little behind Mato and Malika as the two towering elementals bore down on him. His heart raced as his skin sizzled and scorched, but the two of them were fast, locking down their respective elemental before they reached him.


    Calen sprinted back, following Malika out of the Landing, while Mato diverted to his side. Up by the archway, behind the golden barrier, a tall pillar of holy light told him that Ali had preemptively burned one of her acolyte¡¯s Devotion recharges to ease them through the chaotic first moments of the pull.


    ¡°Explosions!¡±


    Calen barely made it through the archway when the detonation slammed into his back, flinging him across the room and sprawling down the tunnel before he was even able to summon his wings. But he had only been hit by a single explosion this time, and as the Goblins and Kobolds rained down across the room, only a single mage failed to get back up.


    Momentarily out of view in the tunnel, Calen triggered Eclipse to regain stealth. Sneaking back into the chamber, he lined up his shot and then unleashed it with a quality of technique that would have made Nendir proud. His arrow flared into brilliance at the last possible moment, smashing the elemental¡¯s core back against the rock with the full force of his enormous Ambush critical strike. The elemental flames dimmed dramatically as they splashed against the rocky wall like water. He grinned, lining up his next shot ¨C there was nothing quite like the feeling of a good Ambush.


    While the boss¡¯s damage output seemed much higher than the Living Flames they had encountered so far, just judging from the intensity of the flames, it had no particular surprises for them. The first explosion was followed by three more on the predictable timer, followed by a flame tornado and shield combo, just as expected.


    ¡°How much mana does this thing even have?¡± Malika complained.


    ¡°Probably five times more than the normal ones,¡± Calen said. At least, he assumed that number just based on Ali¡¯s skills and how much extra mana her bosses had.


    It took four cycles through the regenerating fire before the first Living Flame imploded and collapsed to the ground. Calen let out a sigh of relief. Their plan had not been flawless, and there had been many rather close calls during explosions, but their group seemed robust. he encouraged himself as they all charged through the doorway to where Mato was still tanking the other Living Flame.


    ¡°Calen, do you have any spare mana potions for my healers?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered, flying over to each one in turn, handing out some of the cheaper mana potions he used for his own small mana pool. They probably wouldn¡¯t help Ali much, but they should be ok for the Kobolds. He smiled to himself. There had been a time he could barely afford these, and now he considered them to be cheap.


    The shield went up to the distinctive clang of Mato¡¯s claws scraping against the impervious magical barrier. The flame tornado filled the inside of the giant bubble with a roar that caused the ground to vibrate. Calen returned to shooting, deciding to save his Righteous Fury for the one after it was drained.


    ¡°Unknown powerful magic spell!¡± Ali called out, making his heart lurch with anxiety. ¡°It¡¯s a domain magic!¡±


    But all he could do was keep firing at the shield. This was the thing that could disrupt their entire strategy, and not knowing what it might be filled him with dread.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Ali shouted. ¡°It¡¯s a domain respawn! It¡¯s resurrecting the other one!¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Malika exclaimed.


    Calen¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Hit it hard! Get ready to run!¡± If it could raise the other one to life again¡­ well, it was a good thing he had invested in extra recall potions to get Mato out of there.


    Everyone unleashed their attacks in a furious assault, but Calen kept glancing at the intense frown on Ali¡¯s brow and the pure focus with which she stared at the monster before them. Seconds ticked down one by one like the beads of sweat dripping down his back. Daggers cracked against the shield while magical spells and his own arrows rained down upon the transparent spherical shield like the endless roar of hail on a tin roof. Suddenly, the barrier cracked and splintered, and his arrow flew through a gap, striking the Living Flame squarely in the center of its core.


    ¡°It¡­ broke? The formation is gone.¡± Ali called out with uncertainty and surprise in her voice.


    ¡°Good. Keep a lookout for it,¡± Calen said. He had no idea what had just happened but tried to put it out of his mind for now. Worrying would do no good. ¡°Ali, can you deconstruct the remains?¡±


    ¡°Explosion!¡± Ali yelled; all traces of hesitation vanished.


    The boom of the detonation echoed in the empty rocky chamber, kicking up sprays of lava from the rivulets and pools. This time everyone rained down inside the Landing, some of the minions dropping hard onto the rock, and some splashing down in pools of lava, but the extreme fire resistance seemed to be doing the trick and almost all the minions were able to swim out and sprint back to the fight.


    For four shield cycles, they endured. Each shield came with yet another panicked call from Ali that the Living Flame was attempting to resurrect its companion. And each time they managed to shatter the barrier before anything happened.


    ¡°It¡¯s empty!¡± Malika shouted.


    ¡°Oh, thank goodness,¡± Calen muttered.


    ¡°Domain Respawn!¡± Ali yelled.


    ¡°Ali, we need the dead elemental core deconstructed!¡±


    ¡°I did already! It¡¯s not helping!¡±


    The shield sprang up, and Calen burned his Righteous Fury. This was the critical shield, the faster they could shatter it the less mana it could regenerate, and starting on empty it might mean they might be able to kill it before the next one. He enchanted all his arrows fully, burning the expensive ones from his ring for just a little more damage, and even blowing mana on his explosion enchant when he could manage to clip the top of the elemental¡¯s shield without risking hitting Mato. He downed a mana potion without missing a beat, and he still had ten seconds on his Righteous Fury when the shield splintered in a great shower of magical shards.


    It didn¡¯t last long after that. A short flurry of notifications made him sag in relief.


    Following his computed attribute trajectory, he spent seven points each on dexterity and intelligence and put the remaining six into perception, marveling that, even now, he could sense the subtle sharpening of his eyes, and the lightening of his limbs as the attribute improvements took effect. He smiled ¨C level forty-eight was phenomenal progress, but the thing that really caught his eye was that Radiant Archery had just reached level thirty.


    His multishot skill had a regular, built-in mini advancement now ¨C every ten skill levels he would be able to conjure an additional magical arrow, and the jump from three to four would certainly be noticeable. Fighting the spider swarms with four arrows and four simultaneous explosions was going to be a dramatic improvement every time they fought their way down to the Landing ¨C and it would make clearing the Flame Broodmother¡¯s summoned spiders that much quicker, letting him return to shooting the boss much faster.


    His chime sounded once more and Calen sucked in his lips as he read on with mounting excitement.


    Blessing of the Dawn ¨C level 23


    Mana: Your Dexterity, Intelligence, and Perception are increased by +76%  Reserve: 20%


    Light, Buff, Intelligence


    He studied the Wanderer¡¯s influenced advancement carefully, but it was just about perfect for him, and he quickly accepted it. He was always running out of resources in combat, and a whopping fifty percent reduction in the growing costs of his stamina skills would dramatically improve his staying power in combat and enhance his ability to scout longer and range farther with stealth before having to recover. And it would get progressively better as he leveled his skill up. Of course, the skills grew more expensive as they grew in power too ¨C he would need to redo all his calculations.


    He stored his bow and sighed.


    Mato


    Mato shifted out of Bear Form and joined his friends in the aftermath; it had been perhaps the most boring fight he had experienced so far. His job had been to tank his elemental in the Landing, almost alone, accompanied only by two tiny Kobolds in their fancy shimmery robes, hiding behind their golden barriers. He had done that for half the fight, not worrying about doing any damage or anything complicated ¨C just surviving, keeping his Brutal Restoration stacked, and blocking as much as he could to preserve his two little companions¡¯ mana.


    He hadn¡¯t been able to see how the others were doing, but he could hear them shouting to each other. After a while, everyone joined him, and they had killed his one. Sure, there had been explosions that smacked him into the wall, cracked his bones, and burned his flesh, but he really didn¡¯t have to actually do much.


    sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He studied his skill growth carefully, grunting in satisfaction as he plopped himself down on the ground beside Malika.  He dropped five points into each of his primary tanking attributes: vitality, endurance, and strength. Two of the remainder he spent on perception to improve his Survival Instinct, and the final three went to wisdom.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 177: Runes of Fire

    Aliandra


    Ali frowned to see the sudden surprising message. It was not that her newest boss had been defeated that was frustrating her, but the fact that it was a surprise.


    The notification itself served as a kind of a warning, but the point of giving the boss enhanced perception was so that she had earlier warning of intruders ¨C but that would do her no good if she didn¡¯t actually check on her monsters regularly. Sure, she had been busy fighting, but her intelligence attribute was over two hundred now, she could afford the small amount of focus required to keep tabs on her dungeon.


    She ranged around with her awareness until she found a Tunnel Weaver that had not been killed, hiding in a side branch of the spider wing, and settled into its point of view for a moment. Its uncanny web sense was not nearly extensive enough to see the boss¡¯s lair, so she had it crawl over there to scout. What she found was a little confusing, but only because she hadn¡¯t taken the time to learn how to recognize people with web sense yet. By the time the spider got close enough, she could actually see the party standing there looking at the corpse of her spider boss.


    She recognized the two easily. A shaven-headed boy was sitting in a meditation pose similar to Malika with a staff resting across his crossed thighs and a small flame dancing in the air in front of his chest. A catkin girl was excitedly harvesting mushrooms and webbing while a huge paladin clad in shiny plate armor was whirling a massive ichor-covered hammer around, cradled in his arms in what looked like a bizarre waltz. Relieved that it was a ¡®normal¡¯ guild group, and not some unexpected attack, she withdrew her scout, rather than let it ambush them in their moment of victory and released it to focus back on her notifications.


    Considering her struggles, Ali¡¯s choices were not hard. She quickly spent eighteen points on wisdom, significantly increasing her available mana, and put the last two into vitality. A little extra buffer would go a long way when everything burned or exploded.


    Ali joined Malika at the corpse of the Living Flame ¨C really just a core that channeled the enormous power of its fire mana. Malika pushed it over to her with her foot, revealing several darkly flaming essences which she scooped up excitedly. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°There you go,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said. ¡°By the way, Sabri and her group just defeated my spider boss, and I think she just reached level eight.¡±


    ¡°Oh great!¡± Malika seemed particularly happy with the news.


    Ali reached down to the second elemental core and deconstructed it.


    ¡°Oh, I got some new domain magic,¡± she said. She had already learned Affinity Aura from the twin wights ¨C and seeing the notification of the powerful domain magic spell, it was quite clear why the Living Flames¡¯ auras had been so much larger and more potent. However, she had only been able to use Death, Nature, and Arcane affinities with the domain skill, and this boss had the fire version. Eagerly, she opened her skill list to check, and sure enough, her options had been updated.


    Affinity Aura


    Requirements: Choose a compatible Magical affinity.


    Source: Twin Wights, Living Flame, Class


    Affinities: Death, Nature, Arcane, Fire.


    Enhance your summoned creature¡¯s natural affinity to produce an aura of magic that fills the area around it. The nature and effects of the aura are dependent on the type of mana affinity. When used with a raid enhancement it will produce a significantly more powerful effect.


    Skill ¨C Domain Magic


    Death affinity didn¡¯t seem particularly useful, although she did have the one death-affinity kobold variant, so perhaps she could make a boss with that. Fire, on the other hand¡­ she had lots of ideas for fire!


    ¡°Morwynne and Eliyen are going to be overjoyed with that,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I can see that look in your eye,¡± Calen grinned. ¡°You¡¯re thinking about making a fire kobold boss with that aura?¡±


    ¡°Guilty,¡± Ali admitted. ¡°But what does that have to do with Morwynne and Eliyen?¡±


    ¡°The guild is about to become a solid consumer of fire elixirs,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Oh¡­ right!¡±


    Next, Ali found the Clone skill and studied the new magic, deciding quickly to share this new ability with her friends, too.


    Clone


    Requirements: Creature with mana.


    Source: Living Flame


    Domain Respawn creates two  or three  identical copies of this monster. Each clone of the enhanced monster gains the following skill:


    Mana: You may domain respawn any dead clone. Requires full mana pool and focus ¨C getting hit cancels the summoning. Cast Time: 10 seconds.


    Skill ¨C Domain Magic


    ¡°So, that¡¯s why there were two of them,¡± Calen said, getting out his notebook, and then hastily storing it again as it spontaneously caught fire.


    ¡°Yup, and it explains the domain respawn trick it tried to use in the middle of battle. It was trying to resummon its friend,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Why did it keep doing it even when you deconstructed the corpse?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°My monsters respawn without corpses¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, good point.¡±


    It was quite fortunate for them that they had shattered the barrier shield when they had ¨C the flame tornado spell fully regenerated the monster¡¯s mana, satisfying the requirements for the respawn. If they had not shattered the barrier within the time to regenerate its mana pool and the ten seconds it needed to cast the spell, they would have had to contend with the clone being respawned on top of them.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s terrifying,¡± Calen muttered. ¡°I think I might use my Righteous Fury to crack the first shield if we have to do this again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but what about the second one?¡± Mato asked. ¡°I think this is a damage check ability.¡±


    ¡°Or we bring them both down at the same time, perhaps?¡± Malika suggested.


    ¡°That will be tricky with the regeneration,¡± Calen said, but he was nodding.


    While that was a real worry, Ali¡¯s mind was instead filled with ideas for how to use this new and impressive ability to make a boss of her own.  she thought, considering maybe a raid boss Forest Guardian with enormous regeneration. There would be three of them if she used the raid enhancement.  But finding a way to make them immune to all hits for the ten seconds it took to cast the spell would be quite a challenge.


    ¡°Hey guys, there¡¯s something over here you need to see,¡± Mato called out from the other end of the Landing.


    Ali glanced up, her body tired and sore from the constant fighting, being burned, and catapulted into the air by the crushing blast waves. she thought as she made a barrier and carried herself across the Landing to where Mato stood.


    She had not had reason to come down here often, but from what she remembered, this entire chamber had been some kind of clearing house or storage area for ore and equipment used by the miners, now long gone, presumably deconstructed by the dungeon or decayed away by the inexorable march of time. The lava pools and the cascading rivers of molten rock at the edges of the landing were the work of the dungeon itself ¨C she was certain she would have remembered something like that.


    Ali stared at the fruits of their hours of hard labor ¨C the entire vast chamber was empty, free of elementals, and missing the bustle of the long-dead miners.


    Along the far edge of the Landing, where Mato stood, were the three giant stone doorways that led further into the mine. She had not remembered them being closed, but they were now, and the far wall was buttressed with reinforced stone that rose up to the high ceiling overhead.


    She followed Mato¡¯s gaze and found a giant rune etched into the smooth stone surface of the door, blazing with an intense fire-affinity mana ¨C a deep blue-black color that seemed to match the cores of the Living Flames. With a glance, she confirmed a rune in each of the other two doors, one blazing with an intense orange-white flame, and the far one, an ominous black, hungry fire.


    Her runic script skill allowed her to read them, so she shared the information with her friends. Not that it helped much, she didn¡¯t know what it all meant, other than Living Flame matched the names of the elemental bosses that had been guarding the room.


    ¡°Any idea how we open the doors?¡± she asked. ¡°The door behind the black flame ¨C the Rune of Hellfire ¨C is the passage to the forge and anvil Thuli is looking for.¡± Her runic script gave her no further clues.


    ¡°Appraise says the runes are the keys to opening the doors,¡± Malika said with a thoughtful expression on her face. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t give much information on how to use them ¨C just that it requires something that can put out the flame.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to try something, maybe stand back a bit?¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Ok, but be careful, Ali,¡± Malika said.


    As soon as her friends had a little distance, Ali created a barrier to protect her body and reached past it to use her deconstruction. The moment she touched the Rune of Hellfire, she recoiled in pain as the flame seared into her hand, consuming her skin and flesh rapidly. She cried out in agony, and, in an instant, Malika appeared, pouring her healing mana into her, but it took several seconds of excruciating burning for the magic to overcome the flame and restore her hand. Even with the assistance of all her Acolytes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should touch that again,¡± Malika said. ¡°Whatever this flame is, it¡¯s nasty. It has some way of resisting my healing.¡±


    ¡°I was trying to deconstruct the rune,¡± she finally managed to get out. She was loath to touch it again ¨C she had been fighting fire elementals all day, and she had even grown somewhat used to the pain of being continually burnt by the environment or the flame auras. But the fire of the Living Flames didn¡¯t come close to the excruciating pain she had just experienced.


    ¡°Maybe try that one?¡± Malika suggested, pointing at the Rune of Living Flame. ¡°I¡¯ve been picking up Essence of Living Flame, and it doesn¡¯t burn much.¡±


    She nodded and moved over to the rune with the bluish flame. She felt a rush of reluctance and hesitation as she reached past her new barrier. She was grateful that Malika had decided to stand with her this time, one hand touching Ali¡¯s shoulder, ready if her healing was needed. But other than a small burning sensation, it was nothing like the hellfire rune. A trickle of Malika¡¯s mana was all that was needed to keep her healed.


    She channeled her deconstruction into the rune, but as the magic reached the surface of the rune, it was dispersed by the domain of the fire dungeon in a spectacular display of sparks and flame. She forced more and more of her mana into her magic, but other than fueling the fireworks, and Malika¡¯s healing mana increasing a little to match the extra damage, there was no reaction. The dungeon¡¯s domain quite effectively repelled and dispersed her magic.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work¡­¡± Ali¡¯s voice betrayed her inner surprise and shock. She was used to deconstruction working on everything she tried it on, but the dungeon or the runes seemed to be actively resisting her magic with a barrier of fire that made it impervious to her skill.


    She just hadn¡¯t expected the inanimate rune to resist her.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, Ali, you tried.¡± Malika¡¯s voice carried sympathy and consolation. It was quite frustrating to spend all that time and energy finding fire resistance gear, potions, and killing all the dungeon monsters only to be stopped dead by a door. It seemed Malika understood without her needing to explain her frustration.


    They spent quite a while trying various things ¨C including trying to deconstruct the door or the walls themselves ¨C but nothing seemed to work, and eventually, it was Calen who suggested they return home.


    ¡°The dungeon is going to respawn everything at some point,¡± he said. ¡°Probably there are already respawns at the entrance by now. We should recall out of here unless you want to fight our way back to the library.¡±


    ¡°We need to think about this,¡± Ali agreed, nodding slowly. ¡°Seems a waste, though¡­¡±


    It was frustrating to have to leave with the puzzle unsolved, but he was right.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure these Living Flame Essences are the key somehow,¡± Malika said, holding one in her hand and looking at the Rune of Living Flame. ¡°I want to do some research in town ¨C maybe ask a few crafters what they think.¡±


    ¡°Morwynne, maybe?¡± Ali asked, getting a nod from Malika. But the vocally expressive Gnome was probably going to want to see the runes in person, which meant they would have to fight their way back down here again before they got an answer.


    She suddenly had an idea.


    ¡°Hey, give me a few minutes,¡± she said and began to rapidly inscribe her runic magic on the floor, making two circles supported by her mana.


    Static Teleport ¨C level 35 (Arcane)


    Teleport to a preset teleportation locus.


    Locus:  Novaspark Academy of Magic, Myrin¡¯s Keep.


    Runic Circle


    Teleportation Locus ¨C level 42 (Arcane)


    A magical locus that serves as an enhanced teleport destination.


    Runic Circle


    It was a ton of reserved mana she could barely afford, but it would be temporary. She could already feel the dungeon¡¯s domain beginning to erode her creations, but it would last a few hours by her quick estimate. Enough to return to town and teleport back here if Morwynne needed to see the rune.


    Sabri


    Sabri stood over the corpse of the Tunnel Weaver spider for a long moment. It had been an extremely long and challenging fight. Her armor was heavily scored from the incredibly powerful spear-like strikes of the spider¡¯s razor-sharp legs, and her shield still dripped viscous green venom.


    She had learned several important lessons during her first boss fight. The importance of healing ¨C there was absolutely no way she would have made it through the fight with health potions alone. Theon had grudgingly agreed to heal whenever she asked, and she had deliberately waited till she was below half before she asked him, relying on a heavily defensive strategy. She didn¡¯t want to annoy him, but she wasn¡¯t certain if it was the smartest approach, but at least it took advantage of her Tenacious aptitude to boost each of the heals he had given her.


    Her second lesson was the importance of the guild, and proper information and resources. She had used all of Basil¡¯s antidote potions in the fight, but they had made such a crucial difference, that they had defeated the boss on the first try.


    she thought, but she would look at that later.


    ¡°Malise, can you help me gather some of these mushrooms? I promised Basil I would collect them so he can make poisons.¡±


    ¡°Poisons, you say?¡± Malise¡¯s head cocked to the side, a strangely intense, covetous expression on her face, and a low sound like a purr coming from her throat. ¡°This Basil, he is a guild herbalist?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sabri said, shaking off her teammate¡¯s creepiness and pointing out the red-and-white toadstools. Malise had Herb Gathering, and that would be needed if she wanted to harvest them effectively.


    ¡°Too bad this thing has no loot,¡± Theon said, kicking the spider.


    ¡°Brena said there¡¯s a quest on the jobs board for monstrous spider silk. It pays quite well,¡± Sabri said, pointing up at the roof. She had memorized all the jobs that she thought she might have a shot at or paid well. And there was more web than she could carry in her ring.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Theon exclaimed. ¡°Now you¡¯re talking!¡±


    Brena gave her a grateful look, and she was somehow certain it was for more than just the reminder of the job. They had all succeeded as a group, and everyone had leveled up ¨C next time the fight would be easier.


    After she had filled her storage enchantment with poisonous mushrooms and web, they all turned to head back to the guild.


    Aliandra


    They knocked on the door to Pretty Powerful Potions, but their only answer was a series of muffled thumps from somewhere inside. Mato turned the handle and pushed the door open. As soon as Ali entered, she was assaulted by a shockwave of sound as a series of explosions ripped through a table full of apparatus over by the far wall, filling half the room with a cloud of dense white smoke and sending shards of glass and debris flying everywhere. A long and inventive series of curses could be heard as the explosions ceased. Ali waited, but after a few moments even she was becoming impressed with just how creative the invective was. By the time Morwynne emerged from the smoke, covered in soot, she still hadn¡¯t repeated herself even once.


    ¡°Oh, hi!¡± she called out in a bright voice that seemed to completely ignore the damage and swearing from just a few seconds ago. She walked over to greet them, hopping up on a chair so she could be on the same level as Malika and Ali sitting on her barrier.


    ¡°We were wondering if you could help us with some research,¡± Malika said, reaching out and healing the Gnome. ¡°This thing seems to be an alchemical reagent, but we were wondering if you knew what it could be used for, or how to use it?¡± She pulled out one of the Essence of Living Flame, holding it in her hand and showing it to the pink-haired gnome.


    Sitting there on the palm of her hand, the deep blue undying flame was certainly an eye-catching sight.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Morwynne said, following the exclamation with some elvish swearwords spoken in an awestruck voice. She peered closer, pulling her goggles down over her eyes. She rummaged around in a pouch and extracted several other lenses, putting one of them over her left eye. It glowed orange as she channeled some skill into it while examining the reagent.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a find,¡± she answered finally. ¡°I can use that for quite a few elemental constructs and potions, typically more powerful versions of the regular potions, or more esoteric ones. I would buy it from you just to experiment if you¡¯re looking to sell. You didn¡¯t, by any chance, find more of them?¡±


    ¡°I have about ten,¡± Malika answered.


    ¡°I doubt I could afford all of them,¡± Morwynne answered, pursing her lips.


    ¡°There was something we wanted to ask for your expert opinion on,¡± Ali said, coming to the crux of the problem. ¡°Down in the dungeon, we found a Rune of Living Flame which is barring our passage through a doorway. We¡¯re sure it has something to do with this essence, but we are stumped.¡± Morwynne certainly seemed knowledgeable about the essence ¨C at least more so than they were.


    ¡°You don¡¯t say?¡± Morwynne answered, her face lighting up. ¡°I would love to see that! It sounds like a fun little puzzle to solve, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I can teleport us down there right away if you don¡¯t mind me inscribing the runes on your floor,¡± Ali said. Just talking with Morwynne was easing her frustration ¨C at least it felt like they were doing something productive instead of staring at the rune for ages.


    ¡°Go ahead, let me gather some things quickly,¡± Morwynne said, and Ali began inscribing the runes for her Static Teleport, adjusted to target the temporary locus she had inscribed deep underground in the Landing.


    It took only a few minutes before she was ready, and they all stepped through the teleport circle and appeared back in the Landing. Morwynne immediately let off a string of dwarven swearwords as she hopped up and down in obvious pain.


    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± Ali said and hastily directed her nearest Acolyte to heal her. The dungeon¡¯s mana must have been quite a painful shock coming into it unprepared and she had simply forgotten to warn Morwynne what to expect, but the healing seemed to substantially ease the pain as her stream of invective swapped over to Elvish and she quaffed a protective potion.


    Ali was beginning to get the hang of her patterns. It seemed she used dwarven swearwords when she was upset, or something needed to be told off. Elvish swearwords were for emphasis and for sounding sophisticated. Swearwords in the common language served more as punctuation than meaning. Examining the Landing, the construction of the giant doors and the magic of the runes laid out before them seemed to be impressive enough to the Gnome to warrant a long string of Elvish.


    Morwynne examined each of them at length, using different tools and goggles that buzzed and clicked and shot tiny bursts of mana. She applied several different skills, and even burnt herself twice, which caused her to let off a long series of dwarven profanity even though Ali¡¯s Kobolds healed her quickly.


    Eventually, Morwynne returned to where they were waiting.


    ¡°Can I see that essence again?¡± she asked Malika, her expression fully focused.


    Wordlessly, Malika simply retrieved it and handed it to the Gnome. She examined it carefully and finally handed it back.


    ¡°I have good news and bad news,¡± she said, looking surprisingly serious for a change. ¡°I have a recipe for a quenching potion that could take care of one of the runes.¡± She was pointing at the Rune of Living Flame. ¡°As far as I can tell, once the flame is doused, it should unlock the rune.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°That¡¯s the good news.¡±


    ¡°The bad news is, it will require one of those essences you have, and it will also require an essence of cold, a lot of mana-purified water, and a relatively high-level water mage. I can hire Serendipity Puddlecrash from your guild for the water mage, but the cold essence will need to be hunted. They come from the corpse of an ice elemental or similar monster, and I¡¯m certain nobody in Myrin¡¯s Keep has anything like that in stock. Or a relatively high-level cold enchantment on something you don¡¯t mind destroying, but I have no idea where to find those.¡±


    Ali¡¯s hope had risen on the good news, and immediately sunk once again, but before it could drop too far, Calen spoke up.


    ¡°Will this work?¡±


    With a great clatter, he dumped a heavy blue-and-black plate armor on the ground and added a greatsword. Both items emitted a powerful freezing aura, overcoming the heat from the ambient fire mana around them and leaving a broad patch of frost on the ground.


    Ali recognized the Death Knight¡¯s gear instantly, feeling the sympathetic chill running right through her at the sight.


    ¡°Where did you get that?¡± Morwynne exclaimed, following it with a singular Elvish word that had no translation in Common.


    ¡°Lyeneru gave me this to sell as a reward for helping her kill the Death Knight,¡± Calen answered, his face flushing instantly at the sudden attention he was getting. ¡°Will it work?¡±


    ¡°You have a Death Knight¡¯s sword and armor!¡± Morwynne swore colorfully while dancing up and down in time to the rhythm of her words.


    Despite the terrible source for the items, Ali couldn¡¯t help but grin at the antics of the progressively more and more eccentric Gnome.


    ¡°Hell yes! That¡¯s perfect! I will need about a day to find someone high enough level to cast dismantle on that and find Serendipity. Come find me tomorrow and I¡¯ll have something for you to try.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about this, Calen?¡± Malika asked. ¡°That was your reward for an insane fight, and those items are worth a fortune.¡±


    ¡°If it helps us get through the door, then I¡¯m happy to spend them,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Just as long as you know that sword alone is worth more mana potions than you can drink in a lifetime,¡± Malika said.


    Ali thought. She had never seen a half-elf turn that shade of green before ¨C not even if they had a Wood Elf parent. But he was adamant, and they sent Morwynne back home with the Death Knight gear, an Essence of Living Flame, and a stone pitcher full of mana-purified water from the lake.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 178: Quenching the Flame

    - Kryostria [The Frozen Scourge], Elder Frost Dragon.


    Aliandra


    Distillate of Quenching ¨C level 53 (Ice / Water / Fire)


    Apply: Quench a source of Living Flame. Charges: 20


    Potion


    Ali examined the potion Morwynne had set carefully on the table before them. It radiated an aura of cold so intense, that it caused water to condense out of the air onto the glass and the tabletop around it, freezing into sparkling crystals of ice. It was a remarkable creation; various affinities of mana swirled together within the vial. The liquid was a deep cobalt blue, and it slowly stirred around within the vial without any apparent external force as if animated from within. The ice mana was continually freezing the liquid, while the fire mana thawed it. Both were mediated by the presence of the water mana and somehow the entire concoction conspired to sit there, stable within the vial, with just the slight glow and ice crystals to show that something complex was going on within.


    ¡°This is delicate, so handle it with care,¡± Morwynne said, none of her usual invective and profanity present in her instructions. ¡°The ingredients you provided were quite potent, you will only need a drop. That¡¯s why there are twenty charges. If you bump it too hard, I think the mana potentialities might decohere and there might be some exothermic realignment of the thermal matrix.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ali blurted out.


    ¡°It¡¯ll detonate,¡± Morwynne explained, spreading her hands dramatically. ¡°Boom.¡±


    Somehow, Ali wasn¡¯t all that surprised. After all, this was the first time she had been in Pretty Powerful Potions when some concoction hadn¡¯t actively been in the process of ¡®decohering¡¯ its ¡®thermal matrix¡¯ right when she arrived.


    Morwynne retrieved several containers. ¡°These are the extra Essence of Ice from dismantling the Death Knight¡¯s gear. The cost of hiring the water mage, and the engineer to dismantle the gear, miscellaneous ingredients, and my labor comes to forty gold.¡± Morwynne waggled her hand briefly, ¡°Give or take. Or if you prefer, you can pay with one of those Essence of Living Flame. I know that¡¯s a little in my favor, so I¡¯ll throw in a couple of trays of mana potions for your thirsty friend to make it worth your while.¡±


    There was a cough from Calen, but Morwynne just grinned wider at that.


    ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Malika said, retrieving another essence and handing it over, and then gently picking up the distillate and storing it.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Morwynne said. ¡°The essence was super fun to work with. I even earned a level up!¡± The excited, hyper-energetic tone Ali had come to associate with the Gnomish alchemist returned in full force. ¡°If you ever find more work like that, please let me know. Even the engineer and water mage I hired were so excited to work with such advanced reagents, that they gave us a discount.¡±


    ¡°We might just do that,¡± Ali said. ¡°After we figure out the other two doors.¡± She was already somewhat apprehensive about what might be entailed to unlock the Rune of Hellfire, but that was a problem for later.


    ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t use it on the elementals directly,¡± Morwynne said. ¡°It will damage them, probably a lot. But a punch is a lot cheaper.¡± She giggled at her own joke and waved happily as they all turned to leave.


    As Mato closed the door behind them, Ali heard a clatter of something being dropped and glass shattering, followed by a muffled bang and some cyan-colored smoke billowed out from under the door. The continuous stream of dwarven profanity that ensued could be heard quite far down the street.


    Malika


    They took a day off to rest, and besides the hand-to-hand class she gave at the guild, Malika decided to spend the time meditating and consolidating her gains with light training.


    Of the twenty points she had gained for the last delve, she spent five each on wisdom, dexterity, and endurance. These were the attributes that had the largest impact on her skills and rerunning all her drills and forms had been sufficient to familiarize herself with her new gains. Two points went to vitality, just due to the ridiculous fire damage down in the dungeon, and then she had spent one each on strength, perception, and intelligence ¨C all of which provided important synergies with her main skills.


    S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The next day, armed with the fancy potion Morwynne had made, the team decided to fight their way down to the Landing again, clearing all the respawned elementals.


    Only this time it was vastly easier.


    Malika could scarcely believe just how much difference her skill advancement in Soul Armor, and two more levels, could make. She felt like she barely needed to heal ¨C which wasn¡¯t technically true ¨C but, by comparison to the panic-fueled rollercoaster of damage and reaction that had been her experience of the dungeon up till now, this series of fights felt positively breezy. Even against the highest-level Living Flame boss elementals, she could now hold her own. She might not have the ridiculous armor and health Mato did, but with the fire elixir and her Soul Armor, she now enjoyed a whopping forty-five percent reduction applied to all sources of fire damage. Nearly half of any damage she failed to dodge, or block, was efficiently eliminated by her Soul Armor.


    At least there was no more need for meditating in lava baths. if it had gained her such an important upgrade¡­ At the very least, she meant to read through the other books of the Nine Paths when she got back to the library.


    Soul Armor¡¯s resistance bonus scaled up with every point she had invested into wisdom but so did Perfect Body ¨C further increasing her most important attributes. With the dramatic increase in her resilience against the ridiculous fire damage, the few extra points of vitality she gained went even further. Instead of relief like the first time, it was with a sense of joy that she finally stood over the corpse of her clone of the Living Flame boss after a fight that had been noticeably less frantic.


    ¡°That was much easier,¡± she said.


    ¡°It seemed so,¡± Calen agreed.


    ¡°You have no idea,¡± Ali said. ¡°Remember, my Acolytes can see your health.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impressive they didn¡¯t die of stress last time, then,¡± Malika joked. She bent down to collect the essences dropped by the elementals, walked out into the Landing, and approached the flaming rune on the massive stone doorway. With a small infusion of mana, she called the strange, potent, and frightfully expensive potion Morwynne had crafted to her hand.


    ¡°I hope this thing works,¡± she muttered, trickling just a little healing into her hand to prevent her flesh from freezing, taking extreme care not to jostle or bump the large vial of slowly swirling blue liquid.


    ¡°It will work,¡± Ali said, with unexpected confidence. Malika glanced at her, but she just smiled back.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right,¡± she said. ¡°Here goes nothing.¡± Reaching toward the Rune of Living Flame, she uncorked the vial. Beside her, she could see the energy in Ali¡¯s diaphragm freeze as she held her breath. Malika realized, trying to ignore the irrational spike of worry that it wouldn¡¯t work for some reason. She tipped the vial, letting a small drop of the liquid trickle down the smooth stone surface of the door. A sharp sizzling sound accompanied a dense puff of cerulean-blue smoke as the drop touched the rune. The air filled with an acrid chemical odor that made her eyes tear up instantly.


    For a moment nothing much happened, but then, deep within the center of the Rune of Living Flame, a small flicker of blue ice appeared, slowly growing outward in crystalline form as it consumed the flame, freezing it in place. The sizzling sound continued accompanied by the sharp cracking of stone, until finally, the whole thing stopped, a beautiful flame sculpture now made entirely from cobalt-blue ice instead of fire.


    ¡°Now there¡¯s something,¡± Mato said, giving off a low whistle of appreciation.


    A long, vertical crack appeared exactly up the center of the stone door, followed by a shower of ancient dust, fragments of stone that had been welded to the door by the unrelenting heat.


    ¡°The mana shield protecting the door is gone,¡± Ali announced.


    ¡°You¡¯re up,¡± Malika said, nudging Mato.


    ¡°Right,¡± he answered, shifting to his Bear Form and bracing a massive shoulder against the thick slab of stone in the doorway. Then he pushed.


    Malika¡¯s skin crawled with the heavy grinding of stone scraping across rock, and then the door swung open to reveal the mines beyond.


    Beyond the doorway was the most immense cavern Malika had ever seen ¨C a vast sprawling chamber of rock. Evidence of different levels of excavation were haphazardly connected by ramps and paths. Many huge pillars of stone had been left bracing the ceiling as if the miners had left them there reluctantly, simply because they needed something to hold up the vast weight of rock that hung overhead.


    ¡°That¡¯s big,¡± Calen said, his eyes sparkling as he surveyed the terrain.


    Malika could almost imagine the dwarves delving down here, hunting for ore and minerals with their skills and picks, but instead of miners, scaffolding, and carts, the entire space was lit with the glow of countless roaming elementals of fire, and pools and falls of lava spilling out of fissures in the walls and draining away to who knew where. ¡°A lot of monsters,¡± she pointed out.


    In the distance, on the lowest terrace, she stared down on an amphitheater of stone and the singular elemental of fire that, even from this distance, dwarfed anything she had ever faced.


    ¡°What is that¡­thing?¡± Ali whispered.


    ¡°Inferno,¡± Calen said quietly, squinting into the distance. ¡°It is a raid boss, and it identifies as a fire elemental called Inferno. Unique.¡±


    ¡°That looks like it might be fun,¡± Mato said, having transformed back, but he too spoke in a quiet voice, staring at the monster in the distance.


    ¡°Inferno? Just like the rune?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Calen answered. ¡°I¡¯m willing to bet we have to kill that to open the next door.¡±


    Aliandra


    Ali was happy the clear down to the Landing had gone much smoother, and even happier that Morwynne¡¯s expensive concoction had defeated the Rune of Living Flame. But what made her happiest was her newest spider variant. Even with their improved levels and vastly better understanding and experience with the fight, the Flame Broodmother was still a formidable foe. She mostly used Sparkling Oozes on it now, but that meant switching up the bulk of her forces in the middle of the clear, and then once again for the Living Flame clone boss. A substantial amount of time was spent on summoning.


    Now she was doing it again. With the two levels she had gained from both the Flame Broodmother and the Living Flames, she had increased her wisdom attribute substantially and now had at least a little breathing room in her mana pool.


    ¡°Looks like a Shard of Flame and some new elemental type called a Magmite,¡± Calen said, calling the first group they would face within the giant mining cavern. ¡°Magmite is sixty.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said. The Living Flame boss was still not easy, by any stretch of the imagination, and she had lost several minions to the explosions and the tremendous auras of flame. But without those in play, she decided to resummon her Storm Shamans for the next part ¨C the lightning damage was certainly effective, provided she could keep the low-level Goblins alive.


    Finally ready, she got up and studied the monsters. ¡°Can you identify that?¡± Calen asked, pointing right at it, but Ali didn¡¯t need his direction, it was clearly visible to her just from the dense knot of unfamiliar mana in the area.


    ¡°The lava elemental?¡± she asked. Its dirty orange body shimmered in the intense heat, almost invisible in the river of lava that cascaded down the ramp and vanished through a sinkhole to somewhere deeper underground.


    ¡°Is that what it is?¡± Calen said. ¡°Explorer was struggling to identify the damage type. It just updated now.¡±


    ¡°It updated just because I told you what affinity it has?¡± Ali asked, suddenly curious.


    ¡°Explorer has the knowledge trait,¡± he said. ¡°The more I learn¡­¡±


    ¡°Aah, that makes sense,¡± Ali said. His skill sounded surprisingly similar to her Sage of Learning ¨C it couldn¡¯t manufacture knowledge from the void, but if she knew anything peripherally relevant, it could help her draw inferences and conclusions with startling accuracy. Right there and then, she made a mental note to ask Ryn to prioritize more tracking books for their library acquisitions. And probably a few of the more esoteric monster compendiums.


    She glanced back at the elementals they faced and could see why Calen would call them together, right beside the squat Magmite, perched upon a half-melted rocky outcrop near the river, hovered the Shard of Flame, presumably basking in the heat and mana welling up out of the lava itself. ¡°How should we do this?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s have Mato tank the Shard and Malika on the Magmite. We kill the Magmite first,¡± Calen said. He sounded a little uncertain but, given the fact they had never seen the lava elemental before, and none of them had any idea what it might do, that was not too surprising.


    ¡°Ok. I¡¯m ready,¡± Ali said, adding her confirmation to those of Mato and Malika before Calen vanished and headed out into the furnace of heat through the doorway. She was getting a little better at tracking him with her mana sight, able to see the soft pulse of the holy restoration magic healing him against the searing, scorching heat.


    An arrow flashed into brilliance right as it struck the Shard of Flame. Calen appeared, sprinting back toward the door as his stealth illusion dropped. The Shard of Flame glided across the rocky ground, hissing with surging flames. The dark orange Magmite lurched up out of the lava, cascading liquid rock and waves of shimmering heat as it surged forward, body grinding as the relatively cooler air caused chunks of its surface to darken like interlocking plates.


    ¡°There¡¯s something else!¡± Ali shouted as the sharp eyes of her Kobolds caught sight of churning from the river of molten rock. Several misshapen blobs hauled themselves up out of the depths of the lava river, splashing molten rock across the rocky banks. Extrusions appeared and vanished, stretching forth from their amorphous shapes to drag themselves across the ground. The surfaces of their bodies immediately began to blacken, hardening and cracking as they came into contact with the cooler air, leaving fissures and cracks that glowed an angry red from the heat within. Cooling chunks of rock were immediately reabsorbed into their bodies, and they left glowing trails of molten rock behind them like deadly slug trails.


    ¡°Five oozes!¡± Ali yelled and, as Calen glanced backward, she added, ¡°Lava affinity.¡±


    Malika called over, ¡°More oozes for your collection, Ali.¡±


    ¡°Switch targets,¡± Calen said, modifying their strategy on the fly with crisp, clipped directions. ¡°Malika, take the Shard. Mato, get the rest. Separate them and kill the Shard first.¡±


    It took Ali a few moments longer than him to puzzle it out, but as usual, his strategic thinking made sense. While Malika had much-improved resistance to fire damage now, Mato still sported a vastly larger health total and far better armor. His Swipe and his Challenging Roar were area attacks, suited for securing multiple targets simultaneously, while Malika would fare better against a single foe. Not to mention, the Shard of Flame needed to be separated from everything else if they were to stand a chance of killing it without it regenerating.


    Malika and Mato shifted positions smoothly at the doorway as Calen bolted between them and into the Landing. The group of fire and lava monsters had spread out behind him, with the faster Shard of Flame almost keeping up with his incredible speed, and the ungainly Lava Lurkers bringing up the rear.


    Ali focused her senses, studying the unfamiliar lava-affinity mana as the first elemental foe glided into the room to receive a smack in what passed for a face from Malika¡¯s fist. The aura of flame spilled into the Landing as the Shard of Flame surged across the threshold, now chasing Malika. A broad volley of Firebolts sprayed out and Ali was suddenly fully engaged, summoning barriers in rapid succession to save her minions ¨C most of them too low-level to survive more than one or two direct hits.


    With a surprisingly wet smack that launched droplets of lava into the air and a deep roar, Mato gathered up the Magmite and the five animated blobs of angry lava, dragging them into a corner in a growing puddle of melted rock and leaving the stench of singed fur and burnt flesh lingering in the air.


    Ali kept her senses grounded in the perception skills of her Acolytes. Mato faced an unknown level sixty elemental, and she had no idea what it was capable of. It lobbed a blob of molten rock at him, which splattered across his guard, burning as it dripped down his armor and hide. Instantly, her Acolytes responded with their strongest healing spells. But, while his health took heavy damage from the onslaught of ooze tentacle slaps and lava boulders, it seemed her healers had it under control. A massive Swipe that trailed traces of green nature-affinity mana sprayed molten rock across the wall, and Mato¡¯s health stabilized dramatically as his personal healing skill settled upon him.


    Ali shifted her attention to the Shard of Flame. Malika dodged with mesmerizing grace, holding the monster far from the heat of the lava elementals. ¡°,¡± she said, relaying her command in both Goblin and Draconic. A delicate formation of lightning magic infused the Shard of Flame, the only visible sign of her shaman¡¯s vulnerability curse. Instantly, it was followed by a triple strike of Lightning Bolts as three mail-clad shamans sprinted toward it following the two Hobgoblins. The slower attacks of the Bone Mages and archers followed soon after, and then suddenly all her Kobold rogues appeared, striking with their Ambush and daggers.


    Ali was just getting used to the cadence of Mato and Malika¡¯s health when the Magmite lofted a heavy molten boulder right across the chamber, aimed at her Acolytes. She responded in an instant, summoning a heavy barrier in front of the wide-eyed Kobolds, but to their credit, they barely hesitated in their healing spells. The lava ball splatted with a resounding smack against the golden barrier, deforming into a glowing pancake from the force. The moment Ali dismissed the barrier, it fell to the ground in a sizzling mass of heat and viscous blackening lava. Across the room, a formation flickered in the colors of lava affinity, and then the Magmite suddenly appeared in the new molten puddle.


    ¡°Teleport! Magmite!¡± Ali yelled, scrambling to throw up barriers and move her kobolds as the elemental launched a radial volley of sizzling rock in all directions.


    ¡°Shit, aah¡­¡± Calen said, scrambling away.


    ¡°¡± Ali snapped, trying to predict the next volley of lava bolts while Calen figured out a plan. Bone mana surged behind a barrier and several sturdy walls of bone materialized, penning the Magmite into a small enclosure. Not for long. It continued spewing a rain of high-velocity lava chunks at the walls, and they began to smoke and crack as the heat and impacts took their toll.


    ¡°Kill the Shard quickly,¡± Calen urged, turning the chamber into noon-day brightness with his powerful Righteous Fury skill. ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡±


    The Shard of Flame was below half health already, but as Ali turned to focus her attention on it, a large mana surge erupted from behind the makeshift bone prison containing the Magmite. She didn¡¯t even have time to call it out before a torrent of fist-sized molten gobs of rock fountained up and outward from the Magmite, raining down upon the entire battlefield.


    In panic, Ali summoned barriers to protect herself and her healers, but the lava boulders landed on the Shard of Flame too, and, to her horror, she saw its health rising in jumps and jolts with each flaming impact.


    ¡°It¡¯s healing!¡± Ali yelled.In that moment she banished all her barrier magic, instead summoning a large shield above the Shard of Flame, protecting it from the sudden meteor storm. First one, then two, and even a third Kobold flared with holy light as they all activated their Devotion skills in quick succession, trying desperately to keep up with the sudden room-wide assault.


    In the shadow of the Shard, Kobolds and Goblins scrambled to take advantage of the overhead shield, but several were too slow, crushed to a pulp by sizzling meteors and burned up by the aura of flame. Even the ones that survived were given no respite, every single strike against the Shard of Flame was met with retaliatory blasts of fire from the elemental.


    Ali grimaced as one of her Acolytes was unlucky enough to be struck by three boulders in quick succession, smashed to the ground as a smoking pulp. Two of her Bone Mages took unfortunately timed Firebolts and meteors simultaneously and were knocked into a pool of lava. Their mana reservations snapped nearly instantaneously.


    ¡°Shard down. Malika, get that Magmite next.¡± Calen¡¯s voice remained surprisingly calm amid the chaos, and Ali took some measure of comfort in that. At least one of them was not panicking.


    Malika reached the Magmite as the bone walls crumbled and came tumbling down. As she punched it, the fountain of deadly lava ceased abruptly. But the elemental immediately teleported away, arriving, conspicuously, on top of another chunk of lava it had launched. Alone again, it began launching more chunks of lava at whatever was nearby, and Ali¡¯s attention was fully occupied with predicting and reacting to block as many as she could. It was not like the elemental of lava had a face or anything resembling a clear front, and the lava bolts were fired in whatever direction it wanted, making guessing its target quite a challenging task.


    Malika outpaced everyone, and reached the Magmite in record time, while the much slower Goblins and Kobolds scrambled across the rocky ground, trying to avoid the molten debris that littered the floor. But by the time her melee minions reached it, it teleported again.


    ¡°Fuck, that¡¯s annoying,¡± Malika grumbled, but she was after it in a flash.


    After a frustrating game of cat-and-mouse with the Magmite teleporting all over the show every twenty seconds, it finally stopped. But instead of relief, Ali recognized the magical formation within it. ¡°Meteor storm!¡± she yelled, throwing up barriers above the healers this time and urging them to group up to reduce the damage. But amid the frenetic panic of barriers and falling lava, there was a kind of blessing ¨C the Magmite remained rooted to the spot, and the rogues and shamans tore into it with a fury outmatched only by Malika¡¯s speed.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost dead,¡± Ali called out, after checking with her Acolyte¡¯s Healer¡¯s Sight. Sure enough, a few seconds later, the animated lava collapsed to the ground in a sizzling, bubbling pile.


    Right as Ali breathed a sigh of relief, an intense burst of mana erupted from its corpse and a huge detonation shook the cavern. The Kobolds stumbled, falling to the ground while shards of rock rained down from the ceiling. Ali threw up a defensive barrier just as the shockwave hit her, preventing herself from being slammed into the wall, but every other creature in the cavern was blasted away from the explosion. Well, except for Malika, of course. She dodged it.


    Two rogues, already low on health, died instantly, their corpses tossed into the lava like limp rags. Calen would have landed in the lava too, but he summoned his wings and was now flying over the lava carrying Ali¡¯s last remaining rogue which he had fished out of the pool. It still dripped lava from its smoking scales. Her last Bone Mage died outright from the impact, and she found herself down to one Acolyte, two shamans, and the two significantly more robust Hobgoblins. The only Acolyte bowed its head to use its Prayer ability with her mana pool run completely dry.


    Mato, still tangled up with five lava-affinity oozes, stood in a pool of molten rock caused by the proximity heat emitted from their bodies. His fur was permanently on fire while his constantly regenerating flesh cooked.


    ¡°Malika, I¡¯m out of heals!¡± Ali yelled.


    ¡°Gotcha,¡± Malika said, sprinting into the fray. Mato¡¯s powerful regeneration skill meant he wasn¡¯t in critical shape, but without the help of her Acolytes, the oozes were very definitely winning ¨C but Malika arrived, and her healing magic flashed, restoring a large chunk of his health and Ali re-engaged with her remaining minions.


    ¡°Keep at them,¡± Calen said, splitting magical arrows from his bow to hit all of the oozes.


    ¡° Ali commanded, and her remaining Storm Shamans dropped their Lightning Novas on the oozes and unleashed their Lightning Bolts in staccato strobing pulses of deafening magic. Only then did the Lava Lurkers begin to fall, collapsing one at a time in rapidly darkening puddles of lava. A long path of molten rock marked the passage around the edge of the cavern where Mato had dragged the monsters along to avoid standing in the lava they left in their wakes.


    The seared and sorry remnants of Ali¡¯s minion army stood about after the last Lava Lurker collapsed in a searing hot puddle. Most were dead, burnt to a crisp, or lost in the pools or rivers. She had even lost the mage that was her source of extra intelligence. Losing intelligence reduced almost everything for her ¨C her barriers were weakened, and she could summon fewer of them. Her minion boosts from Martial Insight and Empowered Summoner scaled based on her intelligence attribute, and with the lost bonus, everything had weakened dramatically.


    she thought soberly, glancing at her one remaining Acolyte. Losing a large number of her reserved minions again would have been a real pain. Not for the first time she wished she had a much longer range on her skill ¨C having to bring her source of wisdom along with her into the dungeon made her attributes vulnerable to accidents.


    ¡°Why do you look so glum?¡± Malika asked, plopping herself down next to her. ¡°Look, the Magmite dropped a full essence of flame ¨C not a lesser one ¨C and this lava one, too. I wonder if Weldin will give me full value for this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ali answered. The craziness of the fight, her decimated minions, everything seemed hard. She had been trying so hard to cope with the damage but, in the end, Malika had needed to heal Mato to keep everyone alive.


    ¡°You can tell me.¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m just weak. After we defeated the boss in the Landing, I thought I was getting stronger, but the first pull after we finally get the door open and I¡¯m down to five minions and struggling.¡±


    ¡°It was a hard fight, and we¡¯ve never seen that Magmite before,¡± Malika said. At least she wasn¡¯t dismissing her concerns. ¡°You know, most of your minions are in the low twenties, they¡¯re definitely going to struggle going up against level sixty monsters. Especially with that ridiculous meteor shower and corpse explosion.¡±


    Malika spoke sense, but Ali was still frustrated. ¡°It just feels like I¡¯m pulling the team down.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly how I felt when I couldn¡¯t tank a Living Flame,¡± Malika said, sympathizing. ¡°Sometimes your abilities are just a poor match for the fight, and sometimes you learn something or earn an advancement, and the problem goes away. You¡¯re not weak, Ali, some of your best monsters are just a bad fit for this dungeon, and you¡¯ll improve as we find more.¡±


    ¡°You sacrificed some of your minions to ensure the Shard of Flame died. That was a very strategic call,¡± Calen pointed out, joining them. ¡°And the Magmite definitely shoots less if it¡¯s tanked, so we know that for next time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. And somehow, she did feel a bit better. ¡°Maybe we need to more actively plan and hunt for minion skills and levels? Ones that won¡¯t get swatted so easily?¡±


    ¡°We can definitely talk about that,¡± Calen agreed.


    ¡°At least that fight was more interesting than tanking the Living Flame for twenty minutes by myself,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°You have a rather unique definition of interesting,¡± she told him.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 179: Inferno

    - Delwin ¡°Boom¡± Cindershower, Gnomish Pyromancer.


    Aliandra


    Ali stood on the ramp in the endless furnace that was the Emberforge Mines with her friends, staring down into a giant crater. Pools of lava dotted the landscape, and she couldn¡¯t shake the image of the entire thing being one giant, unnaturally hot amphitheater or arena for gladiatorial combat. Behind them, the ramps and ledges of the broad mining cavern had been stripped bare of every elemental or lava slime. No matter how long it took, Calen had insisted on wiping out everything hostile within the cavernous, scalding space. All that remained were the occasional fire wisp, or flame butterflies that flitted around feeding on the dense fire-affinity mana.


    A towering monster of white and yellow flame dominated the center of the arena, blazing so brightly that Ali had to squint to any time her eyes rested on it for more than a few moments.


    Ali gulped. It was enormous, at least four times taller than the Living Flames they had been fighting, and even from this far, she could feel the excessive heat radiating out of its body ¨C if an ambiguously solid being of pure flame could be said to even have one. The air in between shimmered, distorting the image of the rocks on the far side of the cavern. Like the Living Flames they had fought before, this monster resembled an upside-down pear of roaring flame with a dense core at the center of the thickest part. A pair of heavy arm-like appendages hung from the sides, a cursory nod in the direction of a vaguely headless humanoid outline. It hovered a little above a puddle of molten rock. Even the rivers of mana flowing through it were staggering.


    ¡°That looks like bad news,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Calen said, and his shared notifications popped up as rows of brilliant white shining text in Ali¡¯s mind.


    ¡°How come you can see its level?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Explorer is level twenty-eight now,¡± Calen answered. Ali did a quick bit of math to add his skill to his class level to satisfy her curiosity.


    ¡°Unique? What¡¯s that?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°I believe it is special enough that Identify shows its name instead of class type,¡± Calen said.


    Ali studied it for a moment. A monster unique enough to be recognized by the Identify skill ¨C how would that affect their fights? ¡°Maybe it has something to do with it having a title?¡± she asked.


    Calen shrugged, and then said, ¡°Everyone, please check that you have a potion of recall. That is definitely a raid boss, and probably much harder than everything we have fought so far.¡±


    Ali knew where she had stashed her recall potions, but she checked anyway. The reminder was smart. She summoned one of the potions to her hand, black viscous liquid swirling within the vial, and showed it to him before placing it back in her storage enchantment. She had them all placed in an easy-to-find row in there so that there would be no need to hunt for one in an emergency.


    ¡°I have some too,¡± Mato said. ¡°But I usually can¡¯t use them in combat.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you out if it comes to that,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°I¡¯m usually closer to his furriness,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Or that,¡± Calen said, making a face.


    In a second, Mato snorted as he realized what she had said and Malika gasped, ¡°Not like that! You men¡­ minds in the gutter!¡± Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Beastkin shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m the innocent party here.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you both do it,¡± Ali said, chuckling at their interaction. ¡°Wasting a potion is a cheap price for peace of mind.¡± She still stared down at the monster in the arena. She had no idea what it was capable of, and the conversation about the recall potions served as a pointed reminder of the very real possibility they would need to flee under dangerous circumstances, effectively paying for any information they could learn with a high risk to their lives and health.


    ¡°Remember, anyone can call a retreat for any reason,¡± Malika said, her voice betraying quite a bit of nervousness. It was a strategy they had decided on earlier. Without any information about the boss, the moment anyone learned of anything critically dangerous, there would be no time to explain it to the others. It was smarter, they had decided, to flee and come back later with a better plan.


    With all the discussion and reminders of how little they actually knew, Ali found herself pacing and forced herself to stop.


    ¡°Enough talk, are we going to hit that thing or what?¡± Mato said. ¡°We won¡¯t know anything until we go down there and ask it with a polite punch.¡±


    Ali nodded, and the others agreed, and Mato transformed to lead the way down into the arena, with everyone flying, running, or floating down behind him. They carefully picked their way across the floor, avoiding pools and puddles of lava, some bubbling and sending splashes of molten rock flying in all directions. Halfway across the arena, the monster stirred.


    Ali yelped, clapping her hands over her ears as the rumbling roar of Inferno¡¯s voice shook the cavern, dislodging sizeable chunks of rock from the ceiling. The fact that it spoke at all shocked her, let alone that it used the ancient language of Dal¡¯mohra.


    , she thought as she stared aghast at the boulders slamming into the ground throughout the atrium. Calen had insisted on it, and she had been convinced he was being paranoid, but if there had been anything left alive in the entire mine cavern, it had definitely heard that shout.


    It turned to face them as they advanced. Even this far from the massive elemental, the flames of its powerful aura were already dancing about her and all her minions. Flickers of holy mana sparkled across their group as the Acolytes reacted to the area damage caused by nothing more than its presence.


    Mato roared a challenge and charged towards the elemental. While it seemed reckless, the act of a combat junkie throwing caution to the wind, Ali noticed he never once exceeded the range of her Acolyte healers.


    Inferno surged forward to meet them.


    The roar of its voice hit Ali like a palpable wave of sound, far more deafening up close. Huge arm-like appendages of pure flame crashed down on Mato, setting him alight. Nearby pools of lava erupted, geysers of molten rock shooting into the air as the shockwave of the massive strike rippled outward through the stone. Rock buckled and sheared, leaving jagged boulders and slabs of stone protruding from the ground haphazardly. Several of her minions stumbled, knocked off their feet.


    Ali ignored it all, studying the raid elemental¡¯s mana. Her job was to gather as much information as possible. Dealing damage early on was not a priority for her. Her minions would take care of that. She concentrated on her skill and the complex array of information pouring into her mind, all the while keeping an eye on Mato¡¯s health through her Acolyte¡¯s vision.


    A surge of fire-affinity mana swept through the enormous elemental, a spell formation she recognized instantly.


    ¡°Explosion!¡± she yelled.


    A powerful spherical shockwave of flame exploded out from Inferno. It was like the spell the Living Flames had used ¨C if one considered the Living Flames¡¯ versions to be cheap knockoffs of this spell. The ultra-dense, yellow-white compressed wall of flame smashed into her body, shattering her hastily summoned barrier instantly, searing her face, and snapping her arms like twigs. Everything in the entire arena was blasted into the air. Boulders from the tortured ground were launched in every direction. Ali struggled to hang onto her wits, barely remaining conscious as she hit her apex. As her mind recovered, she used her Minion Teleport to arrest her momentum and her barriers to descend. Her minions splattered to the ground all around her, some landing in the lava and some on the rock nearby. One of her rogues splashed down in a big lava pool and perished. A falling Kobold Bone Mage bounced a meter into the air before falling to a crumpled heap.


    Ali counted her Acolytes, finding all of them sprinting back, having survived by healing themselves in midair. Holy spells flickered rapidly as they ran. Even she had lost more than two-thirds of her health from the explosion, and the Restoration magic was taking a while to fully heal her.


    Mato roared, reengaging, but the group that gathered behind him was noticeably smaller. ¡°¡± Ali said. Lightning Bolts crackled as they flickered across flame and lava. Bone Spears sizzled through the air, trailing smoke as they ignited. Arrows flew from twanging bows. Through it all, Ali kept her focus on her mana sight and the perception of her Acolytes, searching for any warning signs of something dangerous.


    ¡°Explosion!¡±


    Once again, she was tossed into the air like a helpless ragdoll, this time not as far as her barrier absorbed some of the power before shattering. A shaman died in midair to the crushing impact of a flying boulder. Her group of archers bounced and cartwheeled into a large pool of bubbling lava, most of their health stripped from the explosion. They perished in seconds to the intense heat of molten rock.


    Suddenly, Arcane Insight prickled with the searing formation of a spell.  Ali had an instant flashback to the Skeletal Wyvern they had defeated in the library, but this ability seemed broader, and extensive in a way she had not yet encountered.


    ¡°Summons incoming!¡± she yelled. Sure enough, at the feet of the Inferno, two dozen elementals appeared, immediately surging outwards to engage them. They were yellow-white just like the Inferno, only quite a bit smaller.


    Chaos erupted in an instant. Elementals shot about in every direction, mowing down Ali¡¯s minions like wheat. Overlapping auras zipped about following each Shard, and with even two or three of them ganging up on an acolyte or shaman, her creatures stood no chance, erupting into instant pyres of yellow flame. Mato roared, struggling to gather them up, but collecting them proved impossible as they rushed about tearing into everything in sight.


    ¡°Run!¡± Calen shouted from high above. His shout was followed by an accurately lobbed potion from the air which shattered on Mato¡¯s back, causing him to vanish in a puff of black smoke. Calen¡¯s wings flared as he took off toward the distant doorway.


    Ali shot after him, hanging onto her barrier with one hand. She retrieved her recall potion just in case she couldn¡¯t escape in time. Below her, she could see Malika sprinting at full speed, outpacing both her and Calen as she danced across the lava and ramps and various obstacles using her powerful movement skill.


    The Inferno stopped chasing them as soon as they passed through the doorway into the Landing, and its minions returned, many of the smaller elementals vanishing in puffs of flame as the giant monster unsummoned them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the library and find Mato,¡± Ali suggested, indicating the teleportation locus she had prepared. ¡°We probably need to talk before we try that again.¡±


    .


    ***


    ¡°So, what do you think, Ali?¡± Calen asked, glancing in her direction.


    ¡°It seems to be similar to the Living Flame,¡± Ali said. They all sat on the couches in the library discussing the fight, with Calen already taking copious notes on their discussion. Inferno was a specialized variant of a Living Flame ¨C stronger, and with a more potent source of flame.


    ¡°That explosion felt similar,¡± Malika agreed.


    Mato nodded. ¡°Bigger.¡±


    Ali had experience creating two raid bosses herself, so she was much more familiar with the mechanics of how their skills and classes might work than her friends. At least she had an idea of how the powerful domain magic worked, and what sorts of things might be possible. What she had learned in their brief encounter with the Inferno had her very worried.


    ¡°The summoning skill it used is one of its domain-enhanced skills,¡± Ali said. There was no room for doubt in her mind ¨C the mana formation had been drawn directly from the surrounding domain mana, and even if that wasn¡¯t a dead giveaway, the raw power of the skill would have been a clear sign. ¡°What I¡¯m most worried about is that both my raid bosses have three skills. The Skeletal Wyvern and the Twin Wights did too. We have only seen one from this Inferno so far.¡±


    ¡°That explosion wasn¡¯t one of the domain abilities?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Nope, that looked like one of its regular skills. Which is why I think it¡¯s related to the Living Flame. It already showed us the explosive blast wave and the aura of flames. I think we should expect the fire shield and the tornado regeneration. Or at least, something similar. There should be another two domain abilities, whatever those might be.¡±


    ¡°Is it possible it has something like an enhanced attribute?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°I suppose so, but it¡¯s probably safer to assume it has something to surprise us,¡± Ali answered.


    Calen¡¯s point was valid. Her Kobold warrior boss had minions, endurance, and strength enhancements. Both raid bosses they had encountered in the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra had had one attribute enhanced. If one or both of the Inferno¡¯s remaining domain magic abilities were enhanced attributes, they would likely never be visible to her Arcane Insight.


    ¡°That seems like the prudent approach,¡± Malika agreed. ¡°So, I should attack its mana then? I mean, I was already, I just want to confirm that¡¯s a good strategy.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Ali answered. As soon as they had stumbled upon that strategy the Living Flames had suddenly become a lot easier. The explosions were severely disruptive and dangerous, and if they could lower their frequency, they would stand a better chance. ¡°I think I can get my Acolytes to give everyone a Restoration before the explosions, so my minions stop dying on impact, I just don¡¯t know how we¡¯re going to handle the summoned elementals.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re difficult to tank,¡± Mato said. ¡°Squirrely.¡±


    ¡°We should try area damage,¡± Calen said. ¡°Ali, can you try to corral them with your barriers? Maybe like the funnel you used on the fire spiders? Then we can use your shamans to fire Lightning Bolts through the entire pack. I can use my explosive shot to help clear them.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully they don¡¯t heal from each other¡¯s flame auras like the Shards of Flame,¡± Ali pointed out.


    ¡°If they do, we should give up,¡± Malika said soberly, ¡°at least until we¡¯re a lot stronger.¡±


    Calen


    Calen shifted uncomfortably in the heat as he gazed at the huge elemental. It was going to be a rough battle. Even though they all had the best resistances they could buy, and they had a partial strategy hammered out, there were still far too many unknowns. Ali had mentioned that there was likely to be at least one more powerful ability they hadn¡¯t seen yet. That worried him ¨C more than he had let on in their planning. Hopefully, at worst, it was an ability they could still escape from. Not to mention their analysis assumed that this dungeon used similar rules to Ali¡¯s. If it did not, or had more advanced abilities, there was likely no way to predict how many surprises it had in store for them. The uncertainty bothered him, gnawing away inside ¨C he knew there was no way to be sure before engaging again, and likely they would need to get quite far in the battle before they learned something new.


    That knowledge could come at a lethal price.


    he told himself. He would consider it a successful battle if they ran away with new information. Nevertheless, worry still lurked within his heart, refusing to let go. This elemental was way more powerful than anything he had ever seen, except for Lyeneru and the Death Knight. But this time he and his friends were on their own.


    ¡°We got this,¡± Mato said, giving him a light punch on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t forget your elixir.¡± As he said it, he downed one himself and made the empty vial vanish. Morwynne offered a small silver as a deposit for vials returned intact.


    Calen summoned one of his own.


    Elixir of Fire Resistance ¨C level 41


    Consume: +20% to resistance against fire damage. Duration: 1 hour.


    Potion


    He examined the potion in his hand. These had been extremely expensive to make, even with most of the ingredients provided by Ali¡¯s new fire affinity garden. And yet, he was certain they wouldn¡¯t be standing here without them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try to learn something new,¡± he said, downing his potion.


    ¡°Safety first,¡± Malika answered, drinking her potion too.


    Ali¡¯s minions shuffled around, organizing their formation, many of them drinking lower-level versions of the same elixir, and Calen grimaced momentarily at the amount of money that had just been consumed, but it was a necessary cost.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting the boss,¡± Mato said, waiting a moment in case anyone objected before switching to his Bear Form.


    The Inferno roared, its words shaking the chamber as they attacked. Ali had explained it spoke in the ancient tongue of Dal¡¯mohra, but it seemed uninterested in actually conversing with creatures it deemed to be so far beneath it. Or it just wasn¡¯t that intelligent in the first place.


    Calen drew his bow and fired as soon as Mato¡¯s claws struck flame. He hovered at the maximum range, even though that was still well within the blast wave radius. His arrows flew rapidly, enchanted with extra damage. He was using only the one enchantment to conserve his mana, settling in for a long fight. He had been operating on a constrained resource budget for so long now, that he was still getting used to the adjustments for his new advancement. Even though he couldn¡¯t be wasteful, it still felt that he had excess stamina to play with now. Every shot took some stamina, and the cost reduction really paid off in the long run.


    His arrows flew rapidly, several chasing each other in the air on the way to the elemental.


    ¡°Explosion!¡± Ali¡¯s voice rang out through the arena.


    He braced himself as the shockwave washed over him, smashing against his body and knocking him head over heels, cartwheeling through the air. He groaned from the instant bruise and creaking ribs, but he immediately felt the soft pulse of holy magic healing him as he flew back.


    Ali had somehow organized her Acolytes to leave a heal over time on most of their group and she had pulled it off  the explosion had hit. He would have to ask her after the fight.


    He flared his wings and controlled his descent aiming for closer to the ground. Knowing that he would be facing many explosions, he chose to leave his wings active, retrieved a mana potion from his ring¡¯s storage enchantment, and downed it.


    ¡°Summons!¡± Ali yelled almost a minute later. Somehow, the second explosion hadn¡¯t come, which meant a change in the boss¡¯s strategy, or Malika was having an effect already.


    The two dozen Shards of Inferno appeared in a bright surge of yellow flame, scattered around the giant boss that towered over all of them. Immediately, they surged towards where Ali¡¯s healers stood.


    A crunching, grinding sound echoed in the amphitheater as several substantial walls of bone appeared. Rib bones of unidentifiable monsters jutted out in all directions, barring the way to prevent the elementals from spreading out. Still, Ali had left a narrow passage for them to funnel into. It was not quite the shape he would have picked, but it looked like it would work. Large planes of Ali¡¯s golden barrier magic sprung up creating further impediments to slow the creatures down.


    Calen flew higher into the air, pulsing mana into his wings for an extra boost of speed ¨C for this, he would need a little more elevation to angle his shots down without worrying about the walls. Within the cluster of elementals, three steel totems began pulsing lightning novas and Ali¡¯s shamans unleashed arm-thick bolts of lightning that tore through the entire pack.


    Ali¡¯s skillful arrangement of her barriers and walls had bottlenecked the elementals such that all of them were taking heavy lightning damage, and the Shards of Inferno were penned up instead of spreading chaos through their group.


    he thought, summoning four simultaneous arrows of light magic to his bow and enchanting them with his brand-new Explosive Shot. He had just reached level thirty with Radiant Archery and the extra arrow was going to come in very handy. Briefly, he considered using his Righteous Fury, but with its long recharge, he was loath to spend it if he didn¡¯t need to.


    He loosed the flight of arrows and immediately summoned another four, repeating the process, ignoring the steep mana cost he was paying. He managed to get three flights of arrows in the air before the first ones struck. A roar rose from the ground as his arrows detonated unevenly on impact. The bright group of elementals vanished in the intensity of the quadruple explosions of his light magic. Calen squinted his eyes without missing a shot. The second flight landed before the detonations had even faded, followed by the third and fourth. Around the fifth, Ali¡¯s mages refreshed the bone walls because they were shedding large chunks of shattered bone. Ali¡¯s golden barriers appeared, flickering in spots, blocking holes, and preventing any of the elementals from escaping the kill zone. He unleashed volley after volley, a brilliant arc of arrows from above while he watched the continuous explosion ripping through the monsters below.


    He was almost down to ten percent of his mana when his notifications exploded with chiming sounds. He released one more volley to make sure, and when the light faded, all that was left were the pulverized remains of the bone walls and the corpses of the elementals.


    ¡°Explosion!¡±


    The shockwave slammed into the side of his body while he was still in midair, tossing him like a leaf in a storm and knocking the air from his lungs. He gasped as he struggled to right himself with his wings. As he descended, he felt the holy magic flowing into his body once again, healing the impact of the blast wave. He retrieved a mana potion and downed it, beginning to shoot once again, using regular arrows for now to conserve mana.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 180: Elemental Rage

    - Azryet, Dragon God, Harbinger of Chaos, Herald of Havoc, The Calamity.


    Aliandra


    The bone-shattering blast wave impacted her body, launching Ali into the air again. Her acolytes had done their job well this time, and almost everyone had been pre-loaded with a Restoration that would continue to heal them over the next thirty seconds ¨C but the flickers of holy spells landing did not cease; even as the kobolds were flung into the air, they still diligently distributed their healing magic.


    Her ribs snapped back into place with a painful crunch while she rapidly riffled through the senses of all her minions. She switched places with one of her acolytes using Minion Teleport, halting both of their forward momentum. This trick allowed her to land one of her healers closer to the center, where it could heal anybody critically injured from falling or being forced to swim through lava while they all ran back to the fight.


    She ignored her own precipitous descent, placing her trust in her health and the Restoration spell that slowly pulsed through her body. Her attention remained entirely on the senses of her minions, while flashing her barrier magic in all directions, deflecting boulders and slabs of rock that threatened to crush them on landing. Her eyes widened briefly as a several-ton boulder broke free from the ceiling but, with a hasty sweep of a barrier, she swatted her Hobgoblin sideways in the nick of time. At the last possible instant, she used a small barrier to catch herself right above the bubbling lava of a pool, and two more barriers to scoop a rogue and a shaman out, saving them a couple of seconds of searing agony and burns while they swam out. With the holy Restoration spells cast on them, swimming through the lava for a few seconds wasn¡¯t an immediate death sentence, but they would emerge low on health, and vulnerable to the hail of falling debris. She hadn¡¯t lost any of her minions yet, but with their levels barely above twenty, most of them had insufficient health to survive without help.


    She flew forward to reengage with the Inferno while her small horde of Kobolds and Goblin shamans emerged from the lava or got up from their bone-crushing landings and scampered across the rock-strewn terrain to close to range once again.


    ¡°You good?¡± Malika asked, sprinting past her with a tap on the shoulder that topped her health up to full.


    ¡°Yup,¡± she shouted at Malika¡¯s departing back. After the intense focus on tracking the trajectories of all her friends, minions, and dangerous flying boulders, the task of fine-tuning her minions¡¯ formations and controlling several sharp slivers of barrier magic to attack felt like a relaxing lull in the battle to her. , she thought to herself. That she considered standing in front of the towering pillar of furious flame ¡®relaxing¡¯ surprised her. It sizzled and roared, intent on incinerating all of them, while her body burned within the fire aura, sustained only because of the magic of her minions.


    ¡°We missed an explosion,¡± Calen called out, already on top of the boss¡¯s recharge timers. The ground shook with every slam and smash that Mato tanked, his normally huge Bear Form dwarfed by the enormous elemental. Missing the blast wave was their sign that Malika¡¯s mana attacks were having a significant effect. It likely didn¡¯t mean that the boss was out of mana yet, she could still see it using mana for its attacks, but the disruption to its efficient ability use seemed like a positive sign.


    The next thirty seconds passed slowly, and where Ali would have normally expected yet another blast wave, instead the domain summoning formation sprang up in her mana sight.


    ¡°Summons!¡± Ali yelled, warning her friends. The expansive formation of fire mana drawn from the surrounding domain was complex beyond belief and, in a way only truly appreciable to a magic scholar, she found it remarkably beautiful. Each ethereal rune hovered in the air, each connection, each construction, the flow and movement of the giant three-dimensional structure ¨C all of it had an elegant efficiency that spoke to her inner passion for magic in all its forms.


    The instant the thought occurred to her, she unleashed a trio of barrier shards at the rapidly accreting formation. she grumbled inwardly, recalling the disruption of her own barrier spell by a gloating would-be assassin. The golden shards of her barriers sliced through the fire mana, leaving ripples and eddies dancing across its surface like insects skating over a still pond.


    The delicate magical formation imploded with an audible crunch, and Ali¡¯s breath caught in her throat. But, despite her efforts, two dozen elementals suddenly appeared at the feet of the Inferno ¨C well, where its feet would have been if it had them ¨C surging outwards with growls of fiery rage.


    Ali commanded, biting back her disappointment at the failure and directing her Bone Mages. She rapidly assigned each of them their contributions, visualizing the precise arrangement of walls she wanted. The charging elementals suddenly found themselves crashing into walls of bone, spines and spikes jutting out in all directions. She reinforced the gaps with judicious application of barrier magic, further funneling the creatures into a tight clump as they pressed up against each other their eagerness to reach the enticing Goblins standing just beyond reach.


    The green-skinned Goblins stood directly in front of the funnel, wearing gleaming chainmail shirts and hefting the arcing lightning-enchanted Eimuuran steel shields she had made for them. Flanked by the two Hobgoblins for protection, they were her only Goblin forces, and they were facing down the entire horde of level sixty Shards of Inferno. The Hob on the left shouted a booming war cry. Steel totems appeared in the midst of the elementals and their distinctive spherical pulses of lightning surged outward. Ali smiled; the elementals were bunched up in a narrow passage allowing each pulse to hit every one of them. With a ripping crackle and detonation, the Lightning Bolts tore through the mass of elementals, passing right through the pack and out the other side.


    Ali glanced upward, just in time to notice Calen hovering, hanging there on incandescent white wings of light. Four shining arrows were nocked at his bowstring and a look of profound focus was etched upon his face. The string twanged. The arrows hurtled forth, followed immediately by another wave with a rapidity she could only admire. Her vision saturated with white as his intense explosions began detonating among the elementals in a continuous roar of brilliance, only her mana sight providing any reliable clue as to what was actually going on within. She flickered a couple of barriers into places where the bone walls had sustained severe damage and sent her will to her mages. Fresh walls appeared, reinforcing the area, and immediately she switched her barriers to block yet another gap or prevent an elemental from escaping.


    The explosions and flashes of lightning seemed to go on forever. Still, she kept up her reactive barriers ensuring that none of the spawned elementals could escape until the cascade of notification chimes ceased. Only then did she call her minions to a halt and watched as Calen slowly descended to the ground.


    She glanced curiously at him just standing there.


    ¡°Out of mana, and I already drank a potion,¡± he said soberly, then he grinned. ¡°You know, we should pick an easy fight for a change. Just one.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Ali smiled back, weighing the possibilities. She hadn¡¯t been able to prepare any runic circles for regeneration or mana ¨C she hadn¡¯t had access to the battleground before the fight. She did have one option, however, it meant burning her most powerful ability. On the other hand, if she did use it, her minions would be able to take advantage of it too¡­


    ¡°Be right back,¡± Ali said as she made her decision. She cast Arcane Recall. Sudden relief from the constant burning washed over her like plunging into a cool pool of water. she thought, realizing how much she had been ignoring the scalding atmosphere. The towering Inferno stood frozen, mid-strike, while Mato guarded against the incoming damage. Ali channeled her mana through Runic Script and spent a couple of subjective minutes inscribing an Inspiration circle around Calen¡¯s feet. The small extra mana reservation to keep it running would easily be worth the enormous return in mana it would provide to her friend and her acolytes.


    The spell completed, and the rude shock of searing pain reasserted itself. Calen blinked, looking at her in surprise.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± he said.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Ali said, already working out her minion rotation through the circle to ensure that it remained in use continually, to get the most out of the spell.


    ¡°Fire shield!¡± she called out, recognizing the spell formation as similar to the one used by the Living Flames a scant few seconds before the dense barrier bubble of fire magic sprung up around the Inferno. A towering maelstrom of flame ignited within, and Ali immediately checked on the boss via her nearest acolyte¡¯s Healer¡¯s Sight.


    ¡°It¡¯s healing¡­ slowly.¡± Ali lobbed shards of her barrier magic at the shield, noticing that while the torrent of flame was regenerating the boss, it was a significantly more gradual recovery than with the Living Flames. The spell itself seemed subtly altered, too, and it took a while for her to realize it seemed more focused on mana than fire. And with less fire damage, the boss was healing less.  she thought soberly. It might have been that it was healing more, and she simply saw it as a smaller percentage. Either way, the shield was tough ¨C way harder to break than the ones used by the Living Flames. Their attacks rained down onto the unyielding shield for ages before it finally cracked.


    Abruptly, the fire shield burst into a cascade of splinters and shards of magic that quickly evaporated into red sparkles and flashes of flame. The maelstrom of flame encircling the boss sputtered and died. But something was different. Within the monster, a vast swirl of fiery mana ignited ¨C a stirring in the domain magic on a scale that filled the entire arena. She studied it carefully, puzzled as to what it might be, her focus drawn to the flows of mana. The Inferno was simply standing there, taking Mato¡¯s hits without retaliating in the slightest.


    ¡°He¡¯s doing something¡­ big,¡± Ali announced, still trying to figure out what exactly it might be. ¡°Be prepared for anything.¡±


    The swirling formation suddenly accelerated as the huge elemental drew vast amounts of mana from the surrounding domain and fed it to his spell. Ali¡¯s eyes widened in shock as a chill of fear ran down her spine. A faint whistling sound echoed through the chamber, rising to a roar that began to vibrate through the rock as the mana drawn into the boss compressed into a brilliant blazing ball.


    Suddenly, the Inferno spoke, its voice deafening.


    The ball of mana at its core flared with light so intense it overwhelmed Ali¡¯s mana sight entirely.


    ¡°Hide! NOW!¡± Ali screamed, ducking behind a large boulder.


    A howling torrent of flame burst outward from the monster with deafening violence that shook the cavern to its very foundations. Her bones rattled as the elemental rage of flame tore past her suddenly inadequate-seeming boulder. Ali screamed, but nobody would ever hear. Three rogues had been on the far side of the boss when the literal inferno had descended. They sprinted past, disintegrating before her very eyes. One rogue reached healing range, legs and arms sprouting anew only to be torn away by the ravenous flames. The cycle repeated before the poor kobold managed to stumble past a boulder and crawl to safety. Of the other two, nothing remained but motes of ash lost in the torrent. Malika and Calen, with their magical speed enhancements, were safely hiding behind nearby boulders, as were many of her remaining minions.


    But the Beastkin had no such speed enhancements.


    Mato was dying. He lumbered across the molten ground, body aflame, buffeted, and rapidly disintegrating in the incomprehensible, all-consuming devastation so suddenly unleashed. Ali screamed again, this time pouring all her mana into a barrier that she summoned right behind him. The flame tore around her barrier, melting golden streamers from its edges that vanished into the fire. She spent mana at an astonishing rate in a vain effort to rebuild the meager protection in the face of the raging storm. ¡°Run, Mato!¡±she screamed, but she might as well have thought it for all the good it did. Right as her barrier shattered into slivers and shards that were picked up and catapulted into the distance by the force of the flames, Mato charged, reaching the dubious safety of a misshapen boulder that sagged like a melting candle on the flameward side.


    Streamers of molten rock were torn from her own cover, slipping away in the unceasing gale. Mana thrummed through her body as the flames barely parted around her rock, leaving her in a tiny pocket of relative safety, only the radiant heat searing into her skin and contending with the slow pulse of her minion¡¯s holy magic. There was so much power and mana scouring through the entire arena, that Ali¡¯s mind simply gave up processing it in stunned shock. She stared, wide-eyed at the unleashed might of the Inferno. It went on and on until her body and mind were numb to the sound, vibration, and shocking torrent of mana.


    Suddenly, the flame cut off, and the deafening silence snapped her out of her daze. She hurriedly looked left and right, seeing her friends and her minions huddled down behind boulders that might better be described as half-molten slag heaps now. All of the smaller debris that had accumulated throughout the arena during the explosions and the slam attacks had been melted or blown away, leaving a clear plain of rock and lava, all glowing with an intense radiating heat and the sound of cracking as it rapidly cooled. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Run or continue?¡± Malika¡¯s voice called out, breaking the silence.


    For a moment, Ali didn¡¯t parse the idea correctly. The very concept of going up against a monster with that much power was unthinkable.


    ¡°Continue,¡± Calen answered, choosing the unthinkable option. ¡°Incredibly, we only lost two of Ali¡¯s rogues.¡±


    Ali¡¯s mind caught up, dragged back to sanity by Malika and Calen¡¯s calm rationality. She took a deep breath and got up, levitating above the still partially molten ground. The Inferno stood tall in the epicenter of the devastation it had unleashed. As she watched, it slowly swiveled toward them, but before it could act, Mato charged. Whether it was sheer force of habit by now, or actually her presence of mind, she didn¡¯t know, but she checked with her acolyte¡¯s sight.


    ¡°Three-quarters to go,¡± Ali announced, finally finding her voice. She felt like she had just endured an eternity of flame and fear, but they still had three-quarters of its health to burn through. Only her friends¡¯ determination staved off her despair.


    ¡°Explosion!¡± she called out a few moments later.


    Mato


    Mato thought. At that precise moment, he happened to be flying through the air, exactly like a bear shouldn¡¯t. The fight itself wasn¡¯t particularly bad ¨C he quite enjoyed hitting the giant fireball. The blast wave attack was stronger, but it was more annoying to have to run back from wherever he landed. He preferred actually fighting. Running was for scouts and rogues. But it was the flying he hated. He grimaced at the sight of the distant ground whipping by beneath his dangling feet.


    Initially, he might have been a bit skeptical about wearing armor in Bear Form, but he had to admit that this latest piece Thuli had crafted for him was phenomenal. He already had a lot of natural armor, and Thuli¡¯s creation simply added more on top of that ¨C but it was magical resistances that had proved to be the lifesaver in this fight. His armor didn¡¯t look particularly fancy ¨C nothing like the armor he imagined the adventurers in the stories wore ¨C but what it lacked in decoration, it sure made up in robustness. It had taken everything the Inferno could throw at him and for the most part, it was still in great shape.


    The holy magic of one of the Kobolds settled gently into his body, pulsing against the damage he had taken before being launched into the air, augmenting his own Brutal Restoration. Ali¡¯s minions were quite efficient. As his thoughts turned to his small friend, he found himself confronting the reality of what had just happened moments before the explosion.


    . The thought focused his mind in a way that the rest of his meandering thoughts could not. Without Ali¡¯s quick thinking, and rapidly disintegrating barrier magic, he would have been completely incinerated. He was far more robust than the two unfortunate rogues, but nothing could survive that conflagration. He could still feel the intensity of the flames tearing through his flesh and whipping past his body as he desperately charged for the dubious safety of an impossibly distant boulder. The image of Ali¡¯s Kobolds being progressively vaporized hung over him like a specter of what could so easily have been his fate. He just hoped Ali understood the attack well enough from that one experience that she could give him more time to get to safety if it happened again. He had burned his Last Stand just to make it, and that skill had a fifteen-minute recharge.


    he thought, unwilling to rely on fortune and desperate hope.


    He sighed, landing on the ground with a crash and a huff, shaking off his mental funk. He charged forward, using his ability as soon as possible so that he would be able to close the distance quickly and regain control of the fight. He used it once more before he was out in front of all Ali¡¯s minions and then slammed into the giant tower of pissed-off flame. He Swiped at the elemental, triggering his Brutal Restoration, something that was becoming an automatic reflex in here. He most certainly needed his own healing to be maximized at all times during this fight, and he was saving most of his mana entirely for that.


    Survival Instinct warned him a scant half second before the powerful overhead slam attack, giving him barely enough time to brace before the elemental¡¯s arms crashed down on his body, slamming him into the ground and tossing rocks flying. He got back up and Swiped again with his paws, feeling the surge of healing repairing the damage. Those slam attacks did vastly more damage to his robust body than the blast wave. He carefully sidestepped around the elemental, turning it so that Ali¡¯s remaining melee minions and Malika would be able to fight from behind it, but not get tossed entirely in the opposite direction from the next blast wave.


    ¡°Summons!¡±


    He mostly ignored this call, having nothing much to do with the additional elementals himself. Normally he was running back when this happened, so this time he just held back a bit to make sure he did not Swipe any of them by accident when they appeared. That way they would ignore him and run into whatever trap Ali and Calen had prepared. He and Malika focused on the boss while a roar of detonations and lightning crashed somewhere off to the side behind a large wall of already smoking bone.


    He braced for another smash, feeling the Kobold¡¯s Restoration pre-empting the attack, and a bigger heal following immediately after. There was no further explosion for a long while until suddenly the fire shield appeared. He growled angrily, hitting the impervious transparent sphere with his paws. It was a frustratingly tough barrier and he much preferred hitting the elemental itself, even if he was essentially hitting an animated fire. After slamming his paws against the solid bubble of magic seemingly forever, it suddenly splintered, exploding into a million flaming shards.


    ¡°Hide!¡± Ali¡¯s voice screamed.


    This time, he didn¡¯t hesitate for an instant, immediately charging to the side, towards a boulder he had been keeping an eye on for a while.  His charge got him about halfway, and he lumbered on, wishing he was as fast as the graceful Malika who had sprinted by in a flash. A whining whistle rose through the arena as he pushed his heavy body to the maximum. The ground shook as the monster roared something unintelligible, and he suddenly felt a huge surge of heat from behind him, slamming into his body right as he crashed to the ground in the lee of his boulder, sharing the spot with Malika. She slapped his charred leg mercilessly, pulsing her healing magic through his body and patching up any of the remaining burns.


    The elemental let loose with his inferno, flame tearing past their hiding spot, melting rock on the ground to either side of them, and sending streamers of liquid stone flying in the unceasing gale of intense flame.


    He had made it to safety just in time.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 181: Essence of Inferno

    AliandraAli hauled herself up with shaky arms as the third storm of fire finally abated, returning silence to the arena of glowing red-hot stone. The Inferno¡¯s heart-stopping primary ability still terrified her, in a force-of-nature kind of way, but Ali was coping with it much better, her mind no longer stunned by its immensity and power.


    She marshaled her mana and fired her sharpened barrier shards at the huge elemental, wondering exactly how much damage she was doing.  she thought. But, as futile as it may seem, the boss had only one-quarter of his health remaining.  Then fire mana flickered, coalescing into the familiar formation.


    ¡°Explosion!¡± she yelled, and moments later, the blast wave slammed into her, the compression wave and quake launching everything that was not chained down high into the scalding air.


    At the base of the enormous elemental of fire, a small figure stood stalwart, flickering with blue-white mana.  Ali realized, as the horrifying implications sunk in. Her friend was facing the boss by herself while everyone else who could possibly help her had been flung away into the distance. Desperately, Ali cast around for something, anything. High above her, at the apex of his flight, one of her Acolytes hung, momentarily suspended in the air.


    Quickly, she activated Minion Teleport, switching places with the Kobold and sending him an urgent command,


    There was no way for her to directly help her friend from this far above the ground. Instead, she put her hopes into the little plummeting kobold whose eyes she kept trained on Malika while she scrambled to deflect countless flying boulders and minions with her barriers. She winced as her Kobold struck the rocky ground and bounced.  she urged, anxiously willing the little Kobold to sprint faster. It scampered across rock and debris as fast as it could, reflections of flame shimmering in the white robes flapping out behind him.


    In the distance, Malika¡¯s magic flickered and flared as she flew around the Inferno, stepping off the air, or wisps of flame, kicking and punching with a relentless storm of blows, all of them flashing blue with her Soul Strike ability. A massive slam attack smashed into her left shoulder, crashing her body into the ground and making her bounce. Ali held her breath unable to do a thing, but Malika¡¯s form flared with her own potent healing magic at the apex of her bounce, and she flipped her body in midair, launching a powerful kick at the Inferno. Another massive strike careened in from her left, but she dodged again, retaliating with a series of punches.  Ali¡¯s mind kept repeating the same mantra as if she could will it to be, all the while still flashing her barrier magic all around to protect everyone as they peppered the cavern like rain.


    Another smash, and a failed dodge this time, drove Malika to the ground with a sickening crunch, her burns visible even from a distance. Her healing mana surged powerfully throughout her entire body. Ali had no idea how she had so much mana, but it was Malika. She had been stealing mana from the boss the entire fight, so she was probably always full. At least, she hoped so.


    Finally, the Kobold stretched his taloned hand forward, and the holy formation of Restoration appeared within Malika. Ali breathed an enormous sigh of relief, right as she slammed into the ground and bounced.  she thought, coughing as the wind was knocked from her lungs. In her focused state, she had forgotten to catch herself. Holy magic soothed her injuries as her nearest Acolyte healed her, and then she launched herself back toward Malika, eking as much speed from her barrier as she could manage. Ali tossed out barriers frantically as soon as she was in range, not to attack the boss, but to block its punches and slams. She had no idea if her strategy was effective because most of its strikes shattered her barriers, but Malika seemed to dodge more attacks than before, so perhaps? Maybe she was slowing them down just enough. She kept it up until Mato¡¯s huge growling form tore across the rocky ground and slammed into the Inferno with a roar and a brutal Swipe. The boss twisted back and forth momentarily, as if uncertain which of them to attack first, but eventually the great fiery arm slammed down, bouncing off Mato¡¯s darkly gleaming armor, and Ali finally relaxed a little.


    Ali found her Inspiration runic circle, and restarted her minion rotation through it, prioritizing her healers as they arrived.


    ¡°Missed explosion,¡± Calen announced, as if nothing had happened. ¡°Health check?¡±


    Ali thought. ¡°Ten percent.¡± They had never skipped one this early before. Perhaps having Malika able to fight through the last one had given her more time to reduce its mana. Ali had no idea, but it was definitely an advantage for them.


    ¡°Eight percent¡­ Summons!¡± Instead of the massive blast wave, the boss invoked the formation to summon another wave of elementals. Even though the change in the boss¡¯s rhythm was worrying, Ali knew how to deal with this attack.


    ¡°Seven percent.¡± Immediately, she shot off commands to her minion army, erecting bone walls and tossing out barriers. As the spawns funneled into the trap, she unleashed her shamans¡¯ lightning.


    ¡°Six percent¡­¡± Her words were punctuated by the staccato cracks of repeated bolts of lightning ripping through the monsters.


    Calen took to the air, downing a mana potion, and used his Righteous Fury, casting a brilliant light across the entire battlefield. His mana exploded outward as he fired a hail of magical arrows down on the elementals, each explosion almost twice the size of his normal ones. Chains of light burst forth from the explosions like burgeoning vines, lashing every spawned elemental to the ground. Ali scrambled to keep the bone walls and barriers intact, but the elementals withered under the powerful onslaught from above. Calen turned the remainder of his powerful attack on the boss and Ali could see the elemental¡¯s health dipping quickly.


    ¡°Four percent!¡± Ali launched as many barrier shards at the Inferno as she could manage, watching the health tick down with excruciating slowness.


    Calen¡¯s light went out, and suddenly the domain mana surged, and the low, mournful whistling sound filled the cavern.


    ¡°Hide!¡± she screamed. It was out of cycle, but Ali didn¡¯t question what she saw. The Inferno was using his primary attack again. She scrambled to find a nearby boulder that was large enough to survive the burning onslaught without melting, finally crawling behind one with two of her shamans. She urgently glanced about, summoning a barrier to protect Mato as the air around him caught alight ahead of the elemental storm, but he made it to his boulder in time.


    They were so close. Ali¡¯s heart raced as she huddled behind her rock and tuned out the deafening roar of flame tearing past. She counted the seconds out loud to still her mind, reaching forty-five before silence crashed down upon her. She had no idea if she was counting accurately, or if her anxiety made her count too fast, but it definitely helped her calm down and forced her to breathe.


    She emerged from behind the misshapen molten boulder and immediately fired her barrier shards at the elemental.


    ¡°Watch out, Ali! The storm drops aggro!¡± Calen shouted.


    With a hiss, the towering pillar of angry flame turned to face her. Ali¡¯s heart stopped right then as she stared up into what passed for his face, her reflexively summoned barrier seeming all too fragile. Suddenly, Mato roared and Swiped at it, diverting its attention back to himself, and Ali breathed once more.


    she thought, her hands trembling. She was lucky the elemental didn¡¯t have any immediately available ranged attacks, or she might have died in that instant.


    ¡°Ex¡­ explosion!¡± she yelled as the mana formation dragged her attention back to her role. In that instant, two Lightning Bolts cracked across the rock, slamming into the Inferno and Malika¡¯s fists lit up with a high-speed flurry of flickering magic. The coalescing mana formation for the powerful blast wave suddenly wavered, splintering into shards and drifting away.


    A soft chime echoed in the halls of her mind and the huge Inferno¡¯s flame flickered once before it went out, like a candle snuffed in the wind. The core of the monster hung suspended in the air for a moment before crashing to the ground.


    Mato let out a whoop of joy as he transformed back into his Beastkin form. Ali slumped to the ground where she stood, brittle laughter escaping her lips as the stress of the fight drained from her in a rush.


    ¡°We did it!¡± Calen exclaimed, alighting on the ground beside her.


    ¡°We sure did,¡± Malika agreed. ¡°You doing alright, Ali?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m just tired,¡± she said from where she sat. There had been many moments when she hadn¡¯t been sure; when she had been about to call for their retreat. She had held off, waiting for one of the others to do it, just in case she was wrong. And here they were, alive and happy, celebrating their achievement against the elemental boss of the Emberforge Mines.


    Malika groaned as she lowered her body to the ground beside her, and they sat together in silence for a while, staring at the giant corpse of the monster they had just defeated.


    ¡°Thank you, Ali,¡± Malika finally said, her voice quiet, almost in a whisper.


    Ali glanced up at her friend. ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°I was so happy to finally dodge one of those annoying explosions that I didn¡¯t realize I would be facing the boss on my own¡­¡±


    ¡°How did you survive it?¡±


    ¡°I dodged. A lot. Every time it hit me, it took more than four-fifths of my health ¨C I¡¯m never going to criticize the Bear¡¯s heavy armor again. I had to burn almost all my stamina and mana to heal myself back to full, just to gain a few more seconds before the next hit.¡± Malika looked over at Ali. ¡°I¡¯ve never been so relieved to feel the holy magic of your acolyte. I don¡¯t know how you got her to me so quickly¡­ but thank you.¡±


    ¡°I used Minion Teleport. I was pretty close, so I switched with a Kobold to get it closer to you,¡± Ali answered softly, recalling how frantic she had been at the time. How desperate she had been to find anything that could save Malika. If the Kobold had been just a little further, or if she had been flung more horizontally¡­ she quelled that line of thinking. It had worked, and she had to believe that if circumstances had been different, she would have come up with a different solution.


    They sat together for a while in silence, enjoying Mato¡¯s prancing and cheering. Ali would probably never be able to react to stress relief in that manner, but she recognized what it was and let him be. She was just happy it was done.


    ¡°Thanks for saving my furry hide!¡± Mato yelled at her. ¡°Your barrier was perfect!¡±


    Ali waved at him. While she loved that her friends acknowledged her, she knew that without them, she wouldn¡¯t be alive either. They knew it too. Still, she would make sure to let each of them know she appreciated their struggles, efforts, and support. Probably later, after dinner when they had quieted down and finally relaxed.


    Ali levered herself to her feet.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Janitor, remember?¡± she answered with a grin and set to the task of deconstructing everything she could find.


    Finally, Ali approached the corpse of the elemental boss. There were still a few flickering yellow-white flames, so she reached down and picked one up, earning a Restoration from her acolyte.


    ¡°Hey, Malika,¡± she called out, but her friend was standing right next to her. She handed the flame to her, and they both inspected it curiously.


    ¡°We should take this to Morwynne,¡± Malika said. ¡°It¡¯s probably exactly what we need to unlock that next rune. I found a bunch of lesser ones under the Shards of Inferno.¡±


    Indeed, it was too much of a coincidence. Essence of Living Flame had been the primary ingredient to quench the Rune of Living Flame. Now they had a collection of Essence of Inferno to match a Rune of Inferno. The only question would be if Morwynne¡¯s skill was up to the task - and if they needed to hunt for any other specialized ingredients. ¡°I just hope it doesn¡¯t take another Death Knight armor,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Same,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°I wonder what the dungeon is doing, making such a simple puzzle?¡± Ali wondered aloud.


    ¡°Lyeneru discussed it in her book, remember¡­¡± Calen said. ¡°Non-sentient dungeons seem to have some common instincts. In a dungeon like this one, where there are three passages, what stops attackers from going straight to the final boss?¡±


    ¡°I guess so,¡± Ali said, recalling the passage.


    ¡°With the runes barring the way, requiring items from monsters in earlier areas, the dungeon can force attackers to face each of its bosses before getting to it at the end. It can turn a maze into a long tunnel, which means you have to defeat all the monsters instead of simply picking a small subset, or by preference, or any other conditions. The Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra didn¡¯t have anything like this, so we could have just walked in to kill the Wights first if we knew about it. And then the rest of the dungeon would probably have dissipated on its own in a dungeon-break.¡±


    ¡°That sort of makes sense,¡± Ali said, considering his point. In fact, her own dungeon followed a strategy more like the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra. People could avoid most of her monsters if they wanted to. The only real barrier was that they didn¡¯t know where Ali was because she wasn¡¯t a boss in her own dungeon ¨C something she was still unwilling to experiment with.


    Malika collected six of the essences, storing them in her ring.


    ¡°Does anyone want this?¡± Ali pointed to the core remains, still radiating intense heat.


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°All yours.¡±


    ¡°I want to see if you get some new abilities,¡± Calen said, crossing his fingers.


    Ali¡¯s curiosity spiked as she deconstructed the giant elemental ¨C and knowing that both the domain magic skills she had observed were new didn¡¯t take the edge off the excitement and anticipation. Several chimes sounded in chorus as golden text appeared across the parchment in her mind.


    ¡°Ooh!¡± she exclaimed.


    ¡°Whatcha get?¡± Mato asked.


    She had already learned strength from the Skeletal Wyvern, but Mass Summoning and Elemental Storm were both new, and, based on the fight, she had no doubt as to what the abilities did. She opened her Domain Mastery skill and browsed through the options for boss creation, finding her two newly acquired skills listed there.


    Mass Summoning


    Requirements: Raid Enhancement, Minion Level 60+


    Source: Inferno


    Assign a creature imprint for your minion to summon during combat. It will be summoned in waves. The size of the wave is dependent on the cost of the imprint. Summoned creatures must be compatible.


    Skill ¨C Domain Magic


    Elemental Storm


    Requirements: Raid Enhancement, Minion Level 55+ with a matching mana affinity.


    Source: Inferno


    Affinities: Fire, Nature, Arcane.


    Your minion can cast an elemental storm that fills the entire area. Duration and area of effect depend on your minion¡¯s magical power and available mana. The type of storm depends on your minion¡¯s mana affinity.


    Skill ¨C Domain Magic


    The ridiculous Fire Elemental Storm ability the Inferno had unleashed on them lay revealed to her, and now presumably accessible for any bosses she would make. To her surprise, she immediately noticed that the Domain Skill did not seem to be an exclusively fire-affinity ability ¨C her class had automatically unlocked her personal affinities as options, and so she could create a boss with an arcane or nature Elemental Storm in addition to the fire she had just learned from the Inferno. As to what an arcane Elemental Storm would do exactly, she had only her rather overactive imagination to guess.


    Ali shared her new abilities with her friends.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Calen said, punching the air. ¡°You got the Elemental Storm, that¡¯s awesome! You could combine it with¡­ well, let me think ¨C¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t use it yet,¡± Ali said, trying to reign in his inevitable flurry of ideas. ¡°I need to be able to make a level fifty-five boss, and I can¡¯t do that yet.¡±


    Both abilities were severely level-restricted, but she assumed that was to be expected ¨C they were ridiculous as abilities went. she huffed inwardly, struggling to imagine what she could not overcome with such powerful summons.


    ¡°Aww,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Must be a power requirement,¡± Ali explained, shuddering to think how much mana a level fifty-five or sixty raid boss would reserve. She actually did have a couple of imprints for those levels, she simply couldn¡¯t afford them.


    ¡°Yep, likely that,¡± Calen added, his expression turning thoughtful. ¡°I¡¯ll write down some ideas we can explore later.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back home,¡± Ali said. ¡°I¡¯m hungry and tired after fighting all day.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Mato agreed. ¡°And I bought some nice fresh fish the other day, I¡¯ll cook that for dinner. I can do boar skewers, too.¡±


    Malika smiled, ¡°Now that sounds like a winner!¡±


    ¡°No, dinner!¡± Mato snorted, apparently finding his own joke hilarious.


    ***


    Dinner was delicious as usual ¨C Mato had managed to bake a fillet of salmon in the campfire using a foil-wrap technique. It was seasoned with some lemon and a few other herbs, which made it taste heavenly.  Although Ali couldn¡¯t help wondering how much of that was due to the long day of continuous fighting ¨C she was ravenous and practically inhaled her portion. Probably anything approximately in the category of ¡®food¡¯ would have tasted amazing.


    ¡°This is delicious, Mato!¡± Ryn said, devouring her portion just as fast as Ali.


    Ali smiled as she eyed the enticing pile of new books Ryn had brought. Ryn¡¯s class was growing quickly, and their devious little pact had netted Ali a ton of new books to read. Besides, both of them enjoyed the work of building the library back up to its former glory ¨C a monumental task, for sure, but a perfect way for them to help each other.


    In the quiet after-dinner lull, when everyone sat about sluggish and sleepy, Ali finally opened her notifications and searched through the day spent in the mines. They had achieved a lot, now that she had a quiet moment to consider it; clearing out the entire mine area, and then finally defeating the Inferno after the aborted attempt which helped them learn some of its abilities.


    She skipped past reams of kill notifications and paused at the defeat of Inferno.


    Quickly, she assigned out her attribute points. Excited for the opportunity to grow her mana pool again, she spent eight points on wisdom, although this time she decided to push her spell power more, adding double that to her intelligence attribute. Given her reliance on perception skills, she spent another eight on that attribute, smiling at the noticeable sharpening of her mana sight. Pursing her lips in thought, she made a moderate investment in her survival skills; four points to vitality and two each to endurance and dexterity.


    She hadn¡¯t been hit by the boss directly but falling onto rock or into lava hurt like crazy, and the dexterity would help her reaction speed for catching things with her barriers or assist when she needed to pull off crazy evasive maneuvers when flying about.


    Happy with her choices, she read on.


    Ali puzzled over the skill levels for a moment before recalling she had used the combination of Arcane Recall and Runic Script to create an Inspiration runic circle mid-battle to help Calen with his mana and then had assigned all her acolytes to take turns in it. She reached out and released the mana reservation for the circle, feeling the magical construct dissolving.


    While she hadn¡¯t earned any skill advancements during the intense fight, she had gained four class levels putting her one level away from sixty ¨C the level at which the Adventurers Guild would recognize her as a gold-ranked adventurer, and she could get her ring upgraded.


    Also, her skills had grown substantially, and if the Adventurer¡¯s Guide could be believed, many skills could become available for advances roughly every twenty levels or so. The skill she was most excited about advancing was Barrier ¨C it had been with her since the beginning and had saved her and her friends¡¯ lives time and again. Not to mention, Barrier was one of her favorite magic skills.


    she corrected herself,


    ***


    Calen


    Calen finally began to relax and unwind after a long day delving into the mines. It had taken all through dinner before he began to feel a little more normal, and he finally decided he was ready to look at the results of the fight. He had initially been worried about the potential of unseen domain magic skills, but never in his wildest dreams had he imagined something like that Elemental Storm ¨C none of them had. It was only through some very quick thinking and Ali¡¯s ability to see the spell before it was used that they were even still alive ¨C and even then, there had been several close calls.


    He had spent most of the battle airborne, and he had also wasted tons of time regenerating mana he then splurged on his area damage skills cleaning up the shards of inferno before they tore everything to shreds. Unfortunately, he was still not high enough level to take advantage of the kinds of enchantments Lyeneru had shown him.


    It was nice to see his wings growing quickly, and even more exciting was the growth of Arrows of Brilliance and Righteous Fury ¨C both skills having found a prominent place in his core combat repertoire. He would need to recalculate his optimal skill rotation again because every time those two leveled up, the mana and stamina costs changed.


    He studied his previous notes about his class. It was challenging to create the optimal skill usage that allowed him to contribute to the kinds of fighting they were doing. Even now, with his class level growing rapidly, he was still unable to extract the full value of his class¡¯s potential. At least, after his enlightening conversation with Lyeneru, he finally understood why ¨C if they had been a normal party, doing normal dungeon delves with monsters significantly lower than their own levels, he would simply burn all his mana to ambush the first monster and kill it instantly ¨C typically the most dangerous one like a healer or mage. He was struggling primarily because many of their important fights did not care about enormous spikes of short-duration damage.


    He made a face.


    Still mulling things over in his mind, Calen calculated his attribute distribution. Fifteen points went to intelligence and five to wisdom, a nod to how important his light-affinity magic skills had been during the boss fight. Ten points went to each of dexterity and perception. Finally, he divided up the remainder; four points for vitality, and three each for strength and endurance.


    As he finished spending his points, his notification chime sounded again. Eagerly, he watched as the glowing text unfolded.


    Righteous Fury ¨C level 20


    Mana: Temporarily supercharge your mana amplifying all your magic by +150.4% . Your mana burns you. The damage penalty for multiple shots is removed. Duration: 30 seconds. Recharge: 15 minutes.


    Light, Intelligence


    It was a surprising advancement, and one that intrigued him ¨C and not just because it gave more damage without costing any more mana. Whenever he used multishot, his skill split his base damage among all the conjured arrows ¨C situationally useful. But now, when he used Righteous Fury, he wouldn¡¯t suffer that penalty ¨C and his base damage was substantial, taking into account both his dexterity and intelligence. The enchantments that he added above and beyond his normal arrow damage would not improve ¨C but those were already getting almost two and a half times more damage just from the mana amplification. The total increase in damage penciled out to be a substantial improvement. Lately, most of the time when he used Righteous Fury, he was suppressing a horde of monster spawns. This meant his multishot scaled his damage by a further multiplier every time he increased the number of arrows he could fire.


    He frowned, deep in thought. The only time it wouldn¡¯t help him was if there was only a single target to shoot at. Nendir would know. He wrote down a quick note to ask his mentor or trainer the next time he visited Ciradyl.


    Happy with the offer, he accepted it.


    Mato


    Mato was enjoying his cooking even more than normal, now that he had learned several new techniques from Tabitha. He practiced them at every opportunity he got. She had insisted on teaching him how to make them taste absolutely foul. Still, with his Survival Instincts enhancing all of his senses, including smell and taste, he had been incredibly relieved to discover the techniques worked just as well with tasty cooking.


    And the Well-fed buff was really quite helpful ¨C everyone had gained a small vitality boost for the Inferno fight, and every little bit helped. He grinned as he savored the flavor of the next bite and studied the glowing green notifications on his inner tree.


    A frown touched his brow. His Rampant Growth skill was stagnating. It was hardly surprising, given that they had been fighting down in the Emberforge Mines all day ¨C a place where absolutely no plant life survived. Unlike the Grasping Roots spell, which manufactured roots from mana directly, Rampant Growth was a spell for influencing existing life ¨C albeit extremely powerfully and quickly.


    But something about his training in Lira¡¯s tree had taught him a little more patience than he remembered having, and he was sure he would get further opportunities to explore the skill. If nothing else, he could practice in Ali¡¯s Forest Cavern, or the jungle when they passed through.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± Mato said, distributing second-course plates loaded up with boar-meat skewers, each crusted with herbs and grilled to perfection, and sauteed asparagus on the side. At least as far as he was concerned, that little helping of salmon had just whet his appetite.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Calen said, immediately picking up a skewer with his hands and bringing it to his mouth.


    ¡°This looks familiar,¡± Malika said, eyeing the plate suspiciously. ¡°Have you been taking lessons with Tabitha again?¡±


    Calen froze with his mouth open wide, about to take a bite. His eyes darted between Malika and Mato and then to the still steaming meat he had been about to put in his mouth.


    ¡°Yup, she¡¯s been teaching me some advanced techniques,¡± Mato said, suppressing his grin. He sat down with his own plate on his lap, locking eyes with Calen and waiting, deliberately not eating yet.


    The silence drew out longer and longer.


    ¡°This is delicious, Mato!¡± Ali declared, holding a skewer in each hand, oblivious to the moment and breaking the tension in an instant.


    ¡°You¡¯re bad. Just bad,¡± Calen muttered, glaring at him, and began to tuck in.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 182: Timber Wolves

    Aliandra¡°So, what do you all want to do?¡± Ali asked, hovering by the stairs as Mato shoved the heavy Adventurers Guild doors open. A delicious aroma wafted over from the food cart parked beside the guild and Ali waved at Sabri and Brena who were chatting amiably together. But her stomach tied itself into a knot when she caught sight of what they were served ¨C roasted black and green sticks that looked suspiciously like Tunnel Weaver legs. The obvious relish with which they tucked in, and the gruesome crunching noises didn¡¯t help settle her stomach in the slightest.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to leave you here,¡± Malika said. ¡°I want to go talk to Morwynne about these essences and see if she can craft us a new potion to unlock the Rune of Inferno.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said, grateful for the distraction.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Mato added. ¡°I have a batch of fire flowers for Eliyen and Basil, and then I want to visit Thuli for some maintenance on my armor.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to get the job for those flowers from the board,¡± Calen reminded him.


    ¡°Got it already,¡± Mato said, waving a big hand. ¡°See you later!¡±


    Ali waved as Mato and Malika headed off and headed indoors with Calen, a little bummed that all her friends had things to do, and hers would require waiting. At least it was important work ¨C they needed a steady supply of elixirs to ward off the ridiculous fire damage.


    ¡°Ok, see you in an hour,¡± Calen said and darted off toward the stairs and the raid strategy class he was scheduled to run.


    ¡°Bye,¡± Ali said, making her way over to the reception desk. She probably wouldn¡¯t have even left the library, but for the fact that the Guildmaster had asked her to stop by and discuss details for another, smaller group she wanted to send to the shrine.


    ¡°Is Vivian available?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s waiting for you in her office,¡± Mieriel said, glancing up from her work momentarily.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ali said and headed off to her meeting.


    ***


    Ali plopped herself down on a couch in the guild hall. It was getting much more crowded now, just as Vivian had observed, with many new faces. To her surprise, Vivian had credited Malika with much of the guild¡¯s new success in recruiting ¨C and her own performance at the Town Council meeting, and as she surveyed the gathered novices and recruits, Ali could see what the Guildmaster had meant. It wasn¡¯t all of them, but many of the newest members were obviously from the poorer parts of town, just gauging from their appearances and the lack of new clothing.


    Even among the adventurers with classes, the armor and weapons seemed scuffed and worn, hand-me-downs from those who had outgrown them, or items that had been bought and resold through the guild store several times.


    Her meeting with the Guildmaster had gone smoothly ¨C it hadn¡¯t taken too long, and now Ali found herself with nothing to do until her friends returned. There was nothing of particular interest on the jobs board ¨C or at least, nothing she hadn¡¯t already seen several times.


    Havok seemed to be enjoying a drink with his teammates and gave her a toothy grin. Ali waved, but she didn¡¯t feel like intruding. She had been hoping to check in with him, but she hadn¡¯t seen him yet. Perhaps he was doing a solo job somewhere, he had mentioned liking to do that.


    Ali¡¯s eyes dropped to the coffee table; her gaze caught by the sight of something she had not expected ¨C a book. Curious, she reached over and picked it up, quirking an eyebrow at the roughly penned title ¡®Dungeon Manual¡¯.


    She flipped it open to the first page and was greeted by an extended Identify, painstakingly copied down in the neat, compact handwriting of someone with a writing or calligraphy skill. Following the identification details was what seemed to be a detailed strategy guide.


    Ali¡¯s eyebrows arched in surprise. She flipped the page, only to find another, even more detailed description of her Tunnel Weaver boss. There were a few things that were not quite accurate, but the description seemed to be quite well written. The first kill credit was attributed to Brena¡¯s team.


    The Kobold Warrior boss was next, listed as a raid boss, with two pages of detailed strategy written out. Aiden and Teagan¡¯s group were listed together as having achieved the first kill.


    Ali turned the page, discovering that her Forest Guardian was listed next. There were a few ideas for strategy listed, but they were presented more as ideas or observations than a coherent strategy. First kill credit was given to ¡®Rezan¡¯s Disciples.¡¯


    Perhaps they had not even seen the fight ¨C the information had the feel of a collection of hearsay observations.


    Ali turned the page, and her breath caught in her throat.


    Some of the guild adventurers must have seen Clarence at some point. It was the only explanation that made sense ¨C but what had he been doing there? And why the mention of the assassin? She recalled a kill notification from her Forest Guardian related to some assassin, but she hadn¡¯t known Clarence had been the instigator.


    Ali chuckled to herself. It made some sort of sense though, not even she could identify the Eldritch Tome¡¯s level.


    The rest of the dungeon manual had several incomplete but relatively detailed maps of the Forest Cavern and the sewer, depicting the locations of the bosses along with discussions about how to handle Ali¡¯s other monsters and which mushrooms and plants were worth harvesting.


    She put the book back on the table and let the babble in the room wash over her. Then, on a whim, she summoned her Grimoire and copied the dungeon manual, storing it in her ring to give to Ryn later. It might be fun to have the manual in her library.


    ¡°Hi Ali, what¡¯s that?¡± Calen said, approaching and sitting beside her, his eyes shifting curiously to the book.


    ¡°It¡¯s a dungeon manual,¡± she answered, amused by his expression of surprise as he opened the manual and saw what was inside.


    ¡°This is your dungeon?¡± he asked, frowning at the map of the sewer, while tilting the book sideways.


    ¡°Yup.¡± Her dungeon was important enough, at least to a few people, that they had compiled a strategy guide for fighting it. It gave her an odd feeling of accomplishment. She would definitely have to resist the urge to meddle with the layout and monsters just to irk the writers of such manuals, she reflected. Mischief definitely called to her¡­


    she amended. Keeping her most important protectors unpredictable seemed like a smart strategy.


    ¡°Ali, Mato and I are going to help the bronze adventurers do some scouting,¡± he said, replacing the book. ¡°They caught sight of one of the Blighted Patchwork Horrors near the southern road and it¡¯s blocking their quest to decontaminate it.¡±


    ¡°Can they kill it?¡± she asked, surprised that Calen and Mato would offer to join in.


    ¡°No, they¡¯re all around sixteen and seventeen at this point, and the abomination spreading the blight is probably close to forty, it¡¯s a bit too much even for a group,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Do you want me to get Malika, and we all go?¡± Ali asked. While she recalled tackling some bosses at a severe level disadvantage, she knew even they had never attempted something that extreme. And, according to what Seth had said, those horrors had a deadly miasma.


    ¡°If you want to, but I don¡¯t think it will be necessary for all of us to do it,¡± Calen answered, and then he glanced back at the dungeon manual before continuing. ¡°Both Teagan and Aiden brought up a bit of a problem during our strategy discussion meeting today. They¡¯re all too low-level to clear the abominations, but not many of the other zombies in the forest are high enough level to give them decent experience. Killing the wolves in your dungeon has slowed a lot for them too. They didn¡¯t outright ask ¨C but I was thinking ¨C do you have enough mana to make a few higher-level challenges for them while we¡¯re out? If they could level to about twenty-five, they can probably tackle everything in the blighted forest on their own.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think so,¡± Ali answered, running through her menagerie of monsters mentally. She had just reached level fifty-nine, and they had been leveling really quickly down in the mines, but their progress was on the back of several substantial jumps that came from having a dungeon with bosses that were higher level than she was ¨C and, most importantly, beatable with hard work, lots of crafter support, and planning.


    Boosting two groups of guild adventurers above the level twenty threshold would be an incredible boon for the town ¨C even beyond the urgent quest to open the southern road and cleanse the blight and undead from the forest. Vivian had complained that many more difficult jobs had been cropping up recently, but Ali and her friends simply didn¡¯t have the time to take most of them.


    And, as usual, it would serve double duty, defending her domain from incursions by random monsters, and even assassins. She had the perception enhancement, and several rather exciting ideas already.


    she thought. She had some great domain skills now, but she lacked higher level monsters, bigger monsters, flying monsters, and monsters with interesting affinities or useful skills to bolster to her repertoire. If she were the type to just hunker down and wait for them to come to her, she would be limited to zombies, skeletons, kobolds, and perhaps a Toxic Slime.


    ***


    ¡°Come on, Clarence,¡± she said, trying to cajole the book to let her open it. It was being difficult again, bouncing around the table ¨C playful, but not particularly cooperative. ¡°I want to read the section on mana efficiency before I go create a boss.¡±


    At that the book finally stopped bouncing around and turned toward her for a moment, with what Ali could swear was a curious glance.  Then it scooted up to where she had been trying to drag it and popped open to the exact chapter. A broad red silk bookmark stitched into its spine popped out and laid itself down the gutter margins between the two open pages.


    ¡°Why, thank you for the fancy welcome,¡± Ali said, a little exasperated with the book, but she couldn¡¯t very well ignore that it had finally understood her and would presumably allow her to read. She glanced about, but nobody was around to see her arguing with a book, so she settled in and slipped into her study trance, beginning to read the dense and heavily technical text.


    The lights and the ambient space of the library slowly crept back into her awareness as she surfaced from the depths of her studies. She massaged her temples and the back of her neck, a futile attempt to ease the headache she had earned from her efforts to understand her mother¡¯s work. Her left wing prickled with pins and needles ¨C somehow having gotten squished up between her and the chair back while she studied. Nearly all her free mana had been gobbled up by Sage of Learning, and even with the bonus from being in the library, she still felt she was barely scratching the surface of what was written in this chapter. But it had given her a few ideas and she was eager to try them out.


    ¡°Would you like some tea, Aliandra?¡± Lira said, manifesting her body from within the thick branch of the library tree.


    ¡°No thanks,¡± Ali said. ¡°I¡¯m going to go out and try to make another boss.¡±


    ¡°Ok dear, have fun,¡± she said.


    Ali scooped up Clarence and hopped onto her barrier and began to fly up and out of the library, but the unruly book writhed and wriggled in her grasp until it slipped out of her hands and fell. But it didn¡¯t fall very far, and immediately banked around and flew circles around her as she levitated upward and into Lira¡¯s Forest.


    ¡°Ok, I guess you don¡¯t want to be carried,¡± she said, but the book dutifully followed along as she made her way through into the forest cavern, flying over the Grove with the patrolling Forest Guardian, and across the glowing blue lake until she finally reached the ravine that she had fashioned to funnel any zombies entering from outside. Littered about were several zombie corpses, a few broken bamboo crawlers, and a couple of wolf corpses that her trash collector Kobolds hadn¡¯t cleaned up yet. It seemed like this area was a constant battleground of zombie and skeleton incursions, and she had an idea to solve several problems with one new boss.


    First up, she summoned a level twenty-six Timber Wolf, studying the mana flow used to create it while trying to apply some of what she had learned from her mother¡¯s book. She wasn¡¯t quite sure if she succeeded at improving her mana efficiency at all, but the Timber Wolf appeared ¨C taller at the shoulder than she was, with a shaggy black coat and gleaming intelligence in its green eyes.


    The Timber Wolf filled with a rush of mana, growing substantially in size and physical power with just the infusion from her domain. She planned to create a sentinel that could defend against most of the incursions that entered via this path and provide a barrier against assassins and stealth. At the same time, it should serve as an early warning system and be a reasonable challenge for the guild adventurers. Timber Wolves had great tracking, a potent sense of smell, and pretty good eyesight, so they would be able to easily find their prey. All she had to do was give it a bit of a boost.


    For her second Domain Magic, she decided that a pack monster would best be suited by having several like-minded minions.


    She opened her Grimoire and created a pack of wolves for her newest boss, again studying the magic continuously and trying to make it more and more efficient by following some of the theories she had just studied, struggling a little to translate from the abstract into practical application. This time, she was certain that a couple of her summons cost a few points less than she had expected ¨C at least the initial cost.


    The magic formations swirled and built as she completed each step. Each time she updated and adjusted the formations, excited to be making even a little progress applying the principles from the book. She felt like she was doing something, but whether it would have a worthwhile effect on her mana usage remained to be seen.


    For her final Domain Magic, her boss needed to provide a substantial challenge for the bronze-ranked adventurers ¨C if they were to grow, at least. And she had just the thing for that.


    She frowned at the reservation notification ¨C it was exactly the predicted value, and it seemed that none of her tweaks and adjustments had had any noticeable effect on the reserved cost. She could afford it now that she had leveled up, but it would put her back in the same place as before ¨C struggling for mana all the time.


    she thought, looking at her powerful new boss, presiding over her pack. The Timber Wolf sat down on her haunches and howled, and the mana of her domain answered, surging through the monster like a torrent. Ali instantly recognized the ability from the formation, even though it was her domain this time and not the fire mana of the Emberforge Mines. There was a giant flash, and a second Timber Wolf appeared, followed immediately by an entire pack of its minions.


    While Ali certainly recognized the formations of magic from the battle against the cloned Living Flames, she had never actually seen the spell in action, and it was another thing altogether. There was a vast gathering of mana in forms recognizable as related to her own Grimoire¡¯s summoning magic. She had not exactly been certain about the minions, but it seemed her cloned boss cloned all its attributes, including the wolf pack she had created for it. Clarence darted out of the way, swooping above the pack she was suddenly surrounded by a crowd of ten powerful Timber Wolves.


    But then the cloned Timber Wolf sat and howled, and the domain reacted a second time, surging with the vast summoning magic. Ali stepped back, and suddenly there were three bosses and fifteen lesser Timber Wolf minions.


    While she had expected the raid version of the spell to make three copies instead of only the two ¨C it was in the description of her Clone domain magic after all ¨C seeing it in action was quite breathtaking.


    she thought, studying her new creation with a frown creasing her brow. It was becoming a habit for her ¨C making bosses that seemed too strong and required her to run off to warn the guild before someone got seriously hurt. she thought. A bit of a ramp-up might be smoother.


    It was a tough trade-off to make, but the wolves would certainly present a much more reliable defense of the lower entrance into the dungeon. She spent a while clearing out the area, forming a broad open depression in the rock wall for the wolves to use as a den, and then boosted the static defenses around the dungeon entrance by laying several powerful Arcane Blast runic circles, careful to keep the level of the traps approximately the same as the boss itself ¨C strong enough to be effective against the intruding zombies, but not high enough to instant-kill a bronze-ranked adventurer.  It was a delicate balancing act that she was certain most dungeons did not even put any thought into, and yet she felt the powerful satisfaction at the thought that she had found a way to use her feared class to help her friends at the guild grow stronger. Once they conquered this boss, and added a new first to the dungeon manual, they should be strong enough to manage the undead abominations without help.


    ¡°Needs a little¡­ more, don¡¯t you think?¡± Ali asked. Clarence bobbed up and down and swooped around a few times in response. ¡°Some trees. Obviously.¡± Wielding her Grimoire like a weapon of mass summoning, she grew a grove of apple trees. Nearby she planted another, this time cherry trees, mostly because she loved the pretty blossoms, but they would serve as excellent cover for the wolves during a fight. She filled the back of the den, hidden among the rocks, with an assortment of Brown Stonecap mushrooms, and out among the trees she grew several patches of Mystic Bluebells, enjoying the act of beautifying the area with the pretty blue flowers ¨C they shimmered creating quite an eye-catching effect, nestled among the trees.


    Humming a happy tune to herself, she wove in several patches of Malika¡¯s Peacebloom flowers, adding a simple white accent to the blue. And then finally, she created a small sliver of nature affinity magicite and put it in the den. At about the size of her pinky finger, it would likely be enough for two or three wands if sold to the Novaspark Academy artisans. It was a matter of a few seconds to imbue everything with her automatic respawn enchantment. she decided. Just the magicite should encourage the adventurers to try their skills against the boss, but there were plenty of things for the herbalists to collect after defeating the wolves.


    She had no idea how they were going to fight so many wolves with their racial benefits to pack tactics, but she trusted the bronze-ranked adventurers were experienced enough now that they wouldn¡¯t attempt it without a solid plan or at least an escape route.


    she thought when her notification suddenly chimed.


    Domain Mastery ¨C level 25


    You can manipulate the structure and mana of your domain. All your magic within your domain is empowered by the domain itself. The mana reserved for domain-enhanced monsters is reduced by 53.3% .


    Mana: Adjust the shape and composition of any non-living material that is part of your domain. Range: Domain.


    Mana: Permanently attach anything you have made to your domain. Its mana signature is imprinted onto the domain allowing it to be automatically respawned when killed or destroyed. Domain-attached minions may not leave the area of attachment and may be further enhanced with Domain Magic. Range: Touch.


    Enhancements: Domain, Boss, Raid.


    Nature, Arcane, Mastery, Domain, Intelligence


    Ali did not hesitate, immediately accepting the advancement. Not only was it her first mentor-influenced skill advancement, but she had studied specifically for something ¨C anything ¨C like this to relieve the pressure on the vast mana reservation cost to defend her domain. Although she hadn¡¯t expected it to be quite so impressive. The instant she accepted the advancement, she felt the enormous amount of mana she had reserved to maintain her dungeon defenses halve. While it did not affect her Empowered Summoner reservation, nor the personal guard and the army she had created for exploring the Emberforge Mines, every single monster that had been domain enhanced with domain respawn suddenly received a drastic cost reduction ¨C and the biggest among them were her bosses.


    Suddenly, the odd ¨C make that downright suspicious ¨C convenience of the advancement struck her afresh and she glanced accusingly at Clarence. The book bobbed innocently along, apparently examining one of Malika¡¯s favorite peacebloom flowers.


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± she whispered.


    Just how intelligent was Clarence? And what other secrets might her mom have hidden within those pages?


    Malika


    Malika was about to bypass the food cart right outside the Adventurers Guild, after all, she had seen the spider legs Tabitha had been serving, but the delicious smell of roasting boar meat made her stomach growl. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Boar?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Aye, it is,¡± the old woman said. ¡°With some new spices that Mato bought in the market. Nice boy, that one.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the chef¡¯s special, is it?¡± Malika asked, eyeing the sizzling skewers skeptically.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Tabitha answered, with a wicked grin. ¡°You¡¯re safe, this time!¡±


    Malika didn¡¯t bother haggling and handed over a few coins in exchange for two skewers. Not quite trusting the old crone, she sniffed at it and then bit tentatively. She let out a quiet moan as the exquisite blend of aromatic spices and succulent meat juice burst across her taste buds.


    ¡°Good, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes! Thank you!¡± Malika dropped a few extra copper pieces into the tip jar and headed across the way to Morwynne¡¯s Pretty Powerful Potions store, devouring her breakfast before she got even halfway there.


    She had decided to hold on to all of the Essences of Inferno for now, but she had unloaded most of the other essences to Weldin, almost causing a riot among the crafters lined up and waiting at the guild store. Malika was half convinced some of them were camping in the guild hall just waiting for her to show up.


    Apart from the terror of the Elemental Storm, Malika had rather enjoyed the fight against the giant elemental Inferno. But anything that did fire damage had suddenly become something of a sweet spot for her, due to her now-ridiculous magical defenses. If she couldn¡¯t outright dodge the damage, her Soul Armor, hairpin, and the elixirs would cut it in half.


    It didn¡¯t hurt that she had been rewarded well for the difficult fight. Ali¡¯s class level had pulled ahead during her convalescence in Kezda, and Malika was happy for her. But she never wanted to feel like she was holding the team back, and so she had been excited to see that her contribution to the fight ¨C presumably because she was lower-level ¨C had been worth five levels rather than the four Ali had earned.


    Fifty points could make a huge difference the next time they attempted the mines. With her advancement to Soul Armor, wisdom now served as a direct way to boost her resistances, so she started by allocating ten points there. She followed that with ten points in endurance, and sixteen for dexterity. With her primary attributes taken care of, she added six into vitality ¨C essential now that she was tanking more. Five points went to perception to enhance her Soul Sight. The Nine Paths of Ahn Khen had confirmed Rezan¡¯s advice, so she spent her remaining three points boosting her strength attribute. She read on.


    She had almost exclusively used Soul Strike¡¯s mana drain ability, and it had clearly had such an impact on the fight that it had leveled four times. But then she took in the next line and her heart skipped a little faster.


    She studied her advancements carefully. Her options seemed similar ¨C an enhancement to Healing Mantra that would grant a temporary buff to the recipient. The second option ¨C A Breath of Enlightenment ¨C seemed clearly superior, at least for combat. A little more than ten seconds of enhanced evasion would be quite a nice boon ¨C especially for a tank, giving them much-needed breathing space.


    Rezan had explained a lot of things about developing her bloodline while she studied alongside Basir and Hala; among the many approaches, choosing bloodline synergies whenever offered was considered to be a highly effective way to develop the overall bloodline¡¯s power, and something she couldn¡¯t afford to ignore. she thought. Not as good as the dodge bonus, but it would help him maintain his healing spell. Clarity did have the additional benefit of being useful for non-tanks, so it had wider utility.


    She pursed her lips, mulling over the options. In the end, it was Rezan¡¯s advice about cultivating her bloodline that tipped the balance in favor of A Touch of Clarity.


    She accepted the advancement, and immediately pulsed her Healing Mantra on herself. To her surprise, nothing happened. She glanced at the skill description, but nothing seemed amiss.


    Healing Mantra ¨C level 33


    Mana: The connection between your body and soul is strong. Instantly regenerate mortal wounds and restore health to anyone you touch. Your healing grants your target Clarity for 16.5 seconds. Range: Touch.


    Soul, Melee, Healing, Wisdom


    She puzzled over the conundrum for a bit, but then she had an idea. Retrieving an Essence of Inferno from her ring, she held it cupped in her palm for a few moments while her skin began to blister and burn. After she was down several health points, she healed herself again.


    +235% to mana and stamina regeneration.


    Buff ¨C Duration: 16.5 seconds.


    she thought. Her new advancement worked on herself, and with a quick check, she verified that she was effectively doubling the bonus to regeneration she received from her Clarity skill. It was as if she had sat to meditate. The implication was clear ¨C likely it would be less useful to Ali or Calen because, in a well-controlled fight, they shouldn¡¯t be taking any damage. But for herself and Mato, it would be a completely different story. Although, down in the mines, everyone was taking damage all the time, so it was a moot point.


    She stopped studying her skills as she approached Pretty Powerful Potions. This had been the place she had first truly experienced how different her life could be with her class ¨C the day she and Ali had killed her tormenters, Adrik and Edrik, and saved Morwynne Fizzlebang¡¯s life. It was hard to put them into context ¨C at the time they had been unassailably powerful at level twenty-three.


    The difference in her power was not even comparable.


    Malika pushed open the door and entered Pretty Powerful Potions and instantly threw up her hands and caught several flying shards of glass as she was welcomed by an explosion instead of the normal door chime.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Morwynne yelled as she untangled herself from a fallen stool and some unidentifiable apparatus of tubes and valves that had landed on top of the eccentric Gnome. She swore a few times while standing up and brushing herself off, but it sounded casual, like she was doing it more out of habit than anything else.


    ¡°Well, I guess that didn¡¯t work¡­¡± Morwynne turned to Malika, ¡°How can I help you today?¡±


    Malika answered by pulling out an Essence of Inferno, balancing the intense flame on her hand while she healed herself against the moderate damage it was causing.


    she thought as her regeneration accelerated.


    Even through the dark, bronze-rimmed goggles Morwynne was wearing, Malika could see her eyes growing round with surprise. She said one fancy-sounding word in a language Malika didn¡¯t understand.  Ali had a theory that the Gnome liked swearing in multiple languages, and she even had a rather complex and sophisticated table for what mood matched which language.


    Morwynne ran over to examine the essence. ¡°My goodness, there¡¯s a thing!¡±


    ¡°You said you would be interested in any other puzzles like the quenching potion you made,¡± Malika started, but Morwynne didn¡¯t let her finish.


    ¡°Of course, I will make one with this!¡± Morwynne was literally dancing on tiptoes. ¡°Do you have any of those ice essences left?¡±


    Malika retrieved one and handed both the essences to the pink-haired Gnome.


    Morwynne went over to tinker with a small device on a desk. ¡°Do you think you can pop over to the Adventurers Guild and ask Serendipity Puddlecrash to come over for a few minutes while I set things up here? I¡¯ll need her water magic for this.¡±


    ¡°Should I come back later?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°No need, it will take twenty minutes to make, tops. Last time I needed a day because I had to track down that silly engineer to dismantle the gear. He¡¯s a bit of a recluse, so he was hard to find.¡± While she babbled on, she pulled beakers and vials off shelves and out of cupboards with a frenzied energy. Malika was rather surprised to see how athletic she was; she quite happily leapt up onto the desk to find an ingredient that was high up on a shelf.


    Flickers of strange light shone from her enchanted goggles while she worked, and Malika was surprised to see her even using a few stamina-based skills, the white wisps of energy flickering and shifting in fascinating patterns within her body. Crafter skills were unlike any combat skill she had ever observed with her Soul Sight, and she wondered exactly what it might be. she decided, because the loud, soot-covered Gnome was handling the Essence of Inferno without any apparent damage.


    she thought, recalling how many times she had seen Morwynne in the heart of an explosion, yet without injury. She left the busy Gnome to her tinkering and ran back to the Adventurers Guild to invite the cheerful, and now very much excited Water Mage to join them.


    The door chime sounded this time as she re-entered the Alchemist¡¯s laboratory with the blonde Gnome wearing stylish robes ¨C Lydia¡¯s work, if Malika was guessing correctly.


    ¡°Aah, there you are, Seri,¡± Morwynne said. ¡°Come over here and help me with this, the same as last time, but maybe with a bit more¡­ oomph? Bang? Pop?¡± Each statement was punctuated with progressively more expansive hand gestures.


    Malika certainly hoped it was none of those sounds, they were all way too much like the normal explosions that graced this shop.


    Serendipity nodded and ran over to where Morwynne was doing something unreasonably complicated with three different colored beakers, a funnel, and a floating stone that bobbed in the air above whatever contraption she was using. The mage immediately channeled a delicate flow of water from a flask sitting on the side of the desk labeled as ¡®Mana-purified water ¨C DO NOT DRINK!¡¯ The two of them began a rapid-fire dialog in some incomprehensible jargon, which Malika barely identified as still Common. She watched fascinated as the two of them conducted an intricate show, combining magic, items, potent essences, and mundane ingredients.


    ¡°Don¡¯t freeze it yet,¡± Morwynne instructed.


    ¡°I can¡­¡±


    ¡°Swirl the other way.¡±


    ¡°Ok, now!¡± Serendipity gasped.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you¡­¡±


    ¡°Use the¡­ thingy! NO! Not that one, the other thingy!¡±


    ¡°Essence¡­¡±


    These were about the only things Malika understood as time flew by and an incomprehensible work of magic was wrought. Eventually, the two of them combined a self-pouring stream of water with a beaker encrusted with ice crystals and a clay pot that was glowing with heat into a single flask. The entire mixture boiled, froze, and swirled all at the same time while the Gnomes frantically adjusted flow rates and flames, and even turned the levitating stone a few times. Clockwise, because apparently, the other direction would be an unmitigated disaster of epic proportions.


    The beaker glowed a deep blue color, lighting the table and all the apparatus and within its center, a brilliant yellow-white flame appeared, stubbornly refusing to go out.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Serendipity exclaimed.


    Morwynne said something distinctly less polite but with the same expression of triumph.


    ¡°I leveled again,¡± Serendipity said.


    ¡°Me too, kid,¡± Morwynne answered. ¡°Awesome work!¡± She turned to Malika again. ¡°Only ten gold this time, I didn¡¯t have to pay that annoying Gnome. Engineers are so frustrating to work with ¨C I swear he¡¯s a changeling, no Gnome could ever be that obnoxious.¡±


    ¡°You just don¡¯t like that guy,¡± Serendipity said.


    ¡°He¡¯s a¡­¡± and she finished with about thirty seconds of what sounded like dwarves having a drunken brawl in a bar.


    Malika interrupted her with ready payment, and the swearing vanished instantly.


    ¡°Here¡¯s yours,¡± Morwynne said, handing the other Gnome half the coins.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ too much, Morwynne.¡±


    Morwynne just cocked an eyebrow at her and waggled her finger, before turning back to Malika.  ¡°Thanks for your business! This was a fun project, we should definitely do it again!¡± Then she handed over the concoction the two of them had crafted. Malika took note of how carefully she was handling it.


    Distillate of Quenching ¨C level 56 (Ice / Water / Fire)


    Apply: Quench a source of Inferno. Charges: 20


    Potion


    Malika surprised herself with a spontaneous giggle.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 183: Hunting Undead in the Forest

    CalenCalen skirted the stagnant pond and the wisps of violet mist that seeped from its waters, scanning the decayed trunks for signs of undead. He did not have Mato¡¯s attachment to nature, but even he felt sick at the sight of the creeping miasma and death that hung over the rotting remains of the vibrant forest he had spent so much of his youth exploring.


    He glanced backward guiltily, catching sight of Seth bringing up the rear with his skeletons. he quickly corrected himself. Alexander Gray, however¡­ he deserved every bit of Calen¡¯s ire. If they hadn¡¯t already killed him, he would do it again just because of this devastation.


    He darted up the side of a low rise, weaving around the rot and decay, and paused as he reached the crest, studying the landscape up ahead. Both Teagan and Aiden¡¯s groups had jumped at the opportunity to join him and Mato on this hunt, so he was escorting an entire raid group of bronze-ranked adventurers through the decrepit fallen boughs of the once beautiful forest to the south of Myrin¡¯s Keep.


    ¡°Show me,¡± he said. His shadows, Willow and Devan, approached, demonstrating the results of their training with the guild ¨C both moved across the soggy ground with respectable silence and stealth. Calen nodded to himself. They were well on their way to becoming skilled scouts.


    ¡°Here,¡± Willow said. ¡°Cami can smell them.¡±


    The Adventurers Guild had been contracted to decontaminate the blight with a priority to focus on opening the South Road. This was the same road the Kel¡¯darran slaver caravan had taken when they had captured Malika and him. Most of the trade with Southport and the southern half of the continent remained blocked and the town had had to tighten their collective belts to make ends meet. However, even the Guildmaster balked at the magnitude of the task before them.


    he thought.


    Cami sniffed at the dirt, wandering about in random circles for a while. Suddenly the imposing Timber Wolf stiffened, her hackles rising to expand her already impressive bulk, and then glanced at Willow as if encouraging her to follow and padded off down the hill in a direct line.


    ¡°She found something,¡± Willow said, unnecessarily.


    Calen examined the trail carefully. His Explorer skill quickly identified what Cami had found, traces of unnatural scrapes and prints. ¡°That looks like the abomination,¡± he said.


    ¡°Definitely,¡± Devan said. ¡°Here, look at this.¡± Her sharp eyes had picked out some scrapes along the bole of a dead tree ¨C marks that were anything but natural.


    Calen nodded. His companions had invested well, their perception skills were excellent. He glanced up at the sight of a pair of zombies shambling along, following the tracks with unerring accuracy.


    ¡°Abomination,¡± Seth said, quietly.


    And then, of course, there was Seth. The necromancer could see undeath through the eyes of his minions.


    With the trail finally found, they made quick progress, winding their way across hills, past ponds, and through valleys. Behind him, the occasional sounds of combat drifted across the dead landscape as the remainder of the raid group tackled the wandering undead, but Calen remained focused on his primary prey, his unease growing as they drew closer. The area they traveled through was already unnatural enough, filled with shambling undead, blighted trees, and even miasma seeping from the ground itself ¨C but despite all that, something even more unnatural lurked nearby, just below the threshold of his ability to clearly identify what it might be.


    But then, as he passed a dense pile of decaying wood where several trees had collapsed, he caught sight of the twitching, shambling mass of stitched and animated undead flesh, spewing clouds of dark gas into its surrounds. It shuffled about unhurriedly, multiple eyes swiveling back and forth independently as if searching for something.


    Calen ducked back behind a tree trunk, fading into the shadows. ¡°There it is,¡± he whispered. ¡°Devan, stealth. Seth, hide! Willow, go get the others.¡±


    They all leapt to follow his orders.


    Mato


    Mato had hoped that the outing to hunt undead with the bronze-ranked adventurers would be a nice change of pace, but the longer they trekked through the desolate blighted forest, the more depressed he grew. It wasn¡¯t just that the dead forest had once been a lush and vibrant expanse, filled with life. Death was part of the cycle of life, as Lira had been teaching him. This was not part of the balance of nature. It was the cloying weight of the unnatural miasma ¨C the legacy of the necromancer ¨C that infused everything around him. Nothing lived. Everything that moved was the spawn of undeath ¨C he felt like an interloper here. An intruder for the crime of living.


    ¡°Good armor,¡± Havok declared, rapping a grubby knuckle against one of the banded plates protecting his left hip and jolting him out of his dark funk. ¡°Where get?¡±


    Mato glanced down at the enthusiastic Goblin and couldn¡¯t help the smile that snuck onto his lips. ¡°Thuli made it.¡± Havok had an abysmal command of the Common language, but Mato had already seen enough during the skirmishes against the unending trickle of skeletons and zombies that he respected his instincts when it came to his role in the group.


    ¡°What is¡­ Thuli?¡± Havok asked, his Goblin lips struggling over the first syllable of the Dwarf¡¯s name. It came out more like a spitting noise.


    ¡°He¡¯s an excellent blacksmith,¡± Mato said, glancing over Havok¡¯s shabby leather armor and the shield that had seen better days. ¡°Did nobody tell you about plate armor?¡±


    ¡°Plate?¡±


    ¡°Yes, heavy steel armor, like this,¡± Mato flicked a finger against the interlocking section across his shoulder, making it ring. ¡°If you¡¯re going to take tanking seriously, we need to get you better armor. Where did you get your stuff?¡±


    ¡°One-eye Gnome,¡± Havok declared, brushing a bit of dirt off his jerkin with the edge of his battered buckler.


    ¡°Aah,¡± Mato said. Weldin was convenient for the new adventurers in the guild, but his selection of tanking armor was limited at best. ¡°Thuli also makes excellent shields.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Havok like shield!¡±


    ¡°Dude, you¡¯re going to love Thuli, then,¡± Mato grinned. At level seventeen, the Goblin should really be investing in better gear, but he couldn¡¯t fault him ¨C after all, Mato had been around twenty when he had got his first armor set made. On the other hand, they had already introduced Sabri to the smith. Proper gearing ¨C particularly for the tanks ¨C needed to be part of their education or preparation.  Either way, allowing the tank to fall behind was a problem for the entire group, not just the individual. On their team, he regularly discussed his gear choices with Calen, Malika, and Ali to make sure the team could afford the right resistances or defensive enchantments.


    ¡°Hey, Aiden¡­¡± Mato called out, catching the eye of Havok¡¯s team leader. But right then he caught the sounds of running footsteps and the distinctive loping rhythm of heavy canine paws splatting against the mud of decaying leaves.


    ¡°We found it!¡± Willow shouted as she and Cami rounded the massive bole of a snapped oak. ¡°Just up ahead.¡±


    Mato grunted at her, and then shuddered at the image of the horror Cami dumped into his mind with the surprisingly articulate thought, ¡°


    he answered, reassuring the wolf that they were going to hunt the evil monster ¨C and then aloud, he added, ¡°Take us there.¡±


    ¡°This way,¡± Willow said, and spun about, darting back the way she had come. The entire raid group sprang into action following her. The path meandered around the dead trees and blighted ground, all of which made the hair on the nape of his neck stand on end, but no more than ten minutes later, he spied the monster lurking in a small gully with a tainted stream of water flowing through it.


    He snarled at the unnatural undead monster. Beside Willow, Cami¡¯s hackles were raised, and a low rumbling growl came from deep within the upset wolf¡¯s broad chest. Catching Calen¡¯s scent, Mato turned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡±


    ¡°You can just tank it, and everyone kills it,¡± Calen answered, his form shimmering briefly as he appeared beside the tree trunk.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ ¡± Mato said, glancing down at the eager Goblin holding his buckler and bone sword at the ready. ¡°They won¡¯t get much experience that way.¡±


    ¡°What do you suggest?¡± Calen asked as the two team leaders gathered up, both of their attention riveted on the abomination shuffling about below.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we have Havok tank it?¡± Mato suggested. ¡°I can tree up and take care of the blight issue.¡± He left it unsaid that he would be able to look after Havok with his damage redirection ¨C Calen would know to take that into account ¨C especially seeing as a level thirty-nine abomination was probably out of Havok¡¯s league. But he had faced these before, and by far the most dangerous aspect of the fight would be the undead blight that seeped into everything, progressively weakening the living ¨C and could turn people into zombies if they died.


    ¡°Can he handle that?¡± Aiden asked.


    ¡°Mato can help him,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°That miasma looks dangerous,¡± Teagan observed.


    ¡°It is,¡± Calen said. ¡°But Mato¡¯s tree form is our best antidote. I think it¡¯s a good plan. Havok, tank it over there in that clear spot by the stream. Everyone else, wait a little until Havok has secured it, and then wipe it out. Don¡¯t hold back, Havok¡¯s holy damage will hold the undead like glue.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Teagan nodded.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Aiden said. ¡°My team, group up this side, get ready. Check your recall potions, just in case!¡±


    ¡°Havok smash!¡± Havok declared, taking his spot up front.


    Calen shifted awkwardly, clearly still uncomfortable with assuming the mantle of leadership so easily. It was something he would need to get used to. Logically, he was the highest-level and most experienced adventurer in the group, besides himself, and Mato would be shapeshifted and unable to speak with anyone besides the wolf.


    ¡°Get ready, Havok,¡± Mato said. ¡°My aura might piss it off.¡± As soon as the Goblin nodded, Mato picked a spot on the hilltop and shifted, pushing his roots deep into the blighted soil and thrusting his branches out across the bleak landscape. His bark crawled at the sense of the miasma, blight, and death, but as his form took, his aura burst outward, to exclamations of surprise from the adventurers, and the blight began to dissolve in an enormous radius around him.


    Down in the gully, the abomination froze, a half dozen eyes springing open from within mismatched dead flesh.


    ¡°Havok, go!¡± Calen commanded.


    The valiant Goblin did not need to be told twice. His shield flared with the brilliant light of holy magic. A similar enchantment infused his bone sword, and his compact green form blurred into motion, tearing across the rotting ground to shield-slam the abomination.


    Mato watched as he skillfully maneuvered the bigger monster across the terrain to the designated tanking spot with deft strikes of both his glowing sword and shield. The Goblin¡¯s instincts for tanking were superb ¨C even better against the stronger foe than the rabble earlier. Then he dropped a ring of white flickering holy fire on the ground ¨C a fire that seemed to annoy the monster tremendously, which made Mato a big fan.


    ¡°Ok, kill it,¡± Calen said, and the entire raid group engaged with determined shouts and a hail of magic and arrows.


    Mato reached out through his aura, sensing everything within. He pulled half the damage of a powerful strike away from Havok, taking it upon himself. The Goblin struggled to block all the attacks from the various claws and appendages, but Mato could see the strikes and took the bulk of another, as a vicious claw bit into Havok¡¯s leg from below the monster. It wouldn¡¯t have killed him outright, but it was obvious that Havok was tanking way above his class level, and his weak gear was not helping much.


    Mato ignored the notification as the blight rapidly eroded under the force of his aura, fading away.


    ¡°What?¡± the shaman girl, Teagan, exclaimed. ¡°He just got hit, but there¡¯s nothing to heal!¡±


    ¡°Damage redirection,¡± Calen said, his voice clipped and quick in the heat of battle. ¡°Heal the tree.¡± Mato felt Teagan¡¯s eyes widening in surprise, but moments later he felt the familiar sense of nature magic healing his wounds as a green beam shot out from her hand and connected to his trunk briefly.


    Something rustled and scrabbled in along the edge of his awareness, setting his bark to prickling.


    ¡°he said, reaching out to the only mind that could hear him.


    As always, he chafed at the inability to communicate efficiently. He searched down deep, below even the reach of the miasma, finding seeds and the remnants of roots, some still with life in them. Rampant Growth surged and briars and vines exploded forth from the ground, reaching and grasping at the legs of skeletons and zombies as they were drawn in by the mana and the sounds of combat.


    ¡°Adds,¡± Willow shouted, echoing Mato¡¯s warning to her companion.


    ¡°Adds,¡± Calen announced at the same moment, noticing the action of his roots instantly. ¡°Kaitlyn and Willow, kite them to the center.¡± The two archers responded promptly, firing arrows and sprinting into position. As he felt the undead focus on them, he released them one at a time and watched as they shambled into the holy fire of Havok¡¯s consecrated ground, getting stuck there by the taunt, forced to fight the Goblin instead.


    More and more undead joined the fray, until Mato found himself struggling to pin one down.


    But Calen shot that one dead center, and quickly kited it to the growing horde of undead smacking the tiny figure of the Goblin defending himself with his glowing holy shield. ¡°Another abom ¨C keep an eye on him, Mato!¡± Calen shouted urgently, spinning in place as he searched their surrounds.


    Mato thought, again unable to confirm that he had it covered. He allowed all the weaker undead to strike Havok directly, taking only the most powerful of the abomination¡¯s attacks, and relying on his aura to constantly cleanse the miasma and blight from the entire group.


    ¡°This regeneration aura is fucking dope,¡± Kaitlyn exclaimed, as she unleashed a hail of lightning-enchanted arrows into the crush of undead.


    ¡°I¡¯m healing non-stop, and I haven¡¯t had to use a mana potion yet,¡± Teagan said, sounding awestruck.


    If he could have, he would have chuckled, instead, he just redirected the bulk of the steady stream of damage from Havok to himself while controlling his roots and brambles.


    ¡°Ok, area damage spells, one at a time,¡± Calen announced, picking people out by name to make an impromptu rotation.


    Mato focused his senses on the melee, knowing he would need to pull damage from several more people now, but Calen did not participate, and the damage was therefore not extreme.


    Notification chimes sounded in his mind like corn popping in a skillet as the lesser undead monsters fell in droves. Finally, the area damage faded as the whole group refocused on the two remaining abominations, burning down both steadily, one at a time.


    Mato left himself in Tree Form for a little while longer until Calen stored the two Blighted Patchwork Horror corpses, and then he shifted back to his Beastkin form, happy to breathe the blight-free air that his aura had created.


    ¡°Holy shit, that thing was level thirty-nine!¡± Aiden exclaimed in surprise.


    ¡°Havok strong!¡± the intrepid Goblin announced, flexing his sword arm.


    ¡°I leveled up!¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡±


    The group gathered around, exclaiming in excitement and wondering aloud if there might not be a few more Abominations lurking in the forest. Calen didn¡¯t have the heart to puncture their enthusiasm. Instead, he let himself pat a few backs and shoulders, and soaked in the enjoyment of the moment.


    Seth


    Seth thought, ignoring his notifications and the level he had just earned for the moment. Calen and Mato were both much higher level than their groups, but he hadn¡¯t realized just how much more effective they could be. In seconds, they had adjusted the strategy to maximize the group¡¯s experience, and Calen had pivoted the entire group like a conductor when a second dangerous abomination had joined in.


    Seth recalled, glancing over to find Calen bent over by the corpses of the abomination with the dark miasma still billowing up around him. The putrid clouds subsided the moment he stored them.


    ¡°Would it be possible to study those?¡± Seth asked, strolling over to join the high-level archer. He wasn¡¯t certain his class would allow him to make something like them, or even if he wanted to, but studying the undead might give him some interesting future unlocks or advancements.


    ¡°Sure, but let¡¯s wait till we can unload them in Ali¡¯s dungeon,¡± Calen answered.


    ¡°Why there?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t stop emitting the miasma and infecting things with the undead blight even long after they¡¯re killed. Short of totally incinerating every shred of their bodies, Ali¡¯s magic is the only thing we know of that can effectively dispose of them.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I guess I¡¯ll need some potions to even study it then?¡± Seth asked. That seemed remarkably inconvenient. Expensive, too. The guild certainly wouldn¡¯t fund potions for that, even though they were covering the cost to decontaminate the blighted forest.


    ¡°That, or you can ask Mato to borrow his tree for a while,¡± Calen smiled.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Seth answered, not exactly encouraged by the suggestion. It was nothing he could put his finger on, but it seemed that he made Mato uncomfortable. The huge Beastkin really disliked the undead.


    ¡°Seth,¡± Calen interrupted his thoughts. ¡°While you¡¯re here, do you have a moment to look at something for me?¡±


    ¡°Me? Sure.¡± He followed as Calen led him deeper into the dead forest, Willow and Devan following somewhere behind, dodging the skeletons he brought with him.


    ¡°What can you tell me about those tracks?¡± Calen asked, pointing to something on the ground.


    There were some vague depressions, but Seth had no tracking skills.


    He summoned a Volatile Wraith and set it to circling the tracks while he spent its full fifteen seconds of life studying the ground through its strangely dislocated spirit vision. What he saw sent a chill down his spine. The tracks positively glowed with dense death mana that wafted up from the ground, slowly dissipating into the surroundings. It was hard to tell exactly what had made them, but it had to be some species of Greater Undead. That much was certain. Something far more ominous than anything they had faced so far in this blighted forest.


    ¡°Greater undead,¡± Seth said, earning a gasp from Willow who had drawn closer to examine the tracks. ¡°I¡¯m not certain, but if I had to guess, I¡¯d say it might be a Wight.¡±


    ¡°I was afraid of that,¡± Calen said, a deep frown furrowing his brow. ¡°The tracks are a couple of days old, so it¡¯s long gone now.¡±


    ¡°What does this mean for the blight cleanup job?¡± Willow asked.


    ¡°Definitely nothing good,¡± Calen said. ¡°We need to let the Guildmaster know immediately.¡±


    Despite Calen¡¯s assurance that it wasn¡¯t nearby, Seth glanced anxiously at the dark shadows lurking deeper in the forest, unable to shake the sense


    Aliandra


    ¡°Here you go, Ryn,¡± Ali said, depositing the last original book onto the top of the pile, taking care to not disturb Malika studying a martial arts book beside her. It was getting more difficult to tell the originals apart from her copies ¨C as her skill levels and attributes grew, her customization offered progressively finer control of every detail of her creations.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Ryn said, and then her eyes suddenly opened in a flicker of surprise. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Level?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Ryn grinned. ¡°What are you planning to do today?¡±


    Ali glanced at Malika for a moment. Mato and Calen were out helping the bronze-ranked guild members today, so she had a little free time. ¡°I think I need to clean up a little, and maybe do some maintenance on the dungeon today.¡± There was a whole long list of things she had been putting off due to lack of time.


    ¡°In that case, I think I¡¯ll return this stack and get a new batch,¡± Ryn said, placing a hand on top of the pile of books that was nearly as tall as Ali.


    ¡°Ok. Do you want to come with me, Malika?¡± Ali asked. ¡°Or stay here?¡±


    ¡°I have a martial arts class for the new recruits in half an hour,¡± Malika said, looking up from her studies.


    ¡°See you both later then? Maybe around dinner time?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Malika nodded.


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Ryn said with a wave. Then the pile of books under her hand vanished into her storage, and she vanished immediately after, presumably to the library.


    Ali thought, heading out into the forest cavern.


    ***


    The first thing Ali did was to substantially expand her crop of Flame Lashers and Fire Grass. With the amount of time they were spending in the mines, they were using them up at a phenomenal rate.


    It was not the first time she had thought that, but each time she worried that she would be putting Morwynne or Eliyen out of business. Not that she was planning on flooding the market or anything. More critical, though, was the fact that she had always struggled to find space in her Grimoire ¨C in this case, being able to have them made from ingredients and components she could create was simply a minor inconvenience in time.


    She flew up to the grove and set to the task of deconstructing the zombie and skeleton corpses her minions had piled up for her. Interspersed in the pile were the occasional assorted Kobold or Slime ¨C either her own monsters killed in defense of her domain, or some interlopers that managed to sneak in from somewhere. She quickly discarded the imprints for the undead, but she wasn¡¯t quite satisfied until she grew a bunch of jasmine and peacebloom to mask the odor of rotting flesh.


    She flew across the cavern, heading toward the sewer, but on the way, she stopped to check in on her newest wolf pack boss. It hadn¡¯t been tested by the adventurers from the guild yet, but just by the undead corpses strewn about she could tell her boss was a resounding success. Enough that it took more than twenty minutes to clean up the mess.


    Leaving the steady trickle of skeleton incursions to her wolves, Ali headed on up, shifting her awareness through her various monsters to survey her domain. Not much needed fixing in the sewer level, except the enormous piles of trash collected at the bottom of some of the entrance tunnels. It seemed that it was not just her minions collecting trash now ¨C some of the townsfolk must have decided her sewer was a decent garbage disposal.


    Ali gazed up at the towering pile, amazed at the sheer amount of junk her Kobolds had collected. It would take a while, but she hoped that buried in there somewhere was a gem of some kind that she might find useful.


    She was about halfway through the giant stack when something clinked and her eyes caught sight of a small leather pouch. Ali picked it up and carefully tried to untie the string, but the stitching had rotted, and the entire thing crumbled, spilling a handful of tarnished copper and bronze coins across the ground. But among the dull coins, something gleamed brightly. She flew down to investigate and there, nestled on the moss, she found several small coins with the stamped image of a regal Sun Elf on one side and Elvish writing on the other. They gleamed with a shining silvery-yellow as they lay on the palm of her hand.


    Ali turned them over several times, studying the pretty gleaming coins. They were not a denomination or mint she recognized, but there were enough of them to learn, so she quickly committed the Elven Royal Quarters to her coin imprint. she wondered. Elven currency ¨C Elves in general ¨C were not unheard of in Myrin¡¯s Keep, but they were certainly not frequent visitors.


    Ali continued her chore, laboriously deconstructing her way through the entire pile, but nothing else seemed useful until she finally reached the bottom of the pile. The Kobolds had made a round past some of the smithies ¨C several dozen chunks of metal lay on the ground, offcuts and discards from failed projects. Ali shrugged and fed them to her deconstruction skill.


    She moved automatically to dismiss the imprint like so many other worthless ones she earned disposing of the endless trash piles, but then she paused. Her Grimoire had only wood and stone that she could use as materials with Domain Mastery, having discarded bone, water, and even fire silk as lower value or easily replaceable.


    If it worked like stone or wood, she would be able to use it with Sculpting and give her alternatives to her barrier magic for blocking off passages or making walls in her domain. She could even see uses for it to repair railings, ladders, and walkways in the Grand Library.


    she thought. She had been hoping to use it for a good monster imprint that might help out in the mines, but there had been little opportunity to find one recently. she decided.


    As soon as she committed the imprint to her remaining chapter, her Grimoire shone with brilliance. Pages flickered and shuffled around in a gigantic flurry, startling her with the suddenly energetic reaction. And then her notification chime went crazy. Quickly, she caught up on the notifications.


    Ali stared at her Grimoire, baffled at the dramatic activity. Something similar had happened when she had committed the wood imprint, but this time she didn¡¯t have a whole bunch of metal trees to explain it. She looked a little closer, and suddenly the chapter changes made sense. Her crawler had inserted itself into both the grass and the elemental imprints, but it didn¡¯t take up any extra pages ¨C whenever she opened one of those chapters, her Grimoire simply moved the relevant pages for the Bamboo Crawler into the currently open chapter. The same thing seemed to be happening here, chunks of pages were rearranged from her coin, weapons, and armor variants, indicating that her customization had found subsets of those that it could categorize as metals.


    she realized, noticing the conspicuous absence of Eimuuran Steel and Thuli¡¯s new Fireforged Steel. She puzzled over that for a while, tentatively concluding that perhaps there was some special magical structure or technique that set those apart from the other more normal metals. It didn¡¯t explain why Darksteel had been included, though.


    Still, she now had access to a sudden wealth of metals she could use. Obviously, she tried it out immediately, summoning a chunk of Electrum and twisting it in her hands with Domain Mastery to form the shape of a small diadem. She warped it again, turning it into a small tree, finding the metal satisfyingly easy to work with and stunningly beautiful in sculpture. Then she turned the brick walls in the entrance shaft to gold before shifting them to a more practical granite. She did find a practical use for her newest imprint almost immediately, replacing the rusted iron hoops stapled into the wall that served as a treacherous ladder with a far safer set of steel steps.


    ***


    ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Ali asked, pointing at the lake.


    ¡°You want some better protection for the lake, but you want it to still be accessible to the guild?¡± Calen asked. He hovered beside her on his slowly undulating, shimmery wings.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Ali nodded. ¡°The Timber Wolves are probably a stretch for the bronze-ranked adventurers, so I want something a little easier to ramp them up ¨C but not too difficult that they can¡¯t kill them ¨C I still want them to be able to collect water for Morwynne and Eliyen.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t make it easy, do you?¡± Calen chuckled.


    ¡°Hey¡­ I have more requirements than those uncultured dungeons. I have standards, you know?¡± Ali quipped.


    Calen chuckled. ¡°The bronze-ranks gained a couple of levels on our excursion, so they might not be that far off. What abilities haven¡¯t you tested out yet? The Domain Skills.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Ali said, consulting her notes and her skill descriptions. ¡°I think Twin Binding sounds very cool.¡±


    ¡°Do you have much that works in the water?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Oozes ¨C maybe the Scalding Slime? Or a Brine Ooze could be good,¡± Ali said, recalling her adventures in Naia¡¯s dungeon. ¡°I have the Stinging Jellies, but they¡¯re a low-level swarm monster.¡±


    ¡°What level are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Something close to twenty,¡± Ali said. This much she was certain of. At twenty-six, her Timber Wolves were likely to be a big challenge. Once some of the bronze-ranked adventurers unlocked their level twenty skill, it might be more accessible.


    ¡°Ok, that seems doable ¨C but Twin Binding requires another monster, right?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°It does,¡± Ali answered, sharing the skill with him one more time.


    Twin Binding


    Requirements: Raid Enhancement. Two minions.


    Source: Twin Wights


    Choose a second minion as the twin target, binding both together with the bonds of magic. Each minion of the pair can be assigned a single Domain Magic skill. When one of the pair dies, the other is restored to full health and gains the Domain Magic skill of its partner


    Skill ¨C Domain Magic


    ¡°Another ooze?¡± Calen said, frowning.


    ¡°Wait, I know!¡± Ali exclaimed, ¡°Shamans!¡± Her Storm Shamans¡¯ lightning skills had worked surprisingly well underwater, and she could split the boss between the land and water.


    ¡°That could work,¡± Calen said. ¡°You just need to decide what to give each of them, considering that the other will inherit the ability once one dies.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking Clone for the Shamans, that would make three of them,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Well, that sounds devious.¡±


    ¡°Too dangerous?¡±


    ¡°No, it will encourage skillful planning,¡± Calen said, pursing his lips.


    ¡°Ok, I just don¡¯t know what to do for the water part. I like the Brine Ooze¡­¡± Calen¡¯s assessment of difficulty was what Ali had needed the most ¨C he was the one who worked with the guild team leaders on strategy and planning, and so he had a far better handle on what they were capable of tackling. On her own, Ali had gotten carried away a few times already and created bosses that might be far too difficult.


    ¡°What about that Nova Strike you got from the Piercer Scorpion boss? The Brine Ooze could live in the water and act as ranged area damage from there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Ali said, working through the combinations in her head. ¡°Let me try it.¡± She pulled out her Grimoire and summoned two monsters.


    Ali examined her Goblin¡¯s armor critically, making a few minor adjustments until she was happy with what he was wearing. Then she turned them both into a raid boss.


    Ali winced reflexively at the sudden notification of her reservation cost, but then she reminded herself that it was no longer an issue. What should have been a cost of over four hundred mana for this raid boss had been reduced by her newest Mana Efficiency advancement for Domain Mastery by a little more than half. In fact, the reason she had considered making a new boss at all was the huge reduction in reservation cost she had earned across all her defenders.


    ¡°Cost?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Two hundred and twenty-five,¡± Ali said. ¡°I could afford to make a few more.¡±


    ¡°Not bad,¡± he said, eyeing the two monsters. Domain mana surged through them, and suddenly the shaman duplicated himself using the Clone skill. A few seconds later, they duplicated again, making three. The much larger Brine Ooze slithered into the water and vanished from sight.


    ¡°So, three lightning bolt shamans, and a bonus surprise,¡± Calen said, nodding his approval.


    ¡°Ali instructed. Immediately, water-affinity mana surged from the lake and a ring of Waterbolts sluiced through the surface of the lake, firing in all directions. Another volley followed, and then another. ¡°


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty awesome, Ali,¡± Calen said. ¡°If they kill the shamans first, then the Ooze gets Clone, right?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Ali said. ¡°And if they kill the Ooze first, the Shamans get Nova Strike.¡±


    ¡°So, lightning apocalypse,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Yes, something like that.¡±


    ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t you say the Death Wight also transferred his affinity to the Bone Wight when we killed him?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Ali said. ¡°Wait, shit, did I make this thing too strong again? What will happen if the ooze gets lightning?¡±


    ¡°Uh, fuck,¡± Calen groused, but he was grinning at the same time. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to test this¡­¡±


    It turned out it was not that difficult to test. When she and Calen killed the Ooze, the Shamans gained water affinity and took to the lake in an instant, suddenly able to breathe underwater, swim like fish, and perform minor feats of water manipulation. After Ali forced the boss to respawn, they killed them in the opposite order, turning the lake into a trio of Brine Oozes simultaneously firing ring volleys of Waterbolts and acting like mobile Lightning Nova totems.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s going to be a real challenge,¡± Calen observed.


    ¡°Nice for defending my domain,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Well, not much is going to get this far,¡± Calen said. ¡°Not with that Timber Wolf boss guarding the lower entrance.¡±


    ¡°I have an idea for that,¡± Ali grinned. It was something she had thought of while reviewing her Runic Script, and it was high time she tried it out. Ignoring Calen¡¯s raised eyebrow, she summoned a large golden disk of barrier magic, supported by her domain. Then she spent several minutes inscribing her runic circle into the golden surface, tying it off and attaching it to the domain mana also.


    Teleportation Locus ¨C level 42 (Arcane)


    A magical locus that serves as an enhanced teleport destination.


    Runic Circle


    ¡°Teleportation locus,¡± she said, answering Calen¡¯s increasingly curious stares.


    ¡°What are you going¡­¡± he asked, but then trailed off as she waved the barrier disk up into the air till it was hovering right over the center of the lake, and then flipped it upside down. ¡°Oh¡­ Ali, that¡¯s evil.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she grinned, ¡°Come on!¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long for her to inscribe several domain-attached Static Teleport runic circles around the cavern entrances near the path down to the ruins through which undead and kobolds still trespassed into her domain.


    A few minutes later, a slightly tougher zombie managed to avoid her regular defenses and stumbled across one of her new teleportation rings. There was a brief flash of arcane mana, synchronized with another off over the distant lake. The zombie appeared right below her barrier disk and fell flailing into the water. Distant lightning flickered, followed a few seconds later by the sound of thunder and Ali¡¯s chime sounded.


    ¡°Evil,¡± Calen muttered, but there was a big grin on his face.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 184: Flamecaller Spear

    - Aurin ¡®Stabby¡¯ Wizzlecrank, Assassin, Leader of the Crimson Sprockets, an all-Gnomish dungeon group operating out of Thorel Moldur.


    Aliandra


    Ali¡¯s friends were in good spirits, chatting happily while tackling the fully respawned Emberforge Mines. Well, Mato was roaring more than he was chatting, but he looked energetic in how he took on the elementals.


    He and Calen had taken a fair while to complete the quest on the southern road, and it had given Ali an excuse to work on the library: cleaning up, making more bookshelves for their expanding collection, copying the books Ryn had collected, and studying her mother¡¯s book. She was beginning to realize Clarence was unruly by nature, but for some reason, he had allowed her some quality time with the content he contained ¨C even helping direct her searches with an intuition for her questions that was frankly uncanny. Unfortunately, the material was so complex and esoteric that the main result of her studies had been a long list of books and subjects for Ryn to hunt down.


    Ali grinned to herself, slapping up a swift barrier to deflect a stray spray of raging orange-yellow flame.


    When Calen and Mato had returned, it had spawned a flurry of activity as some of the adventurers returned to her dungeon to gather mushrooms or grind out a little experience or, more likely, to search for the two new bosses she had made.


    Inspired by the powerful advancement she had earned for Domain Mastery, she had created two new raid bosses and left a note with Mieriel at the guild. Despite the substantial reserve costs for supporting bosses, she still sported more than five thousand free mana. It was a rush; for the first time in ages, she had more mana free than reserved, and it gave her a heady sense of freedom while the four of them tore through the early tunnels and chambers of the mines.


    ¡°Double pull next,¡± Calen called over, weaving his words and the action of his bow seamlessly together. Malika and Mato split the two Living Flame elementals efficiently, allowing Ali and Calen to destroy them with unprecedented speed. It was remarkable just how much faster they were now compared to the first time they had tentatively stepped into these passages. She had gained eight levels since then, and her friends even more. Combined with good strategies, and the best elixirs and equipment they could buy, they positively flew through the dungeon, clearing out the Flame Broodmother and the Cloned Living Flames in record time.


    ¡°The Landing is cleared,¡± Calen observed the moment the boss was defeated, ¡°but the door is shut.¡±


    Ali used the eyes of her Hobgoblin, and sure enough, the massive stone doorway leading to the Inferno wing ¨C as they had started calling it ¨C was closed and the Rune of Living Flame burned brightly once again.


    ¡°Do you think it respawned the entire wing?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Almost certainly,¡± Ali answered. Almost all of her own dungeon monsters were now attached to her domain mana and automatically respawned in several hours. There was no reason to believe the Emberforge Mines had different abilities. The respawn time for these monsters seemed a little longer than hers, but it had been a couple of days already.


    ¡°The distillate has more charges, right?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Malika said, ¡°But we don¡¯t need to clear the Inferno again if we don¡¯t want to. Probably. I have the new potion.¡± She retrieved a large vial that glowed with a deep, frozen blue light and flickered from within with an eye-squintingly intense core of white flame. ¡°If Morwynne did this right, we should be able to open the middle door now.¡±


    Rubbing his stomach, Mato said, ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    ¡°Again?¡± Ali asked. They had stopped for a snack break just a few caves back.


    ¡°You need a bigger storage enchantment for all those supplies?¡± Calen snickered.


    Joining in, Malika teased, ¡°He a walking storage enchantment, didn¡¯t you know?¡±


    ¡°Am not.¡± Mato turned pink. ¡°I have a healthy appetite, that¡¯s all. The other day my mother accused me of wasting away, can you imagine? She said all this fighting in the mines is¡­ burning off the fat.¡±


    They all groaned on cue and Mato bent over to slap his knees, chortling heartily.


    Although Ali had little insight into the alchemy that powered the potion, she stared at the fascinatingly complex interactions of several different mana affinities that really had no business being compressed together in the same vial, and yet were. She held her breath though, caught up in the exaggerated caution with which Malika was treating the vial as she painstakingly decanted a single drop onto the Rune of Inferno.


    Fire and ice mana flared in conflicting eddies and the rune abruptly froze over as the flames sputtered and died. There was a moment of exquisite stillness, and then the fire mana barring the doorway faded. A jarring click echoed through the empty chamber and a perfectly vertical line cracked down the center of the stone door.


    Mato leaned in, bracing an armored furry shoulder against the doors. His muscles bulged and the Landing filled with a deep grating sound as stone ground across stone. Black sooty smoke billowed out into the Landing and Ali took a step backward, covering her mouth and nose with a hand to protect herself from the acrid chemical stench.


    Through the widening gap, she saw darkness lit by glowing red. Webs of flame lined the roof and walls and the darkest nooks and crevices crawled and shifted at their intrusion.


    ¡°Spiders on the roof,¡± Calen said. ¡°Big ones.¡±


    ¡°Area damage?¡± Malika asked, her eyes narrowing at the sight.


    ¡°Agree,¡± Calen said, drawing his bow. ¡°Mato, back up a bit. Ali, help me out here.¡±


    While Ali hadn¡¯t had the time to fine-tune her minions, she still had a couple of Sparkling Oozes. She and Calen immediately filled the tunnel with an assault of arrows and explosions of light magic in a continuous barrage. Through the chaos unleashed, Ali kept a close eye on the mana itself.


    ¡°Clear,¡± Ali said once she was certain the last knots of fire-affinity mana had been snuffed out. When the assault faded, nothing moved except for a few lumps that dropped from the roof making disgusting splatting noises as they struck the rocky ground. Most of the smoke had been blown away by their magic, and the way down was revealed to be a dark, rock-strewn passageway with tendrils of smoke still curling up from somewhere ahead.


    The floor¡­ well, she was just glad she could fly. She paused only to add a few of the more intact Flame Spinner chunks Calen spotted to her imprint. Mato tromped through the gore and burnt spider bits with gruesome squelching and crunching steps as he led the way deeper into the dungeon, moving with an air of cautious vigilance now that they were once again in uncharted territory.


    Ali followed along as they picked their way downward through the dark, winding tunnel, sweating as the temperature grew steadily hotter and the air progressively smokier. Breathing grew harder and harder in the acrid atmosphere of sulfur and other strange chemical smells until she felt her lungs had grown raw from the abuse.


    Past the gore of the spiders, the cavernous passages grew strangely quiet. The clicking of sharp Kobold talons striking the hard rocky ground rang out jarringly in the ancient and undisturbed silence. Their scaled tails made soft swishing sounds as they slid across the stone. Even the Sparkling Oozes she had retained for their unique senses were not quite as silent as she had thought, making soft sloshing noises as they wobbled and poured themselves along the rocky tunnel floor. Or the ceiling. Oozes seemed equally at home upside down on the roof as on the ground.


    ¡°Where is everything?¡± Malika whispered.


    ¡°Keep your eyes open,¡± Calen advised, tension visible in the set of his shoulders and the intensity of his gaze.


    In the darkness, Ali found herself relying more and more on the impressive low-light vision of her Kobolds, and the unusual Tremor Sense of the Oozes. Calen had his Motes of Light drifting down the passageway, but she found that the bright light made it harder for her to see anywhere else other than wherever the light orbs floated. Her Kobolds were significantly less inconvenienced by this, being able to see clearly despite the brilliant light and dark shadows, but Tremor Sense ignored all of it, feeding a wealth of information directly into her mind from the immense weight of rock and stone that pressed in on all sides.


    The dark tunnel widened dramatically, and Ali suddenly found herself standing upon the threshold, looking out over a vast cavernous space. The entire area ¨C dropping away, extending out a distance that had to be several kilometers far ¨C seemed to have been dissolved out of solid rock. Instead of the typical limestone cavern with stalagmites and stalactites, it appeared to have been hollowed out by some intense flow of lava or a flame so hot it could make rock run in rivulets and puddles. Enormous pillars rose out of smokey depressions like giant, half-melted candles surrounded by puddles of solidified stone.


    Throughout the space, visible among the pockets of smoke, were rivers and pools of thick, bubbling black viscous liquid. Tongues of dark black flame danced upon the pools; a flame that reminded her of the Rune of Hellfire she had touched. The roof above was completely obscured by thick billowing clouds of smoke that swirled in the eddies formed by the heat rising from the tar pools.


    Waves of oppressive heat slammed into her face, overwhelming even the powerful resistance of her crafted robe. Her ears filled with the distant roar of superheated flames. Ali took a breath and instantly choked, overcome by a coughing fit that lasted until an Acolyte infused her with a Restoration. The very air was poisonous, or the heat was slowly destroying her lungs in the same way that her skin burned and blackened.


    If anyone had helpful tricks for breathing in toxic smoke it would be the Gnomish Alchemist with a penchant for explosions.


    ¡°Incoming,¡± Calen said, his voice sounding unnaturally calm given the environment and his words.


    Malika


    Malika eyed the slithering, serpent-like beings drawing rapidly closer to their position at the entrance to the cavern. The four of them looked almost identical at first glance, their powerful snake-like bodies driving them sinuously along the ground with upright torsos that seemed to be a nightmarish cross between a Kel¡¯darran, a human, and a serpent. Every part of their bodies was covered with tough-looking dark orange-brown scales that glistened and shimmered with inner heat, and spinal ridges and spikes protruded from the back of their upper torsos and formed a crest along the back of their necks and heads. She did notice a scar running down the left side of the slightly larger one in the lead.


    Each creature wielded a long-bladed, red-hot, glowing spear, gripped with the sharp gleaming talons that completed their powerful scaled arms. Deeply recessed under heavy brow ridges, their cunning eyes gleamed with a yellow inner light that flickered like the nearby flames they ignored.


    Whatever they were, they looked extremely powerful and dangerous.


    ¡°Flamecaller Elementals. Fifty-nine to sixty-three,¡± Calen announced. He had never once complained about having to call out level ranges for her when everyone else could see them directly, and for that alone, she was eternally grateful. He also seldom forgot.


    Mato stepped forward, taking a stable four-legged defensive stance, and Malika took her place beside and slightly behind him, ready to engage. The creatures were deceptively far away, hard to judge in the strange flaming black-and-red landscape, and she found them growing ominously larger as they closed in.


    she thought, not counting the bulk of the snake-like body slithering along the ground.


    The scarred Flamecaller shouted something sibilant and unintelligible, forked tongue flicking past wicked-looking fangs, and the white trails of energy within its body twisted and stretched. Its immense body suddenly blurred into a forward rush as it tore across the ground, spear competently gripped with both clawed hands. Ominous black flames flickered in its wake, persisting like a deadly slug trail. At the last moment, the spear thrust powerfully, and Mato blocked against its crossbar, but the deceptively long blade still bit deep into his shoulder, spraying blood across Malika¡¯s arm and the side of her face. She slapped his right hindquarters reflexively and healed the damage.  But her flush of embarrassment was short-lived as an identical energy signature flickered and stretched within the bodies of the other three, and they all shot forward, spears set to strike.


    Malika flew into action, accelerating with Divine Step. She wasn¡¯t sure how well Mato would be able to block all three incoming spears, nor how fast Ali¡¯s Acolytes would be able to react, so she flanked Mato and pulsed a heal into his body right as the crash of spears slammed into him. She felt the shock of the impact as Mato was physically pushed back several feet, but he roared immediately in response, grabbing their attention with his Taunt.


    Ever since Mato had learned his Challenging Roar skill, she had stopped needing to hold back early in the fight. The taunt ability that came with his roar skill effectively glued most melee attackers to Mato, better even than that nasty flaming web stuff. Unless she was unreasonably persistent and used her mana-leeching attacks, it was nearly impossible to tear monsters away from the angry armored bear. This was one such occasion.


    She tore into the nearest Flamecaller with a powerful flurry of blows, all charged to do maximum damage with her Soul Strike and accelerated by her powerful Divine Step momentum control. She studied the energy flows within the serpentine creatures as their spears flickered and struck.


    The memory of Rezan Jin¡¯s voice echoed in the background of her mind as she followed the rapid strikes. She knew now that he had meant well, but, at the time, such questions had been profoundly frustrating, as if he were taunting her for being weak or lacking understanding.


    Arrows and magic filled the air as Ali and Calen engaged, but Malika tuned it all out to focus on her chosen opponent. She landed a powerful double kick combination and the Flamecaller whirled to face her. Her heart quickened as she ducked and dodged the blurring spear. The twisting energy of its stamina flickered so fast that she struggled to follow the details, and despite her incredible speed, the sharp blade found its mark several times.


    Three black-scaled Kobolds materialized right behind the Flamecaller, looking positively tiny beside the massive serpentine elemental. Dark daggers gleamed in the firelight, stabbing with respectable speed. The monster hissed angrily and the scales along its torso flared with an intense heat that made them glow. Her next punch slammed into a much denser, scaled armor, burning her fist. Most of the strength of her punch was rebuffed by the sudden density, with only the magic of her Soul Strike getting through.


    ¡°Armor skill,¡± Malika announced. Rezan¡¯s relentless insistence on focus, attention, and learning about her enemy had changed the way she fought. She had not seen any energy usage prior to the heat and glowing scales, meaning it had to be a mana ability. The only time she had felt something similar was when she had tried to punch through Basir¡¯s rock armor ¨C this was a little more yielding to her attacks, but no less problematic.


    In response to her words, the elemental¡¯s energy surged in a brief strange formation centered around the throat and it let out a loud hiss that thrummed with power, tearing painfully at her ears. A powerful surge of fear coursed through her and the Flamecaller suddenly seemed to grow impossibly large and powerful. She diminished, shrinking into insignificance, cowering against the overwhelming might of the monster. The implacable stillness of her Clarity settled within her mind and suddenly the vision of fear and intimidation snapped, banished, presumably by the strength of her high wisdom and bloodline skill.


    ¡°Malika!¡± Ali yelled.


    Malika stumbled as pain replaced the illusion and she suddenly noticed two fresh spear wounds, burning punctures deep in her left thigh and ribs, earned while her mind was distracted. Quickly, she healed herself, ever grateful that her armor skill was passive.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Calen shouted.


    ¡°Intimidation skill,¡± Malika yelled back. It had to be that ¨C or some fear-imbued war cry variant. Mato appeared to have recovered quickly, but Ali¡¯s three rogues cowered where they stood. Stamina blazed a radiant white within the monster and the Flamecaller¡¯s spear let out a deafening whip-crack as it cleaved through her guard in a blindingly quick arc. It seared through her flesh, leaving hungry black flames licking the edges of the gash and continued on to slice all three cowering rogues.


    She pulsed her Healing Mantra, but her magic struggled to heal her while the flames flared angrily. She healed it again. she thought, healing a third time to stem the persistent and agonizingly painful consuming power of the black flame. She glanced over, but it seemed Ali¡¯s Acolytes had noticed the same thing ¨C at least judging by the focused expressions on their faces and the frantic gesticulation of their hands.


    Malika focused on dodging, blocking, and counterattacking the uncannily agile spear, meanwhile, in the background, she was categorizing all the abilities she had observed. The heat of its scales dissipated, and she found she could punch it again, meaning it must be a short-duration defensive ability boosting its armor. The cleave attack was nasty, and Ali¡¯s rogues were still struggling with the aftereffects of the intimidation.


    On the other hand, she was quickly getting used to seeing the monster¡¯s stamina usage with her Soul Sight, and as she became more familiar with its patterns of thrusts, blocks, and sweep attacks, her blocking and dodging became that much more efficient. She resisted another intimidating hiss from one of the nearby Flamecallers, but again Ali¡¯s rogues were reduced to cowering by the overpowering mental attack.


    She saw the attack coming by recognizing the spike of stamina usage within the thick muscles of its torso and arms. She dodged, but the strike continued, slamming through the rogues, and setting their bodies on fire. One of them died outright, while the others survived long enough to get a restoration or some other healing spell from the Acolytes.


    Suddenly, and without warning, the largest Flamecaller switched its spear to a right-handed grip and a great shield of black flame appeared on its other arm. It sprang backward, gaining a surprising amount of distance with its incredible feat of strength. Malika responded, accelerating to close the distance, but the Flamecaller had similar ideas. The energy pattern from its original attack flickered powerfully through its body, and the entire bulk of the serpentine monster blurred across the intervening rock, slamming its spear clean through her side, up to the crossbar, and out through her back. She winced at the searing pain of flames tearing through her as she was flung bodily off the creature into the air. The energy pattern repeated.


    she thought, followed immediately by the echo of Rezan¡¯s voice reverberating through her mind once more.


    She pulsed mana into her Divine Step, blue-white soul magic manifesting in the air beneath her feet as she pushed off the force of her skill in mid-air, redirecting her trajectory up and over the blurring spear and the trails of flame it left in the scorching air. She tucked her legs to clear its head, wincing at the still-burning wound under her ribs, and aimed a powerful kick at the back of its head, accurately striking the spot between two of the spinal ridges. Only then did she spare the mana to cast another Healing Mantra, landing behind the creature as it struggled to reverse its enormous bulk and momentum in the face of her feat of agility.


    she realized as she studied the monster from behind. As it wheeled to strike her, she decided to not be there, pulsing stamina into her Divine Step and sprinting around to the side, not even a single step touching the ground. What followed was an extended aerial dance where barely one step in ten touched the ground. She twisted and spun, flipping and dodging around the creature, all the while striking out with rapid punches and kicks. Despite her speed, the creature still managed to block with its flaming shield, and it scored regular hits with its rapid spear strikes, each block or cut searing into her, fueling the dark flames that consumed her flesh and blackened her skin. She could tell her body was on fire in several locations, but she just channeled more mana into her Healing Mantra to keep up her relentless attacks. It was a powerful upward kick to the throat that finally did it. Her foot connected with a full extension supplying maximum power to the blow, bypassing the shield of flame, and her Soul Strike flashed straight into the monster¡¯s head. The light in its eyes dimmed and it slowly toppled sideways, hitting the ground with a loud thump and she finally relaxed, easing her prodigious stamina expenditure to a more reasonable amount.


    ¡°Good!¡± Calen shouted, redirecting his stream of arrows. ¡°This one next!¡±


    He was right, of course. This was no time to rest.


    The Restoration magic on her slowly pushed back the flames that still burned on her body, and she looked out at the rest of the battlefield, trying to ignore the pain. Mato was burning from countless already healed wounds, still tanking three of these creatures. Behind him, three lightning totems were pulsing out lightning novas, and arrows and magic surged in the flickering light of the flames.


    she thought, a big grin on her face. She hopped once and tore into battle, targeting Calen¡¯s favorite monster.


    ***


    Malika sat beside the burning bear, taking a few moments with Clarity to regenerate her stamina and mana and then pulsed Healing Mantra into him once more. She hissed as her fingers brushed the persistent black flames that burned away at his wounds. He grunted unhappily, still unable to shift back to normal as he was taking far too much damage to release his prodigious vitality boost. The little kobolds chirped anxiously beside them as they too continued to heal him.


    She opened her mana regeneration information, hoping for some insight, but the only thing it showed was that she was receiving substantially more mana and stamina regeneration from Mato¡¯s Sanctuary aura than she normally did.


    Mana Regeneration


    +100% Racial (Human).


    +470% Clarity.


    +335% Sanctuary.


    Total: +905%


    She opened her stamina regeneration, finding identical numbers. But then the amount dropped for no apparent reason.


    Stamina Regeneration


    +100% Racial (Human).


    +100% Relentless.


    +470% Clarity.


    +100% Sanctuary.


    Total: +770%


    She sat and stared at it in confusion for a little, and then automatically healed Mato again, and suddenly the amount jumped back up.


    She opened up her Clarity skill and then suddenly had her answer.


    Your proficiency with meditation is enhanced by your Ahn Khen bloodline. Your mind has reached a permanent state of clarity, during which mana and stamina regeneration is increased by +235% . Bonus is doubled if you sit and focus.


    Soul, Bloodline, Wisdom, Endurance


    The amount her regeneration had increased was precisely her own skill¡¯s regeneration rate. And it had come through Mato¡¯s aura. Sanctuary shared all of his regeneration with nearby allies. Including his Battle Trance. But her healing had just given him her own Clarity regeneration buff for a few seconds, and his Sanctuary appeared to be sharing that with her too.


    Curious, she placed her hand on Mato¡¯s flank, deliberately putting it in the flames and holding it there while she grimaced at the pain.


    ¡°Uh, Malika?¡± Ali asked, a worried look in her eyes.


    ¡°Just testing something,¡± she muttered and then healed both herself and Mato in rapid succession.


    Her regeneration jumped yet again.


    Stamina Regeneration


    S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    +100% Racial (Human).


    +100% Relentless.


    +705% Clarity.


    +335% Sanctuary.


    Total: +1240%


    ¡°What the heck do you need to test that requires burning yourself?¡± Ali asked.


    Without bothering to say anything, she just shared her stamina regeneration with her friends.


    ¡°What the heck!¡± Calen exclaimed, sitting bolt upright. ¡°How¡­¡±


    ¡°Clarity,¡± Malika said, grinning at him.


    ¡°Did you get an advancement, Malika?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Nope,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m just using it four times.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ what?¡± Calen gasped, and Malika was treated to the half-elf being literally speechless for a moment.


    ¡°I get double Clarity for sitting and focusing,¡± she explained. ¡°And I can give Clarity to anyone I heal for a bit more than sixteen seconds. It works on myself¡­ and Mato.¡±


    ¡°Ooh!¡± Calen said, scrambling for his notebook, and then immediately storing it again with a look of chagrin on his face as the pages caught fire. ¡°And¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, his Sanctuary reflects it back to me for the fourth instance.¡±


    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s¡­ really ridiculous,¡± Calen said. ¡°But¡­ we can use this!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re regenerating your entire stamina pool every five minutes?¡± Ali said, still staring.


    ¡°Four minutes fifty seconds,¡± Calen corrected absently, his eyes taking on a faraway glaze.


    Her mana regeneration was nearly as good, just not getting the advantage of Relentless. And to make it even more useful, Sanctuary reflected her Clarity boost to every member of their team in range, including Ali¡¯s minions. All she had to do was heal Mato when he was damaged ¨C and that was nearly always.


    Finally, having resolved her confusion to her own satisfaction, she turned her attention back to the results of the fight. Ali got up and resumed her deconstruction of corpses and the no-longer glowing spears.


    ¡°Those Flamecallers have a temporary duration armor boosting skill,¡± she said, thinking about the most important skills she had seen during the fight.


    ¡°Yup, when the scales glow, the only thing that gets through is my nature magic,¡± Mato agreed, finally shifting back to his Beastkin form. ¡°By the way, that Clarity thing is awesome, Malika.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡±


    ¡°They can also do pure fire damage with those spear attacks, and it leaves your wounds burning for ages.¡± Malika had spent a substantial portion of her resources continually combatting the persistent flames.


    ¡°Yep, I noticed that one,¡± Mato said with a wry grin. ¡°They figured out that I have a lot of armor and swapped to that very quickly. I was burning a lot. What is that flame ¨C it¡¯s very not fun.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hellfire,¡± Ali said, joining them on the rocky ground. ¡°I can identify their mana affinity. I can¡¯t see that hiss thing, so I¡¯m not sure what it does. But it¡¯s really bad for my rogues ¨C they couldn¡¯t fight.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a martial arts intimidation skill,¡± Malika answered. Both she and Mato had high wisdom, and her Clarity helped her keep her mind calm under pressure. ¡°Your rogues are probably not high enough level to resist a level sixty Intimidate.¡±


    Ali twisted her mouth and frowned. ¡°I need to find some higher-level minions soon,¡± she said. ¡°This is becoming a real problem.¡±


    ¡°What about these Flamecallers?¡±


    ¡°Not sure,¡± she answered. ¡°They seem to be some classed variant of a hellfire elemental, so I¡¯m thinking I probably can¡¯t summon them. I will try though, if we can get enough.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t get it for your elemental imprint?¡± Calen asked, looking surprised.


    ¡°No, and I really have no idea why,¡± Ali grumbled. ¡°This stupid classification system makes no sense.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad, they¡¯re very tough,¡± he said.


    Having something like this on their team would solve a lot of Ali¡¯s challenges with low-level minions. Malika continued sharing the insights she had learned by observing the monsters and their stamina patterns and combat behavior. The others all listened with interest and active questions ¨C even Ali, who she knew was now a highly motivated student of combat. Malika didn¡¯t hold back ¨C every little bit of new information may provide her with some help for her other minions, or even choosing which ones might work the best.


    Aliandra


    Ali sighed. The Flamecaller Warriors were unreasonably powerful and incredibly durable. Their scaled hide was so extraordinarily tough that more often than not, her Kobold archer¡¯s arrows just bounced off. When they activated their defensive skill, making their bodies glow with radiant heat, there was no chance her Bone Mages or archers could even scratch them.


    Her rogues were a lost cause ¨C she stopped summoning them. All the Flamecallers had a powerful intimidating hiss that completely incapacitated the black-scaled Kobolds, rendering them quivering and helpless, unable to even dodge or attack. They just became a mana soak for her Acolytes¡¯ healing magic.


    The only minions she had that seemed to do any damage at all were her shamans ¨C from a distance ¨C and that seemed to be entirely due to their lightning vulnerability curse. The Sparkling Ooze also seemed effective, but of course, they hurt Mato and the rest of the melee with their explosive area damage, making the fight unacceptably dangerous.


    ¡°This way,¡± Calen said, his voice a low whisper.


    They crept forward following the path Calen had picked out, winding through the desolate, heat-fused landscape past the vigorously bubbling black pools spewing sulfurous black smoke and the pillars of blazing black hellfire.


    ¡°Give me a moment,¡± Malika said, halting their progress as she studied the bubbling pools before retrieving an empty vial from her ring. ¡°I want to collect some of this for Morwynne, it looks interesting.¡±


    Healing mana flowed through her arm continuously as she reached out through the hellfire and dipped her hand and the vial into the boiling black goopy stuff, coming back with an arm aflame, a grimace of pain, and a vial full of the black stuff.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Ali asked curiously. The substance stank of sulfur and even in the vial, it continued to boil and burn with the intense black flame.


    ¡°It seems to be a reagent, useful for explosives,¡± Malika answered.


    ¡°And you want to give that to Morwynne Fizzlebang? Is that really a good idea?¡± Ali asked. It seemed that every time she entered Pretty Powerful Potions, something was in the process of exploding. The Gnomish Alchemist seemed to need no extra help blowing things up.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be ecstatic,¡± Calen grinned.


    Mato snorted, ¡°Best warn¡­ well, the entirety of Myrin¡¯s Keep!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± was all Malika said, but she stored the foul-smelling stuff in her ring.


    ¡°Incoming,¡± Calen said, interrupting them and raising his bow to aim at the three rapidly approaching reptilian elementals.


    ¡°Same strategy?¡± Malika asked, getting an affirmative nod from Calen.


    This time Ali had no rogues, and instead sent in her Hobgoblin, along with all her shamans and the Sparkling Ooze. She still had no idea what to do with her Bone Mages and archers, but she made them shoot anyway, deciding that even the paltry damage they were able to do might be worth it.


    The first intimidating hiss caused the entire melee group to stagger, except for her ooze which, to Ali¡¯s surprise, seemed to be immune. It was not like it had a lot of wisdom. A few tense moments passed while the flamecaller had free rein to stab and slice at Mato, but Malika twitched, recovering her wits quickly, and healed him. Mato was the next to respond, blocking two sweeping spear strikes on the banded steel of his armor.


    The Hobgoblin attacked, shaking his head as if trying to dislodge a bug from an ear, but her shamans remained down and out, cowering near the ground. The simultaneous spear cleaves from the flamecaller warriors cut down two of them in an instant.


    Ali winced at the snap of her reservation and tried to pull the remaining shaman out of melee range to save it, but it was still incapacitated and unable to respond. It fell quickly to the next reaping strikes of the long-bladed spears.


    ¡°¡± Ali instructed, glancing at her archers and mages, but it was arguable if they were having any effect. She ignored them for now, turning her attention to her Sparkling Ooze, impressing on it her intention to aim its shots near, but not exactly on top of the enemy monsters. The bright balls of light shot up, arcing over the battlefield, but most of them missed entirely, and the ones that hit caused Malika to have to dodge and she almost killed her own Hobgoblin when the blast synchronized with a particularly nasty spear cleave.


    ¡°¡± she told it, and instead encouraged it to go try eating the Flamecallers, or at least hit them with a pseudopod. But that only increased her frustration as, without any fire resistance, the ooze struggled against the molten armor and the flame. Eventually, she had it disengage so that her healers did not have to worry about keeping it alive and instead fired barrier shards at the flamecallers.


    Her frown didn¡¯t go away even after the Flamecallers dropped ¨C mostly as a result of Calen and Malika¡¯s damage.


    she thought, paging her Grimoire, but she had the entire thing memorized already, and nothing new could be found lurking somehow undiscovered among its pages. She walked over and deconstructed the corpses while she considered her options.


    The warriors were strong, and their spear attacks were powerful, and she considered the possibility of using them against their own kind. She didn¡¯t hold too much hope though, given that they identified as some type of elemental monster.  Still, they were a high-level, robust monster, so she had to at least try it.


    ¡°You got it?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Her Grimoire was currently full, and as she ran through the list, her eyes stopped at the chapter encoding coins. She was loath to create money directly because it would disrupt the economy of Myrin¡¯s Keep in a much more devastating way than what they were already doing to it with their essences and massive demand for potions. Besides, she could create all the metal directly, now. There wasn¡¯t any pressing need for them to be created into the shape of a coin specifically, other than the nostalgia and historical value of the Dal¡¯mohran gold coin. And she still had several of those in her ring so she could learn them again if she wanted to.


    Ali made the decision, quickly replacing the coin imprint with the Flamecaller Warrior, and then summoned one. But to her dismay ¨C and not wholly surprisingly ¨C it collapsed to the ground like every other elemental besides her Forest Guardians, destroying her hope of using the powerful snake-like monster against the denizens of the Emberforge Mines.


    ¡°It was worth a try,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Yes, I know,¡± Ali answered, but it wasn¡¯t much consolation. In a fit of frustration, she created everything that might even remotely have a chance of working, and then, when Calen pulled the next patrolling group of Flamecallers, she systematically tried out each of them.


    The first thing that happened was one of the Flamecallers hung back and threw its spear with enormous force at her flying Lux Drifters, retrieving the spear with some ridiculous magical boomerang skill and flinging it again, wiping out the entire flight of the swarm oozes she had made in a matter of seconds. The Scalding Slime and the Lava Lurker did not struggle with the ambient fire damage in the dungeon, but they did the wrong type of damage, steam and lava both being based on heat and thus proving ineffective against the hellfire elementals. The Brine Oozes hung back out of range firing their water bolts, but they struggled in the fire of the mines and took an entire Acolyte¡¯s mana pool to keep them alive for the duration of the fight. Her wolves just died to the fire, her non-fire-based spiders were all way too low-level to be useful, and her giant bats were simply skewered out of the sky by the thrown spears.


    ¡°This is stupid,¡± she announced finally as they took a break. ¡°I need better minions, everything I have is useless.¡± Without fire resistance, most of her beast minions were worthless, and the ones she could equip were simply far too low-level to have much effect on the level sixty monsters.


    ¡°Still struggling to find effective monsters?¡± Malika asked.


    Ali nodded. It was depressing that she was the highest-level member of their group, and they were basically carrying her at this point. All she had was her shards and her Acolytes.


    ¡°He¡¯s pretty effective,¡± Mato said, plopping himself down nearby, pointing at her tall plate-covered Hobgoblin. ¡°Why not make more of those?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s level forty-one, they cost too much¡­¡± she stopped suddenly. She had been about to say her Hobgoblins would cost her too much mana and she couldn¡¯t afford it, but that had been an automatic response. she realized, glancing at her substantial free mana pool.


    ¡°I guess I can afford them now,¡± she admitted sheepishly. She had not considered it because she had been struggling with mana for so long. It took only a couple of minutes for her to summon some new minions, most of her others having been wiped out in the last fight.


    ¡°What kind of weapons do you prefer?¡± she asked, speaking in Goblin.


    ¡°Axes, mistress,¡± the female Hob replied. She wore her long, coarse black hair up in a topknot and was the highest-level Hobgoblin of the group.


    ¡°Sword and a shield,¡± one of the males answered, echoed by the second.


    ¡°Easy enough,¡± she replied, making each of them a Fireforged hybrid plate armor to replace the leather items her skill had automatically chosen.  Then she created a pair of nasty-looking Eimuuran steel axes for the female Hob and shields and swords for the males.


    ¡°There you go,¡± she said, pointing at the heavy equipment she would have struggled to even lift.


    ¡°Thank you, mistress!¡± The three new hobs swarmed over the gear, equipping it immediately, and soon she had the new hobs and the one from earlier standing in a nice, neat row before her. It was almost eight-hundred mana for four Hobgoblins, but as she saw them standing in the burnished Fireforged- and Eimuuran-steel she felt her spirits rising and the frustration of the day beginning to fade.


    ¡°Here,¡± Mato said, handing her a tray of fire elixirs.


    ¡°Wait, these are the expensive ones,¡± she exclaimed looking at the potions he had just given her for her new minions.


    ¡°They¡¯re high enough level to use them,¡± he answered with a shrug. ¡°Might as well have the best defenses on our team. We want them to live, right?¡±


    ¡°I guess so,¡± Ali said, nodding and then handing out the elixirs.


    One of the Hobgoblins snarled at his neighbor, puffing up his chest and raising his sword, but the female hob simply barked a sharp command, and the others immediately stood down. Then she took the elixirs and distributed them.


    Ali thought, recalling just how hierarchical the Goblin society was ¨C even to the point of them having aptitudes and skills that were more powerful when fighting with other Goblins. The hobs in particular had the ability to pull the unruly members into line, as long as the hierarchy was clearly established. She checked each of their skills and abilities, finding minor differences in masteries and weapon skills, but all of them had decent defensive abilities and an impressive-looking Rallying Cry skill that she had liked the look of.


    With that thought fresh in her mind, she resummoned her Goblin shamans. she thought, deciding to think of them like replacement mages. They wouldn¡¯t be quite as effective, but they wouldn¡¯t die during the intimidation, and their lightning was decent damage still. And they were Goblins, boosting the power of her Hobs.


    ¡°Are you making the beginnings of your own Goblin horde, Ali?¡± Mato observed with a grin. ¡°How about we try them out in battle?¡± As was usual, Mato did not like sitting around when there were enemies to fight, but Ali was just as excited to see her new army in action too.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go scout,¡± Calen announced, grinning with eager anticipation.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 185: Flamecaller Hunter

    AliandraSomething prickled in the back of Ali¡¯s awareness, like an entirely imagined itch in the back of her mind.


    She searched around for any sign of what it might be, but, although the sensation seemed remarkably persistent, it was just as elusive. Clearly, it had nothing to do with the mines or where she was sitting, so, trusting her friends to warn her of anything dangerous, she closed her eyes and focused on the prickle.


    It seemed somehow related to her connection to her monsters, and so she relaxed and sent her awareness off, somehow following the nebulous direction of the sensation. Ordinarily, she would just pick the minion to connect to directly, but this time her senses were giving little to no clue as to the source. It was awkward, and she had no idea what she was doing, but then suddenly, surprisingly, her senses connected, and she found herself staring at a wolf pack with the quality of vision only possible with exceptional eyes. She could  humans ¨C a strangely aggressive combination of treated leather, oiled steel, and unusual spices.


    Ali turned her head, studying the landscape, recognizing the den with the overhang she had fashioned out of solid rock, and the Timber Wolves she had turned into one of her latest raid bosses. She felt out the perimeter of her domain attachment like she possessed an extra sense of touch ¨C the range she had been granted by the dense currents of mana that thrummed through her body and mind. Off to one side, gathered among the apple trees, safely out of range, a group of adventurers huddled together.


    she thought, recognizing the holy shield and the green leathery face with his toothy grin. Behind him, she spotted Basil and Teagan. Aiden was there too, and the beast-tamer girl, Willow, with her companion Timber Wolf ¨C the one she had earned right here in Ali¡¯s dungeon.


    It was a full raid group, and they were setting up to test one of her newest bosses.  The paired shamans and Brine Ooze were designed to be a lower-level challenge, hopefully giving the bronze-ranked adventurers an easier path to progress before tackling this one.  The Timber Wolves were level twenty-six and outleveled them by a hefty margin. Not impossible, but¡­


    They had been trained by the guild ¨C even taking extra classes with Malika and Calen on combat and strategy. They knew the importance of information gathering, defenses, teamwork, and most importantly, having escape options ready. Reluctantly, Ali released her connection to her wolf¡¯s senses lest she jeopardize their experience.


    At least this time, she had detected the attempt before it was over.


    ¡°Incoming!¡± Calen yelled, breaking her reverie in an instant. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ali snapped her eyes open and a barrier up in front of her face before preparing herself and readying all her minions. Ever since she had found they could throw the spears, she had been fighting far more defensively, making sure she always had her protective barrier up ¨C she had no desire to be impaled by one of those vicious spears.


    ¡°¡± Ali said, addressing her Hobgoblins, pleased to see how nimble and powerful their movement seemed as they rushed to join the group forming up front.


    Calen sprinted through the center of their melee group with three Flamecaller warriors chasing him, his lithe form dodging left and right with uncanny prescience and his form blurred by his defensive skills. Ali had no idea how he had avoided all of their spear-charge attacks, but he appeared to be entirely uninjured. Mato stepped forward, his chest puffed up aggressively, and her Hobgoblins braced themselves behind their gleaming dark Eimuuran shields. The female Hob snarled, brandishing two matching compact handaxes.


    The Flamecallers¡¯ serpentine bodies blurred into accelerated rushes and battle was joined in a tremendous crash. Mato roared. Ali¡¯s Hobgoblins shouted. The clanging of steel spears hitting shields rang out across the battlefield.


    ¡°¡± Ali told the rest of her minions, her words punctuated by the cracking of lightning from the shamans she had kept back at range.


    she thought, keeping a wary eye on her Hobgoblins as she raked her barrier shards across the left flank of the enemy formation. Her rogues and shamans had been unable to recover from the devastating hisses, but they were scarcely level twenty at best. Her Hobgoblins didn¡¯t have a lot of wisdom, which Malika had said would resist the effect, but at least they were twice the level and far more durable. She continued to control her barrier shards, harrying the Flamecallers, while slipping into the perceptions of her Hobgoblins to monitor their fight.


    The first thing she noticed was just how little they were getting hit through that armor and their shields and masteries.  she thought. Mato got hit a lot, and was already on fire, even though his hide was super durable. Without a shield, her axe-wielding Hob took more hits, but even she seemed to be very resilient. she observed, taking the opportunity to study the defensive style of the Goblins.


    One of the Flamecallers at the back reared up and let out a powerful, magic-imbued hiss, and all their melee attackers flinched and cowered. Ali held her breath as the Acolyte next to her flared with holy light. Malika straightened up and unleashed a precision strike of stiffened fingertips to the throat of the hissing elemental. The intimidating sound cut off with a choked gurgle. A few seconds later, Mato roared and Swiped at the creatures. Terror rolled in through the link she had with her Hobgoblins, and several long seconds passed while they were hit by powerful, cleaving spear attacks. Suddenly the female axe-wielder raised her head and shouted; a booming cry that filled the battlefield with a thrilling call to battle that set even Ali¡¯s heart thumping, and the rest of the Hobgoblins suddenly raised their shields in unison.


    Ali let out the breath she had been holding. It looked like they would be effective after all.


    ***


    The expansive rocky cavern lit by the perpetual dark fires finally narrowed, and Ali found herself following Calen¡¯s floating orbs of light through a rocky tunnel that twisted and turned, winding ever onward into the depths of the mine. The oppressive heat still crisped her skin and dried out her eyes and mouth. Every few minutes, she would feel the warmth of a holy restoration spell, and for one blissful moment, the ever-present pain would be briefly soothed as her skin healed. It felt much like getting a horrible sunburn that cracked and flaked her skin ¨C except it took barely a few minutes to set in. Then, the cycle of healing and burning repeated.


    ¡°There¡¯s something different in the next area,¡± Calen whispered, pointing out into the expanse of a new cavern. There were fewer pools of bubbling black tar, save for a single large lake of it almost centered within the cavern, surrounded by giant half-melted pillars of stone. Ali couldn¡¯t quite make out what Calen meant, until suddenly, a small group of monsters appeared.


    Ali swapped to the senses of her Hobgoblin leader, to take advantage of her superior vision. Up ahead slithered two Flamecallers. These, however, carried large, powerful-looking recurve bows slung over their backs, made from what looked like heavily enchanted wood or bone. Their serpent-like heads swiveled continuously, scanning the terrain, while their tongues flickered out as if tasting the sulfurous, scalding air. Ranged out in a fan formation ahead of them were six monstrous two-headed wolves oozing sinister power and feral alertness. They stood nearly two meters tall at the shoulder and even at this distance Ali could see their heavy muscles rippling. Their coats were midnight black but lit from within by a soft reddish glow, making them look like creatures of ember ¨C still-burning coals of a dying fire. As they stalked across the rocky ground, they left footprints of pitch-black flame that lingered behind them, and from their mouths and noses trailed black wisps of smoke as they breathed. Ali shivered despite the heat.


    ¡°The wargs are minions,¡± Calen said quietly from the cover of the shadows and proceeded to list the levels and threat assessments.


    ¡°Some kind of hellish beast tamer?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°They have a hellfire affinity, too,¡± Ali added, shuddering again at the memory of the hellfire rune burning her fingers. She could only describe the flame as excruciating and ravenous. When she had first entered this dungeon, she had struggled to endure the continual burning of the fire affinity mana. Now, however, she would happily choose that over any intimate contact with the dark flames of hellfire.


    ¡°What  hellfire, exactly?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ali said. ¡°It seems to be a specialization of fire mana, but it burns a lot hotter and faster than regular fire, and it¡¯s a lot more painful.¡± She made a mental note to ask Ryn to do some research. If there was any good way to mitigate this fire, it would be worth knowing.


    ¡°Remember to be careful. It¡¯s surprisingly tenacious, difficult to heal,¡± Malika said ¨C an observation Ali had plenty of experience with, having personally observed her Acolytes struggling with it.


    ¡°How about I tank the little doggies while you all get the archer guys?¡± Mato suggested. His words sounded casual, but his eyes conveyed a look of serious focus as he studied the demonic wolves.


    ¡°Those wolves look like they might do a lot of fire damage,¡± Calen said, presumably guessing from their smoldering appearance, hellfire footprints, and the wisps of smoke curling up from their mouths. Ali was suddenly grateful Mato had given her the more potent fire resistance elixirs for her Hobgoblins.


    ¡°Yup, I think I can handle it,¡± Mato said, his voice only betraying a little uncertainty.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Calen said. ¡°If everyone¡¯s ready, I¡¯ll go get them.¡±


    Ali nodded, readying her barriers. Mato shifted, and Calen unleashed a volley of conjured arrows.


    With a bloodcurdling howl, the wolves¡¯ muscular dark bodies blurred across the rocky ground, leaving burning trails of black hellfire in the wake of their accelerated Rushes. Mato roared his challenge, crashing into all six of them simultaneously.


    The two Flamecaller hunters grabbed their bows, which were immediately lit with intense wreaths of their black flames. Burning arrows filled the air in volleys of five at a time, flying in all directions. The acrid smoke of hellfire filled the air, making Ali¡¯s eyes water. She sprang into action, golden barrier magic flickering into place to protect her vulnerable healers and herself, but in the mad scramble to take defensive action, two of her Kobold archers had already perished, skewered by several arrows that continued burning even as they collapsed. Following the plan, she directed her Hobgoblins after Malika to chase down the first hunter. The goal was to focus on the two hunters while Mato kept the wolves busy on the side, but it was a little tricky to focus from within the literal storm of flaming arrows that spewed forth from the two hunters.


    Ali¡¯s focus was almost fully consumed by the task of protecting her minions, but she didn¡¯t miss the moment when her Hobgoblins crashed into the first hunter. It reacted immediately, firing a powerful arrow into the air, and vanished. She blinked in surprise at the unusual twist on teleportation magic lingering in her mana sight, and the tell-tale draw of mana from her Sage of Learning skill. In the wake of the shot, three images of the hunter appeared, all of which seemed to draw a single arrow back and hold it while the flame grew progressively more intense.


    Something about the three copies seemed not quite substantial, but she couldn¡¯t immediately tell what it was, nor which one was real.


    Malika punched one of the Flamecallers and it exploded into a cloud of sparks which drifted toward the top of the cavern, while her Hobgoblins scrambled to run down the others.


    Ali¡¯s eyes darted between the two remaining monsters.


    Suddenly the arrow fired, shooting from the two remaining bows, but as it flew across the rocky battlefield, it seemed to twist strangely in her mind. Out of nowhere, and from a direction she had not expected, the arrow cracked against one of her barriers with immense force, shattering it instantly and punching through the head of a Kobold Acolyte. Her reservation snapped and the Kobold collapsed. Both images of the Flamecaller simultaneously vanished, revealing the real monster off to the side, already nocking another set of five magically conjured arrows.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Malika yelled as she charged the hunter¡¯s new location.


    ¡°Illusion and Teleport,¡± Ali yelled back, still stunned by the sheer force unleashed. Her barrier had shattered like a dropped teacup. What was remarkable about the monster¡¯s teleportation magic was that it fully cloaked its destination, both from her mundane and her magical vision senses. She could see the mana when it fired the arrow, but its magic was warped and indistinct as soon as the mirages appeared.


    she realized, as she had been unable to see it.


    ¡°And an Ambush, Powershot combo,¡± Calen said, supplying the missing puzzle piece. ¡°Nasty.¡±


    Ali¡¯s Hobgoblins sprinted after Malika, bearing down on the hunter again. Her shamans, and remaining ranged attackers redirected, shooting at the newly appeared monster. The air filled once again with rapid volleys of black flame-wreathed arrows and her healers began working overtime. A shaman struck simultaneously by three flaming arrows fell back to the ground, still burning as it died.


    As soon as the Hobgoblins reached the hunter, it fired its magic arrow and vanished, this time leaving four images in its wake.


    ¡°Shoot them quickly, Calen!¡± Malika yelled.


    ¡°On it!¡± But the images dodged, only one succumbing to his volley and shattering into motes. ¡°The real one is¡­ somewhere to the left!¡±


    Ali was paying attention this time, but even focusing on its mana as the spell unfolded, she still couldn¡¯t tell where the real monster was. She slipped her senses into the Sparkling Ooze she kept for just this purpose, but even from the ooze she could only sense silence as if the elemental archer had stopped its heart and stopped breathing.


    she thought. She didn¡¯t have any bats or wolves to use to find it, but it had defeated three of the perception skills available to her.


    Malika stood still in the middle of the battlefield, eyes closed.


    ¡°There!¡± Malika suddenly yelled, juking to the left and charging down an empty space of rock. Her fist lashed out and improbably struck something solid where Ali could see only air. A flaming bolt of magic streaked from the suddenly appearing bow as the hunter was forced to release its shot prematurely.


    Ali wondered how exactly Malika had achieved that feat.


    All the remaining illusion images exploded into sparks, but the powerful arrow of flame still flew true, striking the golden barrier right in front of her eyes, with a shockingly loud bang and a spiderweb of cracks. She yelped and fell backward in surprise, but hastily replaced her barrier with a new one. No real harm done.


    Right at that moment, her nearest Acolyte flared with the holy light of its devotion skill, startling her into checking its perception. What she saw made her blood run cold.


    ¡°Mato is struggling!¡± she yelled. In the Healer¡¯s Sight of her Acolyte, she wasn¡¯t focused on the spectacular storm of flaming arrows ¨C which admittedly were doing a phenomenal job of suppressing her and her minions. Instead, Mato was the recipient of most of the healing. His body was on fire, burning with pitch-black flame, and he was surrounded by six wolves that were tearing him apart. She had not been paying attention to him at all, fully absorbed with the arrows and the hunters, but now that she was, she could see the wolves flanking him, taking turns to charge in and bite him from behind. Every now and then, one of the wolves would let out a chilling howl, or one of the heads would breathe a dense cone of black hellfire that lingered on Mato¡¯s already smoking flesh.


    ¡°Ali, send the Hobs to help Mato. Malika, spot the hunters. Everyone; back up so Mato can use the wall!¡± Calen called out strategy adjustments rapidly.


    ¡°Yes. On it!¡± Ali shouted, recalling her Hobgoblins while his strategy changes percolated through her mind. The powerful crimson elite Goblins hadn¡¯t been able to hit anything so far; every time they reached the hunters, they teleported away. So that part made sense. Backing Mato up into a wall would hamper the wolves¡¯ ability to surround and flank him.


    Suddenly, she realized that the reason Mato had not been able to do that before was that he was forced to remain within the range of her Acolytes¡¯ healing spells. Quickly, she directed her Kobolds back towards the wall and Mato responded with a limping retreat, his movement clearly impeded by his injuries.


    With all the shifting, and readjustment, Ali still had to keep her barriers up, and now moving with her minions to protect them from the arrows that filled the air ¨C both hunters were not letting up with their unerringly accurate five-way flame bolts. She bunched her Acolytes up behind her two remaining mages and summoned a larger barrier to cover all of them, leaving the rest of her minions to their own devices ¨C hopefully they were robust enough to survive for a while on their own.


    She had already lost several Kobolds and a shaman. Once the harried battlefield readjustment was completed, things improved dramatically. Mato was still in critical shape with his health still hovering dangerously low, but it began to slowly creep upward. Up against the wall, it was harder for the wolves to flank and hamstring him from behind, and with the addition of the Hobgoblins, the fight seemed to stabilize somewhat. On the other side of the cavern, Malika charged towards empty space and punched at nothing, causing a shower of sparks to erupt from the various images of Flamecallers.


    ¡°Totems on the hunters,¡± she told her remaining shamans. While Malika was somehow able to detect the real location of the hunters after they teleported, and mostly disrupt their powerful ambush, she decided that filling the space with lightning novas would further limit their use of their dramatic teleport illusions. Disrupting the illusions themselves seemed to require only minimal damage, and if they spawned inside the range of one of the totems they would be dispelled almost immediately.


    Ali re-engaged, lashing out with barrier shards with what little remaining capacity she had after her defensive shields were created. Her ranged attackers all unleashed their magic on the Flamecaller Hunter. The archers and mages were not doing a lot of damage, but the lightning bolts from her shamans seemed to be working well enough. Combined with Calen¡¯s arrows, they were finally making some real progress.


    Ali saw the teleport magic flare again, and the furthest Flamecaller Hunter vanished, leaving behind three images, two of which instantly burst into sparks, having been summoned inside a lightning nova.


    She allowed herself a small celebration at seeing her idea work. As soon as Calen hit the remaining image, the hunter¡¯s real location was revealed, and they resumed.


    ¡°Much better!¡± Calen said, filling the air with a smaller counter-storm of glowing arrows. ¡°Now, let¡¯s take them down!¡±


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 186: Hellfire Warg

    MatoMato checked his health again, the thread of worry winding tighter around his heart. The Hellfire Wargs were only barely past level fifty; he had been confident in his ability to hold them while the others took care of the archers. But he hadn¡¯t anticipated the intensity of the hellfire, or for them to be such tenacious fighters. He shifted sideways, careful to stay within range of the Acolytes which were his lifeline. Even with their powerful holy magic, and his own Brutal Restoration, his health was steadily declining. As much as his position was exposed, he couldn¡¯t afford to move out of range of Ali¡¯s healers.


    The warg to his left lowered one of its heads, opening its mouth unnervingly wide and baring the long vicious fangs Mato was all too acquainted with. Then it breathed out the powerful torrent of hungry black flame that obscured everything save for the malevolent red glow of its eyes. The cone of fire spread out in front of the creature of darkness and embers and enveloped his body and the bodies and faces of his nearby attackers. For four seconds, his world was agony as the flames ripped into his flesh, consuming whatever it touched. He could only thank his high endurance for allowing him to retain his consciousness. The breath attack ceased, the blast of flames dying down, but the pain lingered as the persistent hellfire settled into his wounds.


    His druidic restoration magic and the tiny pricks of the Kobold acolytes¡¯ holy magic combined to keep his body barely in fighting shape, but he was progressively losing ground to the hellfire. His health was once again lower than before, after the painful exchange, and the excessive use of his Brutal Restoration was consuming his mana at a furious rate. It wasn¡¯t simply the hellfire breath attack, though. He had been a wolf for a while, and he remembered what Pack Tactics felt like. He could even sense the peripheral thoughts of these creatures as they reveled in causing his pain; whatever skill they were using was a much more advanced version of his old Pack Tactics. They had encircled him early in the fight, and they were using feints and flanking to pin him down, constantly trying to separate him from his allies and the Kobold healers.


    Knowing the strategy that they employed did nothing to help him.


    One of the wolves on the perimeter raised both heads to the roof and let out a howl that echoed through the rocky chamber, harmonizing eerily with itself and reverberating through his bones. All the wolves¡¯ attacks immediately after the howl would be more powerful, he had discovered. Survival Instinct flared, warning him of several simultaneous threats. He braced, blocking the bite from a wolf attacking his side, grimacing as they forced him to ignore the simultaneous lower-damage flanked attack from behind. The wolf¡¯s double-headed bite attack tore into the flesh at the back of his hind legs.


    S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    -50% to Movement speed.


    Physical ¨C Duration: 20 seconds.


    The wolf directly in front of him prepared to disengage, using the movement skill that left lingering trails of hellfire burning on the ground. Trails that were harder to avoid while hamstrung. As soon as it moved, his Swipe battlemaster retaliation triggered and he instantly reacted with a powerful sideways raking slash of his claws, empowered by both Brutal Restoration and Bestial Combat, taking a large risk to spend the health for extra damage. His claws tore into the rapidly retreating wolf tearing, deep gashes across its flank, and knocking it rolling. As the attack connected, thick gnarled brown roots appeared attached to the rocky ground, created by the triggered Grasping Roots spell, tangling the Hellfire Warg and pinning it in place.


    He had loved this skill for pinning flying creatures when he had first unlocked the advancement. Now, however, it was the only thing keeping him alive ¨C and barely at that. Frustratingly, the attack only connected about half the time against these monsters ¨C their movement skill and high evasion were often sufficient to take it out of range before his strike landed. This time it had connected though, and he could feel the rush of healing magic as his Brutal Restoration was enhanced by the extreme damage of his empowered Swipe. The pack eyed him warily, clearly cautious of his dangerous strike, as he breathed a little easier. The higher damage-empowered restoration would give him a little longer to survive.


    The Hellfire Warg next to the one he had just hit and pinned to the ground turned one head towards its packmate and breathed. Mato dodged backward, hamstring making him too slow to fully avoid the blast of hellfire as the Warg filled the area with intense black flame. Everything burned, Mato¡¯s shoulder, and the side of his head where he¡¯d been too slow to dodge, the roots, and the trapped Warg.


    Within the intense hellfire, the injured Warg¡¯s wounds began to rapidly close over, fur sprouting to replace that which was lost. The tough roots pinning it to the rock of the cavern floor lasted several seconds before turning into brittle charcoal and shattering. The eyes in both heads fixed him with a malevolent look, glowing a brilliant red within the dark flame. It snarled, smoke curling from its mouths, and leaped forward to attack him, long fangs bared.


    ¡°Mato¡¯s struggling!¡±


    Ali¡¯s voice carried over the din of battle like a lifeline thrown to a drowning person swept overboard in a storm. He had been cursing his inability to communicate in Bear Form, forced to rely on his friends taking out the archers quickly enough to come to his aid. Switching forms mid-combat to tell them he was struggling would have spelled an instant death. And his friends seemed to be struggling to take care of the archers quickly, for some reason he couldn¡¯t see.


    The roar of hellfire breath washed over him once again, preventing him from hearing Calen¡¯s instructions to the others, but as the flames died, he saw them all on the move. Calen¡¯s strategy was immediately obvious. The healers began to scramble across the rocky ground toward him. Once again, he admired his perceptive friend for instantly grasping the situation and creating the opportunity. He wasted absolutely no time taking advantage of the new placement, using his Charge to reach the relative safety of the rocky cavern wall and wheeling about to face his tormentors. As he did so, four armored Hobgoblins waded into the fight, swords and axes flashing in the firelight. The wargs were forced to shift their formation yet again to account for the new threat. One of the Hobs shouted using the Rallying Cry skill Ali had mentioned. As the booming voice washed over him, he felt his body strengthen. Mato roared a challenge, growing in confidence now that he had a wall at his back and the Hobgoblins to provide a credible threat disrupting the flanked attacks.


    The game had changed, and the wargs clearly knew it. Their attacks became significantly more aggressive, risking his claws to take him out quicker. But with Hobgoblins interfering with the synergy of their pack tactics and being unable to hamstring him, Mato took the battle to them, Swiping powerfully, and even taking some of the splash damage from the hellfire away from the Hobgoblins using his Arboreal Sanctuary.


    A warg triggered its movement skill to disengage after Mato had successfully blocked its bite, and his retaliation skill triggered. His strike slammed into the creature, blinding it in one eye and leaving a bloody trail down its neck and shoulder. The roots immediately coiled around its paws, holding it in place. The Hobgoblins tore into it, one even blocking the hellfire breath of a nearby Warg with his shield, preventing the monster from getting aid. A deafening crack and brilliant flash illuminated the trapped monster as two lightning bolts tore into it, followed by a volley of intense glowing arrows, and suddenly Malika was darting among the wargs, her fists and feet unleashing brilliant blue-white flashes in the darkness of the hellfire conflagration. He felt the surge of Malika¡¯s aggressive healing magic coursing through him, repairing burns and bite wounds.


    Malika had gained something new recently, and it seemed to calm his mind while simultaneously giving his regeneration a much-needed boost. He lashed out, spending his previously carefully hoarded mana to power his Brutal Restoration.


    The pinned warg collapsed, crashing to the ground amid a hail of arrows and magic. Mato roared again, ensuring the remaining demonic wolves would be focused mainly on him as his friends joined the fight.  He attacked, carefully keeping watch on his allies. Survival Instinct warned him an instant before he was engulfed in another torrent of flame. He roared, channeling his frustration and pain into the challenge. He felt his retaliation trigger and spun to strike the disengaging warg, but this time he wasn¡¯t quite quick enough, and it blurred away, shooting across the rocky terrain, and leaving a trail of black flames behind it. He let it go, annoyed that he had missed it, but he was certain it would be back.


    A second warg collapsed in a hail of brilliant arrows and lightning, and Mato felt the pressure subsiding. The warg that had escaped let off a howl and Mato felt the power spike through his Survival Instinct as the one to his left tried to bite him with both ravening maws. He wheeled his bulky body to the side, losing a large chunk of flesh to the fangs of the wolf before he was hit once again by the blast of hellfire. The warg that had evaded him earlier stalked closer, just as he had predicted. It let loose a breath attack, hellfire streaming from both mouths in an intense wave that tore through the battlefield. On instinct, he diverted the damage from Malika and the Hobgoblin caught in the blast to himself, wincing at the extra damage, but by now his health had recovered enough to take it. Malika executed a flip out of the fire, trailing black flames from her body, but the hellfire blast kept rolling outward.


    But, from within the flames, two dark forms appeared, rising from the ground. Red glowing eyes blinked and turned their glares upon him. From the conflagration, a warg howled.


    As the hellfire abated, his fears became real. The two ¡®dead¡¯ Hellfire Wargs had gotten back to their feet. They turned to him, and once again he faced a full pack of six.


    Malika


    Malika dove back into the fray. It was impossible. She had never seen a dead monster resurrect. In fact, she knew such magic was impossible. But she couldn¡¯t deny the evidence before her eyes. Nor the shimmering stamina in her Soul Sight. Both downed Hellfire Wargs were back on their feet, breathing their fire again.


    She hadn¡¯t really been focused on that, so she wasn¡¯t certain, but despite the impossibility of what had just happened, she tore into the monster with a furious flurry of attacks. They were definitely in trouble, Ali and Calen were almost certainly running low after taking out those two frustratingly slippery hunters with their teleport and mirages, and even Mato had to be running out of mana. She slapped him again, healing him, and loading him up with her Clarity buff. They were going to need it.


    She, however, had Relentless. She gritted her teeth at the intense pain of hellfire she allowed to blast into her face, her eyes and skin burning away in the searing flame. Even without her mundane vision, the monstrous two-headed wolf in front of her was clearly visible in her Soul Sight, wreathed in powerful wisps of white energy as it used stamina to lash out at her. She kicked it in its left face, pulsing Soul Strike through her heel and feeling the small, welcome trickle of the health it returned to her. The warg lunged forward to bite her, releasing the hellfire breath. This was what she had been waiting for, she had convinced the warg that she was more dangerous than Mato, and now it had decided to forgo the pack to kill her. She danced backward, bit by bit, dodging its vicious fangs while pouring stamina into her Healing Mantra to repair her face. The flames refused to die, but her body was once again in top shape. She dodged backward again, progressively drawing the Warg away from its pack-mates. As soon as she was far enough away, she put her back up against a misshapen boulder and simply duked it out with the two snapping and snarling heads while arrows and magic slammed into the back of the monster.


    It took a few minutes, but the warg dropped to the ground once again. This time she was paying attention, and sure enough, there was no chime signaling the death of the monster.


    ¡°Ali! Clean it?¡± she yelled.


    ¡°I got it,¡± came the answer as her tiny friend zipped over on her golden barrier and began casting her unique magic on the ¡®corpse¡¯, golden and green runes flowing from her fingers in streams. Malika prepared to return to the fray, when one of the Hellfire Wargs howled, spinning around and unleashing its hellfire breath to engulf both her and Ali. Malika dodged the magical flame. Ali simply extended one hand toward the blast and a large curved golden barrier sprung up in front of her, diverting the hellfire around herself and the downed Warg, while her deconstruction magic continued to spiral out of her other hand, pulling mana from the not-corpse.


    Malika thought, smiling grimly at the crazy image of the tiny Fae holding back the horrendous torrent of hellfire with her magic. She sprinted to the side of the warg and punched it in a head, Soul Strike flashing brilliantly against the dark of the warg¡¯s coarse, wiry fur. She spun and kicked the other head, right in the teeth. It left her foot burning with hellfire, but it was worth it as she finally secured the monster¡¯s attention, and the hellfire breath sputtered and died. Then she repeated her dance, drawing the warg away from the pack. At that moment, a notification chime sounded, and the light of Ali¡¯s magic dimmed.


    ¡°One down,¡± Ali announced.


    Aliandra


    Ali hunkered down behind her curved barrier while she ran her deconstruction magic on the second-last warg. The final one was breathing hellfire at her, and she could feel the intensity and the heat as the flames rolled off the sides of her barrier magic. She had to pour an unreasonable amount of mana into the golden construct to keep it active against the onslaught, but she had plenty to spare after deconstructing the other corpses.


    she thought, studying the downed Hellfire Warg. She had never successfully used her skill on a live monster that wasn¡¯t one of her own minions. But the skill had clearly said ¡®unresisting¡¯, and whatever state these wargs were in when they ¡®died¡¯ was apparently good enough for her spell. Malika had guessed it, and so had she ¨C as soon as she had seen the wargs resurrecting, she had known what she had to do.


    Her chime sounded several times, but she ignored it, saving her curiosity for later. The last remaining Hellfire Warg was no longer breathing on her; instead, it seemed to be trying to eat Mato.


    she thought. Now that Mato had support, and there were a lot fewer enemies, there was no chance that it would beat him. Sure enough, she heard Mato¡¯s thundering challenge ring out as he charged the wolf, somehow scragging its dodging hindquarters with a swinging paw and dragging it backward beneath his chest, trapping it for a moment between his powerful forepaws and champing jaws. Bestial roaring rose from both beasts as Mato vented his considerable frustration on his foe, paws churning and fangs repeatedly tearing chunks out of its shoulders and neck.


    Finally the chime rang out and Ali walked over to deconstruct it.


    ¡°Fuck, that was rough,¡± Malika said, sitting down on a block of rock that was not on fire from lingering hellfire.


    ¡°You can say that again,¡± Ali agreed. The hunters had been frustratingly difficult to pin down, and the resurrecting Hellfire Wargs had been entirely unexpected. She could tell Calen had run out of mana several times during the fight. In fact, her Acolytes and shamans had too. At least her Acolytes hadn¡¯t all run out at the same time, and they had been able to rotate their prayer skill to recover mana. ¡°Alright there, Mato?¡±


    His grin flashed briefly, weariness written into the droop of his shoulders. ¡°Yeah, that last one was satisfying though. I guess I listened to the Guildmaster¡¯s lecture on mental resilience, right?¡±


    Ali smiled back, realizing what he meant. Recovering from tough ¨C make that brutal ¨C fights like this, was far more than a matter of simply downing a few potions and taking a nap. That was why Mato loved his cooking, Malika her meditation and she chose to lose herself in a good book.


    Mato nodded. ¡°We did good. Thanks for the save, Ali.¡±


    ¡°Anytime. Only because I like your cooking.¡±


    He snorted at that.


    ¡°I think we should call it here, and return tomorrow,¡± Calen said, wiping his brow with the back of his hand and earning relieved nods from everyone.


    The notification chime sounded as the final huge warg evaporated into motes of mana, filling the cavern with a brief fading light.


    Ali pursed her lips momentarily and then spent four points on wisdom. The remainder she divided evenly between intelligence, perception, and vitality.


    Surprisingly, she recognized some of the rapidly inscribed runes as they flowed into her Grimoire. Lots of fire magic was being inscribed, but usually, it was way too fast for her to understand any of it, but as her Arcane Recall grew, her ability to recognize quick magical formations was improving dramatically.


    ¡°Congratulations on sixty, Ali,¡± Calen said, smiling at her.


    ¡°Whoa, sixty?¡± Mato echoed.


    ¡°Nice work, Ali!¡± Malika called over.


    ¡°Thanks!¡±


    Inwardly, she was having a small party. Ali could tell that the levels and skill gains were slowing down as she became stronger, but still, achieving sixty was something she wouldn¡¯t have dared to dream of until very recently. And sixty was the level at which the Adventurers Guild considered her to be a gold-ranked adventurer, an achievement which, according to Calen, was something that was recognized across the continent. But her notifications did not stop.


    Arcane Archive


    Mana: Mentally search for information in any book you have read.


    Arcane, Knowledge, Perception, Intelligence


    She would have to ask, but it certainly seemed that she was being offered a librarian skill on the strength of the rather dubious definition of having ¡®restored¡¯ the grand library ¨C and having a book as a mentor.


    There were several other skills unlocked and available for her to choose from ¨C three arcane damage skills including Arcane Blast which she had studied for her traps, and two nature magic spells, a direct damage spell, and a skill that could summon insect swarms.


    None of them she liked over her current skills, but she was both curious and happy to discover that the skill unlocks didn¡¯t stop at forty. She would study them later and consult with Calen to see if she had missed anything important. Looking further, she realized that her notifications weren¡¯t done yet.


    ¡°My barrier spell advanced!¡± she exclaimed, sharing the three choices with her friends.


    ¡°Your mother¡¯s book is really helping you grow,¡± Malika said after reading the shared details.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said. First her Domain Mastery, and now her Barrier had advanced ¨C both on the strength of her understanding even just a little about her mother¡¯s theories of magic and efficiency in mana usage. Of course, there was also the direct influence of Clarence¡¯s mana through the mentorship enchantment. But this advancement had required a combat feat, it seemed. Two, in fact. She could still see her barrier melting under the onslaught of the Elemental Storm of fire as Mato struggled to reach the safety of a rock, feel her panic as she desperately poured her mana into the failing barrier to try and keep him alive against the literal inferno. And she still recalled the incredible mana structure of Alexander Gray¡¯s Mana Shield.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you got a good advance for that,¡± Mato said as if he could see her thoughts.


    ¡°The only problem is¡­ well, they all seem good,¡± she said. Ultimate Defense would have made protecting Mato vastly easier, and it plugged a glaring hole in her defenses ¨C any beam-style light magic seemed to ignore her transparent barrier magic. Mana Absorption would depend on just how much mana was returned, but it seemed amazing, and Mana Shield would be quite ridiculous, making her barriers indestructible until her enormous mana pool ran out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t recommend Mana Shield,¡± Malika said, surprising her.


    ¡°Why not? It seems very good.¡± Indeed, if she stacked regeneration and used skills like deconstruction or inspiration, she could keep it going even longer.


    ¡°It¡¯s how I defeated Alexander Gray,¡± she answered. ¡°I just kept stealing the mana from his shield until he ran dry. He couldn¡¯t do anything about it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a good point.¡± Ali hadn¡¯t even considered that angle. While mana-stealing abilities seemed rare, her barrier magic could gain a new weakness by linking it permanently to her mana pool. At least without that, she could choose to make more barriers or do something else.


    ¡°What about Mana Absorption?¡± she asked, studying her options with deeper consideration. She had to admit she was rather partial to the idea of earning more mana simply because of the time she had spent with not much to work with, but she wanted a second opinion just in case her experience had biased her too much.


    ¡°I like it over Ultimate Defense,¡± Calen said. But he was also the mana potion addict in their group.


    ¡°Why do you rate it higher?¡± she asked.


    ¡°You actually use the transparency of your barrier a lot,¡± he pointed out. ¡°You block your Acolytes¡¯ line of sight on the party quite frequently and I¡¯m pretty sure the opaque barrier will prevent them from healing through it ¨C it will be like trying to heal through a rock wall. Another source of mana gain will give you more options in battle.¡±


    ¡°What if I end up gaining too much mana?¡± Ali asked. Perhaps she would need to look into some of her new offensive offers to take on a mana-intensive one.


    Calen¡¯s eyes widened and he let out a quiet, strangled noise.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she muttered, glancing over at Mato and Malika, but neither of them had more to add, so she chose Mana Absorption, opened her updated skill description, and shared it.


    Barrier ¨C level 45


    Mana: Summon an arcane barrier shield. The barrier is a freeform arcane magic surface that resists physical and magic damage. You can move your barriers freely. Gain +4.5%  of the magical damage blocked by your barrier as mana over 30 seconds.


    Arcane, Defense, Movement, Intelligence


    ¡°Four point five percent seems good,¡± Calen said, having recovered from his bout of shock. ¡°And it will grow.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t say so directly in the description, but the offering said it would be scaled by affinity compatibility, understanding, and intelligence, too,¡± Ali said. It would remain to be seen how much mana her barrier would return to her, but any amount would be worth it in some of the longer fights she had experienced recently. She was cautiously excited about the ability. She summoned a barrier, intending to ask Malika to hit it, but she paused at the unfamiliar sensation as the skill snapped into reality.


    she thought, the barrier springing into existence with way less effort than she was used to. She dismissed it and tried again, finding she had substantially more control over the density and shape of her magic.


    ¡°Something wrong?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°No,¡± she answered, eyeing the barrier curiously. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ it seems like it received a hidden control upgrade too.¡± As the shimmering barrier hovered in the air in front of her, she bent it with her mind. It warped effortlessly into the half-dome shape she had spent so many hours practicing. She pushed again, warping it easily into a perfect sphere, and then she widened it, realizing her capacity had expanded yet again and her barrier could be dramatically wider than she had been capable of just a few minutes ago against the Flamecallers and their Wargs.


    An old memory sprang into her mind, an image of herself, lying on the ground just freed from her protective magic, using her Arcane Cantrip to create a butterfly. She reached out with her will and bent her barrier into shape, easily recreating the golden sculpture and making it fly around. Only this time, the sculpture was the size of Mato¡¯s body.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Malika said, eyes widening in awe. ¡°I remember that¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, Ali,¡± Mato said, an uncommonly serious expression on his face. ¡°I know I sounded a bit casual earlier, but seriously, thank you for looking out for me in that battle.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± she said, smiling at him.


    ¡°Any chance you have a beast you can make, so I can talk to you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I may just have the thing,¡± she said. It was unfortunately fire-based, but perhaps it could solve Mato¡¯s communication problems.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Calen asked.


    Ali flipped open her Grimoire and channeled some mana into the wolf imprint. A few minutes later the spell completed, leaving a huge, smoldering, two-headed wolf-like creature standing before her, a low growl rumbling through its throats.


    ¡°You got the warg?¡± Calen¡¯s voice sounded both excited and incredulous.


    ¡°My Grimoire decided it was a wolf.¡± She had no idea why it would decide something demonic didn¡¯t require its own imprint, but she wasn¡¯t about to complain. Sometimes her Grimoire¡¯s idiosyncrasies worked in her favor, and sometimes they didn¡¯t. These wargs had been powerful and challenging to kill, and they would be a great addition to her minion army as soon as they were back to fighting monsters that were not immune to fire, or healed, or outright resurrected from it.


    ¡°Obviously, it will be harder to use down here,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to heal or resurrect our enemies. But it might be useful, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s something,¡± Malika said, poking at it repeatedly while healing her fingers.


    Ali flipped her perception to the Hellfire Warg, noticing immediately that her vision and sense of smell were greatly heightened. She could see the heat of her friends¡¯ bodies and the bright glow of heat coming from the fires out in the greater cavern. She could smell the intense sulfurous odor coming from the flames and pools of black bubbling tar.


    Ali instructed.


    What came back was a complex image and sensation medley of a hungry bear.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s definitely you, Mato,¡± Ali chuckled.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help that I¡¯m always hungry,¡± he said, pouting dramatically.


    Ali pulled up the status of the Hellfire Warg, studying the black flame-wreathed text that echoed from the Warg¡¯s mind to hers.


    ¡°What do you guys think?¡± Ali asked, sharing the Hellfire Warg¡¯s status with her friends while she examined the world as swirls and shades of heat with a unique double-vision that came from possessing two heads and four eyes. She had enough experience using unfamiliar perception skills now that the bizarre vision was only mildly unsettling. It was really not that different than using two Kobolds simultaneously, although the heat perception was new.


    ¡°Well that explains the resurrection,¡± Malika said. ¡°They fall dormant, and hellfire revives them.¡±


    ¡°They heal from hellfire damage too,¡± Calen said, frowning.


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Mato said. ¡°I saw that a lot.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of attribute points,¡± Malika said.


    Ali ran a few calculations in her head before she said, ¡°It seems to get fifteen per level.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s unfair, isn¡¯t it?¡± Mato grumbled.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Ali said. ¡°My Forest Guardians get twenty.¡±


    At Mato¡¯s frown, Calen added, ¡°You get to wear enchanted gear though, Mato.¡±


    It was too bad that its highest attribute was dexterity, rather than something more useful like wisdom or intelligence so she might take advantage of it for her empowered summoner. It was the same with her Guardian ¨C strength meant it was great at hitting things very hard, but it wasn¡¯t super useful as a boost for Ali¡¯s own attributes.


    ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± Mato said after a few moments. ¡°Twenty would be so nice though.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be very useful for your dungeon Ali,¡± Malika answered. ¡°But it might be a bit too dangerous to use down here in the mines. Especially given that the enemies will heal from it. Might not be worth the mana.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a ridiculous ability,¡± Calen finally added his opinion.


    ¡°The resurrect?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°No, your ability. You walk into a dungeon, defeat a few monsters and now you can make them. Then you tell us the details of all its abilities.¡± Calen twitched; a gesture Ali recognized as him catching himself in the act of summoning his notebook.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do the elementals,¡± Ali pointed out. Although Calen was probably right. In terms of gathering intelligence on how the monsters they encountered actually functioned, her Grimoire was a superb tool.


    she thought, but that was something she would never have realized without Seth¡¯s insight. It was especially true if, like the Hellfire Warg, the monster was of a category she already knew. It took three or four kills before she could read the monster¡¯s aptitudes, health, and skills.


    ¡°Even if you can¡¯t do all the monsters, at least we can confirm our theories and make efficient strategies,¡± Calen offered.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 187: A Beacon of Light

    RynRyn stilled the unconscious bouncing of her leg for the umpteenth time and glanced again around the silent library. Lira was resting in her tree, and Ali and the others still hadn¡¯t returned. She sighed, glancing back down at the book on her lap. She had been overjoyed to find this story in the Ciradyl library, but she kept getting distracted. With an act of will, she scanned the page, trying to pick up the thread of the plot once more.


    She had made it almost halfway through her book when she finally heard the echoing of voices approaching. She slipped her bookmark between the pages and closed the cover, carefully laying the book on the table before her. With a thought, Ryn pulled up the notification she had received earlier today right as she teleported back into the Grand Library with her haul of new books.


    She had been offered several other choices, but this one had stood out in her mind as by far the best ¨C both in utility, but also in furthering her own goals. She had done enough research to know that her Library Teleport was uniquely powerful, and with this advancement, she might earn a fantastic living at the Novaspark Academy of Magic as a courier, ferrying people around the continent. It would matter little to most that they would arrive in a library rather than at the more typical city locus.


    But that was not what she wanted to do with her life.


    Library Teleport ¨C level 20


    Mana: Teleport to any library you have set as a destination. You can have up to 6  library destinations.


    Mana: You can pay the mana cost again to bring up to 3  other willing people with you.


    Known Destinations:


    Grand Library Arcana, Dal¡¯mohra. Recharge: 39 minutes / 1 hour.


    Myrin¡¯s Keep Library. Recharge: 1 hour.


    Vertias Library. Recharge: 12 minutes / 1 hour.


    Royal Library of Volle. Recharge: 1 hour.


    Ciradyl Grand Library. Recharge: 28 minutes / 1 hour.


    Arcane, Movement, Intelligence


    She pressed down on her bouncing leg once more and gazed around the grand library and the books they had acquired so far. Her skill advancement had given her the ability to teleport others whenever she traveled. It was finally time to bring up her biggest concern with Ali.


    ¡°Hi, Ryn,¡± Ali called out cheerfully as she and the rest of their party flew or floated down to the library floor.


    ¡°Hey, Ali,¡± Ryn started. ¡°Um, there¡¯s something I wanted to talk to you about. Is there a good time?¡±


    ¡°Sure, how about now?¡± Ali asked, a flicker of curiosity passing across her face.


    Although they all seemed tired, the happy banter suggested they were in a good mood.  Ryn thought.


    ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure how to say this,¡± she started. ¡°We¡¯re making a lot of good progress with the library¡­¡± she trailed off for a moment, not exactly sure how to put her feelings into words.


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s empty,¡± Ryn blurted out. She had finally realized this morning what had been bothering her for so much time ¨C what it was that was missing. ¡°What good is a library if there are no people to read the books? Nobody can get here through all the monsters.¡± She risked meeting Ali¡¯s amber gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking the same thing,¡± Ali answered, smiling. ¡°I haven¡¯t figured out how to make a private teleportation locus yet. I don¡¯t want just anyone with a teleport spell to be able to come down here, but if we can offer some sort of a pass to use a teleport, I think it would work.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I think I might have a solution to that problem,¡± Ryn said. ¡°Well, for a little bit. My teleport spell advanced, and I can now bring people with me.¡±  She shared her skill with Ali. With all the book gathering she had been doing, her Library Teleport was now her highest-leveled skill. ¡°I just don¡¯t know how we choose which people to invite.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s an incredible skill, Ryn,¡± Ali said. ¡°Hey, I have an idea ¨C why don¡¯t you join the guild?¡±


    ¡°The Adventurers Guild? But I don¡¯t have combat skills,¡± Ryn said, surprised at Ali¡¯s sudden tangent.


    ¡°As a non-combat member,¡± Ali explained. ¡°I was thinking as a replacement for your job at the bookstore, maybe you could join the guild as its librarian? I¡¯m pretty sure I can convince the Guildmaster.¡±


    ¡°Why would any Adventurers Guild want a librarian?¡±


    Being reminded of being fired from the bookstore stung still, but she was sure Ali hadn¡¯t meant it that way. She shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot as the others gathered a short way off, openly eavesdropping on the conversation, and then caught sight of Malika in the background miming swatting a spider ¨C or some monster ¨C with a book. ¡°Down! True knowledge is my weapon!¡±


    Something of the tension within her uncurled a little.


    ¡°Think about it for a moment,¡± Ali said, sitting up straighter and leaning toward her excitedly. ¡°The guild is growing. There are lots of adventurers just starting out with their classes with no idea what to do. The guild provides some training, but none of them can afford a library membership so they have no way to research efficient use of their skills, advancement paths, combat techniques, or any of the amazing things a good library can help with. You could give them access to this library ¨C for free ¨C and you could help them research the information they need. If they come to you with their problems, you can add to the list of books you collect during your rounds, and our library would grow to be the resource needed by the adventurers.¡±


    ¡°You would let them use the library for free?¡± Ryn asked, struggling to keep up with the torrent of ideas. Ali¡¯s suggestion seemed almost too good to be true. She loved the idea of helping people get stronger by finding the right books for them ¨C and this would give her phenomenal skill and class growth too.


    ¡°A perk of guild membership,¡± Ali said with a conspiratorial wink. ¡°It¡¯s certain to convince Vivian Ross ¨C the success of the guild is what she cares about most dearly.¡±


    Over Ali¡¯s shoulder ¨C which wasn¡¯t saying much ¨C Mato was shadow-boxing in the air. ¡°Comma! Comma! Watch out, Calen will punctuate your semicolon!¡±


    ¡°Mind your clause,¡± Malika snickered. ¡°Mato¡¯s got the verbals.¡±


    ¡°That grammar¡¯s bad enough to kill monsters on its own,¡± Calen pointed out, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.


    Ryn felt herself turning pink. ¡°I see they have the idea.¡±


    Ali chuckled, ¡°Well, we can trust the Guild¡¯s senior adventurers to set the example, right?¡±


    Calen


    The Flamecaller hunters and their demonic wolf pets were a thorny problem, and one Calen reflected on extensively as their little group exited the Emberforge Mines, making their way through the dense jungle toward the library. With the status sheet and the skills Ali had shared, he suddenly had a whole new understanding of at least the wargs¡¯ abilities, and he had already started formulating better strategies for dealing with them. It had only been intuition that had driven his decisions mid-combat, but he was happy to learn that his instincts had been close to correct.


    he thought, finally out of those infernal flames and able to use his notebook.He ran through several ideas, adjusting, tweaking, and enjoying the challenge of optimizing their group strategy with what he understood of all their abilities. The hunters had been particularly frustrating for him, touching on a sore point. , he thought ¨C and not for the first time. They had shown him what he felt his own role on their team should be if he could just get a little stronger and find a way to manage his mana and abilities more efficiently. Their conjured multishot flame arrows had been remarkably effective at suppressing the battlefield, and even though his skill couldn¡¯t conjure five arrows at a time yet, he was certainly going to adopt some of the strategies he had observed for himself.


    He had a lot to think about. Especially worrying was the problem of communicating with Mato during combat. This was a problem he didn¡¯t know how to solve, and were it not for Ali, they might have lost him without ever noticing he was struggling. It was frustrating to be so close ¨C if Ali had a wolf ¨C or any beast ¨C that didn¡¯t breathe fire and was high enough level to survive the flames, they would not be having this problem.


    He pulled up his own notifications from the battle as they stepped into dark coolness and the relative safety of the Grand Library. His wings unfurled as he flew up to the first floor beside Ali and Mato on her barrier, with Malika simply running up on the air beside them with the blue-white of her magic flickering beneath her feet.


    He paused, but noticed that his companions immediately fell into their familiar routines. Mato began rattling the pots and pans, while Malika sat on the stone floor to meditate. Ali and Ryn cozied up on the couch for an important conversation, so Calen found a seat at the table and opened his notebook to study his skill advances and work out the optimal assignment of his new attributes.


    he noted and smiled. It was his primary information tool; how he identified dungeons and threats, and a major part of his stealth and tracking abilities, and tended to grow fastest when he explored new places.


    Cartography had increased again as he continued mapping out the Emberforge Mines, and he was excited to see just how much skinning one of the Hellfire Wargs had improved his skinning skill. He made a note to pass the demonic hide to Malika to sell at the store after dinner time.


    He had nearly skipped right over it!


    Calen paused considering the implications.After Lyeneru¡¯s assessment of his Motes of Light skill, he had expected that he would need to replace it as soon as it advanced. Now was the time to make that decision. The only skill he had acquired so far that he would consider as a replacement was Heaven¡¯s Strike, and he was not particularly excited about that prospect. Pursuing the common path for his kind of class meant focusing on maximum burst damage, high-cost spells, and then sitting out of combat regenerating his mana with potions after he was spent. The strategy made sense, and so did her assessment of his skill as being underpowered. He knew it was true, and he might have been happy with the approach had he not actually seen his mentor ¨C the Legendary Pathfinder ¨C in action. What she had achieved blew the normal strategy away.


    It was somewhat unexpected that his Motes of Light advancement had been influenced by his patron deity, The Wanderer. The skill itself did not list any of his patron¡¯s traits, but he assumed it was related to improving perception or canceling stealth. The Abundance of Light advancement looked like just more of the same, leaving him with a skill slot that could be much better used on another perception or attack skill. But he stopped cold when he read the Beacon of Radiance advancement.


    The cost was incredible too ¨C an additional thirty-five percent of his mana reserved for the skill, but he could instantly see the power of the advancement. If he was aiming for a one-hit-wonder assassin or Ambush build, as Lyeneru had suggested, this skill would be next-to-worthless.


    Glittering Mines was a solid offering, too. Motes of Light had a long range, and he could move the orbs relatively quickly ¨C and more importantly, most monsters tended to ignore them. Now, if he didn¡¯t need them, he could have extra explosive shots wherever they hovered. The strategic options were many.


    The biggest issue with Glittering Mines was that it wasn¡¯t a bow skill, and hence he wouldn¡¯t be able to use his most versatile enchantment skill, Arrows of Brilliance, on it. On the other hand, despite the enormous cost, Beacon of Radiance was exactly the kind of party-wide buff skill both Vivian and Lyeneru had advised him to watch for ¨C effects that were multiplied by the number of allies he brought to the fight.


    More importantly, it wouldn¡¯t be  who was the center of the buff aura. If he was reading this right, each mote would project an aura granting extra light damage to everyone within its radius. This would allow him to move with stealth outside their range of influence. And when he found himself in large-scale battles, he could line the motes up along the battlements, or follow groups around on the field.


    He didn¡¯t even need to ask for further advice, he selected Beacon of Radiance. , he vowed to himself, committing yet again to following the path his mentor had let him glimpse.


    Motes of Light ¨C level 20


    Mana: You can summon up to 3  motes that emit clear light and can dispel stealth effects. You can freely control the motes of light anywhere within your range.  Duration: 30 minutes, Range: 800 feet.


    Mana: Your motes of light grant additional light magic damage on hit to all your allies in range. Reserve: 35%, Range: 48 feet.


    Light, Area, Buff, Intelligence


    ¡°Everything ok?¡± Mato asked, placing a plate of steaming stew on the table beside him.


    ¡°Um, yes¡­¡± his mind reconnected to his surroundings, finding everyone else sitting around enjoying Mato¡¯s cooking. One whiff of the aromatic duck served on a bed of perfectly chargrilled root vegetables ¨C how did Mato do it? ¨C had him reaching for a bowl. ¡°I got a skill advancement that needs some testing. Ali, I think you might be interested in this.¡±


    Balancing the bowl on his knee, he shared his advancement with all of them.


    ¡°Depending on how much damage, that could be incredible in our group,¡± Malika echoed his thoughts.


    ¡°That works on my minions, right?¡± Ali asked, leaning forward in excitement.


    ¡°I¡¯m game to be the punching bag,¡± Mato said, grinning as he clearly anticipated the next step.


    ¡°Maybe with the Hobgoblin?¡± Ali suggested.


    ¡°Why not wait until you all finish dinner?¡± Lira suggested, fixing him with a pointed look, and Calen suddenly realized that the delicious smell of the food Mato had given him was making his stomach grumble audibly.


    ¡°Is there more?¡± he asked hopefully, digging in with a groan of appreciation.


    After dinner, they began their testing in earnest. Mato stood waiting in his Bear Form while he summoned his Motes of Light ¨C three now that the skill had reached twenty. He concentrated on the new advancement, and it activated, reserving more mana than he wanted to think about. All three motes flared brighter as the skill took effect and began to pulse softly.


    ¡°Ok, ready.¡±


    Ali said something in the harsh guttural language of the Goblins and the female Hobgoblin let loose with her pair of matching axes, hitting Mato with a rapid flurry of strikes. After that, he disabled the beacon effect, and they hit Mato some more. Then, in the interest of study, they tested spells, rogues, unarmed strikes, and several other variations, each time having Mato revert to his Beastkin form to tell them exactly how much health he had lost, so Calen could note it down in his book.


    ¡°It¡¯s a flat damage increase,¡± he said, examining the table of data he had compiled. No matter what they hit Mato with, every single hit was enhanced by the same amount of additional light-magic damage. It didn¡¯t matter the size of the strike, speed, or whether it was magical or physical. The benefit for high-speed attackers like Ali¡¯s rogues and the dual-wielding Hobgoblin was phenomenal.


    ¡°I love this,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Of course the speed freak likes it,¡± Calen muttered. She attacked faster than anyone in their group and therefore stood to gain substantially from his new advancement. To be fair, he was a bit of a speed freak himself, so it was great for his arrows too.


    ¡°How are you going to manage that mana reservation, though?¡± Ali asked, putting her finger right on the thorny conundrum.


    ¡°It¡¯s already a challenge to keep up with mana,¡± Calen said. ¡°Enabling this will probably cost me a lot of my own personal power. But it looks like most of the time the tradeoff will be worth it, given the number of minions you can bring to a fight.¡±


    With the twenty percent reservation for Blessing of the Dawn and the new thirty-five percent for his beacons, he would be reserving more than half of his most scarce resource. That meant his personal damage contribution would be substantially reduced, but rationally, this was the most optimal choice. Ali was often bringing up to ten minions and had several swarm options, and with Mato and Malika, that meant his Motes of Light would likely be the single largest contribution to the team¡¯s damage output.


    ¡°Calen, are you really happy just taking a hit for the team?¡± Mato asked, surprising him. Mato could be bull-headed, but occasionally he was quite perceptive.


    ¡°It¡¯s the smart choice,¡± Calen said. ¡°But I can¡¯t say I¡¯ll enjoy the increased dependence on mana potions.¡±


    ¡°I think we should be buying your potions from the group fund then,¡± Malika said, her voice firm, allowing no argument. ¡°If you have to bankrupt yourself to make the team stronger, that¡¯s not fair.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    ¡°Same,¡± Ali said. ¡°Perhaps I should reserve the next free chapter in my Grimoire for potions?¡±


    ¡°You can learn potions?¡± Calen exclaimed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ali said. ¡°I¡¯ve never had enough space to try.¡±


    He had known his friends were generous, but it was surprising just how little hesitation they all had. Mana potions were expensive, and he knew he consumed a lot of them. ¡°Speaking of money,¡± he said, recalling his skinning practice earlier. He hauled out the demonic warg hide and handed it to Malika. ¡°Can you see if Weldin wants to buy this?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes! Thanks, Calen. And before I forget, I picked up these from those hunters.¡± Malika tossed him two bows. ¡°You should definitely upgrade.¡± There was a soft chime in his mind as Malika shared the item¡¯s appraisal with him.


    Flamecaller Bow ¨C level 51


    Damage: Ranged, Physical, Fire


    Attacks gain +10% additional damage as Fire.


    +12% to Attack speed.


    Requirements: Strength 84, Dexterity 142


    Quality: Magical


    Value: 15 gold, 63 silver


    Two Handed ¨C Bow ¨C Drake Bone


    The second bow was almost identical, having +11% added fire damage and +11% attack speed as the only minor differences. They were the powerful recurve bows that had been used so effectively against them by the hunters. Obviously, the added fire damage wouldn¡¯t be useful against the many fire-immune creatures in their current dungeon, and he would need to be careful if they ran into elementals that healed from fire, but the increased attack speed was phenomenal.


    There was only one problem¡­


    ¡°I can¡¯t use it,¡± Calen said, frowning. ¡°I don¡¯t have enough strength.¡± Lyeneru had warned him about this ¨C she had literally told him he would encounter good bows with a strength requirement to draw. He hadn¡¯t ignored her advice, bringing up his strength little by little, but he hadn¡¯t anticipated needing quite so much. Even with all his gear and investments, he was only at sixty-four strength ¨C if he invested all his free points, he would still be short by ten.


    ¡°Argh,¡± he groaned, running his hand through his hair. ¡°If only ¨C¡±


    ¡°Does this help?¡± Malika asked, tossing something else his way. Calen snatched it out of the air and examined it. The dark leather bracer seemed to have been cured by some chemical process, and had cross-stitched leather laces along the side to allow it to fit different-sized forearms. ¡°Here¡¯s the other,¡± Malika said, tossing him the matching bracer to complete the pair. The Flamecaller hunters had worn these on their scaled arms, but he hadn¡¯t connected them with the bow. He studied it without understanding, but Malika was quick to share the description with him.


    Flamecaller Bracers ¨C level 44


    +12 Strength


    +34 Dexterity


    Requirements: Dexterity 154


    Quality: Magical


    Value: 12 gold, 30 silver


    Hands ¨C Demonic Hide


    ¡°Wow,¡± he said. And Malika was holding another set just like it!


    ¡°Good, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I can make this work,¡± Calen answered excitedly. ¡°Thanks!¡±


    He quickly stripped off his level ten Bracers of Accuracy and laced the new Flamecaller Bracers to his forearms, feeling the way the power of the item¡¯s enchantments strengthened his limbs and made every movement even quicker. He then spent all his free attribute points on strength and picked up the Flamecaller Bow. Instantly, the entire length of the bow burst into flame, but curiously enough, the flames failed to burn him. Without asking, Ali summoned a barrier on the far side of the room, in the shape of a target.


    Sighting on it, Calen paused to call over his shoulder, ¡°Did you all get an advancement in mind reading, or what?¡± Turning back, he winced privately.


    He channeled his mana into Radiant Archery, summoning four arrows of light, and fired them all at the target simultaneously. Each of the arrows flared with flames as they left the bow, crashing into the target. A sharp crack sounded through the room, and he could see that the barrier Ali had summoned had sustained some visible damage.


    ¡°That was a lot of damage,¡± Ali said, looking at him in surprise. ¡°I got a ton of mana back from that hit.¡±


    Suddenly, it clicked. Hovering above Ali¡¯s head, his Mote of Light was still pulsing with the energy of his mana reservation, forgotten after their tests. It was adding light magic damage to his hits. And if he wasn¡¯t much mistaken, because it said ¡®on hit¡¯ it was adding the same flat damage to each arrow, instead of dividing the damage. Which meant he had found yet another way to multiply damage across his multishot advancement without penalty. Once again, Lyeneru¡¯s insight was proving invaluable to guide how he should think about¡­ well, everything!


    He stashed his old bow in his storage ring ¨C he would still need to swap to that every time they fought a Shard of Flame or Living Flame ¨C and he would need to test it against all the other monsters in the mines, but against anything that didn¡¯t heal from fire, this bow was an incredible upgrade. Carefully, he studied his sheet, shocked to see how much his dexterity had grown, simply by the combination of his new pair of bracers and his Blessing of the Dawn.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 188: Gold

    AliandraAli had slept well and was in a particularly good mood this morning ¨C yesterday had been tiring, but productive. The morning sun cast long shadows from the guild building, but the air smelled fresh and there was a light breeze blowing. Outside the guild entrance, the old food cart vendor was setting up her stall and beginning to fill the street with the scent of spices and frying meat.


    ¡°Morning, Tabitha,¡± Mato called, waving.


    ¡°Oh, morning, young man, care for a bite before you get started?¡± Tabitha asked, a hopeful grin on her weathered face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do,¡± Mato said, rubbing his belly.


    ¡°Mato!¡± Malika exclaimed. ¡°We just had breakfast.¡±


    Ryn chuckled.


    ¡°I¡¯m bigger than you. I can¡¯t help that I¡¯m still hungry,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll catch up with you guys in a bit.¡±


    Malika just shook her head and walked up to the guild, opening the doors.


    ¡°Enjoy,¡± Ali said, grinning at Mato, and then she floated through the doorway following Calen, Ryn, and Malika while carrying an Acolyte and a Bone Mage on two separate barrier disks. She was still getting used to the dramatically increased control she had over her barrier magic since the advancement, but this too was another reason she was in a great mood ¨C she hadn¡¯t even begun to scratch the surface of the possibilities with her increased finesse.


    ¡°Welcome back, Aliandra,¡± Mieriel¡¯s musical voice greeted her. As usual, she wore an elegant outfit that Ali had never seen before, although she recognized Lydia¡¯s handiwork and style in all of Mieriel¡¯s outfits.


    ¡°Hi, Mieriel,¡± Ali returned her greeting with a smile.


    ¡°Congratulations on reaching gold rank,¡± Mieriel continued, causing a sudden hush to fall over the entire guild hall as many heads swiveled to stare at her. ¡°I¡¯ll call the Guildmaster, she will want to chat with you.¡±


    ¡°Aah, ok,¡± Ali said, a little surprised. Reaching gold rank was a substantial milestone for an adventurer, but she hadn¡¯t expected Vivian Ross to take a personal interest in administration. Although, it suited her quite well ¨C she had wanted to discuss Ryn¡¯s potential guild membership with her. Ali sat for a moment while she waited.


    ¡°Congratulations, Aliandra,¡± Vivian said a few moments later. ¡°Why don¡¯t you join me in my office?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± she told her friends. Leaving them to their own devices, she followed the Guildmaster into her office, ignoring the rising murmur of conversation as she left the hall. Ali remained seated on her barrier, legs dangling over the edge as she floated into the room and glanced about. Everything was neat and tidy, and the entire space, while a little on the spartan side, was efficiently furnished and organized. It didn¡¯t surprise her at all, in fact, it perfectly matched what she knew of Vivian¡¯s personality. A small gold box sat prominently in the center of the desk.


    ¡°Congratulations on reaching level sixty, Aliandra,¡± Vivian repeated, taking her seat. ¡°I imagine you¡¯re wondering why the private meeting?¡±


    Ali was indeed wondering, and rather surprisingly, Vivian Ross seemed to be a little on edge, as if she were the nervous one. Her hands idly organized various items on her desk, things that were already perfectly arranged.


    ¡°I am,¡± Ali answered. ¡°I¡¯m also wondering what has you so worried?¡±


    Vivian glanced at her hands and immediately stopped rearranging her stuff. She took a deep breath. ¡°I guess I should be straight with you. You¡¯re the first member of our little guild to reach gold rank.¡±


    ¡°Is that a problem?¡± Ali had not expected that her level would be such an issue, nor did she understand what the concern was exactly.


    ¡°I guess you don¡¯t know, then,¡± Vivian said, taking a deep breath to settle herself. ¡°As the Guildmaster, I¡¯m required to register all members of gold rank or higher, meaning most guilds, Town Councils, and the nobility across the continent will know who you are. Many towns do not have high-level adventurers, so the registry allows them to direct requests for jobs or help when things are too difficult to manage on their own.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Ali said. It all sounded quite reasonable. The Adventurers Guild was a collective organization that spanned most of the known world, and it made sense to help out the weaker towns when needed. Only¡­


    ¡°Yes,¡± Vivian said, indicating she had anticipated that very thought. ¡°I took the liberty of securing permission to keep the nature of your class private, at least. On Nathaniel Sunstrider¡¯s authority, so it won¡¯t be questioned. That doesn¡¯t exactly solve the issue because a person with censored class information will invite a lot of attention ¨C but it should be better than advertising you across the length and breadth of the continent as a dungeon.¡±


    Ali schooled her features the instant Vivian mentioned the Archmage. Everyone seemed to believe his footsteps were made of arcanite and he exuded an aura of pristine mana wherever he went, but she could never shake that dark image of whatever it was that infested his image whenever she saw him under her Arcane Recall spell.


    She shook it off without revealing her worries and asked, ¡°How exactly will I be listed?¡± She hadn¡¯t expected this level of attention, and she was certain the details mattered. Probably a lot.


    ¡°You will be listed generically as an arcane- and nature-affinity summoner with your class name, but all further detail will be restricted. Mieriel spent a substantial amount of time corresponding with Nathaniel Sunstrider, working out the best strategy. They decided it would be prudent to list you the same way you signed up with the guild before anyone knew. No information would be cause for alarm ¨C instead, if we include the Advanced Identification of your affinities along with listing your class as a ¡®summoner¡¯ people won¡¯t immediately conclude you¡¯re a dungeon or a necromancer.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true,¡± Ali allowed. If a nature affinity was listed, then the summoner class type would immediately be associated with something druidic in nature, rather than any of the more problematic summoner class archetypes. It seemed complex, but she was grateful for the effort and forethought to forestall the knee-jerk reaction that might have resulted from identifying herself as a dungeon to the whole world.  Including the Advanced Identify results seemed smart ¨C some factual information was certainly better than a complete fabrication or no information at all.


    ¡°Is that ok with you?¡± Vivian asked, that unexpected nervous energy making a surprising reappearance.


    ¡°Could you perhaps delay listing me for a week or two?¡± Ali asked. Until her friends hit sixty, she would stand out like a sore thumb as the only gold-ranked adventurer in Myrin¡¯s Keep. If her listing was merely one of four, it would hopefully not be quite as noticeable.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Vivian answered, but it seemed this was not the only thing bothering the Guildmaster. Ali simply remained silent, allowing her to continue.


    ¡°The second problem is more personal,¡± Vivian finally explained. ¡°Many new guilds die when they begin producing gold-ranked adventurers. Picked over by the vultures. Achieving gold is hard, and quite valuable outside of places like Myrin¡¯s Keep. The guilds from prosperous cities, with their cushy environments don¡¯t produce many, but they can afford to devote quite substantial resources to poaching talent from frontier guilds like ours. You will most likely be offered a lot to move, and I¡¯m worried that we¡¯ll lose you.¡±


    Ali considered the Guildmaster¡¯s position. Trying to establish a guild from nothing seemed like an enormously challenging undertaking. On the other hand, Vivian Ross had always gone out of her way to help, and even if it was all for building her guild.


    The Guildmaster bit her lip, frowning, and Ali sensed there was more.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve treated you all that well,¡± Vivian said quietly.


    ¡°I have certainly not forgotten,¡± Ali said, and Vivian swallowed, breaking eye contact to look down at her hands.


    As her strength had grown, particularly her wisdom attribute, all those memories had come back clearer and clearer, a well of anguish she chose not often to plumb ¨C but, she realized in this moment, that somehow she saw her mother¡¯s death as a kind of betrayal, too. This was raw. Betrayal upon betrayal. How could a person ¨C a ¨C ever forget?


    ¡°Aliandra¡­ I¡¯m¡­ sorry,¡± Vivian whispered at last.


    ¡°An apology?¡± Ali heard herself rasp. ¡°Now, when you have something to lose?¡±


    Vivian¡¯s lips pressed together, but it was not anger. ¡°I don¡¯t expect forgiveness. I understand if you prefer to go somewhere else and be done with it all, but I do hope you choose to look past it and stay with us. You have done so much for this guild and the people of the town.¡±


    Ali sighed. It was true that she wasn¡¯t about to forgive Vivian. However, she knew the dangers of blindly clinging to vengeance, ignoring everything else. She had benefited greatly from the guild and Vivian¡¯s advice. Carefully, she said, ¡°Without your help, I wouldn¡¯t have survived the Town Council trial, and I¡¯m well aware of what you did with Alexander Gray. You and I may have our differences, but I like my guild mates, and I feel I can have a positive impact on people¡¯s lives if I stay. I¡¯d like to keep offering people new classes and helping them grow stronger.¡±


    Vivian¡¯s face registered immediate relief. ¡°I guess that¡¯s the best I could hope for.¡±


    ¡°Besides, my class makes it a little tricky to go somewhere else,¡± Ali said. It was hard to believe that such a powerful person could be rattled by something like this, especially when she was normally so confident. Vivian had been no slouch, ejecting weaker talent and poorer attitudes from the guild. But seeing her so nervous finally ripped the curtains away and allowed Ali to see her clearly.


    Something, some past experience perhaps, had broken Vivian¡¯s confidence. It didn¡¯t matter that she was a second-tier evolved combat class with tons of experience if she didn¡¯t believe in herself. She hid it well, pouring everything into the guild, like someone obsessed, and yet, when it came down to it, a guild membership could not be coerced, forced, or controlled. She sat there on the other side of the desk, unable to influence whether her highest-level adventurer chose to stay or go ¨C regardless of how much it might damage the guild.


    Ali squirmed inwardly, not knowing what to make of this sudden insight, but the specter of Vivian seemed to shrink before her. A horrid slurry of emotions boiled inside her chest ¨C self-loathing for this sudden pang of sympathy, the knowledge that her choices here and now would shift something fundamental inside her¡­ all she wanted was to bury herself in a good book, but she also knew she needed to live in the real world, a world where dungeons were hated and power both prized and despised. One thing was certain, Vivian would not be the last person to try to use her for their own purposes, nor Roderik the last to try and end her. She would need to be stronger and smarter than all of them. She would need to take every advantage she could, and forge her own path.


    ¡°This is your gold-rank ring,¡± Vivian said, breaking the silence and reaching for the golden box on the desk between them. Inside, Ali found a gleaming golden ring. ¡°It will unlock the planning room at the end of the hall, and you are invited to join in the guild¡¯s policy decision-making, quest creation, and such things. Not that there¡¯s a lot of that yet, but we are growing quickly.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Ali picked up the ring and glanced at it. She hadn¡¯t realized the guild Vivian was building would allow her to participate in a leadership capacity. She wasn¡¯t quite sure what to make of that, or whether it was something she even wanted. Perhaps she could help plan the class acquisition process ¨C watching novices unlock their classes was one thing that gave her great joy.


    Ali channeled a small amount of mana into her new ring, binding it to her mana, and then slipped it on her finger, replacing the existing one. Like last time, the ring slowly shrunk to fit snugly and comfortably on her finger, and she quickly transferred all her stored items and quests from the old ring to the new one and handed the old ring back to the Guildmaster.


    Vivian nodded, her eyes shadowed. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Gold Guild Ring ¨C level 60


    Owner: Aliandra Amariel


    +41 Intelligence


    +33 Wisdom


    +104% to mana regeneration


    Requirements: Intelligence 210


    Quests


    Eliminate undead in and around Myrin¡¯s Keep ¨C 134


    Eliminate hostile Kobolds in and around Myrin¡¯s Keep ¨C 0


    Mana: Store or retrieve an item. Capacity: 30 / 800kg


    Ring


    ¡°This is impressive,¡± Ali said, staring at the ring in amazement ¨C having missed the enchantments when she first picked it up. It had three attribute enchantments in addition to the storage enchantment, putting the ring squarely in the most-expensive-thing-she-owned category. She looked up to find Vivian smiling happily.


    ¡°You and your friends have made the guild quite a reputation with the crafters, and our store is now one of the most heavily traded locations in the town. We had enough money, so I decided to have the gold-rank rings personally crafted for each person who reached that level. I hope those enchants work for you?¡±


    ¡°This is perfect, thank you,¡± she said. She might just have to go pay a visit to this Giddy Clicksprocket in person and see what else she could make.


    ¡°There is one matter of business I wanted to ask you about,¡± Vivian said, sitting back in her chair.


    ¡°You have enough people for another shrine run?¡± Ali guessed.


    ¡°Yes, we have five combat class recruits who want to be adventurers and three non-combat candidates. I believe you already know Lydia¡¯s apprentice, Elton Moss. Weldin Thriftpenny asked if he could try to unlock a mana affinity if that¡¯s ok with you. It¡¯s not as big a group as last time, so we could wait for more people if you prefer.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, I can do that today if everyone¡¯s ready,¡± she said. She had already planned on taking the time to do it, and today was as good a time as any. Besides, getting the new people started was important ¨C and, to be frank, one of her favorite activities. ¡°I just hope nobody tries to interfere again.¡±


    ¡°Mieriel says the bounty on your head has increased, but after Nathaniel Sunstrider and Rezan Jin were seen at the guild, and seeing that stories about how easily the last assassin group was crushed may have gotten out ¨C¡± her eyes twinkled briefly ¡°¨C you are developing a reputation as being a bit of a suicide mission among some of the criminal underground. She thinks we won¡¯t be interrupted this time, but I¡¯ll come along just in case.¡± Vivian, it seemed, was also worried about what had happened last time. She made as if to stand up.


    ¡°I also have a request,¡± Ali said. ¡°And I think it might help you with high-level adventurer retention in the long run.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Vivian said, arching an eyebrow and sitting back down.


    ¡°My friend, Ryn, is sitting out in the guild hall. She¡¯s looking for a new job and I was wondering if we could have her join the guild as a librarian?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°You want a librarian to join¡­ an Adventurers Guild?¡± Vivian asked, confusion playing across her features.


    ¡°I am rebuilding the Grand Library Arcana, which currently has almost a thousand books that I have copied from various libraries around the continent ¨C including Ciradyl,¡± Ali said. It sounded a little pompous when she said it, but she didn¡¯t care, she was proud of it. When she had asked Ryn, the count had shocked her, but almost a thousand books in that enormous space did not look like a whole lot. ¡°Ryn has a unique skill that allows her to teleport to any library she has ever visited, and she can bring three people along with her. I was going to offer access to the Grand Library Arcana for free to any guild member. Ryn would be able to provide transport, research, and book-hunting services to the guild as its official librarian.¡±


    It was clear the precise moment when Vivian understood her proposal just judging by the astonishment that flooded her face.


    ¡°When those other guilds come looking to poach from us, do you think they will be able to offer membership at a library dedicated to finding adventurers the perfect information for growing their classes?¡± Ali finished her pitch. But she knew the offer was way too good to turn down, and Ryn would be happy here, helping all the guild members with their questions.


    ***


    Ali knocked on the open door to the spartan office that the aide had shown her to. There was a small bookshelf with a few select tomes, all of which glowed with the effects of various runic inscriptions. Across the surface of the table were two bottles of glowing ink and a neat stack of parchment aligned perfectly with the edges of the desk. One book lay open, and the Gnome sitting behind the desk looked up at the sound of her knock.


    ¡°Hi, Aliandra, come on in,¡± Donella Novaspark said, showing a polite smile. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± She laid the pen down in a holder that was made for it beside the ink bottles.


    ¡°This might be a bit of a long shot, but I haven¡¯t been able to advance my Runic Script skill in a while, and I was wondering if you had someone who could teach me some of the other uses for mana-inscribed rune magic? I can make runic circles and read runic magic, but I¡¯ve been reading that there are many other paths and I¡¯m a little stuck on my own.¡±


    ¡°Aah, I see,¡± Donella said, straightening up in her seat. ¡°Why don¡¯t you have a seat?¡±


    Ali took a conveniently sized seat on the chair opposite Donella.


    ¡°My first question would be, are you sure you want to learn this?¡± Donella asked, a surprising question to be sure. But then she explained, ¡°Most of the uses for runic magic fall squarely into the realm of crafting. Pursuing something like item enchantment, scroll inscription, and the like may affect the growth of your class, guiding it towards a crafter path rather than a combat one.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that,¡± Ali answered. ¡°But my class is a scholar-combat hybrid already, so I¡¯m reasonably certain it won¡¯t break.¡± She gazed at the materials on the table, noting the subject matter displayed on the open book, and deduced that Donella had been in the middle of inscribing a scroll. ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same for you?¡± she asked, curious as to why the lightning mage would recommend against the very thing she was doing. ¡°I¡¯ve seen your signature on items before, and you¡¯re crafting scrolls, wouldn¡¯t that influence your growth too?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Donella said, her smile a little more genuine this time. ¡°Do you know what makes an archmage so devastating?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re very strong?¡± Ali suggested. ¡°And past at least one class evolution.¡±


    ¡°Both true,¡± Donella answered, ¡°but there¡¯s more to it than that. Almost all archmages have hybrid classes ¨C crafters and combat mages, or crafters and scholars. For their crafting, they specialize in making wands and scrolls ¨C vastly enhancing the versatility of their magic. Nathaniel Sunstrider carries a heavy tome of prepared inscriptions ¨C a spell for every occasion. It¡¯s an exorbitant path, but extremely effective.¡±


    ¡°Is that the path you took?¡± Ali asked, growing even more curious now that Donella seemed to be opening up a little.


    ¡°Taking,¡± Donella said. ¡°I haven¡¯t reached my evolution yet, but I¡¯m hoping to gain the archmage path. The only problem is I haven¡¯t been able to secure a shrine to process my evolution, and I¡¯m not about to risk breaking my class with a natural-path advancement, so I¡¯m at a bit of an impasse.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Ali said. Being the owner of a shrine herself, she found this topic extremely interesting, but there seemed to be nobody who could tell her how to get her own shrine to do what Donella needed. As usual, she felt the acute loss of the wealth of knowledge that would have been at her fingertips three thousand years ago.


    ¡°If you¡¯re sure you want to study this, there are a few teachers available downstairs for the usual private lesson fee,¡± Donella said, but then she paused briefly and continued, ¡°I have the next hour free, I could give you a beginner lesson on how to imbue your mana into the ink and let you experiment with making scrolls.¡±


    ¡°That would be fantastic,¡± Ali said, leaning in closer in anticipation of learning something fascinating. She had, of course, done her research and already knew that the Novaspark Academy of Magic charged a fee for lessons, but in her opinion, they had very reasonable rates, and a small investment of gold to gain expert tuition seemed quite appropriate.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Donella said, picking up the pen and the ink and channeling a little mana into both. ¡°This will be handy for writing magical books, too. You can see my mana, right?¡±


    Ali nodded and watched and listened as Donella began to explain the basics of mana-imbued ink, how to instill one¡¯s own mana into it and create permanent runes on paper.


    ¡°When you tackle sufficiently advanced projects, you will want to get your ink made by a professional ink crafter,¡± Donella said, making her mana do some very intricate loops and whorls. ¡°But every runic scribe should be able to make the basic level inks.¡±


    Ali nodded, intent on not missing a single detail.


    Donella continued to wield her mana while explaining how to convert rune formations from a book into scroll format, how inscriptions worked, and all the little expert tips and insights that would have taken Ali absolutely ages to discover on her own.


    While Ali wasn¡¯t successful at actually creating a functional scroll by the time the lesson ended, she was extremely happy with the time spent. Donella was an exceptional tutor, adjusting rapidly to the specifics of Ali¡¯s skills. She managed to get the hang of imbuing the ink with her mana to Donella¡¯s satisfaction, and even successfully created a rune on her test parchment, but to actually create a scroll would likely require a skill advancement. And, according to Donella, it would help greatly if she learned the Calligraphy general skill.


    ***


    ¡°Ali, where are you taking me? I thought we were going to the caf¨¦ for lunch?¡± Ryn asked.


    ¡°I thought we¡¯d take a little detour first,¡± Ali said, trying, but failing to be mysterious as they arrived at the door to Lydia¡¯s Allure.


    ¡°This is a clothing store, Ali. An expensive one!¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s run by Calen¡¯s mother, and she helped our group out a lot when we got started. She makes all my robes, and Mieriel¡¯s dresses.¡±


    ¡°I know who she is. Why are we here?¡± Ryn asked, fixing her with a look of suspicion as Ali opened the door and invited her in.


    ¡°Because I thought I¡¯d treat you to a celebration gift for becoming the guild librarian,¡± Ali said and turned to introduce her to Lydia, who was already smiling at them from behind the organized chaos of cloth, fabric, and thread spread out across her worktable.


    ¡°Ali, you can¡¯t!¡± Ryn exclaimed.


    But she could tell that her friend was already excited, staring wide-eyed at the gorgeous gowns and robes on display.


    Rubbing her hands together, she declared, ¡°Oh, my dear Ryn, I can and I will!¡±


    Clearly picking up on the mood, Ryn giggled, ¡°Tyrant.¡±


    ¡°In training.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Ok, opening it,¡± Malika said, retrieving the strangely animate quenching potion.


    Ali stood quietly waiting in the Landing while Malika decanted a single drop onto the Rune of Inferno.


    The smaller class advancement had gone remarkably well, and thankfully, no unwanted guests showed up to crash the party. The small group of combat applicants had been overwhelmed by the whole experience, and she was almost certain most of them had been expecting it all to be revealed as an elaborate hoax. Judging by the appearance of their clothes, they had all come from the slums, and likely none of them was used to being offered a real opportunity without strings attached. Certainly, their reactions to her handing them armor and weapons before their trial proved it. But the expressions of joy and amazement when they finally unlocked real classes had been touching to see.


    The only downside was that none of them had unlocked a healer class, so forming a group to level up would be challenging, but Vivian reassured them that she had a plan and Ali left it to her to figure out.


    Lydia¡¯s apprentice, Elton, unlocked an unexpected affinity for shadow magic, and Weldin had an even more unusual space affinity. She just hoped their mana wouldn¡¯t interfere with their chosen classes too badly, but she had seen some rather surprising combinations work well, so she wasn¡¯t particularly worried. She had rather enjoyed the sight of Elton trudging through the dungeon in a tailored suit, but he seemed a lot more mellow when he wasn¡¯t manning the desk in the store.


    Ali thought as she considered the usual kind of customer that frequented Lydia¡¯s Allure.


    Over by the doorway, the densely mana-infused liquid of the potion sizzled as it dropped into the flames and the rune froze in place. Ali gathered the Sparkling Oozes she had deployed against the Flame Broodmother in preparation for the next spider-filled tunnel. They were just so effective at ignoring the web and unleashing explosions. She would summon replacements that would be better for the tar-filled caverns and the Flamecaller spears up ahead when she reached that part.


    ¡°Ok, this should be quick,¡± Calen said, rolling his shoulders and raising his bow. And suddenly they were blasting their way down through the spiderweb-filled tunnel and out to the other side.


    ¡°How do you want to do this?¡± Ali asked, studying the two patrolling Flamecaller hunters slithering their way across the scalding rocks using the superb vision of her Hobgoblins. There were only five wargs this time, but their average level was a bit higher.


    ¡°How were you seeing through the illusions last time, Malika?¡± Calen asked. ¡°Soul Sight?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They have a long-duration skill that charges up right after they disappear. Their stamina rises like a massive wave behind a wall,¡± Malika said, gesturing expressively with her hands.


    ¡°Sounds consistent with the Power Shot theory, then,¡± Calen said thoughtfully. ¡°Or something just like it. It gains power the longer it¡¯s channeled ¨C a great skill to combine with Ambush. It¡¯s annoying that they get to pull it off multiple times in a fight.¡±


    Ali thought. A long-duration power skill multiplied by the bonus from Ambush striking out from under the cover of stealth or invisibility would easily kill most of her minions in a single shot.


    she thought. She had always had an uncomfortable relationship with Ambush, and now they were facing monsters that could unleash it from range.


    ¡°Keep some Sparkling Oozes,¡± Calen suggested. ¡°We should be able to suppress the illusions with multishot and area damage ¨C just blast them from range. Malika, pull a warg out of the pack and we¡¯ll have the melee attackers focus on that.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want me on the hunters?¡± Malika asked, glancing at him in surprise.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re better used to off-tank the wargs. You can call out the positions of the hunters if you¡¯re close enough, right?¡± Calen said. ¡°We¡¯ll use area damage to break their illusions faster.¡±


    ¡°Ok, can do,¡± Malika nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make a few shamans, too,¡± Ali said. They had been quite effective last time with their novas and curse of lightning vulnerability.


    ¡°Yes, I think those are good for this fight,¡± Calen agreed. ¡°Mato? Anything you want to add?¡±


    ¡°Mmm?¡± Mato grunted. ¡°No. As long as I can keep a wall at my back, I¡¯m good.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Calen said. ¡°And Ali will keep a closer eye on your health, this time.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali agreed, nodding vigorously. She had been forced to conclude that, impressive as they were, bringing a Hellfire Warg to this fight would not be particularly smart, and none of her other beast summons were high enough level to be useful. All that remained was Healer¡¯s Sight, and she had resolved to be more vigilant about watching Mato¡¯s life this time.


    Ali backed up into the tunnel to conceal the brightness of her Grimoire¡¯s magic and began summoning the monsters she needed. As she worked her magic, a thought popped into her brain. She paged through her Kobold imprint quickly, searching for it.


    It was a Kobold variant she rarely had occasion to use, but for this job, it might just be ideal. She typically discounted the dull, onyx-scaled Kobolds with their purple eyes as inferior death-affinity versions of her fireball-slinging pyromaniacs. The Death Rupture explosions they wielded were not quite as big or as impressive as Fireball, and they could badly hurt their allies. But they were her highest-level Kobold variant, meaning they had more health, attributes, and resilience. Down here where everything was immune to fire, the death-affinity magic was suddenly looking mighty attractive.


    Smiling, she summoned two of them and replaced their robes with fire-resistance versions.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Calen asked as she emerged from her tunnel with her new monsters in tow.


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°Ok, pulling,¡± he said, raising his bow and aiming out into the cavern where the hunters roamed.


    Just like last time, as soon as Calen fired his arrow, the Hellfire Wargs charged, and the air filled with a hail of flaming arrows. Mato roared, drawing all the howling wargs to himself, but all similarities to their previous fight ended right there.


    Ali erected barriers to protect the healers she¡¯d already positioned well back near the rocky walls of the cavern, and Mato immediately charged back toward the secured location. Five howling two-headed demonic wolves chased him, each using their Flame Dash skill while snapping at his heels and painting the ground with trails of black hellfire. Fortunately, that was empty terrain, with Malika and Ali¡¯s Hobs already in place, waiting for them while remaining well out of range of the hunters¡¯ powerful flame-wreathed arrows.


    Ali stood a little behind her ranged minions ¨C archers and mages ¨C in the middle, right between the howling, claw-raking, biting melee erupting over by the wall and the Flamecaller hunters ranging wide out in the open. She threw up the strongest barrier she could maintain for protection against the ridiculous fire arrows and Ambush attacks that were certain to come her way. High above her head, a single Mote of Light began to pulse softly, and she knew Calen was ready. she thought, glancing at the second beacon pulsing above Mato and Malika.


    Ali¡¯s mental command caused a ripple of activity to burst from her minions. Brilliantly incandescent balls of explosive light magic lofted up over the barriers to fall down on top of the two Flamecallers with their buzzing ignited bows. Standing beside Ali, the pair of Death¡¯s Acolytes unleashed their scary-looking roiling black balls of death magic. Three steel totems impaled the distant stone near the hunters, jutting out like lightning rods. The Storm Shamans cast their curses.


    She quickly scanned through her minions to make sure she hadn¡¯t missed anything ¨C a process that was slowly becoming a habit. Mato was on fire as he tanked the multiple hellfire breath attacks, but he wasn¡¯t in dangerous territory.


    The two hunters both fired and vanished, leaving behind six animated illusions that drew and held their bows.


    ¡°On the left ridge!¡± Malika shouted.


    Balls of starkly contrasting light and dark magic fell like rain among the images while Calen filled the air with volleys of shining arrows. All the conjured illusory Flamecallers evaporated in a shower of sparks and a roaring crescendo of explosions and lightning.


    ¡°Brace!¡± Calen yelled.


    Ali crouched, reinforcing her barriers with additional mana and a second layer. Powerful arrows of pure flame shot forth from the angry bows of the suddenly exposed hunters. she realized. Their area suppression strategy had disrupted the Ambush by dispelling the illusions, but even partially charged, the Power Shot volleys were still extremely dangerous. Two screaming arrows hammered into her barriers, causing a crack to run down the middle of the one right in front of her face. A powerful surge of mana flowed into her mana pool as her barrier magic converted a portion of the powerful magical strike to usable mana. Immediately, she spent it all and rebuilt her barrier as the next volleys struck.


    ¡°That worked well,¡± Ali observed, cautiously standing up and surveying the scorched rock under the two Flamecallers.


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Calen said, his actual words slurred away to incoherence around the mana potion he threw down his throat. Ali squinted at the sudden brightness as he ignited his mana with Righteous Fury. It was a crazy spell, making his entire body appear like he was burning with flames of white as his mana became supercharged. He had told her it was painful and actually damaged his health a little, but with a restoration already ticking on him, that would not be an issue.


    He fired volley after volley in a rapid stream at the two hunters, burning through mana without a care, but she knew exactly what he was doing. His recent Righteous Fury advancement had removed the penalty of splitting damage among his multishot arrows, and with his new mote-beacons, he would be getting an extra helping of damage per arrow that hit.


    But Ali¡¯s attention snapped to the mote-beacon floating above her head as it too ignited in response to his skill.


    ¡°¡± she commanded, realizing in that instant that of Calen¡¯s mana was empowered by his skill, including the new damage-enhancement aura from his Motes of Light. Which meant her minions also gained thirty seconds of power. Her Kobolds and Goblins yelled and yipped furiously, responding with magic and redoubled efforts. Axes and swords gleamed and flashed with light magic, light and death bombs detonated in a continuous roar of rolling thunder, almost exceeding the brilliance of the Lightning Bolts. As the light of Calen¡¯s ridiculous spell faded, she heard the sound of a double chime and the dull thuds of the Flamecaller hunters¡¯ bodies hitting the ground.


    ¡°Ali!¡± Malika shouted. ¡°Warg!¡±


    Ali snapped her head around and saw Malika standing over the body of a dormant collapsed warg, her fists still aflame with hellfire.


    Instantly, she switched places with the nearest Hobgoblin using Minion Teleport, threw up a small barrier to protect herself from any stray hellfire, and began deconstructing the downed warg. With both the hunters already eliminated, she let her larger barrier drop as the rest of her minions retargeted to the Hellfire Wargs. It didn¡¯t take long for the monster to turn into tiny streamers of glowing mana. When Ali looked up, Malika was dancing toward her, luring a second warg out of the pack.


    Ali slipped her awareness back into one of her holy Acolytes and commanded her slimes and Death¡¯s Acolytes to aim their devastating area damage attacks behind the two wargs Mato was tanking, keeping a close eye on his health while the rest of her minions fired at the isolated one Malika had brought. It didn¡¯t take long before the warg perished, and she deconstructed it too, blocking a billowing stream of hellfire breath from resurrecting it. As soon as she finished deconstructing it, both remaining wargs collapsed under the onslaught of her Sparkling Oozes, Death¡¯s Acolytes, lightning totems, and Calen¡¯s powerful multishot.


    ¡°Do I need to deconstruct those now that everything is dead?¡± Ali wondered aloud.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t need them for your Grimoire anymore, let¡¯s have Calen skin them,¡± Malika suggested. ¡°That demonic hide fetches a nice price.¡±


    ¡°Ok. Calen, do you want the hunters too?¡± Ali asked. ¡°Maybe their scales are good?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you to learn them first,¡± Calen said, retrieving his sturdy skinning knife and getting to work.


    ¡°I already learned the hunters,¡± Ali said, instructing her Hobgoblins to go retrieve the corpses for him to skin. Hopefully, they would be worth some money because they were rather useless taking up space in her Grimoire. Not that it was a big deal, she could just replace the imprint when she found something more useful.


    Ali looked up at the sound of heavy breathing and scraping of scales over the rock to find her Hobgoblins dumping the corpses by her feet. ¡°Do you want this stuff, Malika?¡± Ali asked, eyeing the bows and bracers they wore.


    ¡°You have a bow imprint, right?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Um, yep,¡± she said.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you learn them, then?¡± Malika asked, producing a third bow and offering it. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty great bow.¡±


    ¡°Oh, cool!¡± Ali proceeded to deconstruct all of them. ¡°I could make a few for you to sell. I¡¯m not sure the guild store has a lot of bows yet.¡±


    ¡°Maybe when the novices get a few more levels under their belts,¡± Malika smiled.


    ¡°Aah, yes,¡± Ali agreed. It was not just the novices that were too low for the bows. ¡°I should find some higher-level archers too.¡± It was just a shame she couldn¡¯t use these Flamecallers.


    All in all, she had to admit, the encounter with the Flamecaller hunters had been vastly easier with a little experience and better strategy.


    ¡°What¡¯s next, snack time?¡± Mato asked hopefully.


    ¡°Even budding little tyrants need a snack,¡± Calen added.


    It took Ali a long moment to process the connection. Then her head snapped up. ¡°Calen! Have you been talking to Ryn?¡±


    ¡°Would I?¡±


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 189: Warlock

    - Azryet, Dragon God, Harbinger of Chaos, Herald of Havoc, The Calamity.


    Aliandra


    Ali¡¯s gaze drifted over to the pool of bubbling black tar and the open flame dancing above it. The creature sitting there, lounging ¨C snakes couldn¡¯t really sit ¨C was clearly a Flamecaller, but a type she hadn¡¯t seen before. She cycled through the senses of all her minions, but she was frustratingly unable to make out any better details, none of her minions had good enough perception for her to identify it at this range. What she could see though, were a handful of tiny horned creatures prancing around the flamecaller like little manic effigies of flame.


    ¡°Warlock, and imps,¡± Calen announced, delicate mana formations flickering within his eyes as he used his powerful vision skills. ¡°The imps are his minions.¡±


    ¡°Demons?¡± Mato asked, his lip curling in distaste.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Calen said, still staring off at the monsters in the distance.


    Ali had never seen an imp, but she knew from the demonology tomes Ryn had acquired for her library, and monster compendium, that they were a type of demon from one of the many abyssal planes. Realms beyond this one. Certain classes, of which warlocks were notable, could ¡®summon¡¯ or enslave them to serve as minions. Unlike her own magic, that of warlocks was much closer to realm-crossing teleportation via ritual magic and mind control. More akin to Beast Tamer classes, but there was nothing mutual about the warlock-demon pacts.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing they are fire imps?¡± Ali asked. The tiny monsters appeared to be burning with dark flame like the Hellfire Wargs, but from this distance, it was difficult to make out any details.


    ¡°Definitely looks like hellfire,¡± Calen said. She trusted his eyes better, he had quite remarkable distance vision with his skill, and he had invested even more heavily into perception than she had. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll know what the warlock does until we engage, but we can probably expect fire attacks from the imps.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, hellfire is the worst,¡± Malika grumbled.


    Ali glanced at her in sympathy. This group looked like trouble, and a trickle of worry flowed down her spine, making her skin prickle. The last time they¡¯d encountered a new group, they had struggled while they tried to figure out their strategy. This time, she resolved to use more of her perception to ensure they were not as surprised. She checked her storage enchantment once again, verifying that she still had enough recall potions.


    ¡°Everyone ready?¡± Calen asked. ¡°I¡¯ll bring them over here; this is a nice area where we shouldn¡¯t be interrupted and there¡¯s a wall over there if we need it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll set the healers up by that boulder, then,¡± Ali said, calling her minions to order, and arranging a versatile formation that would leave her ready for anything. Hopefully.


    Mato growled, already shifted, and Malika nodded. Calen vanished into the darkness, leaving his motes of light hovering in the smoke-filled air above them. A few moments later, there was a high-pitched screech as a chain of light slammed into one of the small imps, binding it in place. Instantly, the remaining monsters gave chase, and with a rapid flicker of complex mana formations, two black balls of roaring hellfire shot out across the hellish burning pool towards Calen as he fled.


    ¡°Dodge left!¡± Malika yelled, and Calen didn¡¯t hesitate, dodging to the side with rapid footwork as the two fireballs flew past his right shoulder and detonated a little ahead of him, spraying flame and shards of rock in all directions.


    From the rain of shattered rubble and gobs of flaming tar, Calen sprinted to where they all waited. He bled from several cuts and burning tar had splattered across his right side where the hellfire explosion had clipped him.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Ali yelled as she saw imps standing in the two flaming epicenters where the fireballs had detonated, busy casting new ones.


    Rather than wait for an answer, she summoned a barrier and instructed her minions to engage as Mato charged forward, smashing into an imp, and knocking it flying with his enormous momentum.


    she reminded herself, rapidly scanning through her various minions to see if she could learn anything. Somehow, she had missed noticing how the first imp had escaped Calen¡¯s chains.


    Closer now, she could easily make out their forms. Tiny horned humanoid forms about half her height, shrouded with an aura of continuous hissing dark flame. They cackled incessantly while their crimson eyes glowed with an air of wicked intelligence. The chaotic swirls of mana emanating from the demons reminded her of the flame auras the Shards of Flame used. She recognized the mana now that they were closer, even without her Identify to spell it out for her.


    ¡°Lock them down! Malika, on your left,¡± Calen said, filling the air with shining arrows and the pulsing light of his beacons.


    An incredibly complex magical formation flickered within the imp furthest from Ali and an instantaneously summoned ball of flame shot toward the group of melee fighters struggling to corral the demons out in the open. Ali gasped. But what happened next was far more surprising. The imp flared, turning into a being of pure flame, and vanished.  For a moment, she was certain her mana sight caught a glimpse of its outline the fireball hurtling towards them. It slammed into Mato¡¯s flank, detonating loudly and rocking the Hobgoblins back on their heels, and the imp suddenly reappeared among them, spreading its fire among the burning remnants of the explosion.


    ¡°The imps can¡­ teleport!¡± she shouted, not quite sure how to describe the crazy movement skill she had just witnessed.


    ¡°To fire,¡± Calen added.


    Ali was about to agree when she saw a powerful spell formation building around the warlock at the back. All around it, flame swirled, and mana twisted as it channeled magic through its body. Dark red and black burning runes began forming on the rocky ground surrounding the entire battlefield.


    ¡°The warlock is doing something big!¡± It looked almost like her own runic magic, just many times faster. Sage of Learning sipped from her mana pool as she recognized some of the runes.


    ¡°¡± Ali demanded, launching a pair of barrier shards at it. Her shamans swiveled and unleashed Lightning Bolts at the Flamecaller, but nothing she or her minions did seemed to interrupt the serpentine warlock¡¯s ritual. The giant circle of runic magic flared, and the spell was completed with a rush of angry flame.


    +3 Fire damage per second.


    Fire damage causes additional pain.


    -469 to resistance against Fire magic.


    Curse ¨C Duration: 2 minutes.


    She instantly doubled over in pain. It was like her veins were suddenly filled with fire. she gasped, struggling to catch her breath. Cries of surprise and pain echoed across the battlefield as her minions and friends reacted to the area curse.


    Ali forced her mind into action and scanned through the senses of her minions, but her worst fears were confirmed as Malika and Calen both called out at the curse. It inflicted every one of her minions, too. Then, her mana sight flared as one of the imps triggered several skills back-to-back, and suddenly a double-sized ball of hellfire was screaming through the air towards her.


    Instantaneous fireballs were entirely unfair. Reflexively, Ali ducked when the enormous ball of dark flame slammed into her barrier and detonated. Her body shook from the shockwave and heat, as deep cracks appeared throughout her barrier.


    Three of her nearby Sparkling Oozes died instantly.


    ¡°Warlock!¡± Calen called out through clenched teeth as he fired his bow.


    The Flamecaller Warlock stood tall, out in the open with nobody near it. ¡°¡± she demanded. Her remaining slimes, Death¡¯s Acolytes, and shamans unloaded their magic upon it. The Hobgoblins she sent off to chase down the gnarly cackling imps. The warlock waved a clawed hand and one of Ali¡¯s Hobgoblin warriors was suddenly lit on fire, causing her Acolytes to accelerate their healing magic.


    she thought, studying his health from the perspective of her Acolyte. While the terrible conflagration was magnified by the fire vulnerability from the curse and took great chunks of the Hobgoblin¡¯s health, the Acolytes seemed to be keeping up. She was about to return her attention to the warlock when suddenly, the flames wreathing the Hobgoblin exploded with a powerful blast, hitting the other two hobs and Mato. Her eyes widened in shock as all three of them lit up with the same conflagration, only the original Hobgoblin was left without flame.


    Instantly she switched her perception to one of the burning Hobgoblins and checked its notifications.


    +30 Fire damage per second.


    Explodes when dispelled or expires, dealing hellfire damage to nearby targets. Range: 3 meters.


    Curse Proliferation


    Curse ¨C Duration: 10 seconds.


    ¡°Spread out!¡± Ali yelled, infusing her words with her intent via Martial Insight so that all her minions would understand too. ¡°That curse spreads when it explodes!¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Calen exclaimed. ¡°Health?¡±


    ¡°Hanging on,¡± Ali said, scanning the Hobgoblins scrambling to put some distance between each other and Mato. ¡°¡± she instructed.


    Beside her, one of the Acolytes triggered her Devotion skill, her entire body glowing with holy power, accelerating her healing magic to the maximum as she tried to keep Mato and the two burning Hobgoblins alive.


    Ali kept her senses glued to Healing Sight while she double-checked her recall potions.


    Malika


    Malika gritted her teeth against the pain of the Agony of Flame curse and studied the flow of battle. Hellfire was horrible, but this was far worse. Without her heavy investment into endurance, she was sure her movement would have suffered tremendously. The Hobgoblins rushed around, struggling to pin down the elusive imps which seemed to have a bizarre movement skill that turned them into flames.


    She was blind in this battle, all her foes favoring mana instead of stamina, but she was fast, and therefore best suited for running down the fickle imps. Even though she could not see where they were when they jumped, she had already figured that they always ended up in a fire, so when she saw an imp fire off a howling fireball of black flame and then vanish, she took off towards where it would land. Sure enough, after she dodged the blast wave, the demon appeared dead center of where the fireball had detonated. She greeted it with a solid punch to the face.


    she thought as she leaned on Divine Step and tore into the imp with a powerful flurry of Soul Strike-enhanced blows. The imp¡¯s chaotic aura of flame licked at her constantly, but with Soul Strike feeding her a steady trickle of stolen health, she barely needed her Healing Mantra.


    Suddenly, she felt a surge of fire around her, heating and blistering her skin, and her chime sounded loud in the back of her mind.


    +30 Fire damage per second.


    Explodes when dispelled or expires, dealing hellfire damage to nearby targets. Range: 10 feet.


    Curse Proliferation


    Curse ¨C Duration: 10 seconds.


    Malika hissed through clenched teeth. The curse flared, pulsing fire magic through her flesh, burning at her skin. ¡°Cursed,¡± she yelled, a warning to the others. She was nowhere near anyone, so she simply endured the pain, pulsing her Healing Mantra to stem the tide of damage she was taking while she tore into the imp with her fists and feet.


    It cackled loudly and reached a blackened hand toward her. Before she could react, a huge ball of hellfire appeared between them and detonated point-blank, knocking her flying into the air. She poured stamina into her Healing Mantra ¨C the hellfire having ripped away way more of her health than she was comfortable with. And now she had both the Explosive Conflagration curse and residual hellfire burning her.


    She pulsed her Divine Step to arrest her momentum in the air and before she could charge back into the fray, the imp appeared right in front of her, at the same instant the Explosive Conflagration expired. There was a sucking noise as the air around her vanished into the blaze, and suddenly she found herself deafened and burnt in the epicenter of the curse¡¯s final blast. She poured mana into Healing Mantra repairing flesh, muscle, eyes, and ears. The demon imp hung onto her leg, piercing her ankle with its sharp claws and trying to bite her all the while its aura was burning her skin. She reached down and grabbed it by the back of its scrawny neck, ignoring the fire wreathing its body, and punched it in the head several times until the chime sounded and she landed on the rocky ground.


    Malika dismissed the glowing notification. Everywhere she looked, people or minions were burning. Many of Ali¡¯s monsters lay dead on the ground and the tiny Fae was huddled behind a powerful barrier throwing golden spear-like shards at the warlock. None of the slimes had survived, all that remained were a few rapidly drying puddles on the rocks.


    Malika thought, seeing the urgency of the fight with new eyes. The instant the thought appeared in her mind, she shot off, switching her attacks to draining mana. She tore in from its left side and unleashed her favorite kick combination, Soul Strike flickering blue with the drain. Her body flared with fresh flame as the monster cursed her with a dismissive gesture, but she ignored the pain, healing herself continuously while she accelerated her punches, pushing her speed to the limit as she reached for the warlock¡¯s mana.


    Calen¡¯s orb pulsed brightly overhead, adding flickers of white to each punch she landed, but mostly she ignored the extra damage, converting all the stolen mana into healing the fire and curse damage. She dodged left, avoiding two Lightning Bolts as she kicked the Flamecaller in the back of its head. She followed the blow by stepping around it in the air and punching it twice in the ribs. Upper ribs. It had a lot of ribs. she thought, as she realized it seemed to be casting fewer and fewer spells. Or at least she assumed so, because it wasn¡¯t making those hand gestures anymore. Instead, it swatted at her ineffectually with a long steel scepter it carried. A few moments later, her Soul Strike came up empty.


    ¡°It¡¯s dry,¡± she yelled, immediately switching to attacking health instead of mana every three out of four punches. Calen and Ali¡¯s attacks immediately ceased, as they switched to targeting the imps.  she realized. As fast as she was, the imps were tricky to pin down, and she still couldn¡¯t outrun Calen¡¯s arrows.


    Aliandra


    Ali¡¯s slimes were all dead, and she was down to two Hobgoblins ¨C all victims of the stupid conflagration curse. It had turned out extraordinarily difficult to keep her minions from blowing each other up ¨C particularly the slimes as they were both slow to move and think. She still had one Bone Mage and three holy Acolytes cowering behind her barrier with her. But that was entirely due to her barriers and direct management of their formation.


    At least her shamans were smart enough to spread out properly. She carefully studied the imp with her mana sight as it triggered a skill she had seen several times already, and it finally clicked in her mind with a moderate draw on her mana pool.


    The spell seemed to accelerate whatever it cast next to almost instantaneous speed, and she wondered if this was how her Arcane Recall appeared when she used it on others. Right after the acceleration spell, she witnessed the brief flicker of a remarkably familiar formation, and suddenly two imps were cackling in the fire. Ali felt a sense of dread, seeing visions of them being overwhelmed by an unending horde of horrible demons.


    ¡°New imp!¡± she yelled, causing Calen¡¯s head to nearly spin off his shoulders.


    she tried to reassure herself. Malika had the warlock locked down, so she didn¡¯t have to worry about the curses anymore. Instead, she focused her attention, instructing her shamans to drop their totems in any lingering patches of fire that the imps could use as destinations. Nearby, Calen fired multiple simultaneous arrows at all the imps in sight.  Instead, she focused her shards on a single imp that was already heavily damaged and channeled more mana into reinforcing her personal barrier. The imps had been particularly attracted to shooting at her, and the fireballs were powerful. Whatever they were doing to make the bigger fireballs usually gave them enough power to crack her barriers, but the mana returned at least helped offset the cost of recasting them.


    she daydreamed briefly.


    Another hellfire fireball detonated loudly against her barrier, and the body of an imp that had hitched a ride in the flames appeared spread-eagled against the barrier in the center of the explosion with a splatting sound before it collected itself and ran away cackling. Ali shot several barrier shards after it, one of them even connecting before it disappeared into flame again.


    The deafening crack of lightning shot through the space it had been and there was a chime and the imp¡¯s body materialized, falling to the ground in a smoking heap.  She was certain she had watched the Hobgoblins¡¯ swords passing right through the creatures when they turned into flame.


    There were only three imps left, the one that had been summoned and two remaining of the original demons. She couldn¡¯t tell which was which. Mato smashed his one into a wall and it died, and with a few more well-placed Lightning Bolts and some of Calen¡¯s arrows, the last two died too, leaving only the Flamecaller warlock, drained of mana, and trying in vain to hit Malika with a stick. It didn¡¯t take too long before it, too, was dispatched.


    ¡°Oh, thank goodness,¡± Calen said when it finally dropped.


    ¡°You can say that again,¡± Malika said, trying to slap the fire burning her fists out against a rock.


    Ali couldn¡¯t agree more. She deconstructed the warlock¡¯s corpse, wishing yet again that they were a monster she could use. The curses had both been incredibly powerful, and quite effective as a synergy with each other and the imps. She hated facing them, but if she had been able to add the Flamecallers to her dungeon she would have found them to be a powerful resource. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She moved on, deconstructing the five Hellfire Imps. The tiny demons were less than half her height and looked dramatically less terrifying as corpses. When they were alive, they were wreathed in flame and tossed around giant instantaneous, amplified balls of hellfire. But dead, they were just scrawny horned demons with leathery purple skin so dark it almost looked black, a little like a cross between a shriveled goblin and a raisin. She finished deconstructing them and found a curious-looking small flickering black flame that hovered slightly above the ground, left after her final deconstruction.


    She carefully collected it, instructing her Acolyte to cast restoration on her as she returned to the others.


    ¡°I think we should switch next time,¡± Malika was saying. ¡°I¡¯m more suited to locking down the warlock, and your multishot is a far better tool to be used against the imps.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Calen said. ¡°The warlock doesn¡¯t seem to have a ton of mana, and you ran it dry very quickly.¡±


    ¡°I think those rituals cost a lot of mana,¡± Ali chipped in, handing the hellfire essence to Malika as she gazed at the battlefield, and the large number of her minions that were lying there dead. She would need to deconstruct every last one of them before they moved on, or she risked causing the dungeon to grow stronger. ¡°I think that explosive conflagration is the biggest issue. It causes chaos and messes with our positions, and I can¡¯t get the slimes to run away fast enough, so they just destroy each other.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps more shamans or even archers against groups like this?¡± Calen suggested.


    she thought. Even though her shamans were only level nineteen at most, their lightning magic had proved effective far beyond their class level implied. Almost certainly it was due to their lightning vulnerability curse which let them punch up. Originally tough melee-caster hybrids, compared to what they were currently fighting, they were fragile, and Ali was surprised they had even survived the fight. The more she thought about it, the more she realized it was probably due to the slimes drawing the fire from the imps and the conflagration. She looked at her minions again.  she decided.


    ¡°Do you guys want to call it?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°I have a few more in me,¡± Malika said, trying to smooth out her scorched shirt. ¡°I think it will be a lot easier with our new strategy.¡±


    Ali said, ¡°I might be a tyrant, but you guys are battle junkies.¡±


    Mato chuffed softly, not even bothering to shift back to his Beastkin form to talk.


    After Ali finished sanitizing the battle scene, they headed deeper into the cavern, with Calen ranging out ahead to find more enemies.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 190: Flame Curses

    Malika The Flamecaller warlock collapsed in a sizeable, smoking heap of ruin at her feet, and Malika stepped back to take a deep breath, coughing as she inhaled a little too much of the omnipresent acrid black smoke. As they pressed deeper into the mines, threading through the endless winding tunnels and ancient excavated caverns, the Flamecaller warlock groups grew progressively stronger and more dangerous, and the last three had even included Flamecaller spear wielder, but the adjustments to their strategy had made the fights significantly more stable. Although, for her, they felt boring. Her job was to charge the warlock at the outset and drain its mana as quickly as possible. Calen began each fight with Righteous Fury and attempted to burn down as many imps as possible with his multishot, and Ali and Mato picked up whatever was left over. It did mean they had to wait for Calen¡¯s recharge between fights, but it was definitely worth the increase in reliability.


    She bent over and retrieved the item that this warlock had been holding. It lay precariously balanced over a deep boiling tar pit, caught between two jagged rocks when it had fallen from the dying monster¡¯s grasp. This was the first time it hadn¡¯t been broken by the end of the fight.


    Scepter of Flame ¨C level 50


    Damage: Physical, Blunt


    +35 Intelligence.


    +10% Spell damage to Fire skills.


    Requirements: Intelligence 175


    Quality: Magical


    Value: 4 gold, 12 silver


    One Handed ¨C Scepter ¨C Steel


    she thought, storing the item in her Quartermaster ring, where she kept the items that she intended to sell for team funds. Although, this scepter might be too unwieldy for the smaller Kobolds. Still, Weldin would have no trouble finding a new home for something this good.


    ¡°That was the last easy group,¡± Calen announced.


    ¡°If that was easy, I hate to ask ¨C what does a hard group look like?¡± she asked. The warlocks and imps had seemed rather challenging by themselves and adding a Flamecaller spear wielder had not made it any easier.


    ¡°The pack in the next cavern is a hunter and a warlock, both with four minions each,¡± Calen said, immediately proving there was a combination that would be much more challenging.


    ¡°Aah, how are we going to kill that?¡± Ali asked, a note of worry entering her tone.


    In all fairness to her, Malika was worried too. The hunters had fire arrows, and the Hellfire Wargs breathed hellfire. The warlock¡¯s first curse was the one that lowered all their fire resistance, and there was absolutely no way she could drain it of its mana before it finished that spell.


    ¡°Mato tanks the wargs up against the wall with a couple of Hobs to keep him safe. Give that group a couple of healers and we will kill them last. Malika on the warlock. Kill all the imps first, then the hunter. Then we finish the warlock and finally the wargs.¡± Calen explained.


    ¡°That could work,¡± Mato said, nodding slowly. ¡°I can scratch my back on those nasty volcanic rocks at the same time. Hard on the paws, you know.¡±


    ¡°Poor ol¡¯ bear,¡± Calen said, glancing over at Aliandra, frowning deep in thought as she rubbed her chin. ¡°Thoughts?¡±


    ¡°Why do the wargs last?¡± Malika asked, curious why he had chosen that particular order. The wargs were dangerous and did an enormous amount of damage.


    ¡°They resurrect from hellfire damage, so we need to get rid of the imps first,¡± Calen explained. ¡°If you lock down the warlock quickly, the vulnerability curse will wear off a minute later, and I think the rest will be sustainable with maybe one or two more healers. I think the warlock is the most dangerous so stopping it from casting should be our top priority. What do you think?¡±


    Malika considered his proposed strategy. ¡°It makes sense¡­¡± she said. Left alone to cast its crazy curses, the warlock was definitely the most dangerous, and she had honestly not thought about the possibility of the imps resurrecting the wargs. ¡°It seems good to me,¡± she said, finally convincing herself that it might have a chance. ¡°The Hobs and Mato will probably kill at least one of the wargs before we get to them though.¡±


    ¡°I might be able to block the hellfire breath from resurrecting it with a barrier, and let them move away before deconstructing it,¡± Ali said. ¡°If not, we just kill it a second time? They can only resurrect once a day.¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Calen agreed. ¡°The fight should be a lot easier by the time we get that far.¡±


    With their strategy set, Ali began to summon her minions. While she worked on that, Malika checked on her notifications. There had been a few extra chimes at the end of the last fight, and she was curious to see what it had been before they got stuck into another battle.


    She didn¡¯t check the notifications all the time when they were caught up in a string of consecutive fights, but it was nice to see her level growing, and the attribute points would certainly be useful.


    Her class level had only increased by one, but her skill growth was being accelerated by the frequency of fights they were taking on. But now she had her ever-present problem ¨C only ten attribute points, and too many attributes she needed to invest in. She used dexterity, wisdom, and endurance as her primary attack and defense attributes, but according to Rezan, high dexterity without any investments in strength meant she would lose out a lot on power. Then there was perception, which she needed for Soul Sight. With her taking on more tanking roles, vitality was becoming more and more essential. In fact, intelligence was likely her least needed attribute, and even that was like the ¡®strength¡¯ of spells ¨C it would help her healing mantra and soul strike pack more punch. She sighed, and just put one point into all seven attributes, and split the remaining three among dexterity, wisdom, and endurance.


    Immediately, her notification chime sounded, startling her.


    Perfect Body ¨C level 21


    Mana: Your Endurance, Wisdom, and Dexterity are increased by +76.8% . You gain +21 . Reserve: 20%


    Soul, Buff, Wisdom


    She sat and considered the offered advancement for her skill carefully, not knowing if she should be excited or not. It seemed she had met the final requirement simply by chance distribution of her level attribute points. On one hand, she did need every single attribute, but the number was only her skill level, which wasn¡¯t a lot considering the level of investment in her main attributes.


    ¡°Hey, Calen, what do you think of this?¡± she asked, wanting a second opinion and knowing that Calen would be the one to understand the numbers best.


    ¡°That seems very good,¡± he replied immediately.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem a little underpowered?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s affecting your base attributes,¡± he said. ¡°Which means it should affect your percentage attribute increases twice ¨C once when it increases the percentage, and then it should apply the percentage to the bigger total. It¡¯s like a replacement for the attribute enhancements you lose from not wearing a shield or body armor, but innate to you, so the improvement to your primary attributes should be much better than wearing gear.¡±


    ¡°It seems more similar to an aptitude than gear, don¡¯t you think, Calen?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a better comparison. Gear doesn¡¯t affect base attributes like aptitudes do,¡± he answered, nodding his head thoughtfully.


    ¡°I see,¡± Malika answered. ¡°So, the increase to my wisdom improves my percentage in Perfect Body, and the percentage improves my improved dexterity and so on?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± he answered. ¡°I¡¯d take that one, especially with how many different roles you take on in the group.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± she said, accepting the advancement and suddenly her dexterity jumped, clearing four hundred for the first time, her health, mana, and stamina all dramatically increased, and she felt power filling her as her skills reacted to the change. She was stronger, her mind clearer, and she could sense the stamina energy from her friends with remarkably improved precision.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± she said, the change hitting her far more profoundly than she had expected. It wasn¡¯t like a skill or class leveling up ¨C it felt like all of them at the same time. Literally everything got noticeably more powerful.


    Ali grinned, ¡°That looks positive?¡±


    Malika glanced down at her hands. She had been rubbing her palms together because even that basic sensation was so much more immediate, more visceral, it was like feeling for the first time. Slowly she allowed herself a smile. Loudly, she said, ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t tell Calen, but he was right again.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll keep your secret!¡± Ali agreed, just as loudly.


    Malika chuckled at the sight of the half-elf rolling his eyes.


    ***


    Malika hopped from leg to leg on the balls of her feet, stretching her calf muscles while she waited for Calen to fetch the Flamecallers. They had moved up as far as they dared to give him an easier time. With the imps¡¯ ability to throw out the occasional instantaneous fireball, it was difficult for Calen to reliably avoid getting hit on the way back.


    She marked the locations of the runic circles Ali had started inscribing before each fight, just in case she needed one. They certainly made some parts of the fight easier for Calen and Ali¡¯s healers, but with the chaos unleashed by the imps and the curses, their effectiveness was intermittent at best ¨C and for Malika, she was typically pinned down by the warlock and unable to move much. Still, she¡¯d rather know where they were and not need them, than the other way around.


    Malika thought, her eyes scanning the broken scree and half-melted boulders for any signs of him.  She considered the marketplace and the artisans and crafters she knew in the town ¨C she was quite familiar with most of them now, both due to sourcing equipment for their little group, discussions with Weldin, and from her previous life as an occasional thief.


    Calen had also told her the fletchers were pretty limited too and he was planning on doing some shopping in Ciradyl soon.  she thought,  Calen was simply too easy to read and too honest for proper bargaining. Still, the last time he had visited, he had returned with some pretty incredible Pathfinder boots which she was still wearing. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Another option was speed potions ¨C occasionally Calen had been able to buy them from Morwynne, but the ingredients were hard to come by in Myrin¡¯s Keep. Another thing to put on the shopping list the next time he visited the city of the elves.


    Calen¡¯s athletic form appeared, darting around boulders and pools as he sprinted toward them holding his flame-wreathed bow in one hand. His entire body burned like an effigy. Close on his heels were two Flamecallers and a pack of howling wargs and cackling imps. The Flamecaller hunter snapped off a shot which Calen dodged on the run, but the warlock had tagged him with the Explosive Conflagration curse.


    The short-duration curse expired in an explosion of black flame. Calen stumbled from the sudden impact and hit the ground, barely avoiding a teleporting imp. A snap shot with his bow pinned the monster to the ground with chains of light. One of Ali¡¯s Acolytes stepped forward, hands glowing softly with the light of her holy magic. As the spell released, Calen rolled to his feet and recovered his sprint.  she thought. She was not used to seeing him breathing so heavily after a simple run.


    Malika locked her eyes on her target, gauging the distances. The warlock stopped slithering just a little further away than she would have liked, but it would have to do. She channeled a little stamina and accelerated, tearing past imps and wargs, and dodging flame arrows that sizzled in the scalding air, the rush of power from her Divine Step skill pushing her far faster than she had ever moved. The resilient caster ignored her, already intent on casting its powerful ritual curse, and thus far, nothing short of exhausting its mana had been effective at interrupting its focus.


    she thought as she reached the towering serpent-like form. Soul Strike flickered blue as she opened with a flurry of punches slamming into his ¨C  ¨C tough, scaled torso. In the center of her calm, she wondered why she was trying to figure out the gender of a snake that was trying to kill them with curses and demonic minions. She punched again and again, enjoying the uptick in her overall speed, while the monster wove its potent curse magic with animated gestures and hisses.


    The Warlock¡¯s casting completed with a flash of fiery runes overlaid across the entire battlefield. Malika immediately felt the pain, but it was noticeably muted compared to before, obviously the result of boosting her endurance by forty points.


    She kept up the pressure of her assault as the warlock hissed at her in anger.  She punched three times to what looked like the creature¡¯s belly, halfway up the upright torso and about her shoulder level. She knew she was wildly off on snake-lizard anatomy, but she simply ignored that as she worked on suppressing the powerful caster, enjoying the substantial boost in her physical power.


    She focused on her own health while she unleashed her unrelenting attacks. The pain from the fire curse was not quite as crippling as it had been, and with the increase in her healing magic and her vitality, she felt vastly more resilient to its damage. She celebrated by leaping upward and kicking the monster in the jaw with a perfect axle kick, happy that she had taken Calen¡¯s advice with her skill advancement. A black fang shot loose as the creature¡¯s jaw clacked shut.


    she thought, smiling. This was a skill that would become proportionally more and more valuable as she gained more skill levels, and her damage mitigation grew. She watched the numbers tick by, excited for her new resilience and power. After ten seconds the curse exploded, and she just healed the damage without the slightest interruption in her attack combination.


    Aliandra


    Ali focused, tracking more of the battle at once than she would have ever believed possible. The presence of the warlock had turned what should have been a relatively straightforward fight into a chaotic mess of fire, random curses, and explosions. More specifically, the imps made everything harder.


    ¡°Next to the big boulder!¡± Malika shouted as the Flamecaller hunter vanished, replaced by its near-perfect illusory replicas.


    ¡°Ali, barriers!¡± Calen shouted.


    Ali didn¡¯t bother replying ¨C he was just getting caught up in the frenetic pace and falling into micromanagement. She resummoned her barriers, of course. She had decided to restrict herself to only two Sparkling Oozes for this fight ¨C it was simply too hard for her to manage them in the presence of the Explosive Conflagration curse. Their ability to run ¨C  whatever the appropriate term for slime locomotion was, it was too slow. With only two of them, she had been able to separate them from each other and all the rest of her minions and have them simply lob bombs at the Flamecaller hunter from maximum distance, but she felt the lack of the additional effective area damage keenly every time the hunter pulled its vanishing trick. More and more, she was coming to appreciate the canny Death¡¯s Acolyte Kobolds for their cunning and intelligent awareness of the unfolding situation. Even now, when she turned to direct them, she found that both of them had anticipated her request and were already huddled behind the new barrier lobbing blobs of ominous-looking death across the field to land among the illusions and the crackling lightning totems. Why people considered Kobolds weak and stupid, she had no idea. They were some of her most reliable minions.


    She studied the battlefield simultaneously through her own senses, the senses of a holy Acolyte, a shaman, and one of the Hobgoblins. In the first chaotic minute of combat, with an unfettered warlock spraying curses around, she had lost three of her four archers to an instantaneously cast, empowered hellfire fireball, and three of her six shamans to a combination of flame-arrow suppression fire and the Explosive Conflagration. It had turned what should have been an easy task into a nightmare of anxious improvisation as she struggled to cover her responsibilities with far fewer resources than she had planned.


    The illusions shattered, and the interrupted Power Shot cracked against her barrier with shocking power, but without the additional critical damage coming from Ambush, the golden wall just cracked a little. The Death¡¯s Acolyte who had just been saved let out a high-pitched squawk and fell on his butt.


    ¡°Clear,¡± Calen called out. ¡°I¡¯m back on imps.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Ali said, sending a series of rapid-fire directions to her remaining minions.


    The curse gave her lower-level minions negative resistance to fire, actually amplifying the damage far beyond what was normal. Her little Acolytes struggled to heal her shamans through the enormous damage that resulted from the conflagration and flame arrows. Her Kobolds, at least, had a racial resistance to fire damage, but even that was no match for the giant ball of hellfire that had taken them out in an instant, especially given that the shamans were too low-level to use the elixirs to boost their fire resistance.


    She only hoped she would have minions left by the time Malika finished suppressing the warlock.


    ,¡± she ordered, but the Hobgoblin who had just been hit with Explosive Conflagration was intelligent enough to understand their strategy and was already backing away from the melee so that the explosion wouldn¡¯t hit everyone else and proliferate the curse. The muscular crimson Goblin was also robust enough to survive the explosion, allowing her Acolytes to handle healing the damage without panic.


    She examined the melee group carefully with her Acolyte¡¯s Healer¡¯s Sight tracking their health. She had hoped Mato and the Hobs could kill one or two wargs while they were working on the warlock, but the imps seemed to favor dumping fireballs ¨C or themselves ¨C on the melee group regularly, damaging all her Hobgoblins and simultaneously healing the wargs with an extra infusion of hellfire damage. She would just have to keep healing through it and deal with the consequences later. They still had a hunter to kill.


    ¡°Fury,¡± Calen said, biting the word out from between clenched teeth.


    ¡°,¡± she instructed, and Ali¡¯s remaining shamans, archer, and the one Bone Mage she kept around to boost her intelligence attribute all unleashed their spells and arrows at the unpredictable imps. Light mana ignited somewhere behind and off to her side, causing the pulsing of the floating beacons of light to surge with an injection of raw power. A veritable storm of brilliantly shining arrows filled the air, raining down on all the imps as they scampered around the battlefield. By now her Hobgoblins were familiar with Calen¡¯s powerful damage enhancement, and they reacted with booming shouts of their own to further enhance the melee attacks.


    Ali cast her senses broadly across the expanse of the battlefield and as soon as she detected the spell-formation for an empowered fireball, she summoned her barrier to block it from blasting into Mato and the wargs. In her haste, she had angled the barrier poorly and it shattered from the devastating explosion, but the hellfire rained down in sizzling gobs hitting bare rocky ground and missing the monsters it had been intended to heal. The imp that had fired it materialized in midair amid the spray of tinkling golden shards and burning bits of hellfire and fell to the ground with a painful-sounding thump she could hear from all the way over by the healers. A shining arrow of light slammed into the demon, pinning it to the ground, and instantly it turned into flame, teleporting to one of the nearby pools of burning hellfire.


    ¡°That is a stupidly good teleport,¡± Ali muttered, keeping her commentary quiet enough that it wouldn¡¯t distract Calen as he peppered the battlefield with uncannily accurate shots.


    Ali ignored the fickle demon, leaving it to Calen. She didn¡¯t have the mental bandwidth to harass it with her barrier shards ¨C all her left-over capacity was poured into defending her healers and herself from stray fireballs and the never-ending hail of flame arrows raining down about them. With what little remained, she attempted to interfere with the fireballs that whizzed and detonated all around, angling barriers to deflect them out of harm¡¯s way.


    As if she had suddenly been dunked into a cool pool of soothing waters, relief flooded her mind and body as the pain of the Agony of Flame faded and the curse expired.


    ¡°One minute,¡± Calen announced. ¡°Agony down.¡±


    So much was going on that it was hard to believe that it was only just the first minute of combat, but Malika¡¯s effect was being felt ¨C the warlock failed to refresh the giant area curse. The monstrous caster couldn¡¯t have been fully drained because it was still tossing the Explosive Conflagration about, but the highly damaging curse was vastly more manageable without the negative resistance some of her minions had been subjected to.


    Calen¡¯s intense glow of ignited mana faded, and Ali spied the corpses of three of the imps lying dead on the rocks. As she took note of them, a double blast of lightning ripped the final imp out of the fireball it was riding and threw its blackened, smoking corpse against the wall. It bounced and hit the ground and lay unmoving, flames extinguished.


    ¡°Imps are down. Hunter next,¡± Calen called out the strategy calmly, shifting his focus.


    Ali breathed a sigh of relief and swiveled all her barriers, now entirely focused on blocking flame arrows. At least the Flamecaller hunter was always shooting from a mostly predictable location. She tweaked the positions and targets for her remaining Sparkling Ooze and Death¡¯s Acolytes, happier with the locations their explosive magic was landing in, and directed her one remaining shaman to drop her Lightning Nova totem beside the Flamecaller. The hunter fired its arrow, vanishing from sight and leaving four illusory images behind. Four shining arrows of light from Calen¡¯s bow struck through the center of each image, dispersing them into sparks, and interrupting the hunter¡¯s ability to Ambush.


    ¡°Good shot,¡± Ali observed, impressed with the speed with which he dispatched the illusion.


    ¡°Thanks, got lucky,¡± he answered. But it was far easier to be ¡®lucky¡¯ when the archer no longer had to also concentrate on picking off crazy imps riding fireballs in all directions.


    As best she could with her remaining minions, she filled the space near the Flamecaller hunter with explosions of light, death, and arcing lightning, and began attacking with as many barrier shards as she could spare. Over by the wall, a Hellfire Warg collapsed, and she reacted, dropping all her barrier shards in favor of a protective wall preventing the hellfire of its kin from reaching the downed warg.


    Mato reacted to her barrier, shifting sideways along his wall, dragging the remaining three wargs along with him.


    ¡°Ali instructed, keeping one of her Hobgoblins standing over the downed corpse of the warg, and as soon as Mato had created some distance, she activated Minion Teleport, switching places with her Hobgoblin and arriving right on top of the warg¡¯s body.


    she said, dishing out instructions to the same Hobgoblin, now waiting in her original spot, and began deconstructing the corpse, keeping a watchful eye for stray arrows. As the warg turned into mana, refilling her pool, her teleport recharge expired and she switched back, right in time to see Calen and her pitifully small, ranged attack group finish off the Flamecaller hunter.


    ¡°Let¡¯s finish the wargs, Malika has the warlock under control,¡± Calen called the strategy. It was the plan all along, but it sounded like Calen didn¡¯t like leaving things to chance.


    With none of the ranged enemies remaining alive, save the drained warlock, Ali let her protective barriers drop, converting all her power into flying shards. The wargs dropped quickly to their combined assault, and she only had to deconstruct one of them before the final two died simultaneously. After that, it was a simple matter to finish up the warlock.


    ¡°Took you guys long enough,¡± Malika said, grinning as Ali joined her to deconstruct the corpse.


    ¡°Next time you can chase down all the imps,¡± Ali offered.


    ¡°No thanks,¡± Malika said. ¡°I like my cushy job.¡± She mimed punching an invisible Flamecaller several times.


    ¡°Pfft,¡± Ali said, feigning disinterest.


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 191: Demon Hunter

    Basil¡°Ten percent!¡± Aiden shouted.


    ¡°Stupid Goblin!¡± Havok yelled, smashing the Storm Shaman in the face with his glowing Holy Shield.


    From the pristine lake of mana-purified water, yet another circular blast of water bolts shot out in every direction. Shields were raised, and defensive spells cast as the raid group reacted to the monster lurking down in the depths.


    ¡°Seven!¡± Aiden yelled again.


    ¡°Kill it!¡± Kaitlyn shrieked, her body sparking from channeling excess lightning mana as she unleashed a massive bolt at the boss.


    The powerful Goblin, the last of its three twins, raised a sparking mace and a huge bolt of lightning ripped through the mossy ground, knocking several of the adventurers sprawling amid the massive crack of thunder.


    ¡°Two percent!¡±


    Basil crouched behind his tree. As the only non-combat member of the team, his job was to hide and not get killed. All his work had been during the preparation phase, making healing and mana potions for the team ¨C for this boss specifically ¨C not a lot was needed on the spur of the moment.


    Devan did something spectacularly noisy with her Wind Blades and buried her daggers deep into the Goblin¡¯s back with a whip-crack of sound that might have been louder than the Lightning Bolt, and the monster keeled over to its left and collapsed. Its shield and mace clattered beside it, sparking as its potent defensive enchantments grounded into the dirt.


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    ¡°We did it!¡±


    The battlefield on the lake shore erupted with hooting and hollering, but it was short-lived. The lightning pulsed once from the final shaman¡¯s corpse and then rapidly discharged along the ground into the lake. From deep within the pristine waters, something began to glow. The waters swirled and began to bubble.


    ¡°Oh, shit!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡±


    Basil backed up, even though he was the furthest from the fight. High above the lake, a sudden flicker caught his eye, and a black shape appeared under a disk of golden magic. Immediately, he Identified it.


    The incongruous undead skeleton plummeted upside down toward the water, with Basil unable to tear his incredulous gaze away.


    Suddenly, the surface of the lake erupted as three epicenters of water bolts blasted out at the adventurers. And then the lake began to glow as rings of lightning pulsed from deep underwater, making the surface bubble and boil. Of the unfortunate skeleton, only smoking fragments of shattered bone rained down into the lake.


    As the cloned oozes slithered up out of the water, all hell broke loose, and the raid collapsed. Lightning cascaded in all directions, like the monsters were the living incarnations of the former Storm Shaman totems, all the while blasting everything with continuous waves of water bolts that shot in all directions.


    Basil ducked as one hit the trunk of his tree.


    ¡°Run!¡± Teagan shouted.


    Basil ran. Screams and shouts faded as the pops of escape skills and potions went off.


    ***


    ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± Aiden said, still panting, as he threw himself to the ground. The monstrous water-slinging, lightning-enchanted oozes had retreated into the lake, and the sorry, battered remains of the raid group slowed to a halt in a small grove of trees.


    ¡°The Brine Ooze picked up the Clone ability as soon as the Goblin died,¡± Teagan said.


    ¡°It was more than that,¡± Devan added. ¡°It added the lightning affinity, too.¡±


    ¡°How the heck are we supposed to fight that?¡± Aiden said, throwing up his hands. ¡°I still had that blasted vulnerability curse.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Teagan said. ¡°It was so hard to heal as soon as they reached the group.¡±


    ¡°At least everyone got out safely,¡± Basil put in.


    ¡°Yeah, but now we have to wait for the recallers to come back from town,¡± Aiden grumbled. ¡°We need a full group to try again.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll just get wiped out when we get to the second phase again,¡± Kaitlyn said. ¡°That¡¯s far too much lightning damage for us to handle right now.¡±


    The group fell silent, each nursing their bruised egos or sitting with their thoughts.


    Basil, however ¨C his mind was abuzz with ideas. He had been studying the making of the fire resistance elixirs she supplied to Aliandra¡¯s group, but there seemed to be no reason it wouldn¡¯t work on other affinities. All he needed was a source of lightning affinity¡­


    ¡°Hey,¡± Basil said. ¡°I have an idea, but I¡¯m not sure it will work. But, in order to try it, I need some ingredients from over there. Do we have enough people to kill a few wolves while I go collect herbs?¡±


    ¡°Uh, I think?¡± Aiden said, seeming a little surprised as he surveyed the people left. ¡°We don¡¯t have a tank.¡±


    ¡°I can heal,¡± Teagan said. ¡°And you have enough armor to handle a wolf or two, let¡¯s go check it out.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Basil said, springing to his feet. ¡°Over this way.¡±


    He led them around a few trees, back behind a ridge, and waited while they cleared out a low-level pack of wolves before he reached the flower garden. ¡°Aah, here it is,¡± he said, kneeling in the dirt and reaching for a pretty white flower.


    ¡°You brought us all the way here to go flower picking?¡± Kaitlyn said, but when Basil glanced up at her, he found her grinning at him. ¡°That¡¯s so sweet.¡±


    ¡°Uh,¡± he said, feeling a bit of a flush creeping into his cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s a lightning-affinity flower, you see?¡±


    he sighed inwardly. Mind, if he offered her a posy, he¡¯d probably get his butt lightning-blasted. Basil sighed again.


    Retrieving a set of protective gloves and his tools, he quickly harvested several and then began to prepare them for essence extraction. ¡°Three should be enough,¡± he muttered, crushing them together with some reagents from his ring and wringing the juice out into a vial. Then he pulsed his mana into Combat Potions and began to distill the essence while he added the proper reagents according to the recipe he had memorized. ¡°It just needs a little change here¡­ and here. Hmm¡­ yes. Here we go!¡±


    Suddenly, the concoction crystallized into a sparkling white liquid, and he knew he had succeeded. To his further delight, a familiar, vibrant green vine grew in his mind, the notification lettering neatly following its coils and curves as he read:


    Lesser Elixir of Lightning Protection ¨C level 20


    Consume: +135 to resistance against lightning damage. Duration: 1 hour


    Unstable


    Potion


    ¡°Do you think this will help?¡± Basil asked, holding up his trophy for them to see. The contents of the vial glittered, casting bright white patterns of light that rippled across the ground.


    It was far from as potent as the creations Morwynne or Eliyen could make, and his Combat Potions creations were always unstable. It was both a blessing and a curse ¨C his creations never lasted more than three hours, which meant it was very hard for him to make money like a traditional herbalist or alchemist. But Combat Potions was far more lenient when it came to ingredients, proportions, and taking the proper time to brew ¨C and it was hardly a problem when they intended to use them immediately.


    ¡°Ooh!¡± Teagan exclaimed.


    ¡°Impressive!¡± Aiden agreed, his soot-streaked face losing its downcast mien in an instant.


    ¡°How many of those can you make, flower boy?¡± Kaitlyn asked, her green eyes widening as she stared at the potion as if it were an elixir of eternal life.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of Arc Lilies around here¡­¡± he murmured.


    ¡°Let me help you!¡± she offered enthusiastically.


    Aliandra


    ¡°I don¡¯t need those anymore, if you want to skin them,¡± Ali told Calen, pointing to the two remaining Hellfire Warg corpses. ¡°Or the Flamecallers.¡±


    Calen nodded, retrieving his skinning knife and setting about his gruesome task.


    While Malika gathered up the various essences, and the items used by the Flamecallers, Ali tracked down the four imp corpses and deconstructed those also. Again, one of the imps dropped a lesser hellfire essence, so she called Malika over to collect it, rather than burn herself by touching it. She had just about enough of hellfire by now, but she was hopeful the uncommon drop would prove useful for opening the next rune lock and grant them access to the final wing of the mines and maybe ¨C finally ¨C they would eventually find the anvil and forge of Thovir Emberforge.


    Ali looked at the notification thoughtfully. She had not gotten much in the way of useful imprints in here, so she wasn¡¯t holding out too much hope for this one either. She opened her Grimoire, but she already knew she had no free chapters left, the last one taken up by the Flamecaller Elementals. It was also her least useful imprint, but she was loath to simply discard the powerful curses possessed by the Flamecaller warlock ¨C a variant she had just recently recorded in her Grimoire.


    she thought, staring wistfully at the imprint. Not unless something fundamental about her class or mana changed; they required fire-affinity mana to give them life. A memory drifted to the surface of her mind;  Her father had liked that pithy quote, and she had always thought it to be a little annoying when he would repeat it after she had struggled and failed at something that felt impossible or out of reach.


    Now, however, she remembered his voice with melancholy and nostalgia. She missed him terribly, but she knew he would have been happy to know that his advice was helping her, even a little bit.


    Quickly, Ali selected the chapter to replace the Flamecaller Elemental imprint with the new one for the Hellfire Imp, but then she paused as a half-formed thought bubbled up into her mind from somewhere obscure. ¡°Can we stop here for a bit?¡± she asked. ¡°I need a few minutes to test something.¡±


    ¡°Sure, no problem,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get some snacks ready,¡± Mato added.


    ¡°Snacks?¡± Malika asked, incredulously. ¡°We¡¯re in a dungeon, it¡¯s hardly a good place for a picnic.¡±


    ¡°Come on, picnics are always a good idea,¡± Mato said, offering fruit and prepared bags of nuts to everyone. ¡°You¡¯ll fight better on a full stomach, Malika.¡±


    ¡°Knowing your cooking, I¡¯d¡­ ¡± However, she smiled, ¡°I guess we¡¯re burning through a lot of resources in these long, long fights. Bring it on. Something hotter and spicier than hellfire, please!¡±


    Calen groaned, ¡°Did you have to?¡±


    Ali nibbled on a slice of pear as she paged through her Grimoire, tuning out their banter.


    She opened the Grass imprint to find the entry for the strange blowgun creature she had learned up in the jungle above the mines. It had possessed the strangest property, something she had barely registered at the time. A single variant with pages of runes shared across two imprints. She switched to the elemental imprint, studying her Grimoire closely as it reshuffled the pages to ensure her Bamboo Crawler was offered here too.


    she thought. It had been this observation that had percolated up into her conscious awareness when she had looked at the Flamecaller imprint. After all, she had never been able to figure out why the Flamecaller variants ¨C which were also elementals ¨C had required their own chapter.


    Idly, she reordered the chapters in her Grimoire, comparing the process with the strangely migratory pages of the Bamboo Crawler variant. Hardly thinking about the details, she pushed some of the pages around. There was a little resistance as if her Grimoire was hesitating, but then Sage of Learning chomped down on her mana pool, and with a little flare, the Grimoire responded with a surge of light.


    She stared at it in surprise, but then she swapped back and forth between the Flamecaller and Elemental imprints and, sure enough, her Hunter variant flipped back and forth between the two, just like the Bamboo Crawler.


    Excited now, she sat up taller and flipped back, and with just a few thoughts, she received two new notifications.


    Eagerly, she paged through her Grimoire, trying all sorts of combinations, but the resistance to her manipulation seemed far greater. It would seem she either needed to get something with a greater degree of compatibility or level her skill far higher. Still, she had just freed up an imprint, without losing anything that might one day prove valuable. Smiling, she removed the Flamecaller imprint, replacing it with the Hellfire Imp, and verified that she had indeed retained the other three variants.


    With her magical tome already open to the correct chapter, she channeled her mana to create an imp. A few minutes later there was a pop, and a sizzle of flame along with a strong odor of sulfur, and a Hellfire Imp appeared in front of her, hopping up and down and cackling wildly.


    Her friends¡¯ heads all snapped around; their conversation instantly forgotten as their combat reflexes kicked in.


    ¡°It¡¯s mine,¡± she reassured them. She had been fully expecting it to behave like the elementals, after all, it was a creature of flame. But she supposed she was actually able to create the wargs, so perhaps this monster was similar.


    Up close, she could see its leathery hide and the dark flames emitted from its small form. For once, she had a monster smaller than herself that wasn¡¯t a cute lump of moss. Standing at full height, its horns reached only to Ali¡¯s waist. If it wasn¡¯t on fire, she could easily have patted the top of its head.


    Idly she wondered if it was healthy that she found terrifying monsters suddenly cuter as soon as she could summon them.


    Carefully, she slipped her mind into its awareness, recognizing the strange shifting and blurring of heat-based vision, and she called up its status sheet.


    Ali could see her companions staring at her new minion with curiosity, but they all waited politely for her to study it before interrupting her. She knew Calen would be itching to get the specifics written down in his notebook so that he could help optimize their strategies even further.


    She browsed through the skills. The second skill, Hellfire, seemed to be a versatile combat support skill, adding more hellfire to everything the imp did.  she thought, reading through the descriptions for Amplified Casting and Accelerated Casting The skills both functioned similarly, there was a small passive boost to cast speed and magical power, but the crucial part functioned as a support skill accelerating or empowering whatever spell the monster attached them to. It explained how it made the fireballs instantaneous or more than double damage occasionally. The two skills had a significant recharge time which further explained why they hadn¡¯t been doing it all the time. She had the feeling that metamagic would be very useful in the long run.


    She opened the details for the Flame Form skill.


    Flame Form ¨C level 43


    Mana: Turn into a form of pure flame. While in this form you are immune to physical damage and cannot cast any spells or activate skills. Teleport to any visible flame. While you are surrounded by flame, your mana regeneration is increased by +538% . Duration: At will.


    Fire, Movement, Shapeshift, Intelligence


    It was a remarkable movement skill for a fire caster, and Ali finally understood how the imps were traveling within their own fireballs. It was quite an unusual mode of transport, but it granted significant mana regeneration and defensive protection. If it weren¡¯t for the extreme speed of lightning, it was unlikely that they would have ever been hit in transit. Their Flame Shield ability meant they would do continuous damage to whatever was standing in the vicinity of their destination upon arrival. Unlike most Fire Mages she had encountered, these imps seemed robust enough to survive being up front in combat, and their Flame Form was a powerful escape tool if they needed it. The little demons could hang out in fire all day, regenerating at an incredible rate while remaining immune to all physical damage.


    Its other abilities were mostly defensive enhancements for resistances and attribute boosts. It had a similar reservation skill to Malika and Calen, improving intelligence, wisdom, and dexterity, making the imp quite a powerful and reactive caster.  she thought. It was quite a feat of reaction and timing.


    The last skill on the imp¡¯s list, however, brought her up cold, causing a chill of fear to run down her spine.


    Ritual Summoning ¨C level 22


    Mana: Summon an unbound Hellfire Imp from a nearby abyssal plane. Requires a planar rift to an abyssal realm, or similar connection within 22  km of the summoning. Cast Time: 15 minutes, Recharge: 5 hours. Duration: 24 hours.


    Fire, Ritual, Minion, Intelligence


    Ali thought. As she rapidly read through the ability, her mind conjured an image of Myrin¡¯s Keep overrun by the cackling, pyromaniac demons as they summoned more and more of their kind.  She had, in fact, actually witnessed one of the Imps do exactly that during the fight.


    It didn¡¯t make any sense. She read the ability one more time.  Still, they could likely summon a literal army of the imps if they needed to.


    Still worried, Ali scanned through the remainder of the abilities. The imp had weak armor, but strong resistances, making it most vulnerable to physical damage. But given its powerful movement skill, her Hobgoblins had had a difficult time pinning them down.  she thought. Physical damage with conventionally crafted arrows might kill them even faster than his conjured ones.


    Her eyes paused, scanning through the imp¡¯s attributes, and then widened in surprise. Her heartbeat quickened. It had a staggering 495 intelligence, which surpassed her own by more than two hundred points! Granted it was boosted by its Demonic Power skill, but still. She did some quick arithmetic in her head.  Obviously, it was heavily enhanced by its Imp¡¯s Cunning aptitude ¨C a massive racial boost to the attribute.


    she thought, as she realized she was being stupid.


    ¡° she instructed, taking care to form the images and visuals of her intent due to the lack of a shared language. It cocked its little head at her and then the mana around it shifted. Its actual unbuffed intelligence number was 248.


    she thought. Curious, she switched her minion target from her trusty Kobold Bone Mage to the Hellfire Imp, and her intelligence attribute leapt from 294 to a whopping 479.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± she exclaimed and then clapped a hand across her mouth as her friends stared at her in shock. It reserved a prohibitive 355 extra mana just to keep the imp around, but the gigantic boost to her intelligence percolated through every skill she had, and nearly every single ability. It was more than a sixty-percent improvement. Arcane Insight was the only skill she possessed that did not explicitly list the intelligence trait. But the feeling of all her magic swelling with new power was what brought her up short. Ali dismissed the status sheet and looked at her companions.


    ¡°You seem excited,¡± Malika observed flippantly.


    ¡°This is a scary creature,¡± Ali answered. ¡°We are fortunate they seem to be chaotic and disorganized, otherwise we would probably be knee-deep in hundreds of them. But I have a new walking buff ¨C it is increasing my intelligence attribute by more than a hundred and eighty points.¡±


    Mato gave a low whistle of surprise, an expression echoed on the faces of both Malika and Calen.


    Ali shared the status sheet with all of them and a few moments later, Calen¡¯s face blanched, paler even than his normal pale skin.


    ¡°I see what you mean,¡± he said. ¡°Accelerated Casting with that Ritual of Summoning ¨C if they chained those, they could have an instant army of imps, as many as were in range of their summoning.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Ali said. ¡°I won¡¯t be doing that; unbound demons are just as likely to just attack us as the enemy.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we see an imp use that earlier?¡± Calen asked.


    Ali nodded; she had definitely observed it in the first fight.


    ¡°You know, that means there must be a planar rift somewhere nearby,¡± Calen observed, his expression growing grave. ¡°We should probably tell the Guildmaster, and maybe Commander Brand too. Open access to an abyssal realm could be very dangerous.¡±


    He was right, if the rift were nearby, there was a good chance that Myrin¡¯s Keep would be in danger from stray demons. Just one of these imps loose in the town was more than most of the residents would be able to handle.


    ¡°This dungeon has been here for a while, presumably,¡± Malika noted reasonably. ¡°And we haven¡¯t seen loose demons running around in all the years I¡¯ve been here. I say we keep exploring, and if we find any portals or rifts, we will be able to understand any danger better.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said, getting to her feet. ¡°At least I have my walking intelligence buff now.¡±


    ¡°You know you¡¯re going be Mieriel¡¯s least favorite person, right?¡± Malika said, eyeing the imp.


    ¡°What¡­ why¡­ oh!¡± Ali said, as she suddenly realized that walking into the guild hall with a hellfire demon would probably set all the couches on fire.


    ¡°Look on the bright side,¡± Mato said. ¡°Zombies leaking on the carpet won¡¯t be her biggest worry anymore. Come on, snack time!¡±


    ***


    Several long hours later, Ali gazed ahead at a plain stone door set into an arched opening, clearly crafted through the rocky wall with advanced stone-working skills. There was nothing particularly remarkable about it, no runes of fire to put out, nor warnings, nor even carvings. It didn¡¯t even seem to be locked, with no keyhole or similar binding devices in evidence anywhere. However, it was an artificial doorway deep into a fire dungeon that had spawned in the ruins of an ancient mine. Ali regarded it with suspicion ¨C deeply justified suspicion.


    It was significant, only in that it was the end of the long winding passage of caverns and tunnels. They had fought their way through numerous packs of Flamecallers and their minions, with many variations. Some having multiple hunters, and some adding spear users to the mix. The hardest one had been a group of two warlocks and nine imps. She had lost all her minions during that fight; save the two healers she had been able to protect, her fire-immune imp, and the Hobgoblins with their higher levels and decent health pool.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what¡¯s inside,¡± Mato suggested, ever eager for action.


    ¡°I¡¯m game,¡± Calen said, eagerly. ¡°After all, this looks like it might be the end of this wing.¡±


    ¡°Should we be worried about a boss?¡± Ali asked. ¡°The domain mana seems to be behaving a little strangely around here.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if there was,¡± Malika agreed. ¡°We should be careful, regardless.¡±


    Mato stepped forward and tugged on the door. Surprisingly, it swung open easily, revealing a great cavernous chamber beyond, lit by a surreal shifting light. A rough-hewn set of stairs had been crudely carved into the wall, descending toward the expansive floor below.


    As Ali entered the vaulted cavern, she saw it on the far side. How could she miss it? How could anyone? A jagged horizontal tear hovered in the air near the rocky wall, wide enough for all of them to walk through side-by-side and tall enough for even Mato to pass through with only a little stooping required. The edges of the tear were indistinct, shifting softly in continuous motion and throwing glittering multicolored light into the cavern in patterns reminiscent of aurorae. The ambient mana swirled chaotically, twisted and warped by the strange phenomenon.


    She stared at it, gazing through what was clearly a rift in space to somewhere else. As she watched, something within shimmered and shifted, like watching an indistinct form moving through some turbulent lake or river. Then a small cackling creature appeared as it passed through from the other side, its horned demonic form wreathed in familiar hellfire. A whispering swoosh was all the warning she had before a rapid succession of dark arrows slammed into the imp, pinning it to the ground and killing it instantly. Ali¡¯s eyes snapped to the far end of the room where an enormous Flamecaller loomed, dark flames fading from the still-buzzing recurve bow in its hand. A giant of its kind, its scales were of a deep red so dark the enormous monster almost vanished against the rocky backdrop. Were it not for the sudden attack and the sound of the bowstring, Ali might never have noticed it until it was too late.


    ¡°Raid boss,¡± Calen whispered urgently, slinking backward as if wishing to merge with the wall.


    The rift shifted and swirled again, and this time a Hellfire Warg slunk through, to meet with a similar fate as the late imp ¨C only this time with significantly more arrows required.


    The sibilant hissing voice, speaking recognizable Dal¡¯mohran, echoed through the chamber as the monster¡¯s forked tongue flickered in the shifting darkness.


    .


    Suddenly, Ali¡¯s chime sounded.


    +25% to all damage taken.


    Mark of Prey taunts every hostile entity within 100 meters to attack you.


    Curse ¨C Duration: 1 minute.


    Ali stared at the curse in horror. Another imp crawled through the rift, but this time, there were no arrows to greet it. As soon as it emerged from the rift, its glowing eyes locked onto her and it unleashed an accelerated and amplified fireball. A glittering golden sphere snapped into place around her body as her reflexes took over. It was just in time to block the deafening hellfire explosion and the body of the flying imp that appeared right in front of her face as it slammed spread-eagled into her barrier.


    Ali flinched backward.


    At the far end of the room, the Flamecaller¡¯s bow exploded into black flame and let out a nail-scratching howl as it launched an arrow directly at her chest.


    Whistling through the air, the arrow slammed into her golden barrier with a power she had not believed possible. Cracks radiated through the sphere with small fragments falling like glittering dust to the ground. Urgently, she summoned a new barrier as another Hellfire Warg entered the chamber and let out a chilling howl.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Calen asked urgently as he drew his bow.


    ¡°Curse. Taunts everything!¡± Ali shouted, and then she shared the details in case any of them had the time to read it.


    ¡°Shit! Everyone, kill the Flamecaller. Ali, just focus on your barriers.¡±


    Mato¡¯s reaction was an immediate roar and a charge that launched him across a dozen meters of uneven ground in a flash, slamming himself into the immense serpentine boss with a great crash.


    An arrow flew in a strangely indiscernible direction, clearly obscured by illusion magic. Familiar illusion magic. The oversized serpent creature vanished, and five animated images of its form materialized, spread out across the chamber. Calen¡¯s arrows filled the air, and Ali had the presence of mind to make her minions engage before she reinforced her barrier against the hellfire breath of a warg. Yet another imp arrived through the rift and immediately teleported to the hellfire breath surrounding her barrier and began summoning fire.


    ¡°Ali, fly!¡± Malika yelled as she punched a Hellfire Warg in the side of its left head.


    Ali levitated herself in her spherical barrier, quickly removing herself from the range of the warg, but it was debatable if she was better off in the air. The two imps had clear shots at her and launched a pair of fireballs.  Monsters were steadily entering the chamber and the more there were, the more precarious her position became. At least her hugely upgraded intelligence allowed her to track everything visible in the chamber effortlessly.


    She heard the howling roar before she even knew what hit her. A bolt of hellfire crossed the entire chamber in an instant, punching through her barrier like a sword through gossamer silk, tearing through her body, and ripping her left arm clean out of its socket.


    ¡°Ali! No!¡± Malika¡¯s shout was the last thing she heard before everything went suddenly black.


    Ali came to as her body slammed into a rock about halfway up the wall. Her instinct to summon her barrier around her was the only thing that had saved her from the two Hellfire Wargs attempting to eat her. Everything around her swirled in disorientation as her wound pumped her blood all over the inside of her bubble of magic.


    She willed her barrier to lift her above the wargs, and slowly it did, bringing with it a chunk of rock cleanly cut by the intersection of her bubble-barrier and the wall. She had no idea what her minions or her friends were doing. She had barely enough focus to lift her broken body off the floor and out of reach of the demonic wolves. A pulse of soothing holy magic coursed through her body, and then another. The world stopped spinning, and she looked around. She was still missing her arm, but the grievous wound was no longer spurting blood everywhere. The Hellfire Wargs were trying to scale the wall to reach her, their heavy claws scratching grooves in the granite. Up where she flew, she only had to contend with the fireballs and the boss¡¯s arrows which were smashing into her barrier at a pace that boggled the mind. Fortunately, none of them were nearly as powerful as the Power Shot and Ambush combination that had taken her arm and very nearly killed her. She focused her will, channeling more and more mana into rebuilding and reinforcing her barrier magic.


    As her mind cleared, she realized that the Flamecaller was not just attacking her. It fired six arrows at a time into the cavern, striking her minions, her friends, and the demons indiscriminately. But the demons had an advantage, the hellfire from its weapon did not damage them. In the case of the wargs, it was actively healing them. But not every shot was fire, and a rapid stream of dark arrows suddenly crossed the room, impaling her intelligence-boosting imp. Instantly, her mind sagged, suddenly struggling to keep track of every spell going off.


    Ali stopped counting after the eighth or ninth demon entered the cavern, focusing her entire being on defending against the onslaught.


    The voice echoed through the chamber, cutting through the noise of howls, cackling, and the detonations of hellfire. Every single demon in the room turned and looked at Malika.


    ¡°I¡¯m it,¡± Malika said, her voice unreasonably calm in Ali¡¯s opinion.


    Ali felt a sharp pang of guilt at the relief that welled up in her when she realized the curse had swapped to Malika, followed by a sudden surge of worry for her friend.


    Ali¡¯s eyes met Malika¡¯s and then she heard, ¡°No barrier, Ali. Let me run.¡± Malika¡¯s form blurred as she threw her body into motion, running straight up the rock wall of the cavern with blasts of fire detonating in her footprints.


    Malika


    As soon as Ali had said ¡®taunt,¡¯ Malika understood the fight. Almost everyone would be left alone, except for incidental area damage, while all the power of their foes would focus on killing a single person. And now she was that person, the mark in the Flamecaller¡¯s deadly game.


    She ran, sprinting up and around the cavern wall, using her Divine Step to put her out of reach of the wargs. Hellfire fireballs detonated on the rock all around her while powerful arrows of fire from the Flamecaller¡¯s bow zipped by her ears. The fireballs were not nearly as much of a problem for her as were the arrows. The arrows were simply a lot faster and harder to dodge, all of them were conjured out of hellfire and she had to heal every time she failed to dodge one ¨C and each hit was like a gut-punch, throwing her off her rhythm.


    But she stood by her decision to run instead of hiding in Ali¡¯s bubble. For one thing, her skills were great for this. With room, she could dodge fireballs and even arrows, and she was fast and could stay out of range of half the demons. But also, Ali looked shocked and hurt, and Malika knew she needed time to recover.


    she thought as she discarded the idea of drawing the imps¡¯ fireballs to target the boss. She simply dodged and ran, healing whenever she needed.


    A vast surge of stamina erupted from a vaguely indeterminate location near the center of the chamber. She could see it with her Soul Sight, but for some reason, the exact location was obscured to her. , she realized. The stamina pattern matched the other Flamecaller hunters¡¯ Power Shot, and she prepared herself and concentrated to figure out the exact location.


    At the last second, she saw the shot and she tucked her body into a ball, falling into the ravening mass of wargs below. The howling bolt of hellfire whipped past her, missing by an inch and slamming into one of the wargs, smashing it bodily against the naked stone. Unfortunately, it too was immune to fire, so it simply shook its heads and got up, looking dazed from the impact. Malika leapt from the ground and hopped off the back of a warg and into the air once more. But this time, Ali¡¯s barriers flickered in the darkness deflecting fireballs and arrows.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 192: Predator and Prey

    MatoEvery time he finally figured out where the boss was, and got to it, the stupid snake simply disappeared, forcing him to spend most of his time charging around like an idiot, growling at shadows and illusions. He couldn¡¯t tank any of the demons either ¨C even on the few occasions when his Challenging Roar overcame the curse, it was only for a few moments. The curse was always on and continually taunting the monsters away from him.


    As he growled in frustration at missing the vanishing archer yet again, his chime sounded.


    He roared his challenge again, not for the taunt, but for the strength reduction that Challenging Roar inflicted upon the wargs. He braced himself with his back against the wall and lashed out with a Swipe at the snouts of the pursuing demonic wolves, making them flinch back or yelp in pain. Unlike Ali and Malika, he couldn¡¯t fly, but that meant he was facing down a half-circle of wargs. The only upside was all the imps¡¯ fireballs were slamming into the back of them, instead of him.


    he thought. Even with the twenty-five percent damage vulnerability from the curse, he could still mitigate an enormous amount of incoming damage by reducing the space the enemies had to gang up on him. They kept getting in each other¡¯s way, and Ali¡¯s healers had free rein to walk around with impunity. Well, Ali had them under barriers to protect them from the boss¡¯s arrows, but still.


    Survival Instinct prickled, warning him of an enormous attack. He ducked low, allowing one of the wargs to rear up over him. It was a maneuver he would never have allowed otherwise, but the Flamecaller¡¯s shot was too powerful for him to ignore. The howling arrow smashed into the warg¡¯s spine, knocking it flying right over his head to crash against the wall. He recovered his stance, swiping at the demonic wolf that stepped up to take its place.


    Aliandra


    Ali¡¯s arm itched. It was almost completely regrown already, but she still felt shaken by having lost it. It was a choice she had made deliberately ¨C she could have demanded full healing from her Acolytes, but she needed them to be ready to save the mark. Instead, she had made do with a simple holy Restoration that slowly pulsed within her, healing the damage second by second. It wasn¡¯t like she needed the arm urgently. Although, she did have to go digging around on the ground to retrieve her Orb of Mana.


    she thought. For the entire duration of Malika and Mato¡¯s turns with the curse, she had realized that it wasn¡¯t that difficult of a fight, provided you were not the ¡®prey¡¯. If you were, it was insane, and she knew she was still rattled enough to be missing important opportunities and details. She stood to the side and watched all the demons mobbing Mato, ignoring everything else in the room. Her Storm Shamans¡¯ lightning nova totems must be racking up enormous amounts of damage as the demons didn¡¯t even bother avoiding them in their frantic rush to get at the marked person. Although, with all the hellfire flying through the room, it was not likely they would kill anything more than a couple of imps. Still, she focused her minions on tracking down the boss, and the totems helped dispel some of the illusions whenever it teleported.


    Suddenly, every single demon in the room stopped and turned, fixing their gaze on Calen. He gulped. His wings unfurled and he threw himself into the air, but Ali saw at least ten Amplify Casting and Accelerated Casting spell formations ripple through the horde of demonic imps.


    There was no way she could block all that, and Calen had no way to survive it either ¨C perhaps if she still had her imp boosting her intelligence, her barrier may have been strong enough, but it had been wiped out early in the fight. No chance.


    She threw up a barrier anyway. The first fireball detonation cracked the sphere and the second shattered it a fraction of a second later. Ali threw up another, slightly smaller orb around Calen, but the fireballs rained down like a meteor storm. Barriers shattered as fast as she could throw them up, filling the air with golden shards and dust like her terrifying fall through the ventilation shaft. Her spheres rapidly shrank in size, constricting around Calen¡¯s body. He shouted something through the glittering fiery conflagration, but Ali couldn¡¯t hear a thing.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± she muttered and triggered Arcane Recall. She needed a different strategy. In the abrupt artificial stillness and calm of her spell, she counted seven fireballs passing through the remains of her last barrier on their way toward Calen ¨C and, to her horror, she spotted the remains of a recall potion that had been blown out of his hand, spraying trails of shattered glass and smoke out into the frozen black flames.


    Quickly, she flipped the pages of her Grimoire stopping at the ooze imprint. Which creature she picked was hardly relevant, she was looking for an aptitude. And the Lava Lurker had it. Its body was also infinitely malleable. She summoned it right on top of Calen, forcing it to be created enveloping him. she grimaced internally.It would undoubtedly be excruciatingly painful, but the flame damage from the ooze was nothing like what was about to hit him from all those imps.


    Suddenly, time resumed, and the reddish scorching lava ooze appeared draped over Calen¡¯s head and torso. ¡°¡± she screamed, sending the commands to her Acolytes, but they were already focused on him. His panicked cry of alarm was muffled from inside the body of the ooze.


    she thought. He had been staring death in the eye and suddenly he was drowning, smothered by crawling lava. And she had been unable to warn him beforehand. The detonations of hellfire blasted shockwaves through the room, and her Acolytes scrambled to heal Calen in the epicenter of the blasts. Imps launched themselves recklessly into the fire, trying desperately to cling to the Lava Lurker or Calen¡¯s burning legs, only to fall screaming back into the seething mass of demons on the ground. Ali ignored them, her attention glued to the sight of Calen¡¯s wildly fluctuating health. As soon as the last of the instant fireballs detonated, Ali threw up a fresh barrier around Calen and made the ooze release him.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she called out.


    Calen coughed, his face rapidly unburning to an unhealthy pasty white under the ministrations of the healers. ¡°Uh¡­ no problem.¡± He was visibly shaking from the unpleasant and extremely painful experience, but he was alive. Ali fed her barrier magic more mana.  she thought. The amount of mana she was pouring into the construct was quite ridiculous, but then, so was the damage she was preventing.


    Ali hovered above the mass of demons that now completely filled the cavern. They were even crawling over one another to gain height to try and reach the flying half-elf.


    ¡°Brace!¡± Malika shouted. ¡°He¡¯s doing something big!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ wasn¡¯t big enough?¡± Calen yelped.


    Whatever it was, she couldn¡¯t see anything from the raid boss¡¯s mana ¨C it simply stood there, hellfire winking out of existence, leaving his bow plain and unadorned. He raised it to the roof and fired a single shot, but as the air filled with a thousand arrows, Ali gasped in alarm.


    She slammed a thick barrier overhead and hunkered down next to her Acolytes while she screamed for her friends and minions to come to take cover. Then the storm descended. It was like a hailstorm of arrows that went on and on. Not a single drop of fire magic was present; every single arrow that fell was solely physical damage. Her mana drained, feeding her barrier spell as it was unable to recover anything from the purely physical, stamina-based skill. Calen ducked under her barrier, followed by Malika. Mato charged under cover, his back bristling with arrows like a porcupine. Whichever of her minions did not make it to cover died to the unrelenting onslaught, along with every single demon in the room.


    she realized. The boss was clearing the room before the demons got out of hand. Fire didn¡¯t work against them, so this skill seemed ideally suited to the job. She downed a mana potion to keep up with the demands of maintaining her barrier magic, replacing it every time it cracked, and simply endured. She was reminded of the time they had hidden from the bone spear breath of the Skeletal Wyvern in the library ¨C that feeling of helplessness in the face of an overwhelming onslaught.


    Suddenly there was silence, so stark after the din that it hurt her ears, and she recovered her wits, looking around. But in that moment, she saw something horrifying; a powerful surge of mana drawn from each of the demon corpses flowed back through the domain to the Flamecaller, and the boss¡¯s health began to rapidly recover.


    This time she was more prepared ¨C she collapsed her barrier around herself and fired her shards at the Flamecaller boss as its bow once again flared with the roaring hellfire flames.


    ¡°Calen, he healed to full when he cleared the room,¡± Ali yelled, sharing the disastrous news. ¡°He drew mana from each of the bodies and it all went into healing.¡±


    ¡°Go all out after the next teleport, I¡¯ll use Righteous Fury,¡± Calen called out. ¡°Mato, get in front of the rift and use your Battlemaster. Kill all the demons.¡±


    Carefully, Ali backed up against the rock wall, and sure enough, the boss vanished right on cue. She removed the back half of her barrier, reinforcing the front instead, relying on the rock behind her to keep her safe. It seemed that Calen had understood her guess; the boss somehow healed from the monsters he killed, and his new strategy seemed to be to deny the boss any more kills, relying on Mato¡¯s potent retaliation attack when the monsters ignored him running past to attack the Prey.


    Ali didn¡¯t have time to watch him down there, focused instead on wherever the boss might appear. She whipped her head to the side as the howling noise of the boss¡¯s powerful attack filled the chamber and instinctively shifted her barrier. The room shook and her barrier shattered, but this time she had built enough defense and a properly angled barrier surface. The arrow deflected slightly as it destroyed her golden wall and glanced off her shoulder to bury itself deep in the granite behind her. All she sustained was a small wound and a lingering patch of hellfire as the Power Shot expended its energy into the rock.


    she thought as a small trickle of restoration magic repaired her wound.


    She slammed up another barrier as two imps entered via the shimmering rift and fixed their eyes on her ¨C but their fixation triggered Mato¡¯s retaliation skill, and the loud thumps and crashes of his blurring strikes filled the room. Up in the center, suspended on glowing wings, Calen¡¯s mana ignited, outshining the rift itself. His skill activation signaled their counterattack. The pulsing motes of light flared with intense power, and Ali directed her minions to attack without holding back.  If they ran out of mana or stamina, she would deal with that later. Skills flared, and the room filled with lightning, magic, totems, and arrows.


    She studied the Flamecaller¡¯s health while everything in the chamber howled, hissed, crackled, and flickered. It was the best opportunity for their counterattack, given that the boss had just cleared the room of demons for them. The Flamecaller¡¯s health spiraled rapidly downward under the hail of the empowered arrows Calen was firing, Malika¡¯s flickering punches, and even her barrier shards. Her job, though, was still to keep her healers out of harm¡¯s way. They were weak enough to die instantly to a single arrow. But Mato¡¯s presence at the rift was having a major impact ¨C she did not have to defend herself much against demons even though she was cursed, they were either trapped there by roots or killed from the combination of lightning totems and his powerful retaliation strikes as they all failed to pay attention to him under the influence of the powerful Mark of Prey.


    Calen¡¯s light finally faded, but the boss still stood. He was so close to death it was a wonder he could still move, but he fired his teleport, vanishing and leaving five images behind. At the same moment, the handful of remaining live demons that had come through the rift turned to Mato and began attacking him. In a moment of surprise, Ali realized she had survived her turn as prey without really noticing the curse expiring.


    ¡°Mato¡¯s cursed,¡± Ali shouted.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Calen exclaimed, realizing the implications instantly. If Mato had the curse, the demons would no longer ignore him ¨C which meant his Battlemaster wouldn¡¯t trigger, and their primary tool for killing them was rendered ineffective.


    ¡°I¡¯ll block,¡± Ali suggested, not certain if the improvised strategy would even work. She dropped her heavy barrier and instead threw up barriers around the demons Mato was fighting at the rift.


    She had no desire to let the Flamecaller kill his way back to health.


    There was a sudden howl and crash, followed by a roar of pain as a hellfire arrow shattered one of her barriers and buried itself deep in Mato¡¯s side, knocking him sprawling. Ali reacted instantly, throwing up a replacement barrier in front of him and taking the brunt of a fireball and a hellfire breath attack before they hit him. She could see just how low his health was from that powerful Ambush, and she knew she had to give her healers a few seconds to help him recover. Holy magic flared beside her, and Mato¡¯s health shot up. Another spell landed, and his health recovered further. She blocked another breath attack and finally, his health crept up to a safer level.


    Her intense focus was interrupted by a chime.


    The boss was down, but there were still dozens of demons running around like soldier ants disturbed from their nest. As soon as Mato¡¯s curse wore off, they would attack everyone indiscriminately.


    ¡°What do we do about the demons,¡± Malika said. ¡°And that¡­ rift?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s help Mato clear the room,¡± Calen said, his bowstring still twanging continuously. ¡°Ali, deconstruct the boss quickly. We can keep the demons off you for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Ok. This won¡¯t take long,¡± Ali said, and darted over to the corpse, glad that Calen had remembered her magic, and that she would have the opportunity to learn something new. Demon Hunter was a class they had not seen yet, but it had to be a specialization of the regular hunters. The main differences had been the lack of minions, substantially increased power, and the ridiculous rain of arrows that had cleared the room. Quickly, she set about deconstructing the downed boss while directing her remaining minions to support her friends at the rift. Ten seconds later, the monster evaporated into mana, and several things dropped to the ground while her chimes sounded.


    Ali grabbed the bow and bracers the monster had dropped, along with five essences that flickered with black flame, and stored all of it before she hopped on a barrier and flew off to join her friends. Demons still slowly trickled in through the rift.


    ¡°I¡¯m done,¡± Ali said. ¡°We can go.¡±


    ¡°We have a bit of a problem,¡± Malika said. ¡°The demons are not stopping.¡± Sure enough, as she said it, the rift shimmered and coughed up another Hellfire Warg.


    ¡°Without the boss, they seem pretty easy to manage,¡± Calen said, unleashing arrows at the handful of demons Mato was now tanking.


    ¡°But we can¡¯t wait here until the boss respawns,¡± Malika countered. ¡°And if we leave, what then? Does the dungeon just slowly fill up with demons?¡±


    ¡°You have a good point,¡± Calen said, frowning.


    ¡°What if Ali barricades the door with some stone?¡± Malika suggested.


    ¡°I can do that, but I think the dungeon might just deconstruct it,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°I think we should go see where they¡¯re coming from,¡± Calen said, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. ¡°Maybe we can stop it at the source?¡±


    ¡°Through the rift?¡± Ali asked, eyeing the scintillating tear in the fabric of the realm.


    ¡°We killed the boss, it¡¯s a unique opportunity to learn what¡¯s causing the problem and maybe fix it,¡± Calen argued.


    ¡°Mato would say yes,¡± Malika said, answering for the bear. ¡°The demons are not too challenging, so it¡¯s probably worth the risk.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully it¡¯s not a spawning pool or something crazy,¡± Ali said, but it seemed that Malika was right, there were only two wargs left attacking Mato and both of them were low on health already, due to her strategic barrier placement. Only one imp remained. Even with new demons walking in every now and then, they were killing them quickly.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we leave and try Malika¡¯s idea of boarding up the doorway,¡± Calen suggested, licking his lips as he stared at the portal.


    Ali glanced at the couple of demons ¨C now corpses ¨C that had phased through the rift since the conclusion of the battle. Her eyes lingered on the rift itself and the incredible manifestation of magic it represented, wondering what she might learn from studying it ¨C even just experiencing it.


    ¡°Give me a few minutes to replace my minions and then we can go check it out,¡± Ali said. As her friends and her minions finished off the demons, she resummoned her Hellfire Imp and recovered her intelligence buff and then they all approached the strangely shimmering, shifting tear.


    Up close, it seemed quite stable, only at the ragged edges were there sparks of rainbow-colored mana discharging into the profoundly twisted magic being leaked across the torn boundary between realms. Mato glanced at them and then stepped through the rift, his form warping strangely and turning into a much smaller dark shimmering blob, vaguely seen through the partially transparent rift, and disappearing entirely from her mana sight. It seemed none of her skills worked across the rift ¨C like it was opaque to her magic. Aligned with her desires for once, Sage of Learning drew heavily from her mana as she witnessed the astonishing phenomenon.


    Ali smiled to herself.


    Calen stepped through next, followed by Malika. Ali sent her minions through first and then quickly followed.


    The rift tugged at her skin like a resilient slippery soap-bubble membrane while her body and senses warped and twisted. Her mana sight registered a rainbow-burst of chaotic light and movement for several seconds until she shoved her way through and stumbled out onto the damp, rust-colored rocky ground beyond. Ali coughed, struggling to catch her breath in the acrid, scorching, and oppressively heavy atmosphere. A strong sulfurous stench hung in the air, reminding her of the first time she had encountered a Fire Mage, but it seemed to emanate from everywhere all at once. Yet, despite the discomfort, breathing did not require the continual assistance of a holy Restoration spell.


    A sudden cackling drew a reflexive barrier from her fingertips, and a ball of hellfire detonated on it, but her friends and minions made quick work of the lone imp.


    ¡°This is an abyssal plane,¡± Calen said, his voice hushed in awe as he scanned the deep cavern they had emerged into. His Explorer skill must be going crazy because his attention kept being pulled off to unseen notifications.


    Ali took a few moments to survey the cavern with every available sense. It was hot and muggy everywhere, that much she could tell even without her imp¡¯s heat vision, but the mana was surprisingly dense and potent, contributing greatly to the oppressive weight she felt in the air. The cavern itself was mostly dark, lit only by the shifting light of the rift and now by Calen¡¯s floating orbs that threw back glittering sparkles from minerals embedded in the far walls. They were interlopers here in a desolate wasteland devoid of life. No insects crawled across the jagged igneous boulders, not even a cockroach. No plants sprouted from the cracks, colonizing the mineral-rich ground or feeding on the dense mana. Beside the imp that had jumped them the moment they entered, nothing moved.


    The elusive sounds of distant chimes echoed through the cavern, a hint of a melody that plucked at Ali¡¯s memories and left goosebumps crawling down the back of her arms ¨C so faint that she couldn¡¯t even tell if they were real or it was just her imagination playing tricks on her.


    ¡°Which way, explorer boy?¡± Malika asked, snapping Calen out of his wonder, and Ali chuckled at his sudden startled expression.


    ¡°Sorry, that sounded rude,¡± Malika apologized, ¡°but you  the resident Pathfinder here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said, grinning at her and showing he hadn¡¯t taken offense. ¡°I was just distracted. I never imagined I would set foot in another realm! I think the demons were coming from this direction.¡± The awe in his voice hadn¡¯t entirely left as he led them forward along the rocky scree lining the floor of the cave. ¡°Whatever is creating them seems to be through that tunnel. Mmm-hmm, tum-tee-tum, be on alert, everyone.¡±


    It was nice to see him being so cheerful. Mato¡¯s bear fangs flashed in a grin at their companion¡¯s little ditty. Ali glanced back at the shimmering rift, reassuring herself that the way back was still open. She had no idea what she would do if they got stranded here.


    They followed Calen into a dark tunnel, cracked stone and rubble crunching under the feet of her larger Hobgoblins. The walls wept wine-red droplets of a viscous liquid while the ambient mana pulsed slowly, making Ali imagine that she was entering the bowels of some gargantuan beast.


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this wonderfully creepy?¡± Malika said, cheerfully.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali said, irrationally wishing she could hold her friend¡¯s hand.


    The tunnel meandered back and forth, heading always slightly upward, passing through several wide-open caves that seemed to be filled with debris and rock, occasionally running into an imp or a warg headed in the opposite direction.


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯re attracted to the rift?¡± Ali asked. It was certainly a powerful force, traces of its presence still visible in her sight as rainbow-hued scintillating flecks of drifting mana. Every single demon they encountered seemed to be heading downward toward the rift itself.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a reasonable assumption,¡± Calen said, his eyes glancing shifting rapidly side-to-side. He rubbed his beardless chin thoughtfully. ¡°You¡¯re a very reasonable person, Ali, have I told you that?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ no?¡±


    They came to the end of a cavern with several exits, but Calen led them unerringly to an unnatural-looking hole in the wall, covered with scrapes and grooves as if some monstrous being had chewed its way through solid basalt. ¡°I don¡¯t think we want to fight whatever it is that made this,¡± Ali said, pursing her lips in thought. Some of the scrape marks were larger than her entire body.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll run if we find anything too powerful to handle,¡± Malika said, nodding her head. ¡°I¡¯ve got my running boots on.¡±


    ¡°We might have to actually run,¡± Ali said, starting to form a thoughtful frown that simply wouldn¡¯t stick to her face. ¡°I don¡¯t recall if recall potions work from another realm. Call, recall, call¡­ isn¡¯t that funny?¡±


    ¡°Wait, seriously?¡± Malika said, freezing mid-step and glancing back at Ali for a moment.


    ¡°The Novaspark Locus requires mana to complete the teleport, and the amount is proportional to the distance¡­¡± Ali said. Did distance even have meaning across realms? How much mana would it even cost? Ali ran several calculations in her head, but without a deep understanding of cosmology and the topology of the rift and nearby realms, her numbers would remain wild guesses at best.


    ¡°Oh, and we¡¯re in¡­¡± Calen whispered, his pupils grown large in the darkness. ¡°We¡¯ll have to ¡­ run! Pfft!¡± He snorted suddenly. ¡°Let¡¯s be on our guard! On our guard! On our guard!¡± he continued repeating the sing-song chant as he marched forward. ¡°Come on, no dawdling in the ranks, back there! Hop to it!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up with him?¡± Ali asked, grinning at Malika.


    ¡°Seems excited,¡± Malika answered. ¡°The music¡¯s kind of nice, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°You hear it, too?¡± Ali said, slipping several additional threads of awareness into more of her minions and settling into the unusual Tremor Sense of her Ooze.


    They emerged from the gouged-out tunnel and into a new cavern, but this one had gleaming crystals embedded into the rock walls, glowing with a dark red inner light that reminded Ali of the wargs¡¯ eyes in the depths of hellfire. Dripping from the walls were trickles of shadowed red that pooled into a river flowing sluggishly away through the center of the cavern. At the far edge of her sight, she could make out what looked like a tall brazier of hellfire ¨C whatever it was, it clearly was not natural. She wrinkled her nose at the strange metallic tang in the air.


    Malika let out a low exclamation of surprise.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Calen asked, head whipping about.


    ¡°Bloodstone, look!¡± Malika exclaimed, eyes sparkling with excitement as she crept into the cavern, her hand reaching for a crystal.


    Ali immediately identified it.


    ¡°Wait, Malika! I think we should be careful,¡± Ali cautioned. The mana in this place pricked at her memories, but she just couldn¡¯t put her finger on it. It was a lot denser than she was used to, and the affinities were strangely mixed in a detailed patterned structure that was beyond even her advanced mana sight and understanding.


    ¡°Wait for what?¡± she complained. ¡°Just look at this! We¡¯re gonna be so rich!¡±


    ¡°We are being careful!¡± Calen sang, prancing over to see what Malika was on about.


    ¡°Hey Ali, come help me with this!¡± Malika called, her face flushed as she tried to lever one of the rock-embedded crystals out of the wall.


    ¡°Is it valuable?¡± Ali asked, floating curiously out into the open space, with her minions fanning out around her.


    ¡°It appraises as an exceptionally potent crafting resource,¡± she explained breathlessly. ¡°Useful for armor, jewelry, and a whole host of magical devices ¨C even potions. You definitely need to learn this!¡±


    ¡°Is this blood?¡± Ali ran her fingers across the surprisingly warm gleaming crystal, and they came away wet and sticky.


    ¡°It smells like blood!¡± Malika said, grinning. She wiped a finger across the stone and examined it closely, and then popped it in her mouth. ¡°Tastes like it, too.¡±


    Strange mana poured forth from the crystal, mingling with the rest of the ambient mana in the cave in a way that, while beyond her grasp, still somehow seemed strangely familiar.


    Ali craned her neck to examine the bloodstone more closely. If it was, it was no affinity she had ever heard of.


    Quickly she deconstructed the stone before moving on to the next one with a sudden frenzied urgency. In the background, the strange haunting melody swelled toward a crescendo. As Ali deconstructed the third one, Calen suddenly called out in surprise, standing out in the middle of the chamber.


    ¡°Hey guys! Guys!¡± Calen giggled, the high-pitched sound falling in a strangely muted way in the chamber. ¡°This¡­ this is a dungeon!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Giggles,¡± Malika snorted. ¡°It can¡¯t be a dungeon!¡±


    Ali snorted. ¡°Giggles¡­¡±


    ¡°No, seriously,¡± Calen said. ¡°Look at this!¡± A chime went off in Ali¡¯s mind as he shared the results of his Explorer skill.


    Lair of the Demon God


    Affinity: Hellfire, Blood.


    Age: ?


    Known Creatures: Demons.


    Known Bosses: ?


    Dungeon


    ¡°My skill can¡¯t even figure out the threat assessment or level,¡± he said, and then burst into gales of laughter and slapped Mato on the flank. The hefty bear shimmied out of the way. ¡°Demon God! Ha ha ha! That¡¯s rich, right?¡±


    ¡°Is Mato¡­ dancing?¡± Ali asked, pointing and nudging Malika.


    ¡°He is, and he¡¯s good!¡± Malika crowed, ¡°Maybe I should ask him for some samba lessons!¡±


    Ali grinned hugely; happy her friends were having such a good time. Exploring through the rift had been a fantastic idea. She scanned the cavern, searching for more bloodstone, and her eyes slipped across a shadow that gleamed strangely in the darkness.


    She smiled again at Malika¡¯s raucous laughter and looked back.


    There, staring out of the shadows, was a great floating orb of light-consuming blackness, a shadow among shadows, trailing writhing tentacles that reached to the ground below it. Below the giant central blood-red glowing eye, larger than her head, was a mouth filled with gleaming fangs ¨C and dotted around its face were a distinctly uncomfortable number of eyes of several different varieties and sizes. Two mid-sized eyes stood in the ridged brow above and to either side of the central one, forming an inverted gleaming triangle. A smaller, vertically-aligned central eye was embedded in the forehead above the largest one, with two further pairs on either side. All these eyes swept around to stare directly at her as the mote remnants of the dissolved bloodstone burst out into the air.


    Ali identified him.


    As the notification text appeared, something shimmered and it warped, changing smoothly into something else.


    Ali thought.


    A sudden recollection of pain and despair at the hands of the talented Mind Mage burst into Ali¡¯s mind like a silent explosion of dread. A chill rippled through her heart, and she swallowed, staring at the monster of nightmares. The insidious tendrils of the mind demon had infiltrated her mind, bypassing her defenses entirely unawares! Ali sucked at the air, but found she could not breathe.


    Suddenly, it all made sense; the mana pouring from the bloodstone fed a vastly denser domain than hers, mingling with what looked like hellfire mana, but again much more potent than what she had observed from the Flamecallers and their imp, or warg minions.


    As far as she could tell, in the short distance between where she stood by the crystals and the back of the cavern where the demon lurked, the domain grew far more potent than even the densest mana she had billowing out from the Elder Tree. Certainly, way beyond anything she had ever experienced.


    And she and her friends had waltzed right into the demon¡¯s clutches.


    ¡°Malika,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Come on, Ali! Let¡¯s dance!¡±


    ¡°Malika!¡± she hissed. ¡°Mind magic!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Mieriel is still at the Adventurers¡¯ ¨C¡± Malika began, and then her face froze in an expression of horror, giggles and grins shattered. ¡°Mind magic,¡± she croaked, turning to glance surreptitiously at the demon in the corner as Ali indicated with her eyes. ¡°Fuck, oh fuck¡­¡±


    They both turned to find Mato on his hind paws dancing with Calen out in front of the many-eyed horror.


    ¡°They¡¯re charmed,¡± Ali whispered.


    ¡°I thought Mato had a lot of wisdom, like us? Can¡¯t he break it?¡±


    ¡°His Natural Prowess doesn¡¯t boost wisdom in his Bear Form, only his tree and beastkin forms,¡± Ali said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to get him to transform without alerting the demon.¡± It seemed like the Sentinel was content to keep luring them in with whatever spell it had wormed into their minds, and hadn¡¯t yet noticed that the two of them had broken free of its clutches.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy,¡± Malika whispered back. Standing up with a loud forced giggle, she called out, ¡°Hey, Mato, I¡¯m hungry. Isn¡¯t it picnic time yet?¡±


    The bear wheeled about and immediately transformed into his Beastkin form, and as he did so, Ali witnessed his euphoric expression crumple into one of shock and fear. To his credit, Mato reacted instantly, sweeping Calen off his feet and running full tilt back toward Ali and Malika.


    ¡°Ooh, Mato!¡± Calen exclaimed. ¡°Whee, this is fun!¡±


    The huge vertical eye in the middle of the monster¡¯s forehead split wider and blazed with mana. The background chimes suddenly rose to an angry shriek and blasted into Ali¡¯s mind with the force of a boulder launched from a catapult.


    Ali stumbled, clutching her temples as the hammer-blow of agony almost knocked her unconscious. Only a millisecond¡¯s preparation had helped her to resist; to partially deflect the attack somehow.


    ¡°Run!¡± Malika shouted.


    The Sentinel¡¯s jagged mouth yawned open to reveal a perfect circle of gleaming, needle-sharp fangs, and another mind-breaking, skin-crawling hiss filled the cave. Several more orb-shaped Sentinel demons of differing sizes, colors, and number of eyes shimmered as they materialized in the cavern. The huge central eye gazed at the ground and projected a broad complex runic formation onto the stone with potent red mana. Ali recognized a high-level teleportation spell.


    ¡°Incoming!¡± she yelled.


    She had just waltzed into the demonic dungeon of some ancient god, lured in by a charm spell of all things ¨C and she had pissed it off by deconstructing several of the bloodstones that only now she now realized were part of its domain mana propagation.


    Calen giggled like a child offered a ridiculously large candy.


    The strange mana of this realm rippled all around them, multiplying her danger-sense a hundredfold.


    Ali turned to flee and, in the chamber behind her, dozens and dozens of imps, wargs, and other demons she had no name for began to materialize, popping out of the runic formation with howls and hisses of fury. A second, giant teleportation circle opened in the center of the cavern and a behemoth of a demon suddenly filled the cavern, a presence so vast that the ambient mana bent around it. She had risked a glance back, but she wished she hadn¡¯t. Her blood ran cold at the sight of stubby bat-like crimson wings that sprouted from its massive back as it turned its enormous body to face them. Far too many gleaming fangs were crammed into a dripping maw that seemed too wide for its blunt face. Dark recessed eyes fixed her with a cruel glare while it readied a blood-smeared glaive held in a powerful clawed hand. The weapon was at least twice as long as Mato was tall.


    Ali clapped her hands to her ears.


    Four monstrously heavy legs shook the cavern as the creature lumbered into motion, bearing a corpulent body that would dwarf even Ali¡¯s biggest Forest Guardian. But it was the intense mana and overwhelming presence that made her gasp as it bore down on her with the palpable force of an invisible hand of god, trying to snuff out her life.


    The sticky, cloying mana rolled off of the Pit Lord in waves, crashing through the cavern in time to the pulsing of the crown of hellfire hovering upon its brow. As the stupendous tide of its aura smashed into her, Ali¡¯s notification chimed cheerfully.


    +30 damage per second bleed.


    Demonic energy infuses your blood causing progressively worsening disorientation, perception distortion, nausea, and dizziness.


    After 30 minutes your race gains the demonic trait, and you become a thrall of the Pit Lord.


    Contagious. Range: 25 meters.


    Corruption ¨C Duration: 30 minutes. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She swept up her Acolytes and fled into the tunnel with her friends, frantically throwing barriers up behind them to catch the storm of hellfire hurled their way, biting down against the waves of nausea and dizziness that tore through her body like a squall. She wiped the sweat from her face, but her hand came away dripping amber, covered in her blood.


    A deafening droning filled the air as a cloud of hundreds of demonic hornets each the size of her fist swept past one of her barriers and descended, biting and stinging, upon a struggling Storm Shaman. In seconds, Ali¡¯s reserve snapped, and the poor Goblin dropped to the ground as a shriveled husk, literally sucked dry in moments. Angry red mana surged like mist among the swarm as they circled once and took off after a Kobold rogue.


    The roof crawled as hundreds of cloaked shadowy spider demons poured in after them, seen only through the Tremor Sense of her ooze and the heat vision of her imp. Even as the hornets drained her struggling minions of blood, the spiders appeared from the shadows with vicious blade-like strikes, decapitating and mutilating in an instant.


    The tons of rock weighing down above their heads shook with the force of a mighty crash as the Pit Lord threw its enormous bulk at the too-narrow tunnel, its claws tearing through stone as if it were clay, rapidly expanding the rocky tunnel in its eagerness to hunt.


    ¡°Go!¡± Malika shouted. ¡°Go!¡±


    ¡°Go! Go! Go!¡± Calen echoed, singing merrily while blood ran in rivulets from his eyes and nose.


    ¡°Snap out of it, Calen,¡± Mato growled, barely keeping ahead of Ali¡¯s rapidly dying minions and delaying barriers as his bewildered friend bounced on his shoulders.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have enough wisdom,¡± Ali said. ¡°We need to get out of here!¡±


    ¡°Slap him!¡± Malika yelled.


    Calen¡¯s face scrunched up. ¡°You don¡¯t love me any moooo ¨C¡±


    Mato¡¯s thwack clipped the back of Calen¡¯s head, but did nothing apart from make him blink in surprise. Throwing down a quick Divine Step, Malika found an angle and belted him savagely across the right cheek. ¡°Wake up, you idiot!¡±


    The poor half-elf blinked rapidly several times, his hand leaping to his cheek. ¡°You little ¨C oh! Oh,  I feel the love now¡­¡±


    How they made it back to the rift in one piece, Ali would never know, but somehow, they managed to avoid dying to the fireballs, outran the giant Pit Lord, and avoided the horde of its demonic companions trying to tear them apart. She sighed in relief at the disorienting transition as she dove through the rift, suddenly finding herself back in the empty chamber of the Emberforge Mine¡¯s Demon Hunter with the life-saving holy restoration barely able to keep pace with the corrupted blood that was making her bleed from her eyes and her ears.


    But the surface of the rift rippled violently and an enormous, clawed hand thrust through, wielding the giant glaive that dripped with blood. Ali squealed, scrambling backward behind a hastily cast protective barrier as the huge polearm impaled one of her Hobgoblins and drew it struggling and dying back through the rift. Its despairing shriek cut off with a horrific crunch.


    The surface of the rift rippled, beginning to disgorge demons in their dozens.


    ¡°Aah! It¡¯s a dungeon-break! Run ¨C run faster!¡± Calen shouted, staring wide-eyed at the horde of smaller demons pouring through the rift, clawing, biting, and burning in their fervor to catch them. ¡°What the fuck, why am I bleeding?¡±


    ¡°Welcome back, Giggles,¡± Mato said, ¡°Now, how about you use your own legs for a change?¡± He threw Calen toward the doorway and took off at a sprint, his body already warping into his Bear Form for more power.


    Ali needed no encouragement, pushing her barrier to its utmost speed while she hung on with a white-knuckled grip.


    ¡°What about the respawns?¡± Malika asked, her healing magic flickering rapidly as they rounded the corner entering the Landing. They had been down here for long enough that the Emberforge Mines should have respawned many of the elementals in the earlier tunnels.


    ¡°Just run past them, hopefully they will slow down the demons,¡± Calen managed.


    ¡°Uh, shouldn¡¯t we recall around now?¡± Ali asked, flying as fast as she could with her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She had lost most of her minions to the demonic horde that was pursuing them with fire, raucous cackling, and continuous howling. She coughed, retching up blood, and almost fell off her barrier. Her friends and all her minions were suffering, staggering as they ran, trailing blood on the ground behind them.


    ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± Malika gasped. ¡°The corruption is contagious.¡±


    ¡°We have to find somewhere to stop them,¡± Calen said, his words coming ragged. ¡°We can¡¯t train the dungeon-break into Myrin¡¯s Keep; they¡¯ll kill everyone. And we need somewhere to plant Mato to cure this corruption.¡±


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 193: Realm Break

    - Nevyn Eld [Guardian of the Realm], Professor of Domain Magic, University of Dal¡¯mohra.


    Aliandra


    So many demons poured through the tunnels of the mostly cleared Emberforge Mines that she couldn¡¯t see or hear the end of it. How could she even begin to imagine stopping that? And yet Calen¡¯s words had filled her with dread ¨C what would happen to the people of Myrin¡¯s Keep if they failed? Even just a single Hellfire Imp could set the entire town ablaze, killing most of the townsfolk before one of the few high-level people could stop them. Nor could they easily escape without unleashing a plague of corruption upon the unsuspecting citizens.


    No, this horde would tear through the library, killing Ryn and burning Lira¡¯s Forest without pause. Nothing truly substantial stood in the way of the horde reaching Myrin¡¯s Keep. Those hornets alone could drain everyone, and whatever was left would be sliced up by the spider demons or burned to ash by the imps and wargs.


    She threw up a barrier in front of her, blocking a volley of firebolts from the respawned Shards of Flame, but they ignored them, tearing past as fast as they could. In moments, the pursuing Hellfire Imps teleported in using the bodies of the Shards of Flame as fire destinations for their teleportation magic. But, although vastly outnumbered, the Shards and Lava Lurkers still managed to slow the demonic horde down just a little, absorbing the fireballs and hellfire breath until the rest of the demons could overwhelm them in a tide of slashing limbs and dreadful fangs.


    But blindly fleeing while the blood of the Pit Lord slowly corrupted her mind was no solution either. And there was one more thing. ¡°What are we going to do about those Sentinels?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they can get through the rift,¡± Malika said. ¡°Too big.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Chuckles here isn¡¯t prancing around like a tipsy ballerina anymore,¡± Malika panted. ¡°Yes, the limitations of rifts are well-known ¨C otherwise, history would be a touch different, shall we say?¡±


    Mato snorted.


    ¡°Uh¡­ sorry,¡± Calen said, trying to look anywhere but them. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ aah, keep an eye out, shall I?¡±


    Finally, Ali burst out into the jungle ¨C the pungent scent of trees and damp earth and the welcome sense of her own domain mana ¨C and her mind caught up again. She had lost most of her minions to the demons, and by either instinct or luck, she had managed to protect two of her Kobold acolytes. Without their constant holy magic, even with her high resistance, the blood corruption would have killed her in less than fifteen seconds.


    ¡°Ali? Where¡¯s your boss?¡± Calen exclaimed, his head swiveling left and right in alarm.


    ¡°I removed it,¡± she gasped. If only she still had the Hobgoblin boss she left guarding the entrance, but she regularly unsummoned it whenever they entered the mines as a way to conserve her mana.


    She didn¡¯t just need a boss; she needed a ridiculously powerful boss who could take out an entire horde of demons without dying. It was clear that the Flamecaller Demon Hunter had been constantly guarding the rift against the incursion of the demons for centuries, and they had just happened by and killed him, ripping it open for the hordes to pour through. Then, they had na?vely entered the Abyssal Realm and poked the proverbial hornet¡¯s nest. She winced, recalling just how easily she had been entranced by the siren¡¯s call of that Sentinel demon¡¯s mind magic. It would be at least six hours before the Emberforge Mines respawned the hunter, sealing the rift.


    And she had already used her Arcane Recall. She frowned, trying to concentrate as the endless hordes of glistening crimson demons spewed out of the mouth of the Emberforge Mines and into the jungle, attracting the attention of all kinds of elementals: flame from within the dungeon, but also the flying Glimmer Shards and Coruscant Rays from the summoning pool. Her mind did not want to work properly, dizziness and disorientation playing havoc with her concentration, and now, even the world around her warped and shimmered in ways she knew were not real.


    Her eyes scanned across the pitiful remnants of her minion army. She didn¡¯t exactly have much left to work with. She had a single dual-axe-wielding Hobgoblin, a Hellfire Imp, two holy Acolytes, and a Sparkling Ooze that had managed to survive by hitching a ride on the Hobgoblin¡¯s back. Dozens of Demonic Hornets twitched feebly from within the Ooze¡¯s transparent body, slowly dissolving. Everything else had been wiped out somewhere along the way.


    She had visions of the demons burning down the entire library on the way to razing the town. She slowed, forcing her mind to work via sheer willpower, and placed a hand on her Hobgoblin¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°¡± Ali told her and dredged up her magic.


    ¡°Yes, Mistress,¡± her Hobgoblin replied, turning the grim mask of her bloody face to the oncoming horde, raising her axes without hesitation. Even her Hobgoblin was suffering under the devastating corruption, but the raid domain enhancement should give her a lot more health.


    She needed her Hobgoblin to be powerful, but she did not have much time, so she chose the first things that came to mind, thinking only of what the essence of a warrior was.


    The Hobgoblin¡¯s body swelled as the potent domain mana infused her with power. Her muscles bulged massively, and her body twitched as she let out a ferocious battle cry that caused the entire horde of demons to pause.


    Domain mana surged within her, drawn like a great inhalation from the surrounding trees and moss, and she summoned a copy of herself. Then it surged again as a third copy appeared. All three identical Hobgoblins turned to regard each other for a moment. A brief nod was exchanged and then all three of them charged, tearing into the demons with a savage brutality that sent chills running down Ali¡¯s spine.


    She had the presence of mind to notice at least that.


    ¡°Keep running,¡± Malika urged.


    The three warriors coordinated perfectly, guarding each other as they lashed out with an incredible flurry of dark Eimuuran steel blades and flying blood in a display of martial arts that would have made even Malika proud. The speed of their strikes was unreal, and so was the power. The strength enhancement on top of the two-and-a-half-times damage multiplier from the raid domain enhancement sent the smaller demons flying, limbs separated so violently that their obsidian bones ripped right through their tough hides. The dexterity boost granted speed, reactions, critical damage, and accuracy, all of which combined to produce a nightmare of steel and gore.


    Ali¡¯s notification chime sounded continuously as she fled the scene catching up to her friends. But she kept her Martial Insight trained on the senses of her newest raid boss, desperately hoping that she would be enough.


    ¡°Is it working?¡± Calen gasped.


    But it quickly became clear that they would fall. Clouds of demonic hornets swarmed around the Hobgoblins with an angry droning, biting and stinging, spraying clouds of Goblin blood into the air that formed an ominous red mist that somehow empowered the swarm. Gleaming, scythe-like legs slashed and pierced as the stalker demons emerged like a dark and shimmering tide from the unseen shadows with vicious rending strikes.


    Even with the power and enormous life and energy of the raid boss, all the clones were losing health steadily and many of the demons began bypassing them, leaving them to the never-ending horde that followed.


    ¡°No¡­¡± she said. The Hobgoblins would buy them some time, but she would need a second boss, and for that, she needed to get further away. ¡°I need¡­ something stronger.¡±


    She racked her brain to think of something that might be effective against such unimaginable numbers. The wargs and the imps were immune to fire, and the imps would heal the wargs. What seemed abundantly clear was that she needed some way to block the tide or an area damage attack to hit all of them simultaneously ¨C anything that was not fire. Frantically, she threw out enormous domain-enhanced barrier walls, desperate to buy them just a little more time. She staggered, her barrier tipping sideways precariously before she caught herself, holding onto the blood-slick surface with a death grip.


    ¡°The Demon Hunter,¡± Calen panted. ¡°How did he do it?¡±


    As she was desperately searching for any ideas, Calen¡¯s suggestion suddenly turned her thoughts to the Flamecaller Demon Hunter they had just slain, and with a kernel of hope kindling within, she opened the description for the newest ability she had learned. Mark of Prey would not be useful here, but the second one had been an ability called Slayer ¨C specifically for demons.


    Glittering golden text imprinted the ability on the aged parchment of her mind¡¯s tome. She scanned it instantly, pushing her Reading skill to the limits in a frantic grasp for time.


    Slayer


    Requirements: Enemy must be one you understand or can create.


    Source: Demon Hunter


    Choose an enemy  to hunt. Your minion gains a substantial bonus to all damage when fighting the chosen enemy. Your minion gains a percentage of each slain enemy¡¯s health over thirty seconds. The more specific your chosen enemy, the greater the bonus to damage done and health gained.


    Skill ¨C Domain Magic


    As she finally passed the domain range for her Hobgoblin raid boss, she had her idea. Choosing her Sparkling Ooze this time, surprisingly her only perfectly healthy monster, she activated her domain magic a second time.


    She wished she had checked Slayer first before making the Hobgoblin boss, but now that she understood it, she could use it, and hopefully what she had in mind for the ooze would be sufficient. What she had failed to consider in the heat of the moment was healing and area damage ¨C against such a multitude, they would be essential. Slayer would take care of healing, and she had a Sparkling Ooze.


    For her Slayer, she chose the entire category of demons, wanting to set the bonus against every single monster in that inexorable horde. It seemed she could choose anything her Grimoire was capable of making, all the way from a specific monster like the Hellfire Imp, through the broadest category like beast or humanoid. She just hoped ¡®Demon¡¯ wasn¡¯t too general and that she got a substantial damage boost.


    For the rest of her plan, she decided she needed volume and area damage, so she cloned her Sparkling Ooze to ensure there would be three of them and enhanced their ranged Sparkling Bomb attack with Nova Strike to double down on the area damage.


    Her ooze filled with a rush of domain mana, and it began to glow intensely. As it reacted to the vast power of her raid domain enhancement, she quickly set about finishing her plans, filling the area with massive domain-supported barriers with only small gaps between them.


    The ooze summoned its clones, and they spread out, exploring the area Ali had given them. With the three cloned oozes all using Nova Strike to multiply their ranged light bombs empowered with slayer magic that was tuned to kill demons, she certainly hoped this boss would have more success than the last one. She fled the scene, desperately hoping for her plan to work.


    Her mana twisted, and her senses wrenched out of the last dying Hobgoblin boss as it fell to the ravening horde that swept over it. She switched quickly to her Sparkling Oozes, feeling the rumble through the ground and the buzzing drone of uncountable demonic wings as the black writhing sea of bodies charged forward. She couldn¡¯t even begin to count them.


    ¡°Is it working?¡± Calen asked as they continued rushing toward the library. He looked horrible, staggering drunkenly with trails of blood soaking the front of his armor.


    ¡°The Hobgoblin just fell, but I made a triple ooze with Demon Slayer and Nova Strike. I blocked them in with barriers.¡± She checked its sheet quickly and found that her Slayer magic was adding more than a hundred percent to her Sparkling Ooze¡¯s damage.


    ¡°That¡¯s clever,¡± he said, coughing, but Ali was still very worried. He hadn¡¯t seen the sheer vastness of the demonic horde that bore down on them. As much as it terrified her, she scanned the tide of demons constantly, searching for any sign of those Sentinels which would spell instant doom, or worse, that monstrous Pit Lord. But to her dismay, she could sense the Hellfire Imps regularly summoning more imps with their accelerated casting paired with their terrifying ritual. With so many, it was rapidly reaching critical mass, and she had no idea how to avoid getting overrun. And within the horde, seen again only with her tremor sense, were hundreds of spider demons pouring forth in complete stealth.


    The tide broke against her barriers and the oozes unleashed a veritable torrent of glowing balls of light, lofting them high over the barriers to come down in a continuous explosion of light that tore through the mass of monsters, raising a huge pall of dust and bits of demon. It was perhaps a good thing oozes did not have vision; she was certain she would have been blinded observing the conflagration. A chorus of screeches and screams reached her ears even this far from the battle as her oozes annihilated everything in sight.


    Ali¡¯s notification chime buzzed continuously as the monsters were burned, ignited, and ripped apart not by fire, but by pure light magic. A continuous cloud of balls of light rained down from on high, falling onto the wailing demons, and ripping through them with powerful explosive detonations. But the wargs at the back breathed hellfire on the horde, and demonic wolves stood back up in droves, throwing themselves against the barriers. Mana, recovered from the detonations, gushed through her barrier magic, returning to the domain itself as it absorbed explosions, auras, hellfire, and more. The insect demons rose from the horde like a droning cloud, flying over the barriers and dive-bombing the slimes from above, even as their formations were blown to bits. The wargs and imps surged against the barriers, clambering over their brethren and the mangled corpses to reach their enemy.


    Suddenly, an imp jumped over the lip of the barrier, landing within the arena beside the Sparkling Oozes. It snapped off an accelerated and empowered hellfire fireball, and the detonation rocked the area, but although the damage didn¡¯t unduly bother the slimes, it filled the pen with gobs of falling hellfire, and in moments the entire area was inundated with cackling Hellfire Imps, teleporting in through the flames of their brother.


    The balance had tipped, and as soon as she felt the barriers crack, Ali knew they wouldn¡¯t last for more than a few moments longer.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to die,¡± she said, as she realized it.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Calen said succinctly, resignation flickering across his pain-wracked, bloody face.


    Ali had just reached the library and now she faced a tough decision. ¡°We probably need to retreat through the library and get Lira and Ryn out of there.¡± It would hurt to lose the library, and she would need to begin again from scratch, but if she could draw the demons past her Forest Guardian, perhaps they could stop them there. She didn¡¯t hold much confidence though; both of her frantically created bosses were stronger than the shrine guardian.


    ¡°We won¡¯t make it in time,¡± Malika said, and to Ali¡¯s horror, she noticed that fifteen minutes of the corruption had already passed. ¡°We need a place to make a stand, so that Mato can cure this blood corruption.¡±


    As she stood, body wracked with pain, throwing up more blood than she could imagine, her eyes fell upon the giant Elder Tree, visible through the library doors, standing silently in the center of the atrium, wreathed in wisps. A tree filled with meaning, Lira¡¯s new home, and Ali was loath to lose it. It emitted such a dense, pure mana that she could feel it prickling her skin, let alone see it ¨C not as dense as the Lair of the Demon God, but it was vastly denser than anywhere else in her dungeon.


    And suddenly, a thought occurred to her: She had considered it before, but back then it had been merely an academic consideration, for the most part ¨C if she had bosses over level one hundred it probably wouldn¡¯t work, but she could probably manage two mid-fifties raid bosses without straining the dense domain mana too much.


    The sight of the horde of wargs breathing on the corpses and seeing them rise en masse terrified her. It was all due to their hellfire absorption. Slayer had helped, but it was woefully inadequate in the face of the onslaught.


    And that gave her an idea; a crazy idea, but she hoped it might be just crazy enough to save them and the town, and not be a fever dream inspired by the blood corruption.


    ¡°Can you hold the demons off for a bit? I need to summon some monsters,¡± Ali said, getting some strange looks, strangled gasps, and raised eyebrows from her friends.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of demons, Ali,¡± Malika said, eyeing the beginning trickle of imps that had bypassed the dying oozes dubiously.


    ¡°I just need a few minutes. Enough for two monsters. I have an idea,¡± Ali said, pulling out her Grimoire. There wasn¡¯t a moment to lose, especially as she was unable to accelerate her summoning with her Arcane Recall, having used it to save Calen¡¯s life earlier. Already she was jealous of the imps and their Accelerated Casting metamagic.


    ¡°I got you, Ali,¡± Mato growled, his voice warping as he re-assumed his Bear Form and took a firm stance up front, interposing himself between Ali and the oncoming horde. Even his normally coarse fur was slicked with his own blood. Malika and Calen readied themselves, falling automatically into formation beside the bear, both of them looking unsteady on their feet. But as ragged as they looked, Calen managed to hold his bow steady, and Ali decided she would just have to trust them to do what they needed to.


    She focused on her Grimoire, pouring her mana into the imprint. There would be no second chances, no afterward to even think of if she failed. She tuned out the ragged roar and clash of combat and the increasingly frequent pulses of holy magic from her remaining Acolytes.


    Her Forest Guardians had long been her staple reliable monster, only recently discarded because of their fire vulnerability. But they were spectacular elemental monsters ¨C twenty attribute points per level, high strength, endurance, wisdom, and vitality. Self-healing, and a regeneration aura. They were incredible tanks, but the feature she would be relying on most of all was their nature and poison absorption. They would heal instead of taking damage from their own and related affinities, just like the fire elementals did in the Emberforge Mines.


    ¡°Here they come!¡± Malika¡¯s shout had an edge of urgency, and her voice cracked. And no wonder, in the distance, the dark mass of hellfire tore through the jungle toward them as the bulk of the horde broke over the remnants of the oozes and barriers.


    ¡°Hurrying,¡± Ali said. In the background she was dimly aware of Calen flaring with light as he unleashed a continuous barrage of explosive volleys into the oncoming horde as Malika flickered and flashed, tearing through the vanguard. From the ground, Mato¡¯s plants burst forth, twisting and binding, delaying the inevitable crush of demons. She blinked away the visual haziness and haloes she was seeing on everything and focused on her work.


    What she wanted from this boss was a reliable, indestructible tank to hold back the entire horde without budging. And she needed the tank first if her friends were going to survive. As she summoned them, first one, and then the second Kobold flared with their holy Devotion skill, desperately trying to keep pace with the demon horde¡¯s damage and the corruption.


    S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The cost was enormous, but she wasn¡¯t counting right now. The massive wooden guardian elemental creaked and groaned as its body grew rapidly, substantially larger than the one she had set to guard the shrine. But it wasn¡¯t done ¨C as the noise of her friends engaging the demons crashed through the area, echoing off the walls of the library, and the hellfire fireballs began detonating, her massive guardian summoned its clones.


    ¡°¡± she told them, and the three enormous elementals charged forward simultaneously, crashing heavily into the horde of demons.


    ¡°Uh, Ali, aren¡¯t those vulnerable to fire?¡± Calen asked, sounding rather uncertain.


    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet,¡± she said, rapidly flipping the pages of her Grimoire and summoning her next monster. The guardians¡¯ regeneration auras scaled with wisdom, enhancing both their power and range dramatically, and all three of them overlapped, giving her beleaguered and wrung-out Kobolds a much-needed break. The entire battlefield erupted with roots, brambles, and explosions of plant life as the guardians engaged the horde of demons. In the air above them, they began summoning Poison Wyverns which swooped and darted back and forth, spraying the entire field with their poison breath. The buzzing demonic hornets rose in a cloud to engage the wyverns in the air, swooping back and forth in swirling formations trying to avoid the sprays of poison. The first wyvern fell spiraling downward, quickly overcome by the ravenous swarm.


    But even with their stupendous health and regeneration, the guardians¡¯ fire vulnerability was too much against such a horde of wargs, imps, and the horrifying spider-like stealth demons that struck from the shadows. Their health began to spiral downward as the imps freed themselves from the roots and lobbed fireballs everywhere.


    she thought, urging her Grimoire to go faster.


    In a rush she finished up her domain magic, trying frantically to hurry and also to go slow enough that she didn¡¯t make any mistakes. This was the monster that they had struggled with so much at the pool of liquid nature mana ¨C she had not forgotten the ridiculous combination it made with the guardians.


    There was a moment of severe anxiousness when she applied Elemental Storm to her boss. She had made something of an educated guess that the poison-affinity would work, based on her success at using poison as a compatible subset of nature affinity for her Tunnel Weaver¡¯s Affinity Aura, but she had never exactly tried it with Elemental Storm before, and her relief was palpable when it seemed to apply correctly.


    This monster was to be both her battlefield stability, and her finisher. The guardians were not meant to kill anything ¨C their job was to tank and heal ¨C and to fuel the slime spawner. The Toxic Spitter was how she intended to overwhelm the Hellfire Wargs¡¯ ability to heal, and simultaneously take out all the imps.


    As her gigantic ooze swelled in size, growing in power from the great infusion of domain mana, a toxic aura of poisonous gas billowed out through the battlefield, pulsing with poison magic. The Forest Guardians¡¯ health immediately stopped dropping as they began absorbing the poison aura as healing.


    ¡°Run!¡± Ali shouted, ignoring the notification. ¡°Into the library!¡± Her friends reacted immediately, even while shooting her very surprised and confused looks, but she knew it wouldn¡¯t take long for the poison to overwhelm all of them.


    On its own, the Toxic Spitter would spend health, spitting out smaller slimes whenever it was full, relying on its regeneration to recover. But they had discovered that under the influence of the Forest Guardian¡¯s magical regeneration aura, it could spit out more, faster, and even occasionally split itself into two. Now, subject to the vast power of three domain-empowered regeneration auras, the Toxic Spitter did not hold back, launching a continuous torrent of toxic slimes into the air to rain down across the battlefield with wet splats and plops.


    They all charged into the cool, dark library and Ali slammed the strongest barrier she could manage across the door, bound to whatever left-over domain capacity she had in the area, and then stopped to watch the battle unfold through the transparent golden wall, her breath snagging in her throat as she dared hope it would be enough.


    ¡°Keep a Restoration on that spitter,¡± she said, directing her Acolytes to heal the boss.


    Overhead, Poison Wyverns spawned continuously, ignoring the poison aura emitted by the Toxic Spitter, spreading more and more sprays of lurid green liquid throughout the demonic sea. The demonic hornets began dropping from the swarm, landing on the chaos of the battlefield with thumps barely audible above the chaos of fire and crashing limbs.


    ¡°Ali¡­ what exactly did you do?¡± Calen asked breathlessly.


    ¡°I gave it Demon Slayer, poison aura, and¡­ Elemental Storm.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ shit,¡± he said, backing away from the barrier nervously.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the ability you got from the Inferno?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Yup.¡± As she said it, she felt a tidal surge of mana being drawn into the Toxic Spitter.


    Staring out at the horde, she quietly said, ¡°This is where you hide.¡± Outside, beyond the barrier, the world turned a violent muddy green as a veritable hurricane of poisonous gas ripped through the demon horde with enough force to throw the smaller monsters flying. It raged on and on, and the only thing she could see was the virulent wave of mana grounding through her barrier¡¯s absorption into the domain itself as the Toxic Spitter unleashed a poison Armageddon.


    Enough poison mana was absorbed through her barrier and into her domain that it began leaking out through the domain mana nearby and her remaining Kobolds began handing out extra restoration spells to everyone watching, even though they were all still standing in the triple regeneration aura of the now maximum health Forest Guardians.


    ¡°The guardians have poison absorb,¡± Calen said, understanding dawning in his eyes. ¡°So that¡¯s how you handled the fire vulnerability?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and they¡¯re constantly healing the Toxic Spitter, meaning it will split faster, generating more slimes,¡± Ali noted.


    ¡°And the wyverns?¡± he asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re for more poison damage between elemental storms, and for the flying hornets. We have at least six hours of this to go before the Emberforge Mines respawns that Demon Hunter and locks down the rift.¡±


    He nodded in apparent disbelief. ¡°You thought that far ahead?¡±


    ¡°It took two failures,¡± Ali said, shaking her head. She needed to be better. Smarter and quicker ¨C not every encounter would leave room for retries.


    As the poison maelstrom died down beyond the barrier, the battlefield cleared to the sight of hordes of dead and dying demons, and a sea of toxic slimes and rivers of poison. She could barely even see the Forest Guardians among the ooze.


    And then, the monsters all turned to face the next wave of incoming demons.


    ¡°Enough talking. Ali, make me a hole,¡± Mato said, his voice rough and followed by a hacking cough. He was back in his Beastkin form, dripping blood from his eyes and mouth, holding himself up using the wall.


    It was a simple matter to wield her Domain Mastery and turn a large circle of the flagstones into dirt beside the Elder Tree, and Mato immediately planted himself, transforming into his Tree Form. His aura burst outward the moment he completed his shapeshifting, covering the entire area, and extending even out into the battlefield beyond. For the first time since encountering Maalgaroth the Pit Lord, Ali felt the hold of the corruption ¨C the nausea and dizziness ¨C begin to loosen.


    ¡°Ali, maybe we should put some defenders on the door to the level above? Or at least block it off with a barrier ¨C some of those demons could have flown up there,¡± Calen suggested, pointing out a flaw in her blockade. Indeed, she would be having nightmares of the bloodsucking demonic hornet swarms that had chased them through the mines, draining the life from her minions.


    ¡°Eep! What¡­  that?¡±


    Ali¡¯s head snapped up at the sound of the surprisingly high-pitched and terrified Gnomish voice that interrupted their conversation. She found Ryn, Brena, and Sabri all huddled together, staring with wide eyes at the devastation unfolding right before them on the opposite side of a very transparent barrier.


    Behind them, silhouetted against the dim light of the library, Clarence swooped and dove aggressively, brandishing the terrifying glowing golden teeth and barrier magic she had glimpsed once before.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I can explain¡­¡± Ali began and then trailed off. Her mind balked at the magnitude of what they had just endured, and yet somehow survived.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 194: Dinner and Guests (1 of 2)

    Aliandra¡°Umm¡­¡± Ali took a deep breath, looking at Ryn and the novices, struggling to figure out where to even begin. Battle still raged behind the barrier wall, but the corruption had dissolved under the tenacious attack of Mato¡¯s aura. She felt much better, but her face and clothes were still covered with her slowly drying blood.


    A ripple went through Mato¡¯s giant branches, and he transformed back to his Beastkin form. ¡°Hey, is anyone hungry? I was thinking of making dinner,¡± he said, catching nearly everyone off-guard.


    Calen snorted, ¡°After that ¨C that literal bloodbath ¨C you¡¯re thinking about food?¡±


    ¡°Naturally. Blood sausage, anyone?¡± Malika gave that a curt piece of non-verbal punctuation with the fingers of her right hand, making the Beastkin guffaw heartily. ¡°Fine, fine. I¡¯ll try something vegetarian, shall I?¡±


    ¡°Can we relocate and have dinner down here?¡± Ali asked. Her notifications had not stopped ringing in as, beyond the golden barrier blocking the doorway into the jungle, the titanic struggle between demonic hellfire and poison continued unabated. There was a cadence to it ¨C a rhythm ¨C the demons would build up in waves, stalling out on the roots and vines of her Forest Guardians in a lengthy stalemate, and then being wiped out whenever the Toxic Spitter unleashed the poison elemental storm.


    ¡°Want to keep an eye on the break?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Yes, and I want to be in range to give them Empowered Summoner, and Calen¡¯s Motes of Light buff.¡± Both buffs gave her monsters additional magical damage on hit. And with the ridiculous healing the Toxic Spitter was gaining from Slayer and the Forest Guardians, there was a sea of tiny oozes out there. They would die instantly to fireballs or any damage from the much higher-level demons, but their numbers were so vast that the damage-on-hit bonus was cumulatively enormous.


    ¡°Sorry about this,¡± Ali said, turning to Ryn, Sabri, and Brena. She had not even considered that the novices might be already taking advantage of Ryn¡¯s offer to study in the library and that their provoking a dungeon-break through the rift might have put them all in serious danger. There was no way a level nine warrior or mage would be able to survive against the horde beyond the barrier.


    ¡°Um, should we go?¡± Sabri asked nervously. ¡°Ryn said you had the Nine Paths and I just wanted to see it.¡±


    Actually, both of them looked pretty shell-shocked, glancing worriedly whenever something thumped or crashed or flashed in the jungle beyond.


    ¡°No, you can stay if you want. It should be safe now,¡± she said and both novices visibly relaxed. At least, given the magnitude of the problem, it would be no safer up in town if Ali¡¯s blockade failed. She tried to hide an involuntary grimace.


    she wondered, but then glancing back out into the jungle where the Toxic Slime had just unleashed another Elemental Storm of poison and split twice more from the health gained from Slayer, she decided that, actually yes, it was quite terrifying.


    Calen said, ¡°Look, we tangled with something we should really have left well alone, and this ¨C shall I call it a strategic retreat?¡±


    After an awkward pause, Ryn produced a giggle, ¡°Aah, yes, the tactical, well-planned retreat? We should all borrow a page from your book, Calen ¨C it all went exactly as planned, right?¡± S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He gave a very fake nod to Sabri. ¡°Right. Absolutely as planned.¡±


    The young girl was frowning, obviously confused, probably trying to make sense of this exchange. Ali wondered. She made a mental note to ask Malika to have a word with her afterward ¨C perhaps it was dishonorable to lie in Ahn Khen culture?


    ¡°You guys should stay for dinner, I¡¯m making stew,¡± Mato said, walking up to them and leading them away. ¡°Come, get your books and join us down here, you can read while I cook.¡±


    ¡°What do you think? Are we safe?¡± Ali asked as everyone headed upstairs to get what they needed, leaving her alone in the darkness with Calen and the remnants of her minions. He was staring outside at the battle unfolding ¨C he had been staring for quite some time.


    ¡°I think it will be stable,¡± he answered, after an uncomfortably long pause. Somehow, he had managed to summon his Motes of Light outside, and they hovered above the sea of slimes and dead demons, pulsing softly. ¡°We probably do have to stay here until the rift is guarded again.¡±


    ¡°What about that Pit Lord? Or the Sentinels?¡±


    ¡°I think Malika is right, they can¡¯t easily widen the rift, and so they can¡¯t get through,¡± Calen said, turning to meet her gaze. ¡°If they could have, I¡¯m sure they would have overrun this realm ages ago.¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right.¡± They were not out of the woods yet, but Calen¡¯s assessment went a long way to easing her anxiety.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Calen said. Ali glanced over to find him flushed and flustered. ¡°I¡­ I was useless in there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you made us all invest in wisdom back then,¡± Ali said, relieved to see his embarrassment begin to fade. ¡°Without that, I don¡¯t think I would have been able to break the charm spell.¡± Indeed, Ali had only realized her mind had been compromised when she had been reminded of what Mieriel had done. It seemed that mind magic gained substantial bonuses if the defender was unaware of the attack ¨C something she would need to consult with Mieriel on as soon as possible. ¡°You do know Malika and Mato are going to be calling you Giggles forever, right?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Calen said, grimacing, and then he changed the subject. ¡°How does it work?¡± he asked, nodding to the outside. ¡°Slayer, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± she said, sharing the skill description with him. ¡°It added these two aptitudes to the Toxic Spitter. Only the raid boss one though, not the ones it splits off ¨C but the Elemental Storm is doing the bulk of the killing.¡±


    ¡°And it also gets a substantial damage increase for simply being a raid boss, right?¡± Calen asked, retrieving his favorite notebook.


    ¡°Yes, a two-and-a-half times multiplier,¡± she answered. ¡°The numbers for Slayer depend on how specific the monster type I choose is.¡±


    Calen let out a low whistle. ¡°And it works on anything in your Grimoire?¡±


    ¡°Yup, I can do individual variants or entire classes or races of monsters.¡± She left out the uncomfortable thought that she could do people too, if she learned the human or elf imprints. She had enough Goblins and Kobolds that humanoid was already an option for her.


    ¡°Seems like you finally have a use for all your elemental imprints,¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh, I hadn¡¯t thought of that.¡± She would of course check next time she made a boss, but she was certain she could make an elemental slayer, or even more specifically fire-elemental slayer should be an option. It seemed that Slayer was much more useful than she had even imagined.


    ¡°Perhaps it might be worth getting the undead imprint again,¡± he suggested, offering her yet another surprising consideration. While she couldn¡¯t summon undead at all, just having the imprint inscribed in her Grimoire would allow her to choose undead as a target for a Slayer boss.


    They stood together silently, both watching the battle, while she considered the events of the day.


    ¡°We messed up badly, didn¡¯t we?¡± She had had to make four raid bosses before the dungeon-break had been halted, and it was only luck and good fortune in so many ways that had allowed her to stop them. Even now, it wasn¡¯t over yet, she and Calen both had to wait here granting their skill buffs to the monsters outside in order to prevent the tide from sweeping everything away.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered soberly. ¡°I thought that Myrin¡¯s Keep would be wiped out for sure. My mom wouldn¡¯t even be able to run fast enough to get away.¡±


    ¡°Where did we go wrong?¡± Ali asked. This was the question that plagued her. At every step of the way, they were either reacting to the situation or making decisions that, at the time, had seemed all too reasonable.


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem, I don¡¯t know,¡± Calen said. ¡°Perhaps we need to talk to Vivian for advice?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should have retreated when we first aggroed the Demon Hunter?¡± Ali suggested.


    ¡°We would have considered the scenario and chosen to try it,¡± Calen countered. ¡°There was no reason not to.¡± Then he paused for a while with a frown on his face. ¡°I admit I was a bit too eager to explore the rift.¡±


    ¡°At the time only a few demons were coming through,¡± Ali said. ¡°We had no way to know the dungeon or that Pit Lord was in there, or that they would be so powerful.¡±


    ¡°Or those Sentinels¡­¡± Calen said. ¡°How do we even fight something like that?¡±


    ¡°I plan on asking Mieriel for more details on how to defend ourselves from psychic attacks,¡± Ali answered.


    ¡°Good,¡± Calen said, shaking his head. ¡°We¡¯re just fortunate that the rift isn¡¯t large enough for the bigger demons to pass through.¡±


    Ali thought, but like him, she had no idea what to change. As she turned inward to her notifications, she heard the excited chatter coming down the stairway. Mato, it seemed, had started telling the novices stories of their adventures.


    Ali spent fourteen points on both wisdom and intelligence ¨C her mainstay attributes. Spell power and mana were her most important aspects, and after today, wisdom had just become her favorite attribute. Six points went to perception, given how many of her skills scaled from it. For her final points, she divided them up equally, spending two points on each of vitality, endurance, and dexterity ¨C to hopefully improve her survivability just a little. That corruption aura had definitely come too close to killing her.


    And the chimes were still humming continuously in the back of her mind. The Demon Hunter had been worth quite a lot. She had earned less than the others, but she assumed it had to do with her higher class-level. Still, four levels for a single fight was incredible progress, and her skill growth was phenomenal too ¨C she had earned two levels in Domain Mastery, and one new imprint chapter just for the crazy run through the jungle making raid bosses.


    She smiled thinly. That, unfortunately, was a life she had given up when she had chosen a combat class. While her class did afford some ability to level up by sequestering herself in the library with books, she knew that would rapidly cause stagnation. Combat skills required palpable risk to grow. However, she would very much prefer if the risk were¡­ a little less risky?


    ¡°Um¡­ Miss Aliandra¡­¡± Sabri started, and trailed off, bowing awkwardly to her, her arms wrapped carefully around three heavy volumes of the Nine Paths of Ahn Khen.


    ¡°Sabri, I don¡¯t need any bowing, I¡¯m just an adventurer like you,¡± Ali said, causing the awkward novice to snap upright in surprise.


    ¡°But¡­ you have this library, and the shrine, and¡­¡± Sabri¡¯s eyes flickered past the barrier and out into the jungle.


    ¡°I¡¯m not an Elder, Sabri. I have a couple more levels than you because I started earlier,¡± Ali said. ¡°And that¡¯s simply a matter of patience, time, and being careful.¡± She felt a little pang of guilt at that, given she and her friends had almost wiped out the entire town with their carelessness.


    At her incredulous look, Ali continued, ¡°Really, if you need anything, please just ask any of us. We¡¯d love to help.¡±


    ¡°Um, if it¡¯s ok¡­ Ryn said you might be able to teach me the ancient language,¡± she showed the books she was carrying, both arms wrapped around them as if afraid that she might drop them.


    ¡°Oh, sure, how about while we¡¯re waiting for Mato to finish cooking? It might take a few sessions though, so if you don¡¯t get it today, come back and ask me again.¡±


    Calen


    Entertaining was not Calen¡¯s forte, so he sat eating dinner in silence, listening while Mato regaled the novices with the story of their fights against the warlocks, imps, and the Demon Hunter, culminating with the tale of the abyssal realm and their chaotic retreat back to the library. The story finished with the dramatic showdown where they held back the horde of demons while Ali made the bosses that saved them in the nick of time.


    He found himself smiling at the novices¡¯ rapt attention and Mato¡¯s masterful storytelling. He gave a mostly honest account, and yet the way he wove the tale gave it an epic feel, like an adventurer¡¯s tale from a book ¨C certainly it felt nothing like the panicked terror and fear as they had fled for their lives. There was an unfortunate bit about his impromptu dance debut, but it was mercifully brief.


    He could easily put himself in their shoes, knowing how excited he would have been to talk with any adventurers who had leveled up as much as they had. If nothing else, their wide-eyed excitement helped him see his own progress in perspective. He smiled, happy to be sitting and relaxing after dinner with a full stomach and a comfortable couch, rather than lying dead in a hole on an abyssal plane.


    He finished the hearty stew with relish. Mato¡¯s cooking was definitely improving, and now almost every meal resulted in a healthy buff to his vitality. He didn¡¯t miss Mato slipping Sabri a second bowl without her even asking ¨C and then, the big-hearted Beastkin pretended not to notice when she tried to refuse.


    He put down his own bowl and focused inward for a little, trying to tune out the slowly ebbing sounds of battle outside.


    Calen shivered slightly, and realized just how excited he was to see that notification. He had earned five levels in the rift chamber when the Demon Hunter died. It made sense though; he was trailing behind Ali in class levels and the Demon Hunter had been a high-level raid boss. His award for helping defeat it was substantial.


    He was certainly going to have nightmares about seeing so many empowered hellfire fireballs coming his way and the suffocating pain of nearly drowning in the lava ooze Ali had summoned to protect him. He had no idea how Ali thought up some of this stuff, but he couldn¡¯t deny he was still alive ¨C and he most certainly wouldn¡¯t have been if he had taken all those fireballs at the same time. Still, having his face burnt off was not something he wanted to experience ever again.


    He hadn¡¯t forgotten the message it had given him as he stepped through the threshold into the abyssal plane. He had been rewarded with a powerful Blessing of the Wanderer, an upgrade to his future patron blessings, and four skill levels for being in the first group of people to set foot on that particular plane, all under high-risk circumstances. Explorer was not a combat skill, and so it leveled differently than his other skills, however, it suited him perfectly ¨C and if the blessing was anything to go by, it suited his patron deity perfectly too.


    He smiled to see his skinning had grown so well. The Hellfire Wargs produced very valuable demonic hides, and the Flamecaller scales might be even more valuable ¨C at least according to Malika. Although he may need to take them to Ciradyl to find a leatherworker sufficiently advanced to want to purchase them. With Ali and Malika on the team, they were never short on money to buy the potions he needed, but it felt good to be able to pay his own way.


    It slowly sunk in. He had reached level sixty, and that was a significant milestone no matter how you looked at it. He should be able to upgrade his guild ring tomorrow. It probably meant a rank upgrade at the Pathfinders Guild too.


    ¡°Oh, Calen, this is definitely for you,¡± Ali¡¯s voice broke through his focus, as he glanced over with a start. Ali looked positively ridiculous trying to lug a bow that was over twice her size to where he sat; he got up quickly to help her with it.


    ¡°Is this what I think it is?¡± It wasn¡¯t as if he could forget the sight of this powerful bow, even dormant without the hellfire wreath.


    ¡°Yup, I stored it when I deconstructed the boss. It had a pair of Flamecaller Bracers too, but it¡¯s the same as the set you already had, so I gave that to Malika to sell.¡±


    ¡°Can you identify this for me?¡± he asked, and suddenly choked, coughing, and spluttering in surprise as the text appeared in his mind.


    Howling Hellfire Bow ¨C level 60


    Damage: Ranged, Physical, Hellfire


    Stamina: Attacks gain +20% additional damage as Hellfire.


    +15% to Attack speed.


    +2% of your damage is returned as Stamina over 30 seconds.


    This weapon will gain experience as you use it, up to +20 levels.


    Requirements: Dexterity 210, Strength 100


    Two Handed ¨C Bow


    ¡°You ok?¡± Ali asked, with a mischievous grin.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he wheezed cheerfully, pretending to clutch his chest. ¡°This thing is insane!¡± It truly was insane; it was no wonder the Demon Hunter had felt so powerful. Twenty percent more damage as hellfire whenever he chose. Attack haste and stamina leech. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the bow would level up ¨C an enchantment he had been certain only existed in the storybooks.


    ¡°It is, rather,¡± Ali answered. ¡°Malika said it¡¯s worth a fortune.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t use it, though,¡± Calen said, feeling the sudden pinch of disappointment as his eyes found the requirements. ¡°I don¡¯t have one hundred strength.¡±


    ¡°You just leveled to sixty, Mr. Gold-Rank Adventurer and Pathfinder,¡± Malika chimed in from the side, smacking his shoulder with a grin. ¡°Or did you already spend your points on dexterity or something?¡±


    Malika had been teasing him a bit more than normal lately, but he couldn¡¯t help smiling as he realized he had sixty unspent attribute points. Immediately, he spent fifteen points bringing his strength attribute up to just above the amount needed to meet the bow¡¯s requirements and then he picked it up, feeling the weight of the larger bow in his hands.


    Yes, he was turning into Aliandra. Almost blushing at his wayward thoughts, he looked around, not finding anything to shoot, but Ali simply gestured toward the jungle and a neat slit appeared in the barrier, above the level of the oozes and the rivers of poison. The bow was a little larger than he would have preferred, but it would work. His wings flared from his back, and he flew up to the barrier.


    He drew the bow, taking a moment to get a feel for how heavy it was in relation to his newly enhanced strength. Once he was ready, he conjured a single arrow and let it fly. The bow had a great sense of power, the craftsmanship was superb, and the balance in his hands was exquisite. The Vampire Hornet he shot out of the air spiraled down to be finished off by an uncountable number of oozes. He marveled at the unfamiliar sensation of stamina flowing into him from the bow, regained from the damage he had just unleashed.


    . He conjured a flight of four arrows and activated the bow with his stamina. Instantly, a great flame of roaring black hellfire wreathed the bow, surprisingly not burning his hands. As he pulled the bowstring back, the hellfire infused his arrows, blending the burning black flame with a core of intense white light. He released the arrows, filling the library with the eerie howl that the Demon Hunter had created every time he fired. His arrows smashed into a demon with an echoing crash that shook the tree branches nearby.


    Calen studied the bow in his hands with a newfound respect. Quickly, he distributed his remaining points, twelve each to dexterity and perception. Eleven to intelligence and five each to vitality and wisdom. Then he activated Righteous Fury, downed a mana potion, charged his arrows with Explosive Shot and extra light magic damage, and let loose thirty seconds of explosive force into the remnants of the demon horde. It was a rush wielding such a potent weapon, and to his amazement, everything he did was enhanced by hellfire, even the explosions were wreathed in black flame, and the extra damage from his Motes of Light was enhanced too. Throughout his assault, his stamina kept bouncing off full, refilled by the bow¡¯s potent stamina leech enchant.


    He turned to find the novices staring at him open-mouthed and wide-eyed.


    ¡°It looks good on you,¡± Mato said from where he was standing nearby. ¡°I think Lyeneru would approve.¡±


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 194: Dinner and Guests (2 of 2)

    Malika¡°You guys got to level nine pretty fast,¡± Malika said. Sabri seemed so naive and lost, and yet so eager to learn and grow, it didn¡¯t surprise her that she was among the first of the adventurers to take advantage of the library. She reminded Malika a lot of herself, or perhaps the younger sister she never had.


    she thought. Malika recalled just how eager she had been to get out there and test her skills, and how much value a few simple pointers would have been. She almost envied Sabri and Brena, having access to Vivian Ross¡¯s new mentorship program. The budding friendship between the two novices was a good sign, too. Like Rezan, Malika worried that Sabri would struggle to settle in a new town so far from home, but Brena and her seemed to be looking out for each other.


    ¡°We were planning to try the Kobold boss in the sewer next,¡± Brena said, sounding rather excited at the prospect. It seemed that the young Gnome mage had been selected as the leader of one of the novice groups, and her enthusiasm for the upcoming fight was echoed in Sabri¡¯s face.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to tank it,¡± Sabri said.


    ¡°Perhaps you should upgrade your shield,¡± Malika suggested.


    ¡°Do you think I need to?¡± Sabri asked, looking at her level three shield, perhaps imagining it wreathed in hellfire or taunting her enemies.


    ¡°You¡¯re three times the level of that shield now. Early on, upgrading quickly is important if you don¡¯t want to fall behind. Perhaps you can pay Kav¨¦ a visit before you tackle the kobolds and see what she thinks?¡± She remembered how quickly her own armor skill had declined, and if they were intending to tackle a raid boss, it would be essential she had good equipment.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Sabri nodded solemnly.


    ¡°Should I upgrade too?¡± Brena asked.


    ¡°I think so. Ali likes Lydia¡¯s Allure for mage gear,¡± she answered, a little surprised that Brena would ask for advice. She had seemed a lot more self-assured.


    ¡°Lydia¡¯s work is expensive, though,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s worth it,¡± Ali answered. ¡°Especially for magic resistance ¨C you can never predict stray fireballs. I¡¯m going to go visit her tomorrow, I can introduce you if you like.¡±


    ¡°Ok, thanks!¡±


    ¡°Oh, hey Ali. Tell me you learned to make that Abyssal Bloodstone.¡± In the heat of the moment, it had entirely slipped her mind, but now that they were discussing crafters, she remembered why they had gotten into hot water in the abyssal plane in the first place.


    ¡°I did. Here,¡± she said and popped out a fist-sized crystal. ¡°I also got these hellfire essences.¡± Ali passed all the reagents to her, and she healed her burned skin as she stored them.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that painful?¡± Brena asked, wrinkling her nose.


    ¡°It is, but that¡¯s what endurance is for,¡± Malika answered.


    ¡°Even for a mage?¡±


    ¡°I put some points into it,¡± Ali answered for her. ¡°The Demon Hunter took my arm off today, and I blacked out from pain in the battle. I was lucky I regained consciousness quick enough to cast my barrier otherwise I¡¯d probably have died. I¡¯ve already put two more points into endurance just because of that.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Mato, do you want to go visit Thuli? I want to see if he can use this bloodstone, and I think you need an armor upgrade too. Maybe we can bring Sabri along and see if she can get some better gear for their raid.¡±


    ¡°As long as we can afford new armor,¡± Mato said. ¡°Level sixty is probably expensive.¡±


    ¡°We can cover it with the group funds. I think it¡¯s important,¡± she said.


    Her thoughts turned to the implications of the day. she thought, recalling the haunting distant melodyShe had been so excited to see the highly valuable and rare abyssal bloodstone that she had completely missed the demonic tendrils insinuating themselves into her mind. She and Ali were going to grill Mieriel as soon as they returned to the guild. Unfortunately, the answer was almost certainly learning to be more vigilant, more aware.


    The Emberforge Mines was hard enough, but this was a hellfire and blood dungeon in an abyssal plane beyond even Calen¡¯s skill¡¯s threat assessment. They had been lucky ¨C there were too many stories of adventurers stumbling into dungeons that were beyond them and never seeing the light of day again. And whatever that Pit Lord was¡­ she could still feel the overwhelming force of its mere presence in the cavern.


    She shook her head, putting down the worries about things that she could do nothing about now. She would just have to be more careful about stepping through strange rifts and entering unknown dungeons in the future.


    she thought. While it was in principle a simple fight, staying alive for a whole minute with the full fury of the entire room focused only on you was a challenge for any class. Especially as the room had filled up with more and more demons ¨C without the presence of the abyssal rift it would likely have been an almost trivial fight.


    The sixth level had come from their crazy last stand in front of the library, holding back the horde of demons while Ali built her bosses. Eagerly, she checked the rest of her gains.


    She smiled, amused at the incongruous skill advance at the end of her list. Her acrobatic moves in combat had been close enough to dance techniques that it had advanced her general skill also.  she thought ¨C not since her lesson.  In fact, she felt a little pang of guilt that she had been neglecting her training across the board ¨C but they didn¡¯t spend a whole lot of time in the guild, which was the only place she had access to training rooms.


    The mana cost of your abilities is reduced by 20%.


    The stamina cost of your abilities is progressively reduced the longer you fight. .


    she thought, seeing the offered advancement for Second Wind. Although she had no idea which one was the best. Unyielding Meridians sounded impressive, and it gave a flat reduction of twenty percent to her mana usage, while Abiding Perseverance looked like it was designed to make her even more of an endurance fighter.


    She glanced at the requirements. She had fought in several hour-long running battles in the industrial district of the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra. And if it counted this demon dungeon-break as still ongoing, then that was definitely longer than an hour. Mana she remembered ¨C she had burned all her mana fighting the Radiant Brawlers so that she didn¡¯t have anything for them to drain. And then she remembered getting knocked unconscious and subsequently waking up in the Kel¡¯darran caravan in the middle of a Goblin raid, totally drained by the cuffs of suppression.


    ¡°Hey, Calen? Could you help me choose?¡± she asked, and when he nodded, she shared her advances. Seeing the curious glances from the novices, she decided it wouldn¡¯t hurt to share it with everyone and give them a glimpse of how they had learned to help each other with skill choices.


    ¡°Abiding Perseverance is much stronger,¡± Calen said immediately.


    ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I agree,¡± Ali chimed in.


    ¡°Think of it this way,¡± Calen offered. ¡°In seven minutes, Abiding Perseverance will give you a twenty percent reduction in your stamina cost. Most of our hardest battles are much longer. Unyielding Meridians will give you more absolute resources over time, but Abiding Perseverance will give you more when you most need it.¡±


    ¡°I see what you mean,¡± Malika said, studying the options again. Battles like the Inferno or the Wights had lasted well over half an hour. If she was getting an equivalent reduction after seven minutes, then Abiding Perseverance would be disproportionately helping her in the most challenging battles, whereas Unyielding Meridians with its flat reduction would help more frequently with the shorter battles ¨C the ones where the cost reduction mattered much less.


    ¡°Another consideration, you can convert mana into stamina,¡± Calen added. ¡°What rate do you get now?¡±


    ¡°Ninety-nine percent,¡± Malika answered, suddenly getting what Calen was after. At almost perfect efficiency, a stamina reduction was the same as a mana reduction for her ¨C but after it surpassed one hundred percent, it would be much better for her to always spend stamina, gaining the cost reduction and use her mana pool entirely as a backup to refill her stamina. And if her gold guild ring had wisdom or endurance on it, she would pass that breakpoint with nothing more than a visit to the guild tomorrow.


    ¡°Ok, Abiding Perseverance it is.¡± She selected her advancement, eager to try it out in the next battle.


    She considered her options and her new advancement, and then spent fourteen points on wisdom and ten points on endurance immediately, boosting her mana and stamina, and the efficiency of Second Wind. Then she boosted vitality by eleven and strength by two. She boosted her Soul Sight by spending ten points on perception and then dumped the remainder, thirteen points, into dexterity. Finally, she brought up the skill description for Second Wind, happy to find it had surpassed a hundred percent.


    Second Wind ¨C level 20


    Exchange mana to gain +107.4%  of the amount as stamina.


    The stamina cost of your abilities is progressively reduced the longer you fight. .


    Soul, Wisdom, Endurance


    Turning, she began to speak to their big companion, but she saw he already appeared to be inward-focused. That was a notification look if she had ever seen one.


    Mato


    Mato sat next to the cookfire after cleaning up and opened his notifications. Brena and Sabri had returned to their studies with Ryn, but he had enjoyed cooking for them and telling stories of their adventures. Storytelling was a long-standing tradition in his family, and with five older siblings he rarely got the opportunity to be the storyteller rather than the listener and so he had quite enjoyed their undivided attention as they hung on to his every word. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sabri and Brena couldn¡¯t be more different. By her fashionable clothing, hairstyle, and manner, the Gnomish girl was clearly from a well-to-do family ¨C no surprise given her mother was Donella Novaspark ¨C the founder of the Novaspark Academy of Magic. Sabri, on the other hand, had clearly lived a life deep enough in poverty to show on her face and in her much-repaired clothing. Yet the two of them seemed to have formed a bond that might grow into an enduring friendship.


    He found his attention drifting from his notifications to the score of battles of the day. He had enjoyed all of them ¨C even, surprisingly, the Demon Hunter. Initially, he had thought it was a stupid fight but tanking every single demon in the room had been a real challenge and had given him quite a rush. Then, after they changed strategies and he had to defend the rift, he had the exhilarating opportunity to abuse his powerful Battlemaster retaliation skill, controlling the room by preventing the demons from entering. An unusual role for him, to be sure, but one he had found quite stimulating.


    Holding off the demons in front of the library had felt just as epic as his tale for the novices. With just Malika, Calen, and himself, they had held off a horde of demons, more than he could count, for long enough for Ali to summon the crazy poison bosses. It was certainly a fight he would remember, and he couldn¡¯t wait to tell the story at one of his family gatherings.


    His only regret was that he hadn¡¯t gotten the opportunity to go head-to-head with that Maalgaroth demon. It would be a fight worth getting stronger for.


    Mato slowly puffed out his cheeks, releasing a breath he had not realized he was holding. Sweet relief coursed through his body as he re-read it, twice, just to be sure that the number seven was really there.  He had leveled up once on the crazy packs of warlocks and hunters before they had even found the Demon Hunter. The big Flamecaller with his ridiculously noisy bow and crazy game of predator-prey had been worth four class levels, and then the final stand in front of the library had gained him yet another two class levels. It was a rather fitting haul, and he was delighted with his growth.


    Considering his massive haul of seventy new attribute points, he decided to invest heavily in vitality, spending a whopping twenty-two points on it. A lot got easier with more health. Twelve points went to strength and then ten to endurance. Given how important his battle senses were, he spent fifteen points on perception and then finished up with eleven for wisdom to boost his Natural Prowess and the scaling of his nature skills ¨C and more mental resilience, of course.


    he read on thoughtfully.


    His skills had surged across the board. He had been rather worried that Rampant Growth would stagnate down in a rocky cavern filled with fire and no plants but using it to hold back the demon hordes in the jungle had earned him three skill levels. The rest of the skills seemed to grow according to how urgently he needed them: Swipe for the Battlemaster retaliation, Battle Trance from being hit by a room full of monsters, Last Stand for saving his life in the rift chamber, and again before Ali¡¯s Forest Guardians had spawned. Last Stand and Survival Instinct were etching their place as his most trusted skills for saving him from the worst situations. Often, just the damage perception and the ability to create thirty seconds of breathing room for the healers was enough to turn an unwinnable fight around.


    He nodded, satisfied that the rewards for the day matched the risk and difficulty of the fights. Grinning widely, he read on.


    Survival Instinct ¨C level 26


    Your natural senses of sight, hearing, and smell are significantly enhanced. You have a sixth sense about incoming attacks, how much damage they will do, and how to move to mitigate the most damage. You can sense mana within your domain. Whenever you sense an attack, your reaction speed is increased for 5 seconds.Range: Sanctuary


    Nature, Physical, Perception


    There was a time when he would have rushed over to Calen cheering excitedly about an offer like this. A part of him still felt like that, but his time studying with Lira had sent his roots down deeper. A sense of satisfaction percolated down to his heart, and a little awe at the achievement ¨C his skill had grown because of their encounter on the abyssal realm ¨C an event he could never have imagined even in his wildest dreams.


    He had certainly grown. He could see the scene clearly ¨C his mom would cry and hug him and say she loved him. His dad would laugh and slap him on the shoulder ¨C and he wouldn¡¯t need to hold back anymore. Then they would cook dinner together ¨C he could not help smiling happily. It had been a fantastic fight.


    ¡°You get something good?¡± Ever perceptive, Calen had noticed his mood.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered, sharing the details with everyone, including Ryn, Sabri, and Brena just as Malika had done.


    ¡°That looks very strong,¡± Calen said, but Mato already knew it was, and everyone else agreed too.


    ¡°Hey, Brena. You¡¯re a lightning mage, would you like to help me test this?¡± he asked, accepting the advancement.


    ¡°Sure, what do you need me to do?¡± she asked, getting up from her seat.


    ¡°Shoot me when I turn into a bear,¡± he said and then chuckled at the sight of the suddenly horrified expression on her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± Ali interjected. ¡°I do it all the time. I think he likes it.¡±


    Malika put in, ¡°And he¡¯s ridiculously strong. In fact, we should do this for more training. Hey, everyone, let¡¯s all beat up on Mato.¡±


    Mato shifted with an amused growl and then closed his eyes, focusing his attention on the strange new prickling sensation and gentle sparkling he felt throughout his sanctuary aura.


    It felt like trees, lush verdant growth, and the crawling, creeping, roaming, and flying of wild beasts, but woven through it all he found the prickle of magic, the dryish parchment sense of a new book, and the tickly sparkle of runes and knowledge ¨C and something that connected to¡­ elsewhere. Something beyond the realm of life, plants, and animals.


    On the edge of his sanctuary, a brilliant blue-white flash of energy appeared ¨C an electrified pulse. The world around him slowed down dramatically as his powerful combat perception recognized the danger, intuiting the small amount of lightning damage he would receive from what was clearly Brena¡¯s Lightning Bolt. His body felt sluggish, but his mind and perceptions remained clear and nimble, and after letting the bolt hit him, he heard a squeal of surprise from the Gnome.


    He shifted back to his Beastkin form, watching curiously as his body transformed in slow motion, and only after he was done did the world resume its normal speed.


    ¡°I¡¯m ok, Brena,¡± he said, reassuring her.


    ¡°I thought you would dodge it,¡± she said, eyes still wide. He could even hear her racing heartbeat.


    ¡°I have more than three thousand six hundred health and over three hundred resistance to magic. I¡¯ll be ok. Besides, Ali¡¯s Acolytes will heal me if I need it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ok.¡± She seemed even more stunned if that was possible, but the horrified look faded quickly. ¡°Can¡­ can I shoot you again? I got a skill level for that!¡± She glanced guiltily over at Malika. ¡°I¡­ thought you were joking. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you can apologize by zapping the bear for me again.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Mato chuckled. ¡°I need to get used to the perception haste, it¡¯s a little unusual. Come on, Brena, let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.¡±


    It would take some adjustment to his combat style, but he was certain this would be a potent improvement to his defensive abilities. Given how frequently he was typically attacked, he knew the perception haste would likely last continuously from the beginning to the end of most battles, much like his Battle Trance.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 195: Demons

    AliandraClarence was being surprisingly cooperative for a change. Normally the willful, obstinate book would make her chase him down if she wanted a chance to study from him ¨C or he would have his own inscrutable ideas for which pages she needed to see. Today, however, he rested relatively docilely upon the table and allowed her to turn the pages without too much ¡®helping¡¯.


    Ali still had several hours to go, waiting for the Emberforge Mines to interrupt the dungeon-break, but already the tsunami of demons crashing against the library had dwindled away to a trickle of its former immensity. It was fortunate the rift had not been big enough to admit the Pit Lord or any of the larger demons ¨C from the immense power she had witnessed, she was certain it would have crushed her bosses in moments. It was hard to believe that the terrible devastation and enormous scope of the Lair of the Demon God¡¯s dungeon-break must have been caused by what, for it, had to have been some of the lowest-level monsters it could summon. Expendable trash, as it were.


    But even with the remnants of the ongoing dungeon-break still throwing themselves at her dual poison bosses just beyond the glittering impervious golden wall, she was still stuck down here, providing her Empowered Summoner bonuses to her bosses. Mato had cleaned up from dinner and was now experimenting with his new skill, Calen worked on his maps, and Malika was helping Sabri decipher the ancient martial arts texts, which involved grappling and bouts of intense shadow boxing. So, with Ryn¡¯s help in ferrying books for her, Ali took the opportunity to study something she had remembered only when she had earned her metal imprint ¨C a sliver of forgotten knowledge, perhaps dredged up from her subconscious mind by Sage of Learning.


    She spent ages poring over the various magical crafting texts that Ryn had selected for their library, searching for clues, but it was within the pages of her mother¡¯s unruly book that she found the most useful information:


    She continued studying, learning more and more about the use of materials to enhance magic, and vice versa.


    It seemed there were an uncountable number of ways to produce metals, stone, or wood to enhance specific properties of magic, and as she had personally witnessed, the quality of the enchantments on the gear she wore made all the difference when facing threats and monsters.


    she thought as she finally reached the section on runic magic. While all the theory around crafting would be useful for professional crafters like Lydia and Thuli, and Ali fully intended to discuss the subject with them at length, it was in runic magic where her passion and skills lay. She had known that binding runes to the material could enhance integrity, range, or power, or even enable otherwise impossible magic. She had even worked on the library¡¯s runic circle which was imbued into the foundations of the building itself, but she had never fully understood quite what was possible. After her lesson with Donella, she had a little more of an intuition for how to flow her mana into a material. she clarified to herself.


    ¡°Did you find it?¡± Ryn asked, looking up from a different reference manual.


    ¡°I think so,¡± Ali said, considering the passages she had just read. ¡°If I understand this passage correctly¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should just try it out and see?¡± Ryn suggested.


    Ali glanced at her notebook lying open beside her, and the sketch of a new trigger spell she had unearthed from one of the numerous magical tomes that now graced the newly restored shelves along the library wall of the uppermost level. Ryn had been hard at work, categorizing and organizing their growing collection ¨C often, Ali had caught her humming as she worked, or even talking to the books.


    ¡°This might be the perfect test case,¡± she agreed, getting to her feet and moving to an open set of flagstones. Ryn joined her, with Clarence hovering beside them, fluttering curiously.


    Ali manifested her Grimoire in a splash of green and gold light. Mustering her concentration, she twisted the stone beneath her feet, slowly etching out the shape of her runic spell. Wielding both Sculpting and Domain Mastery, she progressively etched out a circle of silvery yellow runes near the base of the Elder Tree, curving them around and slowly drawing them to a close as she formed the base runic structure out of electrum inlaid deep in the stone. She couldn¡¯t help but notice the similarities between using a pen to lay down imbued ink on parchment and using Domain Mastery to create electrum and Sculpting to shape it into runes.


    She frowned, inspecting her work. For this, it had to be perfect ¨C and so, she fussed over it, tweaking the runic shapes and enhancing the purity of the metal until she was certain it was perfect. Then she inscribed her mana into the pure, gleaming metal. As soon as she began, she could immediately tell the difference ¨C the metal seemed to consume her mana with visceral hunger, soaking it up like a sponge. When she finally completed her spell and tied it off with her domain mana, it pulsed once and thrummed with power, filling up with more mana than she had imagined it might hold, causing the electrum to shine with a steady, pure radiance.


    ¡°Did it work?¡± Ryn asked.


    Clarence zipped several delighted circles in the air as if he were playing with the light.


    ¡°Clarence definitely thinks so,¡± Ali said. ¡°According to this, it should have a substantially increased range and take far less mana to power it.¡± Neither of those two properties was actually useful for her test, but it was still a great way to practice a new technique. As her mana finished the circle, her success was greeted with the welcome sounds of several chimes.


    Static Teleport ¨C Linked Magic ¨C level 35 (Arcane)


    Teleport to a preset teleportation locus.


    Locus:  Novaspark Academy of Magic, Myrin¡¯s Keep.


    Voluntary Trigger.


    Runic Circle


    Satisfied, she stepped into the circle, seeing the glow from the runes pulsing once as she entered.


    ¡°It worked!¡± Ali said. She declined the message from the Voluntary Trigger enchantment and the glow dimmed, nothing further happening. Now Ryn would not need to use her teleportation recharge to return the novices to town. Nor would any of them need to fly up through the sewers anymore. ¡°Here, why don¡¯t you try it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s perfect,¡± Ryn said after stepping into the circle to see for herself.


    Ali¡¯s chimes picked that moment to interrupt her.


    Accept this advancement?


    ¡°Oh, I can make items!¡± Ali said, immediately sharing her notifications.


    ¡°That¡¯s nice!¡± Ryn said.


    Feeling an upwelling of excitement, Ali accepted the advancement. Donella had recommended she learn Calligraphy to create scrolls, but she had just unlocked an alternative that worked with her Sculpting skill instead. She could inscribe runes using metals, and presumably some of the other material imprints she knew, creating substantially more powerful rune magic. And by the description, she should be able to make some permanent inscriptions that might even work outside of her domain magic. It was, of course, limited in scope ¨C as expected ¨C she didn¡¯t have the benefits of ten synergistic skills that a proper crafter would get from their class, but still, it was a breakthrough for her, and she studied her new work with just a little pride at her achievement.


    ¡°Now we just need a private locus runic formation,¡± Ali mused.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get right on it!¡± Ryn declared.


    Somewhere buried in the recesses of her arcane magic texts Ali was sure they would find a teleportation locus spell that could not be freely used by anyone who had memorized it. Once she had that, she would inscribe it down here in the library and make a matching teleportation circle in the Adventurers Guild so that she could conveniently return home ¨C and Ryn could save her teleport recharges for more research instead of library visits.


    ¡°Just a minute, Ryn,¡± Ali said, the unexpected notification catching her by surprise. Immediately she switched her awareness to her newest boss, but her skill failed to connect, not finding anything left alive. She widened her search, finding a bat roosting in a tree nearby, and sent it darting over to investigate. Far below her leathery wings, Ali scanned the aftermath of what must have been an epic battle with her bat eyes. Half of the adventurers were sprawled out on the ground among the corpses of Timber Wolves, and she experienced a spike of anxiety until she realized that all of them were still breathing ¨C they just seemed exhausted.


    Basil crouched in the back of the wolves¡¯ den, harvesting some of the rugged Stonecap mushrooms she had planted there. Havok lay sprawled on the ground under an apple tree, his dented and battered shield laying on the ground on his left while he enjoyed the spoils of battle with relish ¨C her acute hearing caught the distinctive juicy crunch as he bit into a shiny red apple with almost indecent relish. For a small creature, he could certainly pack away a meal and seemed to need a snack in between, too. He and Mato got on like frogs in a pond when it came to food.


    ¡°Teagan? Aiden? I think this is magicite!¡± Basil¡¯s excitement echoed from within the den as he scrambled out, holding the small sliver of magicite overhead like the boy-hero from her story bearing the holy sword aloft. His exclamation had every single adventurer leaping to their feet as they excitedly rushed to examine the find. Ali smiled, leaving the tired and happy bronze raid group to their celebrations after doing a quick identify on them.


    ¡°The bronze group just defeated the Timber Wolves,¡± Ali told the others as she returned her awareness to her body. ¡°They all just passed twenty.¡±


    ¡°Oh, nice!¡± Malika said from where she was sitting.


    ¡°Vivian will be happy to have a bunch of eights,¡± Calen said.


    It sounded like adventurer jargon again, and one she had not heard before, but she immediately guessed what it was. At level twenty most classes unlocked their eighth class skill, and over the next few levels, it would represent significant increases in power for many of them. Hers had been Empowered Summoner, and the ability to enhance one of her attributes while imbuing all her nearby minions with nature damage on hit ¨C it had been a substantial increase in her combat abilities, especially after it gained a few skill levels.


    ¡°I think the Novaspark Academy will be happy too,¡± Ali observed. ¡°I put a sliver of magicite in the wolves¡¯ den.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a fantastic idea,¡± Malika said, opening her eyes and looking across at her. ¡°How much did you leave?¡±


    ¡°About this size,¡± she indicated with her fingers. It was a rather small piece, but she didn¡¯t want to break the economy.


    ¡°That seems appropriate,¡± Malika answered. ¡°They should be able to buy two or three really good upgrades for the early twenties.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re going to be back every time that boss respawns,¡± Calen observed without looking up from his cartography.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s what I wanted. If they level up enough, they can begin tackling the bigger undead in the forest by themselves.¡± It had been part of her reasoning when Calen had told him of their struggles. But it did mean she probably needed to start planning something of a higher level for when they surpassed the wolves. She couldn¡¯t wait to tell Lira that they would soon be making progress on eradicating the undead in her former forest for good.


    ***


    Ali woke to the quiet darkness of the lower library floor, and a blissful silence, devoid of her notification chimes. The only light down here came from the wisps circling the Elder Tree, her new teleportation circle, shining with golden silvery radiance, and the light from her barrier blocking the doorway to the jungle beyond.


    She looked around, finding nothing stirring besides Lira who had offered to keep watch while they slept.


    ¡°They stopped coming a few hours ago,¡± Lira whispered softly, getting up to prepare her a cup of tea from the already steaming kettle.


    ¡°I still feel bad for putting everyone at risk,¡± Ali said, getting up and joining her aunt on the temporarily relocated couch, accepting the offered tea gratefully and inhaling the floral aroma.


    ¡°It worked out well, did it not?¡± Lira said. Ali had told her the whole story last night, grateful that Lira was willing to stand watch so close to the chaotic mana of the jungle so they could rest. At least with the tree and her own domain now, the worst of the jungle¡¯s mana was encountered further out.


    ¡°It did, but it could so easily have gone wrong. We got lucky.¡± In fact, the two failed bosses she had made bore silent testament to just how difficult it had been to halt the demons. They had had some ridiculous abilities, and the power of the horde was something she did not wish to face a second time. Quietly and thoughtfully, she removed the mana reservation for the ooze and Hobgoblin bosses, preventing them from respawning, and returning her mana.


    ¡°I believe that good fortune comes along to allow us to learn,¡± Lira answered calmly.


    ¡°That sounds¡­ nice,¡± she said, not really wanting to criticize Lira¡¯s beliefs.


    ¡°I know dear; it¡¯s not how the world really works. But it¡¯s a nice way to remember to look for what you can learn from it, rather than dwelling on what may have been. If you could go back and do it differently, I¡¯m sure you would.¡± Lira¡¯s kind and calm voice began dissolving her anxiety and allowed her to look at the situation a little more objectively. Yes, they could have been more careful, but she had learned something important.


    she thought soberly. Whatever that dungeon beyond the rift was, she had no desire to mess with it, especially with something as ridiculously powerful as that Pit Lord. The ease with which it had thrown thousands of strong demons into the rift was terrifying. The realization that they had seen only a small fraction of the dungeon¡¯s true power caused the pit of her stomach to writhe uncomfortably.


    On the other hand, Ali¡¯s understanding of what her bosses were capable of had skyrocketed yesterday. If she thought creatively, she had many potent combinations, and studying the possibilities would be to her benefit. Yet another reason to experiment and familiarize herself with her abilities using simpler and easier versions for the bronze adventurer groups. If they were only higher level, she could pit them against some of her more dangerous abilities safely.


    Quelling the dungeon-break with her raid bosses had earned her two additional levels ¨C mostly while she slept. It was clear that hiding behind her raid bosses earned her substantially lower experience than, say, putting herself personally at risk in that Demon Hunter fight, but still, two levels for keeping her magic empowering her bosses while they wiped out thousands of monsters was well worth it.


    She studied the strange notification before she opened it to see what it was.


    Rift Warden


    +10% to damage against monsters from a different realm.


    Title


    she thought, grimacing. Although it looked like an amazing title, she pushed down the resurgence of guilt. The incursion had been the result of their own mistake, and the fact she had been awarded a title for it meant the town really had been at dire risk of being wiped out. She considered it for a while; although she wasn¡¯t exactly a fan of displaying her Ancient title, she just couldn¡¯t bring herself to swap them ¨C after all, she had just personally created the disaster she was being rewarded for. But it did look very strong.


    ¡°Do I have to display a title for it to work?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, dear, all titles are always in effect,¡± Lira answered, finishing her words with a curious expectation ¨C a subtlety Ali had always admired in her.


    ¡°I got Rift Warden,¡± she answered the unspoken question.


    ¡°A worthy title,¡± Lira said, smiling at her.


    Ali found Lira¡¯s smile and approval took a bit of the edge off her guilt, and her mind turned to more practical matters. ¡°I¡¯m going to go open the barrier and see if I can learn any of those monsters,¡± she said, giving Lira the chance to retire to her tree rather than be subjected to the uncomfortably chaotic mana in the jungle.


    Ali removed the top half of the barrier, opening the giant doorway, but preventing the deep layers of toxic slimes and pools of liquid poison from splashing into the library. As she flew out over the battlefield, she surveyed the wreckage from a safe vantage. Her three cloned Forest Guardians stood out among the trees, beyond the mountain of corpses, quietly minding their own business. The Toxic Spitter was somewhere off to the side in the pile of wobbly ooze ¨C a fact she knew only because she was using it as a backup sense to make sure she was safe out here. Most of the remaining live toxic slimes and split toxic spitters had wandered off, presumably to become prey of the much more powerful elementals that lurked out in the depths of the jungle, and the remainder would likely be reabsorbed into the Toxic Spitter boss eventually or die when their summoning mana ran out. She made the Toxic Spitter move a little further away so that she wouldn¡¯t be poisoned by its aura while she worked.


    The pile of demon and slime corpses was so vast that it posed a problem of a rather tricky logistical nature ¨C it would take days for her to put a meaningful dent in it with just deconstruction. She lowered herself to a grassy knoll that seemed free from poison and considered the mountain.


    she thought, pulling out her Grimoire and beginning with the Hobgoblins. As soon as she had several minions, she sent them off into the pile with instructions to clear a passage to the library, collecting any corpses that were either a higher level than she currently knew, or were a monster that wasn¡¯t an ooze, Hellfire Imp, or warg.


    By the time she had finished summoning the rest of her little army, she had a pile of demonic spiders, hornets, and a tidy selection of imps and wargs.


    she thought, deconstructing the higher-level monsters to update her current variants and imprints before she started on the pile of demonic insects.


    Recalling what she had done for the Flamecallers, she reached for the pages of her Grimoire with her will.


    she thought and turned her attention to her newest acquisition. The Vampire Hornets had been terrifying in the tunnels and against her Hobgoblin raid boss, and yet they seemed to come in levels ranging from only twenty-three to twenty-eight. Curious, she summoned one.


    The magic of her Grimoire completed, and instead of the one monster she had expected, seven mean-looking black hornets flew off into the air, buzzing around her head on blood-red wings, the jagged red bands on their abdomens flashing angrily as they swooped in and out.


    she thought as she studied them. she giggled, blushing at her own joke.


    She slipped her awareness into the senses of the Vampire Hornets and instantly recoiled from the overpowering stench of blood. She disconnected from their senses for a few moments to recover. Bracing herself against the olfactory assault, she tried again, finding it was manageable now that she was prepared ¨C barely.


    It did not seem to be a particularly strong monster, but it was clearly a swarm, as shown by the aptitudes and the reduced skill list. Its attributes seemed low, and it didn¡¯t even have any magic resistance, although there was the somewhat terrifying stacking accuracy per hornet, which was probably how the clouds of hundreds of hornets were even able to hit the much higher-level Hobgoblin raid boss reliably. It had a remarkably unusual blood magic affinity ¨C something that she had only ever read about ¨C but she was certainly missing something important, so she looked through the details of the four skills they had.


    Bite And Sting ¨C level 19


    Stamina: Bite and/or sting your target. Range: Touch.


    Physical, Melee, Dexterity


    Ali thought, studying it closely. The first skill seemed rather mundane ¨C it was a hornet, and it had a physical attack that could bite or sting. Even mundane hornets could bite or sting, but having a skill for it would add proficiency and power. She read on.


    Vampiric Drain ¨C level 21


    Requirements: Target must have blood.


    Mana: Enhance a Physical attack to do an additional +127%  Blood damage. A portion of this Blood damage is returned as health shared with nearby swarm members. Range: Touch.


    Blood, Melee, Swarm, Support, Vitality


    she thought, studying Vampiric Drain. A support skill that could make the bite or sting do additional blood damage ¨C quite a lot in fact. It did have the interesting limitation that the target had to have blood ¨C which excluded her slimes and most elementals ¨C and likely her own Forest Guardians. The skillhad a built-in health leech effect much like Malika¡¯s Soul Strike or Mato¡¯s Brutal Restoration, but this one was shared among its friends.


    Scent of Blood ¨C level 23


    You can smell the blood of creatures nearby.


    You can sense weakness and injuries by the scent of blood, increasing your chance of landing a critical strike.


    Mana: You can track your prey by the residual scent of their blood.


    Blood, Tracking, Perception


    The hornets, it seemed, were a tracking-type monster ¨C and their unique blood affinity allowed them to track by the scent of blood ¨C which in the aftermath of a battle seemed quite overpowering. On a hunch, she double-checked its attributes, discovering that she had finally found a monster with its highest attribute in perception. Still, a novel perception skill was very much a welcome addition to her repertoire ¨C all the assassins sent to kill her so far had possessed blood.


    she thought, pulling up the description in her mind.


    Swarm Formation ¨C level 26


    Fly in formation with other Vampire Hornets, executing coordinated attacks.


    Mana: Blood magic damage and all attributes are increased by +7% . Reserve: 50%


    Blood, Swarm, Perception


    She reread the ridiculous Swarm Formation skill, and the terrifying nature of these Vampire Hornets was finally laid bare. With her seven buzzing terrors, her tiny swarm received a paltry seven percent boost to their blood magic damage and all their attributes ¨C for the enormous cost of reserving half their mana. But during their frantic flight through the mines, and the battle itself, there had been hundreds of these vicious insects flying in great droning swarms. If she imagined doubling or tripling all its attributes and increasing its damage output, with its group healing and enormous accuracy bonus, it suddenly became vastly scarier as a foe.


    But now they were hers. Unfortunately, not much in the mines had blood ¨C with the possible exception of the Flamecallers and their demonic minions. But she was already considering how useful they might be as mobile sentries in her dungeon or used as a target for a summoner boss.


    ¡°¡± she said, directing her industrious minions. ¡°Then Ali turned her attention to the second growing pile and got to work, trying to suppress an involuntary shiver. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ali continued deconstructing everything in the pile, filling out the range from level thirty to forty-five in the pages of her imprint. She had already witnessed their incredible stealth skill in action, but beyond that, and the assumption of an Ambush skill, she didn¡¯t have the foggiest idea of what to expect.


    She shivered at the sight of the sleek, demonic spider up close ¨C every square centimeter of its body seemingly crafted for stealth or violence. Even just at rest, its dark body shimmered indistinctly, her eyes drifting off its form as if it were somehow slippery to look at.


    As Ali studied the monster¡¯s attributes, it became abundantly clear that she was looking at a pure melee assassin class, supported by a powerful blood affinity. It had high attributes, and with a quick calculation, she figured out that it was one of those monsters that gained fifteen attribute points per level. It had a respectable amount of natural armor and innate magic resistance, but its evasion was extraordinary at more than fifty percent dodge against monsters at level forty-five.


    She tried not to get her hopes up, but it was hard to extinguish the feeling that maybe, just maybe, she might have gained something very useful from their accident in the abyssal plane. It did have a blood magic affinity, which likely would limit its usefulness in the mines, but she couldn¡¯t shake the desire for it to be good.


    Mutilate seemed to be a decent physical damage melee skill that allowed attacking with the sharpened forelegs and mandibles. It also had a Double Strike advancement with a recharge, which it undoubtedly used with its Ambush skill. Ambush was pretty standard, but it did add a respectable increase to critical strike damage. The spider¡¯s stealth skill was extraordinary, cloaking vision, mana, and scent.


    She studied a few of its support skills. As she had learned from Calen, most Ambush classes specialized in a small number of big attacks, stacking support skills to enhance them, and relying on Ambush to push the total damage to the extremes.


    Critical Bleed ¨C level 33


    Requirements: Target must have blood.


    Mana: Enhanced Melee attack gains +33% additional critical damage as a Bleed.


    Blood, Melee, Support, Dexterity


    Blood Shock ¨C level 34


    Requirements: Target must have blood.


    Mana: Enhance a Physical attack to do an additional +502%  Blood damage. Critical strikes with the supported attack have a chance to stun.


    Blood, Melee, Support, Dexterity


    Both support skills unfortunately required their target to have blood, which made them worthless against fire elementals. But the skills seemed remarkably powerful ¨C Blood Shock, in particular, enhanced damage by an amazing amount, and it even had a chance to stun the target. Being stunned by an Ambush was almost certainly a death sentence, and she was grateful she had not been subjected to that experience.


    Onslaught ¨C level 25


    Critical Strike chance increased by +25%


    Mana: Gain +25%  melee haste for 5 seconds on kill. Trigger.


    Blood, Melee, Mastery, Haste, Dexterity


    she thought, reading through Onslaught a second time. The mastery skill substantially increased critical strike chance, which made Ambush, Blood Shock, Critical Bleed, and Mutilate all substantially stronger. The trigger on kill to grant haste seemed very unfair ¨C especially combined with Blood Shock¡¯s chance to stun.


    It had the same Scent of Blood perception skill which again increased critical strike chance. Its demonic power enhanced strength, dexterity, and perception, and it had a defensive skill for evasion. All in all, a very well-rounded assassin class, provided she was fighting something with blood in its veins.


    Its final skill was a rather interesting choice ¨C Web Spray ¨C a control skill.


    ¡°¡± she instructed, and the Abyssal Stalker instantly reared up. A thick net of webbing flew from its abdomen striking the Hobgoblin with a heavy splat. To her surprise, the Hobgoblin struggled to shake off the sticky and dense net pinning it to the ground.


    she thought, imagining all the nasty critical damage and ambush attacks that became available against an incapacitated foe. She had absolutely zero desire to find herself trapped and at the mercy of one of these, and walked over to examine her helpless Hobgoblin. Using teleport twice, she switched herself and then an ooze into the web, freeing it.


    She would need to ask Malika for the detailed appraisal, but it wasn¡¯t hard to guess who would be interested.  she corrected herself. She didn¡¯t know the weaver well, but Lydia seemed to prefer the dwarven woman for making thread and cloth. She just stored the web to show them later.


    A thought suddenly occurred to her, and she quickly compared the Abyssal Stalker against one of her Kobold rogues. she concluded.Mutilate did so much damage, that with just that one skill, the extremely high dexterity, and Onslaught, these stalkers would drastically outperform her rogues. And they had three times the health and way more defensive attributes, higher levels, and a control skill ¨C Calen was going to have a field day studying these.


    She reached out a hand and gingerly patted the hard spiny chitinous armor of her newest monster, suddenly much more receptive to using it despite its terrifying appearance.


    Malika


    Malika woke with a start at the sound of her notification chime. She blinked, and looked around, but nothing seemed like it was about to leap out of the dark corners to try and eat her. Lira sat off to the side, sipping on her typical steaming cup of tea. Movement off to the side caught her attention. Through the barrier between them and the jungle, she found Ali zipping around doing something with her minions¡­ and the enormous mountain of demon and ooze corpses.


    Reassured that nothing dangerous was going on, she turned her attention inward to find the source of the chime that had roused her. And there it was, letters of brilliant glowing blue-white energy hovering in her mind.


    Scarcely believing her eyes, she opened it to see what it might be.


    Rift Warden


    +10% to damage against monsters from a different realm.


    Title


    For a long time, she just sat there and stared at it.


    but it was trivial to switch her displayed title, the change registering immediately on her status.


    Almost angrily, she knuckled the wetness in her eyes.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 196: A Brand-new Guildhall (1 of 2)

    Aliandra


    Breakfast was tasty but eaten quickly; everyone was eager to get to town and take care of various errands and chores. Ali packed a few arcane magic books in her ring, just in case she needed to adjust something on the fly. She had just discovered a potential solution to her teleportation problem, and she was eager to experiment with it from the guild. The solution had come to her in a moment of surprising inspiration while studying the obscure triggers in a dusty, and decidedly ancient magic tome Ryn had unearthed somewhere deep within the bowels of the Ciradyl Grand Library¡¯s extensive section devoted to cataloging this magic of lost or forgotten cultures.


    It had been torturous to unravel the dense and overly technical manual, written in an archaic dialect of the Dwarven language, but what she had teased from its fragile pages was the method to trigger her spells based on various attributes and properties of the triggering mana itself. She could trigger on her own mana signature, or even recognize the specific mana ¡®shape¡¯ of a target runic circle. The ancient design principles, when applied to her runic magic, introduced so much complexity that it placed very real limitations on how well it would scale ¨C mainly because the formations of the triggers had to be duplicated and built into the runic structure itself, essentially making two runic circles with copies of each other embedded within the design. And that was if she wanted a single trigger. She had tried sketching out a double trigger design, but all she had earned was a headache. However, it had given her the method for activating a teleportation locus based on a single specific source teleportation circle. It was a bit of a round-about approach, but she was certain it would accomplish what she wanted ¨C a teleportation locus that could only accept incoming teleportation magic from a specific designated source circle. She had even inscribed the first half of her experiment in the flagstones at the bottom of the atrium beside the circle that would take them to the Novaspark Academy.


    Teleportation Locus ¨C Linked Magic ¨C level 51 (Arcane)


    A magical locus that serves as an enhanced teleport destination.


    Mana Key:


    Runic Circle


    She had inscribed the mana key trigger to require her own personal mana signature and to match several runic variations she intended to inscribe in the teleportation circle at the other end. It would be a little over two hundred and fifty mana to maintain the teleportation circle in the guild hall, but the convenience of it was worth it. And she could break it in the case of an emergency. If it worked, the library may just become a mini-hub of travel; a study destination for the growing guild.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m ready,¡± Mato said, stepping off the spiral staircase to join them at the bottom of the library. His eyes lingered on the brand-new circle of electrum-inscribed runes Ali had completed. ¡°That looks complicated ¨C pretty, though.¡±


    ¡°It took some work to make the destination locus secure,¡± Ali said, quirking an eyebrow at the grinning Beastkin. ¡°I don¡¯t want just anyone showing up ¨C you know, like people specifically called Mato.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± he snorted. ¡°What¡¯s your favorite dish, again?¡±


    ¡°All of them! You¡¯re in. Permanently.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, so easily bought,¡± he rumbled.


    Blushing mildly, Ali sorted through her minions, deciding to leave most of them behind, choosing only her Hellfire Imp, a Kobold acolyte, and her new Abyssal Stalker to accompany them to the guild.


    ¡°You¡¯re bringing that thing?¡± Calen asked, gesturing toward her chosen minions.


    ¡°I want to practice getting used to its Blood Scent,¡± she said, glancing at her murderous-looking spider demon. It had taken some time to get used to the overpowering sense around just her friends, and it was certain to be even harder up in town around all those people. ¡°Besides it has great stealth, nobody will see it. Here watch.¡± She quickly instructed the stalker to hide, and it vanished from most of her senses, only the ooze and her own Martial Insight able to tell where it was.


    ¡°That is pretty good,¡± Mato said. ¡°It has no scent, and I can¡¯t even detect it in my sanctuary aura. I can hear it when it moves, though.¡±


    ¡°It can cloak its mana,¡± she answered, proud of the newest additions to her forces. Even the Vampire Hornets ¨C which she had set loose in the forest cavern to scout for sneaky rogues or assassins.


    ¡°I think he meant the other one,¡± Malika said, pointing at the imp she was using to boost her intelligence attribute. ¡°Mieriel will yell at you if it burns her precious carpet.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± she said, frowning at the tiny imp. She had gotten so used to them that she had forgotten it was permanently wreathed in hellfire. ¡°Maybe I can leave it outside?¡±


    ¡°Tabitha will probably try to figure out some way to use the hellfire for cooking. Imp-roasted marshmallows, anyone?¡± Mato said with a grin.


    They stepped through Ali¡¯s teleport circle to the Novaspark Academy locus one by one and then made their way to the Adventurers Guild, but when they arrived, the entire place was in disarray. Half the building was torn down, and unfamiliar people were crawling all over it with an intensity of purpose and constant flickers of mana as they worked.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ali asked, finding Vivian Ross out on the street observing the work beside Tabitha¡¯s food cart.


    ¡°Hi, Aliandra,¡± Vivian said, giving the imp a suspicious side-eye and then arching an eyebrow in the general direction of the invisible Abyssal Stalker. ¡°With all the crafters coming in and out every day, and all the new recruits, the guild was just getting too small. So, I bought the abandoned plot next door and we¡¯re expanding. We¡¯re going to have a bigger guild hall, more training rooms, a dormitory, and expand Weldin¡¯s store substantially.¡±


    ¡°More store space?¡± Malika said, excitement oozing from her voice.


    ¡°Oh, that seems good,¡± Ali said. It was rather shocking, to be honest, and she hadn¡¯t expected the entire building to be torn down when they arrived. But she had found it rather cramped the last few times she had been up here.


    ¡°Congratulations on reaching gold rank,¡± Vivian said, addressing the others. ¡°Why don¡¯t you all come with me? Mieriel has set up around the corner and we can get you your rings.¡± And with that Ali found herself left to her own devices amid the bustle and banging of furious construction.


    Curious, she wandered around the site, practicing tracking people by the scent of their blood ¨C which was not nearly as overwhelming as she had feared ¨C but every time one of the crafters and artisans did something unusual with their mana, she found herself gawping in amazement. The guild must have been doing rather well financially for Vivian to be able to undertake such a big project, and Ali couldn¡¯t help wondering just how much of that was because of her own group¡¯s efforts.


    Weldin always seemed busy with crafters coming and going constantly. Nothing remained on display in the store for very long, but the scale of this undertaking implied far more success than she had even imagined. She generally left the group¡¯s finances to Malika¡¯s capable management, and she had a few arrangements that regularly funded her bank account, but she rarely checked on it herself, relying on Ryn more often than not.


    She peered down into a large hole in the middle of what used to be the guild hall, where an impressive amount of earth magic was being wielded to excavate. At the bottom of the hole, she found two dwarven women pouring their mana into the stone, making it warp and bend, flowing like water as they restructured it into a staircase that led down to what looked like it might eventually become a lower floor or a basement.


    ¡°Oi, careful!¡± one of them exclaimed. ¡°Go any deeper and it will collapse into the sewers below.¡±


    ¡°Aye, I forgot.¡±


    ¡°Can ya not see?¡±


    ¡°Shut yer yapping gob, Belra.¡±


    The banter between the two stone crafters seemed good-natured; at least Ali decided the absence of dwarven profanity lent it a sense of camaraderie rather than actual annoyance. Their words made her focus on the rock below their feet instead of their earth magic, and to her surprise, she could see the mana of her domain leaking through.


    she wondered. Leaving them to continue their work, she eagerly retrieved her book on arcane magic that had been stashed in her ring for a while and looked up the mana key trigger, curious to discover if linking her domain to her spell would mess up the signature she had designed into the library locus.


    she thought, finding the chapter for the obscure trigger magic. She began tracing out the runes carefully while using her minion¡¯s senses to avoid tripping and falling on her face as she navigated the construction clutter, returning to where the Guildmaster had said Mieriel would be. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It looked like she wouldn¡¯t know exactly until she tried it, but her personal mana and her own domain should match closely enough. Probably she could get an exact answer from her mother¡¯s book, or Nevyn Eld¡¯s tome on dungeons. She grimaced at the last thought briefly. But the trigger text suggested that even if it didn¡¯t work, she could update the locus after the fact, so her work wouldn¡¯t be wasted.


    ¡°Oh, hi Ali,¡± Malika said. ¡°We were just finishing up. I brought Vivian up to date on the rift situation and she said she will work out some contingency plans with Commander Brand.¡±


    ¡°Did you explain my boss?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Malika said. ¡°Also, we got our new rings.¡±


    ¡°Can I see?¡± Her own ring had been amazing, and she was excited for her friends.


    ¡°Here, this is mine,¡± Malika said, sharing the ring with a happy smile on her face.


    Gold Guild Ring ¨C level 60


    Owner: Malika Yu


    +23 to all attributes.


    Requirements: Wisdom 210


    Quests


    Eliminate undead in and around Myrin¡¯s Keep ¨C 0


    Mana: Store or retrieve an item. Capacity: 150 / 800kg


    Quality: Rare


    Value: Soulbound


    Ring


    ¡°Wow, all attributes?¡± Malika¡¯s ring had only a single enchantment, but it was incredible and perfectly suited for her monk class.


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m going to stop by and thank Giddy Clicksprocket in person,¡± she said.


    ¡°Share mine too, please,¡± Calen said, holding up his hand with the gleaming golden ring prominently displayed. Malika did.


    Gold Guild Ring ¨C level 60


    Owner: Calen Avery


    +39 Dexterity.


    +36 Intelligence.


    +12% movement speed.


    Requirements: Dexterity 210


    Quests


    Eliminate undead in and around Myrin¡¯s Keep ¨C 0


    Mana: Store or retrieve an item. Capacity: 62.5 / 800kg


    Quality: Rare


    Value: Soulbound


    Ring


    ¡°Movement speed is a great choice for you,¡± Ali said. Obviously, the two primary attributes for his damage would not go to waste either.


    ¡°Here¡¯s mine,¡± Mato said, surprising her. Given that he spent most of his time in Bear Form, and occasionally Tree Form, whatever enchantments that were on his ring would not matter. But when she saw the ring, she realized just how wrong that assumption was.


    Gold Guild Ring ¨C level 60


    Owner: Mato Bahr


    +40 Endurance.


    +34 Strength.


    +12 Vitality.


    Mana: Shapeshift.


    Requirements: Shapeshifter, Endurance 210


    Quests


    Eliminate undead in and around Myrin¡¯s Keep ¨C 0


    Restore blighted farmland ¨C [complete]


    Mana: Store or retrieve an item. Capacity: 146 / 800kg


    Ring


    ¡°You can shift the ring?¡± she asked in amazement.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said with a huge grin.


    With the ability to shift the ring into his Bear Form, he would be able to take advantage of the attribute enchantments when he was fighting. It was truly a masterfully crafted item, perfect for him.


    ¡°Hey, Vivian. What¡¯s the big hole in the middle for?¡± Ali asked, pointing back the way she had come. The discussion of everyone¡¯s rings had given her yet another improvement for her idea.


    ¡°It¡¯s a lower level. Storage rooms for the guild store, equipment, and things like that. The dorm will be down there too. It was cheaper to hire the stone crafters for two extra days than to buy more land,¡± the Guildmaster said.


    ¡°Can I have a room down there?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°I can make a teleportation circle right to the library,¡± she answered.


    ¡°Are you sure you want that kind of access?¡±


    ¡°I can make it to require a guild ring,¡± she answered. It should be a simple matter to use a detect trigger for that.


    ¡°Can you make it silver or gold rank only?¡± Vivian asked. ¡°If the silver or gold adventurers can escort people to the library it would be a very nice privilege for earning that level, and it could eliminate a lot of issues monitoring access given the number of new recruits we¡¯re getting lately.¡±


    ¡°How about I make it big enough to take several people, but it won¡¯t activate unless one of them has the right ring?¡± It would make the enchantment just a little more complicated, but nothing too challenging.


    ¡°That works.¡±


    With the Guildmaster¡¯s approval, Ali headed back to the big hole and levitated herself downward. After explaining herself to the two dwarven stone crafters, they suggested an area for her to use, right beside the now-completed stairwell.


    Reaching down, she brushed her fingertips along the stone, finding most of the floor infused with her domain mana already, with some of it leaking up into what would become the new room. Pulling on her mana, she shifted the floor, lowering it by nearly two meters.


    ¡°Be careful going too low, the sewer is under there.¡±


    ¡°I can see it,¡± Ali replied absently, shifting her skill to use her stone imprint and transmuting the entire floor into the extremely hard Aether-fused Obsidian that had kept Naia prisoner for centuries. This stone, she knew, would be more than strong enough to hold the floor without cracking.


    ¡°Ooh, that¡¯s a thing now, isn¡¯t it?¡± one of the dwarves exclaimed, immediately squatting down to examine it more closely.


    ¡°Sure you aren¡¯t part-Dwarf?¡± said the one called Belra.


    Ali smiled at her and then sat in the center of the black stone floor, smooth enough to be polished, and began to inscribe her runic circle, first creating each rune in gleaming silvery-yellow inlaid electrum, and then imbuing the entire structure with the mana of her Runic Script. It was quick work as she had most of the runic structures planned out already, and as the magic circle completed, she bound it to the domain mana leaking through the floor and it snapped into completion, glowing powerfully as the magic flowed through the runes.


    Static Teleport ¨C Linked Magic ¨C level 51 (Arcane)


    Teleport to a preset teleportation locus.


    Locus:  Dal¡¯mohran Grand Library Arcana.


    Detect: Gold Guild Ring or Silver Guild Ring.


    Voluntary Trigger.


    Runic Circle


    She smiled happily at the notification, especially delighted at the ¡®Dal¡¯mohran Grand Library Arcana¡¯ designation for the locus. What an honor!Her circle had detected her gold ring and offered to teleport her back to the library. And the fact that the mana pulsed with power, ready to send her, meant that the locus she had inscribed back in the library was ready to receive her.


    she thought, declining the teleportation for now.She stood up and surveyed her work ¨C she had linked the triggers so that the person wearing the gold or silver guild ring would be the one receiving the voluntary trigger for the teleport, but everyone within the circle would be sent. Vivian¡¯s idea would help allay her security concerns ¨C at least initially, the only people who could activate it would be the Guildmaster, Mieriel, and her own group. But she was certain the bronze-ranked adventurers would reach silver quickly, and then they could be responsible for ferrying the recruits in and out of the library as needed ¨C and she appreciated Vivian¡¯s idea for setting up additional guild perks at each milestone.


    ¡°This is beautiful work, lassie.¡± The two dwarven stone crafters were staring at her stone floor, touching it and examining it with their mana, and studying the runes made from mana-infused electrum.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, at least a little embarrassed at their overt appreciation for what she had made. Although she did have to agree, the shiny glowing runic circle embedded in the obsidian made a very striking image. She would still have to test it all extensively, but she could do that later after she had finished up in town. As she watched, the two dwarves quickly erected walls, turning her teleportation circle into a room with a doorway.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 196: A Brand-new Guildhall (2 of 2)

    MalikaMalika pushed open the well-oiled doors to Thuli¡¯s forge and took a moment to adjust to the noise and heat before stepping inside. Her business in town consisted of selling the mountain of essences that had been filling her rings to Weldin and dropping off some of the hellfire essences and the abyssal brimstone tar with Morwynne Fizzlebang for evaluation at her alchemy shop. But after she had taken care of all that, she had found Sabri waiting for her so that they could go to the blacksmith together ¨C one thing had led to another, and their small group had grown to include Mato and Havok.


    ¡°I can¡¯t even identify you,¡± Sabri said, eyeing the Goblin paladin.


    ¡°Havok strong. Twenty-two,¡± he answered with a firm nod and stepped across the threshold into the din.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get there, Sabri,¡± Mato said, giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.


    ¡°Greetings,¡± Kav¨¦ said, glancing up from where she sat wiping oil onto a pair of delicate-looking swords with a well-used rag. ¡°This one will let the master know you are waiting.¡± She slipped back into the din of the forge where, presumably, Thuli was working industriously to create the noise.


    ¡°How¡¯s she doing?¡± Malika whispered. Ali would certainly want to know.


    ¡°Level twenty-four, now,¡± Mato said, smiling.


    Malika surveyed the antechamber of the forge, studying the many shining pieces on display. Few, if any, would be of use to someone like her, but she couldn¡¯t help grinning at Sabri¡¯s obvious excitement as she dragged Havok over to examine the shields. Not that the little holy Goblin needed any encouragement, his jaw was literally hanging open at the display of exquisitely crafted defensive equipment ¨C a stark contrast to his worn and battered gear.


    ¡°Hey, hey,¡± Thuli said, voice booming through the room as he entered with a big smile. ¡°Welcome back, what can I do for you all today? Oh! Rift Warden! There¡¯s a fancy Title!¡±


    The dwarf¡¯s stamina circulated smoothly through his muscles using a technique that was surprisingly similar to what Rezan had been teaching her.


    ¡°Hi, Thuli,¡± Malika said. ¡°We wanted to¡­¡± but she was interrupted by an earnest Goblin.


    ¡°Havok need shield. But¡­¡± he glanced mournfully at some of the display items, ¡°not have lot gold.¡± He pulled out a shield that had deep scratches and notches in it, so bad that it looked like it was about to fall apart.


    ¡°Aye, fierce one. That ya do.¡± Thuli picked up the shield, examined it with a critical eye, and then tossed it into a trash bin behind him. ¡°Scrap.¡±


    Havok¡¯s eyes widened as they followed his shield flying into the bin.


    ¡°Kav¨¦, why don¡¯t ya see what you can hammer together for Mr. Havok here? You¡¯ve reached a high enough level to make him something good, now. And it looks like young Sabri could use some upgrades, too. Congratulations on reaching level nine, lass.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, sir!¡± Sabri said.


    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Kav¨¦ said, almost simultaneously.


    ¡°What did I tell ya about that master twaddle?¡±


    ¡°Yes, M¡­ aah, Thuli.¡± It was clear that Kav¨¦ was surprised, but extremely happy to be given another customer by the master smith and she quickly drew the two of them off to the side to discuss what they needed.


    Thuli chuckled and turned back to them. ¡°Kav¨¦ is about ta surpass every apprentice smith in Myrin¡¯s Keep, and I can¡¯t wait ta see the faces of their masters when it happens. Now, what can I do for you two? Do ya need an upgrade on your bear plate?¡±


    ¡°That would be great,¡± Mato said. ¡°We just got a bunch of levels recently and something more advanced would definitely help.¡±


    ¡°Something to do with yer shiny new titles?¡± Thuli asked knowingly.


    Mato shifted uncomfortably.


    ¡°Yes, something like that,¡± Malika said. Beating about the bush wasn¡¯t going to change things, and they needed the smith¡¯s expertise if they were going to get stronger. She quickly retrieved the chunk of Abyssal Bloodstone Ali made from her ring and showed the darkly gleaming blood-red gem to the heavy-set Dwarf. ¡°I was wondering if this might help ¨C Ali said it¡¯s a form of magicite.¡±


    ¡°By Thovir¡¯s beard! Where did ya get that!¡± Thuli exclaimed, his voice ringing through the smithy, causing the others to stop and stare for a moment before returning to their planning.


    ¡°We encountered an abyssal rift down in the fire dungeon near the ancient forge. This was growing on the walls in the cave on the other side.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean ya can get more?¡± Thuli asked, his voice hushed in stark contrast to his earlier outburst, conspicuously ignoring the circumstances of their finding it.


    ¡°Probably,¡± Malika answered. But it wouldn¡¯t be because they could go back and mine it ¨C although she didn¡¯t need to tell him that. By tacit agreement, they seldom mentioned which of the exceptionally valuable materials Ali could actually just make. It would probably be a disaster for the economy and result in people pestering her for materials. All Thuli really needed to know was that there could be more if he found a use for it.


    ¡°I can do so much with such an advanced material, but I¡¯d need to employ a jeweler to cut it properly. Nothing I could make would require such a big chunk. But I think I might be able ta convince that Giddy Clicksprocket lass to do it for cheap, she¡¯d love the opportunity to work with such a high-level material,¡± he looked at her, his eyes speculative. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can afford to buy this outright, though, but I could split it with you and make him an upgrade for his bear armor as part of the payment.¡±


    ¡°That sounds great,¡± Malika agreed, watching him store the egg-sized jewel as soon as she agreed. she thought ¨C she had personally witnessed just how persistent that Gnomish jeweler could be.


    While Mato discussed the specifics of his armor with Thuli, Malika watched Kav¨¦ work the forge. She had her hands elbow-deep in a crucible of molten steel and she was manipulating and extruding plates of the stuff from it using what had to be her steel-shaping skill. Stamina flickered and warped through her body and out from her hands into the steel. Sabri looked on, openly awestruck as the dragonkin handled the molten steel like a baker rolling dough, all the while Havok kept up an excited, mostly one-sided conversation with the two of them.


    Malika watched fascinated for about half an hour while Kav¨¦ worked her skills and craft, surprisingly using stamina-based skills almost as often as mana, as seen by the intricate flow of energy through her Soul Sight. Mato and Thuli eventually joined her, around when she quenched the steel and finally put everything together.


    ¡°Yours will take a couple of days ta forge,¡± Thuli told Mato while helping tweak the fit for Sabri¡¯s new breastplate and adjusting the straps for Havok¡¯s shiny new steel shield. Both seemed overjoyed with their purchases and settled up quickly with the dragonkin apprentice.


    ¡°Ok, not a problem,¡± Mato said, clasping hands with the dwarven smith with a momentous slap that echoed throughout the forge.


    Malika thought, rolling her eyes. She was, however, extremely eager to see what Thuli was able to fashion for Mato with the bloodstone. She didn¡¯t know any specifics, only that Appraise called it exceptional, and rare ¨C and that it could help enhance certain enchantments. If Thuli could do something good with it, she would need to let Ali know to make a few pieces to sell to the guild store ¨C they were not exactly running out of money, but they were always in the market for good new equipment, and who knew what Giddy Clicksprocket might make if she could get her hands on some of the bloodstone. As long as people didn¡¯t ask too many questions about where it came from. It was called ¡®abyssal¡¯ after all, and anyone with an advanced Appraisal skill would be able to see the  trait.


    ¡°Oh, before ya go, Mr. Havok, take this,¡± Thuli said, reaching into a bin and retrieving a plain but sturdy shortsword and handing it to him. ¡°Ya need something better to go with that shiny new shield o¡¯ yours.¡±


    Havok stared at the sword and then glanced at the dwarven smith, momentarily nonplussed. ¡°No gold,¡± he said, turning his tattered money pouch inside out to demonstrate. A pinch of dust and half a dead moth fell out.


    ¡°Take it,¡± Thuli insisted. ¡°On the house. It was just gathering dust in that bin over there. Just bring your business back to our shop when ya grow outta it.¡±


    ¡°Ok!¡± Havok declared, his eyes lighting up and accepting the gift.


    ¡°Where to next?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°Back to the guild to drop these two off, and we have a lesson with Mieriel in an hour,¡± Malika said, holding back a grimace.


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± the Beastkin said, nodding his head with a suddenly serious look in his eyes.


    Malika left it unsaid, but it was time to pick the Sun Elf¡¯s brains for the best mind magic defensive techniques.


    Aliandra


    Ali snapped her head up from her studies as the electrum-inlaid locus at the bottom of the library atrium surged with mana. It hadn¡¯t even been half a day yet and already her runic teleportation circles connecting the library to the guild were getting their first use.


    She slipped her mind into one of the minions she had left to keep watch over the locus at the base of the Elder Tree. Vivian was staring at the barrier across the entrance to the jungle, where the rift break had finally been halted. As the dragonet¡¯s eyes flickered across the locus, Ali froze.


    Towering over the human and the elf were three wiry trolls. Flanked by his two aides, the elder troll in the center stood easily two and a half meters tall ¨C he wore an elegant, flowing silk robe of the deepest purple and a look that said he owned the place. His sky-blue skin was adorned with ritualistic sigils and runes, delicately rendered in snow-white warpaint that matched his shock of spiky white hair. Ali was no expert in troll culture, but even she could tell the ceremonial tusk braiding was overly ornate. Visitors of importance.


    It took several minutes for the party to ascend the stairwell, and yet even that wasn¡¯t sufficient time to still her racing heart. They climbed in complete silence, giving Ali ample opportunity to observe how deferentially even Vivian acted around them. An aura of intense cold billowed off the largest troll, leaving frost riming the stairs as they passed, but his aura was shot through with eddies and swirls of violet mana that reminded Ali of Ryn.


    ¡°What is it, Ali?¡± Ryn whispered, clearly reacting to her body language.


    ¡°Trolls!¡± Ali whispered back, scrambling to her feet.


    As soon as they stepped onto the uppermost landing, Ali identified the party and gasped inwardly at their levels. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Aliandra, you have visitors,¡± Vivian said, her voice formal and stilted. ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°Tol¡¯zerath!¡± Ryn exclaimed with a gasp and immediately bowed low.


    For a moment, Ali froze. But her experience with visiting lecturers from the troll kingdoms took over and she bowed low enough to match Ryn.


    ¡°Tol¡¯zerath is pleased to be received with appropriate respect, even out here in the human lands,¡± one of the attendant trolls said, her voice husky and pompous even through the heavily accented Common. ¡°You may rise.¡±


    Ali lifted her head in time to see the largest troll fix her with an icy glare. ¡°Enough. That elvish whelp informed me that you have the Lich¡¯s book. You will give it to me. Now.¡± His voice crackled and snapped like a grinding glacier while his mana flared around him, filling the air with a biting chill.


    Ali took a deep breath, ready to defy trollish royalty, but her impending impertinence was snuffed before she could even voice it.


    ¡°Tol¡¯zerath,¡± Lira said, her voice filling the room with resonance and the sudden scent of pine and wildflowers that somehow pushed the frost back. She said a few harsh words that seemed to stagger the big troll, guttural utterances that sounded impossible falling from the dryad¡¯s lips. Then she switched back to Common, and added, ¡°So nice of you to visit. Look at how big you¡¯ve grown.¡±


    Ali stifled the surprised chuckle that threatened to burst from her lips at the look of pure shock and startlement upon the wizened troll¡¯s face.


    ¡°Great Mother of the Deep Woods,¡± he said, forcing a spine that was painfully unaccustomed to genuflection into the semblance of a bow of respect.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, child. I was just telling dear Aliandra here that we don¡¯t get enough visitors,¡± Lira said. ¡°Come, sit. I will make us tea.¡±


    As Lira turned toward the kettle, her face momentarily concealed from the visitors, she gave Ali a wink. Suddenly, all the tension she was holding faded and Ali stepped up to usher her guests to appropriate places at the table.


    Lira distributed the small steaming porcelain cups and then sat beside the Tol and placed a hand on his arm. ¡°So, to what do we owe the honor of your visit?¡±


    The big troll cleared his throat awkwardly and retracted his mana as he reached for the teacup. ¡°Nathaniel Sunstrider has a copy of the Blind Lich¡¯s book. According to him, the original is here. I have had a vision of dire import. The fate of the troll kingdoms may hinge on what is in that book. You must let me have it.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you read his copy?¡± Ali blurted out, before even considering who she was speaking to.


    The two troll attendants gasped, but Tol¡¯zerath silenced them with a gesture. ¡°That elf¡¯s fate is shrouded from me. I do not trust him. The portents that surround him are obscured by something¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ something dark, like writhing tendrils of eldritch mana that seem to be feeding upon him?¡± Ali asked. The image she had seen was unforgettable.


    ¡°How did you¡­¡± Tol¡¯zerath began, his eyes darting between her and Ryn who sat nearby. ¡°You do not possess the sight.¡±


    She could not suppress a shudder. ¡°No, not with her magic,¡± Ali answered, guessing what was on his mind. It had not been a divination, at least that she was aware of. ¡°I saw him when I used my spell.¡±


    The troll collected himself with a deep breath. ¡°Tell me, how is it that he has the book, then?¡±


    ¡°I copied it for him,¡± Ali said softly, ¡°in exchange for him allowing me to copy my mother¡¯s book.¡± She reached over and tapped Clarence¡¯s cover where he sat quietly, resting on the table.


    ¡°Then you must trade with me,¡± Tol¡¯zerath declared. ¡°What I can offer is of far more value than anything that self-important elf gave you ¨C the purity of trollish magic has never been surpassed by anything produced by the lesser races.¡±


    Ali thought. Matching her mother¡¯s work would be impossible, even for the vaunted reputation of the trolls. However, she stopped short of saying anything as he summoned a meticulously crafted book bound in purple-tanned leather of a texture and lightness that made Ali hesitant to ask where it came from. Yet, despite his arrogant declaration of trollish superiority, his manner seemed surprisingly tentative as he placed the tome on the table beside Clarence. The words on the cover were written in a script she could not understand.


    ¡°Tol¡¯zerath is the realm¡¯s foremost visionary on the subject of divination,¡± Lira said, surprisingly injecting herself into the discussion right at that moment. ¡°The reputation of any library would be greatly enhanced by boasting his work.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Tol¡¯zerath said, drawing himself up to his full height while his mana flickered along the backs of his hands and across his shoulders, leaving a brief dusting of snow to float down to the table. ¡°My work on divination is groundbreaking, and there are few left alive who can even comprehend its significance.¡±


    Ali studied the powerful troll sitting across the table from her, masking her scrutiny under the guise of considering his words. Despite his arrogant superiority ¨C or perhaps because of it ¨C she found herself more inclined to trust him.


    ¡°Very well, you have a deal,¡± Ali said, and choosing to follow Lira¡¯s lead, she flattered the troll leader further by adding, ¡°But I will owe you a favor for your great generosity.¡±


    By the grin that creased his leathery face, she knew she had chosen her words well.


    Ali glanced at Ryn, but her friend¡¯s eyes were glued to the divination tome like it was the only thing in the room. Ali thought as she listened to Lira and Vivian quiz Tol¡¯zerath about his vision and the implications for the Troll kingdoms. It didn¡¯t take long for her to duplicate Nevyn Eld¡¯s book again, but Tol¡¯zerath¡¯s tome had to be copied by imagining the words to be pictures ¨C a far more difficult undertaking, and one she would not have been capable of till recently.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Ryn exclaimed as soon as the duplicated divination tome appeared, and Ali could instantly tell she had leveled up. Twice!


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 197: Slippers, Dragons, and Ghosts

    - Mieriel Dawnbloom, Mind Mage and Guild Administrator,


    Aliandra


    ¡°Hi, Elton,¡± Ali greeted the apprentice, who stood behind the counter in the elegant receiving room of Lydia¡¯s allure. He wore his signature dark suit, and his hair had been slicked back in what Ali was only peripherally aware was ¡®in¡¯ among the circles frequented by the wealthy and influential right now. ¡°Is Lydia in? Nice outfit, by the way.¡±


    The tall, newly minted tailor looked up from the cloth he was cutting, curious dark wisps of his shadow mana pausing interrupted in their flowing dance. His lips crooked the barest hint of a smile ¨C which, Ali was certain, was for him a beaming grin. ¡°Good morning, Aliandra. Thank you. Yes, she¡¯s in the back, I will tell her you¡¯re here.¡±


    she thought as he ducked out of sight through a doorway.  She had to admit, she was curious to see what a shadow-affinity tailor would be able to make when he earned a few more class levels.


    ¡°Oh, there you are! Hi, Aliandra,¡± Lydia said brightly, stepping into the main room of her store with a distinct energy to her steps. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you.¡± She, of course, stepped around the counter and gave Calen a big hug which made him blush fiercely as usual.


    ¡°Lydia, this is Brena Novaspark,¡± Ali said, introducing the novice guildmember. ¡°She¡¯s a Lightning Mage and we wanted to see if you could help her with an upgrade. She¡¯s outleveled her gear already.¡±


    ¡°Hi there,¡± Lydia greeted Brena with a smile, distracting the Gnome who had been staring with intent curiosity at all the expensively tailored dresses on display. ¡°You must be Donella¡¯s daughter, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she answered with a nod and a guarded expression. Likely, she was used to being recognized by her mother¡¯s reputation.


    ¡°Mmm, they outlevel things so fast early on,¡± Lydia said, running her fingertips gently across the fabric of the cuffs of Brena¡¯s cloth robe with professional ease. ¡°I¡¯m just glad you brought her to me, Aliandra, instead of having her wear that nasty stuff you had on the first time you visited.¡±


    Brena coughed, hiding a laugh behind her hand.


    ¡°Aah, yes,¡± Ali said, grimacing at the uncomfortable memory ¨C at the time she had been so happy to have something that had resistance against the fireballs, but the Kobold Tattered Robes had been quite nasty and reeked. She was ever so glad she had destroyed them, and that she had far better options even for low-level Kobolds now.


    ¡°How about something similar to the first piece I made for you?¡± Lydia asked, her eyes still sizing up the novice.


    ¡°That should be perfect,¡± Ali answered.


    ¡°Lightning and intelligence?¡± Lydia asked.


    It took a moment before Brena realized Lydia was asking her. ¡°Oh¡­ yes!¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Lydia said, mana flickering as she activated several skills while she had Brena turn around a few times. She jotted down a few things down in her notebook, a mannerism so like Calen¡¯s that Ali almost laughed out loud. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t take more than a few minutes,¡± she said, surprising Ali with how little time she needed.


    she thought.


    ¡°Elton, would you mind grabbing the box in the back with Aliandra¡¯s name on it?¡± Lydia said, as she walked through the open doorway into the next area and began laying out some silky, royal-blue fabric with a tight weave on the worktable.


    Ali wasn¡¯t sure what Lydia was doing, but Elton returned from the storage room in the back a few moments later with a small box, and Lydia directed him to give it to her.


    ¡°I made this for you ¨C a thank-you gift for the fire silk,¡± Lydia explained, wearing a beaming, happy smile that lit up her face.


    Ali¡¯s curiosity was almost burning her up as she accepted the box from the tall apprentice.


    She flipped up the lid. Nestled within it were a pair of cloth slippers, cut from the clean, white fabric that shimmered with red dancing flame embedded within the weave itself. She reached out to touch the familiar fabric that matched her robes feeling the innate warmth of the fire magic that was woven together with the thread. ¡°Ooh¡­¡±


    Fire Silk Slippers ¨C level 60


    +15% to resistance against Fire damage.


    +40 Intelligence


    +23 Wisdom


    +67% to mana regeneration


    Requirements: Intelligence 210


    Feet ¨C Fire Silk


    Ali¡¯s breath caught in her throat as she stared at the mesmerizing silk slippers for a long moment, not quite believing what she was seeing. The fabric was stunningly beautiful, and the design elegant ¨C but the enchantments Lydia had managed to weave into the item were astounding.


    ¡°How¡­¡± she didn¡¯t quite know what to say.


    ¡°Do you like them?¡± Lydia asked, a grin creasing the sides of her eyes.


    ¡°This is amazing! How did you manage to make this? There are four enchantments ¨C four!¡± The words spilled out of Ali¡¯s mouth in a tumbling rush.


    ¡°The book you got me taught me how to combine them, and with high-level fabric like this fire silk, it ended up being surprisingly straightforward. Technically, I can only make three enchantments right now, but the fabric has such a strong fire affinity it can take one extra fire enchantment as long as it¡¯s not too powerful,¡± Lydia said. ¡°That¡¯s where the fire resistance one comes from.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t sleep a wink,¡± Elton added archly from the counter where he was back to working with his fabric.


    ¡°Elton!¡±


    Calen just chuckled in the background.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just give me such an expensive gift!¡± Ali exclaimed.


    ¡°Ali,¡± Lydia said, finally using the familiar form of her name, ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand just how much money I made from selling fire silk dresses to the nobles. After Mieriel went to the party at the Asterford House, everyone  one. And because the supply is so restricted, I can charge whatever I want for the couple I¡¯m able to make.¡± She smiled wryly, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure not even you could afford the going rate for those slippers ¨C but it¡¯s not about the money. I¡¯m truly grateful for everything you¡¯ve done for me.¡±


    Ali thought, but she understood that wasn¡¯t Lydia¡¯s point and accepted the gift with a happy smile. She could easily pay it back in kind with more materials ¨C including the demonic silk webbing she was carrying. Seeing Brena trying to remain polite despite her obvious curiosity, Ali showed her the slippers.


    ¡°Your shoes have almost as much intelligence as me,¡± she said, earning a round of chuckles and laughs.


    ¡°Well, now you know who to come to when you level up,¡± Ali said, carefully putting the slippers on her feet.


    ¡°She won¡¯t have any fire silk left by then,¡± Brena pointed out, her dramatic pout nearly making Ali snort.


    ¡°The flame web comes from a fire-affinity spider I can make,¡± Ali explained. ¡°I was planning to make an area for them in my dungeon so that Lydia can offer collection quests at the guild for it.¡±


    Lydia¡¯s ears immediately perked up. ¡°How¡­ soon¡­  do you think you might have those spiders ready?¡± she asked and then coughed awkwardly.


    ¡°Any time,¡± Ali answered. ¡°But nobody in the guild is strong enough to kill them yet.¡± Well, that wasn¡¯t quite true ¨C Vivian could take them out, but she didn¡¯t do delves anymore, now that she was retired. She turned back to Brena, and said, ¡°When you get to the early fifties you should be able to collect the raw materials for your robes yourself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad,¡± Lydia said. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to help them get stronger then, shall we?¡±


    Ali was not sure what part of their comments had caused surprise, but Brena lapsed into a quiet thoughtfulness for the entire time Lydia worked. But, soon enough, there was a new round of excitement as she got to try on her brand-new robe. Masterfully crafted from monstrous silk, it would probably be quite a bit tougher than the original cotton items Ali had used, and now that Lydia had surpassed her class plateau, Brena¡¯s robe had a nice intelligence enchant and something to boost lightning damage. It had clearly been much simpler and easier for Lydia to create than her brand-new slippers, but Brena would be replacing it quickly as she leveled up.


    ¡°I have one more thing for you to play with,¡± Ali said, getting Lydia¡¯s immediate attention as she retrieved the demonic silk web from where she had stored it in her ring.


    ¡°Oh, new thread!¡± Lydia exclaimed, fetching the enchanted spool, and transferring the web to it, her skills allowing her to handle the dangerous, sticky webbing without difficulty. ¡°Elton, be a dear and run next door and get Hilda again please?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t imagine this will be useful for high fashion, but I don¡¯t think adventurers will care about wearing fabric with a demonic trait,¡± Ali said. The webbing seemed to have a darkness to it that shimmered and shifted, causing her eyes to want to look elsewhere, just like the Abyssal Stalker itself. ¡°I¡¯m guessing it might work well with stealth traits?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯d be surprised what the nobility and wealthy will do to one-up each other,¡± Lydia said casually while finishing storing the web itself. ¡°If you can get your hands on more of this, I¡¯m definitely interested in seeing what we can make with it.¡±


    ¡°I can get you some more right now,¡± Ali said, snapping a broad barrier disk into place, hovering vertically in the air beside the waiting chairs.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°¡± Ali instructed.


    Brena happened to be facing the exact corner where the Abyssal Stalker lurked, clinging upside down to the ceiling. She let out a shrill scream, as the demon appeared and plastered the barrier with demonic webbing.


    Even Lydia had jumped back in surprise.


    ¡°Aah, sorry,¡± Ali apologized, ¡°I should have warned you.¡± She had forgotten just how terrifying the stalkers were the first time she had seen them.  Brena was only level nine, and Lydia had no combat skills. But it was just a few moments to collect more silk with a barrier that she could dismiss, avoiding all the stickiness issues.


    The door chime suddenly sounded, announcing the return of Elton and the dwarven Weaver.


    ¡°Would ya look at that!¡± she exclaimed, eyes already glued to the web.


    ***


    ¡°Congratulations on passing twenty, Seth,¡± Ali said. ¡°Did you get anything good for your class skill unlock?¡± She sat on her barrier in the open-air area the guild was using as its makeshift hall while construction was underway. All around, there was the bustle and noise of construction, less than ideal for a conversation, but Seth had asked for help, and it sounded important.


    ¡°I think so,¡± he answered cautiously. ¡°I didn¡¯t choose yet; I was hoping to get your advice. Not many people understand the tradeoffs for summoners.¡±


    ¡°Do you mind sharing your choices? I can tell you what I think,¡± she answered. It had always been a challenge to decide, particularly early on, but what had helped her out immensely was having a few people she trusted to discuss it with.


    ¡°Ok,¡± he answered, and her notification chimed as he shared three skill choices with her, the text showing up as a strangely familiar glowing black light on ashy parchment.


    Summon Ghost


    Mana: Summon a ghost to serve as a minion. Ghost level is random .  Reserve: by level. Recharge: 15 minutes. Duration: 1 hour.


    Death, Minion, Intelligence Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Death Bolt


    Mana: Fire a bolt of death magic. Range: 50 meters.


    Death, Ranged, Intelligence


    Empowered Army


    Mana: Your minions gain added Death damage on hit.


    Your highest attribute is increased by an amount dependent on the number and class levels of your minions. Range: 15 meters. Reserve: 20%


    Death, Minion, Buff, Intelligence


    ¡°They all look like decent skills,¡± Ali said, studying them carefully, trying to put herself in the shoes of the necromancer to figure out what would be the most useful for him, rather than what looked best to her.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the problem,¡± he answered. ¡°It¡¯s hard to decide.¡±


    ¡°If it helps, you don¡¯t lose the options after you choose, and you can replace them if it doesn¡¯t work out,¡± she told him, continuing to weigh the choices.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know that,¡± he said. ¡°How did you figure it out? I think some of the others will be interested in that tip.¡±


    ¡°Or perhaps I can mention it to the Guildmaster, it sounds like she should include that in the basic instruction,¡± Ali said. ¡°Mato figured it out when he had to remove a berserker skill that almost made him kill me.¡± It wasn¡¯t particularly obscure information, just she was almost certain most people wouldn¡¯t risk experimenting with their skills unless they knew for certain, but it made choosing so much less stressful. There were a few rare cases where taking a new skill consumed an existing one, and those presumably couldn¡¯t be reverted nearly as easily, but those seemed rare. ¡°What are your first thoughts on the skills?¡±


    ¡°Summon Ghost is nice,¡± Seth said, pinching his chin thoughtfully. ¡°It doesn¡¯t require a corpse, but it is limited in number of minions. They¡¯re incorporeal though, which is strong. Death Bolt would help me get started when I have no minions to make my first corpse. On the other hand, Empowered Army would make all my minions stronger, so I like that too. Empowered Army is an offering influenced by your mentorship, by the way.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Ali said, recalling some of the problems he had mentioned with his class ¨C skeletons and zombies required appropriate fresh corpses to raise, but his strength came from the monsters he raised. A troublesome problem if he found himself with no minions to get going. ¡°Your Volatile Wraith is also incorporeal, and it doesn¡¯t require a corpse, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of that more like a fireball spell than a summon,¡± Ali said. It was such a memorable spell. The Death Wight had employed it to great effect against them down in the ruins. ¡°An undead, guided, incorporeal fireball. So, maybe getting the death bolt wouldn¡¯t be solving any new problems for you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little awkward to use Volatile Wraith in a group because it can do life drain,¡± Seth answered, grimacing. ¡°I was considering swapping it for Death Bolt. Party members don¡¯t like it when you drain them by accident.¡±


    Ali was sure there was a story there somewhere, but she let it go. ¡°But if you¡¯re in a group, you can rely on them killing a few easier monsters to get you started, right?¡±


    ¡°True.¡± He hesitated. ¡°I like taking solo quests at night, though.¡±


    ¡°I have to admit, my preference would be for Empowered Army,¡± Ali finally concluded. ¡°While the ghosts are nice because you can make them without a corpse, they¡¯re also limited in number, and they go away after an hour. If the recharge or the minimum level doesn¡¯t scale, it will get statistically worse as you level up. I don¡¯t like that you could need a monster urgently and it only summons a level one ghost by chance.¡± Ali was well acquainted with this problem, having had more than enough experience rolling the dice with her Grimoire prior to receiving her Customization advancement. ¡°Empowered Army is multiplicative across all your minions and will get stronger as you get more of them. Improving your attributes is strong, too.¡±


    ¡°I think I like it too, but it¡¯s only one attribute. Most of the others have skills that boost three attributes at the same time,¡± Seth said. ¡°I worry that it¡¯s underpowered because of that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite similar to my skill,¡± Ali said, sharing her Empowered Summoner. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate that damage it adds on every hit. It adds up to a lot, and scales as you get more and stronger minions. On my first advancement, I got the option to upgrade it to two attributes.¡±


    ¡°Huh, why does yours only have a ten percent reservation?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I think it¡¯s because I have a domain aptitude that gives me effectively double the mana pool. Ten percent reservation works out to the same amount of mana as a twenty percent for some other class without that.¡±


    ¡°You would go with Empowered Army then, over Summon Ghost?¡±


    ¡°Yes, definitely,¡± Ali said. ¡°Stronger minions instead of more. Your other offerings overlap a lot with what you can already do. If you keep intelligence as your highest attribute, it will increase that, making most of your skills scale up to be much more powerful. If you get a second attribute on an advancement, choose wisdom, and then your army will expand dramatically because you can reserve more mana.¡±


    ¡°Ok, that sounds smart.¡±


    ¡°Also, note that Empowered Army is keying off your highest attribute, not the base attribute, so you can control it with gear choices if you like,¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh, cool. That¡¯s an expensive option, but I think it could be useful later,¡± Seth answered, sounding rather interested in the obscure detail, reminding her strongly of Calen¡¯s fascination for skill interactions and optimization.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try the ghosts and the army out on your next group quest? With your team supporting you, you have a little more leeway to experiment.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. We were planning to kill the wolves a couple more times to get some levels, and then go raid the abominations in the forest. I¡¯ll try it there ¨C thank you!¡± He seemed much happier than when she had first found him sitting there.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys kill the shamans in the lake too?¡± Ali asked, unable to hide her curiosity. Sure, the magicite she had left in the den was a great incentive, but the mana-purified water from the lake was running low, according to Weldin, so it had to be worth retrieving.


    ¡°The team doesn¡¯t like that boss,¡± Seth said, grimacing. ¡°Some of them don¡¯t like swimming, and our strategy isn¡¯t the greatest.¡±


    ¡°But your skeletons don¡¯t need to breathe, right?¡± Ali asked. ¡°And the Volatile Wraith should work underwater too.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ oh!¡± Seth¡¯s face lit up with comic suddenness as the realization struck home.


    ***


    ¡°Here dear, you¡¯ve been studying for hours.¡± The steaming cup clinked softly as Lira placed it carefully on the table beside her, far enough away from the open books strewn across the polished mahogany surface that there would be no risk of spilling.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ali said, looking up from her mother¡¯s book and stretching her neck and shoulders as she smelled the refreshing aroma of the tea Lira had brewed.


    With Mato¡¯s armor being reforged, and the guild being rebuilt, they had decided to spend the next couple of days relaxing, and she had chosen to hunt down the elusive idea of mana affinities and how they overlapped and could sometimes be translated from one to another. Much like how Nathaniel Sunstrider¡¯s powerful arcane mass teleport and Professor Addlestone¡¯s space magic version had been strikingly similar.


    She reasoned that if anyone had known the intricate rules for how it worked, it would have been her mother ¨C and if she could just learn how to do the transcription from one affinity to another, she would have a fantastic new source of spells for her runic magic. She had visions of arcane fireballs and nature magic versions of ice lance, only conjured from wood. But the subject was impossibly complex, and she barely understood half of what was written in the Eldritch Tome. In fact, she was beginning to suspect that not all the information was actually there, which had her on a half-hour tangent, trying to cajole the recalcitrant book into sharing any secret info with her.


    It hadn¡¯t worked, and it just gained her some very strange stares from the guildmembers who had begun taking advantage of her newest teleportation circle to the library until she realized that Clarence was shy and wouldn¡¯t reveal himself when others were watching, meaning she just looked like she was arguing with an inanimate book.


    As was often the case when she had no pressing deadline or emergency, she had found herself hurtling down an unexpected rabbit hole of knowledge, a side-passage to a side-passage that had whisked her away into an esoteric discussion of the magic of skills, and how sometimes skills had the same exact framework, but a different payload attached, and this allowed them to be much more easily understood and modified.


    It had triggered a strong sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, but for the life of her, she couldn¡¯t recall where she had seen one of them.


    she thought. At least before she got frustrated. She leaned back in her seat and sipped at the tea, making sure to not get it near the books.


    ¡°What are you working on?¡± Lira asked, taking a seat beside her, her soft voice soothing after spending so long immersed in the books.


    ¡°I got sidetracked by something called homologous magic. It¡¯s apparently possible to have two spells that have the same structure, but certain parts are shaped differently to produce different effects,¡± she explained. It fascinated the scholar within her, but it likely had very little practical use.


    ¡°That sounds like something your mother must have named,¡± Lira said with a smile, sipping on her tea.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to have people in the library again,¡± Ali said, sighing happily. It had a rightness to it ¨C libraries were meant for people to read and learn. Obviously, she was used to having Lira around, and her friends, but there were five adventurers from the guild sitting at various tables studying magic, combat stances, skills, or whatever struck their fancy.


    ¡°Yes, it is good,¡± Lira said. ¡°Maybe I should go into town and buy more tea ¨C perhaps they would like some?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Ali said, idly watching as one of the novices pulled out a small cube, placed it on the table beside him, and activated a light magic enchantment within it using a small puff of his own mana. The tiny magical formation blossomed up and out of the simple artifact and a soft reading light manifested floating in the air above the table.


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± she exclaimed suddenly, almost dropping her tea as she suddenly remembered the elusive magic that had slipped her mind earlier.


    She ignored Lira¡¯s knowing smile as she rummaged through her storage ring with her mind, finding and retrieving her old notebook. She paged through it and quickly found the runic inscriptions she had noted there, representing Calen¡¯s Motes of Light spell.


    ¡°I know exactly where I saw this,¡± she muttered, flipping through her Grimoire looking for a small variant she had barely used.


    She slowed down, studying the densely packed runic structure encoding the tiny dragon she had learned in the jungle. she thought confirming her memories had been accurate as her fingers brushed across a runic structure that matched the spell in her notebook almost exactly. She did not understand the structure of the imprint magic in her Grimoire, but if she had to guess, she was looking at a light magic skill that was almost identical to the Motes of Light spell Calen had allowed her to study for so long.


    There was a large structural section to the spell that seemed identical, but contained within it was a core that had a different function. On a hunch, she directed her Runic Script magic to the page in her Grimoire, beginning to inscribe the runic magic from her notebook.


    To her great surprise, the Grimoire did not resist her efforts, instead, it simply created space for her new magic beside the existing spell runes. Her mana flowed into the receptive pages just like it did into magical ink or her electrum, only the Grimoire¡¯s pages accepted her mana imprint decidedly more readily. Somehow, she was using her Imbued Runes advancement to inscribe runes directly onto the pages of her Grimoire ¨C a construct of her own magic.


    Not understanding precisely what she was doing ¨C or how ¨C she enabled her Sage of Learning and continued transcribing the runes from her notebook into the growing space her Grimoire provided, carefully linking the runes in exactly the same way as the existing spell, copying all the duplicate runes for the homologous structure keeping the same relationship to the rest of the imprint, as if grafting something new into the same space.


    Fully immersed in her study trance, she didn¡¯t notice the intense glow emanating from her Grimoire until she finished, and her notification chime sounded.


    Ali stared at the notification for a long while as the implications of what she had just done slowly seeped in. Suddenly, her curiosity caught up with her and she poured her mana into the new variant and created the creature.


    Ali stared at the bevy of tiny golden dragons that perched on the table, their gleaming scaled necks arching and craning this way and that as they studied her with their luminous eyes or explored the books at their feet. Each was about the size of a kitten but with a significantly longer tail. The nearest one¡¯s small reptilian eyes gazed at her intently with an inner burning light. It blinked, two sets of eyelids closing, and then opening. Its deep golden-colored scales were accented by black along the spine ridges on its back, down its tail, and its four clawed feet. The tiny horns and spines protruding backward from its head were also tipped with black. Shimmering trails of softly sparkling light and mana followed them wherever they went.


    Just then the tiny dragon perched upon Clarence made a confused expression, as the book shifted, trying to dislodge it. It suddenly let out a belch, emitting a small mote of light that hovered in the air in front of its face. It cocked its head and stared at it quizzically as the mote slowly rose in the air. It had risen several meters when a small buzzing shape was drawn to its light, flying around and around in a circle.


    Every single tiny dragon head turned, eyes tracking the movement with the pure focus and alertness of a hunter spying its prey. Quick as a flash, the tiny dragon launched itself into the air, and with two rapid strokes of its outstretched wings, and a snap of its jaw, the moth became the dragon¡¯s first dinner. It raised its tiny head and let out a tiny, absolutely adorable roar of triumph. Ali couldn¡¯t help grinning. Baring its fangs, it gathered its mana into a delicate spell formation of light affinity and released a stream of motes from its mouth like a child blowing shimmering golden bubbles of light that drifted around floating upward.


    The entire flight of dragonets took to the air in a sudden display of golden wings, aerial acrobatics, and an explosion of tiny motes of light as the hunt for more insects began.


    Without hesitation, Ali summoned more and more of them, filling the library with the soft illumination of floating Motes of Light, drifting glitter, and tiny soaring dragons, stopping only when she had created more than two hundred tiny dragonets. Everyone visiting the library stopped to watch their playful antics as they darted about chasing insects, each other, or alighting to roost on branches of the elder tree, or the tables and bookshelves of the library.


    Ali grinned happily, enjoying the antics of the dragonets. Most of her monsters were terrifying, but the Glitter Dragonets were truly beautiful, elegant, and graceful as they swooped about, but by far her favorite was the one with his tiny head raised to the sky roaring his tiny fierce roar, declaring himself the king of the bookshelf. And the entire flight of more than two hundred had cost only twenty-three mana, so she didn¡¯t bother even attaching them to her domain, simply allowing them to roam wherever they liked without instructions.


    ¡°Think with monsters,¡± she murmured. Just from her mana sight, she could tell she had finally succeeded in duplicating Calen¡¯s stealth-dispelling spell.


    Beside her, Lira smiled softly and took another sip of her tea. ¡°That¡¯s right, dear.¡±


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 198: The Dragon God

    Evanna Quillmore the Scribe


    Aliandra


    Ali pored over her notebook, considering her options and the maps of her dungeon that Calen had kindly made for her. With a couple of days of not being totally exhausted from hours of delving through the mines, she had taken the opportunity to work on her dungeon, shoring up the defenses and deciding on her plans. Unfortunately, there were so many things she needed to do that she would forget half of it if she didn¡¯t write it down.


    She had achieved so much since that time Lyeneru had berated her for being a terrible dungeon. She had learned to make bosses and traps, making quite a few of both. She had studied the Pathfinder¡¯s book and unleashed her Kobolds into the dark alleys of Myrin¡¯s Keep at night to gather whatever they could find and expand her Grimoire. She had several bosses now, several new minions with valuable skills, and greatly expanded her domain.


    She grabbed the pen and began making a list of the strategic weak points in her dungeon ¨C the ones that could use bosses for protection when she found the resources and mana.


    she thought, noting down the location that had once been the gateway into the city of Dal¡¯mohra. Many unexplored cave systems led out into the unknown near there and it was the source of constant monster incursions into her forest cavern. When she and Mato had escaped, there had been a swordmaster Kobold boss making its lair in there, and it would make a great location for a boss to defend her domain.


    Ali had already shored up her defenses in the Forest Cavern, having at least an early warning for incursions via the river channel or the sewer system. The Grove, with her shrine, and the lake were relatively well protected too. The other entrance was the one into Lira¡¯s forest. Mostly her aunt took care of incursions with the Forest Guardians Ali had made for her, but it would be a lot more secure to put a more powerful monster there to guard it. She noted it down.


    She added a few more chokepoints to her list as potential locations for defenders. The ventilation shaft down into the city ruins, or at least, the small cave at the top where she had found Armand¡¯s skeleton would make an excellent room for a boss, guarding the link between the upper and lower extents of her domain. The passage she had opened to connect the Forest Cavern with Lira¡¯s Forest would similarly make a good defensible area.


    She wrote it down too, but she wasn¡¯t exactly sure how to handle it. The realm-break had certainly opened her eyes to how easily she could lose it all, but she didn¡¯t have enough mana to place powerful bosses guarding every entrance. He seemed very powerful, but it was hard enough to get him to cooperate when she wanted to study magic.


    The jungle was a thorny problem for her. Within its space were two spawning pools that spewed out monsters continuously. Mostly they fought each other, but when things went wrong, they could cause substantial damage. Then there was the Emberforge Mine itself, which was still spitting up Shards of Flame into the jungle, and the terrifying rift within its bowels which had the potential to wipe out everything in her dungeon and the town above if she wasn¡¯t super careful. Right now, she had fallen back to the library entrance and set her Toxic Spitter and Forest Guardians to guard it, but while they had been effective against the demons, their primary damage was poison, which wasn¡¯t effective against most elementals or oozes.


    It wasn¡¯t a permanent solution. She put several question marks next to the jungle, not knowing exactly how to solve it. It was an uneasy truce with four hostile forces roughly balanced against each other and not overwhelming the library. But there were still occasional roars from the Wyverns or Forest Guardians whenever something stumbled into their range, and she had replaced the barrier over the door to prevent the Toxic Spitter from filling the bottom floor of the library with poison whenever it used Elemental Storm. She had no desire to kill all her new visitors to the library. Ideally, they would wipe out the Emberforge Mines completely, and Ali would close that rift, but she didn¡¯t have the faintest idea how to achieve that ¨C nor was she strong enough to make a single boss that could guard it yet.


    she wrote. Then she added a couple of exclamation points and underlined it twice.


    At least there was one thing she could do right now. Gathering her monsters to her for safety, she flew out into the ruins of Dal¡¯mohra¡¯s upper level to inspect the work of her minions. The plant monsters that she had set to roaming the ruins had left it carpeted in moss, mushrooms, and flowers, extending her domain through the remains of the ancient city like a sudden blossoming of life triumphing over the slow, crumbling death that had claimed her home. It was a space transformed. No longer dark and dusty, Ali surveyed the city from above, now transformed by the glittering light of thousands upon thousands of golden mushrooms that sprouted from every open space.


    But the sight was filled with profound melancholy that ached deep within her chest. In her memories, the city was still that bustling metropolis ¨C a center for learning, and a vibrant hub for people. Now it lay under a carpet of nature ¨C by her hand ¨C a poignant reminder of its death. she thought firmly. Using the ruins of her home as a backbone upon which to grow was somehow appropriate, even while it tugged painfully at her heartstrings.


    She sniffed. Then she rolled up her sleeves and got to work. The first thing she did was to summon a cloud of Glitter Dragonets, making the air sparkle with the golden light of their bodies and motes, like a reflection of the mushrooms below. Then she spent the next several hours dotting the ruins with Radiant Larches and a few Lirasian Oaks to build a more robust framework for her domain and light up the space. It was slow work, boring holes into the stone paving to make space for the trees, but at least she wasn¡¯t allowing the ancient city to go to waste.


    When her domain finally reached the walls containing the city, she felt like she was done. She connected it to her upper domain via the entrance hall, making sure her mana was firmly established in preparation for whatever boss she would place here, and then she took all her monsters and the minions that had grown her domain down to the second level of the ruins and repeated the whole process, spreading her domain throughout the suspended city rings.


    Several hours later, Ali stood beside the cracked remains of the mana condenser, watching closely as her domain mana crept up toward and spilled over the pool of liquid light. Her monsters had taken care of the oozes, but aside from those, nothing had emerged to disturb her work. The Wights were only a memory, and no groaning or clacking undead crawled out from the bone piles to greet her. The dense light-affinity mana that billowed out of the broken condenser clashed with her domain structure like waves breaking on a beach, however, the most surprising part about it was that Ali felt no sign of dungeon-rage. Not even a hint.


    she thought, drawing closer. She glanced at the tiny golden dragonet that had chosen to perch on her Acolyte¡¯s head, burping up bubbles of light magic that floated upward in the air. It had worked once when she had integrated with Lira¡¯s domain, and fresh off her success at integrating a light-affinity formation into one of her monster imprints, she decided to give it a shot. Closing her eyes to focus exclusively on her mana sight, she reached out with Domain Mastery and twisted her mana. Immediately, two facts impressed themselves strongly upon her. Firstly, her control was nothing like the first time. When she had reached out to save Lira and herself from the dungeon-rage, she had been a blind mole fumbling about in the sunlight. Now, her senses caught the fabric of her mana lattice with the clarity and precision of a master craftsman, twisting and warping the shape with the ease of Lydia¡¯s needle dancing along a seam. The second realization was that the mana spilling from the condenser had no structure to speak of, and there was nothing to warp her domain  she couldn¡¯t match something that had no form or structure.


    She caught her lower lip between her teeth and tried again. But although her dramatic increases in perception, intelligence, skill and class levels, and the control provided by Arcane Recall all conspired to greatly enhance her proficiency with her domain, she still could not make the vast well of light-affinity mana integrate with her domain. Time and again, she bent it to her will, consulting frequently with Clarence between attempts. Sage of Learning wrestled with what she knew about the nature of mana and what she could clearly see, but in the end, she only had tantalizing glimpses of success ¨C a little surge of mana that flowed through her domain lattice, making it glow softly before fading. A snap and spark that grounded quickly, or a slightly greater proficiency at pushing back at the external source of mana brushing up against her domain.


    The problem seemed to be the lack of definable structure and the need for a far greater understanding of the nature of conflicting affinities. The mana billowing from the condenser was not nearly as chaotic as the mana down in the jungle, but it still eluded her grasp. At least, once she claimed the jungle, she would have a source of unbound nature mana to experiment with, but for now, it remained a little beyond her reach.


    Ali returned to the library, but although she had failed to make measurable progress against the liquid light mana from the condenser, her mind was brimming with theories and new ideas to try. Eagerly, she found her chair and began writing everything down.


    Dozens of pages of notes and a snack later, a soft pop alerted Ali to Ryn¡¯s appearance in the library atrium, visible as a sudden vortex in the mana perception of the wheeling Glitter Dragons she was using for perception practice.


    ¡°Hi, Ryn,¡± she greeted, looking up to find her friend flying down to join her.


    ¡°Hey, Ali, I got you some fun books.¡± Ryn landed beside her and produced an enormous stack of thick tomes, separated by which library she had sourced them from. ¡°I found a couple of new monster compendiums that we might use for your research project,¡± Ryn said, placing them on the table next to her. ¡°I think you might¡­ Ali!¡± her squeal of delight broke her thread of concentration as a little golden dragon landed on top of the largest pile of books and declared it to be his with a roar. ¡°What is that?¡±


    The dragon cocked his head toward Ryn and unleashed a stream of motes of light that bounced harmlessly off the hands she threw up to protect herself.


    ¡°Oh, it was a study project I worked on yesterday. I made a new dragon variant,¡± Ali said, attempting to pass it off as if it were a simple, everyday occurrence.


    ¡°He¡¯s so pretty!¡± Ryn said, tentatively offering a hand to the little dragon. It sniffed at her suspiciously and then, spying an insect attracted to its light magic, launched itself into the air and snapping its jaws, catching lunch before spiraling back down to its perch atop the book pile.


    ¡°Ali, I took the Familiar skill at level ten. I was thinking I would get an owl or something, but it felt too clich¨¦, so I never really made a decision.¡± The tiny dragon had deigned to allow her to scratch the ridges on the back of its head and was crooning softly. ¡°Do you think¡­¡± The dragon suddenly burped, and a Mote of Light shot from its mouth, bouncing off Ryn¡¯s nose and making her blink.


    Ryn¡¯s excitement was so obvious that Ali didn¡¯t need her to finish her thought. Lira believed that the summoned minions were simply an extension of her own ego or ¡®soul¡¯, whatever the correct term was ¨C but they were an extension of herself. It was only when she released her reserved mana that the creature would become an empty vessel, expiring once it used up the remains of the animating mana. But Willow had successfully tamed a Timber Wolf, and Lira¡¯s skills had tamed or enthralled her Forest Guardians, proving that there was a way for the monsters to transfer attachments, or attract or develop their own souls. It was unclear which, but there seemed to be no reason Ryn couldn¡¯t make a bond with the dragonet.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it?¡± she told her friend.


    ¡°Oh, Ali! Can I? Thank you!¡± Ryn stumbled over her words in her excitement, and immediately, a complex formation of mana sprang from her as she activated the skill. The structure quickly blossomed outward expanding till it reached the tiny dragon as if offering something. The king of the book pile cocked his head to the side and then reached out tentatively as if to taste it. As soon as the creature touched it, Ali felt a tug on her mana, similar to when Willow had tamed the wolf. She knew instantly she could resist Ryn¡¯s spell if she chose, turning it into a battle for control over the little dragonet, but this was for Ryn, so she chose to let it release on its own.


    The dragon twitched as her mana released, and for a moment, Ali expected him to freak out, but he shook his head side to side several times, flared his golden wings, and then turned his inquisitive glowing eyes to Ryn as if listening intently to her. The magic of her skill flickered and shifted as if they were having an unheard conversation and then something clicked, and the dragon and Ryn¡¯s mana merged.


    Ryn let out a squeal of delight. ¡°He accepted!¡±


    Mana surged through them both, and the tiny black markings on the dragonet¡¯s spine, tail, and horns softened to a deep violet.


    ¡°His class changed! I get to help him pick two more skills!¡± Ryn exclaimed. ¡°Oh, I just learned draconic! Ali, I can feel his thoughts, he¡¯s hungry!¡±


    Ali grinned at Ryn¡¯s flustered excitement. Sending out a quick command, she had several of the other dragonets catch a few insects and bring them over to Ryn. ¡°Here, you can feed him,¡± she said, handing her the catch.


    ¡°The skill says he will level up with me, and I can teleport him to me. His class is influenced by mine now. I need to think up a good name! What do you think of Bookwyrm? Is that stupid?¡± Ryn continued her excited rapid-fire chatter.


    Ali chuckled, ¡°No, I think that¡¯s the perfect name!¡± While it was not a name she would have thought of, it was totally a Ryn-thing. She was so obviously happy and excited about her new companion, but she almost melted when Bookwyrm flew up and landed on her shoulder, draping his tail around her neck and trying to nuzzle her ear while getting his head spines caught in her hair.


    ¡°Ali! Thank you! Thank you so much!¡±


    Bookwyrm complained.


    ¡°Yes, yes, you¡¯re the best,¡± Ali said, and chuckled as the little fellow preened and posed on Ryn¡¯s shoulder.


    Havok


    Havok flopped down onto the couch in the guild hall, completely defeated. He had reached level twenty, and he had been so excited to unlock his new Paladin Blessing skill, but it was no good ¨C he couldn¡¯t even use it. All his hopes of making his friends stronger had slowly evaporated along with his excitement as his day lurched from disappointment to disappointment.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Havok? You seem discouraged.¡±


    He looked up to find the elf guild administrator looking down on him with concerned eyes.


    ¡°Gods stupid,¡± he said, grumpily. She just sat down on the couch beside him and waited. He didn¡¯t want to talk more, but she was waiting for him to explain, and she had always been nice to him.


    He simply shared his skill with her.


    Paladin Blessing ¨C level 1


    Mana:


    Mana: Pray to a god, seeking their favor.


    Holy, Blessing, Wisdom.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said. ¡°You don¡¯t have a patron deity or a church?¡±


    ¡°No. Church not want Havok,¡± he said. And therein was his problem. He had spent the entire day hunting down all the churches and temples in the town, discovering there were only two major ones and a few minor ones. The temple of Helios threw him out, literally. The temple of Lunar¨¦ had been more polite, but they had turned him away too, and none of the minor temples had been interested in a Goblin. ¡°How Havok be paladin if no god wants Goblin?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Havok,¡± Mieriel said, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder. ¡°That was very mean of them.¡±


    ¡°Aliandra here?¡± he asked, a sudden hope blossoming in his heart. Aliandra was smart, she would know what to do.


    ¡°No, she isn¡¯t, but she left a teleporter in the lower room,¡± Mieriel said. ¡°I can take you to her library if you want?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please! Havok ask Aliandra, she¡¯s smart.¡±


    ***


    He stepped onto the circle of silver magic runes and suddenly he was in a dark room beside an enormous tree. Strange green lights and golden creatures flew about the tree that soared high up, far further than he could even see, but way up above him there were some other lights and railings.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s go up,¡± Mieriel said, leading him to the stairs. ¡°They¡¯re usually on the top level.¡±


    It was a long, winding path, but eventually, the two of them emerged on a landing, and he found himself in a library with more books than he had ever seen in his life. Aliandra was sitting on a chair at a table with some books open beside her.


    ¡°Aliandra! Can help Havok?¡± he declared, getting the attention of everyone in the room instantly, and realizing that he had probably been a little too loud when a small golden dragon screeched and launched itself into the air. But Aliandra smiled at him.


    ¡°Hi, Havok. What do you need?¡±


    He explained his skill, how he wanted to help his friends in battle, and how he couldn¡¯t get any of the gods or churches to accept him. As he explained, several other people joined in the little circle: Ryn, the librarian; and the ancient Dryad who was so powerful he felt nervous just being around her.


    ¡°The church of Helios threw him out, and the temple of Lunar¨¦ rejected him too. He¡¯s had no luck with anyone,¡± Mieriel added. He liked Mieriel, she was helping him.


    ¡°Helios always preferred humans, and Lunar¨¦ likes elves,¡± Lirasia the ancient Dryad said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to experience that, but they would be very unlikely to accept a so-called monster race like us.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about churches and deities, but won¡¯t he have to actually meet the god to gain their patronage?¡± Aliandra said. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°He can just join a church and have a senior priest or paladin intercede with the god on his behalf,¡± Mieriel said. ¡°But he would need a church that accepts him.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a paladin though, does that mean he can do it himself?¡± Aliandra asked. ¡°It says he can pray with his skill.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right,¡± Ryn added. ¡°Paladins or priests often get a direct line to their deity, without requiring an intermediary.¡±


    ¡°Havok tried pray. Not work.¡± He had tried a lot of times, but the skill seemed to be broken.


    ¡°Who did you try to contact?¡± Ryn asked.


    ¡°Helios, Lunar¨¦,¡± he said. He had tried everybody he could find in town. But all he had gotten was silence.


    ¡°I think you need to try a god that is receptive to Goblins,¡± Lirasia said. ¡°Perhaps a less popular god? One that would better value your commitment?¡±


    ¡°I can find a list,¡± Ryn said, turning to the bookshelves and returning with a thick tome that she placed on the table. She opened it and they all began studying the choices.


    Havok looked at the words, but he had no idea what they said. Nor could he follow what they were discussing as they went through the list. What they said made sense but he just could not imagine a god who would be interested in one of his kind.


    ¡°Hey, what about this one?¡± Aliandra said, pointing at some squiggles on the page. ¡°Azryet. I have an acolyte with a class called Acolyte of Azryet, so maybe that¡¯s good for holy magic?¡±


    ¡°Aah, Azryet. That is indeed a fantastic choice,¡± Lirasia said, nodding sagely.


    Reading from the squiggles, Ryn said, ¡°Azryet, the Dragon God, Harbinger of Chaos, Herald of Havoc, The Calamity. He is an ancient god, long fallen out of favor with the realm. He represents those who would right the wrongs in the world, chaos, and solving problems through glorious battle. His aspects are void and holy magic.¡± Pointing to a particular line, she added, ¡°It says here that he supports all sentient races equally, but dragons more equally than the rest. Oh, and no demons ¨C but you¡¯re not a demon, so that shouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡±


    ¡°That sounds perfect,¡± Aliandra said, smiling at him.


    ¡°The god of Havok?¡± he asked. There was a dragon god of havoc, and his name was Havok. It couldn¡¯t be more perfect than that.


    Everyone was nodding. Havok scratched his neck. Alright? Maybe. Remembering the cruel laughter of the people who had seen him shoved down the Helios temple stairs, he clenched his fists. No. His friends were here. They believed in him. He had to do it.


    ¡°I will try,¡± he said. He got down on his knees on the hard stone floor, and clasped his hands together, bowing his head and he spoke his prayer, channeling his mana.


    ¡°Hi, Azryet. I am Havok. You are Havoc too. I look for good god. You help?¡±


    Azryet [The Calamity]


    Azryet opened one lidded eye and shifted his vast bulk that was settled comfortably into the stone worn into the shape of his body over the centuries of him roosting here. His slumber had been interrupted by a strange sensation ¨C a sensation he had not felt for many thousands of years.


    He closed his eye, shutting out the sight of his vast chambers, and turned his awareness inward, following the incredibly tenuous connection to its source.


    He saw a room, dimly lit with books lining shelves and lying open on tables. There, off to the side was a vast tree, somehow growing within the confines of the dark room, while tiny golden dragonets flew circles about it. He approved.


    His attention continued to travel downward, spiraling towards one of the tables and the small figures standing or sitting around. There was a human, with an unusual taste of divination magic, holding a book and pointing to his name. Here was a Fae creature, whose peculiar domain mana permeated the entire space, reminding him of flowers and the sparkling of new magic. She spoke encouraging words, and an elf sat quietly nearby.


    His attention was caught by the ancient dryad who suddenly looked directly at his astral projection and nodded respectfully. ¡°¡±


    ¡°he sent his greeting, her formal use of his full titles pleasing him greatly.


    ¡°¡±


    And there, kneeling on the floor among his friends, was his first petition in millennia.


    And then the kneeling Goblin spoke his prayer.


    ¡°Hi, Azryet. I am Havok. You are Havoc too. I look for good god. You help?¡±


    He chuckled. It was by far the most informal prayer he had ever experienced in his long ages as a deity. It was true he had not had any followers in thousands of years, and his reputation as a god was almost nonexistent. But something about the little Goblin resonated well with him. Perhaps it was the straightforward manner of his request, or the pure honesty evident in his heart. Or perhaps it was the fact that he called himself Havok, too ¨C a choice of surpassing excellence.


    ¡°Indeed, little Goblin. Let¡¯s see what you can do.¡± He reached down and released his mana to suffuse the kneeling Goblin and grant his petition.


    he thought, eyeing his first and only follower. And there it was, the first reputation increase he had received since he had been exiled to this desolate demon-infested realm. He basked in the exquisite rush of power, even small as it was. Perhaps, if his new paladin could advocate for him in the mortal realm, he could once again achieve his former glory, and perhaps even put an end to this interminable stalemate with the infernal demon king Destraggoth.


    He quickly tempered his rising hopes, after all, what could one little Goblin really do? Even a butterfly¡¯s wing-stroke might unleash catastrophe, he reminded himself with an inward snort. Huh. What was this ¨C this unexpected sense of froth in his belly? Happiness?


    Yes. He was well-pleased with what had been released this day.


    Havok


    Havok prayed, and just like every other time, nothing much happened. His knees hurt on the stone floor, and he wanted to get up and abandon this stupid skill.


    But then he felt something. A giant lidded eye examining him from somewhere further than he could imagine. He trembled, trying to hold himself steadfast under its awesome, crushing gaze. He was Havok, and the god was Havoc. It was perfect.


    His body filled with a sudden rush of dizzying power, and he almost passed out, but he held on, desperate to understand what was happening to him. Desperate not to lose his chance.


    Godly Patronage ¨C Azryet


    Traits: Void, Holy, Domain, Deity, Minion, Draconic, Strength, Vitality, Endurance, Intelligence, Wisdom, Chaos, Combat, Healing, Knowledge.


    A small chance on hit to do additional Holy or Void damage.


    Enchantment ¨C Tithe


    Havok didn¡¯t even wait for his inner voice to read the glowing squiggles to him, he simply accepted it immediately. Then he froze as the usual sound of the voice deepened to a thunderous grating roar that shook his heart.


    +10% to holy damage and healing after increasing the reputation of Azryet. Duration: 24 hours.


    Title


    The Blessing of Azryet ¨C level 1


    Mana: Grant your target a chance to do additional Holy or Void damage on hit. This is additive with Azryet¡¯s Patronage. Duration: 30 minutes.


    Mana: Pray to Azryet, seeking their favor on behalf of yourself or another you deem worthy.


    Holy, Blessing, Wisdom.


    He leapt up from the floor and danced around excitedly. ¡°It worked! Azryet is good god!¡±


    Everyone around him seemed happy, cheering him on, but suddenly he stopped his excited prancing as a thought landed in his mind with the weight of purpose and destiny.


    ¡°How to make church?¡± he asked. Though he had experienced the vast power of his patron, Azryet, he had recognized something deep within him. It was the same loneliness he had in his own heart before he had joined the guild. Azryet needed friends, and he would help find them.


    ¡°I can show you,¡± Mieriel said. ¡°You just need five people to sign up and I can help you file the paperwork with the town council. You¡¯ll probably need a place to make the temple or church, though.¡±


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 199: Drake Wing (1 of 2)

    - Kir¡¯mogan, Troll Champion of Aman Rak.


    Aliandra


    ¡°That seemed fast,¡± Malika said, as Ali began deconstructing the twin Living Flames in the Landing.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s mostly because you and Calen leveled up a lot,¡± Ali answered, shifting uncomfortably in the oppressive heat. It had indeed been the fastest they had killed the cloned elemental boss.


    Abyssal Stalkers were expensive, reserving as much mana as a Hobgoblin and Ali hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to put them through their paces. She had made one at the start, intending to give it a real trial on the early caverns and tunnels of the mine ¨C to make a decision without crippling her mana in the meantime, but before the first passage was clear, she had summoned a second one and dispensed with all her Kobold rogues.


    There was no comparison.


    With just two Abyssal Stalkers, the Flame Broodmother had fallen in less than half the time, her demonic spiders tearing it to pieces with their insane bonuses to blood magic damage. Even against these Living Flames, the Abyssal Stalkers dealt out a respectable amount of damage ¨C but it was in resilience that they truly shone. At twice the level of the Kobolds, and with better attribute progression, they had far more health and armor and incomparably better defensive abilities.


    ¡°Probably, but you leveled too, and your spiders are very strong,¡± Malika said, echoing her thoughts and tapping the carapace of the nearest one before it faded away to invisibility.


    ¡°I like them,¡± Ali said, smiling as she let Malika collect the essences.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s see if Morwynne can go three for three,¡± Malika said, retrieving a strange new potion swirling in an oversized vial. While still blue, there danced within it a flame of pitch black. How the hellfire remained unquenched, suspended in a liquid that was a combination of ice and water affinity, Ali had no clue. But somehow the resourceful Gnomish alchemist had created it.


    ¡°Skipping the demon wing, right?¡± Calen said, eyeing the ominous middle door.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali said, firmly. In order to finish the dungeon off, they would eventually need to return to that wing, but only after they were far stronger ¨C and with a solid plan for dealing with the rift. ¡°The priority is finding the Forge if it¡¯s still there, and¡­¡± she trailed off. Her friends understood. They needed to get to the end of the dungeon to learn if this was another tool of the Lich.


    ¡°Opening it,¡± Malika said. She tipped the vial and spilled a tiny droplet of the liquid onto the Rune of Hellfire, and the mana sustaining the flame was instantly drawn into it, freezing the flame in place with a loud crackling noise. Stone grated on stone as Mato braced his armored shoulder against the unlocked door and shoved, revealing a well-constructed passageway leading to unnaturally smooth and unworn stone stairs descending into the depths.


    ¡°We¡¯re in the right place. This is the way to the Forge,¡± Ali said, instantly recognizing the expertly crafted stonework. Supposedly a natural source of unusually potent fire mana had been discovered down here in the mines, many years before she had been born ¨C and rather than waste it on a raw excavation, the dwarven smiths and stonemasons had created the Forge down here in the remnants of the ancient, depleted initial excavations of the mine.


    ¡°Be on your guard,¡± Calen said, taking the steps first.


    Ali summoned a barrier to cast a golden accent against the light from Calen¡¯s motes, allowing her to pick out the details of the stonework as she floated along behind her friends. The clicking and clinking of footfalls, steel weapons, and claws on stone echoed off the dusty old passage that could not have seen traffic in thousands of years.


    The stairs meandered ever downward, adorned with unlit sconces bolted to the walls in precisely even-spaced alcoves. Even the buttresses supporting the heavy weight of the rock overhead had been finely crafted and would hardly look out of place in a cathedral. Eventually, they approached a sculpted granite archway and emerged into a sizeable open chamber. The heavy raw rock of the roof was held up by many marble pillars and arching stone buttresses but, save for the giant monster of red gleaming scale and sharp fangs guarding the far doorway, the chamber remained empty.


    ¡°Shit, that looks tough,¡± Malika murmured.


    ¡°Drake, level seventy-six,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Fire,¡± Ali added for Malika¡¯s benefit, as if there could be any doubt. The drake looked every inch a predator, its reptilian head scanning back and forth, trails of black smoke curling up from its nostrils and out between its large fangs. It had brutal-looking spikes along the crest of its head, down its spine, and all the way to the end of its thick tail ¨C and its body was armored by heavy gleaming red scales. Gleaming talons cracked sharply on the rock as it prowled back and forth.


    ¡°Flightless,¡± Calen added, glancing at Mato.


    Ali thought, carefully studying the monster with every sense at her disposal. It was fully as large and heavy as one of her Forest Guardians, its body broad and squat, contrasting strongly with the pictures of the sleeker and more streamlined winged dragons and wyverns she had seen in her monster compendium, presumably trading wings for bulk and armor.


    ¡°Duh, no wings,¡± Mato joked. ¡°Want me to tank it facing the wall?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and watch out for that tail, it looks dangerous,¡± Malika added.


    Ali smiled softly. Her Abyssal Stalkers had caught the scent of its blood.


    Mato


    Mato twisted and warped into the familiar shape of his Bear Form, trickling his mana into both his armor and his new ring, allowing them to be included in his transformation magic. he thought, eyeing the extremely dangerous-looking drake.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready,¡± Calen said, his bow out and nocked. His eyes had that faraway look he got whenever he was scouting or shooting and, although he didn¡¯t show it, his friend¡¯s heart sounded a little faster than usual, betraying a little nervousness or excitement.


    Mato measured the distance to the giant Armored Drake, noting the subtle ripples and shimmers of heat rising from the red scales. He turned his head, catching sight of Ali¡¯s Acolytes standing ready and in range. Malika stood beside him, balanced on the balls of her feet, her body poised and ready.


    He huffed and tossed his head ¨C the closest he could get to a verbal acknowledgement. An indication that he was about to start that wouldn¡¯t alert the entire room with his roaring. All around him, his friends and Ali¡¯s minions tensed in preparation.


    Mato Charged, stamina burning through his body in an avalanche of power as it accelerated his normal four-pawed loping gait to an impossible speed. He tore across the hard dusty stone like a bolt fired from a crossbow. An almost two-thousand-pound bolt of muscle, fur, and glinting heavy plate armor crashed into the side of the heavier and bulkier Armored Drake ¨C like running headlong into a wall. Tossing his head side-to-side, he shook off the stunning reverberation of the impact like shedding water from his fur.


    He roared, opening battle with his stamina-powered Challenging Roar, taunting the drake and lowering its strength a little. He lashed out but his claws bounced off the scales with a ringing clang. Only the nature damage of his Brutal Restoration and the augmented light magic flashes from Calen¡¯s support magic penetrating the dense natural armor that was harder than enchanted steel plate.


    Mato grimaced as the drake wheeled about to face him, talons scraping long gashes in the stone beneath their feet.


    ¡°Hold!¡± Calen called out.


    Mato¡¯s instincts screamed with the premonition of extreme danger and everything around him slowed except for the blurring cleave of the drake¡¯s talons. He had barely enough time to block as the near-invisible clawed strike accelerated through his guard. The wicked, gleaming talons, each more than a foot in length, cleaved across his shoulder, screeching against armor, ripping through muscle and dense hide. But the strike was backed by incredible raw power. It barely slowed as it sliced across his chest, leaving deep parallel gashes through his hide and across the bands of his heavy plate armor. The claws continued, tearing a huge bloody gouge through the rock wall on the follow-through. Mato staggered backward, driven into the wall by the unrestrained might and ferocity of the devastating strike, his blood splashing across the gleaming red scales, where it sizzled and burned on contact with the monster¡¯s intense internal heat.


    ¡°Heals!¡± Ali screamed in the background.


    He was grateful he had had the chance to practice his new Survival Instinct with Brena. Having a feel for the acceleration of his reflexes had given him just enough of an edge to block the Cleave. He shuddered to think of what might have happened if he¡¯d failed to block it and taken critical damage. he thought soberly. In one strike, he had taken the measure of his opponent and knew he was the weaker fighter. By a large margin.


    Malika¡¯s body blurred toward him, moving almost as fast as the drake, and her magic seared through his body, forcing his wounds to grow closed in moments.


    He summoned a Stonecap Armor potion to his mouth and bit down hard. When he had received his shiny new guild ring, Mato had been overjoyed to have more attribute enchantments available to him in his Bear Form but the first thing Calen had asked was if that meant Mato could use his storage enchantment in combat. It was Morwynne who had figured out how to use treated gourds instead of vials ¨C gourds that he could bite.


    It crunched, spraying thick oily liquid across his tongue. It tasted like eating sand. The gritty concoction went down because he forced it, and immediately its magic swirled through his body, condensing in his hide. Normally supple and strong, it hardened dramatically, adding weight and toughness, and moderately restricting his ability to move. But his tanking style did not require dexterity. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    +15% to Armor


    -5% to Movement Speed


    -5% to Dexterity


    Potion ¨C Duration: 2 minutes.


    Survival Instinct triggered his danger sense again, this time stronger than the first. The giant fanged dragon-maw opened wide. A bone-shaking roar heralded a sizzling blast of dragonfire. Flame filled Mato¡¯s vision while he still had a face, tearing through his fur and hide like a wildfire ravenously consuming dry grass.


    He didn¡¯t hesitate, instantly using Last Stand to boost his health and armor. He could sense Malika standing beside him in the raging torrent of flame. Swirling eddies roiled in her wake and he instinctively reached out to save her with his Sanctuary, but she was not taking any damage. She just stood there pouring her healing magic into his burning body while dodging the conflagration.


    He knew she could dodge magic, and he knew that it was only a chance and not a certainty, but he was jealous of her standing there healing him in the dragonfire, unbothered by the flames that were tearing him apart. She must have taken a huge risk remaining in harm¡¯s way to ensure he survived the dangerous and chaotic moments at the beginning of the fight.


    Fewer than a handful of seconds had passed, and already he had blown his most powerful defensive skill and survived two of the deadliest attacks he had ever faced. He could hear the frantic chirping of the Kobold Acolytes as they finally caught up to the action, loading him up with holy magic and healing. Malika stepped away as the fire began to fade.


    Using instinct and memory, he struck without waiting for his eyes to be restored. Aching pain coursed through him as he spent health to power Bestial Combat, but with the amount of healing they had loaded up on him, it would be recovered quickly. Spending mana and stamina, he added Brutal Restoration, creating his most powerful Swipe, simultaneously enhanced by both his support skills. This time, when his claws struck, he felt them ripping and tearing through the heavily armored scales and even sending some flying. And with it came the welcome rejuvenating feel of his restoration magic beginning to pulse through him, powered by the sheer amount of damage his strike had inflicted on the angry dragon before him.


    ¡°Go,¡± Calen called out, clearly having seen him land the big hit on the drake and decided that the monster was sufficiently controlled to begin the attack. The Hobgoblins rushed in as a hail of spells and arrows filled the air. Two large, indistinct spider-like shapes materialized from thin air behind the drake, slashing with vicious slicing strikes that set the drake to bellowing in pain.


    For a moment, the drake turned toward the spider demon which had just landed a critical damage Ambush, but Mato wasn¡¯t about to allow Ali¡¯s minion to pull the drake from him. In the brief window of opportunity, his Battlemaster triggered, and he spent health and mana aggressively to power his retaliatory strike. His paw felt light with the thrilling power of his skill accelerating it to near instantaneous speed, but it landed with inexorable weight, ripping through armored scales like paper. The thick gnarled roots creaked and groaned as they twisted themselves around the drake¡¯s feet, slowly blackening as his magic lost the battle against its intense heat. But that didn¡¯t matter, the drake whirled back to face him, and he began trading blows with it, keeping a sharp focus on his danger senses while watching for the dragon-fire breath or the almighty Cleave attack.


    The temporary health and armor from Last Stand wore off, and moments later his danger sense warned him of the incoming strike. He blocked the near-instantaneous cleaving talon strike but even blocked, the power of the attack smashed him up into the rocky wall behind him in a shower of blood and shattered stone. His health surged back up in steps as the Kobolds reacted to the damage, landing their biggest heals on him as he recovered his stance. He dropped down, ducking under snapping fangs, and retaliated with another armor-piercing strike, ensuring that the drake¡¯s armor was weakened for the rest of the group to do damage. The Hobgoblins were certainly taking advantage of his skill, and the demonic spiders even more with high-speed flurries of attacks that flickered and glinted, spraying drake-blood into the air as a fine mist.


    He was quickly getting used to the flow of battle with his new enhanced reflexes. He blocked another cleaving talon strike, taking a savage bite to his left shoulder, barely able to move his head out of the way in time. The fangs sunk deep into his hide, puncturing his armor with raw strength and power. His counterstrike broke the drake¡¯s bite by tearing the fangs from his shoulder along with a sizeable chunk of armor and flesh. He ignored the pain, allowing the abundance of healing magic on him to rapidly restore his wildly oscillating health.


    He roared, using Challenging Roar more to keep the drake¡¯s strength debuffed than to taunt it, and, as if in response, one of the Hobgoblins shouted in concert with him, the booming voice of her skill filling him with power.


    He felt the breath attack coming, and before the flame even struck, quickly scanned the fight so that he would know where everything was when he lost his ability to see and braced himself up against the wall. The roaring flame washed over him, tearing into his face and body. He blocked another claw attack purely on Survival Instinct as the world faded from red to black. As the roar of flame faded and his sight was restored, he could feel the heat radiating from the red-hot rock behind him. Dragon-fire was insanely hot, and it easily outclassed the hellfire of the wargs in terms of how much of his health it burned away, but he would still take the dragon¡¯s breath over the hellfire, simply because the pain was less, and the flames did not linger forever.


    Suddenly, one of the spiders landed a whistling strike and the drake stumbled. It was only for a moment, but in that instant, Battlemaster triggered again. he thought, taking full advantage of the opportunity to land his biggest hit yet.


    Mato shifted to the side, moving out of the partially melted rock. It wasn¡¯t much extra damage, but with the sheer volatility of his health, any damage saved was likely to be worth it. He settled in for the long haul, grateful for his regeneration and Battle Trance as he focused on learning how to defend himself against his magnificent opponent. Claws swiped and talons Cleaved in a dizzying conversation of violence and strength. When the chime finally rang out in his mind, Mato found himself filled with an overwhelming sense of triumph ¨C but, laced through the emotion was a distinct undercurrent of disappointment that it was over.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 199: Drake Wing (2 of 2)

    AliandraIt was the strangest sensation; she could weakness in the drake. Ali still hadn¡¯t gotten used to the stench of blood from the exquisitely sensitive Scent of Blood skill her Abyssal Stalkers had, but the more she studied her demonic assassin spiders, the more impressed she became.


    Immersed in the senses of her spiders, she fought as one of them ¨C aware of the pulsing of dragon blood in the web of arteries and veins below the dense nearly impenetrable scales, the ebb and flow fueling the enormous muscles. With her enhanced senses, she felt the speed and impact of her forelegs slicing with precision through the rents and tears in the armor left by Mato¡¯s skills. She was already extraordinarily familiar with her Kobold rogues, and their methods of fighting, and although entirely different in anatomy, she found her understanding of their fighting techniques surprisingly transferrable.


    The monstrous Armored Drake was too strong for even demonic web to have much effect on it and had so much endurance that Blood Shock seldom had a chance to stun ¨C and even then, only for the briefest of moments. But Mato was quick enough to take advantage of even the tiniest opening. Her strikes left wounds that bled continually, and she could even smell how much damage blood shock was adding to every mutilate. The more it bled, the better she could smell weaknesses.


    ¡°Those spiders are good,¡± Calen said. ¡°Very good.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes,¡± Ali agreed, refreshing her precautionary barriers against the dragon fire. In the mid-forties, they were by far her highest damage minion. In fact, the Abyssal Stalkers might give Malika, or even Calen, a run for their money in that department ¨C especially with Mato¡¯s Battle Trance augmenting their stamina regeneration via his Sanctuary aura.


    She had misjudged the spiders¡¯ damage at the beginning of the fight, though, allowing them to use Ambush, Critical Bleed, Blood Shock, and Mutilate simultaneously. One of the spiders had done so much critical damage that it had pulled the drake¡¯s attention off Mato for a moment. But his retaliation had been enough to regain control, and she fortunately hadn¡¯t lost her minion or disrupted the strategy.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Malika said when the drake finally hit the ground with a shuddering crash.


    ¡°Calen, do you want to skin this?¡± Ali asked, lowering herself to the stone floor near the drake, taking care not to step on the still-scorching stone melted by the dragonfire. It would make a gorgeous minion, but the scales were something else. A piece of armor made from the tough dragon scales would be extraordinary ¨C provided they could find a leatherworker of sufficient skill to work it.


    ¡°I do,¡± Calen answered, studying the corpse. ¡°But you have a dragon imprint, I think the priority should be your minions.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to use a fire drake in here, though,¡± Ali noted, still frustrated that none of the monsters she had learned through the entire Emberforge Mines had been of any help to them. In fact, the only one she had found useful had come from beyond the mines in the abyssal realm.


    she corrected herself looking at the tiny imp that hopped and scampered around poking at the corpse of the drake. Although the juxtaposition of the demonic dungeon just through the rift and the presence of fire demons in the mines could not have been a coincidence ¨C chances were that the Emberforge Mines had learned the imps and wargs from the Demon Hunter chamber. Still, the drake was magnificent, and she wished at least some of the dungeon would not be immune to fire.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to be stuck in here forever,¡± Calen continued, concluding the discussion. ¡°And when we go somewhere else, you will be able to use them. Besides you only need the first three or so anyway ¨C there will be more in the next chamber, I¡¯ll bet.¡±


    He was probably right, there would be more than enough to go around. Ali lowered herself down to the drake and placed her hand on a scale. It was warm and hard as steel, still glowing slightly in her mana sight. She had to admit, she wouldn¡¯t mind having dragon-scale armor for her Hobgoblins. She channeled her deconstruction, turning the giant drake¡¯s corpse into an explosion of mana that sizzled and evaporated in the heat of the dungeon.


    ¡°Hey, Ali, you might want to see this,¡± Calen said, his voice coming from the giant stone arch exit that had been guarded by the drake. He had of course gone exploring while she was busy deconstructing the monstrous corpse.


    She flew over, curious to see what he had found, but as she reached the archway she stopped, stunned by the view. Falling away from their high vantage point were a series of massive stone terraces, hewn straight from the raw rock, and a forest of stone pillars rose to the rough-hewn roof far above, supporting the weight with mighty arched buttresses, a feat of stonework engineering that staggered her mind with its vast scope. The cavern itself clearly followed the irregular shape of the original mine, but it had been reformed by the stonemasons of ages past. Down the center flowed a large river of bubbling lava, spanned by several arched granite bridges.


    Instead of supply carts, miners, and merchants, the entire space was dotted with roaming monsters of fire and scales, each group looking deadlier than the last ¨C and in the shimmering air above, flame wisps cavorted and sizzled as they darted among the pillars reveling in the abundant fire mana.


    ¡°What are those?¡± she asked, pointing at the nearest group which was still distant enough that she was unable to identify the pillars of yellow-white flame that flanked another drake.


    ¡°Shard of Inferno,¡± Calen answered. ¡°Same as the ones the Inferno summoned during the fight.¡±


    ¡°That looks difficult,¡± she said. The drake by itself had already been a huge challenge, and now they were expected to battle it in the aura of flame emitted by the shards.


    ¡°Yes, but look behind them,¡± Calen said, pointing.


    It was difficult to make out, but the small red figures seemed rather familiar. She swapped to the better vision of her Hobgoblins and suddenly she could tell what she was looking at.


    ¡°Kobolds?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They look like higher-level versions of your Fire Mages.¡±


    ¡°Oh! An upgrade!¡± Ali exclaimed, but then the reality of being forced to dodge fireballs while simultaneously fighting an Armored Drake crashed in on her. ¡°How are we even going to do this?¡±


    ¡°Mato tanks the drake, maybe in here,¡± Calen answered, his expression thoughtful as he studied the distant group. He would be the one provoking the group to attack, and he would need to survive the sprint back to wherever they decided to fight them. ¡°Malika, can you tank two shards?¡±


    ¡°I think so, but is that a good idea? Don¡¯t they heal from being near each other?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the Shards of Inferno do, I was able to kill them with area damage during the Inferno fight while they were all bunched up,¡± Calen answered.


    ¡°Kill the Fire Mages first, I assume?¡± Ali asked. ¡°And spread out for the fireballs?¡± Not nearly enough time had passed for her to forget the terror of facing Kobold fireballs, and even though they were all much higher level now, and had faced the much more dangerous hellfire fireballs, she still felt the anxiety keenly.


    Calen nodded, agreeing with her. ¡°They¡¯re the lowest level of the group, they should go down fast.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll put the stalkers on them.¡±


    ¡°Five minutes on my Last Stand recharge,¡± Mato said, sitting by the wall.


    While they waited and discussed tactics in low voices, Ali took the time to organize her minions, arranging them around the area where they would hopefully be spread out enough that only one would be hit by any stray fireball. She also placed her Acolytes a little closer to the tanking spot, remembering just how dangerous the beginning of the fight had been last time.


    When Mato got to his feet and transformed to his Bear Form, Calen nocked his enormous recurve bow. The bow suddenly lit with the black flames of hellfire and howled as he loosed an arrow. It shot out across the stone terraces, flying between the pillars, and struck the drake squarely on its flank. The angry roar echoed off the stone as the drake charged, closing more than half the distance between them in an instant rush, while the Shards of Inferno and Kobolds flowed and scampered along behind.


    ¡°Incoming, three seconds,¡± Calen said calmly.


    Ali slipped her awareness into the nearest Acolyte as Mato and Malika stepped out in front of the doorway to receive the monstrous charge. Quickly, she loaded them both up with holy Restoration magic to help ease the transition at the start of the fight.


    The Armored Drake slammed into Mato, making his claws screech across the stone as he was body-slammed several meters back into the room, and its razor-sharp talons blurred in a horizontal arc. Ali¡¯s heart stopped as Malika¡¯s health vanished in an instant. Mato had lost a little more than a quarter of his life in that single shot, but Malika had nothing. A fraction of a second later, a small sliver of life appeared in response to a tiny pulse of holy magic from the restoration spell on her, and then suddenly Malika¡¯s powerful Healing Mantra surged through her body, dragging her back from the brink. It all happened so fast that Ali might have thought she imagined it but for the accelerated mental reflexes of her Arcane Recall.


    Malika¡¯s body blurred into action, punching and kicking the Shards of Inferno, but all Ali could do was take a breath as the reality of what had just happened sunk in. Malika had taken a single hit from the drake¡¯s frontal Cleave and had lost almost all her health. The tiny sliver of health that had been returned first had been the continuous healing pulse of the restoration she had decided to pre-cast on both her and Mato, and then Malika¡¯s insane reflexes had her healed to full before anything else had hit her. she shuddered.


    ¡°Ok, kill them,¡± Calen announced.


    Ali¡¯s brain started working again. Malika was already off to the side opposite Mato, tanking the two Shards of Inferno, punching and kicking furiously, flashing periodically with the light of her healing magic. Mato¡¯s health was oscillating wildly between the breaths and the Cleaves, and her Acolytes were already working hard to keep everyone alive.


    At the doorway, two Kobold fire mages stood tall, conjuring balls of flame.


    Suddenly remembering her job, Ali summoned a barrier just in time to intercept a fireball aimed at her Acolytes, detonating it harmlessly in midair, but her heart was still pounding, hammering the underside of her throat like a crazed blacksmith pounding out a stubborn chunk of iron.


    ¡°,¡± she commanded. Her two Abyssal Stalkers dropped in full stealth from their perches on the walls, landing on the two Kobold mages. Several rapid gleaming flickers and the Kobolds were spraying blood into the air, stunned, their fireballs interrupted mid-cast to explode on the ground beside them. Her spiders unleashed their fury as Calen laid down a barrage of arrows and in seconds, both Kobolds were trussed up in demonic webbing, bleeding profusely and about to die.


    ¡°Shards next,¡± Calen said.


    Ali switched her attention to the Shards of Inferno. As soon as she had entered the third wing of the dungeon behind the hellfire rune, she had given up on her Goblin shamans. Too low level to even use fire elixirs, they struggled to survive in the progressively denser fire mana. So, she had switched to the somewhat higher level Bone Mages and a handful of archers. She directed all her ranged attackers to target one of the Shards of Inferno.


    She slowly calmed her racing heart, but she refused to take her eyes off Malika and Mato¡¯s health for the entire fight. It was indeed fortunate that the elementals were Shards of Inferno and did not heal each other, otherwise Mato would have needed to tank one with the drake. Calen¡¯s arrows joined those of her minions, and then her two spiders joined the fray, but without the advantage of Blood Shock, the elementals tanked their assault for quite some time before succumbing one after the other.


    With a small fraction of her awareness, Ali fired her barrier shards at the Armored Drake, but the bulk of her attention, she devoted to Mato¡¯s health and the mana of her Acolytes. She rotated them through their Prayer skill aggressively, making certain they would have enough mana to keep Mato alive. They were chain-casting their highest power healing magic into Mato¡¯s enormous health pool, and it usually took several to recover the damage from the dragon breath or the cleave. Seeing how taxed her healers were becoming near the end, she decided immediately that she would summon more for the next fight.


    The drake finally crashed to the ground, though, sending dust puffing up into the air all around the chamber and she breathed an audible sigh of relief.


    ¡°Are you ok, Malika? What happened?¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that, I got too close to the drake at the start,¡± she said nonchalantly.


    ¡°I thought you were dead!¡± Ali burst out. The sight of Malika with no health visible to the senses of her healers had been so terrifying it would likely haunt her dreams for quite some time. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I very nearly was,¡± Malika answered softly. ¡°I had twelve health after that Cleave got me. Without the vitality buff from Mato¡¯s breakfast, I would be dead.¡±


    It was only then that she noticed how Malika¡¯s body was shaking.


    ¡°How about we break for snacks? I need to wait for my recharge anyway,¡± Mato said, with a surprising level of perceptiveness and tact.


    Ali walked over and stared at the corpses of the Armored Drake and Shards of Inferno lying on the ground where Malika and Mato had been tanking. She had always known a combat class, and delving through dungeons fighting monsters came with significant risk. But most of the time it felt rather distant, like an abstract concept grasped intellectually but lacking emotional significance. Their group always had healers, and Malika and Calen were level-headed and cautious whenever they chose to engage monsters. But the memory of Malika¡¯s health vanishing in an instant was like the icy grip of the Death Knight¡¯s fingers around her heart. She very nearly lost her friend, and that would have been the end. No healing could have brought her back.


    Her mind was pulled out of her troubled contemplation as the Shard of Inferno vanished, disposed of by her magic, leaving two small, still-burning yellow-white globs of flame on the ground.


    Ali collected the essence, and a couple more as she finished up her chore of deconstructing everything. She walked over to where the others were sitting and handed the still-burning essences to Malika. She squashed them together in her hands and her mana flickered briefly and suddenly the essences merged.


    ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°You take three lesser essences, push them together, and feed them a little mana and they merge into a regular higher-level essence.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s useful,¡± Ali said, sitting down next to Malika. She reached out and grabbed her around the arm and squeezed. ¡°You scared me. I don¡¯t want you to die.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ali,¡± Malika said, returning the gesture. ¡°I won¡¯t make that mistake again. Trust me, I don¡¯t want to die either. I mean, I suppose Seth could bring me back¡­¡±


    Ali winced. ¡°No. Just, no.¡±


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 200: The Hatchery (1 of 2)

    Artur Dragonsworn [The Rule of Law], Human King of Dal¡¯mohra


    Calen


    He stood in the strangely pristine archway squinting out at the enormous chamber beyond, constantly scanning the threats arrayed before them while trying to keep a lid on the nerves that threatened to bubble over from within. He had witnessed the Cleaving strike that almost took Malika¡¯s life, but he hadn¡¯t been aware of just how close it had been until after the fight when she and Ali talked about it. The monsters would barrel through the chokepoint of the archway, creating a deadly blender that would claim one of their tanks in a heartbeat. he glanced back speculatively at the Kobolds shifting restlessly inside the smaller chamber.


    ¡°Ali, can you help me split the next pack?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Sure, what do you need?¡± She floated up to join him at the doorway.


    ¡°Can you make an archer and put it next to Mato and have it shoot the Armored Drake?¡± he asked, pointing to the monsters they would need to take on next. The next group had an identical composition to the last one, with just minor differences in the monsters¡¯ levels.


    ¡°Just an archer?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be an archer, whatever has the longest range.¡±


    If they were successful at splitting the pack and directing the monsters in two different directions, they could avoid having the chaotic mess in the doorway, which was how Malika had gotten hit in the first place. Skipping the confluence of fire auras and cleave attacks was suddenly his highest priority.


    ¡°Your minion pulls the entire pack, and I¡¯ll shoot each of the Shards of Inferno to pull them over here and Malika can take them from me,¡± he said. ¡°If it all goes well, everything should run towards Mato and then about halfway the elementals will come after me and the pack will be split in two.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Ali said as she considered his suggested strategy. ¡°I think I¡¯ll use a Bone Mage. It¡¯s got a slightly longer range than my archers.¡±


    ¡°We have to get you better minions,¡± he chuckled. ¡°What self-respecting archer allows a mage to out-shoot them?¡± His joke got a couple of laughs, which finally began to lighten the mood a little. ¡°Still, the archer probably has a better chance of dodging the Cleave and surviving.¡±


    ¡°The Kobold is disposable,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit¡­ cold-blooded?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Ali said, glancing back at him. ¡°Resurrection is impossible, but resummoning is effectively resurrection for my minions. If the Kobold gets Cleaved it¡¯s no big deal, I just wasted some mana. If you or Malika dies, it¡¯s over.¡± Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Ok, how about here?¡± Ali asked, conjuring a Kobold mage complete with high-quality robes beside Mato.


    ¡°Looks good to me. Try to only hit the Armored Drake,¡± he said, readying his bow. ¡°That will make the rest of this easier. Everyone ready?¡± He moved to the side next to Malika but kept well within range of the ramp the pack of monsters would have to use to reach them. This was going to be a tricky shot, and he fully appreciated why Nendir recommended he invest heavily into intelligence to support his Multishot.


    The pack of monsters meandered slowly about, but Calen instantly caught the moment they came into range by the sudden tensing of the Kobold¡¯s shoulders and the muted yip of a suppressed battle call. A sharp spear-like length of bone materialized in the air above the Kobold¡¯s right shoulder, and it suddenly mimed a throwing gesture, launching the magical projectile out into the scorching chamber beyond and then scampering away.


    Calen raised his bow, tracking the high-speed projectile effortlessly with his enhanced vision. It zipped past the elementals and struck the massive red drake on the side of its head, splintering against the tough, scaled hide. The dragon roared, galvanizing the entire group, and charged toward the doorway at a terrifying pace.


    He drew his bowstring back and conjured four glowing arrows, holding them in place as the monsters charged, tracking all the monsters simultaneously, computing trajectories, and predicting velocity.


    He saw the moment and took the shot, four glowing arrows casting sudden shadows as they zipped past Mato and the archway. He didn¡¯t bother to enchant extra damage or release another volley, as the extra damage would make it that much harder for Malika to take the monsters away from him ¨C and he definitely could not tank them himself. His arrows struck true, two hitting the Shards of Inferno and two hitting the Kobold Fire Mages. With a hissing noise and a sizzle, the elementals turned and surged toward him, the Kobolds stopping dead in their tracks to summon fireballs. He ducked behind the rock wall to break their line of sight, forcing the mages to cancel their spells and move instead.


    The drake thundered through the doorway, its heavily armored shoulder taking a hefty chunk out of the stone arch and charging through the pulverized stone dust toward its Kobold antagonist, now cowering behind Mato.


    Calen skipped backward, allowing some space for Malika to maneuver in front of him. The shards surged across the chamber, quickly bearing down on him and Malika on the opposite side of the doorway to Mato. Gritting his teeth, he stood his ground, his heart pounding as the elementals loomed rapidly larger and scarier. He seldom had a reason to be this close to monsters, but he couldn¡¯t run until she hit them ¨C if he did, they would chase him and make Malika¡¯s job all but impossible. But right then, a large golden barrier snapped into place in front of him a heartbeat before a massive fireball detonated against it. He shot a grateful glance up at Ali hovering above the battlefield and she sent him a grin and a thumbs-up.


    He shifted his attention away from Malika¡¯s dance of uncanny grace and speed among the elementals to the Kobold Fire Mages setting up shop just inside the doorway. Malika wasn¡¯t going to bother with those because there wasn¡¯t a whole lot of point in tanking the mages when they had him and Ali¡¯s spiders. Flashes of gold went off in his peripheral vision as Ali anticipated the attacks with protective barriers.


    He ducked back out of the aura of flame, raised his bow, and channeled his stamina into it, causing it to ignite with blazing hellfire. The Kobolds might be resistant to fire, but they were no elementals. His bow unleashed a deafening howl as the flight of glowing conjured arrows leapt from his bowstring ¨C blazing missiles of intense white radiance wreathed with sizzling black flame. The arrows struck again and again, each impact flashing in time to the pulses of his Motes of Light bobbing overhead, hellfire and light causing painfully blinding contrast. But his vision skill ignored the intensity and with each shot, he felt stamina leeching back into him in a rush as his potent bow re-energized him.


    The Kobold mages seemed to be about halfway through casting their fireballs at him when Ali¡¯s spiders dropped from their perches on the walls, unleashing such powerful Ambush attacks that their unfinished spells popped, dumping puddles of burning fire at their feet. Momentarily stunned by the impact, the Kobolds were instantly trussed up by thick strands of demonic web. Calen turned away, looking for the next target, knowing that it was all over for them.


    ¡°Shards next,¡± he said.


    ¡°Right,¡± Ali said, and a ripple of reaction spread through her minions.


    By now, Malika had enough time to secure the elementals, so he quenched the hellfire from his bow, downed a mana potion, and used Righteous Fury. Without the hellfire, he would be doing less damage, but the elementals were immune to it, and this way, his bow was mercifully silent. He unloaded volley after volley into the Shards of Inferno, enchanting every single shot with his enhanced light magic, trying to eke out the most damage possible. Ali must have noticed him using his skill because all her minions began attacking the shards with renewed fervor, not holding back to conserve mana or stamina while the motes of light were empowered.


    It was remarkable just how much sheer damage the combination of righteous fury, motes of light, and the removal of his multishot damage penalty added up to. Even more so when he factored in the damage from all Ali¡¯s minions combined. The Shards of Inferno collapsed under their withering assault, and he felt the sheer glut of stamina returned to him by his new bow.


    Not wanting to miss out on even a second of his Righteous Fury, he smoothly switched to shooting the Armored Drake across the room. As his mana ticked rapidly downward, he began interspersing his conjured arrows with real ones. The magical arrows did much better against the heavily armored target, but with Mato¡¯s armor penetration skill, the physical arrows were at least doing respectable damage, not like the time they had had to fight the bone elementals in the library.


    The burning in his veins waned as Righteous Fury ended, and his mana consumption eased off to a more normal level. His skill fortunately had the same recharge as Mato¡¯s Last Stand so they would both be ready for the next fight at the same time. He shifted more and more toward favoring physical arrows as he switched up his resource consumption to prefer stamina over mana. For this, his new bow was phenomenal ¨C keeping his stamina topped up for as long as he was shooting. It had given him a way to stay relevant in long fights keeping his damage high, even if he was unable to reach his peak using primarily stamina instead of mana. Now, however, he was back to running out of arrows, and Myrin¡¯s Keep did not have a high-level Fletcher. And his obvious dependence on mana potions hadn¡¯t eased up even one bit.


    he thought, making a mental note to buy some good arrows the next time he visited Ciradyl and bring them home for Ali to learn.


    Aliandra


    The Armored Drake corpse burst into a cloud of mana motes and her hand fell through it, suddenly unsupported by the solid bulk of the dragon and its searing impervious scales.


    ¡°You got it?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± she said. It had taken four corpses for her to inscribe the new variant into the pages of her Grimoire. As they pushed deeper into the vast terraced stone chamber, they encountered more and more variety among the packs of monsters ¨C Shards of Inferno, Flamecallers of various kinds, and even the Lava Lurker oozes near the river of lava flowing through the middle of the chamber filling it with additional waves of radiant heat. Packs with no Armored Drakes allowed them to continue without waiting for Mato¡¯s Last Stand recharge to expire ¨C which improved their speed by reducing their downtime, but it had also meant that she had had to wait quite a while to finally learn the imprint.


    ¡°Nice, Ali,¡± Calen congratulated her.


    ¡°You can have the next one,¡± she told him as his eyes tracked the next group of monsters he was considering. ¡°For skinning.¡±


    ¡°Cool, thanks,¡± he answered with a hint of a smile and then led them closer to the edge of the chamber to reach the next group of monsters.


    Hitting a run of easier combinations, Calen pulled pack after pack, barely pausing to rest. Ali quickly lost count in the controlled chaos of battle, but eventually, they reached the wall and a large, jagged opening that led to somewhere beyond. What stood out most was the irregular shape in the smooth and well-crafted stone wall, as if something had bored a hole through the wall about halfway through the massive chamber to reach the natural cave system behind it. she thought, studying the edges of the dark rocky tunnel ¨C in places it looked like it had been carved out by giant claws or teeth, but elsewhere it had smooth ripples as if the rock had hardened from a viscous liquid or lava state. A heavy musky scent billowed out of the opening carried to her nostrils on swirling vortices of ambient fire-affinity mana, masking the near-ubiquitous stench of sulfur and molten rock that pervaded the dungeon.


    ¡°Let¡¯s be careful,¡± Malika said, eyeing the opening with obvious suspicion, mirroring Ali¡¯s thoughts. ¡°The last time we found something like this, there was a Pit Lord inside.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not charmed this time,¡± Ali observed, deliberately checking once again, but Malika¡¯s point was well taken. ¡°I¡¯ll help to scout.¡± She sent her Abyssal Stalkers up front, shrouded by their powerful stealth skill, entering the darker tunnel and creeping along the walls and ceiling quietly to avoid any potential monsters lying in wait in the dim reddish glow up ahead. The rough-hewn tunnel cut straight through the rock, curving back on itself a little, and blocking their view of whatever their destination might be, but all seemed silent, and nothing leapt out to attack them. Calen made a cautioning hand signal, and she summoned her barrier as a precaution. Around the bend, the tunnel widened, revealing a surprisingly large subterranean cavern lit by numerous sconces and braziers of fire, and a large waterfall of lava pouring from the ceiling into a pool that dominated the back half of the cavern.


    Numerous shadowy caverns and passages dotted the walls, leading away from the main cavern, and nestled in every corner, alcove, and hollow were clutches of large mottled red-and-brown eggs, each almost a meter tall, tended by the Flamecallers that slithered among them.


    One clutch seemed to have recently hatched, splinters and shards of eggshell scattered about, and dark shapes curled and shifted among the remnants, poorly lit by the dancing firelight.


    ¡°Low-level hatchers and drake eggs,¡± Ali whispered, relaying the information to Malika and Mato as they crept around the corner. The monsters might all be low-level ones, but there were many of them.


    Carefully, and with as much silence as they could manage, they crept forward toward the entrance until Ali could survey the dark chamber with her own eyes.


    ¡°This group should be easy. Mato, tank them right here in the tunnel,¡± Calen whispered, appearing from the depths of a nearby shadow. ¡°Use area damage.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just punch everything really fast, shall I?¡± Malika said. ¡°That counts as area damage, right?¡±


    ¡°Knock yourself out,¡± Mato chuckled softly and then transformed and took his stance in the center of the tunnel.


    Calen raised his bow and fired.


    The volley of arrows flared brightly in the darkness, covering the distance in a blink and impaling Flamecaller Hatchers and Drake Hatchlings alike.


    For a moment everything froze. Ali held her breath.


    And then, the Flamecallers fled, running the other way.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Calen exclaimed.


    The entire room erupted in a chorus of screeches, roars, and hissing, with Flamecaller Hatchers scrambling around in panic, knocking over unhatched eggs that cracked, disgorging more hatchlings.


    ¡°Fuck, run!¡± Malika shouted.


    A sudden eruption of flame and lava from the pool accompanied a thunderous screech loud enough to rattle the rock, dropping pebbles and dust from the roof. An enormous form exploded up from the pool of lava and extended giant wings of flame amid a riotous tempest of fire mana. A sharp beak turned toward Ali, and she felt the piercing glare of the monster of fire transfix her with pure anger and rage.


    Its wings flapped once and it took off, flying through the cavern toward them, a firestorm raining down in its wake.


    ¡°Run!¡± Ali screamed.


    -----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 200: The Hatchery (2 of 2)

    AliandraShe fled. Ali didn¡¯t need Calen¡¯s Explorer skill to tell that the phoenix was a boss monster ¨C she could tell from the enormous flow of domain mana fueling the firestorm that buffeted her with waves of scorching air from behind.


    She shot out of the tunnel, zipping past Calen into the giant terraced chamber.


    ¡°Calen¡­ what?¡± Her head whipped around to see her friend standing his ground at the entrance to the hatchery. A coin glinted in the firelight, flipping end over end as he flicked it into the air, and as it reached the apex it popped, turning into motes of mana that drifted away on the gusts of superheated air.


    She screeched to a halt, stopping beside Malika and Mato. Calen downed a mana potion, and his bow appeared in his hand, four glowing arrows conjured onto its string. He took a deep breath and waited. Deep within the tunnel, shapes slithered and charged toward them. Still, he waited, until they were about to spill out onto the stone terrace. Only then did he ignite his mana, and the Mote of Light above his head began pulsing intensely. His bow howled as he loosed his arrows into the oncoming horde, instantly conjuring another volley and sending them flying in rapid succession ¨C almost too quick to follow.


    When the explosions began, Ali clapped her hands over her ears in a vain attempt to block the roar and thunder that tore through the tunnel. On and on as his arrows flew, never letting up for even a fraction of a second, searing powerful afterimages of purple across her vision.


    An eternity of sound and shockwaves later, Calen¡¯s body dimmed, and his bow lowered. In the darkness ahead, nothing moved. She held her breath, not daring to move for many long moments, before Calen¡¯s shoulders finally relaxed and he said, ¡°I think it¡¯s clear.¡±


    The tunnel was eerily silent now, broken only by the muffled screeches of the phoenix trapped in the hatchery by its sheer size. Corpses of Drake Hatchlings and their hatchers littered the tunnel, but nothing within the darkness stirred.


    ¡°Many hatchlings,¡± Mato said, eyeing the corpses.


    ¡°That was¡­ impressive,¡± Malika said, staring at the devastation within the tunnel.


    ¡°It was a perfect bottleneck, and the monsters were all low levels,¡± Calen explained, in typical Calen fashion, downplaying his skill and power without ever realizing just how impressive it had been.


    Ali thought, picking her way through the corpses, beginning to deconstruct everything she didn¡¯t already know. She did have alternatives, but Fireball was definitely her favorite and it was ridiculously frustrating to not be able to test out her newly acquired higher-level Fire Mages.


    She had no idea what the Drake Hatchling was capable of in combat, but she wasn¡¯t about to waste the opportunity to grow her dragon imprint. And, with levels ranging from twelve to seventeen, she had already put it on her mental list of monsters appropriate to challenge new bronze-ranked adventurers.


    ¡°All yours,¡± she told Calen as soon as she had finished growing her imprint with the full range of levels she could find among the wreckage of the tunnel. He would want to skin the rest of them to recover some of the cost of this delve. It had not escaped her notice that he had used one of the most expensive mana potions, meaning his stand against the hatchery had likely cost him six to seven gold, not counting the coin he had spent for his patron¡¯s blessing. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, and got to work.


    ¡°That was a boss, right?¡± Mato asked, staring down the dark corpse-filled tunnel.


    ¡°Yup,¡± she answered. She was definitely growing more proficient at recognizing domain magic in action.


    ¡°Group-level threat,¡± Calen added, a statement which surprised her. The amount of mana it was drawing from the domain for its firestorm had been enormous, and she would have guessed it was a raid boss at least.


    Mato


    Mato stood, sweating uncomfortably in the radiant heat of the hatchery, studying the pool of lava and the phoenix he knew dwelt within. He waited patiently while the others hashed out the final details of their plan, shifting to ease the heat that was slowly cooking his paws. He had more than enough fire resistance now to prevent any real damage from the environment, but it still felt like walking on hot coals.


    There was not much to plan, to be honest, given just how little they knew of the phoenix¡¯s abilities, but he patiently let them figure out their endless backup plans and contingencies. For himself, he just soaked up the environment, the sense of the rocky cavern, and the heat of the lava pool. Once they traded blows, he would have a better feel for the fight.


    ¡°Ok, Mato, we¡¯re ready,¡± Calen announced, walking over to stand beside him. His bow was out and ready. ¡°There¡¯s nothing for me to shoot, so maybe you can go wake it up and try to lure it out of the lava. Tank it over there by the wall in case it has any frontal attacks.¡±


    He huffed softly and dipped his head acknowledging the plan. Sometimes it sucked that he couldn¡¯t talk in this form. This one was almost identical to the first iteration of the ¡®plan¡¯, before all the ¡®planning¡¯, but he knew they needed it, and often they came up with strategies that really worked.


    He approached the lava pool, heat searing his muzzle and making his fur sizzle. As soon as he reached the edge, lava and fire erupted from the center and the giant bird of flame surged upward, wings flapping in a leisurely beat holding it hovering above the orange bubbling pool. He roared, and the monster responded by hitting him in the face with a fireball.


    As the heat and concussion of the blast cleared, he found the phoenix hovering above the lava, spitting fireballs in every direction filling the hatchery with deafening explosions and thunderous screeches.


    he thought, stepping into the lava. Surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t that deep, at least around the edges of the pool where he waded, but it was the kind of hot bath that might have made him reconsider all the life choices he had made leading up to this point. But it let him reach the angry bird, and he Swiped with his paw, his strike connecting with something dense within the cascading flames. The phoenix screeched and wheeled on him, lunging with an open beak attack that bit clean through his armor leaving deep cauterized gashes on his back. But the constant pulses of holy magic that had begun when he stepped into the lava began repairing his wounds.


    He struck again, using Brutal Restoration a second time to bolster his self-healing, and then slowly backed up to draw the phoenix out of the pool. But the furious phoenix simply turned away and began firing fireballs at all and sundry.


    He stopped, momentarily surprised by the obstinance of the monster, quite happily ignoring both his Taunt and his Swipe. He tried again, but the phoenix refused to budge from its spot in the lava.


    ¡°Just tank it in there,¡± Calen said, clearly having understood his predicament. ¡°It doesn¡¯t shoot fireballs if you have it.¡±


    ¡°Watch out for the curse. It has area damage.¡± Ali¡¯s voice sounded calm and controlled, as she called out what she could see, and a few moments later her Hobgoblins waded into the lava to join him, followed shortly after by the demonic spiders.


    Malika darted in, dancing across the surface of the lava, and touched his shoulder.


    He settled into his routine, unleashing Brutal Restoration on every single strike, and occasionally adding Bestial Combat, but the phoenix didn¡¯t appear to have much in the way of armor, so he didn¡¯t spend much health on maintaining it.


    +30 Fire damage per second to you and everything around you. Range: 10 feet.


    Curse ¨C Duration: 10 seconds.


    His entire body caught fire with a conflagration that spread around him in a circle. He shifted immediately, pulling himself to the side of the melee circle so that he could minimize the damage the curse would do to Ali¡¯s minions.


    ¡°Mato¡¯s cursed,¡± Ali announced, and immediately the Hobgoblins and spiders shifted to give him more room.


    Ten seconds later, the fire curse dropped, and he was vaguely aware of various Hobgoblins or the spiders ducking out of the melee circle periodically whenever they lit on fire, but he was standing in lava fighting a bird made of fire ¨C the curse was the least of his concerns. This bird was far from showing off all its tricks, he sensed.


    The phoenix reared back and flapped its wings, sending a wall of flame buffeting downward as his Survival Instinct warned him of the extra damage, but it was an area damage fire attack and there was not much he could do. However, the backward movement triggered Battlemaster, so he lashed out with his most potent strike, boosting the power of his Brutal Restoration and growing the tough roots right out of the lava to grasp the phoenix¡¯s claws. But even though they were magical roots, they were still roots, and they immediately caught fire, turning to ash and coals rather quickly.


    He didn¡¯t mind much though, the damage was always worth it. He braced, blocking a vicious beak strike, allowing his magic to heal the damage that got through. Suddenly, the phoenix reared up on its wings with a loud screech and took off into the air like a rewinding meteor. He swung with his Battlemaster retaliation, but his claws whiffed on the remnants of flame.


    ¡°Firestorm!¡± This time, Ali¡¯s voice had an edge of anxiety to it, as the phoenix swept through the cavern in a great arc, showering everything it passed with the deadly conflagration billowing out from below its wings.


    The yellow-white chain of Calen¡¯s Grappling Shot lanced out into the air, but it found no purchase on the flying firebird. Mato backed out of the lava pool, keeping an eye on the skies as the phoenix banked, making a run back towards him, trailing the storm of flame. Everything in its wake caught fire, burning with the conflagration. He watched it come, nothing he could do to avoid it, and when it hit, he felt the burning pain.


    But he felt something else. To his great surprise, his mana and stamina began to rise as if the flame were energizing him, a little like the Living Flame elementals from the Landing, only much more potent.


    ¡°Adds!¡± Calen¡¯s voice cut through his curiosity with a sudden urgency. ¡°Hatchlings on the left!¡± Where the phoenix had reached the wall, it had also passed over a clutch of eggs. And in the wake of flame, the eggs were cracking and disgorging dozens of Drake Hatchlings. Their angry screeches began to fill the air.


    Malika was there in a shot, her fists flying as she tried to draw the monsters away from the Acolytes, but there were so many of them, biting and clawing and filling the air with blasts of intense fire breath ¨C it was like watching someone trying to punch an oncoming wave. They spilled over and around her, knocking her rolling with a crashing roar and tore into Ali¡¯s vulnerable minions. In a second, Malika was buried in the seething mass as if she had been sucked down by quicksand.


    ¡°Run!¡± It was Ali¡¯s voice that called the retreat, and her yell was simultaneous with all her Acolytes lighting up with their emergency healing power skill.


    Mato wheeled about, charged and roared, plunging his face beneath the tide of Drake Hatchlings, heedless of the flames, and clamped down on Malika¡¯s shoulder with his jaws. Then he fled for the tunnel, dragging her out of the crush.


    -----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 201: The Phoenix, Again

    Aliandra ¡°We¡¯re all alive, so that¡¯s good,¡± Malika said, and Ali paused for a moment, calming herself down. She had lost almost all her minions to the firestorm, and she had been terrified of losing her friends too. It may have only been a single-group threat level, but it was scary how much damage it put out, even with the considerable money and time they had invested in getting the best fire resistance gear and potions.


    ¡°What do we know?¡± Calen asked, sitting down with his notebook in his lap.


    Ali eyed the notebook suspiciously, but no matter how long she squinted at it, it failed to burst into flames.


    ¡°I got it enchanted,¡± Calen chuckled, seeing her puzzled look. ¡°See?¡± He turned it over to show a runic inscription on the back cover.


    ¡°I will need to study that later,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Focus, Ali,¡± Malika chided gently. ¡°Phoenix, remember? Big burny bird?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t move her,¡± Mato said, for some reason attributing the feminine gender to a monster that was more fire than it was a creature. Although thinking of it, Ali guessed it could fit ¨C though they were not even the same species, the Phoenix did seem to be brooding over a cavern full of eggs.


    ¡°She rapid-fires fireballs whenever you aren¡¯t tanking her,¡± Ali said. That specific attack had affected her much more than the others, the ceaseless onslaught of the randomly targeted fireballs hit her minions more often simply due to numerical superiority. ¡°And she constantly sucks up fire mana when she¡¯s in that lava pool. I think she¡¯s using it to regenerate.¡±


    ¡°The curse does a ton of damage if you¡¯re in the melee group,¡± Malika added, sharing the numbers for the curse she had gotten, but Ali had seen them quite a few times already from her minions.


    ¡°Everything in the firestorm got that curse,¡± Ali said, recalling the shock she had felt when it had happened ¨C it had been the very reason her Acolytes had freaked out at the end ¨C and why she called the retreat so hastily. Sure, there had been a whole pack of Drake Hatchlings, but it was the conflagration curse on every single person in the room that had overwhelmed her Acolytes in an instant.


    ¡°Ideas?¡± Calen asked, glancing up after he finished jotting everything down.


    Ali replayed the chaos of the flying phoenix in her mind. As the domain mana had been drawn in and turned into that storm of flames, everything it had touched had lit up with fire, and the damage was enormous when stacked on top of the others nearby.


    ¡°Perhaps we should spread out? If we stand more than three meters apart, then the conflagration won¡¯t hit multiple people and stack up?¡± It wouldn¡¯t avoid the fire or the curse, but at least one person would only take one helping of the conflagration at a time. ¡°Oh, ten feet,¡± she translated for them as she realized what the comically brow-wrinkling expression on Mato¡¯s face was for.


    ¡°So, we just need to handle the flying phoenix and the hatchlings,¡± Calen said, chewing the back of his pen in thought. ¡°Ali, how about some Bone Mages? They can hit the phoenix in the air, and they could make walls to corral the adds.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± she said. Her spiders were probably not worth it in there. If they were going to bunch up the Drake Hatchlings and use area damage, she would be better off with Sparkling Oozes or maybe even Storm Shamans if she could keep them alive through the firestorm. Briefly, she considered her Poison Wyverns because they could fly, but their damage would likely only be effective against the hatchlings and not the phoenix itself.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if this is helpful,¡± Mato said, surprisingly joining in the strategy conversation. ¡°The firestorm regenerates a lot of mana and stamina.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that  interesting,¡± Calen said, immediately perking up at the idea of something that might regenerate his mana.


    ¡°I think the fire also hatches the eggs,¡± Ali added. The hatchery cavern was filled with thousands of eggs tucked away in alcoves and caves, but it was only the ones that had been in the direct path of the phoenix that had hatched. And somehow the structure of the fire mana powering the phoenix¡¯s fire seemed similar to the Living Flame elementals she had wanted to study.


    ***


    ¡°I think that¡¯s it,¡± Ali muttered, finally finished summoning and tweaking her new army, running through the list and double-checking all the ideas and roles.


    The imp wasn¡¯t going to fight ¨C nothing in the hatchery could be harmed by it. But the sheer amount of intelligence it gave her made it well worth the cost. On the flip side, it was also immune to fire, so it wouldn¡¯t need any healing.


    Her Hobgoblins were her highest-level minion, and equipped with hybrid armor and elixirs, they were rather robust against fire damage, and that made them an obvious pick, even fighting in lava. The shamans, on the other hand ¨C well they were a bit of an experiment. She had no idea if she could keep them alive when the phoenix took to the air ¨C they were simply too low-level for most of the best gear and potions. At worst, she could use them for some damage up front and then let them die if they became a liability. She felt the Hobs edged out the Abyssal Stalkers for her melee simply because Blood Shock did not work on the phoenix, and the more Goblins she fielded, the higher their racial bonuses to attacking stacked.


    Her trusty Kobolds would make the bulk of her ranged attackers, trying to shoot the flying phoenix, and her Bone Mages would pull double duty, helping Calen corral the hatchlings. She had also decided to bring six healers this time. Sorely lacking in the Fireball department, Ali dusted off her next best Kobold ¨C the Death¡¯s Acolyte for more options to kill hatchlings. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sparkling Oozes were the only non-fire ooze she had that really could survive long enough to be useful, so she decided to make a couple and use them to throw bombs at the phoenix or the hatchlings.


    She felt the weight of the enormous reservation settle on her like a heavy yoke around her shoulders. But, even unassisted by her domain mana, she could still afford it with enough mana left over for barriers, a backup teleportation circle, and emergency adjustments.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s go set up,¡± Calen said, leading them back through the tunnel to the phoenix¡¯s chamber.


    Ali followed her friends into the hatchery once again and surveyed the deceptively peaceful room filled with eggs and a glowing pool of lava that hid the elemental fury of the phoenix.


    ¡°Hey, Ali.¡±


    She turned to look at Mato, who was gazing at her slimes with a curious expression on his face. ¡°What¡¯s up, Mato?¡±


    ¡°You know, I was thinking¡­ the firestorm only goes downward.¡± He gestured expressively at the oozes.


    She looked at him puzzled for a moment. Then she looked up at the craggy, rough-hewn ceiling of the cavern. ¡°Oh,¡± she said and immediately sent her three Sparkling Oozes crawling up the walls to find cracks and alcoves in the ceiling above. It was not quite flying, but in a cavern like this one, it would be almost as good. So good, in fact, that she made a fourth and sent it to join its brethren.


    ¡°Ready when you are, Mato,¡± Calen said, and Mato immediately transformed into his bear and began to approach the lava pool.


    ¡°¡± Ali instructed, fanning her minions throughout the cavern, taking care to ensure no one was closer than three meters to another. From the lava came a loud hiss and sizzle, followed by a thunderous screech. Mato roared a challenge, but Ali ignored it all, instead fine-tuning the position of her minions.


    ¡°He¡¯s ready,¡± Calen said, his bow already buzzing.


    ¡°¡± she said, and they charged off with raucous battle cries, splashing through the lava to get to the phoenix. Little bright flashes of holy magic infused them as the Acolytes reacted to the lava damage. She deliberately withheld her shamans, though. She would have enough trouble keeping them alive out of the lava. They would have to be mages for this fight ¨C and totem throwers.


    She studied the phoenix¡¯s mana carefully, looking for any sign of the elusive second domain magic spell. So far it had only shown them the fire storm. ¡°¡± she said. The oozes and Death¡¯s Acolytes she held in reserve for now, not wanting to inflict unnecessary area damage upon the melee group swimming in lava.


    She juggled the positions of her minions a little, lining up her shamans, and then she instructed them to begin. They immediately cursed the phoenix with lightning vulnerability and the dark cavern flared with the incredibly bright flashes of lightning and the thunderclaps echoed loudly off the rock walls and ceiling as they threaded their devastating spell through the gaps in the melee circle.


    Without much else to manage, she shifted to monitoring everyone¡¯s health and finetuning her healers. With everyone properly spread out, the conflagration curse wasn¡¯t particularly difficult to manage, and it was only when her Hobgoblins got cursed that she had to worry. But they were smart enough to understand the strategy and they immediately ran out of range of the melee group whenever they got cursed.


    ¡°This is a lot better,¡± Ali said. It was remarkable how much calmer the fight felt with a coherent plan. The phoenix was no longer lobbing random fireballs around because it was being tanked properly, and the conflagration seemed under control. She simply monitored the fight, health, and mana usage, saving her resources for the flight phase and whatever surprises might be thrown their way.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen the fire storm yet,¡± Calen said.


    As if his words were the signal, a great screech rocked the cavern, and the phoenix launched itself into the air, torrents of mana flowing from the domain making its flaming form shine with awe-inspiring power.


    ¡°Here it comes,¡± she said, preparing herself. Flame billowed out from beneath the phoenix¡¯s wings, pouring down onto the cavern floor as it flew. Every single minion in its wake ignited with flame as the conflagration propagated through the fire.


    Ali yelled. But this time she included her oozes and her waiting Death¡¯s Acolytes, directing all her ranged and area damage at the flying phoenix. Bolts of black energy flew up from the ground to meet the intense glowing balls of light lobbed down from the ceiling, punctuated by the blinding flashes of lightning bolts, making the mundane arrows and bone spears all but invisible.


    ¡°¡± she said, picking the closest Acolyte to stem the enormous increase in damage.


    ¡°Yes, Ancient Mistress,¡± the Kobold intoned, bursting into a blaze of light that brightened the entire chamber.


    Ali braced herself as the waves of billowing fire grew closer and closer, choosing to let the flame wash over her, instead using all her barrier capacity to protect her shamans and healers from the flames.


    She immediately began to burn with the Phoenix Conflagration, but with all her resistances and elixirs, the damage was manageable. The Lightning Vulnerability curse caught her attention, but she was immediately distracted by Calen calling out the hatching of a clutch of eggs.


    ¡°Hatchlings! Right side! Ali¡­¡±


    ¡°I see them, Calen,¡± she said. It seemed fair though; she had the bulk of the area damage which was a core part of their plan. She switched focus. ¡°¡± she said.


    Her Bone Mages sprang into action, and several sturdy walls of thick bone suddenly materialized around the scrambling hatchlings. With a wave of her hand, she filled in the gaps with a pair of custom-shaped barrier walls.


    She had not been able to guess in advance where the eggs would hatch so she had instead chosen to spread her minions around, which meant she had a shaman, a Death¡¯s Acolyte, and an ooze in range of the eggs. With quick instructions, a sparking steel totem landed in the middle of the hatchlings, pulsing rings of lightning damage. Again, she experienced a moment¡¯s curiosity, noticing the lightning vulnerability curse already present on every single drake hatchling. Then she filled the area blocked off by walls of bone ¨C already smoking from the drakes¡¯ fire breath ¨C with explosions of light and death magic as her ooze lobbed orbs of light magic from the ceiling to complement Calen¡¯s bombardment from his position flying above the battlefield.


    ¡°Ali, the other side,¡± Calen added, a little calmer this time.


    She turned, finding another clutch under the firestorm, eggs starting to rock and splinter. She marshaled her minions, erecting new bone walls, and choosing area attackers ¨C this time a single shaman and two oozes could reach the clutch without dragging the conflagration across everyone else. The bone walls sprang up, but immediately began crumbling from the flames so she took her barriers away from her minions, patching up the walls to keep the adds contained. But Calen and her minions made short work of the hatchlings.


    ¡°Melee, watch out,¡± Calen called.


    The phoenix flew across the room and circled the pool of lava before shooting downward like a meteor, sending lava spraying into the air, immediately beginning to absorb fire mana from the pool again, its health slowly ticking upward.


    ¡°Hit it, it¡¯s regenerating health,¡± she called out, sending the command to her Hobgoblins to re-engage. In response, Calen¡¯s mana ignited as he used his Righteous Fury, and all her minions began doing substantially more damage from his Motes.


    Urgently, she checked her healers¡¯ mana, but to her surprise, she found every single minion was still nearly full. It hadn¡¯t affected her too much because her barriers were constantly regenerating mana by absorbing continuous fire damage, but it looked like she wouldn¡¯t need to worry about her Acolytes.


    The phoenix¡¯s health was lower than twenty percent when it took to the air a second time. That, more than anything, confirmed that it was not a raid boss. She sharpened her focus; the flying phase took substantially more attention on her part. A flurry of barriers flickered across the cavern, protecting her weakest and most vulnerable minions in the path of the firestorm. Again, she opted to get cursed and burned herself. This time the phoenix hatched three clutches of eggs, and one was twice the size of the others, which meant she had to move one of her Bone Mages just to cover the shortfall, despite the conflagration damage, and do several emergency barrier patches. As close as it was, the hatchlings still dropped to their thunderous barrage of explosive light magic, death bolts, and lightning nova totems.


    ¡°Nice work,¡± Calen said, as his thunderous bow quietened, and he turned back to the phoenix.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost dead,¡± Ali announced as the giant fire bird landed in its meteoric dive back into the lava. ¡°¡± she instructed, eager to finish it off.


    Her minions¡¯ arrows, Bone Spears, Lightning Bolts, and swords struck the phoenix, and she even threw in some barrier shards to eke out just a little more damage, and then suddenly her notification chime sounded, and the phoenix exploded in a ball of intense fire, raining down ashes across the cavern as it splashed down into the lava pool.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Malika cheered.


    ¡°Yay!¡± Ali smiled, feeling much the same. It had not been easy ¨C certainly not as hard as some of the raid-fights she had experienced ¨C but for a side boss, it had been quite challenging with an enormous amount of damage output. But their planning and fire resistance had made the fight much more manageable.


    ¡°Good work everyone,¡± Calen declared.


    Ali was just about to head over to examine the corpse when a ripple disturbed the domain mana of the lava pool. A sudden geyser of mana burst from it and Ali froze.


    But clearly, something was happening.


    ¡°Domain magic!¡± she yelled, catching the attention of her celebrating friends. Malika¡¯s head snapped around to the pool, and Mato immediately transformed back into his Bear Form as Calen took to the air, that powerful new bow reappearing in his hands.


    The domain mana coalesced into an intense ball, and the pool of lava erupted yet again, spraying lava in all directions. A pair of giant flaming wings unfurled.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Calen exclaimed.


    To Ali¡¯s intense surprise, she recognized the spell. The dungeon had just respawned the phoenix, ignoring the usual recharge. While that should not have been possible, she knew what the magic looked like because of the time she had forcibly respawned her own Forest Guardian to protect the novices at the shrine.


    The phoenix screeched in rage and spat a fireball at Mato as he charged back into the lava.


    ***


    As exhausted as she was by the time the third phoenix died, Ali still wouldn¡¯t let her guard down, and neither did any of her friends. She stared at the pool for over five minutes before she convinced herself that the absence of surging domain mana meant it was not going to rise from the ashes a fourth time.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s not coming back,¡± she said and let her legs give out finally. The others let out sighs of relief and other exclamations as they gathered up beside the pool of lava.


    ¡°Well, that was super annoying,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°You can say that again,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°The only upside is my Abiding Perseverance lasted across all the fights,¡± Malika said. ¡°My stamina abilities cost next to nothing by the end.¡±


    ¡°Oh, nice,¡± Calen said, nodding.


    ¡°Stupid fliers,¡± Mato muttered.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali said, looking out at her minions. Despite fighting the same boss three times in a row without time to rest, she had lost only a single Acolyte and two of her shamans, killed when a double clutch of eggs had hatched on top of each other and escaped the bone walls, rampaging through her minions before they had finally been killed. That had been during this last incarnation, fortunately ¨C they were getting tired. She shuddered to think how much harder another round might have been minus an extra healer and the lightning damage.


    ¡°I¡¯m dying to know what that ability is,¡± Calen said.


    Once he had voiced it, Ali too found curiosity nipping incessantly at her. It refused to relent, so she levered herself up and flew herself over to where the corpses lay, half sprawled in the pool. Carefully avoiding the lava, she reached out to touch the partially submerged corpse surrounded by heaps of ash and deconstructed it.


    Living Flame


    Requirements: Level 65+, Fire affinity.


    Source: Phoenix of Living Flame.


    +50 fire damage per second.


    +5 stamina and mana restored per second.


    Curse Proliferation


    Skill ¨C Domain Magic


    Phoenix Rebirth


    Requirements: Level 55+


    Source: Phoenix of Living Flame.


    50% chance to ignore the domain respawn recharge timer on death. This effect summons the new incarnation with a Phoenix Tear.


    Skill ¨C Domain Magic


    ¡°Not what I expected. Not at all,¡± Ali murmured and then shared the two new domain magic spells with her friends while poring over the details intently herself. Living Flame ¨C an ability with the same name as the elementals they had encountered in the Landing ¨C seemed to be a specialized kind of flame area attack. While it did substantial damage, it also regenerated stamina and mana, as Mato had discovered.


    ¡°What is curse proliferation?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Any curse in the fire is duplicated onto everything the fire touches,¡± Ali answered, studying the detailed description. ¡°It also refreshes the curse duration if the curse is already present.¡± It explained the confusing presence of the lightning vulnerability curse. Her shamans had cast it on the phoenix herself, and the living flame ability had proliferated it to everything in the flames ¨C all her unblocked minions, herself, and all the drake hatchlings too. But it was also the reason the conflagration curse propagated to everyone within the fires ¨C the single largest and most dangerous source of damage in the entire fight.


    ¡°That rebirth is ridiculous,¡± Calen said. ¡°Fifty percent chance to instant respawn?¡±


    They had fought three phoenixes, meaning they had gotten unlucky twice ¨C a one-in-four chance.


    ¡°Ali,¡± Malika said, a strange urgency in her voice. ¡°Did you see the phoenix drop anything?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t finish yet,¡± she said and, upon seeing the rest of the Phoenix Rebirth description, she immediately set about deconstructing the other two corpses.


    The last two corpses concealed a Phoenix Tear each. She reached out and picked them up, staring at the pair of beautiful blue crystallized droplets, pulsing with a potent energy from deep within.


    ¡°Are these valuable?¡± she asked, offering the two tears to Malika who simply stopped and stared open-mouthed at them for a few moments before she reached out and picked one up carefully.


    ¡°Are you kidding? These are used to make the most powerful healing potions, restorative elixirs, and cure-alls. And they¡¯re incredibly rare.¡±


    ¡°Well, we got two for our trouble,¡± Ali said, happy that the annoying phoenix that wouldn¡¯t stay dead had provided them with something valuable.


    ¡°You got a domain magic that can make more of them,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Shit, if it gets out that you can  these, we¡¯ll be overrun with adventurers looking to get rich,¡± Malika exclaimed.


    ¡°More than magicite? Or mana-purified water?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°Aah, yeah, well¡­¡± Malika said.


    ¡°If it makes the best potions, we could save people. We can¡¯t just hide them,¡± Ali said. The idea of hordes of adventurers attacking her just to get their hands on Phoenix Tears was certainly not appealing, but she couldn¡¯t in good conscience hold back and not sell the tears to Eliyen or Morwynne for making potions and elixirs.


    ¡°I think I can organize a discreet sale,¡± Malika said, looking rather thoughtful. ¡°I¡¯ll talk with Vivian Ross when we get back to the guild.¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t have to make a boss with it immediately,¡± Calen said. ¡°We can prepare defenses properly.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Ali said. And then she turned her attention inward and allocated her attribute points; eight each to wisdom and intelligence, with the remaining four going to perception.


    ---------------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 202: The End in Sight (1 of 2)

    - Bragni Doomhammer [The Hammer of Justice], Dwarven King of Dal¡¯mohra.


    Havok


    ¡°Havok take this one,¡± Havok declared, scrambling over the pile of rubble strewn across the half-completed flooring and offering the job slip to Mieriel. He had finally found a job on the makeshift board where he could help people ¨C the guild had somehow unearthed a lead on the kidnapping operation that had captured Seth, and he could make sure nobody would be captured and sold as slaves ever again. His first job as a paladin of Azryet! He didn¡¯t like the undead much, but Seth had always been nice to him. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Havok, I can¡¯t let you take that job by yourself.¡±


    ¡°Why? Help people! Like Miss Malika said¡­¡± Havok¡¯s heart dropped into his scuffed boots ¨C for some unfathomable reason, Mieriel didn¡¯t want him to take the job to help those poor folk. Being an honorable warrior and helping people was not a matter of a single deed, but a firm commitment, a goal to strive for every day. It was not a trivial matter of money and jobs ¨C it was a way of living. He knew it in every fiber of his being. He had a strong class, Azryet¡¯s blessing, and it was time to clean up the town! He saw them every day ¨C the poor and downtrodden ¨C people weaker than himself. People who needed his help.


    ¡°See here?¡± Mieriel explained, pointing at the bottom of the job. ¡°This job requires a minimum of two people.¡±


    ¡°But Havok strong ¡­¡± he trailed off, saddened by the unexpected obstruction to his mission to save the kidnapped people. He could see them in his imagination, suffering, struggling behind bars.


    ¡°It¡¯s for your safety,¡± Mieriel said. ¡°You remember Katie, right? That Silent Assassin is still out there somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Havok remember,¡± he said, dejectedly looking at his feet. Katie had smiled at him, and now she was dead. He was still weak. He still needed someone to protect him.


    ¡°The Guildmaster insisted on the buddy system for this kind of job. You need someone watching your back.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± he said, turning around with the job slip, intending to put it back on the board.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come with you.¡±


    Havok¡¯s head snapped up at the sound of the angelic voice, of someone swooping down to save him from the pit of despair.


    ¡°Devan help?¡± he asked, a tentative smile coming to his lips. Could the rogue really be offering to save him from the tyranny of this ¡®buddy system?¡¯ Devan had been in his group when Havok had unlocked his class, and at the time he would have sworn she was the runt of the litter ¨C pitifully weak and underfed. Now, with her black hair tightly braided and sporting dark leather armor, she moved with an uncanny speed and power that Havok had come to respect on the battlefield.


    ¡°Sure. That¡¯s the kidnapping syndicate job, right?¡± she said, spinning a dark dagger across her knuckles and then making it vanish.


    ¡°Yes. Is.¡± He brandished the job slip at her to support his argument.


    ¡°It pays pretty well,¡± she said, reading the job slip quickly. ¡°Do you want to do it together? We¡¯re both above twenty now and I don¡¯t know about you, but I could do with the coin.¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Havok declared, nodding vigorously. He didn¡¯t have a very good handle on communicating with humans, so he made sure to exaggerate every gesture until they understood. There were a thousand ways to ask someone to join you to smash things ¨C none of which he could say in this annoying ¡®Common¡¯ language.


    ¡°Yes, that would be perfect,¡± Mieriel smiled, handing them a package of paperwork, and just like that the obstruction vanished. His heart soared.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Havok said, excitedly.


    ¡°Wait up, Mr. Paladin, you need the map first,¡± Devan said, handing him a folded-up piece of paper.


    ¡°Map?¡± He unfolded the paper carefully, trying his best to not tear it this time, and then turned it around, finding a map drawn on it. Devan was already reading the other papers. There was a big circle on the map and a lot of little pictures, but he had never learned to read. He barely even knew how to speak this difficult common language, but nobody here spoke Goblin.


    ¡°Here,¡± Devan said, taking the map. ¡°The intel is good, I know where this place is, I can show you the way. We must be careful ¨C apparently, Mieriel learned that they hired some guards.¡±


    He glanced up at the tall smiling Sun Elf. It surprised him a little, but then he knew she was still much higher level than he could identify, so she must be strong.


    ***


    The walk through the town took them out of the fancy neighborhood where the guild hall was being rebuilt. Not the really fancy part of town ¨C but he was not allowed to go there most of the time. He glanced up at Devan as they marched through a rundown, crooked street filled with potholes. Many of the buildings were barred or boarded up. Weeds sprouted around the cracked pavement or tumbled-down houses. A familiar atmosphere, much like the many places he had made his bed before joining the guild.


    ¡°This is it,¡± Devan said, checking the map one more time before putting it away. There was a short, weed-covered path to a painted steel door that had rusted and peeled a little in the rain.


    ¡°Ok, Havok smash,¡± he said, pulling out his awesome new shiny shield that the blacksmith girl with pointy teeth had made for him. He still couldn¡¯t pronounce her name, but he loved her, and the shield she had made for him.


    ¡°I can open it quietly,¡± Devan said, pulling out some complicated wires and pointy things that she stuck into the lock. There was a muffled click, and to Havok¡¯s amazement, the door popped open and Devan pulled it wide and invited him to go inside.


    ¡°No smash?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Devan grinned.


    he thought. Devan sure had some cool skills. He quickly cast his blessing on her and himself and then stepped boldly across the threshold. A Paladin of Azryet needed to be confident. Raising his shield into a defensive guard position and retrieving his sword, he crept silently through the hallway till he reached a stairway going downward.


    He nodded back to Devan and then headed down until he emerged from the stairwell at the bottom into another dark passage, lined with barred, locked doors. The place stank of sour rat urine. At the far end, over to the left, a door stood ajar, leaking light and the sound of an argument into the dimly lit hallway.


    he realized. He sprinted toward the door and slammed it open with his shoulder as he charged in. ¡°You bad! Havok stop!¡± he declared.


    You are paralyzed.


    Duration: Channeled.


    Havok¡¯s body suddenly froze as a black beam of light arced to his chest from the fingers of a robed woman wearing a stylish pointy hat. This was not how it was supposed to go. He was a Paladin of Azryet now! He struggled against the unexpected spell, but his muscles simply refused to work. He couldn¡¯t move even his eyes as his gaze remained fixed on the room in front of him.


    The merchant was one of the scaled reptilian humanoids he¡¯d heard about ¨C a Kel¡¯darran ¨C and had been in the middle of an argument with the smuggler when he had entered the room intent on breaking up their operation. Miscreants all of them. He struggled again ¨C if only he could move his shield.


    ¡°What have we here? More merchandise falling into our laps?¡± the warrior said, fixed him with a wicked grin while the warlock simply continued channeling her spell.


    ¡°Adding the paladin won¡¯t make your offer any less ridiculous,¡± the merchant snapped.


    ¡°Nice work, Cyrene,¡± the warrior said. ¡°Are you going to play with this one like you did with the others?¡±


    The warlock wrinkled her nose in disgust. ¡°Don¡¯t be retarded, he¡¯s a Goblin ¨C they¡¯re disgusting.¡±


    He struggled again, trying to use any of his magic or skills, but he was unable to take any action other than watch. He couldn¡¯t hear her behind him anymore, and clearly, the guards couldn¡¯t see her either. But how was he going to escape from this horrible spell?


    ¡°Dispose of him quickly,¡± the smuggler ordered. ¡°He must not live to tell anyone of our base or our contact, otherwise we¡¯ll be dealing with the authorities again, and you know how expensive that is. If he gets away it¡¯s coming out of your pay.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to sell him?¡± the warlock asked in surprise.


    ¡°Not worth it,¡± the smuggler said. ¡°He¡¯s a paladin and a Goblin. Nobody will pay for him.¡±


    ¡°I got it,¡± the warrior said, sweeping his cape to the side and drawing a long, gleaming sword from a scabbard at his hip. As he advanced on Havok, the sword began to glow with a manic red pulsing gleam.


    Unable to move, or even use most of his skills, Havok was forced to watch as his executioner approached menacingly. Extreme frustration filled the core of his being ¨C he didn¡¯t mind if he had to die, but facing his death without being able to use his new shield was so unfair.


    Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of something strange. Under the influence of this foul magic, he was entirely incapable of reacting. A shadow stretched, growing an arm that crept along the wall behind the warlock who was watching him with excited anticipation dancing in her eyes. A flash of quick steel, and a blade sliced across her throat, spraying blood six feet across the room.


    Havok gasped as the black arcing ribbon of magic tethering him to her dimmed and faltered, and suddenly he was free. In his mind, squiggles appeared and the familiar voice intoned:


    Havok threw up his shield, simultaneously activating his Holy Shield defensive skill. A shining, impenetrable barrier of holy magic wreathed his shield, and he intercepted the descending sword with a loud crash, dissipating the momentum through his legs into the ground.  His sword swung low, on a short, sharp arc, cutting under the warrior¡¯s guard and slicing into his thigh. The warrior screamed like a stuck pig. As the glowing sword bit through flesh, it flashed with the holy light of Smite, and an intense flicker of pitch-black void damage as his patron¡¯s blessing triggered.


    Your attacks gain additional Void damage on hit.


    Blessing ¨C Duration: 1 second.


    Your attacks gain additional Holy damage on hit.


    Blessing ¨C Duration: 5 seconds.


    ¡°Havok smite!¡± he screamed happily, whirling his sword in the air. ¡°Azryet best!¡±


    The ground beneath his feet erupted in white holy fire and he felt the warmth of his Consecrated Ground skill triggering from the critical damage. Healing energy swelled within his body, but for his foes, he knew it would burn fiercely. Havok swung his shield in a flat arc, bashing the warrior on the point of his right elbow. There was a loud crack as his Shield Slam shattered the bone, and the warrior¡¯s sword arm dropped limply to his side, giving Havok a clear line to strike up through his throat.


    ***


    ¡°All dead?¡± Havok asked, but the notification told him that Devan had successfully run down the Kel¡¯darran before he could flee too far.


    ¡°Easy fight, we got the jump on them,¡± Devan said, panting slightly after the rush of battle. ¡°Nice distraction at the start.¡± Her eyes surveyed the room and then with a sweep of her hand all the papers on the desk vanished into her storage ring, and she did the same rifling through the drawers and cabinets. ¡°Come, let¡¯s go free the prisoners.¡±


    ¡°Good. Save prisoners,¡± Havok agreed, after all, this was why he was here. Turning sharply on his heel, he followed Devan back into the hallway where she quickly unlocked all the doors by wiggling her wires. The prisoners looked dirty, poor, and unfed, and they took a little convincing before they believed that they were actually being rescued. It was a good thing Devan could speak well, he reflected. They seemed rather scared of him, but he healed them anyway.


    ¡°Good job with that warrior, Havok,¡± Devan told him.


    Havok nodded. ¡°What do with them?¡± he asked, pointing at the scared bunch of prisoners.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take them to Mieriel ¨C she will know what to do with them. We need to give her all these papers too.¡±


    he thought, happy with the way the job had gone.


    ¡°Devan is good buddy.¡±


    ¡°You too, Havok.¡±


    ¡°Azryet also buddy!¡± he said, feeding a little mana into his skill to turn it into a prayer. Azryet needed to know he was appreciated, too.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 202: The End in Sight (2 of 2)

    AliandraThe task of clearing out all the terraced steps and rooting out the monsters hiding behind the pillars and in dark, hidden alcoves and small caves leading off the main chamber took the better part of several hours, meaning the way back was already well respawned by now and their only recourse to leaving would be teleportation or hours of fighting their way back out of the dungeon.


    Ali refreshed her emergency escape teleportation circle, bringing it up closer to their position. She had to move it frequently enough that the degradation in her spell due to the dungeon¡¯s mana never had enough time to become problematic.


    At least, with the huge number of monsters they had defeated both here and in the hatchery, Calen had filled his and most of Malika¡¯s storage with scaled dragon hide for sale the next time he visited the Elven city of Ciradyl.


    After what seemed like forever, they finally passed through another stone-carved archway at the end of the vast chamber, entering a comparatively smaller antechamber containing a single pack of monsters guarding the door at the far end. But her blood ran cold at the sight of what awaited them.


    sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Oh, shit, two drakes,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°No. That¡¯s insane,¡± Ali said, staring dejectedly at the most powerful group of monsters they had yet encountered. Even the phoenix seemed easier than the menacing group of monsters blocking their way forward.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we can defeat this,¡± Calen said, not volunteering a cleverly thought-out plan for the first time in ages.


    As Ali studied the group, it got worse and worse. Living Flame ¨C according to the newest information she had from the rewards after the phoenix fight ¨C had Curse Proliferation. The biggest challenge with the warlocks had always been their devastating curses: Agony of Flame and Explosive Conflagration. In a configuration like this, Malika would be needed to tank the Living Flame, and hence she would be unavailable to lock down the warlock with her mana-leeching skills.


    ¡°I can¡¯t survive two drakes,¡± Mato said.


    If Mato was balking at a fight¡­ then they truly had no chance.


    ¡°If we can¡¯t tank both drakes there is no way I can see to do it. We should go home,¡± Calen said with a note of disappointed finality.


    ¡°I definitely can¡¯t tank a drake yet,¡± Malika said, sounding a little frustrated. ¡°I could do the Living Flame or the warlock, but not both.¡±


    ¡°And we need you for both,¡± Calen observed.


    ¡°This is unfair,¡± Ali said. To come so far through the dungeon, only to be stalled by this pack of monsters. She clenched her small fists and frowned. ¡°I¡¯m sure the forge is just around the corner.¡±


    ¡°Not much we can do about it,¡± Calen said. ¡°If we can¡¯t control both drakes¡­ and Mato is the only one who can take a hit¡­ that leaves no margin. To be fair, we¡¯ve been rubbish at knowing when we¡¯re overmatched ¨C I think we need to change that.¡±


    Ali couldn¡¯t deny it ¨C they had all seen the insane Cleave strikes that the drakes were capable of, and their dragonfire breath seemed just as terrifying. Back at the spot where they¡¯d faced the last group, there were still large gouges left in the solid stone where drake talons had slashed with devastating force.


    ¡°You need a lot more armor,¡± Mato said. ¡°And health.¡±


    ¡°And fire resistance, don¡¯t forget about that,¡± Calen added, glumly.


    Ali¡¯s gaze settled on the two huge drakes, massive muscles ripping below their hard dragon-scaled hides, talons grating on the stone as they moved, and a crazy idea suddenly popped into her head.


    ¡°I have an idea, but it may be a little too crazy,¡± she said, pulling out her Grimoire at once and noticing how their despondent, defeated expressions gave way to just a little curiosity. She turned to the dragon imprint and began to summon her minion. The Armored Drake imprint was at a higher level than she was, but by now, she had had more than enough practice using her customization to regress the levels of whatever she summoned to create appropriate-level threats for the guild adventures. Her magic completed and suddenly an enormous drake towered over her, shockingly large from being so close. Ali stepped back to get a better look at it.


    ¡°I thought you couldn¡¯t use those in here?¡± Calen asked, surprised by her choice of minion.


    Ali switched perspective momentarily, taking a snapshot of its status and aptitudes. ¡°It¡¯s immune to fire, and it has enormous values for armor and health¡­¡± she said. The idea felt wrong, given how long she had been operating under the assumption that fire-affinity monsters would be worthless down here, but she couldn¡¯t see any reason why it shouldn¡¯t work. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s big,¡± Mato said, getting to his feet to study the monster.


    ¡°You need a drake form,¡± Malika said, elbowing him.


    Calen paused considering the giant drake now standing among them. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of it that way. They will both be immune to each other¡¯s breath attacks and just hit each other for a while. You know, I think it might just work.¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t know how to handle the warlock and the Living Flame, though,¡± Ali said. She had been studying and practicing novel combat strategies, and learning from Calen¡¯s ideas, but this fight was beyond her skill. Their approach to both the Flamecaller Warlock and the Living Flame elementals had been to drain their mana with Malika¡¯s attacks, but she couldn¡¯t be in two places at once.


    ¡°I got that part,¡± Calen said. ¡°We do a split-pull through the doorway into the larger chamber. Malika tanks the Living Flame against the wall over there. We put the two drakes on that other wall, and you tell yours not to breathe fire into the room.¡±


    ¡°What about the warlock? Curse proliferation is going to be a disaster.¡±


    ¡°They have blood, right? Tell me you tested that already?¡± Calen asked, his eyes catching hers with an expectant hope.


    ¡°They do¡­¡± Ali said, the core of his idea suddenly taking root. ¡°You want to tank them with the Abyssal Stalkers?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We can use their stuns to disrupt the spells with longer cast times,¡± Calen nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll use Righteous Fury right at the start, and we go all out to kill the warlock, and then the imps.¡±


    ¡°That could work,¡± Ali said, considering the novel idea. ¡°I think I can afford to make three.¡± She still had the same army she used for the phoenix, minus the Death¡¯s Acolytes and only one of the sparkling oozes. Even with the drake, she had enough mana for the stalkers, though it might get a little tight if the battle went poorly.


    ¡°Can you just make two drakes?¡± Malika asked, poking the huge monster¡¯s scales.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I have enough mana for that,¡± Ali said, quickly running some mental calculations. ¡°Well, not if I have to make enough Acolytes to keep them alive summon so many Stalkers.¡±


    ¡°In that case, maybe we should give the Acolytes some mana potions?¡± Malika suggested. ¡°It¡¯s probably going to be a long fight.¡±


    ¡°If we pull into the big room, I can do better and inscribe an inspiration circle,¡± Ali said. She would still have mana potions ready, but the inspiration circle could be used for the entire duration of the battle ¨C and over longer battles where she got the chance to prepare the battlefield, it would generate much more mana than a potion. Still, she summoned a couple of extra Acolytes just to be sure. Her drake was lower level than the ones they faced.


    It took quite some time to get everything set up, but eventually, Calen called out, ¡°Right, everyone ready?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Ali said, adding her response to the other nods and grunts.


    Two archers stood by the doorway, ready for the split pull. Three Abyssal Stalkers lurked high up on the wall above the archway. The rest of her minions ranged widely, spaced far enough apart that they wouldn¡¯t drag extra damage on their neighbors if the warlock got off a few of its nasty curses.


    Satisfied, she gave Calen a nod, and he vanished back into the smaller chamber to get the monsters.


    ¡°Here it comes,¡± Malika said, bouncing on the balls of her feet.


    Twin roars split the silence and Calen sprinted back into the room at top speed, spinning and charging for Malika¡¯s spot with the entire group of monsters hot on his heels. With her awareness focused within the two archers, Ali sighted and fired. The two arrows shot out, striking the two drakes and shattering against their scales, but with Calen¡¯s Motes of Light pulsing in the air above them, and her own Empowered Summoner, their arrows carried enough magical damage to instantly snap the drakes¡¯ attention to them. It wasn¡¯t as if it was a particularly difficult shot, those drakes were the size of small barns.


    Thundering fit to split the foundations of the chamber, the pair of Armored Drakes charged, an incredible force of nature in motion. Ali sent her Kobolds scurrying for cover behind Mato and her own summoned draconic tank.


    But her job was nowhere near done. Slipping her awareness into the senses of her Abyssal Stalkers, she waited while the Hellfire Imps capered into the room, lobbing accelerated fireballs at everything they saw. Barriers flickered from her fingers, intercepting hellfire detonations with the skill of long practice.


    The Flamecaller Warlock slithered into the larger chamber, last through the doorway, and immediately began channeling its potent area curse, Agony of Flame. Ali could hardly forget the swirling flame and twisting mana as the dark red and black burning runes began to propagate across the stone floor.


    ¡°¡± she urged, and the three stalkers dropped down from above the stone archway onto the Flamecaller Warlock¡¯s back, blood magic surging as their scythe-like front legs sliced and stabbed with blurred speed.


    Instantly, the runes winked out as the Ambush strikes ripped through the warlock¡¯s scales like butter. Dazed, the Flamecaller Warlock¡¯s blood splattered across the stone, painting the entire right-hand side of the archway in crimson.


    ¡°All out,¡± Calen shouted, punctuating his cry by igniting his mana with Righteous Fury and firing multiple volleys of arrows, striking the warlock and the randomly teleporting imps wherever they landed.


    ¡°¡± Ali commanded, echoing Calen¡¯s call to action among all her minions. Immediately, arrows and spears of bone filled the air, lightning flashed, and the Hobgoblins charged into battle shouting their booming battle cries.


    Ali would have liked to pay more attention to the fight itself but, as important as locking the warlock down was to the group, her mind was suddenly filled with tracking the imps and blocking the fireballs from destroying her healers while they valiantly strove to keep Mato and Malika alive.


    One of the Acolytes standing in the inspiration circle suddenly burst into flame from the Explosive Conflagration curse and then an instant later, half of the room ¨C every single minion in the fire aura of the Living Flame, save two Acolytes she bubbled in time ¨C caught fire too.


    ¡°Explosion,¡± Ali shouted, recognizing the Living Flame¡¯s skill signature nearly automatically the instant the formation began to condense. The enormous blast wave of fire ripped through her formation, sending most of her minions flying. Ali reacted with Minion Teleport and a flurry of barriers trying to minimize the flight time for her healers and the falling damage for her more vulnerable minions. Then she scrambled to adjust as the burning minions fell like a meteor shower among the rest of her forces, bringing the Explosive Conflagration curse perilously close to the tank healers. In a mad panic, she moved her minions, making some of them sprint for the walls just to get out of range before they exploded, carefully avoiding the Living Flame¡¯s aura.


    ¡°Warlock is down. Ranged on the imps, everyone else on the Living Flame.¡± Calen¡¯s call came not a moment too soon. She didn¡¯t doubt it, but a glance confirmed the crumpled, mutilated corpse of the warlock and the gruesome bloody wall behind her gleaming Abyssal Stalkers.


    She quickly glanced at Malika, but she had somehow avoided catching the conflagration. Ignoring Calen¡¯s directive, Ali withheld her melee minions, keeping them well outside of the Living Flame¡¯s aura till the curses all detonated and expired. One by one, she sent them into the flame as she absently blocked a hellfire fireball with a barrier, ignoring the imp hitching a ride that splatted up against her magic, its body already a dying pincushion filled with Calen¡¯s arrows.


    ¡°Tanks are still good,¡± Ali called out after checking them with Healer¡¯s Sight. ¡°Curses down.¡±


    Malika¡¯s health bounced around erratically, dipping by large amounts, followed by seconds of nothing when she hit a dodge streak. Mato¡¯s health bounced up and down like a yo-yo, regularly dipping massively, followed by a strong regeneration upward from all the holy and nature healing magic on him. But her biggest surprise was finding that her drake was tanking just fine. It was substantially lower level than its foe, but the two of them simply duked it out with cleave attacks and bites, with the monster trying to breathe fire on her minion, but without any effect. She had placed it close enough to Mato that it could benefit from his Sanctuary aura sharing his regeneration, but she could tell that he was actually stealing damage from it regularly, meaning he was comfortable with his healing.


    Quickly, she cycled her healers through the Inspiration circle one more time and then refocused on the Living Flame. She glanced about, but it seemed Calen had taken care of the last imp. Ali settled in to wait for Malika to cinch it.


    ¡°It¡¯s dry,¡± Malika called out after only two explosion cycles. The regenerative tornado and shield combo popped up, but they burned through it quickly and the giant elemental succumbed to their onslaught with a final sigh and implosion of fire.


    ¡°Kill Mato¡¯s drake first,¡± Calen said. ¡°It has the armor penetration debuff.¡±


    His explanation made sense, so Ali marshaled her forces to attack the powerful, though somewhat battered-looking drake. With both drakes solidly locked down, the fight was quite straightforward, all she had to do was make sure her minions avoided the tail and avoided the front where the breath and cleave attacks would eviscerate and char anything that wasn¡¯t being healed by an army of Kobolds.


    As soon as the first drake fell, Mato charged his neighbor, striking with claws that ripped and rended the scales in great swathes. Ali had spent much of the remainder of the fight studying the combat of her Abyssal Stalkers and watching the health of her drake tank, but the difficult part was already over. The final drake collapsed with an echoing crash soon after, and Ali¡¯s chime rang out in her mind once more. She was easily in the habit of ignoring them during battle now, merely using the sound as an indicator to shift her attention to the next foe.


    ¡°That worked surprisingly well,¡± Malika said, clasping her hands behind her back and reaching outward to stretch her shoulder.


    ¡°Difficult, but not scary,¡± Calen agreed.


    Ali thought. It was a good thing to strive for, almost like a motto. She didn¡¯t mind difficult so much, but scary was¡­ well, scary.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re quite close to the forge and Thovir Emberforge¡¯s anvil,¡± she said. ¡°I remember that room in there. I think it was the antechamber.¡±


    They all trooped through into the room, and Ali saw that she had remembered correctly. It was a round room, crafted entirely with ornate dwarven stonework with thick arches and supports for the ceiling. Most of the wall surfaces were decorated with carefully sculpted reliefs depicting various crafters at work. She recalled being surprised that it wasn¡¯t smith- or forge-themed, rather than the broad coverage of all kinds of crafting. Seeing it now reminded her of the curiosity and fascination she had experienced in her youth.


    ¡°It should be through that door,¡± Ali pointed at an enormous archway at the far side of the room.


    ¡°Careful,¡± Malika cautioned. ¡°We still haven¡¯t found the last boss.¡±


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 203: Finding a Voice

    Excerpt from , Third Edition


    Sabri


    Sabri sat off to the side on the damp moss by herself, checking her gear and glancing nervously into the large chamber and at the Kobold boss who waited within, while the important people discussed strategy. It was dank, dark, and the air smelled stale. Enclosed spaces and her were not best friends. She had seen the unnaturally large Kobold and its minions once before ¨C when she had come down to use the class shrine ¨C but this would be her first time facing it ¨C facing any raid boss in fact ¨C in combat. An ice-cold drop of water landed on the back of her head with a soft splat. Somewhere in the background, Theon¡¯s loud voice cut over Brena¡¯s as the leaders hashed out some contentious point of strategy.


    She had spent hours poring over the notes Aiden had written, detailing the strategy the previous team had used to defeat this boss, and that knowledge had made her rather more nervous than less. She had even tracked him down and asked him a few questions directly, and every sign pointed to a sharp increase in difficulty and risk compared to the other monsters in the sewers ¨C monsters that had become progressively easier as the group she had been assigned to had earned experience and leveled up.


    At the very minimum, Aiden¡¯s notes had strongly recommended two groups, or at least ten people, even though his group had managed to successfully pull it off with one non-combat member.


    Sabri¡¯s gaze drifted to the adventurers gathered for the fight ¨C the people she would be risking her life with. Of the other group, she knew nobody. She had seen them in classes and the Adventurers Guild lounge, of course, but all of them were well-connected and had their own friends. They had little time for the poor girl from the wrong side of the border. Even within her group, she really only talked with Brena. Cai spent most of the time he wasn¡¯t fighting sitting cross-legged in meditation with his quarterstaff resting across his legs, a small ruby flame hovering in front of his heart ¨C just like he was doing right now.


    Malise stood in the shadows up against the wall playing with her ice-daggers, her catkin eyes glowing softly in the dark. She always liked shadows. Sabri was honestly scared of her ¨C she might be a fiend in combat, but Sabri always felt like she enjoyed the violence just a little too much.


    The argument among the leaders ceased and moments later Theon appeared, striding confidently back to their group with Brena scrambling to keep up with him. His expensive plate armor creaked and clanged as he walked, complemented by the devastating two-handed hammer he kept strapped to his muscular back.


    ¡°Ok, here¡¯s the plan,¡± Brena said, the savvy gnome a little out of breath from trying to keep up with Theon¡¯s long, uncompromising stride. While Malika had been friendly and had helped her out a lot, this diminutive gnome with her blue hair, potent lightning magic, and formidable intellect was the only real friend she had here in Myrin¡¯s Keep.  she thought. She admired Basir and Hala, but she never really talked with them much.


    ¡°Their team¡¯s tank is a hybrid and has some magical resistance, so they want us to tank the rogue and the warrior while they tank the mage. The kill order is the same as in Aiden¡¯s notes: healer, mage, rogue, and then finally the warrior,¡± Brena explained.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tank the rogue,¡± Theon said. ¡°I want to see if I can kill it by myself.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget you¡¯re also our healer,¡± Brena said.


    ¡°No problem, Kobolds are weak, they don¡¯t hit very hard,¡± Theon said, his voice filled with confidence.


    ¡°It¡¯s a raid boss. I have a spare shield you can use¡­¡± Sabri said, the words spilling out before she had a chance to think about what she was saying. She had spent so much time studying the notes and one consistent fact had been reiterated; that the rogue and the warrior hit very hard.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be daft,¡± Theon retorted, his face twisting in distaste. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to do any damage with a stupid shield. Look, I know some people put dumb ideas into your head about defensive skills and gear, but until you can do real damage, you won¡¯t amount to much in this group. You should get one of these.¡± He pulled his enormous hammer from his back and grounded it in front of himself with a booming crash.


    Sabri shut her mouth, mortified, and looked down at her feet. It was a defiant thought, but she knew better than to speak it. She was beginning to wonder if she had been steered wrong. One thing was certain; Theon was spectacularly good with his hammer, and his paladin class provided their group with a much-needed heal that they used after combat to minimize the wait time between fights. He had easily proved himself to be the most effective member of their little group.


    she thought, his rebuke still smarting. She had been so happy with her class at first, but she struggled to kill anything on her own. Without the support of people like Theon and Brena, with their much more powerful classes, she would have fallen way behind.


    Instead, she focused her attention on Brena, who was going over where the Kobolds would be tanked, and what the other two members of their group should be doing. Cai simply nodded, and Malise¡¯s agreement sounded more like a purr than Common.


    Sabri got up to get in position and Brena stepped up next to her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Theon,¡± she said. ¡°He knows what he¡¯s doing. Just focus on tanking the warrior in the right spot and it will all be ok.¡±


    She nodded, not trusting herself to speak anymore, and moved up to the front of the assembled adventurers, taking her place beside Theon and the other team¡¯s druid who had shifted into the form of a large, muscular panther.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Theon said. In spite of her feelings, she couldn¡¯t help admiring his easy confidence ¨C it was like his broad shoulders were forged for the mantle of leadership, to be standing out on the frontlines of battle.


    She followed along, feeling small behind him as he strode confidently into the chamber, his heavy hammer balanced casually over one shoulder.


    The room erupted into a sudden chaos of noise and light as the Kobolds attacked and the rest of the adventurers focused their magic and arrows on the Kobold healer. She ignored it all, slamming her shield, lit with her soul magic, into the green-scaled, reptilian face of the Kobold warrior that was charging past her. Immediately it turned and slashed with a dark, serrated bone shortsword that crashed into her armor, denting it, and knocking her stumbling backward.


    Aiden¡¯s report had said it hit hard, but nothing had prepared her for this. Her ribs were certainly bruised, and blood trickled down her side. Without Kav¨¦¡¯s well-crafted plate armor, she might have lost something important. She blocked the next strike with her shield, preferring to retaliate with her sword as she backed away from the boss, slowly drawing it out of the center of the chamber and up against a wall.


    She had known she would be tanking the raid boss himself. She had understood her task well enough. And yet it was only now, under the onslaught of his sword and shield, that the full reality of his size and sheer power began to impress itself upon her.


    She ducked a shield slam aimed at her face, but in the moment it blocked her vision, an unseen sword thrust sliced deep into her thigh. Cunning; perfectly timed. She grit her teeth, thankful for the points she had spent on endurance, and returned the strike, drawing a small trickle of dark blood through the Kobold¡¯s tough gleaming green scales. The Kobold warrior shouted, its booming voice crashing into her, weakening her body as a skill took hold, but there was nothing she could do about it, she simply attacked again, trying to avoid his heavy armor, and keeping her shield ready to block at a moment¡¯s notice.


    A booming crash resounded, and she was showered with moss and rock fragments as Theon¡¯s vast overhead hammer smash knocked the nearby Kobold rogue sprawling, shattering the crumbling brick at his feet. She wouldn¡¯t be caught dead admitting it, but she felt a pang of jealousy at the demonstration of his immense power.


    Sudden panicked shouts from the opposite side of the room caught her attention and she snapped her head up to the sight of an intense ball of fire growing rapidly larger as it filled her vision. She reacted instinctively, dropping into a crouch, shield raised, taking a brutal sword strike to the shoulder, and the world exploded in a deafening roar of heat and flame. Her body slammed into the wall behind her, knocking the breath forcibly from her lungs while her skin seared and blistered in the intense flames. She coughed and choked as the acrid stench of burning flesh, leather, and hair and a scorching blast of air forced its way into her lungs, burning as she struggled to breathe. The pain lingered even as the flame died, and her ringing ears dimly registered distant shouts and screams. Desperately, she brought her shield up to block another sword strike from the Kobold boss who had not relented in the slightest.


    Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a scorched and burnt Theon slowly rolling to his knees, and her stomach churned at the overwhelming stench of burnt flesh. A shadow shifted behind him, and the dark shape of the black-scaled Kobold stepped out from it, wickedly curved daggers raised.


    ¡°Theon! Behind you!¡± she yelled.


    But she was too late.


    The dagger glinted a malevolent red in the dim light of the dying fire, burying itself up to the hilt in his neck. A spray of crimson arced into the air as the dagger was withdrawn, held aloft in the grasp of black-stained, taloned fingers. With a sudden blur of speed almost too fast to follow, the hungry daggers flickered and stabbed, feeding more and more blood to the first spray. The way Theon¡¯s limp, lifeless body collapsed, his hammer landing beside him with a crash, Sabri knew with absolute cold certainty he was dead.


    A sudden shrill scream rang out over the clangor of battle.


    She stared at Theon, once so vital and brimming with confidence, now drenching the mossy ground with a slowly growing pool of his own blood. Sabri was no stranger to death, of course, however, never had it been so personal and shockingly sudden. The Kobold rogue retrieved his daggers, casually ripping them free from Theon¡¯s neck, blood dripping from the blades as he searched the room for his next prey. In silent horror, Sabri followed his gaze, meeting the stark certainty of mortal terror in the wide eyes of the Dwarven priest from the other team.


    Her heart thumped audibly in her chest, breaking the moment, and the Kobold rogue sprang into action, sprinting right past Sabri and the boss she was tanking, his eyes carrying murderous intent for the Dwarf.


    Sabri knew it with utmost certainty.  This too was certain. She was already hurt and struggling against the Kobold warrior; to deliberately attract the attention of the rogue too ¨C that would be suicide. Theon¡¯s fresh blood splattered warm and wet against her cheek as the rogue flicked his dagger, and Sabri found her voice.


    She shouted.


    Her voice reverberated through the chamber, empowered with the full force of her Soul Shout skill. All around her, the air shimmered and vibrated with the magic of her attack. Bricks splintered and cracked under the onslaught. For an instant, her life and that of the dwarven priest hung in the balance upon the narrow knife-edge of choice, and the only thought in Sabri¡¯s mind was that she regretted not asking his name.


    The Kobold rogue stopped as if he had run into a granite wall. He turned, lips curled back from wicked fangs, rage smoldering in his reptilian eyes. And then those hungry daggers leapt for her throat with speed she could barely credit.


    She blocked, but the rogue¡¯s daggers were so fast that many of his attacks simply bypassed her guard, stabbing into vulnerable gaps her armor did not cover. She retaliated with her sword, but the warrior took advantage of the opening and slashed her shoulder open. Her health spiraled down as she bled from the sudden flurry of cuts and slashes as the rogue and the warrior teamed up to flank her.


    She was suddenly hurt and alone, at the mercy of these two impossible monsters. The warrior and the rogue were more than she could fight by herself, simply too fast and powerful for her to block and survive.


    She desperately tried to block faster, attack quicker, suddenly far too busy and frantic for regret. But her health continued to spiral out of control, plummeting rapidly past halfway, and then down to a quarter remaining.


    She could sense her imminent death furiously rushing toward her when an unusual warm sensation filled her bruised and torn body. It pulsed with a soft pure white radiance and her health jumped, just a little. Her injured arm moved just a little quicker and she blocked another two dagger strikes before the third pierced through her armor, slipping between her ribs and puncturing her lung. Panic rose within her as she struggled to draw breath, getting nothing more than a gurgling sucking noise as her airway filled with blood. Her health dipped again. The warmth pulsed in gentle counterpoint, and her health rose, the flesh slowly knitting around her wound, allowing her a small desperate gasp of air. The warrior pressed his attack with a powerful smash of his shield and strike of the sword, tearing a long gash in her arm. The warmth pulsed again, causing her health to eke upwards once more.


    By all accounts, the last several attacks should have finished her off, and yet, against all odds, she was still standing. Still bleeding. Still struggling. She barely had enough attention to face both Kobolds and their vicious blades; there was no chance she could spare the focus to figure out what was happening to her.


    Suddenly, her vision flared with pure white, and she was filled with a surge of energy so powerful she almost dropped her sword. Her wounds instantly closed. The bleeding stopped, and her health skyrocketed. And a sudden clarity of recognition descended upon her like a hammer blow.


    She had seldom experienced healing in the middle of a fight, and never without her needing to beg for it. In addition, her Tenacious aptitude had triggered in response to being healed while below half health. She raised her head and saw the Dwarf downing a mana potion, sweat beading his brow. His chin was so set his beard jutted out nearly at right-angles to his chest. His hands were glowing with holy light and his previously terrified eyes held nothing but pure focus and concentration as they looked intently her way.


    Sudden hope bloomed within her. Theon had always preferred killing the monsters with his hammer, reserving his heal spell for after combat. This dwarf had just saved her life, healing her while she faced the overwhelming threat of two raid-level monsters simultaneously. And he looked like he wasn¡¯t about to let up.


    she thought. She drew in a deep breath and shouted again, her magic rippling through the air and the two Kobolds in front of her, kicking up a blast of brick fragments and dust.  she thought, lashing out with her sword.


    It seemed like she had been blocking and striking forever. Her focus remained locked on her two opponents, challenging them, again and again, to destroy her while she pestered them with small cuts, slices, and shield slams whenever the opportunity presented itself. As she battled, an unspoken bond formed with the unnamed dwarven priest, as if they got to know each other through action and reaction. He responded to her damage and injuries, learning how much she could take before she needed his healing magic. She knew the exact instant when he realized she had the Tenacious aptitude. And when he realized precisely at what percentage it triggered. After that, he always let her dip below half before landing an enormous heal that filled her almost completely. For her part, she learned to trust him, even when her health dipped. He had her covered, and all she had to do was block so that the rogue couldn¡¯t land critical strike damage, and make sure that the two Kobolds never took their eyes, claws, and weapons off her.


    By the time Malise appeared with her gleaming ice daggers and ecstatic grin, and Cai began laying into the rogue with his flame-wreathed quarterstaff, Sabri had finally identified the feeling growing deep inside her. Beneath the layer of heart-pounding anxiety, and the pain of the constant stabs and slashes, Sabri knew with certainty that she mattered. Even if it was only to one Dwarf.


    The Kobold warrior finally collapsed on the ground, as the full force of their raid turned on it, and the sound of several chimes echoed within her mind ¨C contrasting starkly against the deafening silence of the chamber.


    Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sabri¡¯s momentary excitement at the notifications faded as her eyes were drawn away from the scaled corpses of the Kobolds to the lifeless form of Theon lying sprawled on the mossy brick of the sewer.


    Brena was bent over him, checking in vain for signs of life.


    ¡°I saw it happen,¡± one of the archers spoke from nearby. ¡°He took a fireball, and the rogue took advantage of it to stealth and Ambush him from behind. If he had been up against the wall, and using a shield to block, he wouldn¡¯t have taken the critical damage. Stabbed him right in the throat.¡±


    The chilling truth cut through her like a knife.  Sabri¡¯s heart writhed in turmoil. She hadn¡¯t liked Theon and knew he would only have ridiculed her further, but she always backed off when he overrode her opinion. She always felt weak, but she had never thought her opinion mattered. Certainly not compared to his power and confidence. And now he was dead, and she had had the answer before it happened. She had simply been unable to insist.


    She looked up at the sense of someone approaching, surprised by the tears running down her face. In front of her stood the Dwarf in his dusty brown acolyte robes.


    ¡°Maybe a bad time?¡± he asked gently.


    Sabri shook her head, trying to wipe the tears away, embarrassed that he would see her in such a state.


    ¡°I¡¯m Belmar,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you for saving my life.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re welcome,¡± Sabri managed. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have done it without you.¡±  But her heart couldn¡¯t deny the genuine gratitude and honesty in his face and voice, nor the kinship of two people who had just faced certain death together and yet had somehow, inexplicably, survived.


    His grin was so big, it threatened to split his impressive beard in half. He said, ¡°You are a phenomenal tank. Anytime you need a healer, just let me know.¡±


    She stared after him as he walked away, her gaze eventually lowering to Theon¡¯s corpse once again, unable to think, or even process her own feelings.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 204: Dungeons Kill (1 of 2)

    - Dorin Crimsonhammer, Platinum Adventurer.


    Vivian Ross


    Vivian rubbed her temples, trying to ease the throbbing that was trying to beat its way through her skull. She was enough of a realist to have expected someone in her program to die eventually, she had just hoped it wouldn¡¯t be quite so soon. You couldn¡¯t level up and earn experience as an adventurer without confronting risky situations, and with risk came a probability of failure.


    Everything about her training program was aimed at keeping the novices alive, to reduce the cost of failure so that everyone could get up and try again with more knowledge later. But there was always the specter of a mistake big enough to kill someone, and it had happened today. She had been sure her program, her ideas, would work. That she could stave off this inevitability.


    She had privately interviewed all nine of the surviving novice adventurers.  she corrected herself. Even though Theon had died, the quick thinking of Sabri and the priest Belmar had prevented any more deaths and turned a disaster into a successful boss kill. She had nine graduates and a dead body in storage.


    By now, Vivian had a clear picture of what had happened after several hours of wading through the story from every angle. Theon held quite a lot of the responsibility for his own death. It didn¡¯t surprise her much, knowing how arrogant and headstrong the boy was. She had hoped placing him in that team would mellow him out a bit, but that had obviously not happened. She had several accounts of how Sabri had been shut down when she suggested he use a shield but knowing that it was Theon who was mostly to blame didn¡¯t stop the others from blaming themselves. Particularly Sabri, who thought she was responsible for him not using a shield, Belmar who felt he let him die, even though Theon had been responsible for his own healing, and the group who was fighting the Kobold mage, all of whom thought they were responsible for letting it fire the stray fireball in the first place.


    She sighed. She had been running damage control all afternoon. In addition to a few bronze adventurers who seemed to be on the verge of quitting, she now had another major problem on her hands ¨C she had one team without a healer and therefore unable to level up. That and she was certain Aliandra would be devastated when she learned that her dungeon had killed someone while she was out, and she had no idea what toll that would take.


    She took a deep breath and turned to the mounting pile of unfinished paperwork on her desk.


    Aliandra


    Standing at the threshold of the great cavernous chamber, Ali took in the once-renowned domain of Thovir Emberforge, legendary blacksmith of Dal¡¯mohra. Originally a mining excavation, the back half of the chamber still reflected the raw, rocky walls and ceiling, and the massive lake of boiling lava with the thunderous cascades of molten rock pouring down into it from somewhere far above. It roiled with potent mana, fire affinity for certain, but similar in appearance to the intense yellow-white energy of the Inferno. The air above the boiling pool shimmered with radiant heat, warping the appearance of the rock and lava falls in the background.


    The entire front half of the cavern had been reworked by the ancient dwarven stonemasons, a surprisingly smooth polished stone floor with pillars of granite rising to meet the vaulted ceiling. The walls were decorated with ornate relief sculptures, creating an air of culture, now made ancient by the wear of centuries.


    In the center of the chamber, right next to the lake of lava and the fount of fire mana was a raised stone dais, upon which stood the magnificent forge, and the great black anvil of Thovir Emberforge.


    But instead of the legendary dwarven smith wielding his glowing hammer, her eyes were drawn to the enormous recumbent drake lying on the stone floor before the dais. Several times larger than the Armored Drakes she was already acquainted with, this new monster seemed overwhelmingly powerful even in its fitful slumber.


    Even as it lay there, dark flames flickered across its impervious scaled body, leaking hellfire energy into the scalding air. Every couple of seconds, a great wave of Living Flame rippled outward from the drake, a regular pulse expanding through the entire room like a slow heartbeat of fire. And between the forge and the anvil, Ali¡¯s eyes registered something else that had not been there before ¨C a giant obelisk of rune-covered black stone ¨C a shrine, very much like her own.


    She stared at it ¨C the first ¡®natural¡¯ shrine she had seen that was not her own. Conspicuously, it did not float. As terrifying as the drake appeared, she felt a ripple of relief as anxiety loosened its grasp around her heart. At least she did not have to constantly look over her shoulder expecting a Lich.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s a raid boss,¡± Calen whispered, his eyes carefully studying the monster, noting and categorizing every detail.


    Ali released the breath she had been unconsciously holding, an instinctive response to her worries. But she still released it quietly.


    ¡°Looks strong,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali agreed, studying the way the domain mana flowed about the chamber, finding that she could quite clearly see how the domain itself was connected to the giant corrupted fire drake, infusing it with power, pulsing in time to the hemispherical waves of Living Flame. She familiarized herself with the organization and structure of the mana within the room, slowly getting the feel for why this was a raid boss and not a normal one. From the density of the domain mana flowing through it, she had no doubt that this would be the toughest challenge yet, and by a large margin, if she was reading the signs correctly.


    ¡°Shall we go poke it?¡± Mato asked. ¡°See what it does?¡±


    ¡°Mato, this is not a game,¡± Calen hissed.


    His casual attitude struck like a discordant note against the prevailing fear and caution that had taken root deep inside Ali, but she knew how to read him. Mato practically vibrated with intense focus, a potent blend of curiosity, and a burning desire to test himself against the strongest monster. There was no chance he would underestimate their foe.


    The Beastkin said, ¡°Never said it was.¡±


    After a long moment, Calen puffed out his cheeks and said, ¡°Yeah, alright. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Everyone have an escape potion?¡± Malika asked, and Ali nodded, grateful that they had formed the habit of following Lyeneru¡¯s Dungeon Survival Guide.


    ¡°I¡¯ll inscribe a fresh teleportation circle just outside the door,¡± Ali added, after checking her own recall potion. ¡°Left side.¡±


    Here was a powerful raid monster, but scarier was the fact that its abilities were almost entirely unknown. She recognized the Living Flame from the structure of the domain¡¯s mana empowering it, but she could already tell it was substantially denser and more potent than the phoenix ¨C and that was only one domain magic ¨C it would likely have three.


    Mato advanced, entering the chamber, and Ali sent her minions in after him, fanning them out into the room. Each of them lit up with holy restoration magic as soon as they waded into the flames. As she stepped foot into the chamber, the drake¡¯s double-eyelids leisurely opened, revealing an enormous malevolent red glowing eye, shot through with flecks of black as if the hellfire burned within. The ground shook beneath her feet and it took a few moments in frozen terror before she realized it was a growl of warning.


    ¡°¡±


    The growling roars of the draconic language uttered from the maw of a dragon were nothing like her lessons with Kav¨¦. Ali¡¯s heart quailed in fear at the power of the monster before her.


    Malika¡¯s steadying hand touched her shoulder, pulsing a little healing magic through her. ¡°We¡¯ll look after each other,¡± she said, and then stepped forward to join the melee.


    A strangely twisted formation of dark magic appeared within the great dragon¡¯s eye, and it flashed momentarily before shooting outward to strike her invisibly.


    -1% maximum health whenever the duration of Ruinous Frenzy is refreshed. Duration: 15 minutes


    +50% haste


    +100% damage


    Demonic Siphon.


    Curse ¨C Duration: 5 seconds.


    The giant drake rose to its feet, turning its head toward them as it pulsed with the power of its twisted fire mana and the domain around it. An enormous wave of flame billowed out in all directions and as it washed over her, she heard a chime along with the searing pain.


    Simultaneously, the twisted mana of the Ruinous Frenzy curse spread through the room like a wildfire of demonic flame, appearing on everyone there.


    ¡°Curse Proliferation!¡±Ali yelled. She had easily recognized the waves of yellow flame emanating from the drake as similar to the phoenix¡¯s fire, but she hadn¡¯t immediately connected the Curse Proliferation to the Ruinous Frenzy.


    ¡°What?¡± Calen exclaimed.


    Ali thought as the implications slowly sunk in. About two seconds later, she had her answer.


    With a roar, Mato engaged, smashing his claws into the drake as its giant maw filled with tearing, rending fangs snapped shut a hair¡¯s breadth from his ear. He turned the drake to face the left right as it roared back, blasting that entire side of the chamber with a torrent of midnight-black hellfire dragon breath. His health plummeted, but Malika and her healers had been expecting it, reacting far faster than she had expected.


    Ali realized. She had passed over that in her hurry to read the curse earlier, stuck on the health reduction. Ruinous Frenzy granted both haste and damage but at such an enormous cost!


    Ali tuned Mato and the drake¡¯s noisy confrontation out, focusing instead on the curse and the flame, studying the interaction of the magic within the room. This was her role. This was how they would learn. Her brow furrowed as the next wave approached, and she threw up a barrier, regaining a substantial burst of mana from the power of the magic washing by her. All her minions lost life, but her healers regained mana ¨C and quite a bit more than from the phoenix. But her barrier protected her from losing health to the curse.


    The second wave crashed over her while she studied it and the curse expired. She gasped as a huge bolt of black energy burst from her torso and careened across the chamber to be consumed by the drake, taking with it an enormous chunk of her health. She didn¡¯t fail to see the drake¡¯s health bounce back up to maximum in an instant, erasing every single strike they had landed so far. An Acolyte standing beside her yelped and frantically cast a big heal to recover her health.


    The pulse of the twisted curse magic came directly from the drake and passed through her barrier like it wasn¡¯t even there.


    It seemed that the drake¡¯s curse would ignore barriers but was only cast infrequently. The Living Flame was what spread the curse and refreshed its duration every pulse. Reluctantly, she dropped her barrier, realizing that all she would accomplish was healing the drake every five seconds.


    It was less than twenty seconds into the fight when her first shaman died, unleashing a familiar large bolt of hellfire from its corpse to heal the frenzied drake lashing out at Mato in the center of the room.


    Her Acolytes were struggling ¨C the sheer amount of damage Mato was taking, and the room-wide flame pulses took its toll. Every few seconds everyone lost health, making healing her weakest minions progressively harder and harder. One by one they burned their Devotion skill, hasted healing having little to no impact on their rapidly regenerating mana pools, but they simply didn¡¯t have the throughput to keep up with the onslaught.


    A second shaman died, followed quickly by the last one, each shooting the infernal demonic fire to heal the drake. ¡°My minions are dying!¡± she yelled.


    ¡°Hang on,¡± Calen answered.


    Ali realized. Some of her minions really didn¡¯t have much health to start with. Sure, the reduction was a percentage, but that flame pulse did a large flat amount of damage. With such a vast level difference between the flame spell and their defensive attributes, some of her minions were taking far more than their fair share of fire damage. At approximately the forty-second mark, when Ali¡¯s health reduction reached twenty percent, her Acolytes began to die. First one, then the next. And suddenly all the remaining healers keeled over with the rest of her minions collapsing in a rapidly cascading disaster.


    ¡°Run!¡± Ali shouted, terrified that Mato wouldn¡¯t be able to make it out alive. She had no Acolytes left to save him. She flew as fast as she was able, heading for the doorway, but she threw barriers between Mato and the drake. The drake claws blurred, shattering her barrier, and she replaced it just in time to have it melt in the intense outflow of hellfire dragon breath.


    To her intense relief, the drake gave up at the door to the chamber, and her friends all escaped alive, Mato just barely making it before the drake turned and sauntered back to its resting spot, glaring at them before it lay down once more.


    All at once, the curses began expiring, shooting bolts of fire that crossed the room to hit the drake, passing through the rock wall of the chamber as if it were not even there. And each time it expired; her minions lost a substantial chunk of health, several of them immediately collapsing. Her eyes met Malika¡¯s as they both realized what was about to happen and Malika sprang into action, darting among them, searing Mato and Calen with emergency healing before their expiring curses claimed their lives.


    ¡°Well, that didn¡¯t go too well,¡± Mato said, after shifting back to his Beastkin form.


    ¡°What that nonsense?¡± Malika wanted to know.


    Ali plopped herself down on the stone floor, propped up against the wall between Mato and Calen, and breathed a sigh of relief. Probably they wouldn¡¯t have died from the curse, but it would have been way too close for comfort.


    ¡°I need a few minutes. Calen, while we wait for the life drain to wear off, can I borrow your pen and some¡­ fireproof paper?¡± she asked. She had spent the vast majority of the fight studying the mana flow, the spell interactions, and how her minions had been affected and she wanted to quickly run some numbers.


    It took quite a few minutes for her to account for all the bonuses, elixirs, resistances, and relative levels involved ¨C some values, like the drake¡¯s class level, were working guesses. But eventually, she handed the paper to Calen with her conclusions.


    ¡°The Living Flame pulses are stronger than the phoenix, probably because of the raid domain enhancement,¡± she explained. ¡°I think this is pretty close to the numbers.¡±


    Living Flame


    +150 fire damage per second.


    +25 stamina and mana restored per second.


    Curse Proliferation


    Skill ¨C Domain Magic


    ¡°That seems about right,¡± he said, studying her work.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit worse than that because the damage is not delivered per second, so it comes in spikes of probably close to three hundred damage per wave. I haven¡¯t seen any other sign of domain magic skills yet, but this one seems similar to Mato¡¯s Sanctuary ¨C a spherical domain aura that propagates the magic.¡±


    ¡°And the curse proliferation works the same as the phoenix?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I tested most of the cases,¡± she answered. ¡°I can block the flame from refreshing the curse with my barrier by simply blocking the fire damage.¡±


    ¡°So you can ignore the curse the whole fight?¡±


    ¡°No, he can directly cast it, and that ignores my barrier. I can only block the proliferation, which means I just heal the boss.¡±


    ¡°You mean we have to take the reduction to maximum health, or the boss heals by stupid amounts? We can¡¯t go longer than two hundred seconds or we die?¡± Malika asked, peering over her shoulder to look at her notes.


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot less than that in practice,¡± Ali answered. ¡°When your health gets close to the amount of damage caused by the flame waves, you just die from that in a single shot. Even with their racial and elixirs helping their fire resistance, my healers reached that threshold at about forty seconds in. They really don¡¯t have much health.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nasty,¡± Malika said, scrunching her face into a frown.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Calen scribbled a few quick calculations in his notebook and then looked up. ¡°I estimate we will need to kill him in just a bit less than two minutes. Any longer than that, probably Mato will die from attack damage.¡±


    ¡°The nice thing is that it restores a ton of mana and stamina. And there¡¯s the haste buff, so we should be able to do a lot of damage if we can stay alive,¡± Ali said, adding, ¡°No mana potions for you, Calen.¡± That at least made him grin.


    ***


    Ali flopped down onto a couch in the library, exhausted after fighting the Corrupted Fire Drake until the room behind them had begun to respawn. The only good thing about the drake was that they could simply run outside the room to reset the fight, and with a little careful healing let the curse expire. They did have to wait for the life drain to wear off, but this one had a fifteen-minute duration. It meant they had made quite a few attempts at the fight ¨C hence the exhaustion.


    Calen had set a limit of one minute per attempt ¨C if they couldn¡¯t get the drake below fifty percent by the one-minute mark, they were supposed to flee. Their best attempt had been eighty-seven percent ¨C not even remotely close. Every single try had been ruined by her minions dying, and the ones that went the full minute seemed to be entirely luck. She had tried every combination of minions she could think of, but the bottleneck came down to her healers having too little health, and way too little healing power for what she was asking of them ¨C even with the substantial benefits of the Ruinous Frenzy curse.


    ¡°If I could just level my Acolytes up, that would be something,¡± Ali grumbled.


    ¡°Yes, that would be nice,¡± Calen agreed.


    Most of her damage-focused minions were also low enough that it wasn¡¯t reliable to have them in the fight past thirty seconds, and even if they had been able to reach fifty percent by the one-minute mark, they would still have been doomed to fail simply because they lacked the health to survive the full two minutes.


    She slumped on the couch, depressed. At the two-minute mark, which Calen had calculated was the absolute longest they should even consider staying in the fight, they would be down to forty percent of their total maximum health, and would need the right combination of total health, magic, and fire resistance to survive the waves of flame every few seconds.


    ¡°Cheer up, Ali,¡± Malika said, flopping down beside her. ¡°It was our first try.¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t think Kobolds are going to be able to do it,¡± Ali said, not quite cheering up as Malika wanted. The honest truth was they were simply inadequate. ¡°They¡¯re far too low-level to be facing monsters like the drake.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not,¡± Calen said, sitting down and pulling out some arrows to do maintenance. ¡°If we really can¡¯t win, we¡¯ll go questing for better minions. I think we should try it again soon though, and, besides, I want to kill the Demon Hunter again a few times.¡± Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Ali exclaimed. She had had nightmares of the hordes of demons pouring from the rift the last time they had been there, and he wanted to go back?


    ¡°This bow is crazy good. If we get another two, you can make them,¡± Calen said. ¡°I¡¯m sure Lyeneru will want some for the Pathfinder guild. I think we can avoid the dungeon-break provided we stay away from the rift itself, and you can leave some monsters in there to mop up the extra demons. Perhaps grinding a few levels in the other wings will help us with this last fight too?¡±


    She had to admit what he said sounded reasonable. At least more reasonable than she had initially imagined, but she was simply too tired to really think it through. She had felt something from her Kobold boss while she was in the middle of that last fight, and she needed to check it before she did anything else. She pulled up her notifications and then gasped in shock and horror at what she found.


    ¡°No!¡± With a low scream, she curled up into a ball. ¡°No, no, no¡­¡±


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 204: Dungeons Kill (2 of 2)

    MalikaMalika opened the brand-new heavy oak doors and entered, her eyes taking in the details of the almost finished and vastly larger guild hall. It was far larger than the old one, and once fully furnished, it would be much more suited to how much the guild was expanding.


    Malika thought. She had sat with Ali for ages, holding her hand while she cried and trying to reassure her that it wasn¡¯t her fault. Eventually, the ancient Dryad shooed her out and took over. She had never seen her friend so upset, nor felt so helpless to do anything. Theon¡¯s death was tragic, and probably had been just a matter of time, but Ali had such a good heart, it was bound to hit her very hard.


    ¡°Welcome back, Malika,¡± Mieriel¡¯s pleasant voice called out to her as her eyes adjusted to the dimmer interior after the bright morning sun outside. ¡°The Guildmaster asked me to let you know she would like to speak with you personally on a sensitive matter. She¡¯s in her office if you have time now. It¡¯s down that hallway now.¡±


    ¡°Ok, thanks for letting me know,¡± she said, guessing what the talk would be about immediately from the grim look in Mieriel¡¯s eyes.


    She quickly ducked into the new, spacious guild store to find Weldin busy sorting and arranging his displays.


    ¡°Hi, Malika,¡± he said, greeting her with a wave.


    ¡°Private sale,¡± she said, getting a curious look from the gnome. She summoned the two pulsing blue crystallized Phoenix Tears and handed them to the suddenly speechless merchant. ¡°One each for Morwynne and Eliyen.¡±


    And then leaving him still spluttering and struggling to find his words, she headed off to find the Guildmaster¡¯s new office.


    ***


    ¡°So that¡¯s the story,¡± Vivian finished. ¡°Theon died to the Kobold boss, mostly through his own rashness, and now some of the adventurers are considering quitting because they¡¯re taking it personally. It doesn¡¯t help that they¡¯ve lost their healer, so I can¡¯t even just throw them back in to help them get over it.¡±


    The real story was a lot different than Ali had imagined it, but it took nothing away from the tragic outcome, although it seemed that the guild was already feeling the repercussions of his death in terms of morale.


    ¡°So why did you want to talk to  about it?¡± Malika asked. It was the one remaining oddity she couldn¡¯t figure out. From what Vivian had told her, everyone else had acted appropriately. Vivian hadn¡¯t even hinted at blaming Ali for what happened.


    ¡°Sabri is taking it the hardest,¡± Vivian explained. ¡°She feels like she is personally responsible for his death by not insisting he use proper tanking equipment. I think she looks to you as a role model, and I was really hoping you¡¯d be able to try to talk to her?¡±


    Malika thought. She had not spent a vast amount of time with Sabri, but what she did know of the shy and quiet girl fit with the scenario the Guildmaster had just laid out. ¡°Yes, I will see what I can do.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Did the Guildmaster ask you to talk to me?¡± Sabri asked as she sat down. Her face was clear, but Malika didn¡¯t miss the red eyes and downcast gaze. The guild had several private rooms for meetings, and Malika had just borrowed one, closing the door so they would be able to talk.


    ¡°She did,¡± Malika answered. ¡°She seems worried about you.¡± Sabri slumped in the chair, looking downward dejectedly. ¡°I¡¯m worried about you too,¡± Malika finished. ¡°Do you feel like telling me what happened?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the Guildmaster just tell you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she did. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve had to tell the story several times already, but I¡¯d like to hear it from you if you¡¯re up for it?¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Sabri said in a small voice. Not looking up, and haltingly at first, she told the same story the Guildmaster had just shared. However, Malika took note of how Sabri emphasized that Theon had not had a shield, and she had offered but had been too shy to insist. The dismissive and derisive comments Vivian had quoted as Theon¡¯s response were conspicuously absent in Sabri¡¯s retelling. She also spent a lot of time describing the actual death, which had happened right in front of her ¨C how it had happened and how horrific the scene had been ¨C her voice flat and unemotional as she described the spray of blood and the lifeless corpse dropping to the floor.


    ¡°I should have made him take the shield. If I had, he would still be alive,¡± she finished, wiping away a couple of fresh tears as her voice cracked at the end.


    Malika thought. She could feel the fresh hurt in Sabri¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Tell me, is this the first time you¡¯ve seen someone die up close?¡± she asked. She remembered how she had felt when her village had been burnt and she had seen everyone she knew slaughtered. It had left a mark on her for years.


    Sabri nodded, still looking down at the floor.


    ¡°And you feel that if only you had said more, he would still be alive? You feel like it¡¯s because of you that he is dead?¡±


    She nodded again.


    ¡°May I tell you my story?¡±


    Sabri finally looked up and met her eyes, a flicker of confusion passing across her face before she nodded.


    Malika took a deep breath and dredged up her painful memories of the fateful night when she had lost everything as Bakahn village was razed. She told the whole story, not holding anything back, no matter how painful. How she had woken in the middle of the night to screaming, how she had witnessed the dungeon monsters burning everything, and even the sight of her parents fighting and dying.


    ¡°I snuck in the back of a wagon and hid, and the merchant fled from the village. I survived because I was lucky and a coward. I blamed myself for their deaths for years after that.¡±


    ¡°But it wasn¡¯t your fault!¡± Sabri declared, her voice ringing with emotion.


    ¡°I was there,¡± Malika said, feeling the same pain that she had borne over the years. ¡°I knew I could have done more. I should have been stronger. I should have tried harder to save them ¨C done anything, anything at all, rather than what I did.¡±


    ¡°But it wouldn¡¯t have helped, you didn¡¯t have a class, and they were dungeon monsters,¡± Sabri continued emphatically. ¡°You can¡¯t blame yourself for that!¡±


    ¡°I know that now. It led to ten years of indentured servitude to a criminal organization,¡± Malika agreed. ¡°Tell me, do you think Theon would have rolled over and just accepted the shield if you had insisted?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± Sabri answered, looking down once again. ¡°I could have¡­ I should¡­¡±


    ¡°Vivian told me how he spoke to you,¡± she pressed the point firmly, but as gently as she could. ¡°Do you think you could have made him listen?¡±


    ¡°Not really. No.¡± Her voice was small and quiet once again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry this happened to you, Sabri. Blaming yourself is normal, you will always think you could, or should, have done something more. Just like I did. And like me, you will refuse to accept that it really wasn¡¯t your fault. He would most certainly have refused, even if you insisted.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not forget that when you did have the power to choose, you chose to save Belmar¡¯s life at extreme risk to yourself,¡± Malika added. ¡°That choice saved the entire group. Nothing about this is easy so I¡¯m not going to pretend it is. I still remember that day like it was yesterday. I still see things¡­ hear things¡­ I¡¯ll never forget.¡±


    Sabri simply started to cry, and Malika got up to comfort her for a while.


    After a few minutes, Sabri dried her tears and looked up at Malika with an expression full of gratitude. ¡°What¡­ what do we do now?¡±


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Malika asked. ¡°How about we get some breakfast? I think I saw Tabitha¡¯s cart outside, my treat.¡±


    ¡°Chef¡¯s special?¡± Sabri asked.


    ¡°Fuck no,¡± Malika said, ¡°The expensive option.¡±


    That at least got a wan smile out of the girl.


    ¡°I just reached level sixty-three,¡± Malika said and, as she led the way out front, she shared her advancements from the day.


    S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ wow,¡± Sabri said. ¡°What¡­ what are you going to spend your points on?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s always the tricky question, isn¡¯t it?¡± Malika smiled, dropping a small stack of coins into Tabitha¡¯s palm. ¡°The boar stew please ¨C two bowls.¡±


    ¡°Coming right up,¡± Tabitha said.


    Malika turned back to Sabri. ¡°I¡¯m a monk, so everything is good for me. Sometimes I just spread them out like butter. This time I think I¡¯ll put eight into wisdom, dexterity, and endurance. Then I think¡­ mmm, two for vitality and perception. That leaves one each for intelligence and strength.¡± She followed up by spending the points as she said.


    ¡°My primary attributes are vitality, strength, and endurance,¡± Sabri offered.


    ¡°A little like Mato in his bear form,¡± Malika said. ¡°Oh, hey you choose your level ten skill yet?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Not yet!¡± Sabri said, a hint of excitement returning to her face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that then, shall we?¡±


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 205: An Alarming Discovery (1 of 2)

    MatoMato rested, relaxing into the weight of his branches, the soft rustle of his leaves, and the stretching of his roots deep into the earth. His awareness flowed beyond the reach of his tree, extending outward in all directions, carried by the mana of his Sanctuary Aura. Just by his mere presence, the little plants germinated and grew, aided and fed by his mana.


    He liked growing plants. It was a surprising realization. He had always loved nature and the forests, but he had never considered that he would one day enjoy actually growing things ¨C but his magic had given him the tools to a tree, and his excess mana and health regeneration spilled out into the world around him, a well of nature magic that attracted wisps to his branches, germinated seeds and opened flowers all around his roots.


    Lira said, her voice echoing clearly in his mind in the strange language of plants. For the most part, plant thoughts were alien, strange echoes of emotions, barely intelligent enough to be remembered or felt. But from some plants, he experienced more, and the dryad was by far the wisest plant he had ever met.


    he answered, his thought-speech automatically shaped by his mind in this Tree Form.


    she continued.


    As his mentor, he had asked her about his class, and the direction his development was taking ¨C if he was following a balanced path. It was under the influence of her mana that he had learned the magic of his Tree Form, and he had come to understand the intrinsic stability of its form in his life. His bear was a form of violence and defense, but in his tree form, he could protect and grow.


    she said.


    Even within the serenity of the tree¡¯s mind, he felt his discomfort at the idea of abandoning Lira¡¯s mentorship and guidance. The dryad, tree spirit, was the essence of nature in a way, and someone who had drastically influenced his potential. Despite the risk of being warped, he was loath to abandon the potential for growth.


    she answered, her voice warm and soft in his mind. She fell silent for a while and he simply waited, an act of patience he had never achieved in his other forms.


    she said eventually.


    There were not a lot of choices of mentors that favored combat. His father might have been a good choice, but his power could never come close to counterbalancing someone of Lira¡¯s level and influence. Nor was he beyond Mato¡¯s own level anymore.


    she said.


    He had not expected that at all, and surprise rippled through the serenity and calm of his mind. Her words made sense, but the part of him that enjoyed battle seemed distant in this form, like an acquaintance remembered, or a picture of himself.


    he asked after considering her proposal for quite some time. Havok was a paladin, and he had a specific skill for requesting Azryet¡¯s blessing. He had no such thing and, presumably, he would actually need to meet Azryet to ask him. That was if he would even be accepted.


    Calen


    With Malika called away to chat with the Guildmaster, Calen found himself left to explore the new guild by himself in the few minutes he had before his strategy discussion group. The guild hall itself was more than three times larger than the old one, and yet it still did not display any ostentatiousness. It seemed more a reflection of the Guildmaster¡¯s pragmatic mindset, something he found rather refreshing.


    Still, it had been thoughtfully furnished ¨C there were several open-plan meeting areas with couches and chairs, a small bar and eating area, surrounded by pot plants, lending it a more comfortable atmosphere. In the center, Ryn was overseeing several crafters putting the finishing touches on what looked like a sophisticated new quest board replacement, while Bookwyrm, her familiar, sat atop the construction looking on curiously and generally just getting in the way.


    The open-plan space transitioned into the much more spacious guild store at the far end, and all around the hall were meeting rooms of various sizes and functions. He had time to look at that later, so he headed downstairs to explore the training rooms.


    As soon as he set foot on the landing at the bottom of the stairwell, his senses prickled, and he turned to find a room with several steps down to a recessed floor of pitch-black stone with a beautifully ornate inlaid work of runic magic, almost identical to the teleportation circles Ali had crafted in the library. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    he thought, taking the stairs downward, his boots clicking on the hard, polished obsidian. As his foot reached from the final stair toward the floor, his notification chime sounded.


    Ancient Grove ¨C level 68


    Affinity: Nature, Arcane.


    Age: New.


    Known Creatures: Kobold, Goblin, Ooze, Wolf, Elemental, Spider, Demon


    Known Bosses: Toxic Slime (5), Tunnel Weaver (8)


    Raid Bosses: Kobold Warrior (10), Storm Shaman / Brine Ooze (19), Timber Wolf (26), Forest Guardian (40), Forest Guardian (53), Toxic Spitter (55).


    Dungeon


    Judging by when the notification sounded, Ali had deliberately lowered the floor until it was about one foot submerged into her domain mana, allowing her to construct the runic circle supported by the dungeon and still locate it inside the guild building.


    He resumed his descent, walking across the floor and entering the circle. As soon as he did, he received a notification.


    He declined the circle, but he marveled at just how convenient it would be from now on to have a direct teleport from the guild to the library. He headed back upstairs to find the meeting room for his discussion group.


    ***


    The new meeting rooms had sophisticated updated privacy enchantments worked into the construction, so Calen activated it with a little mana and sat down to wait for the group leaders to arrive, pulling out his notes to review today¡¯s subject matter. He was hoping to discuss the corrupted fire drake with them, but while he always prepared something, he left the choice of discussion topic up to the group, and he expected that today might be different.


    The drake was going to be a rather difficult challenge for them, and frankly, he didn¡¯t see how it was possible at their current levels, so perhaps a different topic would be more productive anyway. They either needed to level up a lot, bring more people, or get Ali some much stronger minions.


    At least progress was being made toward gaining more levels ¨C the Phoenix of Living Flame and the trash monsters leading to the drake had netted him three levels. With a quiet sense of satisfaction, Calen reviewed his gains.


    His skills were growing nicely, but it was the last line of his notifications that really grabbed his attention. It had happened during the last Corrupted Fire Drake attempt ¨C a fight where he was so flush with mana and stamina that he had been finally able to go all out and hadn¡¯t held back in the slightest. Carefully he studied the changes to the bow, comparing it to his notes. Some of the enchantments seemed to have improved a little, but the biggest change came from a fairly modest increase to the bow¡¯s base damage range. On paper it seemed minor but, with the massive multiplier from Radiant Archery, his dexterity scaling, and the way that some of his Arrows of Brilliance enchantments scaled with his bow damage, the result was quite a substantial overall improvement.


    He could not wait to try it out against a suitable foe ¨C but now, a noise at the doorway distracted him and Calen dismissed those thoughts. Time to focus on his students.


    ***


    He left the meeting room in a pensive, thoughtful mood. The strategy discussion group had been anything but normal ¨C everyone wanted to talk about the Kobold raid boss that had resulted in Theon¡¯s death, and Belmar and Brena in particular had become emotional about their personal experiences with the fight. Not exactly his strongest suit, but Aiden and Tegan had helped to provide a balanced perspective, and, as difficult as it was, he felt it had eventually turned into one of the most productive and useful meetings they had had so far. Especially on the topic of leadership, with everyone having great ideas for how to avoid something like this from ever happening again. He had personally learned a lot and was finally beginning to see Lyeneru¡¯s perspective on how good leadership could often save more lives than skills and strategy.


    ¡°Calen, do you have a minute?¡± Mieriel asked as he passed by her new desk.


    ¡°Sure?¡± He followed curiously as she got up and led the way into a private meeting room. Normally she just conducted business in the guild hall, so this must be something rather more sensitive or important.


    ¡°I received some intelligence on the kidnapping operation that you scouted some time ago,¡± she said, sitting down at the table, pulling out some papers, and adjusting her glasses.


    Calen had begun to smile at the pretty Elf, but his lips compressed into a thin line instead.  It had been the group that had kidnapped Seth, and while the trail had run cold for him at their abandoned hideout, he had dug up quite a haul of paperwork and turned it over to Mieriel.


    Clearing her throat, Mieriel said, ¡°Havok and Devan followed the lead and encountered the kidnappers. During the altercation, two hired guards and the ringleader were killed, along with their Kel¡¯darran merchant contact. Several prisoners were recovered and returned to their homes. I thought you¡¯d like to hear how it turned out.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for letting me know,¡± he answered politely. It was rather good news, and every small step that made Myrin¡¯s Keep a little safer was a great thing. But it was hardly worth a private meeting room, so he sat patiently waiting for her to elaborate.


    ¡°The Guildmaster registered you four together as a gold-rank group and, as we discussed, only Aliandra¡¯s abilities were obfuscated. This morning, we received a royal courier bearing a gold-ranked quest.¡± She pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose and met his curiosity with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s a scouting mission. We were hoping you¡¯d be interested ¨C it pays quite well, although your team doesn¡¯t seem to be struggling for money. But it would substantially enhance the guild¡¯s reputation if we could successfully deal with a gold quest on behalf of the kingdom.¡±


    ¡°What is the job?¡± It certainly seemed to be a great opportunity and, depending on the details, his skills might be quite suited to a scouting mission. But for the mission to receive a gold-rank rank it must be quite a challenge. he thought to himself, knowing the dangers Aliandra in particular would face if the kingdom ever discovered the true extent of her skillset.


    ¡°The kingdom has lost contact with all the small towns to the south along the border with the troll kingdoms. The teleportation loci are unresponsive, and a Silver Cog merchant caravan has gone missing in the area too.¡± She pushed a beautifully scribed page over to him with a wealth of details, but on closer scrutiny, the details all amounted to one thing: there was no information for anything that had entered that area in the last week. Even a few silver-ranked scouting groups had gone missing, which was why the job had been upgraded to gold. ¡°The quest is to scout the cause and bring back information that the generals can use to deploy their forces ¨C and if it¡¯s an incursion from the troll kingdoms, there is a bonus for information on the size and disposition of their forces.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it, I¡¯m familiar with that area,¡± he said, thoughtfully. It was a little south of Lyton, but on the New Darian side of the Myrin River ¨C an area they had explored extensively while searching for Lira¡¯s oak trees. Presumably these towns had been further south than the blight, past the forest ¨C a guess he quickly verified with the detailed map provided. The challenge, of course, would be taking the job by himself ¨C nobody else could fly and use stealth ¨C and he would need those skills to survive if it really was a troll incursion.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. ¡°And be careful, we don¡¯t know what might be out there.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± he answered, storing the documents. ¡°Could you let the others know where I went?¡± It was quite a distance and would likely take the better part of a day or more to fly all the way there and back, even with his speed.


    ***


    Calen flew steadily southward, studying the endless miles of dead, blighted forest. Lira had been asking if he knew anything about the blight and if it was fading at all, but sadly, apart from the first couple of miles where the bronze adventurers had been clearing the undead and explicitly purifying the blight with expensive elixirs, the miasma seemed stronger than ever.


    About ten miles from the ruined town of Lyton, he saw a dark cloud rising from where the small town had once stood. A cloud that to his eyes looked nothing like a natural rain cloud or pillar of smoke. On a hunch, he used Eclipse to cloak his presence from any eyes that might be watching and pressed on. Eclipse was harder to use with his glowing wings, but it still made him much more difficult to see. He drew closer and his eyes began to make out shadowy figures wheeling in the cloud.


    The skin on the nape of his neck prickled as he recalled facing one of these in the grand library, but that had been a dungeon boss, and these seemed to be just undead.


    He added his stealth skill from Explorer, cloaking the sound of his passage, and continued.


    Ruins of Lyton ¨C level 84


    Affinity: Death.


    Age: New.


    Known Creatures: Undead


    Known Bosses: --


    Dungeon


    His caution ratcheted up several notches and he continued to scan the ground carefully as he flew onward. A dungeon that was at the extreme range of his ability to identify ¨C in fact, without his blessing of the wanderer, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to see the level. How a new dungeon had gotten to such a high level so quickly was only one of the unexplained questions running through his mind.


    Carefully, he skirted Lyton itself, not wanting to tangle with the skeletal wyverns and whatever the black cloud was, but now that he knew a death affinity dungeon was involved, he had a few guesses as to what the cloud might be. An undead blight was perhaps the least terrifying.


    He flew further and further south, discovering two raid bosses ¨C a skeletal wyvern, higher level than they had fought in the library, and a death affinity wight which was flying around above the trees with a horde of skeletons and zombie minions lurking below it. When he finally reached the ruins of the first town, he still had not left the domain of the dungeon, and he had counted several more bosses and looming clouds of whatever death magic it was creating.


    The first town he was searching for was simply missing. In its place, he found only a broad patch of treeless dirt inhabited by some kind of oversized ghoul he wasn¡¯t inclined to tangle with. The second two towns were ruins, scoured bare of anything that seemed to indicate life. Of the merchant caravan, he found no signs, which, given he was in a dungeon, was hardly a surprise. Dungeons could consume almost anything to make themselves stronger, for a dungeon of this size and extent, a caravan or a town hardly presented a challenge. He found himself a relatively safe spot and began to take detailed notes ¨C likely it would take longer than he had expected to scout the full extent of this new rogue dungeon.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 205: An Alarming Discovery (2 of 2)

    AliandraAli stared unseeing at the book in front of her, the words there, but not read, her mind instead filled with imagined scenes of the fight. The novice adventurers, all eager and bright-eyed, come to face her Kobolds, only to meet with a gruesome tragedy as one of their friends was butchered before their eyes.


    She did not know who the paladin was, but she was certain she would have recognized his face from the guild hall or one of the shrine ceremonies. She didn¡¯t recall how long she had lain in Lira¡¯s arms crying. She remembered Malika trying to comfort her by telling her that it was not her fault. Calen had stoically agreed, and Mato had simply made her some food which sat untouched beside her, probably quite cold.


    At some point, they had all left and she had gotten up to immerse herself in her studies, but she lacked the will to even turn the pages.


    She knew that, in principle, she was not responsible for the death of the novice adventurer, but it certainly didn¡¯t feel that way. It was her Kobold boss, and she had made it too difficult, too strong. She had even had to make weaker bosses in the sewer to give them a difficulty-ramp to work up to it and had to warn the Guildmaster. But she hadn¡¯t removed her first boss, too proud of what she could do, and now it had killed someone.


    She had killed people before ¨C and it never felt good. But she had only killed people in self-defense or in defense of the guild adventurers during the shrine ceremony. This was the first time someone had died trying to use her dungeon to grow.


    ¡°Would you like some tea?¡± Lira said, sitting down beside her. ¡°There are cookies, too.¡±


    She looked up and met Lira¡¯s kind eyes and nodded forlornly, not knowing how to make the guilt and self-loathing pass. But Lira simply rose and walked over to the tea stand and poured them both a cup before returning. She placed the tea before her and sat quietly sipping on her own cup until she finally picked up hers and tried it.


    It was delicious, and it immediately sent the guilt into overdrive. How could she enjoy tea when she was a killer? That paladin was only level nine.


    ¡°Could you have done anything?¡± Lira asked, carefully putting her cup down after a long moment of silence.


    ¡°I could have stopped it,¡± she said. She should have stopped it ¨C she had felt something from her boss, and she should have checked. If only she had, she could have stopped it from turning into a disaster.


    ¡°Could you really?¡± Lira¡¯s eyes held only wisdom and compassion, making Ali reconsider her reflexive response and actually think about it.


    ¡°I was in the middle of a difficult fight,¡± she said. The corrupted fire drake had been more than difficult ¨C it was a wonder she had even noticed the Kobold boss¡¯s activity at all.


    ¡°And if you weren¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± She normally did not observe the adventurers fighting, explicitly leaving them alone because they were hoping to gain experience and her interference, even minor, could dramatically affect their ability to grow. ¡°I probably wouldn¡¯t have known until after,¡± she finally admitted.


    Lira sipped her tea again, simply waiting for her to collect her thoughts and process her feelings.


    ¡°I could have made it easier. A raid boss is too hard for them.¡±


    ¡°I remember you saying you warned the Guildmaster, and that she was going to tell the adventurers to be prepared.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡± She knew all this, but her feelings refused to let up.


    ¡°It sounds like you had the best intentions. You provided a challenge for them to grow and made sure they could be properly prepared. I think you did your best, and you must allow them to make their own decisions about whether to challenge the boss or not, knowing the risks. By all accounts, the paladin was overconfident and unprepared ¨C it¡¯s cold comfort, I know, but it is well said that there is no antidote to stupidity.¡±


    ¡°I know. But Aunt Lira, I killed someone.¡± She reached out and Lira took her hand gently.


    ¡°And it will probably hurt every time it happens. Never let yourself become jaded, but don¡¯t deny them the chance to grow. Without you, most of them would have died already, facing some challenge that was truly beyond their abilities.¡±


    Right then, she realized that Lira was not actually trying to cheer her up. She was being honest in saying that it would most likely happen again and that it was right to feel miserable. But Lira still delivered the truth with wisdom and compassion, understanding how she felt ¨C and reminding her that she had made this decision knowing the possible risks ¨C and that her decision was still a good one, even if she felt terrible right now.


    ¡°I should probably go talk with the Guildmaster,¡± Ali said. She was sure Vivian would want to discuss what had happened.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we take a few moments to finish our tea first?¡±


    Mato


    Mato left Eliyen¡¯s shop with a large load of fire elixirs stored in his ring, and substantially less of the gold Malika had given him to buy them. He quite enjoyed his time at the herbalist shop talking with Basil and Eliyen, sorting all the fire-affinity grass and flowers he had harvested from the entrance to the mines. Their business, it seemed, was doing well ¨C Basil had been using several new and expensive-looking tools, and there were many in-progress orders in their small workshop.


    As he made his way over to the blacksmith quarters under the mountain, his thoughts returned to the fire dungeon and the corrupted fire drake. The monster hit insanely hard and the extra fire damage from its hellfire dragon¡¯s breath often left him dangerously low on health, especially after the curse had been allowed to run for a while. He wasn¡¯t about to make complex strategy plans for Ali and her minions, or his friends¡¯ abilities, but he was certain that if they were to fight much longer, he would need his Last Stand ability simply to stay alive.


    Blowing air across his lips, he checked his notifications one more time.


    he reflected as he pushed open the door to Thuli¡¯s smithy. For him, it was a remarkably simple fight ¨C his job was to stand there and use his abilities to survive as long as they needed to kill it. Obviously, he would use his armor penetration skill to help the others, but mostly he was blocking, maintaining his Brutal Restoration, and ensuring he paid attention to the most dangerous attacks with his Survival Instinct. It helped that he didn¡¯t have to worry about mana or stamina at all, but his armor had taken a beating and then some, and it needed urgent attention.


    Certainly, it had been nothing like the phoenix fight, which he had hated. Even though it had been great for his experience growth, he always found himself frustrated when he had to watch his foe flying around out of reach.


    ¡°Yo, Mato, welcome back,¡± Thuli¡¯s gruff voice called out from the back room and the sound of hammering on steel stopped as he emerged.


    ¡°Hi, Thuli, we finally found something that could break your work,¡± he said, showing the dwarven smith the extensive damage to his armor. Several of the steel bands across his chest were mangled and sliced by the powerful cleave attacks that the Armored Drakes could unleash, and several bite marks where the dragon¡¯s fangs had punctured clean through the steel. Tanking that pesky phoenix that didn¡¯t know how to stay dead in a lava pit had done the damaged armor no favors either.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡¯s a mess. It¡¯s a good thing I finished yer new armor,¡± Thuli said, tugging at his beard in apparent annoyance. ¡°Kav¨¦, come give us a hand, lass,¡± he called out, and his Dragonkin apprentice appeared from the supply room immediately. The two of them helped Mato out of his battered and broken armor, having to lever off several of the bent bands, and then Thuli produced something new which they strapped onto him, carefully adjusting the fit.


    ¡°There, what do you think? Switch so I can see it,¡± Thuli said.


    He obliged, transforming himself into his Bear Form and shifting the new set of armor with him.


    ¡°I think it will hold up better than the old one. I learned a new way of tempering the Fireforged Steel when I leveled up, so it will be a lot more durable.¡± The dwarf¡¯s conversational ability seemed entirely unaffected by the fact that Mato was currently a bear and couldn¡¯t respond. ¡°Also, I melted a piece of that Abyssal Bloodstone into the steel during the forging, which gave us a higher affinity for magical enchantment. Fireforged Steel already has a powerful affinity with fire, and with the high-level reagent enhancing the steel, I was able to improve the resistance value and the fire resistance percentage.¡±


    Thuli¡¯s voice carried a clear sense of pride as he spoke about his work, and he slapped Mato¡¯s shoulder with a monstrous clang. ¡°What do you say, lad?¡±


    Mato inspected his new armor. It was heavier than his last set, but that didn¡¯t seem to matter much given his increase in levels and strength attribute. The addition of the Abyssal Bloodstone seemed to give the steel a deeper red tone, and Mato could already feel that it was much more robust. He rolled his shoulders and flexed his back and hindquarters.


    Intrigued now, he Identified it:


    Abyssal Bear Armor of Fire ¨C level 60


    Armor: 504


    Resistance: 632


    +43 Vitality


    +12 Strength


    +21 Endurance


    +33% to resistance against Fire damage.


    Mana: Shapeshift.


    Requirements: Shapeshifter, Strength 120, Wisdom 120


    Body ¨C Fireforged Steel


    Mato moved around in the waiting area under the watchful eyes of Thuli and his apprentice, but he needn¡¯t have worried, the dwarven smith¡¯s work was masterful as always ¨C his armor felt like a second hide, moving easily with his body.


    He shifted back to Beastkin.


    ¡°This is awesome, how much do I owe you for it?¡± It was beautiful ¨C a masterpiece of steel and magic, and already he was excited to try it out against that drake, especially with the powerful enchantments Thuli had managed to work into it.


    The Dwarf muttered something like, ¡°Herr-umph!¡±


    ¡°Five hundred-plus armor! Thuli, it¡¯s great! You¡¯ve outdone yourself!¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine lad. I¡¯ll let ya pay me this time. Toss that old piece in the scrap pile, would ya?¡± Thuli held out a thick calloused hand and several small glowing red stones appeared on it. He picked one out. ¡°I will keep this as payment if that¡¯s ok?¡± The dwarf handed the rest to Mato.


    he recalled. He had no idea if the amount was fair, but he didn¡¯t particularly care. He trusted Thuli and simply accepted the remaining stones Thuli offered with a smile of thanks.


    ¡°I should warn you. That Giddy Clicksprocket is probably gonna hunt ya down like rust seeking cheap steel. She was incredibly jealous and probably the only reason you haven¡¯t had ta fend her off already is that she got a level just for cutting the stones for me.¡±


    Mato chuckled. He would trust Malika to sell the stones, probably to the guild store, and he wouldn¡¯t need to worry too much about persistent Gnomes. he thought, running his thumb across the smooth plates of his new armor.


    ¡°By the way, we found the forge,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s guarded by an enormous dragon, though.¡±


    ¡°You did? It¡¯s real? Tell me, what is it like?¡± Thuli gasped, his face filled with such wide-eyed wonder and expectation that Mato immediately sat on the bench to tell him the full story of the fight and describe the great anvil and forge of the Dwarf¡¯s renowned ancestor.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 206: How a Dungeon Grows (Part 1)

    AliandraAli flew across the forest cavern, heading back toward the library, enjoying the soft glow of her mushrooms below, and the wisps and glitter dragons that had found their way up here. It had been a long day, and she was emotionally drained.


    She had spent the better part of two hours with Vivian, which didn¡¯t alleviate her feelings of guilt, but at least it gave her a much better understanding of why Theon had died during the fight.


    While she was at the guild, Rezan had shown up with three Ahn Khen youths seeking classes, and so she had conducted a quick ceremony at the shrine for them and the recruits Vivian deemed ready. Initially, she had simply done it out of duty, mostly because she had given her word. But surprisingly, it was the obvious excitement and joy the new novices experienced upon receiving their brand-new classes after their challenging trials that had finally turned her mood toward a more positive track. It was remembering that this was a large part of why she was doing this ¨C helping people get a better start on their adult lives. Theon¡¯s death was tragic, and this did not take anything away from that, but furnishing all these new novices with powerful classes helped her feel she was making a positive impact.


    Ali entered the library to a surprisingly raucous scene. Ryn sat on a table with a ball in her hand and flung it over the railing and into the atrium. With a tiny roar and a flash of gold, her familiar shot off, diving down after the ball. Then she was treated to the bizarre sight of her book speeding off after the dragon, the two of them swirling down in a spiral together, snapping at each other as they tried to get to the ball.


    Seated at the edge of the railing were several adventurers, their open books forgotten upon the tables behind them, instead cheering for the Bookwyrm and Clarence loudly by name.


    ¡°Um, what¡¯s going on?¡± she asked.


    Ryn¡¯s head snapped around with a guilty look on her face. ¡°Um, I was teaching Bookwyrm to fetch¡­ and then Clarence wanted to play too. I didn¡¯t think it would be a problem.¡±


    Over the railing sailed the book, carrying the ball locked between its pages with the tiny golden dragonet harrying it all the way, shooting motes of light at it, and snapping with its tiny jaws. Clarence came to a stop beside her and dropped the ball at her feet and backed off a little.


    She glanced down at the ball, and then her book. Bookwyrm swooped in, landed beside Clarence, and glanced up at her crooning.


    And then Clarence shuffled forward and bumped the ball so that it rolled up against her feet and backed away again.


    She stooped down and picked up the ball, and looked at it, and as she did, both the book and the dragonet sprang into a frenzy of excited swoops and twirls. She sighed, and then lobbed the ball over the railing, bouncing it off one of the branches of the elder tree before it plummeted to the ground. In a flash, the book and the dragonet were off in pursuit, to a round of excited cheering as people made bets on which of them would win this round.


    Ryn gave her a huge smile as Ali sat down beside her, deciding that it couldn¡¯t hurt to watch the antics for just a bit. It was a pleasant way to pass the time, watching people enjoying themselves with a simple game. Eventually, Bookwyrm returned to his perch on Ryn¡¯s shoulder, wrapping his long tail around her arm, and Clarence flew over and dropped himself into her lap ¨C tired after so much flying. But still, she sat there, watching the busy comings and goings as the guild members chatted, hunted for books, or simply curled up on a couch to read.


    It had always been one, but Ryn had been right ¨C without people to read the books, a library wasn¡¯t fulfilling its purpose. And now, finally, the Grand Library Arcana ¨C though much diminished ¨C was once again open for business.


    ¡°Hi, Aliandra.¡±


    She looked up from her musing to find Seth standing in front of her. ¡°You can call me Ali, Seth,¡± she told him.


    ¡°Um, ok, Ali,¡± he said as if trying it out and discovering it worked. ¡°I found something you might like ¨C it¡¯s probably not that useful, but¡­¡± He pulled out a pile of small dark furry shapes and placed them on the table nearby.


    ¡°I found them in a cave when I was doing a night quest, and I remember you have bats. I couldn¡¯t find anything higher than level three, though.¡±


    ¡°Oh wow, an ice affinity,¡± she said, examining the curious, tiny dead bats on her table. Seth had a habit of working with his team during the day and taking odd jobs to make extra money at night; he had told her he rarely needed sleep these days because of the life drain of his wraiths. And at night, he could more easily hide the fact he was a necromancer. ¡°Thanks, Seth!¡±


    The tiny bat corpses dissipated quickly to her magic.


    She immediately summoned one, but instead of a single bat, she got a flight of five.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a swarm monster,¡± she said, verifying quickly by checking its status. It had only a small number of skills, but five of them cost the same as a single monster. ¡°And it has echolocation!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Seth agreed. ¡°I turned some into zombies for scouting the caves. I don¡¯t get all their skills, but that perception, I can use.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Seth,¡± she said. ¡°Let me get you the quest bounty.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine Ali, I don¡¯t need the money.¡±


    ¡°You sure? I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you already did so much for me.¡±


    ¡°Well, thank you again, they¡¯re delightful,¡± she told him, watching through their eyes and hearing through their remarkable ears as they flew around the library, already exploring.


    ***


    ¡°Aliandra, do you have a moment?¡± Rezan asked, walking up to her perch on the arm of the couch with Clarence still nestled comfortably in her lap.


    ¡°Elder,¡± she said, nodding respectfully to him and the three newly classed novices standing behind him.


    ¡°Laila, Raed, and Naji wanted to stop by and thank you for helping them earn their classes.¡± Each of them stepped forward with a respectful bow and thanked her with a stiff formality that was frankly, quite adorable.


    ¡°It was my pleasure,¡± she told them. ¡°I¡¯m glad you found classes you liked.¡±


    ¡°I want to thank you too,¡± Rezan said. ¡°You have breathed a new life into our villages. Their parents didn¡¯t dare to express their hope out loud for fear that it might not be true, and in a few days, I will return them to their families with powerful classes. They will be overjoyed.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Rezan,¡± she said, smiling at him. And then his words reminded her of something. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind waiting a few minutes, I can help you with the trip home. I remember the locus in Vertias.¡±


    ¡°You can teleport us? You are growing, young lady.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ sort of wrote it down¡­¡± Ali found herself coloring as Rezan¡¯s youngsters voiced a chorus of impressed ¡®Ooohs!¡¯


    It took only a few minutes to fly them all down to the ground floor and inscribe a new circle in her ever-growing teleportation ring around the base of the giant elder tree. When she was done, the electrum-inscribed runes glowed prettily, infused with the magic of her domain.


    With a smile and a wave, the wizened elder vanished, taking his three charges with him.


    ***


    ¡°Hi, Ali,¡± Calen said, pulling up a chair and joining her at her favorite study table in the library.


    ¡°Welcome back,¡± Ali said, managing a smile to greet him. ¡°How did the scouting go?¡±


    ¡°Worrying,¡± he said, and when Ali met his gaze, he added, ¡°I found a large undead dungeon consuming the southern end of the blighted forest, towns and all. Vivian is trying to figure out what to do, but it looks like they will need help ¨C it¡¯s in the mid-eighties.¡±


    ¡°Goodness, that¡¯s awful,¡± Ali said. ¡°Where would they find a group high-enough level to deal with that? Southport?¡±


    ¡°Maybe Ciradyl,¡± Calen said. ¡°I suggested the Pathfinders. Anyway, let¡¯s not worry about it for now ¨C Vivian said she¡¯d look into it. How¡¯re you holding up, Ali?¡±


    ¡°Ok, I guess,¡± Ali said, glancing up from her notes. ¡°Lira said I should do something productive today, but I think she just wants me to keep myself busy. You know¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be ok,¡± Calen said, reaching over and squeezing her hand gently.


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s just a little rough.¡±


    ¡°What are you working on, then?¡± he asked, craning his neck to peek at her notes.


    She tilted the pages to give him a better angle. ¡°I¡¯m hunting for monsters I can learn to make myself stronger down in those mines. That drake is¡­ ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Any good leads?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Ali said, frowning. It was a real problem ¨C Ryn¡¯s research had turned up some interesting options, but all of them would require travel to distant dungeons dotted around the continent. Not something she could likely achieve ¨C at least, not without substantial, expensive preparation.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Calen said, scratching his head, and then he sat up straighter all of a sudden. ¡°Hey¡­ why don¡¯t you try a different approach?¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Well, you wanted to work on improving your dungeon. Why don¡¯t you learn potions?¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡­ well, even assuming that works, how exactly does that improve my dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Potions are very versatile,¡± Calen said. ¡°You could give all sorts of options to your Kobold defenders if you could make them.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not just because you want a supplier?¡± she asked, arching an eyebrow at him. Still, joking aside, it seemed like a great idea. Even just creating her Acolytes with mana potions would be a big improvement on their delves into the mines.


    Calen coughed, breaking eye contact. ¡°Um¡­ no? Well, yes, but also your dungeon would benefit greatly! And we wouldn¡¯t run out of elixirs so quickly next time we try the drake¡­¡± He trailed off, then added defensively, ¡°I didn¡¯t think of myself first. Close second.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m teasing,¡± Ali said, grinning at him. ¡°It¡¯s a good idea. I have space, why don¡¯t we see if it works?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± he muttered. ¡°Um¡­ alright!¡± Suddenly excited, he pulled out a few trays of the minor mana potions he typically used to sustain himself during the easier fights. ¡°Fifteen, thereabouts?¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Yup,¡± Ali said, manifesting her Grimoire in the air above the table and reaching for the gleaming crystal vials.


    ¡°It worked?¡± Calen exclaimed the instant her Grimoire reacted.


    ¡°Seems that way!¡± Ali immediately retrieved a dozen other assorted health and mana potions and fed them to her book by way of Deconstruction.


    ¡°Here, try these!¡± Calen said, his voice filled with animated excitement.


    ¡°Sorry, Morwynne and Eliyen,¡± Ali muttered as she expanded her imprint to include some of the most lucrative business the Alchemist and Herbalist had yet seen.


    ¡°I have an idea for that,¡± Calen said, catching the thread of her guilt instantly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you make a fire-themed boss for the guild to work on? That way the demand for essences and consumables won¡¯t vanish overnight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Ali said. ¡°But, first¡­¡± She pulled out all her recall potions and inspected them carefully before deconstructing them.


    Interestingly, the binding to the locus seemed to be an intrinsic part of the potion itself. She would need to consult Morwynne if she ever needed a different destination.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 206: How a Dungeon Grows (Part 2)

    Aliandra¡°What else are you up to today?¡± Ali asked, glancing up at Calen. ¡°Want to help me make that fire boss?¡± She had a little time on her hands, and she was finally feeling better about herself and her dungeon after spending time with her friends and Lira ¨C and the prospect of doing something productive had put her in a different frame of mind.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯d love to help,¡± Calen said, getting up.


    ¡°I just need to be careful with the levels and difficulty,¡± Ali said, hopping onto her barrier and leading him out of the library and into the ruins. Her biggest concern was giving the novices and bronze-ranked adventurers a decent difficulty ramp ¨C and Theon¡¯s death served to remind her that she could be doing better for them. Even if she believed everyone insisting it wasn¡¯t exactly her fault. ¡°I could really do with your help thinking through the different levels and challenges, maybe tweak a few things? Burgle that notebook of yours?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± he snorted, meaning quite the opposite. ¡°So, where to?¡±


    ¡°The entry hall leading into the ruins,¡± Ali said. There were nine newly-minted bronze-ranked adventurers now, and the next bosses available to them were her Timber Wolves and the twin ooze-goblin setup she had guarding the lake. Both were raid threats and likely impossible with only a single healer. Vivian had mentioned she was going to send them into the dungeon one group at a time, sharing the priest Belmar until they found a replacement ¨C but healers were rare, so it might take some time.


    The flight across the breadth of the residential ruins of Dal¡¯mohra¡¯s upper level along the giant boulevard passed in companionable silence. When she finally flew through the great archway and into the entry hall, Ali paused, hovering there in the center.


    ¡°You ok?¡±


    ¡°Yes, just memories,¡± Ali said, shaking them off. This room had strong associations with two emotionally traumatic encounters ¨C one with her mother when she first laid terrified eyes on a Death Knight, and the second time with Mato when they had defeated the swordmaster Kobold to win their way free from the ruins. Beyond the shattered remains of the city doors was the tunnel that led up to the forest cavern and her Grove ¨C and also dozens of unexplored openings to the extensive cave system that riddled the mountains like a termite-infested tree. Her traps in this area had been working overtime.


    ¡°Do you think level seventeen is low enough?¡± Ali asked as she descended to the ground, now covered in moss and mushrooms by her roaming planting crew.


    ¡°Somewhere between the kobolds and the wolves, that doesn¡¯t sound too bad,¡± Calen said, joining her. ¡°Not a raid monster though, I think.¡±


    ¡°Yes, just a regular boss this time,¡± Ali said. ¡°They¡¯ll be in single groups for the foreseeable future.¡± This spot would provide a decent proving ground and an introduction to the underground ruins for any adventurer groups that wished to explore. But she couldn¡¯t make the boss a pushover ¨C this area was rife with bat, Kobold, and zombie incursions through all the exposed cave and tunnel entrances. She needed a good boss here to close up the chokepoint and secure her domain.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Calen said. ¡°Fire theme?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali said. She had not forgotten his suggestion. Helping out Morwynne and Eliyen who¡¯d given them so much aid was high on her priority list. Pulling out her Grimoire, she summoned a Kobold that she hadn¡¯t been able to use in far too long.


    ¡°You will be the boss guarding this room,¡± she told him.


    ¡°As you wish, ancient Mistress,¡± the Kobold replied, his gravelly voice and faint sulfurous odor giving her a surprising sense of nostalgia.


    She studied him closely, examining the equipment her Grimoire had chosen for him. There were the standard mage robes, of course, but her eyes were caught by the two glittering glass vials at his belt.


    ¡°It made potions¡­¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do that on purpose?¡± Calen asked. One of the vials was a minor healing potion, and the other a mana potion.


    ¡°No, I just let the Grimoire pick,¡± Ali said. It was a feature she could control if she wished, but often she simply left it up to chance after she had realized that the Grimoire would make progressively better choices the higher she leveled her skill.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s certainly interesting,¡± Calen said. ¡°Does that mean your Kobold or Goblin bosses will start respawning with assorted potions now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not,¡± Ali said, considering it. She had explicitly specified some of their gear, but the rest had been left to chance, and now that she had the potion imprint, it would seem that was included in the options.


    ¡°That means you can strengthen your existing bosses by growing your potion imprint,¡± Calen noted.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ now you¡¯re just showing off,¡± Ali said. Levitating herself a little higher, she placed a hand on her Kobold¡¯s shoulder, she invoked her domain magic.


    She didn¡¯t forget to keep the enhancement to a group-level threat, acknowledging that the new bronze-ranked adventurers could no longer field a complete raid group. But it shouldn¡¯t be an issue for her purposes.


    ¡°What abilities are you going to use?¡± Calen said.


    ¡°You suggested helping out Morwynne and Eliyen, and most of the fire plants require fire mana to grow. What do you think about a fire aura and some minions? Keep it simple?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good. What about those Drake Hatchlings? They should be a good challenge.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I like that idea,¡± Ali said and made her selections.


    She didn¡¯t feel like she needed to be too precise with the minions, but she did want them to at least be a decent challenge to a group capable of taking on a level seventeen boss monster.


    Her domain surged through the Kobold and his drake minions, and the aura of fire rippled outward from him, filling most of the ruined entry hall with scalding flame. But the fire from a level seventeen monster felt like a tickle compared to what she had grown used to down in the mines. It was a while before her attending Acolyte even deigned to cast a Restoration spell on her.


    ¡°What do you think is good for loot? Magicite?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Probably not necessary ¨C they can wait till they¡¯re strong enough to take on the wolves. You already have the drakes so they can get leather and scales. Those fire plants you were thinking of should provide a great source of unique alchemical ingredients,¡± Calen offered.


    ¡°I guess there¡¯s also the equipment he¡¯s using,¡± Ali observed.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you give him a fire elixir or absorption potion too?¡±


    ¡°Why? It¡¯s not like he needs it?¡±


    ¡°Think of it like advertising,¡± Calen grinned. ¡°A teaser if you will. Once they see the potion, they¡¯ll need more, and then they¡¯ll be knocking on Morwynne¡¯s door.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good idea,¡± Ali said and did just that. ¡°Now, I just need to fix everything else,¡± she added, gesturing expansively to the burning room.


    Calen chuckled.


    Most of her moss and mushrooms were already on fire, and even the ones near the edge of the chamber were smoking from the heat. First, Ali punched a few holes through the floor and planted several substantially higher-level trees to form the backbone of her domain. She touched each one and granted them Domain Respawn also. Along the perimeter of the chamber, she planted clumps and rings of Glowcaps, giving them permanent barriers for protection.


    With her domain taken care of, she inscribed several Arcane Blast runic circles dotted about the chamber with various triggers she had been practicing. Traps for the unwary. And then she replaced all the burning moss with Fire Grass, turning the room into a dancing field of red flames.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s quite pretty,¡± Calen said, hovering about a meter above the ground on his radiant wings.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Ali said, happy to see the grass thriving under the influence of the Kobold¡¯s fire aura. ¡°What do you think of Flame Lashers?¡±


    ¡°Not unless you can lower their level a bit,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°Mmm, I can do that.¡± The flowers were gorgeous, and they would provide more incentive to clear this chamber, so she grew a couple along the outer walls.


    ¡°Looks good, Ali,¡± Calen said. ¡°That should provide a nice bridge between the raid bosses, and Morwynne and Eliyen are going to be overjoyed when they come back with a haul of flowers and grasses.¡±


    ¡°Anything else it needs?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Some trash mobs in the passageway?¡±


    ¡°Trash mobs?¡± Ali asked, not recalling that particular term.


    ¡°Loose monsters to serve as guards and a¡­ warmup?¡±


    ¡°Ha, warmup, you¡¯re a real comedian today,¡± Ali laughed. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m on fire!¡±


    Ali just chuckled again and seeded the passageway with a few Drake Hatchlings and several packs of Flame Skitterers for flavor.


    ¡°You got mana for another?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali said. ¡°I was thinking of something to guard the ventilation shaft.¡± It was the next critical chokepoint on her list.


    ¡°How about something for Teagan and Aiden¡¯s groups to work towards?¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said. Tossing ideas back and forth, they flew back into the Forest Cavern and made their way across it to the small cave and the ventilation shaft through which she and Mato had made their first unceremonious entrance into the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra. ¡°Something to help boost them to silver-rank?¡±


    ¡°That works,¡± Calen said. ¡°Given that this is a small and dark cave, perhaps one of your spiders?¡±


    ¡°Good idea,¡± Ali said, her mind filling with dozens of ideas. ¡°Your mom is very excited for new web options ¨C do you think we should do a Flame Spinner here?¡±


    ¡°You just made a fire boss, perhaps a different theme?¡±


    ¡°Well, then there¡¯s only really one good option,¡± Ali said. The theme was blood. She opened her Grimoire and began to work.


    At a regressed level of thirty-three, the demonic spider had only nine of its full complement of skills. The one that it lost was Onslaught, but Ali didn¡¯t think that would matter much ¨C making the encounter a little easier by removing a substantial portion of the monster¡¯s already unreasonable critical strike chance. She would give a little of it back anyway, with a dexterity enhancement. For her plan to help Lydia gain access to demonic web, and indirectly benefit the cloth-wearers in the guild, it was crucial for the monster to still have Web Spray, and it had worked out perfectly.


    The first thing Ali chose was Affinity Aura, but to her dismay, it didn¡¯t work. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t have blood affinity for the aura skill.¡±


    ¡°Well, that would have been terrifying,¡± Calen shuddered. ¡°Why don¡¯t you make it summon some of those hornets instead?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± Ali said, considering it. It would give the mages something to do, for sure. Wiping out the hornets fast would be a priority, otherwise their swarm bonuses would rapidly get out of hand.


    A substantially more expensive monster, but she was happy with it. As her magic completed, her Stalker vanished from her mundane vision, forcing her to rely on her minions to see it.


    ¡°That¡¯s going to be a rough encounter for the tanks,¡± Calen said. ¡°The spider hits very hard.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but if they have good perception skills, they can avoid the Ambush,¡± Ali countered. ¡°And with proper armor, shields, and endurance they should be able to mostly avoid the stuns.¡±


    ¡°I predict that stock in Thuli¡¯s Steelworks will rise,¡± Calen laughed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let Vivian know, as usual,¡± Ali said. Earlier today, Vivian had mentioned Mieriel¡¯s idea of the guild sponsoring a few exciting quests to improve morale ¨C and what could be better than a first kill bounty? Then she covered the walls with creepers and ivy and embedded a few small slivers of Abyssal Bloodstone in strategic locations, granting them Domain Respawn too.


    ¡°That¡¯s some very good stealth,¡± Calen said. ¡°I can¡¯t even see it.¡±


    ¡°Mato said he can hear them,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Yes, but they don¡¯t have him in their group.¡±


    ¡°Willow¡¯s wolf should be able to sniff it out,¡± Ali said, thinking through the options. ¡°And I¡¯m sure Seth will do something scary with his wraiths to find it.¡±


    ¡°Good point,¡± Calen said. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m not giving them enough credit.¡±


    ¡°Does it look good?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Yes, very demonic! And the crafters are going to love the supply of bloodstone and webbing.¡±


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 206: How a Dungeon Grows (Part 3)

    GaraGara drew a ragged breath, running low on stamina, now, as she warily circled her inexhaustible foes, putting the walls of the Temple of Bone against her back. With a deft flick of her blade, she opened the veins on her forearms again, increasing the flow of blood that her regeneration kept interrupting. Catching the trickle with Blood Manipulation, she made it flow down her arms and along the underside of the second of her two forefingers, rather than her thumb, before feeding it to her hungry weapon and shield as she had been taught. It would do her no good to enhance her power with her blood magic only to make her weapon and shield slick and slip from her grasp.


    The two zombies ¨C once members of one of the lesser races ¨C groaned, lunging toward her. She staggered backward as their sluggish but unreasonably powerful attacks crashed into the shield that she raised to guard her head and throat. Sharp pain lanced through her, making her stumble as a bolt of ice from the troll skeletal mage pierced her thigh again.


    The champions should have been out there protecting them from the undead that seemed to spawn endlessly from the ominous dark cloud over the forest.Gara had too many questions and no answers. Val¡¯korr the Seeker had always told her that, in Aman Rak, blood was the power, bone was the spine, and soul was the heart and the connection to the ancestral spirits. A bone warrior would have made short work of these undead, but she was alone. She struck again, but her Lacerate could only do physical damage; none of her magic would affect a bloodless monster. She healed herself with Blood Siphon, feeling the lance of ice pushed from her wound and drop to the ground, her magic the only thing that was keeping her alive in this fight.


    Gara danced around her pulsing armor totem and darted forward. Keeping her shield raised, she stabbed at the zombie whose head she had taken earlier. The sword blade pierced the tough undead flesh, burying the blade up to the hilt in its chest, spraying putrescent goo across her face and shield ¨C and finally, her chime sounded as it sagged groaning to the grass and expired.


    She backed up, recovered her stance, and reopened her self-bleeds, powering her defensive shield magic. Delicately, she tested her leg, finding that the wound had almost completely healed. She ducked as the troll skeleton¡¯s Ice Lance shattered against her braced and blooded shield.


    Out of the corner of her eye, Gara spied a small pool of blood on the grass ¨C her own blood, spilled by the earlier lance ¨C and linked her blood to it with Blood Walker, suddenly appearing behind the last zombie. Taking advantage of the surprise and her position behind it, she made an all-out attack, ignoring the deadly lances  past her ears. She sliced off an arm at the shoulder, and then stabbed through the lower spine, severing rotting bone and sinew with a wet crunching sound. The zombie dropped to the ground beside its companion and Gara turned to face the skeleton.


    Gara¡¯s heart filled with an icy chill as she caught sight of the familiar ceremonial leather tusk braids ¨C the braids she had helped him tie when they had earned their classes together.


    She sliced open her bleeds again, the familiar pain helping to subdue her feelings. The fact that he was even here and not back with his tribe in Telim Gor was shocking enough. She choked down her gorge. she thought, forcing anger to overwhelm the horror of seeing her forbidden childhood friendship desecrated by this animated undead mockery of Jotan trying to kill her. If she died here, she knew it would continue to rampage through Aman Rak, destroying whatever it found. She shattered another blade-like lance of ice on her shield and gritted her teeth.


    She used Blood Walker again, this time traveling to the blood moss behind the skeleton, and yelled to bolster her rattled resolve, slicing downward with her sword, and cracking the skeleton¡¯s collarbone. Jotan ¨C turned quickly and fired point blank into her ribs, causing her to cough up a little trickle of blood, but she bore the pain stoically. She was a Troll. She was Aman Rak. She channeled the fresh blood from her wound into her shield and healed herself again, cracking ribs with her next strike. As the skeleton raised its arm to fire, she caught the bones on the inside of her shield and shattered the arm with a powerful downward Lacerate strike.


    As it flailed from the power of her blow, she swept its leg out from under it and followed it to the ground, smashing repeatedly with her shield and sword, ignoring the biting ice that lanced into her belly. A soft chime pierced her haze of pain and screams of fury and the skeleton beneath her ceased moving, becoming nothing more than a pile of shattered and broken bones. A pile that had once been a proud mage of Telim Gor. Technically she had killed a member of Aman Rak¡¯s rivals and would be accorded honors and status for her achievement. She choked down the bile that rose in her throat.


    Slowly, Gara clambered to her feet, ripping the remaining ice lances out of her body and letting her regeneration take care of her remaining wounds. She had reached level twelve in defense of Aman Rak ¨C an occasion that should have been filled with joy and celebration. Instead, she reached down and picked up the remains of the tusked troll skull, cradling it against her breast.


    She turned and, carrying her heavy burden, sprinted through the blood moss and trees, heading for the sacred shrine where she knew she would find the venerable Seeker.


    ***


    By the time she emerged from the dappled light of the forest into the clearing, her wounds were almost entirely healed. Right in the center of the clearing stood the tall black stone shrine with its glowing runes, and beside it sat Val¡¯korr, Aman Rak¡¯s Seeker for as long as anyone could remember. He was hunched over his gnarled staff, white wiry hair standing out in messy spikes from the top of his head, and his gentle kind eyes looked up from his students to regard her as she approached.


    ¡°Congratulations, you have reached level twelve, Gara,¡± he said. ¡°You are growing quickly; do you seek counsel for your skills?¡±


    ¡°No, Seeker, that must wait.¡± She tossed the skull into the circle in front of the aged troll. ¡°This is¡­ was Jotan. His skeleton attacked me at the blood temple. What is going on? How are the undead inside Aman Rak? Where are the champions?¡± Her voice cracked near the end, but she didn¡¯t care.


    Val¡¯korr glanced down at the skull, but when he looked up, it was not at her, but past her ¨C in the direction from which she had come.


    ¡°It would seem Tol¡¯brekk has made his decision,¡± he said cryptically, his eyes suddenly brimming with enormous sadness, his aged back seeming to bow even further under a heavy load.


    ¡°Tol¡¯brekk demands your answer, Val¡¯korr.¡±


    The familiar rough and arrogant voice of Kir¡¯mogan caught her by surprise, and Gara spun to find the muscular Bone Warrior champion emerging from the forest flanked by his entourage. Kir¡¯vella stood beside him with her ever-present bats circling above.


    ¡°He may be the , but I will not betray Aman Rak for that whelp,¡± Val¡¯korr said, a surprising strength in his voice.


    ¡°There is this curious thing about power ¨C it has a remarkable way of focusing the mind,¡± Kir¡¯mogan said. Suddenly, a giant bone greataxe appeared in his hands and his powerful body blurred, appearing right before Val¡¯korr. His axe was almost invisibly fast, unleashing an immense thunderclap as its wide blade took the ancient seeker and the shrine in a single cleaving strike. Black stone fragments and blood exploded into the air in the wake of his blade as he severed the Seeker¡¯s arm at the shoulder and drove his blade through his chest, halting against the sternum and spine.


    Blood spilled from the venerable Seeker¡¯s mouth, dripping down his tusks. His students screamed and ran before the pieces of the shrine had even fallen, but Gara stood and stared, unable to comprehend what had just happened.


    ¡°Stake him,¡± Kir¡¯vella commanded.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I know how durable he is,¡± Kir¡¯mogan said, placing his boot on the stricken Seeker¡¯s chest and ripping his axe free, sending another spray of blood across the grass. A large spike of bone sprouted from the inside of his wrist, and, with a brutal punch, he rammed it down, impaling Val¡¯korr through the chest, puncturing the sternum and the still-beating heart below, pinning him to the grass. He snapped it off and stepped backward.


    ¡°Seeker!¡± Gara gasped. The  ¨C the champions of Aman Rak ¨C had just impaled the oldest and wisest of their tribe with a brutal attack designed to still his heart so that not even troll regeneration would allow him to regain consciousness. It was the most dishonorable torture Gara could imagine. Worse even than fire.


    ¡°I will take him to Tol¡¯brekk,¡± Kir¡¯vella said. ¡°You can have all the little ones to play with.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Kir¡¯mogan said, a predatory glint in his eye. ¡°I¡¯ll start with you.¡± And before Gara could even raise her shield, he was suddenly looming over her. She gasped, but the flat of his axe smacked into the side of her head, making something crack inside.


    The last thing she saw before she struck the ground was a group of troll zombies joining the champions in the clearing, kicking pieces of the sacred shrine with their rotting feet, and carrying the struggling pupils of the Seeker. The ground rose to meet her face, but her awareness vanished right before it hit.


    Mato


    Mato knocked on the door of the tiny chapel in the courtyard beside the Adventurers Guild. It was called a chapel, but it was little more than a rickety wooden shack with a surprisingly well-crafted picture of a dragon¡¯s face mounted above the doorway.


    The door creaked as it opened and he found himself invited in by Devan, one of the adventurers on Aiden¡¯s team. He stepped in, finding five people standing in a circle around a bucket.


    Havok reached down and picked up the bucket and passed it around, and each person placed a coin in it. When Havok reached him, he said, ¡°Holy bucket. Donation for poor. Not must.¡±


    It took Mato several seconds to parse Havok¡¯s atrocious accent and grammar, but he realized the Goblin was asking for a donation for the poor, but he was also saying it was optional. Mato retrieved a silver piece from his ring and dropped it into the bucket, getting a big toothy grin from the Goblin.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Havok said, placing the bucket on a small table behind him where, surprisingly, Mieriel sat. ¡°Devan, say words.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Devan said, clearing her throat. ¡°Sermon time.¡±


    Mato braced himself, given that he was not partial to sermons, or even any particularly long speeches for that matter.


    The rogue took a deep breath and then intoned, ¡°Oh, great and mighty Azryet, we are in awe of your power. Thanks for the damage!¡±


    The onlookers each echoed, ¡°Thanks for the damage.¡± Then, to Mato¡¯s intense surprise, everyone started their own conversations, clearly done with the ceremony. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Puzzled, he glanced over at Mieriel who sat beside him.


    ¡°Today¡¯s donations are going to help provide food for one of the orphanages in the poor quarter,¡± she said. ¡°Havok asked me to help find good causes so he can increase the reputation of Azryet in the town.¡±


    ¡°And you joined the church?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes, I like organizing ways to help people,¡± the Sun Elf Mind Mage said, pausing as if considering adding something more before she continued, ¡°It helps Havok out, too. He needed a few members to register the church with the Town Council and buy this small plot of land for the chapel. He already consecrated it.¡±


    ¡°Mato? You join?¡± Havok asked, walking over to him with an expectant grin.


    ¡°Actually yes, I wanted to ask you if you could help me ask Azryet for his patronage?¡±


    ¡°Not problem,¡± Havok said, immediately kneeling and bowing his head, making his prayer out loud. ¡°Oh, Azryet! One more! You help?¡±


    The hairs along Mato¡¯s back and neck suddenly leapt to attention, as if reacting to the gaze of an unseen predator. A sudden infusion of power jolted through him, mana that seemed to be channeled into him by the little Goblin paladin but was not of him. It rushed through his body, but only for a moment, and then his notification chime sounded.


    Godly Patronage ¨C Azryet


    Traits: Void, Holy, Domain, Deity, Minion, Draconic, Strength, Vitality, Endurance, Intelligence, Wisdom, Chaos, Combat, Healing, Knowledge.


    A small chance on hit to do additional Holy or Void damage.


    Enchantment ¨C Tithe


    Mato thought, more than a little surprised. ¡°Uh¡­ thanks for the damage?¡± he said. Somewhere in the distance, he caught the distinct impression of a vast and rumbling chuckle.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 207: Martial Insight (Part 1)

    Aliandra Ali was not getting it, and it was making her tetchy. She pushed the heavy, drake-leather-bound book away and sighed, deciding that not being able to understand something written in a book was the worst kind of frustration. It didn¡¯t matter that she was trying to study Ahn Khen martial arts from the ancient Nine Paths, hoping to find something from the ancient text that might transfer to her very much non-humanoid Abyssal Stalkers ¨C a task that likely wasn¡¯t possible at all.


    There were people in the library. Several sat at various tables with books and notes, while others consulted with Ryn for information. There was a quiet hubbub filling the space ¨C a sound that transformed the ancient, formerly silent ruins into something tangibly living. A place of learning and the passing down of knowledge.


    Ali thought, her mind still gnawing on the problem. It wasn¡¯t that the Nine Paths of Ahn Khen were poorly written, or that she needed to improve her command of the ancient language ¨C it was simply that the concepts of dynamic balance, applied force, and kinetic power were full of nuance that required a wealth of experience or intuition to properly understand.


    Ali sighed. Calen and Mato still hadn¡¯t returned from their errands up in town and, in an effort to take advantage of the time, she had decided to work on Martial Insight. She had been hoping to improve her skill with the most effective monster she had for the Corrupted Fire Drake fight, but it had been several hours, and it felt like she was still just as clueless as when she had started.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± Malika asked, uncoiling herself from her meditation on the floor nearby.


    ¡°This is stupid,¡± Ali said, utterly failing to keep her frustration contained.


    ¡°That bad, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She wouldn¡¯t have been so grumpy if she had just had a tiny sliver of progress, but her studies had become a desolate wasteland of fruitless toil and dead ends.


    ¡°Is it something I can help with?¡±


    Ali bit off her reflexive frustrated response as Malika¡¯s offer percolated past her agitation. Her main frustration was that she had so little context for the combat of the ancient Ahn Khen; her intuition still lent itself to study, rather than practicing forms. Even after all this time observing her minions, she still thought with her mind, rather than her body.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Ali said. Admitting she needed help felt like a defeat, but she was certainly not making any progress on her own. Her bruised ego would heal, especially if she learned something useful. ¡°I just don¡¯t get this part,¡± she said, pulling the book back and pointing to the section that seemed to deal with controlling the flow of stamina to enhance the power of an attack. It seemed intricately tied in with the physical balance and momentum of the body, and the transfer of power through the kinetic chain, and she had rapidly got lost in the details after that point.


    ¡°Aah, punching harder,¡± Malika said, an unhelpful and overly simplistic summary of her last few hours of frustration.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it get to you,¡± Malika said. ¡°People spend their entire lives perfecting a single punch. It¡¯s not easy. Why don¡¯t you tell me what you¡¯re struggling with?¡±


    ¡°This part here,¡± Ali said, deciding that she was letting her frustration make her sound unnecessarily grumpy. She threw a quick smile Malika¡¯s way. ¡°I don¡¯t see how to synchronize the release of stamina with the punch. It seems to imply that mastering this is the key to doing this technique correctly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true, but it starts from the bottom.¡±


    ¡°The bottom? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s basic physics. Punches start from the ground.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re not even on the ground half the time,¡± Ali pointed out.


    ¡°True¡­ in a way,¡± Malika said, a frown creasing her brow for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s a principle, though. Think of it this way ¨C there¡¯s a kinetic chain of muscle and bone that connects you to something solid under your feet, and you must use it to create power with your entire body. That¡¯s why good footwork and balance are so important. Here, watch.¡±


    Malika settled into her stance and began to move her body, isolating the sequences absurdly slowly, making it abundantly clear that the action of her body traveled like a wave from the ground, up through her feet and legs, then hips and torso, and finally out through her arm.


    ¡°When do you apply the stamina?¡± she asked, but she could already see what the answer must be ¨C Malika¡¯s demonstration was clear enough that several points from the book suddenly made sense.


    ¡°It follows the muscular action like a wave.¡±


    It was suddenly a vastly more complex task than simply finding the right place to turn it on. She had been approaching the problem as an on-off switch, missing a world of subtlety and nuance.


    ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s complicated. How am I supposed to learn all that?¡± Malika had clearly been doing this since she was born, and it obviously came naturally to her.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that hard, it just takes practice. Mastering it will, of course, take a lifetime, but you can get this ¨C you just have to do it ¨C you can¡¯t just read about it.¡± Malika quirked an eyebrow at her. ¡°Right?¡±


    she thought. But it had been the same for magic, simply knowing the textbook had been no substitute for actually manipulating mana, seeing it, experiencing it.


    ¡°Come, you learn by having your minions fight. Make something that can punch, and we can practice it together.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d really prefer to be beating you up,¡± Ali chirped, brandishing her fists at Malika. Very threatening! She pointedly ignored Malika¡¯s amused grin, quickly calling four Hobgoblins and two Abyssal Stalkers to join her on the upper floor of the library.


    ¡°Make them copy me,¡± Malika said, finding an empty space and demonstrating a shadow-boxing punch slowly.


    Ali lined her minions up beside Malika and began to copy the movement. By now they had a small, attentive audience of adventurers who were ignoring their studies to watch the training, but she ignored them, trickling a little mana into her Sage of Learning, while immersing her awareness into the six monsters surrounding Malika.


    She struggled to copy the movement entirely, but she made her first breakthrough by realizing that her Hobgoblins had a basic intuition for the movements, and once she released her overbearing instinct to control everything, and simply observed a few times, she could apply subtle adjustments to progressively improve their technique, while comparing it to Malika¡¯s progressively faster and faster demonstration.


    ¡°Ok, you have the basic forms, now spar with me,¡± Malika said. Then she turned to their attentive audience and said, ¡°Sabri, you know how to do this, come and spar too, Ali can study multiple fights simultaneously.¡±


    Ali grinned, starting to enjoy herself.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Sabri said, joining them and looking up at the powerfully muscled level forty-four Hobgoblin towering over her with obvious trepidation.


    ¡°Give me a second,¡± Ali said, grabbing her Grimoire and summoning a much more level-appropriate Kobold warrior for her to fight. While she had it open, she added two Kobold rogues and set them to spar with each other. ¡°Ok, I¡¯m ready. Give it your best ¨C whoa!¡±


    The library erupted into the controlled chaos of sparring battle: Malika against a Hobgoblin, Sabri against a Kobold warrior, and the remaining Kobold rogues, Hobgoblins, and Abyssal Stalkers paired off all trying the same techniques. Ali split her awareness into each of her minions, giving herself fully to the senses of her Martial Insight and channeling more and more of her mana into her Sage of Learning in the hopes that, like with language, it could help her make more connections quicker.


    Not even breathing hard, Malika kept up a running commentary of feedback, referring to the Nine Path¡¯s text by rote memory as she critiqued Ali¡¯s technique at battle speed.


    Her mind felt like it was on fire, consumed with the attack and counterattack, flow of stamina, and the balance of force and weight for eight minions simultaneously. Every time Malika corrected her, she tried to adjust, making all her minions absorb the incremental improvement simultaneously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to adjust for the lighter weight of the Kobolds. They have tails, use the counterbalance.¡± Ali struggled to adjust, realizing that Malika was observing her fight with Sabri closely enough to critique that, too. The change in technique to account for the different bodies was subtle, and it took quite some time for her to get the hang of it.


    ¡°The spiders have a wider base; you can create more force from the ground.¡±


    Again, she adjusted, struggling to translate the concepts from two-legged to eight. The rhythmic clacking of spider limbs hitting chitin, and the dull thumps of flesh and muscle struck by fists began to fade as the deeper patterns slowly emerged in her mind. A flow of energy and momentum, attack and recover, that in a way seemed almost as beautiful and elegant as a well-constructed magical formation.


    Deeply immersed in the sparring match, studying it with every sense at her disposal ¨C including the tremor sense and echolocation of idle nearby minions, she started to appreciate the difference between Sabri and Malika¡¯s interpretation of the identical techniques. Malika¡¯s movement was refined and powerful, consistent and relentless at the same time. Sabri seemed rawer, her attacks obviously less powerful because of her class level, but still displaying a brilliance of intuitive insight and adaptation that slowly emerged from their bout.


    It was an astounding thing to witness ¨C with every piece of feedback Malika gave Ali, Sabri adjusted too, picking up on it and incorporating it faster and more accurately than she could ever hope to. And Sabri would immediately adjust to Ali¡¯s shifts in understanding, refining her own technique in response. Again and again, Ali found herself comparing Malika¡¯s words to the memorized text in the Nine Paths, and then studying Sabri¡¯s changes to figure out how to best implement it.


    The bout continued, her minions advancing and retreating as she adjusted their technique by tiny increments. she thought, struck by the similarities to a conversation. Only, instead of words, she was communicating with force, momentum, and impacts ¨C and in the process, she was understanding Sabri and Malika by exploring how they learned, reacted, and thought in a much more fundamentally physical way than a discussion over tea.


    As she experienced this sudden insight, her notification chimed.


    Sage of Learning ¨C level 25


    Your ability to learn languages, magical systems, combat techniques, history, and similar academic knowledge is significantly enhanced. You have enhanced memory for the content you have studied.


    Mana: Channel mana and uninterrupted focus to enhance Sage of Learning while studying. Cognitive function, memory, and reading are enhanced in speed and clarity.


    Mana: Channel mana while teaching to share your Sage of Learning¡¯s passive ability with your student.


    Arcane, Knowledge, Channeled, Perception, Intelligence


    She smiled as she accepted the advance, and immediately the Hobgoblin facing Malika took a punch to the face, knocking it flat on its back. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lose your focus,¡± Malika chided.


    Her Hobgoblin got to its feet, and she resumed the bout. But it was nothing like before. As Sage of Learning hungrily devoured her mana, Ali¡¯s mind seemed to accelerate, catching every detail of every fumble and mistake her minions made, incorporating it quickly into a holistic understanding. Every time Malika did something unexpected, her mind slotted it into the bigger picture like a puzzle piece, and then she turned around and used it on Sabri, learning how she would respond to it. Then she attacked Malika using Sabri¡¯s solution. Each time her minions accidentally did something more efficiently, she used that as fuel to refine her understanding, compounding rapidly as she rolled out the adjustments to all her minions in real time.


    She saw the flicker of surprise on Sabri¡¯s face first. Then the focus in her eyes as she redoubled her efforts against the Kobold warrior. Then she saw the little smile flicker across Malika¡¯s eyes as she countered one of her attacks with something Ali learned from Sabri only seconds ago. Malika¡¯s feedback and comments began to wane as she doubled down, communicating more and more directly with her actions and techniques, and Ali devoured it all, turning it into understanding and an intuition for the fight.


    ¡°You got something, didn¡¯t you?¡± Malika said, backing off to pause the fight for a moment and Ali was happy to see her breathing just a little heavier.


    ¡°I did,¡± she answered, sharing her new Sage of Learning update.


    ¡°That¡¯s a little unfair,¡± Sabri said. ¡°You just learned everything with magic?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not quite that easy,¡± Ali said. ¡°My skill cannot teach me anything I don¡¯t already know or have experience with. It just speeds up my ability to form connections with what I already have ¨C and I need eight simultaneous minions to keep up with you guys.¡± It felt a little like assembling a complicated puzzle, but every time she reached into the box, the right piece just happened to be on top.


    ¡°She was using your techniques to fight me, and vice versa, and then throwing in any of her own insights,¡± Malika said, looking at Sabri.


    ¡°So I was fighting both of you?¡±


    ¡°In a way, yes,¡± Malika said. ¡°Your technique improved quite a lot just from that bout. Do you guys want to go again?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Sabri answered.


    Ali smiled at her obvious enthusiasm and took her stances, swapping minions to challenge Malika with an Abyssal Stalker this time, and offering Sabri a shot at the quicker Kobold rogue.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 207: Martial Insight (Part 2)

    MatoMato walked up to the rickety doorway of the Church of the Dragon God, or the Holy Church of Havoc as he had heard it called by some of the adventurers ¨C with a few winks and definite relish as they pronounced the name ¨C pressing his way gently through a throng of people waiting outside. Mieriel had told him Havok was hoping he could lend his healing magic for a church outreach event, and so he had decided to stop by and see what it was all about.


    All of the crowd seemed to be poorer people, dressed in ripped or dirty clothing, many of them without even shoes on their feet. He heard the ripple of surprise in his wake as his sanctuary aura gently passed through the crowd.


    Not for the first time, he realized how hard life could be in Myrin¡¯s Keep for some. He touched his chest over his heart.


    Mato opened the door and found Havok inside finishing up his characteristically brief service, invoking Azryet¡¯s blessing for a new follower. He watched curiously, knowing how intense the dragon-god¡¯s mana really was, and the impact it had had on him when he had received his godly patronage.


    The service finished quickly, and the new follower thanked Havok profusely and then everyone broke off into individual conversations, so he approached.


    ¡°Hi, Havok,¡± he said.


    ¡°You come?¡± Havok asked him, eager hope on his face.


    ¡°Yes. I can help,¡± he said, and the Goblin¡¯s little face broke into a beaming smile.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Havok said, in his typical direct manner, and headed for the doorway immediately. He seemed excited to help all the waiting sick and injured.


    Mato followed, finding an open patch of ground near the church building. It didn¡¯t matter that he was a little off to the side of the crowd, his aura would be big enough to cover the entire church and many of the buildings beside it. While Havok began casting his healing spell on the patiently waiting people, he transformed, planting himself, driving his roots deep into the ground, and spreading his branches up and out over the church building.


    His aura surged, rolling out over the crowd, creating a wave of gasps and sighs like a breeze across a field of wheat, and then he simply waited, resting in the sensation of the upwelling regeneration slowly erasing poorly tended injuries, diseases, broken bones, and infections. His aura also sprouted weeds across the courtyard.


    Then, even in his tree form he quivered as a young boy ran right up to him, spread his arms as far around the great trunk as he could reach, and yelled, ¡°Thank you, thank you Mister Tree!¡±


    Aliandra


    Ali stared morosely at the Corrupted Fire Drake leisurely returning to its spot in front of the forge, curling up and lying down. The heavily armored eyelids slowly shut as it huffed in a clear show of contempt, sending a puff of hellfire out from its nostrils to dissipate in the flame-filled room.


    ¡°Can we try something else?¡±


    They had been at this for four hours, only taking a break to clear the monsters respawning behind them ¨C and they would need to do that again soon if they wished to continue.


    Nothing had gone the way she had wanted. Her Abyssal Stalkers were much more skilled, now that she had trained with Malika ¨C and that had shaved about one percent off their best attempt. When that had happened, she had immediately discarded most of her minions and simply made as many stalkers as possible, thinking to overwhelm the fight through the sheer weight of numbers. But that had gone spectacularly badly ¨C that attempt was when they had discovered that the Ruinous Frenzy curse duration was dependent on the number of attackers that carried the curse. When she had brought a horde of monsters, the curse duration had dropped to less than a second, causing the boss to be chain healed as it expired between flame pulses.


    Her second brilliant plan had gone even worse. Reasoning that the Armored Drakes were immune to fire, and therefore ideally suited to this fight, she had summoned several of those. And it was true they were immune to fire and ignored the hellfire and living flame. But because they were immune to fire, the curse could not be refreshed, and so the Corrupted Fire Drake kept casting it on them directly, and then it would immediately expire, chain-healing the boss.


    ¡°How about we go kill the Demon Hunter again?¡± Calen said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure that¡¯s a smart idea,¡± Ali said, recalling the enormous horde of demons they provoked with their brief jaunt into the Abyssal Realm.


    ¡°You still have the poison bosses outside the library,¡± Calen said. ¡°If it goes badly, we can use one of your teleport circles to escape. As long as we don¡¯t enter the rift and poke that Maalgaroth, I think we can hold the rift against the few demons that trickle through, just by leaving a few of your minions to guard it.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ should work,¡± Ali said. It was a well-thought-out plan, but it still made her uneasy.


    ¡°I think we should do the Inferno too; we¡¯re running a little low on essences for elixirs after all those attempts.¡± Malika¡¯s grimace told Ali just about exactly how expensive their day had been.


    Ali thought, but she didn¡¯t say anything, realizing that Malika probably wanted a change of scenery nearly as much as she did. It wasn¡¯t like her friend had missed the fact that she had been pumping out fresh elixirs for their attempts all day. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, as long as we fight something,¡± Mato said.


    Ali thought, following along as they made their way back up through the stone chambers to the Landing. Honestly, none of her Kobolds had any right to be in that fight, considering just how under-leveled they were. The issue was that, while she could make do without mages or her Storm Shaman Goblins, they could not survive without healers. She had equipped them with the best gear she could get, but magical damage grew with increasing level, and so too did the requirement for more resistance to oppose it. The amazing 288 resistance on the level twenty healer robes Lydia had made was worth a respectable thirty-four percent magical reduction at level twenty. But against a level eighty-five foe, like the Armored Drakes, that number dropped dramatically to a ten percent reduction ¨C and, using his advanced identification skills, Calen had estimated the Corrupted Fire Drake to be in the mid to high nineties.


    ***


    Two hours later, Ali¡¯s mood was incomparably happier. She grinned as her pair of Armored Drakes tore through a pack of Flamecaller Hunters and their Hellfire Wargs. While they had all leveled up significantly since their first time fighting these monsters, and Mato¡¯s health was vastly more stable due to his powerful new armor, the biggest difference to the ease of clearing the passage was her ability to bring two level sixty-eight Armored Drakes to the party with their unreasonable armor and overwhelming physical damage attacks. Being immune to fire simply meant that they never got badly hurt, so she had them take over tanking the wargs, allowing Mato to be the one pulling the individual monsters out of the pack for them to kill. The Flamecallers were no match for the powerful cleaving talons and ripping fangs, so all the groups of monsters melted as they tore through them at a record pace.


    The Inferno wing had been so quick it felt trivial.


    The only groups that still gave them any resistance at all were the warlocks and their imps. And that was simply because the imps were hard to pin down, but with Malika¡¯s ability to attack mana, the fights were simply a minor speedbump in the way of their power-charge through the entire wing.


    Ali smiled as they finally reached the rift chamber and the Demon Hunter within.


    ¡°Shall I just leave the drakes in the middle to clean up the demons that enter?¡± she asked. Ali harbored just a little remnant of anxiety over the rift break they had experienced, but this time, they had no intention of entering the abyssal realm and provoking the dungeon.


    ¡°That sounds like a good plan. Protect the person who gets Mark of Prey and everything else on the boss,¡± Calen answered.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Ali replied. Her good mood was making her look forward to the fight, and the teleport circle she had left just outside the door went a long way toward alleviating her anxiety.


    As they entered the room with the boss, Ali immediately received the Mark of Prey. Quickly, she encased herself in her barrier, floating in the center of the chamber as she ignored the impact of hellfire fireballs slamming into her magic. She extended her awareness, instructing her minions to begin the attack.


    Unleashed, her drakes tore through the Hellfire Wargs and Imps that were desperately trying to climb the walls to get to her, while all her remaining minions directed their attacks at the boss itself. Her barrier felt stronger against the explosions of hellfire. She had leveled, and her Barrier skill level had gone up too, but the most significant change seemed to be the whopping forty intelligence that she had gained from her new fire silk slippers.


    She was still enjoying the feeling of improved power when the curse dropped, and Calen was targeted next. He took off into the air on diaphanous wings of light, and Ali simply created a curved barrier below him to take the brunt of the imps¡¯ fireballs without interfering with his ability to shoot, slowly beginning to feel the true difference in their group¡¯s improvement. Last time she had had to use Arcane Recall and a crazy maneuver with a fire-immune slime to save Calen from certain death. Now, her two Armored Drakes were up by the Abyssal Rift with Mato, tearing through anything that stepped foot in the room. There were barely any live demons to respond to the Mark of Prey. Calen didn¡¯t even slow down his attacks, relying on her to block any stray fireballs.


    Mato never had to worry about Mark of Prey ¨C the Demon Hunter died halfway through Malika¡¯s turn.


    ¡°That¡­ was a lot easier,¡± Calen said, gazing at the crumpled corpse of the Flamecaller Demon Hunter.


    Ali grinned. Not only had it been much easier, but she was feeling a lot better about her day. Even though they had made little progress against the Corrupted Fire Drake, it had been remarkably productive and therapeutic.


    ¡°I think we should do this for a few days,¡± Calen said, stooping to pick up the Demon Hunter¡¯s bow and producing his skinning knife. ¡°And then I have a proposal.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°I shared this with Ali already. On my scouting mission, I found a rogue undead dungeon out in the middle of the blighted forest,¡± he said. ¡°I think we should clear these two wings to build up some resources and money ¨C and exploit any remaining experience we can earn here. I want to go visit Ciradyl for training, but when I come back, I suggest we level up a bit against this.¡±


    He shared his explorer dungeon identification.


    Ruins of Lyton ¨C level 84


    Affinity: Death.


    Age: New.


    Known Creatures: Undead.


    Known Bosses: Ghoul (64), Skeletal Wyvern (48).


    Raid Bosses: Death Wight (73).


    Dungeon


    ¡°Undead again?¡± Mato said, grimacing.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably faster leveling than beating our heads against the drake,¡± Malika replied. ¡°We need to close the level gap before we can make progress. Calen, can you take me to Ciradyl when you go? There¡¯s a lot of stuff taking up space in my storage that I can¡¯t sell here in Myrin¡¯s Keep.¡±


    ¡°Sure I should let you loose on the poor Elves?¡± Calen answered.


    Malika gave him her meanest scowl. ¡°Wow, remind me not to feed you any potions, Mister Expensive.¡±


    ¡°I have my portable assistant for that.¡± He waved toward Ali. Clearly, Calen was feeling upbeat after their successes, too, she guessed, returning her attention to the description of the dungeon, noting the death affinity and the familiar boss types.


    ¡°Is it just me, or does that look suspiciously similar to the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra dungeon?¡± Even the name of the dungeon seemed similar. Lyton was the little town they had explored when they had first gone searching for Lira¡¯s trees. That hadn¡¯t been all that long ago, and there was certainly no dungeon there when they had visited.


    ¡°It does look that way,¡± Calen said. ¡°But this one is higher level and vast. It consumed several towns on the border between New Daria and the troll kingdoms. I wasn¡¯t able to locate the core or the shrine.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s ominous,¡± Ali said. If her suspicion was right, that meant the dark hand of Nevyn Eld was moving once more. On the other hand, she had imps, drakes, wargs, and higher-level Fire Mages ¨C and undead were not immune to fire.


    Malika nodded, rotating her neck and shoulders deliberately. ¡°Yes, ominous ¨C for them.¡±


    ¡°Bring it on!¡± Mato agreed. ¡°A dungeon¡¯s a dungeon.¡±


    But Calen met her eyes as their two eager companions led the way out, and Ali knew he had concerns he had not yet shared in detail. Yes. They needed to be cautious and well-prepared. Wow. Now she was sounding like Vivian.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 208: Archery Practice (Part 1)

    - Excerpt from , Third Edition


    Calen


    Calen left Malika in the marketplace hunting for tanners and leatherworkers who might want to buy all the dragon scales and demonic hides he had skinned and made his way to the Pathfinders Guild.


    ¡°Half-human.¡±


    He frowned, deliberately trying to ignore the whisper as he passed by. He knew he stood out as an anomaly in Ciradyl ¨C one of the very few half-elves ¨C but the whispers, surprised glances, and occasionally hostile glares set him on edge. It was worse than Myrin¡¯s Keep.


    The elves called him that, while the humans called him ¡®half-elf¡¯. It was truly a sad commentary on both humans and elves that they universally referred to him by the race they liked the least ¨C an outsider to both.


    He sighed, pushing the depressing thoughts out of his mind as he opened the door to the Pathfinders Guild. Lyeneru treated him like a person, and so did Nendir. And in fact, most of the elves he had met in Ciradyl had been polite and civil with him. He wished he could simply ignore the occasional hateful or shocked glances.


    He walked up to the front desk, manned by an elegantly dressed elf who looked up with a welcoming smile on his face ¨C a smile that didn¡¯t immediately vanish upon seeing him.


    ¡°Is Lyeneru available?¡± he asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s out, and I don¡¯t have information on when she will return,¡± the receptionist answered. ¡°Calen Avery, right? I do have a note for you from her.¡± He shuffled around in a filing drawer and returned with an envelope with his name written on it in flowing elvish script.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, grateful for the friendly face and civil manner. The letter simply had a list of recommendations for training classes and lectures for him to consider whenever he arrived at the guild ¨C which was actually quite thoughtful. His eyes scanned the list, picking an advanced archery class with Nendir which was due to start on the forest floor in a quarter of an hour.


    Calen flared his wings and began the long descent through the giant Ciradyl tree branches to the forest floor far below, taking great care to keep a respectful distance from the pillar of shifting light streaming upward from the Well of Souls.


    Like Myrin¡¯s Keep, the majority of Ciradyl¡¯s population had low-level or mundane classes, but with the vastly larger population of the city, there were quite a remarkable number of flying people with various forms of wings, levitating constructs, or magic platforms. But even despite the traffic, the class was rather easy to find.


    As he walked the final few minutes along the soft springy ground, his thoughts turned to the advanced archery class with mounting anticipation. Last time he had taken a class with Nendir he had received some clear pointers on the path toward true mastery, and Nendir had even helped him unlock his multishot advancement. Calen had been practicing every time he drew his bow, comparing his technique to his crystal-clear memory of Nendir¡¯s efficient and elegant mastery. He had brought his old Hunter¡¯s Bow just in case Nendir wanted a cleaner way to compare his technique improvements. His Howling Hellfire Bow was obnoxiously noisy and wreathed in hellfire most of the time he used it, making it less than ideal for receiving instruction.


    he thought, seeing a small gathering of elves in a clearing. Two of the elves stood a little apart from the others dressed in expensive leather armor and conversing together, while the others stood around as if deferring to them. Several of the elves were higher level than he could even identify ¨C which, given how much Explorer had progressed, surprised him.


    He raised his eyes and fixed his posture just like Lyeneru had suggested, and made his way over to join them, deliberately ignoring his rising anxiety. Toward the outer edge of the group, a hand waved at him, accompanied by a friendly smile. He immediately recognized Nendir¡¯s daughter from his lessons last time and he smiled and waved back.


    ¡°Are you lost, half-human?¡± The contempt dripping from the words spoken in heavily accented common ripped his attention away from Coria¡¯s friendly greeting.


    He turned to find the two expensively dressed elves glaring at him, the taller one looking at him like he had something distasteful in his mouth, the rings on his hand making metallic clinking noises as it came to rest on the hilt of an ornate shortsword clipped to his belt. In the periphery, he saw several of the other elves shifting or looking away awkwardly.


    Despite the occasional looks of hostility he had received on his way here, he was ill-prepared for quite that level of direct hatred and contempt, and he stumbled to a halt, eliciting harsh laughter from the elf¡¯s companion.


    ¡°I¡­¡± he gathered himself. ¡°I¡¯m here for the archery class.¡± He had no reason to be embarrassed or afraid, he had been invited after all.


    ¡°Go away, your kind is not welcome here,¡± the elf said, earrings of the highborn elven nobility sparkling in the dappled forest light as he turned his back on Calen.


    Calen was not exactly familiar with the trappings of noble rank, but this elf was displaying a substantial number of expensive earrings and jeweled piercings, signifying that he was being picked on by someone of significant social status. Someone who wore his rank like a robe and clearly expected deference, even boot-licking, from those he considered his inferiors.


    Sighing inwardly, he simply waited, choosing not to reply. He was rather used to awkwardness, and so he simply allowed the silence to draw out until the elf rounded on him again, anger flushing his face.


    ¡°I told you to leave! Do you not know who I am?¡±


    ¡°No, I have no idea who you are,¡± he answered, keeping his emotions level. Unfortunately, this elf was one of the ones he was unable to identify, and it was looking increasingly likely that he would have to abandon the lesson if he wanted to avoid provoking a fight.


    The anger on the elf¡¯s face turned darker, and more furious, and he was about to say something when Nendir suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the group. Calen had not known the master archer had a stealth skill, but that was hardly unusual.


    ¡°I invited him, Malanior. Stand down.¡±


    The elf wheeled, turning angrily to Nendir. ¡°But he¡¯s a half-human!¡± Spoken in Elvish, it was stated as if the mere fact of his birth was more than enough to disqualify him.


    ¡°He is a Pathfinder,¡± Nendir responded, also in Elvish. ¡°If you have a problem with Calen, go take it up with his mentor.¡±


    ¡°Very well. I will have his mentor expelled from the Guild,¡± Malanior said.


    ¡°Oh, I very much doubt that,¡± Nendir said, chuckling musically. It was the first time Calen saw uncertainty flicker across the haughty elf¡¯s face. It also didn¡¯t escape his notice that a couple of the quiet elf students cast surreptitious glances filled with curiosity in his direction. Coria hid a sudden grin beneath a rather obviously faked cough.


    ¡°Enough time has been wasted,¡± Nendir said. ¡°I¡¯d like to see all of you shoot.¡± His brusque attitude clearly dismissed the previous conversation as he began his class in exactly the same fashion as the last one. ¡°One at a time,¡± he said, pointing to a row of magical targets that had most certainly not been present when Calen had first arrived. He was suitably impressed that Nendir had been able to place them without him even noticing.


    One at a time, each elf stepped forward drawing powerful enchanted longbows or recurve bows and shooting several times each under the intense scrutiny of the master archer. Each student got a few personalized pointers and Calen took careful note of each issue and the remedy, grateful that Ali had taught him Elvish. Without exception they were all extremely gifted ¨C even Malanior was way better than he was, but he wasn¡¯t the best ¨C that honor still went to the low-leveled Coria. It surprised him that she was still so low with such good technique, but she had only gained a single level since his last visit.


    When it was finally his turn, he retrieved his Hunter¡¯s Bow and stepped forward to the mark. As he nocked an arrow, he heard Malanior snicker behind him.


    ¡°He can¡¯t even afford a real bow.¡± The faux whisper was pitched loud enough for him to hear easily, and the fact that it was spoken in Common just made it abundantly clear that he was being intentionally taunted.


    Calen tuned him out, but he couldn¡¯t quite quell the annoyance and frustration of having someone so blatantly hate him. He released his arrow, and smoothly nocked a second one, focusing on getting his technique perfect. Fortunately, he had been practicing so often under pressure that it had become muscle memory, and he was able to execute his technique without the inner turmoil of his emotions interfering. It was certainly much easier than shooting effectively with the Mark of Prey curse and a room full of demons.


    ¡°Good. You¡¯ve been practicing,¡± Nendir said.


    ¡°Thank you, teacher,¡± Calen said, deliberately answering him in Elvish, using a term of respect reserved for a master teacher or mentor.


    Nendir¡¯s face showed a small smile as he smoothly swapped to Elvish without comment. ¡°When you release your bowstring, hold your fingers a little more like this. You¡¯re catching the string and losing a little power. Also, when you focus on your target, think about relaxing the muscles in your jaw. Coria does it well, you can use her as a reference while you try getting the hang of it.¡±


    She gave him a quick smile which turned to a frown when Malanior scowled at her, but she still turned and demonstrated her technique for him to watch. It took a few tries for him to begin to get the hang of it, and she gave him a few tips, her voice soft and pitched to not carry far.


    Nendir stopped by several times to guide his progress further, dispensing advice equally to everyone. Calen made a point of memorizing the feedback he offered Coria because he would likely need exactly that information as he improved.


    ¡°Ok, enough target practice for today. Everyone, follow me,¡± Nendir said, calling a halt to the shooting as he led them all through the forest and out of the city itself.


    ¡°There are a lot of boars in this area,¡± Nendir said, finally stopping several miles outside of the elven city. ¡°We¡¯re going to hunt. For those of you who have not done this before, the goal is to bring down a boar before you run, allowing me to observe you shooting under pressure. You two have done this before, go round up a couple of boars and bring them back while I explain to the rest of them. Calen, you¡¯ll be up first.¡±


    Malanior and his companion nodded, disappearing into the woods.


    ¡°The boars are around level forty, so you should be able to kill one before they reach you,¡± Nendir said, but his eyes briefly flickered to Calen¡¯s Hunter¡¯s Bow before continuing. ¡°Don¡¯t get yourself killed though, there is no shame in running if you have to.¡±


    Calen nodded and stepped up to the spot facing the trail, holding his bow ready. He focused on controlling his breathing and relaxing his muscles, trying to imagine he was about to fight a boss with his friends, instead of being watched and critiqued by a master.


    There was a dull rumbling, and the ground began to shake beneath his feet, the sound quickly growing louder and louder until the very trees were shaking. Two lithe elven forms broke from the trees, sprinting fast, and a few moments later the boars crashed onto the trail following with loud squeals and grunts as they charged. But instead of just a couple, the boars kept pouring from the forest in waves, until a horde of massive Bristletusks were bearing down on him with the momentum of a sharp-tusked avalanche. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Malanior yelled, and then right as he got close, he locked eyes with Calen, smirked, and both he and his companion vanished, leaving Calen to face the entire horde by himself.


    Calen took a deep breath to settle his racing heart and summoned a gold coin to his hand.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 208: Archery Practice (Part 2)

    LyeneruLyeneru flew rapidly through the trees keeping her fire mana in check so that she wouldn¡¯t inadvertently set anything alight as she passed, as she scanned the ground, searching for Nendir and his archery class.


    Her meeting with the troll and Nathaniel Sunstrider had been troubling. The Telim Gor delegation Tol¡¯zerath had sent to Aman Rak had not been heard from since they had departed, and all scrying attempts had failed. It was as if the entire city of Aman Rak had vanished off the face of the continent, and she shuddered to think of what kind of force could wipe out the powerful troll nation without leaving so much as a warning.


    She could not stop chewing it over.


    Her eyes latched onto a cloud of dust, and she accelerated, her wings thrumming with power as she flew. Down in a clearing below she finally spotted them. Nendir shone like a beacon of mana amid the trees despite his casual effort to conceal it. Down on the trail stood Calen, his magic and power grown remarkably since his last visit. But out ahead of him two elves sprinted his way and suddenly the trail filled with Bristletusk Boars. The two elves vanished with puffs of mana and stamina, cloaking their presence from those with less powerful perception skills as they sidestepped the oncoming crash of monsters.


    She frowned, glancing at Nendir. The master archer¡¯s bow suddenly vanished, replaced with one she had only ever seen him wield a handful of times.


    At that moment, she realized that nothing about this scene was planned. Instantly, her bow was in her hands, string drawn to her cheek, surging with power, but she paused at the same time Nendir did.


    The ancient Dal¡¯mohran gold coin glinted as it flipped end over end, rising beside Calen until it was level with his head, and then it vanished in a puff of extraordinary mana ¨C a phenomenon she had witnessed several times on their Death Knight hunt. In the intervening moments, while the coin flipped through the air, Calen had retrieved and downed a mana potion.


    A mote of bright light rose circling above his head, and she frowned, puzzled. But the glow in the mote of light intensified, pulsing and sharing power with the nearby frozen spectators.


    As she thought that, Calen¡¯s plain wooden bow vanished, replaced by a dark, wicked-looking giant recurve bow, brimming with the magic of powerful enchantments. The bow flickered and an ugly black flame erupted, wreathing it with fire. Calen¡¯s mana ignited, glowing with incandescent brilliance, like a miniature sun facing down the onrushing horde. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Four arrows flew, followed instantaneously by four more, and then another volley as the bow screamed ¨C a demonic howl that ripped through the forest and tore at her ears even from this distance. As the first volley hit, the arrows exploded in a rippling cascade of detonations of intense white light wreathed with the black flame of hellfire.


    She would have expected the barrage to end after a volley or two, but Calen didn¡¯t let up for a full thirty seconds before his brilliant glowing magic faded and his smoldering bow lowered. Nothing moved but the slowly clearing cloud of dust, and a lone stricken tree collapsing across the path, its trunk ripped to splinters by the devastating explosions and hellfire.


    Nendir¡¯s legendary bow vanished, replaced by the one he usually used in public.


    Her eyebrows leaped. Calen seemed nothing like the nervous boy who had first asked to accompany her on her hunt. She identified him as she flew the remainder of the distance.


    Name: Calen Avery


    Class: Archer of Light


    Race: Half-Elf


    Level: 63


    Affinity: Light


    Titles: Rift Warden


    Patron Deity: The Wanderer


    Affiliations: Pathfinders Guild, Myrin¡¯s Keep Adventurers Guild


    It seemed her prot¨¦g¨¦ had seen a lot of combat. More than was likely smart or safe ¨C certainly vastly beyond the official recommendations of the Pathfinders Guild. she thought, and then her eyes halted, arrested by the sight of his title.


    It was abundantly clear they needed to have a conversation. But first, there was an important matter to take care of. She landed in the clearing behind the elves, cushioning the impact with her knees and ankles, dispelling her wings, and arriving in time to hear the tail end of Nendir chastising the two elves who¡¯d dumped the horde of monsters on Calen.


    ¡°But he¡¯s a half-human, nobody cares,¡± came the voice of the unrepentant Malanior.


    ¡°Nendir. My apologies for interrupting your class,¡± Lyeneru interjected, more than a little annoyed to see Malanior had not shed his narrow-minded prejudice. A failing that could easily have cost several lives ¨C something Nendir had clearly recognized. If it had just been Calen, he could easily have whisked him out of the way in time with his wings, or his regular bow could have likely killed all the boars quickly. But his own daughter had been standing behind Calen, making him pull out a bow that would likely have leveled the entire forest for miles around.


    ¡°Lyeneru,¡± he said, offering only the slight bow of respect among equals that she had had to insist on so many times. Genuflection and deep bowing did not sit well with her at the best of times, especially from someone who had earned her respect and life debt more times than she could remember. She cared nothing that he lacked a noble lineage.


    ¡°Lyeneru!¡± Malanior interrupted. ¡°Excellent timing. Nendir refuses to listen to reason. Perhaps you can have this half-breed removed from the Pathfinders Guild, so we do not have to lower the pride and quality of our organization.¡±


    Lyeneru raised her eyebrow at his impassioned outburst. While noble lineage certainly didn¡¯t convey automatic respect or even intelligence, she was grateful that this idiot wasn¡¯t representative of his kind.


    ¡°Nendir, I warned you about being too tolerant. Now you¡¯re going to have to deal with this mess properly.¡± She kept her voice from getting harsh, out of respect for him, but she had warned Nendir many times about Malanior¡¯s arrogance, among other similar issues over the years. He always had a softness for granting people too many second chances and seeing them in the best possible light.


    ¡°It seems that you were right,¡± Nendir agreed with a grimace.


    Malanior glanced back and forth between the two of them with surprise flickering across his features. He was about to speak when he was interrupted by a voice from the side.


    ¡°Stop being so dense, Malanior.¡± Coria¡¯s soft voice and harsh words cut his response. ¡°Everyone has been talking about Lyeneru inducting a new member to the guild after so many years, and how they¡¯re a half-human. Can you not see that Calen is her prot¨¦g¨¦?¡±


    Calen


    Calen had to admit he enjoyed the sight of Malanior going pale and stammering, his arrogant confidence shattered. It was good to have the support of Lyeneru, Nendir, and even Coria, but what had just happened had carried a significant level of peril and he had no idea what Nendir was going to do to discipline Malanior ¨C if he could even do anything to a noble.


    ¡°So, how is Calen doing?¡± Lyeneru asked, addressing Nendir and more or less ignoring him.


    ¡°He listens well and obviously practices hard. His technique isn¡¯t quite as good as Coria¡¯s yet, but he¡¯s progressing quickly. He struggles with confidence and standing up for himself, but as you no doubt saw, he has no difficulty facing a threat head-on.¡±


    Calen stood awkwardly beside them, listening as they discussed him. Lyeneru had not yet acknowledged him.


    ¡°He learned Elvish, which I respect as a good choice, but I¡¯m not so sure I like his choice of bow,¡± Nendir said.


    ¡°The bow seems strong,¡± Lyeneru said. Turning to Calen finally, she asked, ¡°May I see it?¡±


    Calen silently handed the bow to her, watching her eyes widen almost imperceptibly. Before she handed it to Nendir, who examined it before handing it back.


    ¡°I don¡¯t approve of hellfire, but it is a very good bow,¡± Nendir answered. ¡°May I ask why you didn¡¯t use it earlier?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very noisy,¡± Calen answered. Likely it would have annoyed the entire class, not just Malanior. ¡°Also, I wanted feedback on my technique, not the power the bow gives me.¡±


    Calen didn¡¯t miss the flicker of approval in the master archer¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Where did you get it?¡± Lyeneru asked.


    ¡°I won it from a demon hunter elemental in a fire dungeon under Myrin¡¯s Keep.¡± Before coming to train in Ciradyl, they had cleared the entire dungeon several times ¨C with the obvious exception of the Corrupted Fire Drake at the end ¨C collecting several bows and an enormous collection of hides and essences.


    ¡°Stamina leech, and experience growth. I wish I had a similar bow when I was at your level. It¡¯s too bad it¡¯s a dungeon drop rather than a crafter-made item, I think a lot of Pathfinders could use something like that,¡± Lyeneru said.


    Calen retrieved a second identical bow from his ring. ¡°Aliandra made this one,¡± he said, handing it to her. ¡°You would know better who could make good use of it.¡± He deliberately omitted referring to the fact that Ali was a dungeon in public, knowing that Lyeneru would understand how it had been done, and how she could get more if she needed. The surprise on her face was much more obvious this time.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for interrupting your class, Nendir,¡± Lyeneru said.


    ¡°No problem. I think class is over for the day. You should talk with Calen about leveling too fast, and about that title of his,¡± Nendir said, and then turned to the rest of the students. ¡°Class is dismissed. Malanior, come with me, we need to talk.¡±


    ¡°You do not have the authority to punish me,¡± Malanior declared.


    ¡°And your father does not have the power to stop me from dragging you out into the forest and putting an arrow through your heart. Now come.¡± Nendir¡¯s voice snapped with sudden steel, and Malanior¡¯s face blanched as he scrambled to follow the master archer striding off into the woods.


    In moments, Calen found himself standing alone in the clearing with Lyeneru, worrying about Nendir¡¯s parting words.


    ¡°Rift Warden,¡± Lyeneru said, pausing for a long moment. ¡°I think you had better tell me the story of how you earned that title.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little embarrassing,¡± Calen admitted. ¡°The demon slayer elemental was guarding a rift to an abyssal realm. After we killed it, we all wanted to explore, so we went through the rift.¡± It sure sounded irresponsible now that he was telling the story to Lyeneru Silverleaf, the legendary pathfinder, and his mentor. ¡°There we encountered a dungeon called the Lair of the Demon God, with a threat level beyond my skills to assess. It lured us in and then attacked us with mind magic, a three-mark Pit Lord named Maalgaroth, and several thousand demons in a dungeon-break that pursued us through the rift and all the way back to Ali¡¯s library.¡±


    ¡°A named Pit Lord? Are you certain? How are you still alive?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Just being in its presence was enough to corrupt us. Fortunately, the rift is too small to allow something that large to cross into our realm, the only monsters that followed were the smaller demons.¡±


    ¡°How did you stop them from wiping out the town?¡±


    ¡°We made a stand at the library doors because it was a good bottleneck, and Ali summoned a double raid boss with multiple poison domain magics and tons of healing.¡± He quickly shared the details of all the monsters, the bosses, the dungeon assessment, and the corruption of the Pit Lord.


    Lyeneru remained silent for several minutes, digesting the information he had just shared.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s terrifying,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s not enough that we¡¯ve lost an entire troll delegation, and now we have to worry about demon incursions from another realm.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you lost a troll delegation?¡± The statement had set the cold certainty of premonition settling in his gut. The troll nations were just south of the vanished towns he had been sent to scout.


    ¡°Tol¡¯zerath ¨C the chief of the Telim Gor kingdom ¨C had a divination about the rival kingdom of Aman Rak falling to a horde of undead and a cloud of miasma the likes of which nobody has seen in an age. Now their delegation to Aman Rak cannot be contacted. The guild is panicking because Aman Rak, Meere Kada, and Telim Gor are just about the last line of defense before Ciradyl, but to make matters worse, Aman Rak is the only location of a non-hostile shrine that supports class evolution. Losing it would be a disaster.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Her description of the divination was a rather uncanny match for what he had seen in the south. ¡°I was sent to scout the southern forests at the edge of the kingdom of New Daria. Several villages and a merchant caravan have vanished. When I arrived, I discovered a vast rogue dungeon that hadn¡¯t been there several weeks before, death affinity, filled with skeletal wyverns, wights, and ghouls. There were clouds of miasma several miles tall¡­¡±


    ¡°A dungeon? Are you certain?¡±


    He simply shared the dungeon identification with her.


    ¡°Shit. We need to get to Aman Rak immediately. If a dungeon takes over the kingdom, everything to the south is in danger, including Ciradyl.¡±


    ¡°Should we tell the Pathfinders?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem, every team is out fighting. There has been a surge of undead sightings.¡±


    ¡°I can get my friends,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re not a fully-fledged Pathfinder team, but they¡¯re a good team.¡±


    ¡°Get them. Meet me at the guild as soon as you can. I need to warn the council without delay.¡±


    And with that she shot off with a thunderclap, trailing fire behind her blazing wings. Calen stared after her for a second, rattled by her reaction. Then, he gathered himself and shot into the air. No time to waste.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 209: Visiting An Old Friend (Part 1)

    AliandraAli put the finishing touches on her newest teleportation circle and watched in satisfaction as her domain mana surged through the electrum she had embedded into the stone. Her collection of circles was growing. Her memorization of the Volle locus hadn¡¯t been quite perfect, but it was nothing that a quick trip to Professor Addlestone in the Novaspark Academy of Magic couldn¡¯t fix. Now she had an easy way to go visit Naia.


    Happy with her work, she flew up to the upper floor of the library, dodging the swooping golden glitter dragonets who wanted to play, looking for Mato. With Calen and Malika away in Ciradyl, she didn¡¯t want to leave him by himself without any warning.


    She alighted beside the couch, finding him sitting there chatting with Lira.


    ¡°Hi, Lira, Mato,¡± she said.


    ¡°Hi, dear. Mato was just telling me about the new dungeon infecting my forest.¡±


    The way she said ¡®my forest¡¯ referring to the desolate blighted wasteland that remained, caught her attention.


    ¡°Are you ok, Lira?¡± she asked, concerned by the sadness in her eyes.


    ¡°I had hoped that when the blight faded, we would be able to replant my forest. Even if it takes a long time, I would see it restored. Now this¡­¡±


    The way her aunt¡¯s voice hitched made her heart do the same.


    ¡°I will help you find a way to restore the forest,¡± she said. It was a promise she had no idea how to keep, but she would find a way. At least she knew the first task ¨C they already planned on tackling the dungeon that Calen had found taking over the area.


    ¡°Thank you, dear,¡± Lira said, smiling at her. ¡°What were you so busy with down there among the roots of the tree?¡±


    ¡°I was making a new teleporter to Volle. I was thinking of paying a visit to Naia.¡±


    ¡°Your slime dungeon friend?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since you saw her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I wanted to check in with her, she had some trouble with beetles last time. And I have a lot of oozes I can share with her.¡±


    ¡°Mind if I come along, too?¡± Mato asked. ¡°I could use the opportunity to stretch my legs.¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± It surprised her that Mato would be interested in visiting, but his company would be welcome ¨C and it might be nice to introduce Naia to another friendly person.


    ***


    ¡°I found it,¡± Ali said, feeling the thin underwater channel she had squeezed her ooze through open out into the vast underground chamber she had helped Naia escape into.


    ¡°Good, but how are we going to get in there? I don¡¯t think a rat could have fit through that gap,¡± Mato said, looking dubiously at the small bubbling book that poured out of the cracks in the rock.


    ¡°Give me a few minutes, I¡¯ll make a teleportation circle,¡± Ali said. She carefully inscribed the circle into the damp riverbank, taking care to keep it even and level. ¡°Ok, the circle is here,¡± she told him. ¡°I¡¯ll go inside and make the destination circle.¡±


    ¡°I can see it now,¡± Mato said, reminding her that he had advanced his survival instinct and could now sense mana too. ¡°The mana, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Ok, two minutes,¡± she said, and switched locations with her ooze, dumping herself in a pool of water inside the underground cavern. She had forgotten to check ¨C oozes were not much affected by being in or out of water, and so they didn¡¯t register it as a different state. She clambered out of the pool and knelt on the rocky bank to inscribe the other half of her teleportation circle, and as soon as it completed, Mato appeared in the center.


    ¡°You look wet,¡± he said, waggling his eyebrows at her, but his gaze quickly left her sorry, bedraggled state and roved around the cavern, alert and curious.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask,¡± she said, grumpily and removed her mana from both runic circles, causing them to evaporate.


    The vast chamber was just as she remembered it ¨C a thundering waterfall into a massive pool of preternaturally clear, glowing water that lit the entire cavern. Twisted through it all, she could see the thick ropy web of Naia¡¯s unique flexible domain mana. But there were no oozes or monsters anywhere she could see.


    Given the mana, she knew Naia was around somewhere, but it might take them a while to find her.


    ¡°Ali? Friend?¡±


    Ali turned at the sound of the small tentative voice, but all she found was a small pool of water and some gravelly scree piled up against the rocky wall.


    ¡°Naia? Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Hiding.¡±


    ¡°Why? Oh¡­ This is Mato, he is a friend.¡± Naia had clearly grown, or at the very least had advanced her mimicry magic, because Ali could not find her no matter how hard she searched. The sound of her voice had given away her position, but all she could see was a pile of rocks.


    ¡°Friend? I thought Naia was friend.¡± The little voice sounded a little petulant now.


    ¡°I¡¯m still your friend Naia. Mato is also a friend,¡± Ali said.  ¡°You can have more than one friend.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± One of the rocks near the back of the pile warped, as if suddenly becoming soft, and flowed down the scree toward her, slowly taking on the blue appearance of her normal unconcealed form.


    ¡°Naia! You¡¯ve grown,¡± Ali exclaimed. ¡°You¡¯re level forty-nine already.¡±


    The little blue ooze bobbed up and down happily at the sound of her praise. ¡°Thank you for the gift,¡± she said, extending a pseudopod forward which slowly began glowing and swelling until she separated from it.


    It was the ooze she had sent with Ryn as a gift for Naia.


    ¡°Naia, how is that ooze level forty?¡± Her own Sparkling Ooze imprint did not go that high. In fact, Ali distinctly remembered the one she sent being level thirty-five.


    ¡°I fight, it gets levels,¡± Naia said, tipping a little sideways as if expressing curiosity.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s¡­ impressive,¡± she said. It was more than impressive ¨C if she could level her own minions, she would have had absolutely no trouble with the Corrupted Fire Drake.  ¡°Anyway, this is Mato, he is one of my friends.¡±


    ¡°Hi, Naia,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°Friend?¡± Naia said, scooting quickly to hide behind Ali.


    ¡°If you want, I¡¯d like to be your friend too,¡± Mato said gently.


    ¡°Two friends?¡± Naia said, sounding rather like a kid who had just been handed another bowl of ice cream. Naia reached out toward Mato tentatively, and he let her touch him, sitting down to be closer to her level. After the two of them got acquainted, Naia plopped down in the middle between the two of them.


    ¡°Ali, Naia is stuck.¡± Her voice turned suddenly forlorn.


    ¡°What do you mean stuck, Naia?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t go up because the humans will find me, but I can¡¯t go down anymore because there are strong monsters.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can go look?¡± Mato said.


    Last time Ali hadn¡¯t checked it out personally, but Naia had been trapped by some beetle thing, and she had offered her the sparkling ooze.


    ¡°Beetles again?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, much stronger. Naia killed beetles and hive. Sparkling Ooze is strong. But not strong enough for nasty Mana Eater.¡±


    Whatever that was, it sounded rather ominous.


    ¡°Before we go look, I have something for you. A lot of somethings,¡± Ali said. She flipped open her Grimoire and began summoning. She created every single slime monster she had recorded that she knew Naia did not already have: Lux Drifters, Toxic Spitters, and Lava Lurkers. If nothing else, it would give Naia some new options for strategy, and more importantly, she knew Naia¡¯s intelligence was directly proportional to the number of Slime or Ooze imprints she knew.


    ¡°Careful of that one,¡± she said as Naia approached the Lava Lurker. ¡°It can burn.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful, Ali,¡± Naia said, summoning a Scalding Slime and using that to consume the lava-affinity ooze. After the Scalding Slime had finished deconstructing the Lava Lurker, Naia extended a pseudopod, which slowly turned orange-red and began emitting heat. It was a remarkable transition as her water-affinity mana warped into lava-affinity and the extrusion grew larger and larger.


    Ali had been stumped, studying affinity transformation from Clarence, stymied by the incredible complexity of the nature of mana and the theoretical exposition of her mother¡¯s work, but seeing it in action right before her eyes caused Sage of Learning to spasm and writhe. Ali gasped at the sudden dizzying deluge of connections it created; snippets of understanding that hinted at a far greater whole.


    When the protrusion was big enough, Naia simply separated from it, producing a new Lava Lurker of her own. She bobbed up and down excitedly.


    ¡°I guess you can¡¯t level up your oozes?¡± Naia said.


    ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t level my minions.¡± It had only been three new oozes, and already Naia¡¯s speech patterns were dramatically different.


    ¡°Would you like a few Sparkling Oozes to update your imprint?¡±


    ¡°That would be great,¡± Ali said.  she realized. Naia was actually making more nuanced and subtle connections. While Naia made her a few oozes to update her imprints, she resummoned her Acolyte and Hellfire Imp to recover her own attribute enhancements with Empowered Summoner.


    Naia led them through the remarkably extensive cavern system, heading progressively downward until eventually, Ali saw something in the mana changing. Here Naia¡¯s domain mana was frayed and something else permeated the air. Something that stank of rot and fetid decay.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Ali asked as they rounded the corner into a small chamber. The walls and floor were covered with a gray, slimy substance that seeped bubbles of a black viscous fluid. The stench in the air had gotten so strong that she almost gagged every time she took a breath.


    ¡°The creep,¡± Naia answered. ¡°It grows and takes over my caves. And it hurts.¡±


    The nature and death mana emitted from the fungal creep twisted and warped together forming a structure that permeated the cavern, and Naia¡¯s domain mana was being constantly abraded on contact with it. As she watched, a bulge formed in the fungal creep along one of the walls, growing to about the size of her head before it burst, dumping a dozen small crawling shapes on the ground. They quickly scuttled around, climbing walls and rushing around to the edge of the fungal creep.


    As the Creep Spores reached the edge of the putrid fungal creep, they exploded with violent pops, spraying disgusting fluid everywhere, and wherever it landed, the fluid flowed, running down walls and across the rocky floor, merging with the fungal creep, expanding its reach.


    ¡°That¡¯s nasty,¡± Mato said, wrinkling his nose. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°This is a dungeon,¡± Ali said. It was a dungeon unlike anything she had seen so far, but the creep was most certainly emitting a domain, and one strong enough to cause dungeon-rage for Naia and destroy the mana she had laid down. Even without Calen to confirm it, there was no doubt in her mind.


    ¡°It¡¯s Creep Spores and Borer Beetles for a while before we get to the Mana Eater,¡± Naia said.


    ¡°Shall we go explore?¡± Mato asked. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Yes, just give me a few moments to make some monsters.¡±


    Your reserved mana has increased by +2387


    It was a good thing Ali had unsummoned her forces before she had left, given just how much she was spending to summon this army. She had no idea what they might face in there, so she had brought a little of everything, weighted toward her most effective minions. Her only exception was that she left out all the oozes, certain that Naia could provide better ones. She nodded at the sight of her assembled minions, happy to see her Grimoire had equipped her Acolytes and mages with a few level-appropriate mana potions each.


    By the time Ali was ready, Naia had summoned a puddle of oozes which scattered to the ceiling to give room for her ground-bound minions, and they continued. The slimy passage wound back and forth in treacherous switchbacks, growing Creep Spores that charged them with mindless aggression as soon as they were spawned. She quickly learned to spread her minions out, as small as they were the explosion of rot did a lot of area damage.


    ¡°Something is coming,¡± Mato announced, immediately shifting into his Bear Form.


    A loud crunching noise filled the tunnel and suddenly, a hole appeared through the fungal creep and a pair of mandibles emerged, belonging to a sleek burgundy beetle almost as large as Ali¡¯s torso, which dropped down into the tunnel with a strut that more than hinted at belligerence.


    A second beetle followed, and then a third.


    Mato roared and charged them, followed quickly by her melee minions, but the beetles were hardly a threat, quickly dispatched by their superior forces.


    ¡°The fungal creep ate the beetles I killed,¡± Naia said. ¡°And now it sends them to attack me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a dungeon for you,¡± Ali said, following along as Naia continued directing them past forks, branches, and fungal-creep-filled side caves. Mato switched back into his Beastkin form, perhaps to converse more easily.


    ¡°There it is,¡± Naia said, as they entered an unexpectedly large cavern. There were many dark openings high up in the walls and ceiling, indicating passages leading elsewhere into impenetrable gloom, and out there in the center of a creep-covered floor that pulsed slowly as if breathing stood a squat, massive plant. The trunk seemed woody, hardened, gnarled, and twisted, but covered with ethereal glowing blue flowers that seemed to wave in an unseen breeze upon the end of short stalks. Out of the top of the squat trunk rose two fat branches that ended in a giant bud each, covered with wicked-looking thorns and woody ridges. All around the base of the plant, briar-like tendrils twisted and knotted in continuous restless motion.


    ¡°Boss?¡± Mato growled.


    The mana in the room was twisted and drawn tight, coiled up around the plant in a way that was rather familiar to her by now. It was no wonder Naia had been having trouble.


    ¡°Almost certainly a boss.¡± She wasn¡¯t quite sure, but she would guess it was not a raid boss, but still, a dangerous foe for Naia to face by herself.


    ¡°It is scary,¡± Naia said, her membrane shivering.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 209: Visiting An Old Friend (Part 2)

    Aliandra¡°What do you know about it?¡± Mato asked, his eyes never leaving the monster for a moment.


    ¡°The flowers eat mana.¡±


    ¡°The big things on top bite, the branches can reach the walls, and monsters come in from the top.¡± Naia continued. ¡°And then it grows bigger, and my slimes die.¡±


    ¡°What do you think, Mato?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°The big buds on the top have teeth,¡± he said. ¡°It already knows we¡¯re here; I can sense its hostility.¡± Mato turned back toward them. ¡°It¡¯s a plant, so we should use fire. Naia, can you make more of those lava oozes?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, her voice holding some traces of hope as she split off several glowing lava oozes that instantly set the fungal creep to blistering and blackening beneath them. The stench of acrid burning fungus followed the thin coiling tendrils of gray-black smoke everywhere.


    Ali thought, studying the Mana Eater. If this was the weakest of the dungeon¡¯s bosses, Naia would be hopelessly outclassed and slowly crushed as it expanded through her space, eventually forcing her to be exposed to the citizens of Volle.


    And not just for a single boss fight. Ali considered the problem, turning the options over in her mind. They were unable to continue against the Corrupted Fire Drake, but they were planning on taking out the death-affinity dungeon in the blighted forest next, but perhaps it would be best to switch over to here instead. However, that would delay Lira¡¯s desire to restore her forest.


    ¡°Naia, you can¡¯t make boss monsters yet, can you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What is a boss monster?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a monster made more powerful by the mana of the dungeon, with extra skills called domain magic,¡± Ali said, explaining it for her while gesturing to the twisted aberration before them, but Naia¡¯s response had already answered her question. ¡°Naia, I want to try something, I think it will help you.¡±


    ¡°Ok?¡±


    Gently, Ali reached her hand out and placed it on Naia¡¯s soft membrane, feeling it pulsing and shivering beneath her touch, and she channeled her mana, offering it to the little ooze. It was substantially more difficult this time, making it quite clear to her that she had a limited capacity for tithe enchantments, and she would need to level up or gain a substantial amount of wisdom if she wanted to create another after this, but it finally condensed, and her notification sounded.


    Naia bobbed and shimmied for a few long moments, obviously reading the notification, and then without question, Ali¡¯s notification sounded again.


    Prot¨¦g¨¦ ¨C Naia


    Class: Slime Lord


    Traits: Water, Ooze, Minion, Domain, Stealth, Illusion, Movement, Perception, Wisdom, Dexterity, Intelligence.


    Your experience, mana, and traits will influence the experience gain of your prot¨¦g¨¦. Experience tithed back to you via the mentorship tithe may influence your own traits and growth.


    Enchantment ¨C Tithe


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much it will help, but hopefully you get a skill advancement that makes you stronger,¡± Ali explained. She couldn¡¯t stay here in Volle to help Naia all the time, even though she wanted to help her friend. It was difficult to predict what the mentorship enchantment and her mana might do for Naia, but if it unlocked a minion-enhancing skill like Martial Insight or Empowered Summoner, she might stand a better chance when she was alone. Or, she dared to hope, perhaps she could unlock domain enhancement allowing her to turn her oozes into bosses to protect her caves.


    ¡°Everyone ready?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°What should I do?¡± Naia asked, ripples of anxious energy pulsing chaotically over the surface of her membrane as her color flickered and warped, trying to change to match the rock and creep, almost instinctively.


    ¡°The lava and steam oozes come with me,¡± Mato said. ¡°Put the Sparkling Oozes on the roof and shoot the mean plant from there.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t they die?¡± Naia asked.


    ¡°I will heal your slimes,¡± Ali said. ¡°You find somewhere to hide and watch.¡± She surveyed her friend¡¯s forces, satisfied that she had chosen well. There were a few Brine Oozes, but most of her slimes were either the Lava Lurkers or Scalding Slimes, with a few Sparkling Oozes for their area damage.


    They spent a little while finetuning their positions to ensure that her drakes would not breathe fire on or cleave Mato or the oozes. Then Mato transformed into his Bear Form and charged the plant in the center of the cave, his claws tearing great chunks from the fungal creep as he accelerated. A great roar rocked the cavern followed by an inhuman shriek from the plant as Mato¡¯s claws ripped into the heavy gnarled wood, flinging massive splinters across the cavern as he laid into it like a demented woodcutter.


    Instantly, the plant reacted in a frenzy of chaotic whipping branches and coiling bramble vines. High-pitched screeches filled the chamber as the thorny protrusions scraped along his heavy armor and left bloody gashes wherever he was unprotected.


    Vivian Ross


    ¡°Mister Thriftpenny, please come on in,¡± Vivian said as the Gnome storekeeper knocked on the open door to her office. As usual, his tailored suit was impeccable, and he had even chosen an eyepatch that matched his pocket square. ¡°What can I do for you? Is there something wrong with your new store space?¡±


    ¡°Good afternoon, Guildmaster,¡± he said, stepping into the room. His usual poise and elegance were marred by an undercurrent of anxiety. While he kept his hands clasped behind his back, Vivian could see the subtle interplay of his stamina energy as his fingers fidgeted.


    ¡°Congratulations on level thirty,¡± she offered, hoping to put him at ease.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the problem,¡± he said. ¡°My class seems to have broken, and I was hoping for your advice.¡± It all came out in a sudden rush.


    Vivian forcibly suppressed the sudden gut-clenching pang of worry. She took a breath and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit and tell me what happened?¡± Weldin had turned out to be a fantastic addition to the guild: hard-working, with excellent skills, and very conscientious. He was personally responsible for much of the guild¡¯s burgeoning relationship with the crafters and artisans in Myrin¡¯s Keep, and she was loath to see something so awful happen to him.


    she told herself. Classes generally did not break, per se. Not unless there was a major change, like¡­ a natural path tier-up. However, due to traumatic or critical experiences, sometimes classes pivoted in what they offered as new skills and advances, and if the change was too dramatic, the result could be a terrible conflicting mess of inefficient skills, resulting in something that could never be good at any one thing.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s because I was trapped in that Goblin dungeon,¡± Weldin said, sighing as he took a seat. ¡°Or maybe because I got this space affinity from Aliandra¡¯s shrine. I just reached level thirty and there are no merchant skills for me to choose. Everything seems related to dungeons.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you show me?¡± Vivian asked ¨C and in seconds her mind¡¯s-eye filled with strangely glittering writing.


    Spatial Storage


    Resistance is increased by +%


    Mana: store or retrieve an item in your own personal spatial dimension. You can store up to  lbs.


    Space, Storage, Intelligence.


    Dismantle Monster


    You are proficient at evaluating monster parts for crafting or other uses. You are proficient at using daggers, knives, or similar tools for carving up a corpse.


    Mana: Carve up a monster, retaining the valuable parts for sale or use.


    Space, Knowledge, Dexterity


    Dungeon Survival


    You are proficient with leather armor.


    Mana: Warp space around you, making your body much harder to detect. You gain stealth.


    Space, Illusion, Stealth, Intelligence


    Weldin simply sat there in morose silence while Vivian carefully studied the offered skills.


    Her first impression was one of surprise ¨C these skills were surprisingly strong. But she could see how a merchant would be devastated at not finding anything that would really improve his ability to move merchandise or manage money more efficiently.


    ¡°That does seem to be a divergence,¡± Vivian said carefully.


    Weldin nodded sadly. ¡°Even the Spatial Storage skill offers resistance ¨C that¡¯s a combat class attribute, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Vivian said, pinching her chin. The more she looked at it, the more it seemed like it wasn¡¯t really a divergence. Perhaps she was just looking at the whole thing from the wrong angle. What if Weldin¡¯s class had never been a pure merchant at all? S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°What can I do?¡± Weldin said in a tone that told her he would be wailing if not for a prodigious feat of emotional suppression.


    ¡°Do you know what a Porter is?¡± Vivian said, finally realizing what it was about Weldin¡¯s skills that had piqued her curiosity.


    ¡°A mule?¡± Weldin asked, his expression twisting into a sour scowl. ¡°The class that gets exploited across the kingdom and forced into dungeons to carry stuff for the adventurers?¡±


    ¡°Yup, that one,¡± Vivian said. ¡°I think your class might be a Porter, not a Merchant.¡± It wasn¡¯t like Porter was an official category that would show up in Identify ¨C it was more a hybrid non-combat class suited for the role because of the unique blend of skills it had.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a mule. I like my job as the guild store merchant, and I¡¯d like to keep it, thank you very much,¡± Weldin stated firmly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to force you into anything,¡± Vivian said, keeping her tone calm and relaxed, and sighed with relief inwardly as Weldin¡¯s agitation and stress visibly subsided. ¡°Let me explain the Porter role to you from the perspective of an experienced adventurer, and then you can make whatever decision you want.¡±


    He nodded, clearly deeply unhappy. ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°It is true that the class ¨C or role, really ¨C has a reputation for being exploited, but the reason is because Porters are so extremely useful. Unfortunately, being non-combat classes, they have very few ways to protect themselves from unscrupulous delve groups. Most prestigious guilds have a Porter, and their identity is typically a closely guarded secret because they are so valuable. They¡¯re vulnerable to kidnapping. The reason for their value is they multiply the effectiveness of a dungeon group by an order of magnitude ¨C and even more so for raid groups.¡±


    ¡°What makes it so valuable?¡± Weldin asked, intent on her account.


    ¡°Look at that Spatial Storage skill, for instance. At gold rank, we give our adventurers a storage ring with 1750 pounds of storage. At level one, your skill would have more than that, and with just a few skill increases, you would easily be able to store the entire contents of your shop. If you just took that skill and went along with the raid group, you would increase the time they could spend in the dungeon by days, or even weeks, because you could bring all the supplies they needed and carry back everything they harvested or killed. The amount of gold they could bring back from a single delve would be an order of magnitude larger, increasing the reward enormously. That¡¯s why most of the top guilds grant a minimum of a full share of the dungeon haul to the Porter, and sometimes even two or three times more than a combat class.¡±


    Weldin¡¯s eyebrow looked like it was going to crawl under the brim of his hat.


    ¡°Now take a look at the Dismantle skill. Adventurers kill lots of dungeon monsters ¨C hundreds, sometimes thousands if there¡¯s some kind of swarm, for example. You would be bringing back the bones, hide, scales, teeth, blood, or whatever is valuable from everything they kill. Most adventurer groups leave the bulk of that stuff to be reabsorbed into the dungeon and wasted because they can¡¯t harvest it and don¡¯t have the space to store it all. With the three skills you¡¯ve been offered, you would make a fortune on every single delve.¡± Vivian amended in her mind ¨C but now was not the time to dredge up old history.


    ¡°I have one skill I think I can part with,¡± Weldin said, deep in thought. ¡°Which two should I take? Storage and Dismantle?¡±


    ¡°I think the Survival one is essential too. Dungeons are dangerous places, and you need to be able to survive. Your group will protect you, but that skill is strong. May I see what else you have already?¡±


    Weldin shared his full skill list, and Vivian carefully studied it, meantime thinking that he did not seem averse to dungeon delving ¨C quite the opposite, in fact.


    ¡°Were you thinking of scrapping Accountancy?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, Evaluate. I have Appraise as a general skill, so I don¡¯t really need Evaluate also.¡±


    ¡°My recommendation would be to drop Accountancy, too; you can hire someone to do that. And you can teach Mieriel to manage your store while you¡¯re out in the dungeons,¡± Vivian said. Weldin¡¯s about-face on the Porter class seemed heavily influenced by the sheer amount of money he would be making for himself, but it would be an incredible boon to the guild and to the adventurers that he grouped with, too. And Vivian hadn¡¯t been exaggerating the value of a Porter ¨C if anything, she had undersold it. The true value would likely be unbelievable.


    ¡°Ok. Done,¡± Weldin said. ¡°Who should I talk to? And do you have any other suggestions?¡±


    ¡°I would talk with Aiden and Teagan. They are the closest groups to your level. And maybe have a quick chat with Basil ¨C he is a non-combat class who is working with the adventurer groups, so he can give you some personal insight. You can further increase your efficiency by learning a few general skills like gathering ¨C specifically, Skinning and Herb Gathering may be the least useful because of your Dismantle and Basil¡¯s skills, but Mining, Cooking, Disenchanting, and Camping skills might be very useful.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Weldin said, pulling out a neat stack of paper and an ornate quill pen to take notes.


    ¡°There is also a fairly obscure general skill you can learn called Dungeon Harvesting; Ryn can probably help you research more details in the library. It helps you to find edible plants and harvest them ¨C not normally that useful ¨C unless you happen to have a nature-affinity dungeon like Aliandra¡¯s. It might not sound like much, but all the produce grown in a dungeon is mana-infused, and the cooks are going to go crazy for even a single dungeon-grown apple.¡±


    ¡°This is excellent,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°I remember the frenzy when Aliandra fed the town.¡± He licked his lips lightly. ¡°Yes, yes, very good.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re a space-affinity user. For your level forty unlock, keep an eye out for mass teleport skills, or skills that might develop into that. The most effective Porters can teleport their raid group into dungeons across the continent and sell their wares in any city in the world.¡±


    Weldin¡¯s eye grew wide with surprise and excitement. ¡°¡±


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 210: Mana Eater (Part 1)

    Mato Mato opened with his most powerful combination, sacrificing life and mana to use both Bestial Combat and Brutal Restoration to power his Swipe. His claws ripped through the tough bark and heavily armored woody trunk of the plant monster towering over him, spraying wood chips into the air. Warped malice and an insatiable hunger for violence rolled out from the aberration in waves, and for the first time, he wished he did not have his plant empathy. Whatever this thing was, it did not follow the natural order and balance. Not even close. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Without the benefit of his Living Rend piercing its gnarled armor, it was unlikely their archers or melee would be able to damage it in any way. His restoration magic immediately infused his body, starting to restore the health he had spent as the thick, thorny brambles began to lash out at him in response.


    The massive branch with the heavy bud-like ¡®head¡¯ slowly turned toward him and cracked open down the center, revealing a wide maw with rows upon rows of gleaming, magically enhanced thorny fangs, some longer than his forearm, all dripping with a putrid black tar-like sap that shone ominously in his new mana perception. Suddenly the head twitched, and his danger senses clamored their warning as it whipped downward and snapped shut on his shoulder, thorn teeth gnawing on his heavy armor. A few found gaps between the protective plates and ripped through his hide, tearing the muscles below.


    -10% to healing received.


    Corruption ¨C Duration: 15 seconds. Count: 1


    The second head split, revealing similar fangs, and lashed out to bite him, fangs raking across his forepaw as he attempted to block.


    His Restoration worked to repair his wounds, but suddenly it was struggling like his body resisted the flow of his magic. Then, to his dismay, all the thorns on the whip vines began to ooze the same black fluid.


    Ali¡¯s minions charged in, spiders appearing from nowhere with rapid strikes, drakes shaking the room with their heavy charge, and the booming shouts of the Hobgoblins ringing out, echoing loudly in the cavern as they boosted their allies with their war cries. Naia¡¯s slimes began dropping down from the roof, landing with splats and plops. One of the monster¡¯s heads continued attacking him, but the second one turned and snapped shut like a bear trap on a Hobgoblin¡¯s arm to the accompaniment of the gruesome sounds of ripping flesh and crunching bone.


    ¡°¡± He sent the thoughts in the images and impressions of the beast language to the massive drake beside him, hoping that Ali was paying attention.


    ¡°It¡¯s interfering with healing?¡± Ali said, her voice coming from the far end of the cavern, sounding smaller and distant over the creaking of wood, smashing impacts of the whip vines, and the crashes of drake claws.


    ¡°¡± he confirmed. It was a remarkable experience to be able to communicate, even through the inefficient intermediary of one of Ali¡¯s beast-type minions, a skill he hadn¡¯t been able to use effectively for a long time. With a quick thought, he shared the details of the corruption notification, even though by now Ali must have seen it from inspecting her minions.


    He ducked his head under a sweeping lashing whip vine and struck at the resilient wood of the plant¡¯s trunk, adding more to his Brutal Restoration. He was down thirty percent in healing effectiveness, and he would need as much as he could get. As he leaned into his Swipe, an unfamiliar mana pulsed across his claws, cutting through the air with a buzzing sizzle, leaving trails and eddies of baleful utter blackness.


    Your attacks gain additional Void damage on hit.


    Blessing ¨C Duration: 1 second.


    His paw struck like a mace through a pile of kindling, the outspread claws disintegrating large chunks of the incredibly dense almost impervious wood armor with an acrid stench that made his eyes water as the black wisp-like mana dissolved even the wood chips as they flew.


    he thought, suddenly understanding the preferred benediction of Havok¡¯s churchgoers.


    But the strange blue flowers on the trunk of the monster quivered, fluorescing with delicate mana. As one, they turned toward him, spewing a dense cloud of extraordinarily fine dust or spores that hung in the air. He had time only to cough and blink before he felt the queasy tugging pull from within as his mana drained precipitously from almost full to almost empty in an instant.


    he sent, desperately warning Ali as the implications crashed down on him. While he had good regeneration, it would be a desperately long time before he had enough mana to cast anything freely. In a single stroke, the plant had stripped him of his Rampant Growth, Arboreal Sanctuary damage redirection, and most importantly, his Brutal Restoration. He summoned a mana potion to his mouth and bit down, but even the fresh alchemical regeneration was sucked away by the spores.


    Barely a moment later, the ground around him exploded with fresh bramble vines and lashing thorn whips ¨C a spell that looked nearly indistinguishable from his own Rampant Growth. The significance of the burst of new activity right after draining his mana was not lost on the bear ¨C and worse, all the new thorns dripped with that same black ichor.


    Mato braced himself.


    Aliandra


    Ali summoned three barriers in rapid succession, trying in vain to block all the thorn-studded whip vines that lashed out at her and her minions. Nowhere in the cavern was safe. Somehow, the nature magic of the Mana Eater extended the reach of the vines, a disorienting stretching that allowed them to strike at every single minion in the cave, including Naia¡¯s slimes clinging to the roof.


    With a sharp double crack, the barrier protecting her face shattered as two separate vines struck it with devastating force. She immediately burned the mana to resummon it, but not before a third vine split the air with a thunderous crack as it curved around, whip-like, and struck her from behind, scoring a deep gash along her arm and lower ribs.


    -10% to healing received.


    Corruption ¨C Duration: 15 seconds.


    Her eyes widened and she gasped at the sense of wrongness that invaded her body like insects burrowing under her skin. It was a nauseating twisting of nature, causing her flesh to warp and struggle against her body.


    It wasn¡¯t particularly hard to deal with ¨C all she needed was to avoid being hit for fifteen seconds and it would pass. Her Acolytes already struggled to heal him, especially after his warning about the mana drain and his consequent inability to use his personal healing magic. She pulsed her mana, deploying barriers rapid-fire around the cavern in response to the blistering whip strikes.


    But although she was struggling against the insane reach of the plant monster, they were certainly having an impact. Mato¡¯s recommendation of using fire had been on point. The Armored Drakes breathed flame whenever they could ¨C less frequently now that their modest mana pools had been drained ¨C but they had set the left-hand side of the plant monster ablaze. Naia¡¯s Lava Lurkers were tearing the plant to shreds, and her Fire Mages¡¯ Firebolts were steadily burning away its health. She kept her Hellfire Imp in reserve, not wanting to hit Mato with its fireballs, only allowing it to blast the upper extremities of the aberrant plant monster ¨C but the nasty black hellfire caused the plant to flinch every time it struck.


    Her eyes were drawn suddenly to the core of the Mana Eater as the domain mana twisted up into an ugly knot of a magical formation deep within it ¨C a formation she recognized even though the nature mana was laced with death.


    ¡°It¡¯s summoning,¡± she called out. The fungal creep lining the walls began to bubble, balloons that swelled, pulsating with putrid vitality. Like a shiver, a ripple passed through the living walls, circling the room, and in its wake the bubbles burst, disgorging slime-covered Creep Spores in an echoing wave of popping. Ali launched herself into the air as the ground seethed with scuttling chaos and the violent detonations of the Creep Spores exploding on contact with anything living.


    To her horror, the putrid fluid that sprayed from the nearest explosion splashed onto her leg and her flesh instantly began to rot, blackening and dripping off onto the ground, filling her nose with the sickening stench of decay. Despite all her experience fighting, she threw up from the repulsive stench and the pain of losing half her leg in seconds.


    A pulse of holy magic settled on her, and her wound slowly began to close, the healing still struggling against the mutagenic corruption.


    Forcing down the bile in her throat, Ali balanced by gripping her barrier with both hands and checked on everyone. She had lost an archer, her Bone Mage, and an Acolyte, and three slime corpses fell to the ground in the middle of the room near the melee. But the summoning magic was still continuing, and the fungal creep continued budding, growing more Creep Spores by the second.


    ¡°Naia, help me kill the spores!¡± she shouted. She couldn¡¯t tell where Naia was hiding, but she knew the little slime could hear her. At the same time, she redirected her shamans and her Hellfire Imp to blast the bubbles of fungal creep while she scrambled to spread her ranged minions out to avoid overlapping explosions. It would make her job of blocking the whips with her barriers harder, but the explosions were far more dangerous right now.


    ¡°Ok¡­¡± came Naia¡¯s strangely disembodied voice, and the rain of exploding light orbs redirected toward the seething walls.


    Ali floated forward to get away from the edge of the room and as she did, she witnessed a strange pulse of mana that made the flowers on the Mana Eater wave, turning in her direction. With a soft puffing noise, a jet of fine spores sprayed out across the room, engulfing her. Immediately she bubbled herself inside her barrier, but the golden magic began to melt, running like candlewax and dripping down onto the floor. She coughed as the blue glowing spores filled her lungs and suddenly, she felt her mana draining, ripped right out of her. With rapidly dwindling mana, she teleported, swapping herself with her remaining archer, desperately coughing to try to dislodge the remaining spores from her lungs.


    Desperate to halt the downward spiral, she deconstructed a Creep Spore and activated Inspiration, and to her relief, her mana began to stabilize.  ¨C any further and she would have been losing minions as it drained the reservation for them away. Being stuck in the middle of a fight with her own minions turned against her would be an unmitigated disaster.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 210: Mana Eater (Part 2)

    AliandraAli¡¯s eyes darted around the chaos of the cavern, struggling to figure out the safest arrangement for her minions. The spore jets had just proved they could reach her three-quarters of the way across the room, leaving a narrow strip near the walls out of reach. But standing there meant being so close to the budding Creep Spores that it would be next to impossible to kill them before they reached her minions. And those lashing vines could still hit them anywhere.


    she suddenly realized. The only option was to remain in the safe zone, and spot for the bulging spores. As soon as the bubbling was spotted, anyone in range needed to run, and she had to blast it down with a hellfire fireball or lightning bolts.


    ¡°Ali-friend. Monsters come,¡± Naia said, her voice echoing strangely in the chamber, followed by several plopping noises.


    Ali snapped her head up to see several dark blobby shapes falling into the cavern, oozing the ugly-looking rot-affinity. Urgently, she identified them.


    Relieved that they were no real threat, Ali returned her focus to playing catch with her barrier magic, trying to protect her healers from the whip strikes, while simultaneously spotting for new Creep Spore summoning and organizing her minions to scatter when needed. Naia was particularly helpful for this part, her ceiling-mounted Sparkling Oozes were devastatingly accurate in their ability to blow up the budding bubbles at almost any location in the room. Tremor Sense must be phenomenal to spot the growths.


    ¡°Ali! Monster!¡± Naia¡¯s voice sounded desperate.


    Ali glanced around finding nothing but the one remaining Devouring Consumption busy sucking up all the Creep Spore corpses.


    ¡°It grows,¡± Naia said urgently.


    Suddenly, Ali noticed that the small mottled black-and-green ooze had grown to nearly twice its original size.


    Before her very eyes, murky pseudopods shot out and latched onto a Creep Spore corpse, drawing it within its body. As it consumed the remains, its level suddenly bumped up to thirty-two and its body swelled again as it dissolved the disgusting meal. It shot fresh pseudopods out in several directions, grabbing more corpses and drawing them in, and as it did, it grew stronger yet again.


    Ali scrambled, redirecting minions, but by the time she had an Armored Drake and a Hobgoblin to tank it, the ridiculous ooze was already level forty-five.


    It lashed out with pseudopods, striking at her drake, inflicting dark welts on its scaled hide that rapidly rotted, leaving decayed flesh to slough off and fall to the ground. It lashed out with a pseudopod, grabbing the corpse of a fallen slime and ingesting it, quickly dissolving it within its translucent murky body and it grew to level fifty-one.


    ¡°Naia! Eat the corpses,¡± Ali yelled. ¡°All of them.¡±


    There was a momentary pause and then suddenly the room began raining slimes ¨C a disturbing plopping storm as Naia sent her weaker minions sloshing around the chamber, gobbling up every available corpse. Ali rushed to assist by deconstructing everything within reach, still struggling with low mana and the high demand for her barriers.


    A warping twist of mana from the Mana Eater ripped her attention away from her task. ¡°Watch out!¡± she shouted. From deep within the monster, the mana surged outward, coursing through its vines and branches, and the outer wood surface erupted with green marks so dark they could almost be black. The entire monster swelled, growing until its toothy heads butted the ceiling as it first doubled and then tripled in size. An explosion of thicker, more powerful vines and thorns burst from the trunk and flailed around striking at everything, and Mato¡¯s health plummeted.


    ¡°Heal him!¡± she yelled desperately, but she suddenly realized her Acolytes were healing him. His health wasn¡¯t budging. She slammed a barrier up in front of Mato as his impressions and thoughts came through from her connection to the armored drake beside him.


    he sent, with an urgency that was communicated even through the indirect channel of her Armored Drake¡¯s mind. He was at ten stacks of the Mutagenic Corruption; no healing could help him now.


    If she couldn¡¯t find a way, they would need to escape.


    His health buckled and fluctuated as Ali recognized the telltale sign of a massive influx of temporary health from his Last Stand skill. She threw a barrier up in front of him, intercepting the biting plant head, but it shattered. She summoned another, ignoring her almost empty mana pool. The blue flowers sprayed spores at her barrier, melting it like a candle in front of an open forge, all the while she struggled to intercept the room-wide assault from the much more potent whip-vines. She downed another mana potion and summoned more barriers to protect Mato, hoping to block enough strikes that the corruption would begin to fade. But it wasn¡¯t nearly enough.


    ¡°Naia, help!¡± she called out as her barrier magic failed, and her mana drained.


    Naia


    It was incredible. Naia had never experienced anything like it. She marveled as the strange Kobold Acolytes began to shine with intensely soothing magic one at a time. Her slimes crawling around and consuming the Creep Spores should have died so many times over. They were hit with lashing vines from the horrible plant, and then they received some healing magic¡­ and they became fine again! They were blown up by the Creep Spores and a Kobold would cast that strange-tasting holy magic and they would recover. Hit by the rot of the Devouring Consumption, the pulses of restoration would heal them right back up again.


    She had sent so many oozes to fight this plant in the last couple of weeks, and they all died. Very quickly. But somehow, they were not dead this time, and she knew it was all because of the healing magic. She shared her awareness with all her slimes in the room, sampling the fight from every perspective, all integrated into a single consolidated picture in her mind. She had never been curious about how it was achieved before, but such strange thoughts had been coming more regularly now that she had increased her intelligence attribute substantially as a side-effect of Ali-friend¡¯s gifts. She wondered what it must be like for Mato-friend, who had no slimes to feel with. She had experienced it several times, when all her oozes but herself had been wiped out, and she trembled in her membrane at the memory.


    She fired her ¡®sparkle¡¯-bombs from the ceiling.  Naia didn¡¯t know. But they were effective. She aimed them across the room to take out the newly spawned Creep Spores but several of them escaped, running around blowing up her Brine Oozes and Scalding Slimes that were cleaning the corpses Ali-friend had asked for. She had understood it quickly ¨C Ali had noticed that the Devouring Consumption grew by eating. She had never thought to eat first. If she ate all the food, it couldn¡¯t grow. It was a good idea ¨C and after eating most of the room, she had had to shift all her mana to her other oozes, not having enough space for it. The Devouring Consumption was still there, but it couldn¡¯t eat Ali¡¯s Armored Drake ¨C not with those amazing Kobolds supporting it.


    ¡°Naia, help!¡± Ali yelled.


    Naia could feel Ali-friend had no mana. If only Ali-friend was an ooze, she could share some of hers. She had a lot. So much in fact, that she was still hiding in her little alcove, copying a rock, but she was constantly splitting off new oozes as fast as she could: brine, scalding, her newest beautiful Lava Lurkers, even her leveled-up Toxic Slimes, anything she needed for the fight.


    She wanted to help, but she didn¡¯t know what would be best. The Mana Eater was huge ¨C she had seen this ability. She always ran when she saw it. But Mato-friend was not running, and Ali-friend was trying to help him, but she had no mana.


    Naia dropped a Scalding Slime down from the roof, landing with a plop on top of Mato, and slithering forward to cover his back as the vines lashed out and struck her. It almost died, but then the Kobolds cast their amazing magic, and it began to recover. She dropped another ooze from the roof, landing on top of the other one, blocking the biting head.


    Naia ignored the message, slithering new oozes down the walls as fast as she could make them, sending them after the scuttling Creep Spores. The explosion blew up her Brine Ooze, leaving it almost dead, but then a big heal came from a glowing Kobold and it recovered. She made it eat the Creep Spore corpse and lash out at some more, drawing their attention. They blew up one at a time on her slime, but the Kobolds were able to keep it alive.


    Ali¡¯s minions were dying, one at a time. Slowly ¨C the Kobolds were strong. But every time Naia lost a slime or an ooze, she made a new one. Ali could not. The big drake finally collapsed, and the Devouring Consumption began to strike at everything nearby, now higher level than even the Mana Eater. She swarmed it with her minions, knowing Ali could not fight it anymore. But her slimes started dying. It was strong, too strong. It rotted everything it touched. Even slimes. She made more, burning through mana rapidly, but the Devouring Consumption was beginning to eat her slimes now and it was growing again.


    She wanted to run. She knew she should run.


    Suddenly the chime noise sounded.


    It was a notification she had only seen once before. When she had first discovered how her Slime Mutation skill worked and created her Scalding Slime from the heat vents. A thrill of excitement filled her as her intelligence grew immediately from the new imprint.


    Curious she experienced the newest ooze, transforming her body, taking on its essence. It felt like the Devouring Consumption.


    But most importantly, it was immune to death and nature. And Naia knew what to do. Immediately, she made her new Rotting Slime attack the Devouring Consumption. It was a much lower level, but that did not matter.


    sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Naia summoned her mana, creating nothing else, just Rotting Slimes. They plopped out of her hidey-hole in a stream of wobbling masses, sliding to the ground and chasing down the Creep Spores, swarming the Devouring Consumption, and out along the roof to plop down on Mato¡¯s back. Everything they attacked rotted, including the plant. The lashing thorns still ripped and tore, but her new slime was immune to the corruption, and the Kobolds could heal them with ease.


    Five, six, her slimes swarmed the Devouring Consumption as she sent more and more of them at it, burning through the immense glut of mana she had stored when she ate everything. Without healing, they would have probably died to the lashing, ripping damage from the bad plant, but the Devouring Consumption could do nothing to her newest minions. She swarmed it, engulfed it, and ate it alive.


    She couldn¡¯t help the shivering ripple of excitement that briefly disrupted her disguise, but she was still in her tiny hole ¨C . She extruded another pseudopod and became the Devouring Consumption, splitting one off and dropping it into the room. Then she set it to eating every remaining corpse, shifting that job away from the rest of her minions, leaving it exclusively to her newest, most exciting ooze.


    ¡°Naia! Another one!¡± Ali screamed, pointing at her new ooze.


    ¡°That¡¯s mine,¡± Naia said, realizing she had startled Ali with the sight of her new Devouring Consumption eating and growing.


    ¡°Oh, wow!¡± Ali said.


    Poor Ali-friend had almost no minions left. Only a couple of Kobolds and one drake. She was doing something to make mana though, so she wasn¡¯t giving up.


    Naia thought, making some of her idle slimes drag corpses over to feed her Devouring Consumption to aid it in growing faster.


    When her Devouring Consumption reached level fifty ¨C nearly the size of Ali¡¯s drake ¨C she attacked, tearing into the Mana Eater with a lashing frenzy, while watching curiously as the plant slowly shrank back to its normal size. She had not known that the growth spurt was temporary.


    She coiled dozens of pseudopods around the plant, tearing flowers from its trunk, ripping vines, rotting the wood, and crushing until it finally slumped down, heads and vines collapsing to the ground in a big tremor she could feel even up in her hiding spot.


    Ooze Attributes ¨C level 25


    Mana: Your base intelligence and wisdom attributes gain +60 . Reserve: 10%


    Mana: Your intelligence and wisdom gain +75% . All Ooze minions gain half of this bonus. Reserve: 20%


    Water, Minion, Buff, Intelligence


    ¡°Ali! Ali!¡± Naia exclaimed, trembling with excitement as she dropped down the wall into the devastated chamber, rolling for a little before plopping to a stop.


    ¡°What is it, Naia?¡±


    ¡°I got a new skill advancement¡­ it has your name in it!¡± she exclaimed, sharing the new skill option with her friend.


    ¡°Wisdom? That¡¯s a fantastic skill, Naia!¡±


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 211: Slime Lord (Part 1)

    MatoMato sat uncaring on the slimy fungal creep, totally wrecked. Fighting for an extended period without mana had left him mentally drained. He took a deep breath to steady himself and looked inward to examine the end-of-battle notifications inscribed on the tree in his mind garden.


    he thought, eyeing the notification with suspicion. It had been nearly sixty when they defeated it. It was done though, so he let it go and read on.


    He immediately spent his points: five on vitality, three on endurance, and the final two boosting his wisdom by a little. After such a nasty brawl, it was satisfying and even cathartic to see his own development.


    Azryet¡¯s blessing was surprisingly powerful. He didn¡¯t get blessings when he increased his patron deity¡¯s reputation like Calen did, but if he could earn more, perhaps he could trigger that ridiculous void damage more frequently. That, he decided, would make him very happy.


    he decided. He hadn¡¯t expected a plant to put up such a challenge. Painfully, he shifted back to his Beastkin form, his eyes studying the small inconspicuous-looking blue form of their little ooze companion with a new respect. Naia had saved his life when he couldn¡¯t be healed ¨C he had been on the verge of summoning his chewable recall potion to his mouth when she had covered him with ooze ¡®armor¡¯. By the end of the fight, her attacks had been overwhelming.


    Plus, he had a newfound respect for the power and versatility of slime, usually the butt of adventurer jokes.


    Aliandra


    Ali breathed a little easier as she examined the scorched battlefield. She had survived the fight with a single drake, three Acolytes, her Fire Mage, and her Hellfire Imp. Everything else had been killed. She gazed at the crazy Mana Eater lying slumped in a great pile in the center of the chamber, wondering where such a horrifying plant had come from in the first place.


    Mato limped over slowly, and one of her Acolytes topped him up with a restoration spell.


    ¡°You doing ok?¡± she asked.


    Mato just grunted.


    she thought, and glanced through her notifications.


    Ali pulled out her notes, did a few calculations, and then spent four points each on wisdom and intelligence, reserving the final two for perception.


    ¡°Well, that was certainly harder than I thought,¡± Mato said, thumping down on the ground beside her with a grunt of discomfort and an expression of disgust as he felt the damp fungal creep beneath him, but he didn¡¯t get up again.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Ali said. She had gained only a single level for a boss monster, most likely because she outleveled it by quite a bit. However, it had been vastly more challenging than she had expected. The combination of the mana-drain spores, the full reach across the room with the thorny whip-vines, the explosive Creep Spores, and the healing reduction had all contributed to making the fight a nightmare. The addition of the Devouring Consumption had added an unimaginable surprise in the middle of the fight ¨C one which had nearly wiped them out.


    ¡°I vote Naia for MVP,¡± Mato said. ¡°Thank you for saving me, little one.¡±


    ¡°What is ¡®MVP¡¯?¡± Naia asked, wobbling curiously in Mato¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Most valuable person for the fight. You really turned it around at the end,¡± Ali said, explaining the term to her. And she really had, she had suddenly pulled a new ooze out from who knew where, protected Mato when he was immune to healing and Ali herself was out of mana, and then she had summoned the terrifying Devouring Consumption and flattened the Mana Eater with it.


    ¡°I just help,¡± Naia said.


    ¡°This is a very difficult dungeon,¡± Ali noted. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder you were struggling with it, Naia.¡± It seemed more than difficult, and it left her with a rather daunting challenge ¨C how to help Naia stay safe down here. Even if it had not been a boss, the Mana Eater would have been a challenge for her on her own, but a major part of the problem was that whatever this dungeon was, it could create bosses and Naia could not. Which meant they were not evenly matched.


    she thought, staring at the corpse of the boss, its thorny vines crumpled around its burnt and decayed wooden shape.


    ¡°Naia, do you think you can eat that?¡± she asked, pointing at the corpse.


    ¡°Naia can eat anything,¡± she replied, bobbing up and down.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want the domain magic skills?¡± Mato asked, a look of surprise crossing his face.


    ¡°I think it just has an attribute enhancement and summoning, which I already have. I¡¯m hoping Naia learns them and that triggers the advancement, giving her the ability to make bosses.¡± If she was right about that, then at least she would feel happier about Naia being able to look after herself.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± Mato said, a thoughtful look on his face. ¡°Let me just gather a few of those flowers for Eliyen to look at before you eat it.¡±


    Ali got to her feet and followed as they all walked over to the corpse. Mato quickly plucked several of the strange blue flowers and stored them and then stepped back.


    Naia called over her giant Devouring Consumption and merged with it, and then her enormous dark mottled green and black body flowed over the aberrant plant, drawing in everything, even the vines. In a matter of less than a minute, there was an enormous pile of ooze covering everything and Ali recognized the magic as similar to her own deconstruction. The entire thing shimmered and flared, visible through the semi-translucent slime and there was a giant surge of mana, and the Devouring Consumption gained several more levels and nearly doubled in size.


    Ali thought.


    ¡°What is domain magic?¡± Naia asked.


    ¡°Those are skills you can give to bosses,¡± Ali explained. ¡°Which ones did you get?¡±


    ¡°Summoning, and Strength.¡±


    If she were honest, Ali would have been more than a little jealous if Naia had gotten Vitality ¨C it was the only one she was still missing. Still, it seemed good, but it didn¡¯t seem quite enough to trigger the advancement.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Naia said, wobbling in a way that somehow matched the surprise in her voice. ¡°I got something else.¡±


    Ali waited in suspense for what seemed like ages while Naia examined her notifications and then a chime rang out and her mind filled with the bizarre prickling of her mana senses and the feeling of complex vibrations she had come to associate with ooze perception. It took a few moments of Sage of Learning gobbling up mana before her mind translated the sensation into intelligible sounds¨C a little voice that sounded a lot like Naia¡¯s reading a skill description to her.


    Slime Domain ¨C level 28


    You can lay mana trails with your ooze monsters. The trails will grow, merging to form your domain. All your perception skills operate throughout your entire domain.


    Mana: Permanently attach an Ooze to your domain. Attached minions propagate denser domain mana more quickly and can only move with your domain. They may be further enhanced with Domain Magic. Range: Domain.


    Water, Mastery, Domain, Intelligence


    ¡°I got something for domain magic, should I accept this?¡± Naia asked. ¡°It also had your name on it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the one that lets you make bosses,¡± Ali said, suddenly excited for Naia. ¡°You should definitely take it.¡±


    Ali studied the skill closely ¨C Naia¡¯s Slime Domain skill seemed quite similar to her own Domain Mastery, but it was the differences that she found most intriguing. Naia was unable to transmute or reshape matter ¨C presumably the reason she had been unable to free herself from her cave. Instead, the skill implied she could actually move her domain, even after she had laid it down, and her perception skills were enhanced to include the full extent of her domain. Her new advancement had not included respawn, but Ali¡¯s respawn skill seemed to be mostly a convenience for when she was away from home ¨C it was the boss skill that had really increased her power. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Ok, I will take it,¡± Naia said, vibrating with new excitement. ¡°Oh, I got some more magic.¡± Several more notification chimes sounded as she began to share her gains.


    Suddenly, Ali was delighted she had offered Naia her mentorship enchantment. Not only had it been part of the skill¡¯s advancement, but Naia had learned two of her domain magic skills ¨C and they were ones she had used often ¨C and Affinity Aura had transferred with every affinity she had collected so far. With seven domain magic skills, Naia should be able to create some decent bosses. It was not just a step forward for Naia, it was a huge leap and it underscored why dungeons were regarded with such fear and loathing out in the world.


    ¡°What is Ooze Transmogrification?¡± Ali asked, her curiosity burning.


    Naia immediately shared the description with them.


    Ooze Transmogrification


    Requirements: Ooze minion. Mimic Slime race.


    Source: Race.


    Your ooze can assume the form of any ooze you know. Transformation takes thirty seconds to complete and costs 25% of maximum mana.


    Skill ¨C Domain Magic


    ¡°Holy¡­ wow!¡± Mato said after Ali translated Naia¡¯s bizarre notification for him.


    ¡°Naia is¡­ strong?¡± Naia asked.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s ridiculously strong,¡± Ali said. Half of the oozes she had were immune to their mana affinity, which meant that this ability allowed Naia to swap whatever boss she made with one immune to something major any attackers brought to bear. It was expensive, taking a quarter of the total mana pool, and a domain magic skill slot, but then again, it granted an effectively selectable immunity in the case of oozes. Given how pivotal immunity had just been in their fight, she could see just how easily this skill could be used to make a real challenge.


    ---------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 211: Slime Lord (Part 2)

    Aliandra¡°How do I use it?¡± Naia asked, bobbing up and down in excitement.


    ¡°This is a good spot to try it out,¡± Mato said.


    Nodding, Ali said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you fill this cave with your domain first? Then I can help you make a boss here.¡±


    It was a good chokepoint and the reason the dungeon had been such a pain for Naia, and she was certain Calen would approve of the strategic location. Once again, her mental acuity seemed to have sharpened in perceptible ways, her question concise and brimming with curiosity.


    While Naia grew her ropy domain mana into the chamber, Ali met Mato¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Fire, for sure,¡± he said, answering the unasked question without hesitation.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s probably right,¡± Ali said. The new slimes Naia had earned had some substantial immunities against the nature and death dungeon, but fire burned plants and so her first boss should probably be that.


    ¡°What now?¡± Naia¡¯s slimes were still busy laying her mana throughout the cavern, but it seemed strong enough to start.


    ¡°Make a Lava Lurker, and then use your ability. I would give it Affinity Aura and then either Minions with some more Lava Lurkers or give it the ability to summon them.¡± It would be a very one-dimensional boss, but it would act as a hard stop for any plants or beetles or even the fungus things that they had fought. There would be more options if Naia eventually unlocked the ability to make raid-level bosses or unlocked more domain magic spells.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Naia said, beginning her unique summoning process. The Lava Lurker spawned, separating from her main body, and then Ali had the unique opportunity to watch the domain mana twisting into a domain enhancement as Naia walked through the process of creating a boss in her domain.


    The lava-affinity ooze swelled to more than twice its normal size and a wave of heat rolled out through the cavern, setting the fungal creep alight. Cracks appeared in the ground and lava flowed from the much denser fire-affinity mana billowing from the empowered ooze.


    ¡°Oops,¡± Ali said, as they scrambled to retreat from the room, her Acolytes throwing healing magic around as Naia¡¯s new boss set everyone alight. While the Lava Lurker technically had a lava affinity, it was compatible enough with fire affinity to work with the aura, but the specialized mana had certainly changed the manifestation of the aura. When she was done, Naia had a room full of lava and a monster of an ooze. Anything that wasn¡¯t resistant to fire was going to have a hard time in there.


    As they gathered in the hallway, Naia began making a few new oozes. ¡°For you,¡± she said, pushing them toward Ali. There were three each of the new oozes Naia had learned. Ali lost no time adding them to her repertoire.


    ¡°Thank you, Naia.¡± Ali¡¯s curiosity had been burning on a slow simmer in the background, and now it suddenly sprang to the fore. She summoned one of each of the two new oozes and studied their skills.


    The Rotting Ooze was straightforward, having a dual nature and death affinity, manifesting as ¡®rot¡¯ being the most interesting feature. It was immune to both affinities, and it had a classic combat-support skill that imbued all its physical attacks ¨C its pseudopod strikes ¨C with additional rotting damage. Other than that, there was nothing particularly remarkable about it.


    Surprisingly, her Devouring Consumption ¨C and the three that Naia had summoned for her to consume ¨C were all very low level. Level two in this case. She immediately noticed that the strange ooze was not immune to death or nature, just poison and the usual deafening, drowning, and blinding granted by its innate ooze biology. Its skillset was unremarkable for an ooze: basic ooze body morphology, physical attacks, strange tremor senses, and such. But it did have one skill that really caught her attention.


    ¡°Hey, Mato, look at this.¡±


    Consume ¨C level 1


    Mana: Consume a fully engulfed corpse to gain at least +1 temporary class level and grow larger . All temporary levels and growth are extended for +10 minutes per use. Duration: +10 minutes.


    Death, Nature, Buff, Wisdom.


    ¡°That¡¯s insane!¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Ali said, still marveling at the skill, and what she had seen during the fight. It really was an insane ability as Mato had said. Granted, it seemed like it would have been quite difficult to use in most of their fights so far, but against the demonic horde from the abyssal realm, it would have been devastating. Even just consuming all the Toxic Slimes her Spitter was generating at the height of that battle would have pushed the Devouring Consumption to some incredibly high level ¨C that was assuming it didn¡¯t have a cap.


    She had a mind to add one to that area as soon as they got back home. It was immune to poison, so that wouldn¡¯t be a problem. The only thing was it probably only gained size, class level, and the associated attribute points ¨C which was an incredible boost ¨C but it probably didn¡¯t gain skill levels with the increase.


    She shook off a vision of a monster slime burying all of Myrin¡¯s Keep beneath a quivering mountain.


    ¡°Healing is important, isn¡¯t it?¡± Naia said, interrupting her study of the new ooze, bobbing about thoughtfully. ¡°How can I get healing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Ali answered. ¡°I just learned to make the Kobold Acolytes when we found them in the library.¡± She couldn¡¯t imagine how much different her progress would have been without them. ¡°I suppose you would have to find a holy slime?¡± That thought sent a sudden rush of ideas cascading through her head. ¡°Naia, how does your mutation thing work?¡±


    ¡°If my slimes get hurt enough there is a chance to mutate. I never got to use it much because they usually die, but you healed my slimes a lot, so they got hurt a lot more than normal and then one mutated.¡± She bobbed about a little. ¡°It gets better with wisdom, and I just got more wisdom from my skill advancement.¡± She wobbled excitedly at that.


    She knew of only one source of holy damage, and that was Havok.


    ¡°Naia, would you like to meet some more friends? Some people at the guild could come visit you here and test your new bosses for you. And maybe their magic could help you grow. What do you think?¡± She knew also that she would feel a lot better having some friendly adventurers available to give Naia a hand if things got bad.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a great idea, Ali,¡± Mato said, grinning.


    ¡°Ok?¡± Naia seemed a little hesitant at the idea but cautiously willing to give it a try, so they trekked back up to the upper cavern where Ali set about inscribing two circles. One teleportation circle, she keyed to her private locus in the library, and the other was a locus for returning which she would link to a new teleportation circle in her collection. The total mana cost was not insignificant, but she knew the reservation was a small cost to keep the passage to visit Naia open.


    ¡°Try not to eat these, Naia,¡± Ali said. Whenever she inscribed her runic circles in the domain of another dungeon, the hostile mana would erode the integrity of her spell over time, eventually destroying it. She was just guessing, of course, but if there was some way for Naia to avoid that, it would be so convenient. If not, she could always return by way of Volle¡¯s locus.


    The little blue ooze poked the runes gently, looking for all the world like she was tasting the mana. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    ¡°Ok, through here,¡± Ali said, pointing to the teleportation circle she had just finished. Mato stepped into it first and vanished. Naia quivered quietly, but then she blobbed over to the circle and vanished too. Then, finally, Ali followed with her remaining minions in tow.


    ¡°Tree!¡± Naia exclaimed, rapidly wobbling over to the enormous Elder Tree, prodding it with a protrusion.


    ¡°Ooh, wisps!¡± she exclaimed excitedly as one flitted down and circled her before flying back up the tree.


    ¡°Runes!¡± Naia bounced excitedly about in every direction, examining everything.


    ¡°Bosses! Poison!¡± Naia exclaimed, growing visibly excited at the sight ¨C or perhaps scent ¨C of Ali¡¯s Toxic Spitter boss outside in the jungle, visible through the protective barrier. Naia clearly had the usual ooze Tremor Sense, but Ali had long concluded the little mimic had some way to sample mana at a surprising range.


    ¡°Come, let me show you the upper floor,¡± Ali said with a laugh, summoning a barrier to levitate them all up to the top floor of the Grand Library. Naia¡¯s obvious excitement was delightful, and it reminded Ali that Naia had never really left her caves.


    The moment Naia touched the landing, she froze, quivering, and instantly turned into a flagstone.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, little one,¡± Mato rumbled. ¡°They won¡¯t hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Come, let me introduce you,¡± Ali said, guiding her over to the couches. ¡°This is my aunt, Lira. Lira, this is Naia.¡±


    ¡°Hello, dear. It¡¯s good to meet you,¡± Lira said.


    ¡°Lira,¡± Naia said, reaching out tentatively to touch her leg with a pseudopod before instantly transforming herself into a perfect, scaled-down replica of the nearest couch, and it was only when Lira laughed gently at her antics that she transformed back to normal, and her natural curiosity reasserted itself. ¡°Aunt? Friend?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lira is friend,¡± Ali explained, trying to put it in terms that Naia knew.


    ¡°Aunt-friend.¡±


    ¡°This is Ryn,¡± Ali continued the introductions as she made a mental note to explain kinship to Naia later. ¡°She¡¯s the librarian here.¡±


    ¡°Friend?¡± Naia asked.


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s a good friend too.¡±


    ¡°Book?¡± Naia said, flowing up a chair to examine Clarence lying open on the table. She reached out with a pseudopod toward the book, but Clarence slammed shut and scooted out of reach.


    ¡°Not friend?¡± Naia asked, turning to Ali.


    ¡°Clarence is a friend, he¡¯s just a little grouchy sometimes. He likes playing fetch.¡±


    ¡°What is fetch?¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± Ali said, picking up the ball and handing it to her. ¡°Throw this out over the railing.¡± As soon as she touched the ball, Clarence perked up, bobbing about in anticipation.


    Naia held the ball in a pseudopod for a few moments, as if puzzled by the strange device. ¡°Throw?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes, make it fly toward the tree,¡± Ali suggested.


    The slender pseudopod drew back and then whipped across the table and the ball flew off, sailing over the railing and down into the atrium. Instantly, Clarence took off, shooting after it, with a sudden flight of golden dragonets chasing after him. Naia¡¯s body stretched outward as if peering over the railing in curiosity.


    A few moments later, Clarence flew back up over the railing with the ball held between his covers, having beaten the golden dragonets ¨C with some egregious magical cheating ¨C and dropped it on the table where it rolled up and bumped into Naia.


    ¡°Again?¡± Naia asked, seemingly getting the hang of the game intuitively. She extruded a new pseudopod to grasp the small ball.


    What followed was a long series of excited exclamations, bouncing, flying, and trails of glitter and motes from the little dragonets following in Clarence¡¯s wake as Naia took to the new game with extreme delight.


    ¡°Ryn, would you mind getting Aiden or Teagan?¡± Ali asked, watching the antics with amusement.


    ¡°Sure, Ali,¡± Ryn said and promptly vanished.


    The game of fetch was still enthralling to both Naia and Clarence when Ryn returned with both Aiden and Teagan.


    ¡°Hey, Ali, Ryn said you wanted to talk with us?¡± Teagan said.


    ¡°Yes, this is Naia. She¡¯s a friend and a dungeon that lives right outside of Volle in the kingdom of Toria. I made a teleport circle to the top of her dungeon, and I was wondering if you guys would check in on her now and then? She¡¯s just learned bosses and it would be great to have you guys test them and give her feedback. Maybe you can earn some experience, and she can advance her skills?¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a pretty convenient arrangement,¡± Aiden said, nodding carefully. ¡°I¡¯m game for some more practice.¡±


    Ali proceeded to brief them both on the details surrounding Naia¡¯s dungeon and the challenges she faced before introducing them to her. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Ali, I love your library,¡± Naia said, bobbing up and down happily while Clarence rested quietly on the table beside her. ¡°I have a book, too. Somebody dropped it in my first cave a hundred and thirty-six years ago.¡±


    Her body twisted, extending a pseudopod that immediately swelled up, beginning to glow brightly as its form changed from Naia¡¯s blue to the brilliant yellow-white of a Luminous Slime, suddenly detaching from her with the remains of the connecting pseudopod snapping back and making both slimes wobble under the recoil. Naia reached out and pulled something out of the Luminous Slime and offered it to Ali.


    It was a small, battered, leather-bound book. Carefully, Ali wiped some of the glowing slime off the spine and cover, realizing that Naia had used her bizarre teleportation skill to bring the Luminous Slime all the way from her dungeon near Volle to here without her runic circle, as easily as walking.


    ¡°Gift for you,¡± Naia said. ¡°For the library.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Naia,¡± Ali said. she thought, glancing through the unusual and, all things considered, surprisingly well-preserved cookbook.


    ¡°Hey, Ali,¡± Mato said, a strange note in his voice. ¡°Calen just messaged me with a Sending. He said he needs us in Ciradyl. It¡¯s urgent.¡±


    Vivian Ross


    Vivian knuckled the small of her back, trying to ease up the stress knot that was beginning to form as her eyes contended with the red pushpins dotted all across the wall-sized map of Myrin¡¯s Keep.


    Every single pin was a calling card, a corpse found, a mark of the Silent Assassin. The guild had had its unfair share of deaths due to the elusive killer, but the more information Mieriel unearthed, the more Vivian realized that this person was sowing unrest and terror across the entire town. People compulsively glanced over their shoulders, checking the shadows when they whispered the name ¡®Silent Assassin¡¯.


    The worst part was there seemed to be no discernable pattern. And no leads. Vivian could feel the hand of Mori behind it, but she had no proof. Just gut instinct.


    A sharp knock broke her concentration. ¡°Come in.¡±


    The door swung open, and Mieriel walked in, carefully shutting and latching it behind her. ¡°Vivian¡­¡± she said, with a grave expression on her face.


    ¡°Another one?¡±


    Mieriel dropped a familiar card on the table. ¡°Merchant this time. Right beside the South Gate.¡±


    ¡°I was hoping for good news,¡± Vivian said, eyeing the blatant advertisement of the Silent Assassin¡¯s reign of terror. With a sigh, she retrieved another pin and pushed it into the map at the appropriate spot.


    ¡°I have a name,¡± Mieriel said, locking eyes with her as her head snapped around from regarding the map. ¡°Tala Kane.¡±


    ¡°Tala¡­¡± Vivian said, the name pricking her memories for a moment before she placed it. ¡°Wait, the Town Watch girl who did her trial with Mato, Malika, and Calen? The Dagger Rogue?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mieriel said. ¡°That¡¯s the one.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± If true, this information was the link she needed to prove Mori¡¯s involvement.


    ¡°She finally made a mistake,¡± Mieriel said, producing an extremely expensive set of novice boots and placing them carefully on the desk before her, rotating them to display the spell-thread embroidered monogram ¡®D.A.¡¯ on the outside edge of the upper, beside the laces.


    Vivian recognized the boots immediately. There was a clearly scuffed section of distressed leather where the Asterford House crest had been removed, likely with a sharp knife.


    ¡°She secretly sold these to a Kel¡¯darran merchant destined for an out-of-town black market, and she killed the witnesses as usual. But she left the Kel¡¯darran alive¡­¡± Mieriel said. ¡°It was a simple matter to unravel the thread from there.¡±


    ¡°Did she¡­¡±


    ¡°Kill him?¡± Mieriel asked, completing her question. ¡°I believe so ¨C these boots show several months of wear, and Tala was wearing brand-new ones. At least, when the Kel¡¯darran merchant last saw her.¡±


    ¡°This¡­ this changes everything,¡± Vivian said, the implications slamming into her. Bastian believed his son had died in an unfortunate accident on his trial, like so many before him, but for all his haughtiness and rigid adherence to the crown law, the man had loved his son. He was not going to take this news quietly.


    ¡°Are you going to tell him?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Vivian said, allowing a grin to curve her lips. ¡°We¡¯re going to pit Bastian against Mori and get rid of our assassin problem in one stroke.¡± Bastian may not have the power to oust Mori, but the Town Watch couldn¡¯t make a move on the noble without dire consequences either. But making them enemies would hamstring both in so many ways. ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s Town Council meeting?¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Mieriel said. ¡°It will be tight with the meeting being so soon, but I will make the necessary preparatiobat-litrpg

 Chapter 212: The Temple of Aman Rak (Part 1)

    Evanna Quillmore the Scribe


    Calen


    Calen leapt to his feet as Lyeneru burst into the Pathfinders Guild Hall, bringing a gust of fresh outside air, laden with the scent of the Ciradyl trees and fresh forest growth. Malika and Mato glanced up from their conversation on the couch, while Ali put the finishing touches on her recording of Ciradyl¡¯s teleportation locus in her notebook.


    Elves glanced up or scrambled out of her way in a rippling wake as the Legendary Pathfinder strode across the room with purpose.


    ¡°Aah, good, you¡¯re all here,¡± Lyeneru said. ¡°We leave immediately. The council has instructed us to provide any aid we are able to offer to defend Aman Rak. Our primary objective is to learn the fate of the Telim Gor delegation. I assume you can all fly?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Mato said, raising his hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll carry him,¡± Ali answered.


    ¡°Good, let¡¯s go,¡± Lyeneru said.


    They flew north and west, leaving Ciradyl behind, following the jagged snow-covered peaks of the mountains of Dol Kerriadh. Lyeneru led them high above the verdant jungle that covered much of the lowlands between the mountains and the Gulf of Serenity, trying to ensure they didn¡¯t provoke any monster attacks from below but, even though Calen flew beside the Legendary Pathfinder herself, he still kept a sharp eye out, taking in everything as they passed.


    He noted signs of plentiful game below the canopy, waterways, and isolated settlements. From this height, Calen could even see the blue expanse of the gulf beyond the edge of the peninsula. All was quiet and peaceful as they flew, and nothing disturbed their passage.


    It was a couple of hours into the flight that his sharp vision picked out rough stone buildings high up the mountains, nestled among the peaks and ridges. ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Telim Gor,¡± Lyeneru answered, identifying the settlement. ¡°Home of the Ice Trolls. Tol¡¯zerath¡¯s kingdom. Legend says it has stood there since the first age.¡±


    ¡°Sages from Telim Gor would visit us in Dal¡¯mohra sometimes,¡± Ali said. ¡°They came to lecture on history or to use the library for research.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really high up,¡± Calen said, noting the location, and automatically estimating the number of buildings and huts as they passed by. It was by no means a small settlement ¨C while it was difficult to compare, he guessed the population might even be close to that of the huge Wood Elf city of Ciradyl.


    ¡°Most are born with bloodlines aligned with ice affinities ¨C they find it more comfortable up there among the snowy peaks than down in the muggy lowlands,¡± Lyeneru explained. ¡°It will be the reverse when we reach Aman Rak.¡±


    They passed the icy troll kingdom from afar, not finding any reason to go out of their way, and after it had been long past, Calen¡¯s attention returned to the aborted archery class earlier in the afternoon. His thoughts did not dwell on Malanior¡¯s hate and prejudice though, but something Nendir had said, an echo of Lyeneru¡¯s earlier comments.


    ¡°Lyeneru, why is it that you and Nendir care so much about my confidence?¡± he asked. Lyeneru remained silent for so long after his question that was sure he must have offended her somehow, but eventually, she turned and studied him with a piercing look.


    ¡°Being a Pathfinder isn¡¯t just about your personal skills and class level,¡± she said, her voice level, betraying no annoyance at answering his question. ¡°A Pathfinder is a symbol of strength and leadership, one that people instinctively look up to. To truly progress, you must embody those ideals. When you show up on the battlefield, often your confidence, knowledge, and leadership will save more lives than your bow.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± he said. Calen considered her words in silence. What she said made sense, and she embodied exactly what she had just described. When Calen had first seen her, he had been in awe of her status and reputation as a legendary Pathfinder, even before he knew who she was. He would have followed her without question, had she required it ¨C and he knew most people would have done the same. It was an intimidating presence to try and emulate.


    ¡°You have time,¡± she added, cracking a small grin, as if she had read his mind and understood his hesitation. ¡°But it¡¯s also the main reason Nendir was so concerned with how fast you¡¯re leveling your class. You¡¯re rapidly outgrowing your education and your skill levels. In the Pathfinders Guild, there is a policy to keep class level progressing slowly while focusing more on well-rounded education, especially at the novice and initiate levels.¡±


    ¡°That explains why Coria only gained a single level since my last visit,¡± Calen said, connecting the dots. It was a safe policy ¨C a conservative one ¨C and he understood why they would insist upon it. Elves were long-lived and had few children ¨C the idea of losing a life was perhaps even more traumatic to them than it was to the shorter-lived humans.


    ¡°Yes, she is training hard,¡± Lyeneru said. ¡°It¡¯s the reason she surpasses your bow skills in technique, despite your higher level.¡±


    he thought considering their progress. Granted, they could have ignored the Emberforge Mines for a few years while honing their skills, but they were almost as likely to die to an assassin in Myrin¡¯s Keep as they were deep underground facing monsters. Well, perhaps not so much now that they¡¯d reached gold rank, but still. He had to admit the implied rebuke stung a little but, he reminded himself, a forest might be traversed by many pathways. Her wisdom did not suggest stopping progress, but argued for balance.


    They flew further north until he began to see the distant pillars of miasma rising from the blighted forest, and he recognized they were approaching the northern reaches of the Troll kingdoms and the southern border of New Daria ¨C the same area he had been sent to scout.


    ¡°There it is,¡± Lyeneru said, pointing northward and down toward the verdant green jungle. ¡°Aman Rak. It seems intact.¡± Although her tone was level, Calen detected a note of relief in her voice ¨C like she had been braced for something far more terrible. The miasma of the death dungeon was still only visible in the distance, and everything below where Lyeneru pointed was verdant and green still, untouched by the dread blight.


    Calen surveyed the Troll kingdom, a ragged collection of huts and stone buildings nestled among the trees and overgrowth. It sprawled out from the mountainous cliffs it was nestled up against, extending deep into the jungle, making it quite hard to estimate a good size for it. But according to his eyes, it was at least as large as the Telim Gor kingdom they had passed. At the top of the cliffs, he spied an ornate temple constructed from heavy rust-colored sandstone blocks and what looked like the bones of a monstrous leviathan or dragon.


    ¡°The mana looks¡­ strangely twisted,¡± Ali said, squinting her eyes.


    Lyeneru¡¯s jaw tightened at once. ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Calen scanned the temple and the surroundings, his eyes catching on something odd. A large section of the jungle had been cleared away recently, leaving a wide scar when everywhere else, the city-kingdom blended with nature instead of ripping it away. Assembled within the scar, he could make out the ranks of figures standing like statues. Figures that ranged in color from red through dark gray to green-toned skin. Gleaming tusks protruded from their mouths and their powerful three-fingered hands grasped weapons of many kinds.


    But it was the stillness that caught his attention. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Something is wrong,¡± Calen said, pointing as the skin on the back of his neck starting to prickle. ¡°They aren¡¯t moving.¡±


    Lyeneru¡¯s gaze snapped toward the ranks of the Aman Rak warriors, studying them intently. It wasn¡¯t just that they weren¡¯t walking around or talking; even from this distance, Calen should have been able to see them breathing. That was when he started noticing the signs of decay upon their bodies and the tautness of their skin ¨C and suddenly he knew what had prickled his instincts.


    ¡°Zombies!¡± he gasped.


    ¡°We¡¯re too late,¡± Lyeneru said in a flat voice. ¡°Be on your guard. With me.¡±


    Lyeneru spiraled down, taking them lower and lower until they were skirting the tops of the trees, making their presence harder to spot from the ground. Calen followed close behind, feeding his Eclipse to blur his presence as she led them toward the mountainous cliffs and the pass filled with the larger important-looking stone buildings and lush jungle vegetation.


    ¡°This is the temple. If anyone survived, they will be here,¡± Lyeneru said as she alighted on the ground where a simple trail led up through the trees to the pass.


    Calen took several steps forward and almost bumped into Lyeneru as she suddenly stopped cold.


    The Temple of Aman Rak ¨C level ??


    Affinity: Blood, Bone.


    Age: New.


    Known Creatures: Troll.


    Known Bosses: --


    Dungeon


    A dark shadow swirled up ahead.


    Ali screamed.


    A heavy dark bolt shot from the shadow, sizzling as it slammed into Lyeneru¡¯s chest, knocking her coughing and choking to the ground.


    And then the familiar wave of unholy dread crashed through Calen¡¯s heart as a sepulchral figure floated out from the dense overgrowth. His crimson runic blindfold gleamed brightly in the dim light as an unnatural twilight descended upon the forest. A clawed, twisted hand rose like a petrified tree limb, protruding from the wide cuffs, blazing with dark energy.


    Calen could not even breathe.


    For a moment, he was sure Lyeneru was going to die right there, the second titanic bolt already tearing across the shaded trail, aimed for her head. But she gritted her teeth, releasing a wordless scream of rage. A cascade of fire and lightning burst from her and she vanished, suddenly appearing above the trees, bow drawn with a scowl of pure determination etched upon her features. Without hesitation, Lyeneru unleashed an onslaught of arrows, ripping, tearing, and exploding among the trees, obscuring the Lich¡¯s presence in the sudden storm of magic.


    Lyeneru glanced at him, and Calen knew instinctively what she required from him without even a word being spoken. With a howl of flame and a torrent of sparks, she took off, and the evil grasp of the Blind Lich released him as Nevyn Eld gave chase.


    Calen shivered, his legs giving out at the suddenness of the removal of the Lich¡¯s dread aura, and he crashed to the ground.


    ¡°F¡­ fuck,¡± Malika whispered. ¡°Everyone alright? Ali?¡±


    Ali stood beside her, trembling uncontrollably.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time,¡± Calen said, struggling to keep his voice from cracking. ¡°She¡¯s drawn him away. We need to investigate the temple before he returbat-litrpg

 Chapter 212: The Temple of Aman Rak (Part 2)

    AliandraAli picked herself up off the damp jungle floor, still trembling like a leaf from the sudden shock of stumbling into Nevyn Eld up close and unprepared, her senses wracked and shaken by the devastating aura of fear and dread that clung to him like an ominous second shadow. Up ahead, along the path where the Blind Lich had emerged from the jungle, she saw the still-smoking remains of trees and undergrowth, and the impact craters of the insane fire and lightning magic Lyeneru had unleashed upon him in the violent intensity of their brief clash.


    ¡°Are you ok, Ali?¡± Malika asked again, looking nearly as shaken as she felt.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t ready¡­ for ,¡± Ali admitted. It was always a challenge to fly with her minions, and Ryn had not been able to transport much more than just her and Mato to the truly magnificent Ciradyl Grand Library, so she had been caught flat-footed outside her dungeon with none of her minions available to defend her, and no enhancements from her magical buff skills. It was a mistake, and one she resolved never to make again. She shouldn¡¯t have made it this time.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, he¡¯s gone,¡± Mato said, helping her up.


    Ali dusted herself off, glancing about, heart still hammering behind her sternum. The Lich and Lyeneru¡¯s clash had shaken the forest like thunder, and although they were most certainly a long way off by now, she worried about the ranks of undead in the remains of the troll city behind them. But, after a few moments passed in silence, she decided that somehow, miraculously, they had not been heard and it seemed like they would not be immediately swarmed.


    But as soon as she had finished the thought, Calen called out a low warning.


    ¡°Something is coming,¡± he whispered, his eyes surprisingly intent on the path ahead that led up the mountain pass to what had to be the rest of the Temple of Aman Rak rather than back toward the ranks of the waiting undead army. The path that led deeper into the dungeon.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Malika asked, her voice pitched low.


    ¡°Undead,¡± Mato said. ¡°I can smell them.¡±


    Ali searched the thick press of entwined tree branches, the rampant overgrown vines and bushes, and the choking weight of abundant moss and orchids along the winding dirt path for what Calen had seen, reaching automatically for the senses of her minions to help her search, only to be abruptly reminded that she hadn¡¯t brought any. The path and the jungle ahead were steeped in pervasive dense mana ¨C a familiar jagged, somehow sharp-edged, dark gray mana entwined with a dense viscous red that twisted in fluid-like tendrils and ribbons, binding together in a structure and pattern she had never seen before ¨C forming something that could only be¡­


    The dark gray mana was sharper, denser, and stronger than the bone-affinity mana from the Ruins of Dal¡¯mohra dungeon they had defeated so long ago, but without a doubt, it was the same affinity. The dense viscous red was the same blood-affinity mana that flowed in her Abyssal Stalkers and Vampire Hornets, and the many other demonic denizens of the Abyssal Realm, only without the demonic traits or hellfire aspect.


    Then she saw it. Ali didn¡¯t see the skeletons at first, but the death mana that animated them was unmistakable, clashing against the structured backdrop of the domain. An ominously dense black core that bound the animating necromancy to the pile of dead troll bones ¨C a mana that was distinct and separate from the dungeon itself. Two tall, stooped skeletons shuffled their way along the jungle path, breaking into a shambling, clacking run the moment they saw Mato shifting into his Bear Form. They had clearly once been trolls, standing a head taller than Mato in Beastkin form or Calen, even with their hunched posture. The three-toed feet and three-fingered hands gave away their original race just as clearly as the large tusks protruding from their skeletal jaws.


    Mato¡¯s roar signaled the beginning of the battle as he crashed into the undead minions of the Lich and Ali suddenly found herself thrust into combat with no minions at her disposal. She didn¡¯t even have her old Arcane Bolt spell ¨C all she could do was fire sharpened shards of barrier magic. But her barrier shards passed through the gaps between the bones of the skeletons more often than not, doing almost no damage.


    ¡°I need minions,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Make them,¡± Calen said, his bow striking a regular twanging rhythm. ¡°We can cover you. Quick.¡±


    Mato had both skeletons locked on him, and between him and Malika it seemed that he was not in any danger of dying. However, without the Healer¡¯s Sight skill of her Acolytes, Ali was unable to get an accurate sense of his health. All she could tell was that his restoration magic was running at full power, and he was filling the battlefield with roots and brambles that twisted and twined around ankle bones and legs.


    Ali thought, deciding that she could rely on Malika to keep him alive for the moment. She opened her Grimoire mid-battle and began summoning, using her leftover mental capacity to keep up her ineffective barrier shard attacks. The first thing she summoned was an Acolyte of Azryet, and the instant it appeared, she slipped her awareness into its senses, confirming that indeed Mato was healthy.


    ¡°Another skeleton is coming,¡± Calen announced. At his words, Ali glanced up and identified another dense knot of death magic approaching through the trees.


    ¡°I can heal Mato now, Malika,¡± Ali said, letting Malika focus on punching and kicking instead of healing so much. Quickly, she chose her Acolyte as her first target for Empowered Summoner, and her mana pool instantly expanded. It felt like a good stretch first thing in the morning, reminding her just how cramped she was without her full capacity. It was just her maximum mana that expanded ¨C she would still need to regenerate it all to full ¨C but it still felt like coming home.


    She summoned a Hellfire Imp next and enhanced her intelligence attribute using it while still keeping a close eye on the fight. Several more skeletons had already emerged from the forest, shambling out into the open one by one, but she was ready to make some combat minions. At least, ones that wouldn¡¯t blow up her friends with hellfire.


    Almost by instinct, she found herself turning to the Kobold Fire Mage imprint ¨C the last time she had fought the undead, she had found blowing them up to be the most effective.


    she told herself.


    Changing tack, she flipped to the Dragon imprint and summoned an Armored Drake. The majestic, crimson-scaled beast appeared, filling the entire pathway. Grass and nearby leaves singed from the ambient heat of its mere presence. It fixed her with a piercing gaze and let out a low rumbling growl.


    ¡°¡± she commanded, sending it charging into the fray, and instantly the tide of the battle turned.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s a fantastic choice,¡± Calen said. Neither Ali¡¯s barrier magic nor Calen¡¯s arrows were particularly suited to killing animated skeletons, so till now it had just been Malika and Mato who were having an impact. But as soon as her drake charged in, it knocked one skeleton flying, breathed fire on the rest, and unleashed a devasting cleave with its talons that sent bone splinters flying with explosive force.


    Ali left it to its own devices, idly eavesdropping on Mato¡¯s conversation with it as the two of them coordinated tactics, and concentrated on her magic. After a while, the battle ebbed to a close leaving a pile of smoking bones amid the receding vines, but Ali didn¡¯t stop summoning. She didn¡¯t want to be caught feeling useless and vulnerable again. Mato¡¯s roots and vines reminded her that they were outside in a jungle, and she could use her Forest Guardian once again.


    With all her minions back home, Ali¡¯s total mana reservation shot up to well over nine thousand, but that still left her with a comfortable four thousand mana free to work with. She would have liked to summon another drake or guardian, but the two runic circles linking Naia¡¯s dungeon to her library cost a little more than a Forest Guardian each to maintain. And there was no way she was depopulating her domain defenses.


    Ali flickered her awareness back to the library, half a continent away, finding that Naia had already returned to her own dungeon, and on a whim, she sent several of her Glitter Dragonets through the teleportation circle so that she could have some eyes roosting in Naia¡¯s cavern. She smiled to see the little blue slime already busy summoning a new boss, right in the middle of the giant glowing lake beside the waterfall. What surprised her most though, was the sight of several of the guild adventurers ¨C Aiden, Teagan, Havok, and Seth ¨C standing beside the lake looking on with interest, calling out occasional suggestions.


    ¡°Why the Stalkers?¡± Calen asked, kicking some of the smoking bones over and crouching to examine them closer. ¡°Their blood magic doesn¡¯t work on undead, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think those skeletons were dungeon minions,¡± Ali answered. ¡°They were animated by death mana, and it didn¡¯t seem connected to the dungeon¡¯s domain at all.¡±


    ¡°So, where did they come from?¡± he asked, not questioning her observation.


    ¡°Eld?¡± It was a good question, but the brief presence of the Lich answered it quite definitively in Ali¡¯s mind. He was a necromancer, capable of summoning and binding Death Knights to his service. The skeletal remnants of the inhabitants of Aman Rak had to be a part of his nefarious scheme somehow.


    ¡°Probably,¡± Calen nodded, agreeing with her deduction. ¡°Keep an eye out then, we still don¡¯t know what kind of monsters this dungeon makes.¡±


    Malika nodded. ¡°Not at all terrifying that an entire Troll nation has fallen, right?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know that for certain,¡± Calen disagreed, but his tone was resigned rather than helpful. Certainly, it seemed dire if Nevyn Eld himself had come.


    While the others recovered their stamina, Ali added a couple of interesting trees and vines to her Grimoire, using the deconstruction to finally replenish her mana. Then, she pulled out a couple of trays of multicolored potions she had purchased at the Pathfinder Guild shop and deconstructed those too.


    After that, she created a spread of potions which she shared with her friends and humanoid minions, and said, ¡°Ok, I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s moderately terrifying, Ali,¡± Malika said, glancing over at her Forest Guardian standing shoulder to shoulder with the enormous Armored Drake. The two of them blocked the path so thoroughly that they were crushing bushes and snapping small trees on the sides.


    ¡°I just hope we don¡¯t run into anything immune to fire,¡± Ali said. It was a powerful army, but it was also heavily biased towards physical and fire damage. She had a lot of melee monsters, and besides the blood magic of her Stalkers, all her magical attacks were fire-based. But, as she had discovered against the Corrupted Fire Drake, the glaring weakness was her vastly underleveled Acolytes.


    ¡°Fire seems like a good default choice,¡± Calen approved. ¡°Especially against blood and bone.¡±


    ¡°I wish I had better healers,¡±Ali said. It was not the first time she had worried about this, her Acolytes had served her well so far, but their magic was simply not keeping up with the demands of higher-level combat and the vastly larger health pools of her newer monsters. She really liked Naia, but she was definitely jealous of her ability to level her oozes up in combat.


    ¡°Your Kobolds are great,¡± Malika said, offering encouragement.


    ¡°This way,¡± Calen said, leading them onward into the dungeon itself. ¡°Lyeneru will want to know what¡¯s in here when she gets back.¡±


    Ali thought, catching Malika¡¯s gaze, but she left it unsaid. Nevyn Eld was a terrifying foe, and it was not obvious that even the Legendary Pathfinder herself would be able to escape the clutches of his devastating death magic.


    Malika puffed out her cheeks. ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡±


    Ali thought, putting the epic battle between the two unimaginably powerful entities out of her mind. It was a battle well beyond herself, and she would need to focus on the dungeon before her. She followed along behind Calen as they headed into the jungle.


    ----------


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 Chapter 213: Bone (Part 1)

    Tala Tala ignored the curious stares from the various Town Watch guards lounging around the lobby and took a deep breath to compose herself. It would not do to show weakness before them. She reached out and knocked sharply on the door to Kieran Mori¡¯s office.


    She waited in the silence after her knuckles had rapped against the solid oak, biting down on her mounting anxiety. She had expected this summons ¨C obviously. She had provoked it after all. If Mori realized she had done it on purpose, though, she probably would not survive this meeting. But he had been inexplicably dragging his feet, and Tala could not get the sight of Aliandra and Malika standing trial out of her mind.


    ¡°Come in, Tala.¡±


    She gulped, and then opened the door and entered.


    Kieran sat at his desk, signing paperwork with an expensive mana pen. His spine was ramrod straight and his focus unshakeable, and the impressive leather armor he always wore was concealed beneath a dark cloak. Tala approached the desk and waited quietly, the remaining moments of her fate slowly ticking away to rising pressure in her chest and throat.


    ¡°You have been made,¡± Kieran said, his gaze flicking up to pierce her with the same deadly precision with which he wielded his spear.


    ¡°What?¡± she exclaimed, feigning surprise, not having to fake at least the intensity of her emotions.


    ¡°Vivian Ross found Donavan¡¯s boots on the merchant caravan and put it together somehow,¡± he said, putting his pen down on the desk beside the papers with unnerving deliberateness. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you killed Bastian¡¯s son. He¡¯s furious. He wants blood. And he wants it now.¡±


    This was the moment. Tala widened her eyes to sell it better. ¡°I¡­¡± she paused under his withering glare and then deflated her chest and lowered her head. ¡°It¡¯s how I unlocked my class¡­¡± She trailed her voice off.


    ¡°I figured it was something like that,¡± Kieran said. ¡°No matter. It puts us in a bit of a difficult position, but nothing we can¡¯t handle.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to resign?¡± she asked, daring to glance up at the powerful assassin. She had been prepared to argue for leniency, to have to play up her value and contributions, and he had just skipped right past all of it.


    ¡°Officially, you¡¯ve already skipped town and I¡¯m searching for you to bring you back and face Bastian¡¯s wrath ¨C or justice, depending on who you ask,¡± Kieran said. ¡°You¡¯re no longer a member of the Watch.¡±


    ¡°Unofficially?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re moving up our plans. You¡¯re still not quite ready, but¡­ you will apprentice with Indacus Argyle. He is the Shadow Council chapter leader in Southport. He will take care of accelerating your leveling, giving you additional jobs for the Shadow Council. You¡¯re still reporting to me directly, though, so your actions reflect on my reputation in the organization, and I will require you to return here every other week or so for specific jobs. Just don¡¯t get seen.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ ok. If you¡¯re sure I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not,¡± Keiran said bluntly. ¡°Argyle will push you far harder than I have. Don¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Tala said, ruthlessly suppressing the grin that threatened to emerge by pasting a practiced demure expression on her face. ¡°Thank you, thank you for looking out for me. I won¡¯t make another mistake.¡±


    ¡°You better not,¡± Kieran said and tossed a small black disk at her. ¡°Show that token to Indacus Argyle. It¡¯s your invitation to the organization. Congratulations. Now, piss off.¡±


    Aliandra


    Ali directed her minions to fan out as she followed along in the middle of the pack, her Armored Drake and Forest Guardian flanking Mato at the front while she kept her Acolytes close beside her so she could better protect them with her barriers. Birds and jungle wildlife fled from the heavy thumping steps of her most massive minions, filling the air with raucous calls and the rustling of shivering underbrush.


    Everywhere Mato went, his signature vibrant green mana seeped into the ground, causing the plants to respond to his passage. Tiny leaves sprouted from branches overhanging the dirt pathway, moss grew a little taller, and the trees seemed to sigh, extending their branches just a little further.


    she thought. Working their way through the Emberforge Mines was akin to trekking through a desolate wasteland of flame and rock compared to the verdant jungle pressing in all about them. In fact, if it wasn¡¯t for the presence of the undead and the domain mana to remind her that she was in a dungeon, she might have imagined herself taking a relaxing walk through the vibrant greenery and flowers, listening to the patter of water dripping from the canopy onto the lush ferns below, and the melodic chirping of songbirds hidden among the leaves. At least till her monsters frightened them away.


    Despite the idyllic beauty of Aman Rak, Ali kept vigilant, sampling the many senses of her minions. She even kept her attention on the riotous, overwhelming response from her Abyssal Stalkers¡¯ Scent of Blood skill, immersed as they were in the dense blood mana of the dungeon¡¯s domain. It was giving her a headache. With the dirt path winding through dense, impenetrable jungle, Ali immediately found that scent skills and her imps¡¯ heat vision were far more useful to her than mundane vision, and it was her own Arcane Insight sensing the fluctuations in the domain mana through the obscuring undergrowth that first warned her of something changing.


    ¡°The mana is different up ahead,¡± Ali said, trying to puzzle out what she was seeing. It was as if there were geysers of bone-affinity mana somewhere up ahead through the trees ¨C but they were placed too regularly to be a natural phenomenon. Warily, they rounded the next bend to find a low wall of stone running perpendicular to the trail. On either side of the path stood two age-worn stone statues of important-looking trolls, and spanning the break in the wall was an arch made from the spine of some huge monster, rib bones sticking out like spikes reaching toward the sky.


    ¡°These guys look big,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Yes. Some Trolls can grow quite large,¡± Ali said as she studied the large statues, sculptures honoring some past champions of the tribe. Trolls tended to revere the spirits rather than the gods, and honoring the fallen warriors in this way was an ancient tradition. The two Trolls were sculpted from a dark stone, and the artist had clearly emphasized their large, prominent tusks, spiked ridges of bone armor, and the imposing weight of the axes clutched in their powerful three-fingered grasp. Moss grew on their shoulders and centuries of rain seemed to have pitted the surface of the work, leaving it looking rough and weather-beaten.


    ¡°You seem to know a lot about them,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve encountered a few in my time,¡± Ali said. Even back when she was growing up, Trolls were legendary for their reclusive tendencies, mostly keeping to themselves and avoiding the cities of the so-called lesser races ¨C as they referred to dwarves, humans, and elves. Still, Dal¡¯mohra had been such an important cultural center for the entire continent that their tall blue- or green-skinned forms could often be seen about the city. Their ambassadors, the ¡®¡¯ as they referred to them, were often bringing delegations to the neutral ground of Dal¡¯mohra to broker treaties, or settle disputes, and so she was no stranger to their kind.


    But it was not the political ambassadors she was most familiar with. Trolls, and indeed most reputable historians, believed that their race predated even the Elves. Because of their unique and widely envied powers of regeneration, Trolls didn¡¯t suffer from mortality in the same way as most other races. They ¨C some would say stubbornly ¨C did not die of natural causes, and therefore, there were some truly ancient Trolls among their kind, often invited by the scholars and historians of Dal¡¯mohra to consult or lecture on the minutiae of historical events.


    Ali had found them to be oftentimes arrogant and proud, believing strongly in the superiority of troll-kind. However, they also had a profound and complex sense of honor and access to uncommon and powerful magic which had always fascinated her in her youth. Magic that was often related to the soul or spirits of their ancestors, divination, and strange runic tattoos. While almost everyone was bigger than her, the Trolls tended to be taller than most races, standing about a head taller than even the tallest elves and humans. But Ali would never forget the awe and instinctual fear she had experienced the first time she had seen one of the rare giant trolls in a delegation. It had been so massive she would not have even reached its knees, with legs wider than her entire body and footsteps that shook the ancient stone of Dal¡¯mohra announcing its approach before she had even glimpsed its giant tusked face and the enormous axes looming over the tops of the buildings.


    ¡°This must be the Temple of Bone,¡± Calen said quietly. ¡°Lyeneru explained a little about Aman Rak on the way.¡±


    The dirt path meandered through the macabre rib-and-vertebrae arched gateway and onward into the jungle that continued on the other side, unconstrained by the presence of a mere wall.


    Lining the edges of the pathway at regular intervals were tall totems, perhaps twice Ali¡¯s height, and made from what appeared to be fresh troll bones. A gruesome, tusked skull capped the totem, and it was decorated with jagged mystical glyphs of dark red that she hoped was paint. Scattered about the foot of the totem was a pile of what seemed to be discarded bones upon the darkly stained ground, and the entire gory construction emitted pulses of powerful bone-affinity mana that rapidly assimilated into the surrounding domain.


    ¡°What  that?¡± Malika asked, her face wrinkled in an expression of extreme disgust.


    ¡°It¡¯s what the dungeon is using to propagate its bone-affinity mana,¡± Ali answered. But such a statement conveyed none of the skin-crawling revulsion she experienced just looking at the horrible thing.


    ¡°The bones smell fresh,¡± Mato said, kicking one with his foot. ¡°They must have killed someone recently to make this.¡±


    ¡°Can we destroy it, please?¡± Malika said.


    ¡°I can deconstruct it,¡± Ali said, ¡°But I fear we will provoke the dungeon just like we did when I deconstructed the Bone Spire.¡± She had no desire to face another dungeon-break, and this time without the benefit of her domain mana granting them the power of a raid boss for defenses.


    ¡°How about we destroy the whole dungeon, and then clean up all this stuff?¡± Mato said, his face set with an uncommonly firm determination.


    ¡°Definitely,¡± Calen said, nodding. His cheeks seemed to have taken on a slight shade of green.


    ¡°If we can,¡± Ali said. They had only signed up to get information, but she wholeheartedly agreed. Some sort of horrific desecration had been inflicted on this place, defiling the once-thriving home of the Aman Rak trolls, turning it into a gruesome dungeon of butchery, crawling with the undead remnants of their people.


    ¡°We need to get to the bottom of this,¡± Malika said.


    ----------


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 Chapter 213: Bone (Part 2)

    AliandraAs they set out to follow the slowly broadening trail, Ali kept a close eye on the jungle around them, calling out the occasional warning when skeletons approached. Progress was painfully slow, as they were forced to stop every few minutes to kill some undead creature, but it was vastly safer to take care of them cleanly than try to rush through, not knowing what lay ahead.


    Ali had deconstructed so many undead by now that her Grimoire immediately categorized it as such, but she just as quickly dismissed the worthless imprint, knowing she couldn¡¯t use them without death-affinity mana. But she didn¡¯t stop deconstructing the undead, not certain if they would be able to be raised a second time.


    Ali was already lost by the time they started encountering zombies, but she trusted Calen to remember the way out. The putrescent stench of the rotting undead flesh made her stomach crawl and their status as undead prevented her Abyssal Stalkers from doing effective damage, however, she didn¡¯t care, she simply burned them down with hellfire and dragon¡¯s breath and then deconstructed the remains.


    She dismissed the offered imprint again, wishing she could just disable her Grimoire from trying to learn anything she couldn¡¯t make. Certainly, any undead would be worth blocking.  she thought, suddenly reminded of Calen¡¯s idea of learning it just so that she could make undead-slayer bosses.


    A soft whirling soundcut through the trees.


    It was Mato who reacted first, suddenly transforming into his Bear Form as a light gray shape whipped out of the dense trees, flying end-over-end and burying itself into his hide before his transformation was even complete.


    Ali barely had time to register the bone axe sticking out of his shoulder before it shattered, sending a deadly blast of piercing bone shards in all directions. She threw up a barrier as quickly as she could, but her reactions were too slow to prevent the shards from tearing through her legs, stomach, and chest, and slicing up the Acolytes huddled around her. She coughed, feeling the disconcerting gurgle of blood pouring into her lungs, but held onto her protective spell through gritted teeth and pain.


    A powerful cascade of scent erupted through her borrowed Abyssal Stalker senses as her blood sprayed out into the air, and then she caught the smell of blood lurking behind the trees in the jungle.


    ¡°Something in the trees,¡± Calen called out.


    One of Ali¡¯s Acolytes slumped to the ground, her injuries too severe to heal, but the three remaining Kobolds instantly got to work. Her pain began to subside as the holy restoration began to pulse through her and she turned to focus on their ambushers.


    A continuous stream of bone axes flew from the cover of the trees, spinning faster and faster until Ali could barely perceive more than a blur before they smashed against the armor of her drake and Forest Guardian and exploded among the rest of her minions, keeping the healers continuously channeling their holy magic. ¡°¡± she said, shifting the mountains of armor on legs to provide better cover.


    Quick shouts rang out from the cover of the trees on both sides of the path, causing her to lose some mana to her Sage of Learning. But even though she was somewhat tight on mana with so many high-level minions, it wasn¡¯t quite enough to worry her yet, so she ignored her temperamental skill, focusing all her attention instead on the shuffling among the trees.


    The lean, muscular figure that emerged from the jungle had dark green skin decorated with red-and-brown painted glyphs, and his spiky hair had been colored with the same stuff. He had a mean low-slung jaw with a pair of impressive tusks jutting up out of his mouth. His pointed ears were too thick and rough to be considered elf-like, and his dark eyes were narrowed, staring at her with a feral cunning.


    ¡°Troll!¡± Ali yelled, ¡°Alive.¡±Despite the heavy leather-and-bone armor, he moved with a lithe power and delicate grace. And it was not one of the undead.


    ¡°That¡¯s a dungeon monster,¡± Calen said, and Ali immediately saw what he was talking about. The mana connection she had observed within her own minions was present within this troll, only bone and blood affinities instead of her familiar arcane and nature.


    The troll shouted something guttural and harsh, the delicate runic carvings on his tusks glowing strangely in her mana sight. Suddenly the bare skin on his arms, throat, and legs erupted with spines and ridges of bone bursting their way out of his body in a gory display of self-modifying magic, quickly covering his body in a second layer of dense bone armor ¨C evoking the deadly image of the stone sculptures of Troll warriors Ali had studied near the entrance.


    From the insides of both his forearms, bone growths ruptured the skin, elongating and shaping rapidly under the influence of a powerful bone manipulation skill. In less than a second, he had created two bone axes from his own body which he snapped off and launched into the air with rapid powerful throws. Even as his weapons flew, he was already growing new ones to replace them as his body healed the self-inflicted wounds.


    Another harsh shout sounded, and a second live Troll emerged from the trees, this one obviously female, and even more intimidating with the wicked-looking blades she was growing from the outside of her forearms. Her blades grew longer and longer until they extended from her elbow all the way to past her hands, half again as long as her arms; weapons clearly designed for both slashing and punching.


    She blurred into motion, tearing across the path, burying both blades up to her fists into Mato¡¯s flank in less than a blink of an eye, leaving bone spikes scattered across the ground in the wake of her charge. Mato roared in pain and challenge, swiping across her thighs, tearing at the bone armor, and drawing blood with his powerful claws. Vines and brambles burst from the ground in response to his magic, entangling the troll¡¯s legs. But already Ali could see the gashes in the troll¡¯s legs beginning to close.


    Four more trolls emerged from the forest, quickly sprouting gray armor and blades that gleamed in the dappled sunlight as they charged into the fray.


    ¡°¡± Ali commanded, and took her own focus to the melee fight, observing from her Armored Drake. She faced two Trolls, both well over two meters tall. She lashed out with her dragon claws, Cleaving across her foes, but the first Troll dodged, and the second blocked with both blades crossed in front of him, both reacting with uncanny speed. Her powerful Cleave shattered one of the Troll¡¯s bone blades sending shards flying, but he simply regrew it as he pressed his counterattack. The trolls¡¯ blades flickered and flashed, growing faster and faster the more they hit until she struggled to even see the blades moving. She tried biting the nearest one, but again it simply dodged to the side. Frustrated, she breathed out, unleashing intense waves of dragon¡¯s fire at the trolls, eliciting sharp shouts of pain and anger as they were caught in the blast, and setting the right side of the forest path alight.


    ¡°Watch the flanks,¡± Calen said.


    Ali swapped to watching her Abyssal Stalkers sneaking up on a troll each and felt the satisfaction of seeing both staggered by the powerful unleashed ambush attack, combined with their blood shock magic. But as soon as the trolls recovered, again she found their wounds slowly closing as they began dodging and slashing in counterattack.


    She swapped to her Hellfire Imp and was suddenly subjected to the bizarre disorientation of having her body turned into flame and appearing in the center of an unleashed ball of hellfire. The heat was intense, with black flame surging all around her, but instead of pain, she felt rejuvenated. Not even her vision was impaired, she could clearly see herself and the flame hurtling toward the ground and the creatures fighting there: her drake, wargs, and stalkers all fighting trolls with their bristling armor and flashing blades.


    A flicker of worry passed through her, but at least half her minions were entirely immune to fire, and suddenly she was the epicenter of a devastating detonation. She emerged from the explosion unscathed and back in the physical body of an imp, hopping up and down with excitement, spreading extra flame everywhere with its flame shield.


    She triggered Amplified and Accelerated Casting and shot a fireball point-blank into the face of a troll, the imp cackling with glee as the troll howled and gobs of burning hellfire rained down onto the battlefield, but the troll retrieved a red health potion and downed it before charging back into combat, blades still dripping hellfire and slashing at the imp with redoubled ferocity and speed.


    Ali returned her awareness to her own body and called up the Healer¡¯s Sight of a nearby Acolyte to augment her perception. At the same time, she levitated a little to gain an elevated perspective of the battlefield.


    Five trolls were tearing up her minions from melee range, dodging drake claws, and battling her Wargs, Stalkers, and Forest Guardian. The dense grasping roots and vines from her Guardian and Mato¡¯s Rampant Growth skill periodically locked the trolls in place, but any time that happened they simply switched to throwing their devastating exploding axes into the fray, barely seeming inconvenienced in the slightest. But the wargs and drake both used fire breath attacks, and the Hellfire Imp used fireballs, all of which vaporized the burgeoning plant growth with intense fire, freeing the trolls to return to the melee.


    Up on a small rise at the back, among the dense trees, two trolls stood unmolested, raining down a continuous storm of throwing axes. Dancing through the chaos, Malika kicked and punched her way through the monsters, and glowing brilliant arrows fell everywhere with ruinous accuracy, while Mato laid about with his claws striking whatever he could reach.


    S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As Ali studied their tactics carefully, it became clearer. The trolls were wading into the thick of battle with great sweeping strikes of their blades that struck multiple of her minions simultaneously, but it was their sheer resilience that caught her attention.


    They dodged nearly half of the attacks thrown their way, avoiding many of the most powerful strikes. And what they couldn¡¯t dodge was either skillfully blocked or rebuffed by their garishly painted leather-and-bone armor, or the dense layer of additional natural bone armor they had grown out of their own bodies.


    With the benefit of her Healer¡¯s Sight, she could visibly see the effect of their continuously regenerating health as it climbed steadily after each successful strike. In fact, the only thing that seemed to cause lasting damage was the different forms of fire attacks, and for that damage, they had healing potions.


    On the other hand, they had not lost any of their forces save for the poor Acolyte who had perished to the first surprising axe explosion. Their strategy was uncannily similar ¨C with the dominant presence of the Forest Guardian in the center of the melee, and Mato¡¯s aura, all of their melee forces were regenerating rapidly too, with Malika and her Acolytes simply picking up the most damaging strikes to repair. This would not even be a battle of attrition; it was a stalemate.


    ¡°Splitting our damage isn¡¯t working,¡± Ali said, her voice pitched to carry to Calen, who was flying nearby.


    ¡°My target,¡± he said, picking a troll that was currently at half health, but rapidly recovering as it discarded an empty health potiobat-litrpg

 Chapter 213: Bone (Part 3)

    AliandraAli divided her attention among her minions, redirecting each individually. The drake and the guardian wheeled about to strike Calen¡¯s chosen troll, and her two wargs flanked it, catching each other in their opposing hellfire breaths with the troll crisping between them. Her imp launched an amplified fireball, and she even sent her stalkers in, ignoring the friendly fire, relying on regeneration and the Acolytes to keep them alive. Malika clearly read the strategy and swapped targets in a flash.


    Ali¡¯s Abyssal Stalker struck from behind, unleashing a powerful Blood Shock, and the troll visibly staggered from the stunning impact. In that brief moment, while it was stunned and unable to dodge, three simultaneous breath attacks struck, a cleave, a fireball, a flurry of soul strikes, and even an axe attack from a Hobgoblin.


    The troll¡¯s health vanished in an instant, and it dropped like a marionette with suddenly severed strings, smoke and flame rising from wounds that no longer closed. A soft chime sounded in the back of her mind, which she ignored.


    Ali thought, directing her Acolytes to keep her wargs and Hobgoblins from dying to the retaliatory charge from two trolls tearing through the melee leaving trails of bone spikes in their wake, slashing at everything with great sweeping strikes of their blades.


    But she was not the only one able to read the battlefield. Before her minions¡¯ skills recharged and Calen could pick a new target, the leader of the trolls standing high upon the ridge barked several short words that rang out across the battlefield, provoking her Sage of Learning skill again. The four remaining melee trolls whirled about and simultaneously struck one of her Hellfire Wargs with a blindingly fast flurry of slashes and stabbing punches, causing it to drop even under the direct attention of the overworked Kobold Acolytes.


    Amid the noise of more barked troll orders, Ali reacted to the loss of her warg by accelerating a hellfire fireball and directing her remaining warg to breathe on the battlefield. The instant fireball shot out across the battlefield, carrying her imp in Flame Form, and detonated amid the trolls. Her imp emerged, cackling in the center, but most of the trolls had managed to dive out of the way, escaping unscathed. But she had managed to disrupt their momentum, and the fire breath from her remaining warg blasted across the field, merging with her imp¡¯s flame shield. Clearly, it was enough, as the warg¡¯s mana rekindled, and a pair of glowing red eyes appeared in the heart of the raging black flame. There were numerous surprised exclamations from the trolls as the warg howled from within the fire and charged out to rejoin the battle.


    ¡°Red zig-zags,¡± Ali announced, identifying the male troll who happened to have the lowest health by the glyphs painted on his armor.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Calen said. The motes of light above the melee flared brighter as he ignited his mana with Righteous Fury, and Ali unleashed all her minions to attack their target. Calen¡¯s magic disproportionately benefited fast strikes, so she favored her stalkers and the dual-wielding axe Hobgoblin. Calen¡¯s powerful bow howled deafeningly, filling the air with a deadly stream of hellfire-enhanced arrows. Blood Shock again stunned the troll at the crucial moment, and the hail of arrows, minion strikes, and Malika¡¯s flurry of ultra-fast punches took the troll down even faster than the first one.


    ¡°Green handprint,¡± Ali said, calling out the next most damaged troll. They all switched targets, destroying the troll under the withering onslaught of damage enabled by Calen¡¯s magic. Down to only two trolls remaining in melee, the axe-throwing trolls on the ridge both charged, yelling orders as they tore up the distance. All four remaining trolls turned with flashing blades, and Ali¡¯s Hellfire Imp pattered to the ground, sliced into several pieces before any of the Acolytes could even get off a heal.


    But the tide had turned. Two of the remaining trolls were low on health and appeared to be out of potions. Malika and Mato ganged up on one with the aid of her wargs and a stalker, while the remaining stalker stunned the second one, allowing her drake and Forest Guardian to stomp it into the ground with cleaves and tramples while Calen¡¯s arrows finished the job. With the troll forces dwindling rapidly, it became progressively easier to focus their damage, and they quickly finished off the remainder.


    ¡°Well, that sucked,¡± Mato said as he reverted to normal. ¡°I couldn¡¯t hit anything.¡±


    ¡°Yep, they are really hard to pin down,¡± Malika said, agreeing with him. She walked over to the smoking corpses, turning one over and crouching to examine it closer.


    Ali sympathized with the sentiment. She had been immensely frustrated to unleash her drake¡¯s cleaving attack only to have it dodged and then blocked by the canny trolls. ¡°They¡¯re fast, too,¡± she said. Whenever she had managed to hit, they had proven to be ridiculously resilient with their armor and regeneration.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing they didn¡¯t have healers,¡± Calen said. It was a sobering thought ¨C potions and regeneration were one thing, but healing was vastly quicker and more powerful. It also went without saying that they had been fortunate to not have any of the skeletons or zombies wander into their battle.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t seem to need healers,¡± Malika said. ¡°They were constantly regenerating.¡±


    While they regrouped, Ali pulled out her Grimoire, resummoning her dead Acolyte and imp, and restoring her intelligence buff. Then she slowly scoured the battlefield, deconstructing each troll, and collecting the gear so that Malika could appraise it all.


    ¡°I got a few things,¡± Ali said, returning to the group and pulling out the leather armor pieces she had collected. Each of the warrior trolls had been wearing a leather body armor set, heavily reinforced with bone plates attached by some delicate magically enhanced stitching. While there was some minor variance among the attributes on each piece, they looked like they had been created as a batch for the warriors by someone called Zor¡¯kan.


    ¡°What did you find?¡± Malika asked, uncoiling from her meditation pose.


    ¡°Here,¡± Ali said, offering up a leather jerkin with abstract swirls of green and white paint adorning the back and sides.


    Bone-Studded Jerkin of Agility ¨C level 60


    Armor: 504


    Evasion: 504


    +41 Dexterity


    +20 Strength


    +22% Evasion


    3% of your Physical damage is returned as Health over 30 seconds.


    Requirements: Strength 120, Dexterity 120


    Body ¨C Leather / Bone


    ¡°This is a really good set of armor,¡± Malika said, picking it up and turning it over in her hands. ¡°Uncommon quality. It¡¯s too bad none of us can use it. I would love to see that percentage evasion increase on a bracer or something I can use.¡±


    But Malika¡¯s assessment was spot on ¨C in their party, only Mato had the strength to equip it, and he had almost no investment in dexterity. Calen, on the other hand, had the reverse problem ¨C more than enough dexterity, but nowhere near the strength to cover the requirements. And of course, Malika couldn¡¯t use any body armor at all.


    ¡°No wonder they were so tough,¡± Ali said, examining the enchantments on the armor. It was abundantly clear that the troll warriors had emphasized both evasion and armor and with attributes like that on the piece, it was easy to see just how difficult it was to hit them. On the other hand, it had no benefit against magical attacks, which seemed to be why her stalker¡¯s blood magic, the fire, Calen¡¯s motes of light, and Malika¡¯s soul magic all were effective.


    ¡°That health leech is strong,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably why they refused to die,¡± Mato offered.


    ¡°And trolls have legendary racial regeneration,¡± Ali said. The leech was just a small percentage of damage returned as health, but with the amount they were dishing out all the time, it easily explained how their health refused to stay down despite a lack of healers. That, combined with their powerful natural regeneration and healing potions made for exceptionally durable warriors. It was no wonder they hadn¡¯t killed a single troll until they focused on them one at a time.


    ¡°Here, learn these and I¡¯ll sell the ones you don¡¯t want,¡± Malika said, handing back the armor pieces one at a time.


    ¡°What about these?¡± Ali asked, retrieving three broad rings carved from bone with intricate patterns adorning the smooth polished surface. Only three of the trolls had worn the rings adorning a tusk.


    Troll Tusk Ring of Storage ¨C level 62


    Mana: Store or retrieve an item. Capacity: 106 / 550 kg


    Requirements: Troll


    Tusk ¨C Bone


    Malika studied a ring curiously, and then she activated it with a little puff of her mana. Two mana potions, three health potions, and a whole pile of bone axes cascaded from the ring onto the ground. She tossed the mana potions to Calen, and he stored them without a word.


    ¡°This will be hard to sell,¡± Malika said thoughtfully. ¡°Maybe we just store it for now?¡±


    ¡°Tusk ring?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°Trolls only have two fingers and a thumb, and their fingers are quite broad compared to other races,¡± Ali explained. She had already deconstructed all the corpses so she couldn¡¯t just show him. ¡°I think most of them prefer to use jewelry, rings, and charms on their tusks instead of their fingers. At least most of the ones I saw were extremely proud of their tusks.¡± This also explained Malika¡¯s assessment, nobody but a troll would want to buy something like this. And it was not like they had access to any market frequented by trolls unless they were regular guests at Ciradyl.


    Ali retrieved the last set of items that had been worn by the warriors. They were a simple set of greaves worn on the lower leg, laced up from the back. They were made from rugged leather that had been tanned nearly black, with several long strips of bone reinforcement carefully worked into the surface. Each was decorated with unique stylized swirls of color in the typical gaudy troll style.


    Swift Bone-Studded Jambeau ¨C level 60


    +40 Dexterity


    +32 Endurance


    2% of your damage is returned as Health over 30 seconds.


    +15% to Movement speed. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Requirements: Dexterity 210


    Feet ¨C Leather / Bone


    ¡°Now this¡­ this is really amazing!¡± Malika said, examining one of the sets. She was positively beaming.


    ¡°There¡¯s plenty of them,¡± Ali said, retrieving the rest and dropping them on the ground in the middle of their group. ¡°All of the warriors wore them.¡±


    ¡°Hey archer-boy,¡± Malika said with a grin. ¡°You need to check this out!¡± She tossed a pair to Calen, laughing at his literal double-take when she shared the attributes and enchantments on the item. ¡°So much better than those Pathfinder boots, right?¡±


    ¡°Zor¡¯kan¡­¡± Calen muttered slowly as if searching for something. ¡°Oh! Lyeneru had an item made by him.¡± For some reason, Calen seemed very excited about this discovery. But then, Calen always seemed excited about anything to do with Lyeneru.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll take this set,¡± Malika said, selecting a pair of the Jambeau with a red design on them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want the ones with forty dexterity?¡± Calen asked, holding out the pair in his hand.


    ¡°Thirty-nine is good enough,¡± Malika said. ¡°Besides, this pair has higher endurance, and I can use that far better than you.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Calen said. ¡°Is there one with strength? My bow has a high required strength to use.¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± Malika said, tossing him what appeared to be an alternate design. Then she turned to Ali and the pile of items on the ground before her. ¡°Do you want the rest?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I have a free chapter,¡± Ali answered, ¡°But I don¡¯t have an imprint for this class of item. I¡¯ll probably need about twelve to fifteen before I get the imprint. Why don¡¯t you keep them for now?¡± Ali had a feeling they were not going to be in short supply.


    While her friends chatted animatedly about their upgrades, Ali busied herself summoning mana potions to replace the ones her Acolytes had consumed.


    ----------


    /Dubat-litrpg

 Chapter 214: Blood (Part 1)

    MalikaMalika carefully tied the garishly painted Jambeau behind her calves, pulling firmly on the sturdy straps and laces to secure them to her smaller legs. It was not that her legs were particularly small, but she was no match for the seven- or eight-foot-tall troll warriors they had faced. At least the leather-and-bone greaves had been designed to be adjustable. She stored the Pathfinder boots Calen had bought ¨C she would decide what to do with those later. It was just a shame she couldn¡¯t use the boots and the greaves at the same time, but the higher-level item always took precedence. She slipped on a pair of lighter, mundane shoes so she would at least not stub her toes or get overly dirty feet ¨C who knew what she might step on in here.


    When she had first earned her class, she hadn¡¯t quite realized how much she would be sacrificing by giving up weapons, body armor, and shields. Certainly, her class provided her with a great defensive foundation using her skills to make up the difference, but good items had magical attribute enchantments on them, and with much more limited choices, she simply had fewer options to customize her class and build than her friends. These Swift Bone-Studded Jambeau proved that conclusively, sporting four solid enchantments that would substantially boost her offensive capabilities and improve her survivability with extra endurance and a health leech effect.


    she thought. Being a bear ¨C and a shapeshifter in general ¨C seemed to come with much greater gear limitations than her monk class. He had to equip items with a specific shapeshifting enchantment or give up on the slot entirely ¨C for all slots.


    She got to her feet, hopping up and down to settle her new equipment. She had never been wealthy enough to care about fashion, but even she grimaced at the garishly painted red-and-yellow clashing designs. She suppressed the possibly unkind thought, instead focusing on the obvious skill of the crafter ¨C the effect of the movement enchantment was intoxicating. Her body was lighter, and she felt much faster. She sprinted around, doing a couple of familiar agility training drills to get the feel for it, grinning as she felt her body¡¯s dramatically increased speed. And as she fed stamina to Divine Step she discovered, to her delight and amazement, that the movement enchantment seamlessly improved her powerful movement skill too.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± Calen said, nodding at her.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± All that remained was for her to test how effective the health leech enchantment was. Her class had never provided huge amounts of damage on each strike like Mato or Calen, but what she lacked in raw power, she made up for in speed and precision. Even if the small percentage returned only a few health per hit, she would have a powerful new tool at her disposal, and she had no reason to believe it wouldn¡¯t be effective. The troll warriors¡¯ style of combat had not been dissimilar from her own; their frenzied axe and tonfa strikes were obviously hasted just like hers ¨C easily observed just by the complex interplay of the stamina energy they fed to their muscles. If the health gain worked for them, it would work for her.


    ¡°You look¡­ loud.¡± Mato chuckled as he spoke. Malika whipped around, only to find Mato was teasing Calen rather than her. The half-elf seemed devastated, staring down forlornly at his similarly garish greaves; the patterns painted on his items didn¡¯t even match between the left and right leg.


    Even though she was wearing something just as¡­ obnoxious, she couldn¡¯t help laughing.


    ¡°Hey! Yours are just as bad,¡± Calen complained.


    ¡°Maybe the paint washes off?¡± Malika offered, seeing hope light up in Calen¡¯s eyes. The paint didn¡¯t seem to serve any purpose other than loudly declaring the trolls¡¯ utter contempt for camouflage. Each piece had been unique, so she supposed that the decorations might represent personal styling or individual expression rather than tribal affiliation. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Shall we continue?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Do we need to discuss strategy?¡± Malika countered. ¡°If those were dungeon-spawned monsters, then we¡¯re going to encounter more of them.¡±


    ¡°I think we should commit to focusing our damage and kill them one at a time,¡± Ali said. ¡°Rather than spreading our attacks out.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°How about Mato tanks as many as he can, and we all kill whatever Malika picks?¡± Calen suggested.


    ¡°Sure. I can pick targets,¡± Malika said. It was a simple strategy, but simple seemed good, especially given how little they knew about this dungeon.


    As they walked quietly along the trail, Malika couldn¡¯t help but admire the lush, verdant forest surrounding them. She had grown up in Bakahn village, high up in the mountains, and even when she had been uprooted, she had ended up in Myrin¡¯s Keep, neither of which had particularly impressive natural vegetation. Sure, she had visited the forests south of Myrin¡¯s Keep, but you could walk through those, wherever you wanted. If it weren¡¯t for the path here, they would have had to cut their way through the jungle. Even so, the beauty of the jungle was marred by the ever-present Grim Totems lining the path, a grizzly reminder that they were in a hostile dungeon that had wiped out an entire people.


    They hadn¡¯t walked for more than about ten minutes before Calen reappeared from the undergrowth.


    ¡°Another group up ahead,¡± he announced, his voice pitched low so it wouldn¡¯t carry too far. The jungle was noisy, but it was better to not take the chance of being overheard. ¡°Six warriors and something new ¨C there is a slightly higher-level shaman with them this time,¡± Calen continued.


    ¡°Same plan?¡± Malika asked. The shaman was an unknown quantity.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any need to change the plan, just pick something and we¡¯ll all kill it and move through them one at a time,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to do it?¡±


    ¡°I can use multishot against the tanked warriors,¡± Calen said. ¡°And I will try using Grappling Shot for strategic control. We¡¯ll keep an eye on that shaman for any surprises.¡±


    ¡°Ok, sounds good,¡± Malika nodded; her role easy to understand. She would need to make snap decisions in the middle of the fight but, provided everyone agreed to assist her with whatever she picked, it usually worked out well. She would just need to keep her eyes open and adjust. With Mato, and Ali¡¯s Armored Drake and Forest Guardian, they had three tanks ¨C more than enough to lock down a decent-sized group of melee monsters. She followed along behind Calen, eyes and senses alert, scanning the dense brush and trees for anything that looked like a troll.


    She still hadn¡¯t found anything even remotely suspicious when Calen stopped in the middle of the path, his bow appearing in his hands. He nocked an arrow in a fluid motion and paused waiting for Mato to complete his transformation, and then his bow howled its horrid scream, launching the brilliant white arrow wreathed in deadly black flame hurtling through the trees of the jungle. Birds screeched, taking to the air as one, and unseen animals fled from the disturbance in a clamor of scuttling and crashing.


    The armored form of a troll dropped from a heavily moss-carpeted branch, landing on the ground with poise and grace, and then blurred into motion, tearing across the path in a rush of stamina and trailing bone spikes that sprouted from the footprints. Mato moved to intercept him with a roar and a charge of his own, the crash of impact echoing off the trees. Four more painted trolls shot out of the bush to join the fray, bone blades gleaming wickedly. Up on the other side of the path, two trolls with bright crimson shocks of hair appeared beside a large Grim Totem, the taller troll with blue-and-white face paint immediately filled the air with whizzing throwing axes, but it was the second troll that really caught Malika¡¯s attention.


    This troll was adorned with none of the bony protrusions and defenses of his comrades. He wore similar leather-and-bone armor but in his hands, he held an axe and shield of bone, painted with bright geometric shapes. As she studied his unfamiliar appearance, he took the axe to his own arm, slicing deeply and spraying his own blood into the air. But the blood failed to fall to the ground. Ribbons and streamers flowed from his wound to be rapidly soaked up by the shield and the axe until both were deeply stained red and dripping.


    Malika thought, deciding on the spot that he would be her first target.


    ¡°Shaman,¡± she yelled, triggering Divine Step, and charging headlong across the path toward the shaman and his axe-throwing companion, exiting the wave of writhing roots and ensnaring magical chains that attempted to lock down the wiry bone warriors. Before she was even halfway there, the shaman tossed three totems into the center of the battlefield. Malika ignored them and punched him in the face.


    Shamans, she knew, were typically hybrid-melee fighters with powerful magic to back them up. She also knew from chatting with Teagan, that attacking the totems restored the Shaman¡¯s recharge, making it a pointless endeavor. She studied her foe with Soul Sight, but none of his abilities seemed to be using stamina so far. She needed to shut down his magic as soon as possible, so her opening flurry of attacks were all Soul Strikes aimed at his mana.


    Her punches had definitely connected; three times in fact. Her new greaves fed a welcome trickle of health into her body via its leech enchantment, but the Soul Strike that should have returned stolen mana from the enemy came back empty.


    Scarcely believing it, she punched again, and this time the shaman¡¯s stamina energy flared as he blocked her strike with his blood-soaked shield.


    +12 Blood damage per second.


    +25% vulnerability to bleeding.


    Attackers gain health on hit.


    Duration refreshed on hit with Blood damage.


    Curse ¨C Duration: 30 seconds.


    The shaman¡¯s stamina surged more powerfully, an intricate flow of energy that poured from his heart and outward through his muscles and into his weapon. His axe sliced across her ribs, biting deeper than she had expected, and causing a large gout of blood to spray across the shaman¡¯s armor.


    +10 Physical damage per second.


    Physical ¨C Duration: 1 minute, 20 seconds.


    Malika pulsed a heal. The curse and the bleed were not enough damage to be dangerous yet, but she couldn¡¯t afford to let herself get low with so many enemies on the battlefield. But that wasn¡¯t what worried her; the blood still gushing from her wound was not slowing down ¨C and it spiraled away in thin streamers through the air, sucked into an ominous-looking totem in the center of the battlefield.


    She leveled a high snap-kick at the shaman, catching him in the side of the head, but again her Soul Strike only flickered, returning no mana.


    She had seen it use stamina for both the block and the axe strike, so he wasn¡¯t concealing his energy somehow. Unless he was somehow immune to mana drain, Soul Strike returning nothing meant he was empty. Her only reasonable conclusion, unlikely as it was, was that this troll had no mana at all. But flying blood and curses didn¡¯t come from nowhere ¨C and she could tell he hadn¡¯t used stamina for those. She switched her Soul Strike to attacking his health instead, noting with satisfaction that Ali¡¯s minions had just arrived to assist her, and Calen¡¯s flaming arrows were already whizzing past her ears.


    ----------


    /Dubat-litrpg

 Chapter 214: Blood (Part 2)

    MalikaMalika instinctively dodged the hellfire breath from a warg, stepping in with a quick combination of punches before darting back out of range. The shaman reached out with his hand, and ribbons of blood erupted from his forearm and the blade of his axe, lashing out across the distance to strike her chest. She staggered back, choking from the impact of the potent blood spell, but it hadn¡¯t stopped at her, punching clean through her body and jumping between her and a warg, piercing through the demonic wolf¡¯s body on its way through to the nearest Hobgoblin.


    ¡°He¡¯s healing!¡± Ali¡¯s voice came clearly to her ears, carried over the din of the battlefield right as Malika¡¯s notification informed her that she was still cursed, and the duration had just been reset to thirty seconds again, and she was now bleeding even more profusely.


    The nearby bone-clad warrior switched from throwing the short gray bone axes and lashed out with a set of freshly grown bone tonfa blades. Malika channeled stamina into her Divine Step, accelerating her speed to her maximum as she unleashed the powerful driving combination of kicks and punches from the eighth form. She gave up entirely on stealing mana, instead empowering every strike to sap the shaman¡¯s health, but he was annoyingly effective with his blood-soaked shield, and every time she hit it, or the shaman¡¯s axe hit her, the Vampiric Hex curse was refreshed.


    Suddenly the shaman yelled something, and Malika¡¯s high kick passed through a cascade of blood as his body collapsed into a crimson puddle, entirely gone. Malika stared in surprise, but the troll warrior next to her failed to capitalize on her distraction, charging off to the center of the battlefield. Malika whipped around, frantically searching for her foe, only to find the shaman¡¯s body reforming out of blood beside his totems.


    Malika tore across the battlefield, chasing down the shaman as it and three of the warriors charged at Ali¡¯s Acolytes.


    But before she could reach them, the shaman arched his back, unleashing a ragged, bloodcurdling shout toward the sky. Blood erupted from his chest in a massive fountain, splitting into ribbons that soared out across the battlefield to anoint the brow of each troll. The blood coalesced into dripping crimson runes that floated like a grim crown encircling each troll¡¯s head.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Ali screamed, but nobody could have missed whatever this spell was.


    As one, the trolls roared in a feral rage, snarling and beating their weapons together. Blood-red eyes fixed upon her, while streams of blood trickled down their faces, dripping off their tusks.


    Moving with unprecedented speed, the Trolls unleashed a shocking onslaught. Ribbons of blood skewered three Acolytes in a line while the bone warriors stabbed and slashed with blurred blades of gleaming gray bone, contributing Kobold blood to the gruesome crimson mist hanging in the air. In a flash, three of the four Acolytes crumpled to the ground, leaving the last one standing alone and trembling inside a cracked and battered bubble of golden magic.


    The shaman yelled again, his voice harsh and hoarse, and they all shot off towards the Forest Guardian, leaving Malika scrambling to catch up again.


    ¡°They¡¯re hasted,¡± Malika yelled.  There was nothing to be done, so she charged after the shaman again.


    ¡°Use the roots to entangle them,¡± Calen yelled, blanketing the area with a powerful multishot volley of arrows that each trailed glowing chains.


    ¡°On it,¡± Ali said, and brambles and vines burst anew from the ground around both Mato and the Forest Guardian.


    But to Malika¡¯s surprise, none of the trolls slowed in the slightest, sprinting through the rampant growth of roots and vines as if it wasn¡¯t even there, crashing into the enormous elemental with powerful strikes and slashes. The guardian retaliated, but the warriors seemed relentless, tearing bark and wood from Ali¡¯s favorite monster with animalistic ferocity. Blood streamers lashed out from the shaman again, bursting through the trolls this time. But instead of hurting them, it seemed to rejuvenate them, spurring them on to greater feats of athletic violence.


    ¡°Fuck, they have a Free Action totem,¡± Calen said, snapping off an arrow that uprooted a blood-drenched totem.


    The totem had to be how the trolls had ignored the roots and vines that were normally so effective at locking down melee attackers. She could only guess at the function of the other two totems, but just by the resilience of the trolls, she would wager one of them was healing them.


    As expected, the moment Calen destroyed the totem, the shaman dropped another, their forces barely experiencing a hitch in their momentum.


    The Forest Guardian was powerful enough to slow the trolls sufficiently for Malika to catch up, and she announced her arrival by kicking the shaman in the back of the head, staggering it. She kicked again, but apart from blocking with its shield, the shaman ignored her, attacking the Forest Guardian with unrelenting strikes. To her immense surprise, the Guardian dropped in a ground-shaking crash, sliced up and dead. It mattered not to the trolls that the monster had had healing magic and a regeneration aura, they had simply burned through it all in a matter of moments.


    She unleashed a kick to the shaman¡¯s face, powered with Soul Strike, and finally got its bloody-eyed attention.


    ¡°Calen, Fury! Ali, we need to kill this shaman now! Bring the spiders!¡± Malika didn¡¯t have to wait. Calen¡¯s magic rolled across the battlefield in waves of intense pulsing light, and she could immediately feel the additional damage enhancing every single one of her punches. Brilliant coronas of mana that flickered across her knuckles as she punched. Ali¡¯s minions charged, and Calen¡¯s bow howled, sending volleys of hellfire-enhanced arrows to pierce leathery troll skin as they single-mindedly tore through Ali¡¯s minions one at a time. The battlefield erupted into chaos as magic detonated all around her, and she dodged frantically. Ali was pulling no punches, dropping hellfire fireballs right on top of her and the shaman, clearly relying on her resistance, dodging, and healing to keep her safe.


    Bloody streamers of the shaman¡¯s magic pulsed and lanced through the battlefield, arcing across the gaps, jumping between friend and foe alike as the shaman went all out, like a conductor wielding crimson ribbons of lightning. Malika pulsed her healing continually, taking at least as much damage from Ali¡¯s fire minions as from the shaman¡¯s bloody axe and spells, but she didn¡¯t relent, pushing her martial arts and magic to their limits, unleashing combo after combo, the white-and-blue of her soul magic creating eerie flickers inside the infernal black of hellfire and the roaring furnace-red of dragon¡¯s fire.


    ¡°Malika, dodge!¡±


    Ali¡¯s voice came to her from above. Malika risked a glance upward, a little puzzled to see Ali flying above the battlefield. There was a brief shimmer, a ripple of mana, and the gigantic form of an Armored Drake appeared, suspended impossibly above the battlefield. She had barely enough time to register her shock and trigger Divine Step to dive sideways before the enormous monster smashed into the ground, crushing three of the troll warriors and the almost dead Hellfire Warg they were attacking. But the shaman¡¯s blood ribbons shot forward, piercing through the wreckage, and incredibly, the three trolls crawled their way out from under the enormous bulk of the drake, their shattered bone armor rapidly regrowing, their blades reforming, and broken limbs straightening with violent crunching snaps. The blood streamers pulsed relentlessly, arcing through all of them in rapid succession again and again.


    Malika ignored the highly improbable survival miracle she had just witnessed ¨C there was nothing she could do about it ¨C and attacked the shaman with renewed fury. While it was casting its streamers of blood it couldn¡¯t block her attacks nearly as well, and she sure as heck could take advantage of that. She landed a kick that knocked the taller shaman sprawling to the ground, and the two Abyssal Stalkers materialized from some invisible shadows to strike it while it was open. The once airborne Armored Drake stepped on it with a powerful stomp, stabbing its talons right through the shaman¡¯s chest.


    Malika registered a profound relief at the soft chime sounding in the back of her mind.


    She glanced around taking quick stock of the wreckage of the battlefield. They had killed the shaman, but their forces were decimated. Troll warriors with bleeding eyes and runes floating around their heads were charging at Mato and the other Trolls he was already tanking. In the wake of their passage, three Acolytes, the Forest Guardian, all the Hobgoblins, and both Hellfire Wargs lay dead.


    she thought.


    ¡°Target?¡± Calen shouted.


    ¡°On it,¡± Malika yelled back. As she charged to help Mato, she saw the telltale powerful surge of stamina flowing through his body that signaled his most powerful defense skill had been triggered.  She was well aware that, other than a single Acolyte, she was now the last healer on the battlefield. Three Acolytes and a Guardian, and still the trolls had just steamrolled everything. Mato had his own restoration magic, but against six angry hasted trolls, that wouldn¡¯t be nearly enough.


    ¡°This one,¡± she shouted, flipped high over the head of one of the bone warriors, connecting with an airborne punch, and landed beside Mato. Blocking an uncannily fast blade strike, she placed a hand on Mato¡¯s shoulder and poured a good chunk of her stamina into healing his battered body. She switched back to her chosen troll and kicked it hard in the chest, making it step backward into the cleaving claw strike of one of Ali¡¯s Armored Drakes. The troll immediately downed a potion and began regrowing the bone armor that the drake had just shredded.


    But just as she had the thought, the floating blood runes faded, raining to the ground as drops of blood, and the trolls¡¯ eyes returned to normal. She healed Mato again, just to make sure he was going to survive the expiration of his Last Stand, and then she set to the task of fighting the, now merely tough and dangerous, troll warriors one by one.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the wargs back up,¡± Ali announced.


    Behind Malika, two Hellfire Wargs resurrected in a shattering explosion of a hellfire fireball, but even with them, the two Armored Drakes, the Abyssal Stalkers, and her and Calen, the fight still took forever. The troll warriors proved again just how incredibly durable they were, but without the power of the shaman¡¯s blood magic, it turned into a long, drawn-out battle of attrition, with the trolls eventually falling to their perseverance and determination.


    ¡°Well¡­ that was insane,¡± Mato said, as he shifted back to Beastkin once the final troll collapsed.


    ---------- sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    /Dubat-litrpg

 Chapter 214: Blood (Part 3)

    Malika¡°Well¡­ that was insane,¡± Mato said, as he shifted back to Beastkin once the final troll collapsed.


    ¡°You can say that again,¡± Calen panted, mopping his brow. ¡°I¡¯m never going to be able to listen to the bards singing about heroes defeating hordes of trolls single-handedly again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for sure,¡± Ali said, landing next to Malika. ¡°Six warriors and a shaman almost destroyed us.¡±


    ¡°What the heck was that thing doing?¡± Malika asked. ¡°It had no mana, but it was casting magic constantly. Was it using health or something?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali answered, studying the dead shaman speculatively. ¡°I couldn¡¯t see any mana, but its health dropped every time it cast anything. It was definitely using blood to power its magic ¨C usually its own, but it was using yours for a while there.¡±


    ¡°And what was that spell it used? The floating blood runes and bleeding eyes? Haste?¡±


    ¡°I think that one might be Bloodlust,¡± Calen said. ¡°I¡¯ve read about it. If that¡¯s what it was, we got lucky.¡±


    ¡°Whatever it was, they definitely hit a lot harder and faster with those nasty floating runes,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°The shaman was a real piece of work. He hit me with bleeds and a vampiric curse that healed whatever hit me,¡± Malika added, sharing her experience with the shaman¡¯s abilities. They would need to come up with a much better plan if they were to encounter more of them. ¡°It¡¯s also very good at blocking. I think next time we should all use our most powerful abilities and just take out the shaman as soon as we start.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Definitely!¡±


    Malika breathed in and out, finally relaxing a little. The battlefield was a mess, pools of blood everywhere, a massive crater where Ali had dropped an Armored Drake, and broad swathes of scorched brush and trees, some still flickering with small remnants of hellfire. After a moment she remembered to check her notifications.


    After what she had just experienced, Malika felt that a single level might be a little stingy. Nevertheless, she dutifully distributed four points each to dexterity and wisdom, dropping the remaining two into endurance.


    As she studied her skill increases, her chime sounded once more and her eyes widened as she took in the message.


    she thought as she stood over the bloody corpse of the troll, reviewing the fight in her mind. She had been unable to disrupt his magic by attacking his mana, and after talking it over with Ali, she was certain he had been spending his health, using it to fuel his crazy blood magic.


    It was clear from her Soul Sight that he had not had a particularly large pool of stamina to draw from, and at the very least, his melee strikes and blocks were dependent on stamina. If she could deny at least those abilities, perhaps the shaman would be less of an overwhelmingly dominant force on the battlefield. The difference in power between the first group they had fought and this one was unreal ¨C the addition of just one shaman had caused the challenge to skyrocket from difficult to nigh impossible.


    ¡°Deep in thought?¡± Ali asked, floating up beside her.


    ¡°I got two advancements for Soul Strike,¡± Malika admitted.


    ¡°That sounds fantastic,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to choose,¡± Malika admitted. Both options presented a unique solution to the problem of the shaman.


    ¡°What did you get?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Here.¡± With a thought, Malika shared the two choices.


    ¡°Oh, hmm, that is a tricky choice,¡± Calen said, whipping out his notebook on cue. ¡°A complete suite of resource denial tools, or¡­¡±


    ¡°More damage?¡± Ali asked. ¡°Soul Echoes looks good, but it seems complicated.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s damage and control,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It would allow her to bunch up damage and inflict it all at once ¨C a way of bursting down monsters faster than they can react with healing or potions,¡± he offered.


    Ali nodded. ¡°Aha, I get it.¡±


    ¡°I think it offers a lot of choices,¡± Malika said, considering the implications. ¡°I could keep burning the echoes to increase sustained damage, or I could save them up longer to create bursts of bigger damage.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s cool,¡± Mato said. ¡°Once you¡¯ve punched someone, you can just stand there without moving and they get punched again.¡±


    ¡°Are you thinking of taking it?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m leaning toward the stamina drain one,¡± Malika said, grinning at Mato¡¯s vision of striking without even moving. Calen was right, it wasn¡¯t an easy decision though.


    ¡°You¡¯d give up the damage?¡± Mato asked, looking a little surprised. ¡°I thought you¡¯d love the versatility and surprise factor.¡±


    ¡°I do¡­ it¡¯s just¡­ well, my damage doesn¡¯t really matter a whole lot with Ali here packing an entire raid group of minions. Stamina drain could have taken care of this shaman promptly ¨C the same way we took out Alexander Gray. That seems more useful for the team.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Calen said, pinching his chin. ¡°It would have been different if you were a slow, big hitter like Mato here, but you¡¯re going a different route with your build.¡±


    ¡°True enough,¡± Mato nodded. ¡°And I see what you mean about the shaman ¨C eating his stamina would have been very helpful.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I¡¯m thinking of taking it,¡± she admitted. ¡°Against these guys, it would have been worth it.¡±


    ¡°As long as you like it,¡± Ali said.


    Malika decided, accepting her newest advancement. It seemed to be in theme for her main magical support skill, rounding out her abilities to deny her opponents their resources instead of doubling-down on raw damage, no matter how interesting. And with that, she scanned her updated skill description.


    Mana: Enhance a Melee Attack with your soul magic, striking directly at the health, stamina, or mana of your opponent. A portion of this health, stamina, or mana is returned to you. Your Attack gains +463%  additional Soul damage. Range: Touch.


    Soul, Melee, Support, Wisdom S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    , she thought, but that was no problem ¨C she already seemed to be heading down that path, and, as Ali had so eloquently pointed out, she enjoyed it more. Was it the challenge factor? An unexpected linkage with her bloodline skills? She began gathering up the gear the shaman and the warriors had been wearing, storing most of it. None of their group used shields, or the hybrid dexterity-wisdom armor, or axes.


    She examined the final item, turning it over in her hands speculatively. It was a gaudy bracelet of polished bone beads the shaman had been wearing, and the smooth finish gleamed as she held it up to the light.


    Ancestral Spirit Beads ¨C level 64


    +57% to mana regeneration.


    +11 Vitality


    +29 Dexterity


    +42 Wisdom


    Requirements: Wisdom 224


    Quality: Uncommon


    Value: 12 gold, 87 silver


    Hands ¨C Charm


    She ran her fingers over the beads. They would be great for her, but she had the Flamecaller Bracers, and she knew Ali was still wearing a level eleven bracelet from some Goblin shaman.


    Malika decided.


    ¡°Hey Ali,¡± she said. ¡°Can you use this?¡± She walked over to where Ali was beginning to deconstruct the remaining trolls and handed her the beaded bracelet.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Ali said as she examined the bracelet. ¡°I¡¯d sure like to try!¡±


    ¡°Perhaps try to wrap it twice around?¡± Malika suggested as Ali struggled to figure out how to wear a bracelet designed for a creature more than three times taller than she was. With a deft twist, she helped her friend wrap it twice around her wrist. She didn¡¯t even have to ask if it worked, the beaming smile on Ali¡¯s face was all the answer she needed.


    ¡°Pretty garish,¡± Calen said, patting Ali on the shoulder. ¡°Welcome to the fancy-dress party.¡±


    At that, the tiny Fae laughed so hard she had to wipe tears from her eyes.


    ***


    ----------


    /Dubat-litrpg

 Chapter 215: Bone Warrior

    Aliandra Ali thought ¨C more than half sarcastically ¨C as she surveyed the devastation strewn across the pathway and spilling over the shattered grim totems into the jungle itself. The group of trolls had waited until they passed, somehow concealing themselves from her mana sight and Calen¡¯s sharp eyes, and then sprung their trap from behind, right when they had engaged with a wandering handful of zombies shambling down the path.


    The bone warrior trolls on top of the zombies would have been a challenge enough in and of itself, but there had been a shaman. Ali lost her Forest Guardian first ¨C again ¨C then all her Hobgoblins, wargs, and even the Armored Drakes in the chaos created by the shaman¡¯s powerful blood magic spell. It was a spell she couldn¡¯t see with her sight, and neither could Malika, and even though Calen insisted it lasted for only thirty seconds, the Trollish forces had still torn her minions apart in moments, like an unleashed avalanche of ferocity, bone, and blood.


    ¡°That was a lot better,¡± Calen said, unironically echoing her sarcastic thoughts.


    But he was also correct ¨C compared to the first shaman group, this fight had gone substantially better. She had not needed Arcane Recall; it was on recharge anyway. Calen had opened with Righteous Fury, and they had trained all their attacks on the shaman as soon as they had gotten over the surprise and recognized the threat. With a couple of phenomenal Ambush attacks using Blood Shock, they had burst the shaman down quickly, but the blood magic enhancement on the warriors did not die with the shaman, hence the corpses of her minions littering the pathway.


    ¡°I guess this mess won¡¯t clean itself,¡± Ali sighed, getting up and deconstructing the shaman first and then working her way across the battlefield, cleaning up all her own minions, the zombies, and the seven bone warrior trolls. She had no desire to see the dungeon throwing her Armored Drakes back at her. Suddenly, her notification chime sounded.


    She froze, horrified.


    She had sat in her beloved library, enthralled for many hours, listening to grizzled and cantankerous Trolls lecturing on the history of the races. Arrogant and proud they were, and in many cases, thousands of years old and steeped in their prejudice and superiority ¨C and yet, they were intelligent, canny, and extremely wise ¨C among the most knowledgeable and skilled with magic. She had found them fascinating.


    She stared aghast at the notification of her Grimoire, waiting for her to accept the ability to create them as monsters bound to her mana and will.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Ali?¡± Malika asked, squatting down to be on her level and reaching out with a concerned hand.


    ¡°Did you just learn to make Trolls?¡± Calen asked, walking up slowly to join them, glancing down at the pile of gear that had fallen from the last warrior corpse she had deconstructed.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Mato asked, but his voice sounded genuinely curious rather than judgmental.


    She struggled to put her riot of emotions into words they might understand. ¡°I feel very uncomfortable about making sapient creatures,¡± she said. ¡°They can think and feel, and trolls aren¡¯t even monsters, they¡¯re just like humans, dwarves, and elves. And Fae.¡± Somehow fighting and even killing the dungeon-spawned trolls had not bothered her, and yet when she had seen the notification it had all crashed down on her with a shocking suddenness. She struggled with her confusion, the words feeling woefully inadequate. ¡°I used to love listening to them lecture at the grand library¡­¡± she finished, trailing off in a small voice.


    ¡°We don¡¯t kill Trolls, Ali,¡± Mato said, his voice kind and gentle. ¡°We kill monsters. If it wasn¡¯t that way, we would have to kill Havok because he¡¯s a Goblin, or Naia because she¡¯s a dungeon and a slime.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± she said, but she stopped again as his words sank in. She could make both slimes and Goblins and yet she had a Slime and a Goblin as a friend. And it had never bothered her before. Even her Kobolds were sapient. Yet somehow, she had balked at the Troll imprint, and the imprint for Humans before.


    ¡°These are dungeon monsters, I can feel the mana of the dungeon in them,¡± he continued. ¡°If we find a Troll who wants to give lectures, we¡¯re not going to kill them. But we will certainly defend ourselves against dungeon-summoned monsters.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she said, grappling with the heavy subject. She had already been acting that way, sometimes even without conscious awareness. It had simply been the right thing to do at the time and she hadn¡¯t often even considered it. But Lira had told her much the same thing; her summoned monsters were part of her mana, bound to her soul in a way, and not their own entities. Summoning a troll would not be the same as binding a living, free person to her will. It was more akin to summoning a troll-shaped vessel for her magic to express itself through. Still, her emotions would not let her go.


    ¡°If you¡¯re up for it, it would be very helpful to know their abilities,¡± Calen said quietly. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to pressure you to do something you feel uncomfortable with.¡±


    she thought, looking at her Grimoire floating softly in the air beside her, open and waiting.


    Her thoughts drifted to a particular, ancient and cranky troll with wiry hair, a crooked staff, and an ornery, disagreeable demeanor. He had complained endlessly about having to deliver his lectures in common ¨C ancient Dal¡¯mohran, now ¨C but his insights had been fantastic.


    But her eyes also saw the grim totems and the piles of freshly sacrificed troll bones.


    At last, with a wince, she committed the runes to the last free chapter in her Grimoire.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would do it,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°I¡¯m still uncomfortable, but rationally Mato is correct. These trolls are the summoned minions of a dungeon and therefore they are just monsters that look like trolls,¡± she said, looking down at the remaining troll corpses. ¡°And this dungeon is incredibly dangerous, I wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive myself if I let one of you die because I let unreasonable sentimentality get in the way of any advantage we may need.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ali,¡± Malika said, squeezing her hand gently.


    Ali nodded and focused on her Grimoire. For all that she would have loved to be purely rational, her decisions driven by logic alone, Malika¡¯s kind voice and non-judgmental acceptance of her feelings went a long way to settling her heart.


    , she thought and channeled her mana. A few minutes later, a female troll warrior sprang into existence before her, wearing a freshly created leather-and-bone jerkin her Grimoire had decided was the best fit for her. Malika quickly retrieved a set of the garish greaves from her storage, loot she had stashed from earlier fights. The troll immediately began lacing them to her shins.


    Ali¡¯s troll warrior stood up, an imposing figure at her full height. She spoke a few words, causing Sage of Learning to react, which wasn¡¯t helping with Ali¡¯s discomfort over summoning intelligent trolls, but she put those feelings aside for now, sending her awareness into the senses of the troll and summoning her status.


    The Bone Warrior was truly amazing. Her only real experience with melee-style warriors was her Hobgoblins and Kobold warriors, and against this Troll Bone Warrior, there was simply no comparison.


    ¡°Ali?¡± Malika said.


    She was woolgathering while her friends were waiting expectantly. Quickly, she shared the troll¡¯s status with them.


    ¡°It has six hundred percent base health regeneration,¡± she said. The legendary regeneration of the trolls lay bare, revealed as an incredible aptitude that they were presumably born with.  she thought. Without gear, potions, or healing, this troll warrior could regenerate her entire health pool in ten minutes ¨C actually, with Mato standing nearby it was probably closer to seven minutes. And being able to regenerate mortal injuries meant that she could literally regenerate missing limbs or organs provided she didn¡¯t die outright.


    ¡°No wonder I can never hit these things,¡± Mato said, grumpily. ¡°Their evasion and armor are insane!¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re surprisingly low on health; even I have more ¨C and she has no magical resistance,¡± Malika countered.


    Ali thought. About half her minions had a fire damage attack, and she had been convinced the durable trolls were vulnerable to fire. But the truth was much simpler ¨C they were unprotected against any magic attack. Disruption to their natural regeneration was the only notable difference for fire damage ¨C which was useful ¨C but not quite as important given how much they relied on potions and that five percent health leech, courtesy of this mysterious leatherworker, Zor¡¯kan. And when there was a shaman, it was basically irrelevant.


    ¡°Maybe I should make some more Hellfire Imps?¡± Ali didn¡¯t have a reliable high-level mage right now, other than the chaotic and destructive Hellfire Imps, and it would be so much nicer if they had a single-target fire spell like the firebolt her Kobolds had. With only a fireball and the flame shield, her Hellfire Imps caused an enormous amount of friendly-fire damage, unless they were carefully controlled and never fired into the melee.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like getting hit by hellfire, but I can dodge it,¡± Malika said. ¡°It might be worth it.¡±


    ¡°Unless Mato is struggling,¡± Calen added.


    ¡°What I¡¯m interested in is that Bloodline; can you see which skills it affects?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Let me check,¡± Ali said, beginning to make her way through the skill list. ¡°They have two attack skills, one for throwing, and one for whatever those bladed arm weapons are,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Tonfas,¡± Malika supplied.


    ¡°Yup, those,¡± Ali said, sharing the skill details.


    Dual Slash ¨C level 38


    You are proficient with dual-wielding edged weapons in melee combat.


    Stamina: Slashing or stabbing attack with either weapon for weapon damage +410%


    Stamina: Whirling attack that strikes everything in melee range with both weapons. Recharge: 30 seconds


    Physical, Melee, Area, Strength


    Throw ¨C level 36


    You are proficient with throwing weapons using either hand.


    Stamina: Throw a weapon at an enemy for weapon damage +490% . Range: 41.6 meters


    Mana: Cause your thrown weapon to explode on impact, doing half-again as much damage to a small area with the shards of bone. Requires a weapon made of bone. Range: 6.24 meters, Recharge: 15 seconds.


    Physical, Ranged, Area, Dexterity


    Their attacks contained no surprises, Ali was already well familiar with the bone warriors¡¯ combat abilities having experienced them directly with her minions.


    ¡°Dual Frenzy is interesting,¡± she said, sharing the skill as she opened it.


    Dual Frenzy ¨C level 43


    You gain +43%  damage to Physical attacks when wielding two weapons.


    Stamina: Dual-weapon block.


    Stamina: You gain a +5% Haste buff on a successful hit or block with a Physical attack. Buff duration is refreshed on hit or block, stacks 5 times. Duration: 5 seconds.


    Physical, Support, Haste, Dexterity


    ¡°Wow, they get twenty-five percent haste as long as they keep attacking?¡± Calen exclaimed.


    ¡°That¡¯s why they¡¯re so fast,¡± Malika said. ¡°And they get fifteen percent movement speed from the Jambeau too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s from hitting or blocking,¡± Ali said, pointing out that it was a bonus for both attack and defense. ¡°And it affects both their melee and ranged attacks.¡± It seemed that the warrior¡¯s skill choices were rather efficient. She continued. ¡°Their Bone Armor skill can be boosted every forty-five seconds. And their Evasion skill can double their Evasion rating for thirty seconds with a fifteen-minute recharge.¡±


    Mato coughed uncomfortably. ¡°They get even more resilience? If they use all that stuff, they¡¯re basically unhittable.¡±


    ¡°Yup, and she has Tactical Insight which is a perception skill improving her accuracy and critical strike chance,¡± Ali answered. Despite her initial reticence toward summoning trolls, she had to admit she was impressed with her Bone Warrior. Aside from her obvious weakness against magical attacks, she was a powerhouse of physical damage and durability.


    ¡°I think those trolls are tougher than me,¡± Mato said, making an exaggerated pout. ¡°Maybe they should tank.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, you have nearly five thousand health,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°How do you know that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I have to heal your furry ass, remember?¡± Malika retorted.


    Ali smiled at their banter and gestured for her troll to squat down beside her so she could examine the ornate runic carvings in her tusks.


    ¡°Ancestral Spirit Runes,¡± Ali said, identifying the skill for Malika. ¡°This is a bloodline skill.¡± She reached out and ran her fingers gently over the relief carving that etched the exquisite runework into the troll¡¯s tusks, studying the complex and delicate flows of bone mana that powered the runic manifestation of the skill.


    At first glance, the skill seemed simple, much like Malika¡¯s Perfect Body or Calen¡¯s Blessing of the Dawn, boosting the troll¡¯s strength, endurance, and dexterity ¨C the ideal set for a physical melee warrior. The first unusual thing about it though, was the bloodline itself, granting the skill an extra boost, and implying that the skill was inherited.


    The troll¡¯s neck and face began to flush, and Ali quickly withdrew her hand from its tusks in embarrassment, but she couldn¡¯t stop staring at the runic magic. The spirals and swirls of mana seemed to evoke patterns with an uncanny likeness to Malika¡¯s soul magic, and yet all in the troll¡¯s own bone affinity. She dearly wished she could read the runic symbols, but to her surprise, her Runic Script was no help ¨C they seemed to be written in some ancient language that she did not understand.


    The tusks of the blood shamans had not had these runic carvings, but she had found equally indecipherable tattoos with a different style of magic on their skin ¨C although, without the animating energy of the live troll, the runes had been indecipherable. As she had discovered, in the case of the shamans, Ali still struggled to even see anything related to their magic.


    Sage of Learning began drawing heavily on her mana as she studied the runic structure and the mana flows, but it seemed she didn¡¯t have enough knowledge yet to decipher the puzzle.


    She resolved to study this further once she returned to the library and could consult with Ryn to see if they had any books on troll magic and their runes.


    The rest of the skills seemed rather self-evident. Create Bone Weapon was how the troll made the throwing axes or blades, and Bone Rush was its movement skill.


    ¡°Bone Mastery is the only other skill with the Bloodline trait,¡± Ali said when she had finished reading all of them. ¡°It improves the speed and power of all its bone magic skills.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a very interesting bloodline,¡± Malika said, obviously curious to find details on a bloodline that was different than her own.


    Initially, Ali had planned on summoning the troll just to give them the opportunity to look at the abilities, but after having studied them, she couldn¡¯t unsummon it and go back to using the Hobgoblins. Her troll was so much more powerful, and the stronger her minion army, the safer they would be facing the denizens of this dungeon. Not to mention she was level sixty-five. With the additional wisdom from the pretty beads Malika had given her, her mana pool had grown, and she decided she could afford to reserve the mana for a second troll even though they were her highest-level minions. It was unfortunate that she didn¡¯t have any imprints for head gear or rings to further outfit her troll, and with the way it created its weapons by extruding bone out of its hands and arms, any bracer or glove equipment would have to be custom crafted or it would simply be shredded. Still, she gave it a tusk ring from their collection of loot and filled it with an assortment of potions.


    She took her time deconstructing everything else, giving Malika the leftover gear, which included another set of Ancestral Spirit Beads the shaman had been wearing, and then resummoned the rest of her minion army, with a few small tweaks.


    Gara


    Her awareness hovered just beyond, tentative, afraid to rejoin her body for some reason. But the pull came again, stronger than before and she was drawn in closer and closer until¡­


    Gara opened her eyes and screamed.


    She was a troll of Aman Rak, proud of her heritage and bloodline. Never in her entire life had she screamed in pain, not even the time that Jotan had accidentally crushed her hand under the boulder when they were both eleven.


    But this was something different. Black streamers of energy arced from the altar of bone, punching through her exposed chest where her body was staked to the stone wall of the temple, ripping her life force out of her in a great torrent. It went on and on until she felt her soul would shatter.


    And then suddenly it ceased.


    She collapsed, sagging back down against the wall, hanging off the steel stakes driven through her belly and shoulders, almost drained of all her life as her regeneration slowly started recovering her health. A cruel laugh cut through her pain, and she looked up to find Kir¡¯mogan standing by the altar with his acolytes; a greataxe casually resting on his shoulder, dripping blood and gore onto the ground.


    ¡°Woke you up, did I?¡± He grinned at her, stepping over the pile of corpses littering the ground around the altar. ¡°This part is fun, you should watch.¡±


    She had no choice but to watch. The steel stake through her belly had been expertly hammered through her spine, making the entire lower half of her body numb and unresponsive. Her shoulders were staked to the wall to prevent her from falling forward, and her arms had both been severed just above the elbows, the wounds cauterized with fire to prevent her regeneration from repairing them. She swallowed, her body still trembling and shaking from the agony of whatever magic he had inflicted upon her.


    ¡°You should be happy; you¡¯re a troll and you can contribute your life to the altar again and again,¡± Kir¡¯mogan said, mocking her and the heritage they shared.


    ¡°You have betrayed our bloodline, and the spirits of Aman Rak,¡± Gara declared, raising her head in proud defiance, but the altar pulsed ominously with the energy it had torn from her, and then a wave of darkness rippled outward from it, washing over the bodies of the slain trolls on the ground. And to her horror, they all twitched, powerless to resist the pull of the unnatural sinister black energy even in death. With a gruesome wet ripping sound, their skeletons tore their way free from their fleshy prisons and stood up amid showers of dripping blood and gore.


    Gara screamed again, and this time not from paibat-litrpg

 Chapter 216: Kir’mogan (Part 1)

    - Kamari Ren, Ahn Khen Elder, legendary master and inheritor of the Ninefold Way: Fists of Coherent Integrity.


    Calen


    Calen darted along the path, dodging the patches of brilliant sunshine that had begun filtering through the dense jungle canopy. His stealth skills worked in the light, but they were better in shadows. He scanned the overgrowth, ignoring the industrious squirrels who hadn¡¯t sensed his presence. He skirted the gruesome Grim Totems; like the squirrels, he gave them a wide berth, never letting his focus and vigilance falter for even one moment.


    But it was hard to ignore the changes to the jungle itself as he progressed. The jungle was becoming less densely packed; there were just as many trees, but much of the thick undergrowth seemed to have been cleared, making room for more Grim Totems to sprout among the enormous boles and gnarled, moss-covered roots. Here and there, partially intact skeletons lay discarded, many of them missing the skulls that seemed to have been used to cap the totems. Although the dead appeared fresh, a thick, blood-red moss already sprouted through the bones with a macabre eagerness that left heaps of thriving sanguine consumption feeding on every corpse.


    The moss continuously leaked red fluid which was slowly absorbed into the stained ground, emitting an uncomfortably warm and cloying aura. He wasn¡¯t about to get close to something that unnatural.


    Rounding a bend in the trail, it widened, and in moments the jungle gave way to a broad sunlit clearing. A thick wall of giant rib-like bones presented a dam to hold back the heavy press of the encroaching jungle. Several primitive-looking buildings dotted the clearing, constructed from rough-hewn stone, and chinked with more of that weeping red moss.


    This had happened several times already while exploring the Temple of Aman Rak. It seemed he wouldn¡¯t need to spend many coins to keep his blessing ¨C his patron deity must care deeply about exploring this new dungeon.


    In total silence, he slipped through the gap in the enclosing bone wall, following the trail into the primitive troll dwelling, but then he froze as he caught sight of what waited in the center.


    A heavy bone altar had been constructed in the middle of what might have passed for the center of this tiny hamlet, surrounded by clumps of small blueish flowers that swayed eerily in a non-existent breeze. Jagged edges of bone jutted out from the darkly stained surface. The stains grew denser closer to the ground, leaving a patch of pure black surrounding the ominous artifact. But it was the dense miasma and palpable light-consuming darkness that pulsed from it that sent chills down Calen¡¯s spine.


    Out by the altar, several figures moved, dragging bodies toward the stained circle of ground, crushing wide swathes of the pretty blue flowers.


    The first thing he noticed was that they were not undead.


    The second thing he noticed was the writhing form of a low-level Troll staked to the altar.


    There was a great surge of black energy arcing from the dark-stained bone altar, and the helpless Troll let out a bloodcurdling scream. From every crushed flower, a new gray-rimmed black one sprouted in an outward ripple of growth. Calen stared in confusion, unable to comprehend why the trolls were torturing each other, and then suddenly he realized the awful truth; the young troll suffering on the dark altar was not a dungeon monster. As he watched, powerless to interrupt the ritual, the energy pulsed out from the altar, ripping skeletons from the corpses strewn about and imbuing them with a ghastly mockery of life.


    In a din of rattling and clacking of bones, the skeletons clambered to their feet and began marching toward the trail to the blood-curdling sound of Kir¡¯mogan¡¯s cruel laughter. Calen swallowed back the bile that rose in his throat and fled the bone temple and the unholy ritual he had just witnessed. He needed to get the others ¨C and he needed to get to them before the undead did.


    Aliandra


    Ali walked down the center of the trail while the group cautiously advanced through the dense jungle. It was a jungle entirely unlike the roiling chaos of the wild mana zone under the ruins of Dal¡¯mohra, sharing only a verdancy and abundance of growth. The trees here did not directly contribute to the ambient mana. Instead, the thick stench of blood mana bored into her nostrils even though she was smelling it by proxy. The fountains of dry bone-affinity mana pouring from the Grim Totems scraped across her skin like an enveloping hug from a skeleton.


    Ali shivered, glancing up at the two Troll Bone Warriors flanking her, taking a little solace in the coiled, ready power in their bodies, and the confident arrogance of their stride.


    ¡°¡± she instructed, directing the rest of her minion army to spread out and take advantage of the thinning undergrowth. She flitted through points of view, making certain that nothing would surprise them while Calen was out scouting. Malika and Mato both had potent perception skills to warn them of danger, but both were short-to-medium range. On the other hand, Ali¡¯s minions put a broad and diverse set of senses at her disposal: from the heat vision of her imp to the blood scent of her stalkers. She might not have Calen¡¯s eyes or Explorer skill, but she could create a fine net of perception that would be hard for most threats to evade.


    ¡°What do you think of this, Ali?¡± Mato asked, squatting down beside a large Grim Totem and the skeletal remains of a troll corpse lying on the ground beside it. He was poking at something, watching a trickle of viscous red fluid.


    ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s repulsive,¡± Ali said, staring at the moss that was spreading over and even through the bones, leaking a liquid that spilled onto the ground, staining it crimson.


    ¡°Mhm¡­¡± Mato said, still studying it closely. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Is that real blood?¡± Ali asked. While she voiced the question, it was redundant. She had no need for Mato to confirm it ¨C her Abyssal Stalkers could smell it from across the path. Not only that, but the moss was seeping red blood-affinity mana that twisted and swirled in transient ribbons before blending with the bone mana from the nearby Grim Totem to produce the complex paired mana structure for the Temple of Aman Rak¡¯s domain.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to collect some samples for Basil and Eliyen, just in case it¡¯s valuable,¡± Mato said. Then he glanced up, meeting her gaze, ¡°You have a moss imprint, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali said. She had been half hoping he would forget ¨C she didn¡¯t relish the idea of learning an icky moss that leaked blood, but he was right ¨C almost invariably, all plants with a mana affinity of some kind had substantial value to the herbalists, and if they could turn it into something helpful, it would be worth the sacrifice.


    She bent down and reached out toward the red moss, grimacing at the sense of warm wetness assaulting her fingertips, but she completed her task properly, deconstructing several good samples until her Grimoire reacted.


    Suddenly she looked up as she caught the powerful scent of pumping blood on the path up ahead. The heat outline of his sprinting body gave Calen away, even in stealth. Since his last advancement, she could no longer see his mana, but behind him, she could clearly make out the knots of death-affinity mana heralding the approaching undead.


    ¡°Incoming,¡± Ali announced. Malika sprang to her feet, taking her cue from Ali¡¯s gaze and immediately facing that direction in a defensive stance. Mato transformed into his Bear Form before he even got up from his crouch. ¡°Undead. Chasing Calen.¡± She readied her minions and made a barrier pop into existence between her and the new threat.


    The clacking of bones filtered strangely muted through the trees as six skeletons rounded the bend, running right into Mato¡¯s roaring charge. The trail thumped and shook as the enormous Armored Drake and Forest Guardian waded into the fray.


    ¡°¡± Ali said, imbuing her words with images of intent, communicating with her Troll Warriors the same way she did with elementals and beasts. Unleashed from the bow of her will, they shot forward, leaving a bizarre crackling rupture of bone spines that burst from their footprints. Ridges and plates of bone sprouted rapidly from their exposed skin, forming heavy articulated armor that covered the vulnerable joints, neck, and abdomen. They crashed bodily into the skeletons with a loud crunching sound and unleashed a flurry of bladed slashes.


    Ali studied her trolls carefully using Martial Insight to experience their unique combat in first person. she thought as Sage of Learning drained mana rapidly, cataloging moves and techniques, balance and momentum. Ali¡¯s mind flickered with patterns and memories as her body experienced the forms while her skill drew upon her memories of sparring with Malika to connect similar techniques. Their martial abilities were remarkably similar to Malika¡¯s punching techniques, perhaps because the tonfa blades ran the length of their forearms, protruding a little beyond the elbow and past the hands, making their weapons ideal for punches and elbow strikes, in addition to the obvious slashing attacks. In a few moments, she began experimenting, mixing in a little of the extraordinary Ahn Khen footwork to enhance the power of their blows, but the fight was over too quickly for her to make much progress. The Armored Drake more or less stomped the lower-level skeletons into bone shards and incinerated whatever it didn¡¯t crush or shatter.


    ¡°Come quickly,¡± Calen said breathlessly. ¡°I found a raid boss. They¡¯re torturing a Troll, probably a young one.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ali asked, Calen¡¯s words not making a whole lot of sense.


    ¡°She¡¯s not a dungeon monster,¡± he said, and suddenly his meaning was clear.


    ¡°Fuck, let¡¯s go!¡± Ali said, hopping onto a barrier and shooting off after her friends as everyone sprinted down the trail.


    ¡°Boss abilities?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Eighty-one unique melee Troll with a greataxe. Two shamans, two extra warriors,¡± Calen said, summarizing quickly.


    ¡°Two shamans¡­¡± Malika murmured, her mouth pressing into a firm line.


    ¡°Kill them first,¡± Calen said. ¡°And be careful, yes.¡±


    While they hashed out strategy in short gasps, Ali rounded a bend as the trail took a turn around a particularly massive tree and then she stopped, suddenly struggling to keep her stomach from emptying its contents onto the mossy ground.


    Up ahead, the road entered a broad clearing with several stone huts, partially overgrown with bloody moss. The fences and roofs seemed to be constructed entirely from the left-over bones of some giant monster. But in the center of it all was a dark stained altar made from bone and surrounded by many Grim Totems. The altar glowed with an ominously dense death mana and strewn all about on the ground were the dismembered and hacked-up corpses of trolls lying strewn across a carpet of strange blue or black flowers.


    A large troll warrior casually rested a vicious bone axe taller than Mato on his right shoulder, the haft gripped with a hand that looked like it could crush boulders with ease. He looked on with a cruel smile as his minions tormented a troll that was staked to the bone altar with heavy metal spikes. From the feeble struggles, and her healer¡¯s sight, she could tell the staked Troll was barely clinging on, at the brink of death.


    Mato paused at the entrance, giving everyone a moment to catch up and collect themselves.


    ¡°We need to go now if we want to save her,¡± Malika said, her face grim, no doubt uncomfortable with being forced to charge into an unknown raid encounter without any time to prepare.


    Ali studied the battlefield, identifying the trolls with a glance.


    ¡°The area around the altar is brimming with death mana, I don¡¯t recommend going anywhere near that,¡± she warned, as if the screaming troll wasn¡¯t enough of a deterrent.


    ¡°Mato tank everything, Malika pull the shamans out, we¡¯ll kill those first,¡± Calen said. ¡°Be ready for Bloodlust. Keep your recall potions handy, this might get rough. Simple.¡±


    Malika grimaced, ¡°Simply stupid, but I¡¯m in. Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    Mato growled, and Calen lit his bow on fire. Already among the stone houses, Ali made her Abyssal Stalkers vanish from sight.


    ----------


    /Dubat-litrpg

 Chapter 216: Kir’mogan (Part 2)

    Mato¡°Getting the big guy,¡± Calen said, raising his bow and drawing it to its fullest power.


    A howl of hellfire drowned out the wailing as four bright arrows shot across the clearing, delivering their searing payload to the dangerous-looking Troll party gathered by the altar and interrupting their questionable activities. Angry shouts, unintelligible to Mato¡¯s ears, rose above the din and screaming as the boss whipped about and his minions instantly gave chase.


    A sudden storm of whirling axes filled the air, but Mato ignored the splintering cracks as they bounced off golden barriers. He charged. With a burst of momentum, he shot through the center of the sprinting troll group, his eyes locked onto Kir¡¯mogan. Before the troll could raise that almighty axe, he met the boss with a loud crash out in the open, a safe distance from the horrific bone altar and its struggling sacrifice.


    As the shaman and warrior minions barreled past him, he lashed out in retaliation, instant crushing strikes of his claws inflicting devastating gashes and sprouting heavy tangling roots that stopped the trolls in their tracks. Instantly, a garishly painted totem appeared, and the Trolls slipped their bindings.


    Mato unleashed a Challenging Roar that echoed throughout the Bone Temple, and everything turned toward him.


    ¡°Mato has them,¡± Calen announced calmly in the background.


    ¡°This target,¡± Malika said, appearing beside him, her fists wreathed with blue-white light as she danced.


    Mato Swiped, unleashing his claws. His enhanced sense of hearing picked up the faint sizzle of ionizing air even before he heard the chime, and he saw the tiny trails of blacker-than-black.  Immediately, he loaded his strike with Brutal Restoration and Bestial Combat.


    Your attacks gain additional Void damage on hit.


    Blessing ¨C Duration: 1 second.


    His claws ripped through the heavy bone armor grown by the trolls, spraying blood and shards that gleamed in the mid-afternoon sunlight, the additional void magic bypassing hastily-raised shields and slicing through leather armor like gossamer veils.


    In truth, it was an extremely fortuitous time to gain Azryet¡¯s Favor. The beginning of any encounter was typically the most chaotic, unstable, and the most likely time for him to lose control of one of the monsters, resulting in a rampage through his less robust allies, and a mad scramble to recover. A clean strike locked his foes¡¯ attention upon him as solidly as his Challenging Roar.


    Mato juggled positions as Ali¡¯s minions began to arrive, flexing his mana through his aura, growing vines and roots to tangle his enemies. The Shamans reacted with more totems, ignoring his Rampant Growth; the brambles and vines magically finding no purchase on their ankles and legs. He struck again, this time his claws struggling to penetrate the armor and reach the dexterous warriors with their insane evasion.


    The leather stretched over Kir¡¯mogan¡¯s self-grown bone armor and creaked ominously as the boss drew back his giant axe. Trusting the prickle of his danger senses, Mato shifted to block the warrior¡¯s powerful but slow overhead strike, instead taking the low slashing blade of the blood-drenched axe wielded by the shaman wearing the garishly painted red and yellow bone mask.


    He grunted at the impact of the greataxe crashing down on his shoulder plates, deflected to the ground, and winced as the shaman¡¯s blade found a gap in his armor.


    +12 blood magic damage per second.


    +25% vulnerability to bleeding.


    Attackers gain health on hit.


    Duration refreshed on hit with Blood Magic.


    Curse ¨C Duration: 30 seconds.


    +10 damage per second.


    Physical ¨C Duration: 1 minute, 20 seconds.


    Mato was treated to the disturbing sight of his blood trailing away in the air, sucked up by the blood-stained shaman totem planted in the ground nearby.


    The boss¡¯s axe blurred, and this time Survival Instinct did not just prickle, it screamed. Mato shifted to the side, trying to block, but he was too slow to react, and the gleaming blade sliced clean through his shoulder, sundering bands of armor and ripping open a two-foot-long gash through his torso, continuing through to smash into the ground. He was launched into the air by the recoil of the crater the strike left, blood spraying into the air in a great fountain.


    -50% to Health gained.


    Physical ¨C Duration: 30 seconds.


    He had lost a quarter of his health in a single stroke, and, already, the dramatic reduction in his brutal restoration was taking its toll. Holy magic settled upon him, but it too was severely diminished by the Mortal Wounds debuff. But the trolls were only beginning. The three warriors began to accelerate as their haste took effect. Mato backed up slowly, desperately trying to pick out the most dangerous attacks to block as his health fell to the onslaught.


    Malika announced her arrival with a slap on his flank and a vast surge of healing magic that closed the gaping gash at what must have been an exorbitant cost to her stamina. ¡°Healing reduction!¡± Malika shouted, clearly sensing the problem with her healing skill, and Mato obliged by sharing the Mortal Wounds details.


    Malika quickly tore into the masked shaman with a series of furious strikes, peeling it off him quickly, and stepping away from the group. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw all of Ali¡¯s minions grouping up on the shaman Malika had split off, and then his attention returned, focusing on his own fight.


    His health had dwindled to below half before Mato realized that he was losing the battle to Mortal Wounds. Ali¡¯s Acolytes were furiously healing him, and his Brutal Restoration was working full out, but as the powerful warrior and his minions accelerated their haste, the bleeds stacked up and his health continued to decline. With Malika fully occupied with the other shaman, there wasn¡¯t enough healing to overcome the ridiculous debuff. He kept a close eye on that ridiculous overpowered strike that the boss could unleash, but even with the craters left on the ground, the boss still found some canny way to refresh Mortal Wounds before it expired, every single time.


    Reflexively, he checked his recall potion, finding it in his storage, and then he backed up a little, edging closer to Ali¡¯s Drake and the ability to call for help. He channeled more mana into his plants, but the trolls seemed to effortlessly slip out of his grasp, barely inconvenienced by his magic, making his retreat painstakingly slow.


    A pulse of pure wrongness burst from the altar, crashing into his sanctuary aura, raising his hackles and making him growl. In answer, he heard the sepulchral groans that could only come from undead, and the troll corpses strewn about the altar twitched and writhed. And then they clawed their way to their feet, shambling and shuffling in all directions.


    He was already struggling, but he knew his friends could not handle a sudden horde of zombies, so he roared, challenging everything to attack him, just hoping he was in range of all of them. The zombies groaned and, as one, they turned toward him and added their slow but powerful attacks to the hasted strikes of the warriors and the gruesome bloody slashes of the second shaman.


    But nothing came to mind. His health was falling faster now, but the drake remained beyond his range. Still, he backed up, progressing slowly under the continuous pressure, trying to maneuver his enemies so they couldn¡¯t surround him. As his health fell, it became increasingly risky to spend health to power Bestial Combat, and that meant he couldn¡¯t use his armor penetration, which compounded into less damage and smaller healing from his restoration. His only option was Last Stand, and if he used that now, he would just die later when the shaman unleashed her powerful blood magic spell.


    He summoned a potion to his mouth and bit down hard, ignoring the gritty flavor of earth that flowed down his throat.


    His skin hardened at once, taking on a grayish tinge, but he still struggled to block, maneuver, or stack up more healing. Kir¡¯mogan barked something harsh, and the gleaming greataxe blurred. The thunderous axe strike sliced through armor, stonecap, hide, and all sending pulverized rock flying from the impact crater below his feet, and Last Stand triggered automatically for the first time. Not since his first horrible fight against a Fire Mage with Ali had his health dropped below five percent, but this troll, Kir¡¯mogan, had just forced his skill to save his life by auto-triggering.


    As soon as Last Stand dropped, he would lose all the temporary health the skill gave him and die. Unless he found a way to increase his health between now and then. Not even a recall potion could save him now. He crushed a health potion between his teeth, sacrificing the remaining duration of his Stonecap Armor.


    It was halfway through his Last Stand that the explosion of blood ripped through the trolls, empowering them with the terrifying bloody visage and the gruesome dripping blood runes that floated about their heads. Their attacks suddenly accelerated to eye-blurring speed, assaulting his heavily battered armor, and even with his enhanced defenses, his health plummeted.


    He let out a ferocious roar, but it was more to throw his challenge in the face of the superior force. It would, of course, reduce their strength, but it wouldn¡¯t be nearly enough to matter. He had heard of the battle prowess of the trolls, and now that he had faced them in person, he found the stories to be hollow mockeries of the truth.


    Just then his notification chime sounded.


    Your attacks gain additional Holy damage on hit.


    Blessing ¨C Duration: 1 second.


    He Swiped at once, risking both Brutal Restoration and one final Bestial Combat, and this time, he felt a strange warmth in his paw as it began to glow with a soft holy light. His attack slashed across all the monsters before him, ripping through the flesh of the living and dead. But every undead recoiled as the magic sizzled and spat, and he felt the sudden rush of the largest Brutal Restoration he had ever experienced. For the first time since the fight started, he felt his health begin to creep upward. He lashed out again, trying to establish more healing magic, but the random damage enchantment did not manifest again.


    He heard another soft chime in the background, and suddenly Malika¡¯s magic tore through his body in a fiery fury, and with several long seconds of hasted punches and kicks, she took the second shaman away from him. And with that, Ali¡¯s Drake finally stepped into his Sanctuary.


    ¡°¡± He shot a chaotic flurry of complex thoughts to the drake, hoping desperately that Ali would get it.


    ¡°Malika! Pull the shaman further away.¡± Ali¡¯s voice echoing his plea was the sweetest sound he had ever heard.


    As Malika pulled the shaman away, the glowing Fae flew over and deconstructed the totem poking out of the ground. It was a tense ten seconds while he blocked another ridiculous strike from the boss and his health plummeted, almost removing everything Malika had just restored. But he felt the instant the totem evaporated; his roots and grasping vines began to bind on the ankles of the zombies and lock them in place, or at least to hinder their movement. He backed up, pouring mana into Rampant Growth, and to his intense relief, most of the monsters remained stuck, slowly clawing their way free of his magic until he bound them again.


    It was not a perfect plan. As soon as he backed up, Kir¡¯mogan broke free of the roots through brute force, and the bound warriors switched to throwing axes, but the overwhelming onslaught of damage had abated. The zombies couldn¡¯t even hit him. He slowly circled around, each time he rooted his opponents and backed away bought him a precious couple of seconds to heal. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And then something magical happened.


    ¡°Now, Ali!¡± Malika yelled.


    Right as the troll boss unleashed his most powerful strike, three barriers appeared between Mato and the overhead blow. All three shattered, but the axe was deflected into the ground, missing him for the first time in the fight.


    His Mortal Wounds dropped, and suddenly his health filled, right as Last Stand expired.


    Sucking in a huge breath, Mato surged back into the fray.


    ----------


    /Dubat-litrpg

 Chapter 216: Kir’mogan (Part 3)

    AliandraAli was fully focused on the shaman. Malika had pulled her away from the group and was doing an amazing job tanking it.


    ¡°Bring it out into the open a little more, Malika,¡± Calen said. ¡°Ali¡¯s monsters are big.¡±


    As Malika shifted, Ali organized her forces around the troll, placing her Forest Guardian and Bone Warriors on the far side of the group, and prioritizing the more powerful Armored Drakes. This arrangement allowed her to use the Hellfire Imps¡¯ fireballs more effectively.


    ¡°How are you doing?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m good. Bring it on,¡± Malika said, barely even breathing hard.


    ¡°Fireball,¡± Ali called, and the imp reacted with an amplified and accelerated one that shook the ground with the blast. Malika got hit, but all the rest of the minions in the carefully aimed blast radius were immune to fire. And Malika was right, she healed herself and she seemed fine.


    she thought, searching the battlefield.  she spied the Free Action totem among the miniature forest of six different totems. Quickly, she flew over to it and spent the ten or so seconds required to deconstruct the totem. As soon as it dissipated, the shaman became entangled in Mato¡¯s roots, calling out in an annoyed voice, but just as Ali was celebrating the minor success, the shaman threw out another one and the roots began falling away. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ali pursed her lips in annoyance. But before she could try again, two things happened simultaneously.


    ¡°Starting!¡± Calen yelled, indicating he was about to trigger Righteous Fury, and they would need to go all out to drop the shaman.


    At the same time, the Kobold Acolytes flared with holy power. Her heart dropped at the sight of their emergency healing skill being triggered. Fearing the worst, she quickly shifted her sight to one of them, just in time to watch Mato¡¯s health suddenly vanish and then pop up to a little below half. She stared in momentary confusion and disbelief before she realized he had been forced to use his Last Stand.


    ¡°Mato had to burn Last Stand,¡± she announced, getting a look of shock from Calen.


    As if she had summoned the dreaded magic, the shaman¡¯s blood burst into the air, arcing to every troll, accelerating them to a frenzy of power.


    A blur of whirling gray crashed into her barrier, detonating in an explosion of gold and bone slivers and shards that tore through Ali¡¯s skin, piercing her leg and ribs. The world tilted precariously as the pain slammed into her mind and she barely caught herself before she fell. With an instinct born from so much fighting, she resummoned her protective barrier before her senses had even recovered from the shock. Mato was still alive, but Kir¡¯mogan had leveled her a hateful, bleeding-eyed gaze. He summoned another axe and threw it at her again, but this time she was ready, slamming up a second barrier in front of her bubble. It shattered both, but she caught herself deflecting most of the shrapnel this time.


    ¡°Mato¡¯s struggling. Kill the shaman quickly,¡± Ali said, keeping a wary eye on the boss and his extremely potent and accurate ranged damage. The domain mana surged again, and the boss unleashed a ground-crushing strike that tore into Mato. ¡°,¡± she told her nearest Acolyte, making it accelerate its healing power. Another axe flew from a distance, and she barely had enough time to throw up a barrier. But the boss¡¯s axes were empowered by the devastating Bloodlust and the resulting explosion ripped her Acolyte to shreds.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Calen asked, his onslaught of arrows not faltering in the slightest.


    ¡°I can¡¯t keep Mato healed,¡± she told him. ¡°That Mortal Wounds refuses to drop. I think the boss¡¯s biggest strike is refreshing it.¡± It had to be a domain-empowered ability.


    ¡°How long has he got?¡±


    ¡°Fifteen seconds on Last Stand,¡± she said. It was an estimate, but probably close enough.


    She urged her minions on, but she knew that raid boss minions had ten times the health of a normal monster. She desperately wanted to fire her barrier shards, but again she was forced to block another flying axe, wincing as a stray bone shard sliced through her arm. But every axe Kir¡¯mogan threw her way was one less strike Mato needed to tank. If she could just distract him for long enough¡­


    Calen fired a powerful volley, striking the shaman just as the Hellfire Imp¡¯s fireball detonated on it, and the streamers of blood magic that were healing it collapsed to the ground with a great splash. Three of the totems vanished into motes of mana as the magic sustaining them died with their caster.


    ¡°Heal Mato!¡± Ali yelled.


    ¡°I got him,¡± Malika said, as she charged into the fray to pick up the second shaman, her healing magic pouring into Mato the second she arrived.


    Ali shifted her drake into position to cover Malika as she retreated with the second shaman, hoping to block the flying axes on its durable dragon-scale armor. As she did, she received a confusing series of images that she immediately knew had to have come from Mato and his strange ability to communicate emotions and pictures with her beast minions.


    She kicked herself for not thinking of it before ¨C but Mato had seldom had the opportunity to use his control skill down in the mines. The shaman¡¯s Free Action totem was hampering him even more than it was annoying her Forest Guardian.


    ¡°Malika! Pull the shaman further away,¡± Ali shouted, immediately zooming down to the ground and beginning to deconstruct the frustrating totem. Malika reacted immediately, and by the time the totem evaporated, and the shaman threw out another one, it was far enough from Mato to not affect him and his root magic.


    They were not out of danger yet. Mato was still faced with two bone warriors and the devastating Kir¡¯mogan himself, but his root magic seemed to suddenly grasp the horde of zombies, and as he backed away from them his health seemed to stabilize.


    ¡°Ali, you¡¯re going to need to help him. Block that big attack with all your barrier magic,¡± Calen called over. ¡°I¡¯ll throw out some Grappling Shots.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t read it,¡± Ali said. Domain magic was one thing, but Kir¡¯mogan¡¯s skill had to be a martial ability.


    ¡°I can see it,¡± Malika said. ¡°On my mark.¡±


    Ali lowered herself to the ground to free up her barrier magic and it took a few moments until she felt the domain mana surge.


    ¡°Now, Ali!¡± Malika yelled.


    Ali had seen the attack several times now, and she was certain that an attack that left such large craters in the ground would shred her barriers like paper. But sometimes barriers could be used with a modicum of subtlety. She had used multiple barriers to slow them down when they fell down the shaft so long ago, and she had used them to successfully deflect raid boss bone spears. She summoned three barrier plates, one behind the other, all three of them between the troll boss¡¯s massive greataxe and Mato¡¯s head. All three angled to create a steep deflection.


    The axe blurred, and the air between it and Mato exploded into golden shards of magic, followed a fraction of a second later by the explosion of a cloud of dust and chunks of rubble. But Mato¡¯s health did not budge. Then, the acolytes¡¯ healing spells landed on him and his health skyrocketed, and as the dust cleared, Ali saw the axe blade buried in the ground to Mato¡¯s left side.


    ¡°Good work!¡± Calen said, firing a fan of arrows into their foes.


    ¡°Good call,¡± Ali told him as she watched in sudden relief as Mato¡¯s health hit maximum, right as his temporary Last Stand health expired.


    The boss skewered her with another hateful look and formed an axe in his powerful hand, growing the bone so fast it seemed instantaneous. He threw it with great force and unerring accuracy across the battlefield right at her face. If she hadn¡¯t been ready, she wasn¡¯t sure she would have been quick enough. As it was, her barrier shattered a second time, shards of bone tearing through her body despite that she had deflected the strike. Even as she felt the restoration of her Acolyte repairing her, the small sprays of her amber blood pooled in the air and streamed out across the clearing to be sucked into the shaman¡¯s totem.


    This time, Ali kept her eyes glued to Mato¡¯s health and the boss¡¯s uncannily accurate attacks, tossing out an occasional barrier to interfere with the strikes. The power from Righteous Fury faded, and then shortly afterward the blood runes empowering the trolls splashed down to the ground. They had less damage, but now their foes had one fewer healer. After a sequence of increasingly ferocious attacks on Mato with his blades, the bone troll grew another axe, this time sending the projectile right at Malika¡¯s back. She dodged it without even looking, and it exploded against one of Ali¡¯s Armored Drakes, the shards ripping through all her minions. Most of her creatures had relatively good armor and health, but the Hellfire Imps that had leapt into battle to bring their auras to bear took substantial damage from the explosive bone attack.


    ¡°Keep healing Mato,¡± she instructed her Acolytes. The melee group had Malika and the regeneration aura of her Forest Guardian.


    Amid the press of the melee, the shaman abruptly collapsed in a pool of blood, but there was no chime. Searching frantically, Ali detected a surge of blood by its scent coming from a dense patch of the Blood-Drenched Moss near one of the stone huts.


    ¡°Where is it?¡± Malika asked, snapping her head back and forth as she searched.


    ¡°Over there!¡± Ali yelled, pointing to the hut, and sent mental directives to her minions to chase the shaman.  she thought as she realized the creature had simply bought itself time for a long heal, the ribbons of blood magic curling back from its hands and punching into its own torso as its health began to rise.


    Another axe whirled across the battlefield, but this time, Ali was prepared. Her barrier flickered into existence, deflecting the deadly missile from her Acolyte. Even though her barrier shattered with the impact, her Acolyte was still able to survive the blast. With a little dose of healing magic, it began recovering and continued healing Mato.


    She flew over, alighting on the blood-stained ground, and bent to deconstruct the corpse of the first shaman. While she wasn¡¯t critically low yet, she was operating on a tight mana budget in order to bring so many minions to the battle. And she needed her mana for her barriers. With her mana refilled, she redoubled her efforts, tossing out barrier after barrier to block powerful flying bone axes or to give Mato a little breathing room.


    Finally, the second shaman collapsed, landing in a pool of blood that had accumulated on the ground, and the crucial chime sounded.


    ¡°Warrior, and then the boss,¡± Calen reiterated their strategy. ¡°Don¡¯t fireball the zombies yet, Mato is using roots to keep them at bay.¡±


    ¡°I can help him with the Guardian,¡± Ali said, shifting her minions.


    With both shamans down, she decided she had much more room for adjustment. She sent both drakes to tackle the zombies, making them use only their cleave attacks until they had the monsters locked down, and she used everything else to attack the warrior Malika picked, holding her imps in reserve for now. As soon as her drakes were being attacked by the zombies, and there was no chance of them breaking to harass Mato, she called for fireballs. She was quite pleased with her strategy ¨C there were many zombies, and with the drakes being immune to fire, the fireballs worked wonders. After she allowed her drakes to breathe fire, the zombies began dying quickly.


    Against the bone warrior, her Abyssal Stalkers¡¯ blood shock and her new trolls¡¯ heavy damage made for a devastating combination. Eager to stabilize the fight further, she sent her Forest Guardian over to help Mato. It brought its powerful regeneration and an extra helping of roots to control the remaining minions.


    They settled into a careful, but much more stable fight, burning down the remaining warriors one at a time while Ali spent most of her energy blocking deadly-accurate flying axes, until finally only Kir¡¯mogan remained.


    The fight dragged on and on as they struggled to do substantial damage to the heavily armored and highly agile troll. Even though there were no more shamans healing him, the health boost he enjoyed for being domain-enhanced paired strongly with the troll¡¯s innate regeneration. He also had the health leech on his gear. Ali carefully tracked his health, but they were struggling to make decent progress.


    ¡°He¡¯s out of stamina,¡± Malika suddenly announced, after about ten solid minutes of fighting.


    Ali looked again, surprised, but indeed Malika¡¯s normally blue-white magic was unusually white, with a subtly different structure to the magical formation whenever it flickered and flashed with her punches.


    she thought.  Some of the Bone Warriors¡¯ defensive abilities ran on mana ¨C and there was no reason to believe Kir¡¯mogan was any different ¨C but their offensive capabilities were effectively neutered by Malika¡¯s strategy. But most importantly, his ability to block required stamina. From there on, the battle turned into a drawn-out game of chase as the boss triggered its Bone Rush to get away from Malika in order to regenerate just enough stamina to throw an axe at someone. An attack Ali blocked every time ¨C and then she followed up with Armored Drake Cleaves and Blood Shock to whittle his health down a little further.


    After far too long, Kir¡¯mogan bellowed something angrily and collapsed in a heap to the sound of a notification chime.


    ¡°Oh, thank goodness,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°You can say that again,¡± Malika said. ¡°How¡¯re you doing, Mr. Bear?¡±


    ¡°Fine. Good fight,¡± Mato said, massaging his neck on the right. ¡°He hits reasonably hard ¨C for a Troll.¡±


    Calen just sbat-litrpg

 Chapter 217: Bone Temple (Part 1)

    Evanna Quillmore the Scribe


    Aliandra


    Ali floated down to the heavily churned-up ground of the clearing, taking great care to avoid landing in one of the many puddles of blood slowly seeping into the hard-packed sand. She walked over to where Mato was standing over the corpse of the powerful troll warrior and his giant bone axe.


    A unique, named Troll. A ¡®one of Aman Rak¡¯s champions, no doubt ¨C though how he had become a dungeon boss defied explanation. Ali had never heard of anything like it ¨C nor could she fathom what it might mean, even considering her inside knowledge of how dungeons functioned.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Ali asked, glancing over at her somber friend. They had almost lost him in this fight, and the thought still left her trembling inside.


    He looked up at her and smiled softly, but before he could answer, the bone altar pulsed, emitting a dense surge of stored power. Jagged lightning-like arcs of midnight-black death-affinity mana burst through the chest of the twitching troll still nailed to the blood-stained altar top. The surrounding domain responded, drawing heavily from the forest of Grim Totems for¡­ something. The tortured Troll screamed.


    ¡°Malika! Help me!¡± Ali yelled and shot off across the clearing to free the suffering shaman. It was only a couple of steel spikes pinning her to the altar, and Ali had Deconstruction.


    Sparks of death magic arced toward her the instant she entered the aura around the altar, and in that moment, she understood the screaming. The magic ripped at her life energy, her mana, and her stamina, sucking it out with such brutality that her entire body and mind spasmed in agony.


    In a flash, Malika was beside her, her mana coursing through her body as Ali endured the sparks and arcing drain magic. A powerful wave of death magic burst from the altar, causing a quiver to ripple through the flowers at their feet, and as it swept over them, more mutilated troll corpses rose, some of them ripping their skeletons out of their flesh, spraying blood across her barrier. But the altar did not stop, tearing hungrily at herself, the dying troll, and Malika as they sprinted across the way, growing stronger and stronger the closer they got.


    ¡°It¡¯s feeding on us,¡± Malika gasped.


    ¡°And using the energy to summon undead,¡± Ali managed through gritted teeth. The aura had grown darker and more ominous the moment she and Malika had entered.


    Suddenly, all the corpses turned, answering a challenging roar, and she had the presence of mind to mobilize her minions to help Mato right as she reached the altar.


    Ali bit down hard against the unrelenting pain, tasting blood in her mouth, but the torrent of healing magic from Malika¡¯s touch repaired her injuries as she fended off the power of the altar.


    Ali¡¯s fingers touched the steel spike that had been driven through the poor troll, but in that instant, she changed her plans. Dropping her intelligence, she swapped Empowered Summoner to her Armored Drake and exchanged it for the might of a melee dragon. In moments she plucked all three stakes from the troll and tossed them to the side. ¡°Get her,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Right,¡± Malika said, scooping up the troll in both arms. They fled.


    The pain ceased.


    The black pulsing from the altar subsided to a subdued rippling.


    Ali blinked several times, suppressing a rush of ecstasy at the mere absence of the pain. She glanced down at the troll lying unconscious on the ground. Her health was extremely low, but it seemed stable. Ali pressed her lips together and glanced over at Malika, both of them knowing what they had to do.


    ¡°One more time?¡± Ali asked, wishing with all her heart that she didn¡¯t have to go back in there. But the unholy altar could not be allowed to stand.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Malika grimaced but got to her feet, powerful determination in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll finish healing her¡­ after.¡±


    The simple word clenched her throat.


    With Malika holding her hand, the two of them walked back to the dark altar. It activated the instant they approached, arcing fresh sparks of death mana as it tore hungrily at their life. Searing healing power flowed through their clasped hands and Ali gritted her teeth to stop from screaming. The moment she reached it, she punched it ¨C a blow drawn from all her hours of training her minions with Malika. Her fist hit the center of the altar with a loud crack, and it split down the middle. The mana wavered and flickered, and then surged chaotically as it arced across the exposed and fractured runes embedded within the construct. Ali groaned as the uncontrolled outburst crashed against her in waves.


    ¡°Deconstruct it!¡± Malika shouted, her healing magic surging in response.


    It was the longest ten seconds she could remember.


    The first half of the altar of bone evaporated, taking with it the horrendous pain and death mana, and it left Ali staggering as if she had been unconsciously pitting herself against an enormous weight that was suddenly removed. Cracks and sizzles filled the air as death mana drained from the remaining half, grounding itself in thick ropy bolts of black lightning. Ali grimaced and deconstructed the rest of the abomination as fast as she could.


    ¡°Good work!¡± she heard Calen yell, amidst the dim clamor of battle nearby.


    ¡°Is everyone ok?¡± Ali panted, exhausted from her ordeal.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Malika said, but Ali still snapped her head around to verify for herself.


    Calen and Mato seemed to be well on their way to wiping out the sudden horde of zombies and skeletons raised by the altar. Just to be sure, she checked with an Acolyte, but Mato didn¡¯t seem to be very hurt, and they had all her minions tearing through the monsters.


    Ali breathed a sigh of relief and followed Malika over to the groaning, barely conscious victim. The poor troll seemed to be wholly disoriented, stripped down to ragged undergarments of soiled and bloody leather. She was bleeding from three puncture wounds, and someone had cut off her arms at the elbows, cauterizing the wounds with fire.


    she thought, suddenly realizing the extent of the torture this troll had been subjected to. Even her health was critically low, presumably kept there on purpose to prevent her from using her magic.


    Malika¡¯s expression was hard as she reached her hand out for healing, but the troll suddenly began to struggle, eyes widening in terror as she tried to scramble away on her mutilated arms, with legs that flopped refusing to work.


    ¡°She¡¯s trying to help,¡± Ali said, keeping her voice as kind and gentle as she could. The Troll fixed her with a wide-eyed stare, and Malika¡¯s hand brushed her arm. In a rush, healing magic burst through the Troll¡¯s body. She screamed again, but her terror died quickly as she suddenly stared at her rapidly regrowing arms. Her legs twitched and the stake wounds closed, and Malika only released her magic when the Troll was fully healed.


    The Troll slumped to the ground, breathing heavily, eyes closed.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Ali asked, after a few moments.


    The troll responded slowly, her voice hoarse, and Ali¡¯s Sage of Learning took a chunk of her mana. Ali tried Ancient Dal¡¯mohran, and then Elvish, and then all the other languages she knew, but none of them worked.


    ¡°How about I make some food?¡± Mato said, walking over with Calen after finishing off all the undead.


    ¡°That might work,¡± Malika said. ¡°She looks like she hasn¡¯t eaten for a week.¡±


    Ali considered the communication problem. This was definitely one of the original residents of Aman Rak, somehow having survived whatever disaster had destroyed the ancient troll settlement and turned it into a dungeon. Learning what had happened, and what they potentially faced was a high priority for their continued survival in this treacherous place. It also happened to be their mission.


    She sent out a thought, calling one of her trolls over. As it approached, their guest stared at it in confusion, eventually making a comment in the strangely harsh tongue of the trolls.


    ¡°she sent to her Troll, not quite sure how well her images would be translated, and activated her Sage of Learning, maintaining her awareness of her Bone Warrior¡¯s senses just to increase the information she could use to feed her voracious learning skill.


    What followed was a bizarre first-person translated conversation between her and the troll via the intermediary of her summoned minion. Sage of Learning burned through her mana at a ferocious rate throughout dinner, but eventually, some of the words began to make sense. It was a surprisingly difficult language, full of gestures and facial expressions that conveyed additional nuances of intention and meaning, but Ali didn¡¯t stop at her rudimentary knowledge, she needed proficiency in order to make sense of what they had witnessed, and the ritual they had disrupted. At last, she received the notification she had been working for.


    ¡°Bah, you¡¯re not real. You don¡¯t understand a thing,¡± the young Troll said, folding her arms across her chest in frustration. ¡°Why am I even talking to you?¡± She turned her head away from the Bone Warrior.


    Just as it had been the first time when Ali had used Sage of Learning to understand Malika, she suddenly understood the basics as Sage of Learning actively sorted and reordered the knowledge in her mind. Just like then, she could tell that speaking was where her proficiency would be most tested. It was time to try out her new language and see what she could learn. Although this time her skills were vastly more powerful, and she had more tools to bring to bear.


    Keeping her awareness in her Troll minions¡¯ senses, she spoke. ¡°Hi¡­ I¡¯m Aliabat-litrpg sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 217: Bone Temple (Part 2)

    AliandraThe freed Troll whipped her head around and stared at Ali in surprise. Ali¡¯s command of the gestures and expressions that seemed a core part of the language was still weak, and she was probably butchering the tone, but it seemed like she had been understood. ¡°What is¡­ your name?¡±


    ¡°I am Gara, of Aman Rak,¡± she said proudly. But then her eyes lowered, and her haughty demeanor crumbled. ¡°I was¡­ Aman Rak is¡­¡± she seemed choked up as she gestured around at the devastation of the Bone Temple and the stained circle where the bone altar had stood.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Ali asked, intending to inquire about her health after the draining at the altar, but the look of grief and desolation in the Troll¡¯s eyes told her everything she needed to know. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°What would you know?¡± Gara said, looking away, but it was not anger; her voice was filled with pain. A pain that Ali knew all too well.


    ¡°Perhaps you can explain what happened?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Why should I explain to you? You are not of Aman Rak, you are not a Troll.¡±


    But Ali kept the thought to herself. Gara was probably dealing with so much emotion that she was unable to be civil or polite. Then again, trolls had a legendary reputation for arrogance and superiority, so perhaps she was always like this.


    ¡°We encountered a Lich when we arrived here. Do you know anything about that?¡± Ali asked. ¡°Or the undead?¡±


    ¡°Lich?¡± Gara gasped. ¡°I know nothing of a Lich.¡± She sagged back down again but after a few moments, she began speaking. ¡°A few weeks ago, the undead came, pouring forth from the dead forest. With them came the miasma. Our warriors are strong, but every one that fell was raised and sent back to fight against us.¡± Her face was filled with desolate sadness, but then her eyes flashed with repressed fury. ¡°I had to kill the skeleton of my friend, Jotan.¡±


    It was a story Ali had feared, given what she had heard from Calen¡¯s scouting mission and Lyeneru¡¯s account of the divination. But it didn¡¯t explain why the Trolls in this dungeon were still alive. Nor did it explain the ritual and the altar.


    But Gara continued, ¡°I sought the wisdom of the Seeker, Val¡¯korr, but while I was at the shrine, Kir¡¯mogan and Kir¡¯vella came for him with many undead servants. Kir¡¯mogan shattered the shrine, captured Val¡¯korr, and knocked me unconscious. When I awoke, I was nailed to that altar, and they were draining my life to make undead. Why would they betray Aman Rak?¡± Her voice cracked at the end.


    It was a bleak picture, but it answered at least a few of Ali¡¯s questions. Somehow, Aman Rak had been sold out before the undead dungeon had consumed it. She could almost smell the heavy hand of Nevyn Eld in the undead ritual ¨C his presence merely served to confirm it. She got up slowly and walked over to the corpses ¨C they would need to continue if they were to get to the bottom of this.


    When she reached the corpse of the boss ¨C Kir¡¯mogan ¨C she looked over in surprise to find Gara standing beside her. But the young troll spat on his corpse, a Trollish gesture of profound contempt and betrayal, and turned around and rejoined the camp.


    Ali watched her go, wishing she could do something to ease her suffering. She returned to her task and knelt to deconstruct Kir¡¯mogan, but her hand froze as she noticed something unusual. A complex sequence of intricate runes had been tattooed from the backs of his thick hands, past his elbows and across his heavy biceps, and curling around his arms to culminate as an intricate spell-tracery worked into his muscular shoulders. Tattoos that reminded her of the dense and remarkable magic she had seen carved into the tusks of her bone warrior trolls. He had the same tusk carvings, but this seemed to be something new.


    It was far too complex for her to understand, even with Runic Script ¨C and most of it was inscribed with the unfamiliar runes of the trolls. Curious about the obscure rune magic, Ali carefully traced the runes and the magical connections, even spending a bunch of mana on Sage of Learning, before resorting to painstakingly copying everything down into her notebook. She was on the cusp of understanding but somehow lacked some crucial key to decipher the magic. After double-checking that she had recorded it correctly in her notebook, she finally deconstructed him.


    Overpowering Strike


    Requirements: Choose a Physical attack skill that uses stamina.


    Source: Kir¡¯mogan


    Empower your chosen Physical attack to do +300%  or +500%  damage. The attack gains +20% to accuracy and critical strike ratings. Recharge: 30 seconds.


    Skill ¨C Domain Magic


    Ali thought, studying the new domain magic skill carefully. It was the first purely physical martial-style skill she had learned, and it was terrifying. The dungeon ¨C or perhaps Kir¡¯mogan himself ¨C had linked it to an already powerful base attack and, with the additional five hundred percent damage dealt, it had resulted in an insane ground-shattering attack that nobody besides Mato had been able to survive. Not to mention the increases in accuracy and critical strike chance ¨C without a defensive blocking skill, Ali wasn¡¯t even certain her massive Armored Drakes could have endured. Especially considering the already ridiculous damage increase gained from being a raid boss. It unfortunately did not explain the Mortal Wounds. Her Bone Warriors did not have anything like it.


    ¡°Ali, you¡¯re scary,¡± Mato said.


    Ali glanced up to find the burly Beastkin tugging something out of a rough stone wall. Then he strolled over to join her and offered the three retrieved steel spikes. Spikes that were bent and bore the imprints of small fingers.


    ¡°Uh, did I do that?¡±


    ¡°My hands are not this tiny,¡± he said, pointing at the imprints.


    ¡°Uh, sorry,¡± she said, deconstructing them and adding a slightly different variant of steel to her metal imprint.


    ¡°Come, there are some flowers I think you should see,¡± Mato said, leading the way back to the stain on the ground where the altar had stood. All around it, small blue flowers wavered and swayed.


    ¡°They¡¯re pretty,¡± Ali said. Soul affinity was rare and the Soulshade was substantially higher level than her peacebloom. ¡°Eliyen and Basil are going to love these.¡±


    ¡°Look closer, Ali,¡± Mato said, crouching down beside the patch.


    The flowers were a light blue, glowing faintly, and to her surprise, slightly translucent ¨C but other than that, they seemed fairly normal. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no wind,¡± he answered. ¡°So, why do they move?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ you¡¯re right!¡±


    ¡°Also, watch this,¡± Mato said. Reaching out with a hand, he plucked one flower and laid it down on the ground.


    Ali glanced at him, but he remained staring at it, so she glanced back. Suddenly, a tiny flare of black mana swirled through the broken Soulshade Blossom, and a new flower sprouted from the remains. A dark flower rimmed with gray petals, with a central marking that looked remarkably like a black skull pattern. ¡°Death-affinity mana.¡±


    ¡°Identify it,¡± he said, still staring at it, as if he were studying an apparition. It was so out of character for the nature-loving druid that Ali felt a cold shiver of apprehension and did as he asked.


    ¡°An¡­ undead flower?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°How is that even possible?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Mato said, falling silent as he stared at it more. ¡°I want to ask Eliyen about it, but I don¡¯t want to touch it,¡± he finally admitted.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Ali said. ¡°I can get it.¡± She reached out and began to deconstruct the flowers, unable to keep herself from speculating. ¡°There is no way these are natural,¡± she said.


    ¡°I wonder if they¡¯re linked to that altar?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°Or maybe the Grim Totems?¡± Ali responded. Either way, something unnatural had occurred here, and unravelling the mystery of these self-raising undead flowers might be a key to understanding what had befallen Aman Rak.


    ¡°Hey, Ali?¡± Calen said, appearing beside her. ¡°Can you come and take a look at something? There seems to be a barrier blocking the way forward just beyond the temple.¡±


    ¡°A barrier?¡± she asked, but she immediately followed, calling her Abyssal Stalkers to her as he led the way past the edge of the bone temple to a similar pathway that she could see winding through the jungle out the other side, heading further up the mountain to whatever lay beyond.


    ¡°Here,¡± he said, reaching out his hand. But his fingers bumped into something in midair ¨C a surface that rippled like water. ¡°I can¡¯t find a way around. Not even going above it.¡±


    Ali reached out and touched it, feeling a slightly yielding surface under her fingertips, smooth and almost soapy, and only now seeing the flow of mana that supported the barrier. Even this close, the mana flowing through it seemed to be concealed somehow, and against the backdrop of the dense domain mana, it was almost invisible. A strange combination of death magic and what looked surprisingly like soul magic densely entwined into a complex formation of runes that defied her ability to immediately grasp its functioning.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need some time to study this,¡± Ali said. She sat down, facing the dizzying array of magic, and began to read the runes, this time mostly a combination of the runic languages she was able to read, but every now and then she encountered the strangely incomprehensible runes of the trolls providing key connections or formations. She turned on her Sage of Learning to study the magic, trying to tease apart the threads of function.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the others and set up camp here,¡± Calen said, vanishing.


    Ali called the rest of her minions over and set them to guard duties. Then, she returned her attention to the magic, letting the world fade from her awareness as she became fully absorbed in her task.


    Teagan


    Teagan entered the room with the book clutched tightly to her chest, closing the door behind her. The rest of her team members sat or sprawled on the couches and chairs in one of the new informal meeting rooms, recovering after the Guildmaster¡¯s strenuous training session. Again. She still had a lingering headache but knew she¡¯d far rather have that than a few alternatives the Guildmaster had been keen to impress upon them.


    Strewn across the low table in the middle were crumpled notes, inked-up maps, and, in a small clearing among the debris, Seth was arranging several small model figurines into the configuration of the Grove. He was using a pepper grinder for the shrine.


    ¡°The boss paths a little more to the left,¡± Willow said, and Seth readjusted the clay figure. Ever since the story of the three disciples of Ahn Khen defeating the Forest Guardian boss had begun circulating among the recruits, she knew she had to defeat it. The rest of her team shared her ambition, but it was not just them ¨C at every strategy meeting Aiden wanted to talk about ideas for beating it too.


    ¡°Ugh, we¡¯re so close,¡± Braden said. ¡°Especially with Basil¡¯s new, stronger antidote potions.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a level forty raid boss,¡± Willow reminded him. ¡°Even if we team up with Aiden¡¯s group to get enough people to raid it, we¡¯re simply not high enough level. We¡¯re not even silver rank yet.¡±


    ¡°I want to know how Aiden¡¯s group managed to crack thirty before us,¡± Braden said, sullenly. It was a point of pride to be the strongest adventurer group in the guild; well, ignoring Aliandra¡¯s group. They had been neck and neck with Aiden¡¯s team, but just a couple of days ago Aiden¡¯s group had suddenly surged past level thirty.


    ¡°I know how they did it,¡± Teagan said, getting the sudden full attention of her entire group, including the normally quiet Basil and Seth. She dropped the Dungeon Manual on the coffee table in front of all of them. ¡°Aiden updated it.¡±


    ¡°What? Really?¡± Braden exclaimed, grabbing the book.


    ¡°They found a level thirty-three demonic spider in a cave. It has stealth, Ambush, very high accuracy and critical strike chance, and a web attack,¡± Teagan listed off the major abilities Aiden had noted in the manual. ¡°It also summons demonic, bloodsucking hornets.¡± She had been upset that Aiden had found it first and catapulted his group to become the first silver-ranked adventurers among their peers, but they had only killed it once so far, preferring to share the discovery rather than monopolize it to extend their lead.


    ¡°They¡¯re letting us catch up?¡± Seth asked, his quiet deep voice laden with curiosity and more than a little surprise. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Yes, Aiden is focused on being strategic. When he gave this to me, he said he didn¡¯t want to beat us, he wanted to catch up to Aliandra¡¯s group, and for that, we need a raid group capable of killing the Forest Guardian next. Then he wants to take advantage of Naia¡¯s slime dungeon to grow more, and finally take on the undead dungeon Calen scouted in the blighted forest. He said the only reason Aliandra¡¯s group is so far ahead is because they cleared two raid dungeons.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s smart,¡± Seth answered, his expression thoughtful, with a little excitement leaking into his voice. ¡°I just unlocked a Life Tap curse, that should help against blood hornets, and my skeletons and zombies don¡¯t have blood.¡±


    ¡°Our area damage is weak,¡± Willow countered. ¡°How will we handle the summoned hornets?¡±


    ¡°Morwynne taught me a new recipe,¡± Basil piped up. ¡°She has come into a large supply of hellfire-affinity Abyssal Brimstone Tar which I can use to make incendiary potions if someone has accurate throwing skills.¡±


    ¡°Ooh,¡± Willow exclaimed. ¡°Gimme!¡±


    Basil produced a vial of something dark and bubbling and passed it to her with extreme care. Teagan felt the heat coming off it from several feet away.


    ¡°Oh, Basil, I think I love you!¡± Willow said, snapping it up with glee.


    The shy herbalist coughed, trying to hide his blush and failing badly.


    ¡°Can we try this demon spider today?¡± Seth asked.


    ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d say that,¡± Teagan answered as the mood in the room shifted. Everyone sat up a little straighter and focused more closely as the group began to discuss the details of a potential strategy. Aiden¡¯s group had defeated it with Havok¡¯s holy damage and consecration healing, and their group would need to solve it quite differently ¨C but Teagan could see the pieces coming together already. Time to catch up. Yesterday already.


    ----------


    /Dubat-litrpg

 Chapter 217: Bone Temple (Part 3)

    CalenCalen jogged back down the path toward the Temple of Bone and the aftermath of their brutal fight. All the way, his Explorer skill prickled in the back of his mind like an unreachable itch. Something was unnatural about this place, beyond the obvious, and the skill insisted on reminding him continuously, keeping him on edge.


    He scanned the jungle for threats, focusing his vision with Eyes of the Archon, but all he found was the dense undergrowth and huge trees, their boughs weighed down with aerial plants, moss, and vines. The only things that moved were a whole host of regular creatures: birds, insects, small rodents, frogs, and many unseen crawling things going about their lives, oblivious to the fact that they now lived in a dungeon filled with warped magic, filling the air with the noise of their calls.


    he thought as he shifted his awareness back to the clearing, the crude collection of stone and bone huts, and the perimeter fence made from giant ribs. Kir¡¯mogan¡¯s domain. It felt somewhat misnamed to him ¨C the ¡®bone¡¯ part of the name was most certainly descriptive of Kir¡¯mogan¡¯s magic style and the construction ¨C but he was certain Trolls did not worship the gods. Ali had explained that they were too arrogant or superior to worship other gods, instead revering the spirits of their own champions and heroes. Why it would be translated as ¡®temple¡¯ escaped him.


    ¡°Yo, welcome back,¡± Mato said. ¡°Ali ok?¡±


    Calen entered the clearing, finding Malika meditating and Mato cleaning up the cookfire. Gara sat morosely, staring at the stained ground, all that remained of the bone altar Ali had destroyed.


    he thought. Her entire home ¨C all of Aman Rak ¨C had been destroyed and turned into a dungeon; returned to haunt them with a mockery of its former life.


    ¡°Ali says she¡¯s going to need a lot of time to decipher the magical barrier,¡± Calen said. ¡°I think we should go over there and make camp. That way we can get some rest until she figures out a way past and also avoids the dungeon respawning this place on top of us.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Mato nodded, collecting his things quickly.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Malika said, uncoiling from her meditation pose.


    Gara turned to look at him with uncomprehending eyes.


    he thought, gesturing for her to join them as they relocated. His eyes surveyed the bloody mess of corpses, broken ground, and left-over vines and roots, and then he helped Malika store the remaining troll corpses Ali hadn¡¯t yet deconstructed to give to her later.


    He led them out of the temple to where Ali still sat, completely absorbed in her study of the strange necromantic barrier blocking their path. As they began setting up a simple camp, his thoughts returned to the challenging fight against the troll champion, Kir¡¯mogan.


    It had been a difficult battle for their team, but not particularly difficult for him personally ¨C the most he had had to worry about was dodging the occasional deadly flying axes Kir¡¯mogan threw at random people. For that, his Mirage Armor had once again proved its exceptional worth. All his stress had come from worrying about Mato and the precarious position he had found himself in fighting against the champion of bone.


    Fighting two raid-enhanced shamans and the empowered warrior champion simultaneously had been almost more than they could handle. It had taken more than the full duration of his Righteous Fury to burn through the first shaman¡¯s greatly increased health and the powerful blood magic healing.


    Mato had almost died when the shaman had used Bloodlust to haste their foes. It was something he worried about incessantly; without the skills to see health and magic, he had to rely on his teammates to tell him when to change strategy. Worse, Mato¡¯s ability to communicate was severely limited in Bear Form. It was truly fortunate for them that the shamans had only used their blood enhancement magic once during the fight ¨C if the second one had used the same ability, they would most certainly have died ¨C well, they would have recalled.


    He glanced over to where Ali worked with that incredible scholarly focus that came so naturally to her, flanked by the two tall troll Bone Warriors she had made. She was a strange person, but one he had come to care for deeply ¨C the two trolls had been an incredible increase in power for their team, and yet Ali had struggled with the ethical implications of making them. Even though she was incredibly smart, he respected that she was also a complex person, driven more powerfully by her emotion and empathy than by reason. He would have simply taken the rational argument to increase their strength without any of the anxiety and conflict she had experienced.


    And once she was done with the barrier, she would need to make another decision. The two shaman corpses in his storage should give her sufficient material to add the variant to her Grimoire. Then she would be faced with a choice between the power the shamans would undoubtedly bring to their team, and the corresponding increase in their safety, or the complex guilt and confusion in her heart around making sapient creatures that seemed just like people. He hoped she would choose to make the shamans because their healing and the blood magic would be an incredibly powerful strategic tool, but he wasn¡¯t about to force the issue when Ali had struggled so much with it.


    His thoughts turned inward as he began to document and study the growth he had earned from the fight.


    It was a substantial reward for a dangerous fight, and his thoughts returned to the conversation Lyeneru and Nendir had had about his unreasonably fast progress.  he thought, acknowledging their worries and concerns about the risks he was taking. But he could not see how he could have done it differently ¨C they had been thrust into the dungeon without Lyeneru¡¯s aid because of the appearance of the Blind Lich. They had planned to do the investigation with her, which would have made this fight an easy and safe task.


    He had personally witnessed her power, but she was up against Nevyn Eld. The Blind Lich who had created the Death Knight they had struggled against. It was not something he could do anything about right now ¨C but he could focus on his own power and growing strong enough to be effective.


    Calen consulted his notes, ran his calculations, and then distributed his new attribute points. Dexterity was still his highest priority, so he spent seventeen points on that. Next, he added ten to perception ¨C seeing his foes was a critical skill for a scout. Seven each went to endurance and intelligence, boosting his magical damage and increasing his stamina pool and resilience. He did have stamina leech now, but the overall benefit of more endurance still penciled out in his computations. Five points went to wisdom to help his never-ending mana problems, and then he spent two each on strength and vitality, rounding out his build.


    Even though his notification chimed again, he spent several minutes examining his giant, noisy recurve bow. The growth enchantment was proving to be extraordinary. The base damage range on the bow grew modestly with each level ¨C small numbers to be certain, but with the way his skills scaled, it multiplied out to enormous wins. It hadn¡¯t happened yet, but he was sure at certain level breakpoints, the strength of the enchantments would bump up too. Finally, he put it away, curious to see what else awaited him.


    You are significantly harder to see, and your mana is cloaked from perception skills granting an additional +20%  to Resistance.)


    Mirage Armor ¨C level 20


    Mana: Bending light around you, your body creates afterimages as it moves, making it significantly harder to hit you. Evasion is increased by +1101


    You are significantly harder to see, and your mana is cloaked from the perception skills of your enemies, granting an additional +20%  to Resistance. Reserve: 10%


    Light, Defense, Illusion, Stealth, Intelligence, Dexterity


    He studied the offered advancement with growing excitement. A synergy had been found between his Mirage Armor and his Eclipse skill, driven by his acceptance of his patron deity¡¯s mana. He had been regularly gaining reputation simply by exploring this dangerous new dungeon, so it seemed plausible that it was related to that.


    This advancement would help him in many ways ¨C some experimentation would be needed to figure out how it interacted with Eclipse when he was out scouting, but a skill that masked his mana was a powerful addition to his repertoire of stealth tools. Ali kept reminding him that she could see his mana when he used his skills. Nevermind that she was ridiculous, he had already faced foes that saw him as less bothersome than a gnat. If something powerful detected him while he was out alone¡­ yes. His mind churned on. He didn¡¯t get hit a lot, typically, but in dungeons like the Emberforge Mines, it was impossible to avoid environmental damage. The additional resistance to magical damage was like a free Elixir of Fire Resistance, but one that worked across all magical affinities. He could stack it with elixirs, and it would grow as he leveled his skill. Any way he looked at it, this was an extraordinary advancement.


    He quickly accepted it, instantly noticing how his body suddenly gained a shimmering insubstantiality to it, as if it wasn¡¯t exactly there.


    he thought, his eyes wanting to slide off himself to look elsewhere. But he could disable it when he was shopping or visiting with his mother.


    ***


    ----------


    /Dubat-litrpg

 Chapter 218: A Lesson in Necromancy (Part 1)

    - Nevyn Eld, The Blind Lich.


    Mato


    Mato quietly set himself to the chore of tidying up camp after dinner, making sure everything was properly arranged without disturbing Ali¡¯s studies. He set aside a bowl of stew for whenever she decided to rejoin them in the real world and then ventured a short way into the mossy trees to practice his Herb Gathering skill on several interesting plants he had spied growing there.


    Despite the close call, he had quite enjoyed the fight against Kir¡¯mogan. The troll warrior had been an incredibly powerful and skilled fighter and had challenged him to the limit of his abilities and beyond. The fact that he had had to rely on Ali and his automatically triggered Last Stand to save him in the end took nothing away from the experience and all he had learned. His fingers absently found the jagged edges of the gash torn through one of the bands of his sturdy plate armor.


    he thought. There had been a time when he had wanted to be strong enough to stand on his own, but that mindset was long gone, abandoned in the face of the many bosses and challenges they had faced together ¨C challenges so great that no one person could face them alone.


    he grumbled to himself, calling up the notifications. He had been far more interested in dinner.


    He stopped for a moment, letting the reality of five levels gained settle within him. Defeating Kir¡¯mogan had left him with a profound sense of achievement, a productive and worthwhile day and one that would remain etched in his memory for a long time. He had fought a hard fight and, together with his friends, they had prevailed. They had saved a young troll from torture, and he had a powerful conviction of setting things right when he had witnessed Ali turning the horrid bone altar into motes of mana. Hopefully, their efforts would go some small way to righting the evil that had been wrought against the inhabitants of Aman Rak.


    He was well past his father¡¯s level now ¨C and his entire family, for that matter. He took a deep breath and stored the curious lilac flower in his ring, turning his attention to his impressive haul of fifty attribute points. Considering just how hard Kir¡¯mogan¡¯s axe had hit, he immediately spent fifteen points on vitality. It would give him a bigger buffer to survive, and give Last Stand more to work with when he needed it. He spent seven points on endurance to shore up his combat resilience a bit and added ten points to strength ¨C this time not thinking as much about hitting, but the attribute would increase the amount of damage he could block. For his remaining points, he decided to spend ten on perception ¨C his most reliable lifesaver being Survival Instinct, and then added the last eight points to Wisdom to boost his mana, but also the contribution of attributes from Natural Prowess.


    he thought, nodding his head and moving on to his skill notifications.


    Now that they were finally fighting outside, his Rampant Growth skill was starting to bloom. He grinned briefly at his own internal pun. While the shamans with their free action totems were a significant hindrance, once they were dealt with, the skill he had learned from Lira had begun to show its true strength as a battlefield control tool.


    He hadn¡¯t been quite so certain of taking Azryet as his patron, especially given how unreliable Devan had said the damage bonus was. However, having experienced it in battle, he was beginning to come around. Both times the blessing had triggered against Kir¡¯mogan it had been in crucial moments ¨C the void trigger at the start had really helped lock down the monsters, and the holy trigger had been exceptionally powerful against the undead, giving him a boost to his restoration that had undoubtedly saved his life.


    He had expected the trigger to be random, but the patronage listed Azryet¡¯s traits as Chaos, rather than random or luck. He had no idea what that meant, but he was certain Calen would love to discuss it at length.


    Eagerly he read on.


    (Stamina: Throw the full force of your mass and strength behind your next Swipe, knocking your enemies back. The knockback effect is proportional to how much your strength and weight exceeds that of your target. Recharge: 30 seconds.)


    (Swipe has a chance to inflict a Bleed for your critical damage amount on hit. Bleed chance is proportional to how much your strength exceeds that of your target.)


    This was the first advancement influenced by his patronage with Azryet, and he immediately understood why Lira had counseled taking on the dragon god¡¯s influence to offset her own. She was such a peaceful being who loved nature and her forest; there was no way her mana could have helped him earn a skill like this.


    On the surface, Deep Gash seemed more effective, adding a new source of damage based on his strength. But¡­ he didn¡¯t want to pass up anything potentially strategic.


    ¡°Hey, Calen,¡± he called out, and his friend immediately perked up. ¡°Take a look at this, which do you think is better?¡±


    ¡°Oh, those are good,¡± Calen said upon receiving his shared notification.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking Deep Gash ¨C it¡¯s useful all the time, not just every thirty seconds,¡± Mato said, rubbing the back of his head.


    ¡°Well, do you want damage or control?¡±


    ¡°Control? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°That knockback is a control skill for melee,¡± Calen said. ¡°Think about this last fight ¨C maybe you wouldn¡¯t have been able to use it on Kir¡¯mogan, but all his minions and the undead would have been fair game. Your Swipe can hit multiple enemies, so you could have created room every thirty seconds where most of them were flying away from you.¡±


    ¡°I struggled to make space with my roots all fight,¡± Mato mused.


    ¡°Yup, I saw,¡± Calen said. ¡°Those totems are effective.¡± S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get a lot of critical damage,¡± Mato added, considering the other offering. Also, if he found himself in a fight where he could use his roots, maybe he could knock enemies back and then hold them away from him whenever he needed. ¡°I¡¯m thinking that maybe this Brute Force knockback gives me more options?¡±


    ¡°I think so too,¡± Calen agreed. ¡°And you¡¯re going to continue investing in strength anyway.¡±


    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s settled, then,¡± he said, choosing the knockback over the bleed. It didn¡¯t quite live up to the devastating power of his second Battle Master advancement, but more battlefield control should be best for his tanking role.


    Swipe ¨C level 42


    Stamina: A slashing swipe attack with your weapon that hits all enemies directly in front of you for weapon damage +123% .


    Stamina: A master at battlefield control, you take advantage of your enemy¡¯s distraction. Whenever you are in range of a creature and it attacks someone else or tries to leave your range, you can instantaneously retaliate for weapon damage +226% . If you hit, you root them to the ground with Grasping Roots. +20% chance to deal critical damage. Conditional Trigger.


    Stamina: Throw the full force of your mass and strength behind your next Swipe, knocking your enemies back. The knockback only affects opponents lighter and weaker than you. Recharge: 30 seconds.


    Physical, Melee, Area, Strength


    As he finished up, his chime sounded again.


    Battle Trance ¨C level 21.


    Every time you are hit, stamina and mana regeneration are increased by +165%  %. Duration: 2 seconds.


    Physical, Melee, Endurance


    He immediately recognized Lira¡¯s influence in this advance. While it was a skill aimed at combat, it also fit with the theme of his tree and the regeneration of mana, something he was beginning to realize was a big part of who Lira truly was.


    Even though it was a fairly straightforward advancement, he was much more excited about this one than the first. So many times, he had had to hold back his mana, saving it for crucial moments when he needed more healing. Having a consistent regeneration improvement in battle was going to help him out enormously ¨C especially against monsters like the Mana Eater, or the Radiant Brawlers which destroyed or drained mana.


    Against Kir¡¯mogan, this skill had really kept him in the fight, the Bone Warriors¡¯ attacks had come so fast that he had multiple regeneration boosts stacked simultaneously for most of the fight. He had spent most of the extra stamina on simply blocking as many attacks as he could to reduce the total incoming damage. And now it would be mana too, which would help his Rampant Growth, Arboreal Sanctuary, and Brutal Restoration.


    he thought as he accepted it.


    Malika


    Malika sat near Ali and cleared her mind. Her friend was working hard, and on something only she could do. She watched for a while, noticing her distant gaze, her eyes flickering from location to location, looking at magic that, to Malika, was invisible. Her expression was one of total focus and concentration, and there were visible beads of sweat on her brow.


    Malika thought. Ali had been pushing herself hard since they encountered the Corrupted Fire Drake at the end of the mines, motivated by the lack of mana and the difficulties of protecting herself with dungeon bosses, and they really hadn¡¯t taken a break in a long time. Today, Ali had leapt into the necromantic sacrifice magic emitted by the bone altar without hesitation, trying to save Gara.  she thought, turning her attention back to the item resting lightly in her lap.


    Ancestral Bone Mask ¨C level 65


    +42 Wisdom


    +33 Dexterity


    +18 Vitality


    +25% Evasion


    Requirements: Dexterity 130, Wisdom 130


    Quality: Uncommon


    Value: 15 gold, 3 silver


    Head ¨C Mask


    It was a delicate-seeming item crafted out of bone, but Malika had personally verified its toughness by punching it while it was still on the face of one of the troll shamans. It had black diagonal designs painted across the left eye, and red accents on the right edge, along with subtle and delicate etchings on the surface, giving it a textured look. She had no idea what the paint meant, just that the trolls¡¯ ideas of battle paint were not what she would have picked. But she was willing to put her aesthetic sensibilities aside for this ¨C the item had an extraordinarily good synergy with her class, and she was the only one in their group who could even attempt to wear it. She had just passed the level requirement to equip it, and with her class restrictions, she couldn¡¯t afford to pass up any appropriate items. She brought the mask up, finding it magically attaching to her face, yet somehow not obscuring her vision in the slightest, not even at the periphery.


    she thought with a smile.


    she thought, recalling some of the after-combat discussion. But the little Fae was still ahead of everyone. Malika smiled proudly ¨C they were all doing incredibly well, and a fair distribution of rewards sat well with her. Everyone had contributed.


    she decided. Malika had been diligently spreading her points out, making sure that nothing fell too far behind, but now she felt she had a little leeway to indulge ¨C especially with the substantial boost coming from the new mask. She spent twenty points on dexterity, feeling an electric tingle all over as her muscles reacted to the change. Then she split the rest, ten each into endurance, wisdom, and perception. Instantly, the view of her friends¡¯ stamina clarified, the tiny wisps of energy coming into sharper focus in her Soul Sight.


    She would be faster, sharper, and more accurate ¨C perfect for whatever this dungeon threw at them.


    As she reached the end of her skill notifications, Malika¡¯s chime sounded again, signaling the advancement of a skill, and she caught her breath in her throat as she eagerly read on.


    Her first bloodline skill had finally advanced. And it sure didn¡¯t disappoint ¨C against creatures at her level, she would gain a whopping thirty-three percent boost to resistance against magic. Ordinarily, she would have immediately taken the general resistance over the specific one, using the same logic she had employed when advancing Soul Armor to add Resistance, but her eyes stuck to Adamant Mind like glue, while the scene of them laughing and giggling like teenagers in the Abyssal Realm replayed in her mind.


    When she had first run into Mieriel¡¯s magic, she had been forced to consider the implications of someone stealing her will. Without her knowledge or consent, she had not even known to fight back. Then, in the Abyssal Realm, it happened again. Mieriel¡¯s feedback had been clear ¨C it was far harder to fight back against a threat you didn¡¯t even know about.


    Adamant Mind would make her effectively immune to mind-altering effects. Fear, charm, mind control, intimidation, the list of skills and attributes that affected the mind was substantial ¨C nearly all of which stripped a person of their ability to defend themselves. Certain death.


    There were always ways to boost skills higher or penetrate resistances, but with an increase of over six hundred percent resistance, her Clarity was a passive skill that would provide extraordinarily robust protection for her mind. Even the requirements for the offered advance showed the breadth of mind-altering effects she had already endured; everything from the lich¡¯s fear to what must have been Mieriel¡¯s mind magic, and the mind magic of the demonic Sentinels. Even taunts and the Violet Dreamcloud mushroom spores that had put her to sleep fighting the Forest Guardian in the jungle were on the list ¨C simple mind-altering effects that could have easily ended her and her friends.


    ¡°Hey, Calen? I¡¯ve got an advancement choice. What do you think of these?¡±


    ¡°Adamant Mind,¡± Calen said, without an instant¡¯s hesitation.


    ¡°Why?¡± she asked. She was strongly leaning that way herself, but she wanted to understand his reasoning.


    ¡°Mind effects are so catastrophic that failure is almost certainly going to result in death. If even one of us can reliably avoid losing their minds, they can save the rest,¡± he said. ¡°It will hurt to lose thirty percent resistance, but you can heal more most of the time. Lose to a mind mage and you can¡¯t even conceive of escaping.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°Also, doesn¡¯t your Clarity skill buff the people you heal?¡±


    ¡°Oh, shit, you¡¯re right,¡± Malika said. ¡°Will it work like that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not.¡±


    Malika selected Adamant Mind and felt something shift, a settling, like girding herself with armor ¨C only inside her head. Quickly she checked her bloodline aptitude for any signs of problems, but everything seemed alright, so she inspected her skill.


    Clarity ¨C level 21


    Your proficiency with meditation is enhanced by your Ahn Khen bloodline. Your mind has reached a permanent state of clarity, during which mana and stamina regeneration is increased by +355% . Bonus is doubled if you sit and focus.


    Your mind remains focused and clear in the presence of danger. You gain +674%  increased resistance to mind-altering effects.


    Soul, Bloodline, Wisdom, Endurance


    ¡°Here goes,¡± she said, feeling a sudden prickle of anxiety. She retrieved a saved Essence of Fire and waited a moment for the pure flame to burn her skin before she healed herself.


    +355% to mana and stamina regeneration.


    +674% to resistance against mind-altering effects.


    Buff ¨C Duration: 20.5 seconds.


    She gasped. Incredibly, her new Adamant Mind was now also part of Healing Mantra¡¯s buff. Instead of just boosting regeneration, she could use Healing Mantra to double the warding effect on her mind. If only she had had this when meeting the Death Knight, exploring the Abyssal Realm, or when overcome by the soporific violet dreamcloud mushrooms, those encounters would have turned out vastly differently.


    ¡°Does it work?¡± Calen asked, curiosity brimming in his eyes.


    Wordlessly, Malika handed him the Essence of Fire and then healed him.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± he whispered.


    ----------


    /Dubat-litrpg

 Chapter 218: A Lesson in Necromancy (Part 2)

    AliandraIt was an unknown amount of time later when Ali returned to her body, having finally grasped at least some of the astounding structure of the barrier. Whoever had wrought this grand necromantic array was unbelievably skilled, able to weave the runes in ways Ali had not believed possible. She activated Inspiration to recover her mana as she considered what she had learned ¨C knowing how something worked was half the battle when it came to dismantling it. And she had an idea.


    As soon as she had mana to work with, she put her plan into action. She had seen Disruption magic twice now, and she had clear memories of the structure used by both the assassin who had tried to kill her by disrupting her magic, and Nathaniel Sunstrider¡¯s version which had dispelled her barrier. Somehow, both of them had been able to create a formation that seemed to be the perfect antithesis to her magic, causing it to spontaneously unravel. She had Runic Script and Arcane Insight, and she was certain she could learn how to do something similar manually.


    She set to work, channeling mana, and creating formations with her runic magic, trying to match the barrier¡¯s structure with an inverse shape made from her own arcane and nature mana. But the proper form proved elusive, and try as she might, she couldn¡¯t find a way to match her arcane runes to the death magic runes in the barrier. Nor did her nature magic bend easily to the soul magic. Then, there were still runes she was entirely unable to decipher, and so, she struggled, twisting the magic one way and then another, as if trying to force the wrong piece to fit in a puzzle. She drew on every scrap of knowledge she had about efficiency, mana manipulation, and understanding of the flow that created the formations but after two hours, she was frustrated and still hadn¡¯t gotten it.


    ¡°Struggling?¡± Malika asked, sitting down beside her, and offering a freshly sliced apple.


    ¡°Argh! Yes,¡± Ali groaned, accepting a slice, and taking a moment to let the crisp crunch and the explosion of sweetness distract her from her frustration. ¡°It¡¯s like I¡¯m trying to open a door, but the key just slips out of my grasp every time.¡±


    ¡°Mm. When I¡¯m picking locks, I do it by feel,¡± Malika said, retrieving her lockpicks from her storage. ¡°I can sense the shape of the lock, so I mold the shape of the pick to the lock first.¡± She illustrated her words by opening a prong from the kit and making it warp and reshape in the air. ¡°Only when it is snug and tight do I give it a firm twist.¡± Malika poked the barrier, creating ripples in the middle of the air. ¡°Not that magic works like that, I¡¯m sure,¡± she said, glancing at her tools before putting them away.


    ¡°I never thought of it like that,¡± Ali said, wondering, her mind automatically trying to apply Malika¡¯s perspective to the problem she had been facing.


    ¡°Not sure that helped.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Ali said.  She summoned her mana again. This time, instead of trying to choose the perfect set of runes, she simply let the magic flow, filling the space in the barrier magic she now understood intimately. She let her magic seep through it, filling the cracks like Naia crawling through a small crevice. She filled every gap and crook in the surface of the formation. And then she gave it a firm tug.


    Something snapped, and an explosion of golden sparks cascaded from a small tear in the surface of the almost invisible barrier before slowly closing.


    ¡°Well, that seemed to do something,¡± Malika said, excitedly.


    ¡°But it didn¡¯t last,¡± Ali said, pressing her lips together. Although, she should be happy because that was the first time she had gotten any reaction from the strange barrier magic in the last several hours. Then her notification chime sounded, startling a small squeak out of her.


    Malika arched an eyebrow at the sound.


    Ali blushed furiously. She was quite sure serious magic-users did not make sounds like that. ¡°One moment, notification.¡±


    Arcane Insight ¨C level 40


    You can see mana.


    Mana: Dismantle or dispel an existing magical construct, formation, or effect, provided you understand it.


    Arcane, Knowledge, Perception, Intelligence


    ¡°This might be just the thing¡­¡± Ali said, sharing the notification with Malika.


    ¡°Perfect for becoming a magical locksmith?¡± Malika grinned.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    The moment she accepted the offer, her view of the extraordinary construct of mana before her dramatically sharpened. Details she had barely been aware of suddenly popped out, crystal clear as her skill adjusted to the addition of a second attribute of scaling.


    ¡°Whoa, I can see¡­¡±


    ¡°Nice change?¡±


    ¡°Very,¡± Ali said, standing up and reaching toward the barrier. The moment her fingertips felt the smooth, slippery wall, she used her new Dismantle ability. Mana flowed through her into the barrier, much like she had done manually earlier, but the scale and speed of it were on another level. Arcane runes flickered and twisted in a rapid torrent, assembling a structure of complexity matched only by the barrier itself. The golden magic flowed outward, covering several meters of the surface of the barrier, seeping into it, until she intuitively understood it was ready.


    She .


    The entire surface of the barrier structure quivered. A blinding surge of mana cascaded through the barrier and a single large rune detonated. The shockwave slammed point-blank into her chest, flinging her across the clearing like a boneless ragdoll. But before she had even hit the ground, she felt Malika¡¯s hands cradling her body while her healing magic rushed through her, repairing her injuries.


    ¡°You ok?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Ugh, nasty,¡± she groaned, struggling to make her voice work again. A little more healing mana pulsed through her, and she sat up from the ground where Malika had placed her, looking over at the shimmering barrier slowly recovering from the jagged tear she had ripped through it, now over twenty meters away. ¡°Yes, I think so,¡± she finally answered. ¡°Thanks for catching me.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I removed one of the runes, and it reacted to defend itself,¡± Ali said, her mind replaying that incredible surge of mana, lighting up hidden runes within the formation. ¡°I don¡¯t think that thing is a barrier,¡± she said.


    She had assumed the construct was a barrier, but hampered by the sheer complexity of the structure, and the proliferation of the indecipherable runes, she hadn¡¯t realized what it really was. In the instant of detonation, she had seen the powerful layered structure of the formation reacting defensively to her intrusive Dismantle and, in that moment of explosive inspiration, she had realized there was vastly more to this construct than she had thought. However, what exactly it was  completely eluded her.


    she realized. It was as if she was studying just a small part of a larger edifice of magic, and without the other pieces, there was no way for her to truly divine its full purpose. She felt a powerful need to consult with her mother¡¯s magical insights, but she had left Clarence in the library under Ryn¡¯s care because she couldn¡¯t put him in her storage ring.


    She got up, testing her newly healed limbs, and walked slowly back to the barrier, which was once again smooth, unblemished, and almost invisible.


    ¡°Be careful, Ali.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± she murmured, deep in thought. ¡°What is this thing?¡±


    ***


    Ali¡¯s awareness slowly expanded to include the ground, the trees, and the quiet little camp her friends had built. Darkness had fallen, and everyone was asleep ¨C only Calen and her minions remained awake, keeping watch. She was finally done reanalyzing the powerful magical array before her, and what she had found was profoundly disturbing. She glanced down at her pages and pages of notes, recording every single rune and connection in perfect detail, the labor of several further hours of hard work.


    She still did not have anything like a complete picture of what Nevyn Eld had wrought here, but there was no longer any doubt that it was his work. Having had her mental block of believing it was merely a complex barrier explosively removed, she had studied it with fresh eyes, an advanced Arcane Insight, and a curious mind. What she had found filled her with vague dread, and an uneasy premonition that what she studied was vastly more nefarious than the simple bone altar she had destroyed.


    The magic was hard-wired into the domain, drawing heavily from the dungeon itself to power the array. The barrier effect was almost an accident of its obscure main function, but she knew the twisted formation was related somehow to the souls of the dead. She just couldn¡¯t figure out the precise connection, so much was still missing from her understanding.


    ¡°Is it as bad as you thought?¡± Calen asked, his voice soft and quiet so it didn¡¯t carry far in the night.


    ¡°Much worse, I think,¡± Ali answered truthfully, massaging her temples for a moment. Her head felt as if someone had filled it with hot sand. ¡°I still can¡¯t tell what it¡¯s for, but whatever it is, Nevyn Eld spent an enormous amount of time and energy on it.¡± She gestured toward the invisible wall. ¡°This thing is proof that his final objective was not Aman Rak. The scope is too large ¨C he is merely using this dungeon as a source of magic to power something much more extensive. Lyeneru was right, we need to learn more. The fate of the world ¨C no, the entire realm ¨C might be at stake.¡±


    It was a shocking realization; Nevyn Eld had destroyed an entire troll kingdom to create a power source for his vast magical construct. She didn¡¯t fear for the other troll kingdoms along the Dol Kerriadh mountains ¨C she feared for everything.


    Calen just nodded, as if he was unsurprised. He had personally seen the Lich though, and talked extensively with the Pathfinders about this quest, so perhaps he had already come to a similar conclusion.


    ¡°When we¡¯re done, we need to show this to Nathaniel Sunstrider,¡± Ali said, closing her notebook and putting it away. Her misgivings about the elf notwithstanding, the Council of Archmages needed to see this. ¡°At least I think I can dismantle this piece safely now.¡±


    She dropped her Inspiration and began to work, tracing the pathways until she found the key rune. It would take some time to unravel, and if she had understood the proper order ¨C the proper sequence to dismantle it ¨C it should all come undone without the mana feedback that had caused it to backfire so catastrophically the first time.


    However, knowing she was right in theory, and standing before the barrier that had detonated in her face were not the same things. Her hand trembled a little, and she summoned a barrier of her own, protecting her face and chest.


    ¡°Maybe step back a little? Just in case?¡± she said. Calen¡¯s body suddenly shimmered, growing indistinct and vanishing from her mana sight as he backed off a little way.


    Ali took a deep breath and began. Her mana flowed outward, pouring onto the barrier, and crystallizing into a complex golden formation that sparkled in the darkness of the night. She kept a tight leash on her magic, restricting it to just the key rune she had identified, and nothing more, and when she was certain she had it shaped correctly, she locked it in and pulled.


    Her heart raced as her magic punched through the key rune, sending a cascade of golden tendrils through the nearby structures, dissolving and dismantling connections in an instant. The necromantic barrier surged in response, wavering and shimmering, but to her intense relief, the ripples faded without feedback, and it settled down, stabilizing with a small hole ¨C a gap in the formation about the size of her fist.


    She released the breath she hadn¡¯t known she was holding, and cracked her neck, releasing some of the tension she had been unconsciously holding, and then she started again, tracing the formation backward to the next key rune.


    She had to pause to regenerate her mana several times over the next hour, but eventually, her magic pierced the final key rune, and the entire structure shivered, giving off an audible sound, not unlike a sigh. The entire barrier across the path collapsed in on itself, magic vaporizing in puffs of unbound mana, sparkling as it dissolved into the air. A smell, halfway between ozone and decaying flesh billowed out as the barrier unraveled in an accelerating cascade until nothing was left except the open path forward and the clouds of mana and smoke slowly drifting away on the soft breeze.


    ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± she said.


    ¡°Mato left a little food for you, he thought you¡¯d be hungry when you finished,¡± Calen said pointing to the pot kept warm near the cookfire coals.


    At the mention of food, Ali realized that she was ravenous, and hopped over to the fire to fill a bowl with the divine-smelling stew Mato had made for dinner. Ever since he had learned to use dungeon-grown ingredients, his cooking had grown by leaps and bounds. She had seen him gathering plants in this dungeon already and, judging by the heavenly aroma, he had found something enticing.


    she thought, inhaling deeply, and then sampling the first bite.


    She was just sitting down to tuck in when a familiar prickle of alertness thrummed through the back of her mind ¨C a faraway pulse, strumming at her nerves like guitar strings. Her awareness instantly shifted to the small cave with the ventilation shaft leading down to the ruins of the ancient city of Dal¡¯mohra and the Abyssal Stalker boss she had created to guard the area. Her remote senses filled with the smell of fresh blood, and the strangely augmented vision of the demonic spider that lurked in the darkness.


    A veritable horde rushed into the cave, dark figures she couldn¡¯t smell. Skeletons of wolves and Kobolds, zombie bats, in fact, a broad sampling of the monsters she had made throughout her dungeon poured in through the small opening. But it wasn¡¯t just undead, behind the horde came the recognizable figures of Seth, Willow, Teagan, and Braden. And keeping himself back behind the combat adventurers, hiding against the rocky walls, Basil crouched, quickly decanting a glowing liquid essence into a vial charged with some black, bubbling tar.


    Her Abyssal Stalker dropped from the ceiling, spraying demonic web across the invaders and unleashing an Ambush on Braden from behind. Blood sprayed into the air, but in an instant the room was lit by a glowing, shifting beam of green energy from Teagan¡¯s hand ¨C energy that healed Braden and bounced, cascading to Willow¡¯s companion wolf. Braden downed a vial of something and shouted, spinning to attack.


    Vampire Hornets burst from the Stalker like a storm cloud.


    ¡°Willow!¡± Basil called, raising the vial in an outstretched hand.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said tersely, grabbing the offering and lobbing it across the room with a swift overhand throw. The vial shattered on the stone, detonating in a blast of hellfire that ripped through the swarm of hornets.


    Ali thought, glancing at the unassuming plant-loving boy cowering in the corner, already decanting a new concoction.


    An unfamiliar magic settled onto her Abyssal Stalker, coming from Seth, and then the entire horde of undead launched their offensive, each strike flickering with a recoil of magic rebounding from the stalker.


    Ali would have to ask him about it when she returned. It seemed to be healing everyone that hit the stalker, but she couldn¡¯t quite make it out remotely through the senses of her monster. But it seemed like their group was well prepared to face her dangerous demonic guardian.


    Ali reluctantly released her connection, leaving the adventurers to their fight so that her attention wouldn¡¯t diminish their experience.  A win here would gain them the privilege of silver rank at the guild and unlock a new skill slot.


    As she sat and savored Mato¡¯s creation, she found the hours of study beginning to catch up with her, and she found herself nodding off in the quiet of their camp, lit only by the glowing coals of the cookfire.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you get some sleep? You worked on that barrier for ages,¡± Calen said. ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think I might,¡± Ali said. She finished up quickly and turned in, falling asleep almost immediately.


    Seth


    Seth studied the delicate silvery runes traced out in the obsidian floor of the teleportation room down below the guild hall ¨C they were quite spectacular in design, and Ali had reportedly crafted the entire thing from memory. On his finger was his shiny new silver guild ring ¨C the reward for their successful defeat of the Abyssal Stalker.


    Willow and Teagan had immediately departed to hunt down Weldin Thriftpenny to turn their loot into coin, but Seth was less interested in the outcome of that. They had discovered some interesting mushrooms in the cave and their haul had included a lot of that annoying demonic webbing the Stalker had used incessantly. But the biggest surprise had been the three slivers of Abyssal Bloodstone Willow had pried from the back wall ¨C an obscure form of magicite, but it should still fetch a tidy sum when sold. Seth put it out of his mind; he trusted his teammates to be fair with his share.


    His new ring was supposed to be his key to entering the library whenever he wanted. Not that the guild barred him from going whenever he asked, but it required Mieriel, the Guildmaster, or Ryn to transport him there unless Ali and her group were around.


    But now he had his own key, and with that came a whole lot of freedom. Not only was the teleporter the gate to the library, and all the books within it, but it also had the teleportation circles Ali had made to Volle, Vertias, and Naia¡¯s slime dungeon.


    He stored the job slip and stepped into the teleportation circle.


    He accepted, and instantly he was in the library, silent now that it was the middle of the night, with the only movement coming from the slowly drifting wisps circling the massive tree and the nocturnal hunting of the golden dragonets searching for insects.


    He searched the inlaid electrum circles till he found the one leading to Vertias. Somehow, Mieriel had figured out how to get job listings for the distant Torian city ¨C presumably by using the teleport circle, just as he was doing. But it was a rather enormous boon for him, personally; he didn¡¯t need much sleep anymore, and so he took night jobs to make a little more money and experience. Although tonight¡¯s quest was a job from Lydia Avery ¨C the tailor wanted someone to collect a rare kind of spider silk ¨C the perfect job, no talking to any people required.


    He appeared in an echoingly empty chamber with nothing but a teleportation locus inscribed on the ground and a sleepy Torian guard at a desk.


    ¡°Good evening,¡± he said, hoping that the night watch would not have the skills to identify his mana affinity.


    ¡°Evening,¡± the guard said, nodding.


    Seth walked out into the darkness and quickly made his way out of the city, meeting almost nobody along the way. As soon as he was out of sight of the walls, he dropped several stored corpses on the ground and raised them as skeletons, and then set off to find the forest grove of the Shimmerweb Spiders.


    They probably wouldn¡¯t make good minions ¨C his research had proven they posed little danger to a silver rank ¨C but she seemed to like placing monsters that could be used by the town crafters for raw materials. He considered it for a while as he strolled through the darkness in the forest, and by the time he saw the sheets of shimmering web draped from the trees he had decided it wouldn¡¯t hurt to save a few corpses for the dungeon, even if it meant the easy coin from this job dried up.


    he decided. He preferred variety anyway; experiencing new things was one of the reasons he was learning to appreciate his class.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 219: Blood Shaman (Part 1)

    Evanna Quillmore the Scribe


    Aliandra


    -10% to maximum health.


    Affliction ¨C Duration: Indefinite. Count: 1


    Ali woke early to the sound of her notification chime and the now-familiar stabbing pain of prolonged separation from her domain. Their camp was still mostly asleep, and the birds were only just beginning to chirp in the trees as the jungle started to wake in the predawn light. She got up carefully, getting used to the feel of her body weakened by withdrawal, and walked over to where Malika was keeping watch, sitting cross-legged on a fallen tree. Her friends had neglected to wake her for her shift ¨C again.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Malika said, greeting her with an offer of some fruit.


    ¡°Hi, Malika,¡± she said, easing her aching body onto a perch beside her on the mossy tree trunk. She took a peach gratefully, enjoying the ripe sweetness of the fruit.


    ¡°Withdrawal?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, nodding. Even after all this time, and all her growth, she still struggled with the pain of it. She knew she could function, but it took a while to reacquaint herself with the weakness. ¡°You skipped my watch.¡±


    ¡°You worked hard yesterday,¡± Malika said.


    ¡°So did you,¡± Ali grumbled.


    ¡°I got to rest while you unlocked the way forward,¡± Malika offered. ¡°Besides, your minions keep watch even while you sleep.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ali said, letting it go.


    As she broke her fast with Malika, chatting quietly together, she realized that she had quite a lot to review. In the tumult of the events of yesterday, she hadn¡¯t even checked her notifications, rescuing Gara and dismantling the Blind Lich¡¯s necromantic masterpiece had taken urgent priority. Once they were done here, she most definitely needed to share her discoveries with Lyeneru and the Council of Archmages ¨C they deserved to know what was going on, and perhaps they would be able to do a better job of discerning its precise function, and thereby intuit Nevyn Eld¡¯s dark purpose.


    ¡°Hey, what happened to the troll corpses from the battle?¡± Ali asked. She had deconstructed Kir¡¯mogan, but she had been distracted by Calen¡¯s discovery of the barrier, and she hadn¡¯t finished the rest of the boss¡¯s minions. Leaving them lying about was just asking for this dungeon to raise them as undead, something she couldn¡¯t allow.


    ¡°We saved them for you,¡± Malika said, quickly producing several troll corpses from her ring and laying them out on the ground.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ali said, relieved that she wouldn¡¯t need to face these again as zombies or worse. She hopped down and deconstructed Kir¡¯mogan¡¯s four minions and the several zombie corpses Malika had collected.


    This time, her Grimoire had decided that zombies and skeletons should be combined ¨C perhaps she had deconstructed enough of them to pass some obscure threshold? As usual, she simply dismissed the undead imprint. Every time she did, she considered Calen¡¯s suggestion of keeping it so that she could use Slayer against the undead, but every time she came to the same conclusion; imprints were extremely valuable and altogether too scarce to waste on another monster she couldn¡¯t use.


    she thought as she turned to her notifications.


    She glanced at Malika using Identify, confirming that her friend had gained five levels ¨C one more than her. But she had been five levels ahead of her at the start of the fight, so that made sense, and she didn¡¯t mind that the gap had closed a little, both of them having earned substantial growth. She smiled, happy that her friend was growing so quickly, knowing that she was rapidly becoming the strong warrior she had always dreamed of being.


    Ali pursed her lips for a moment and then spent twelve points each on wisdom, intelligence, and perception ¨C the three attribute traits that influenced all her skills. Then she put two points into vitality and one each into dexterity and endurance. Immediately, her domain withdrawal eased up. And the dexterity investment would help her zip around on her barriers a little better.


    It had been a challenging fight, but despite knowing it, seeing the enormous skill growth across the board brought her up short. But when she examined the details, she realized how it had happened. Arcane Recall and her Grimoire of Summoning had both leveled up in a prior fight, when she had summoned her Armored Drake in the air and dropped it on the terrifying hasted, blood-enchanted trolls.


    The massive growth in Sage of Learning, Runic Script, and Arcane Insight had come after the battle with Kir¡¯mogan, studying Kir¡¯mogan¡¯s strange runic tattoos, and her long hours spent learning and dismantling the necromantic array. Even so, her growth for the battle had been phenomenal with all her barrier and minion enhancement skills growing substantially.


    The new moss variant would go nicely in the cave with the Abyssal Stalker ¨C something for Basil to play with. But the imprint change she was most interested in was the new troll variant.


    She was pretty sure their rescued troll ¨C Gara ¨C had the same class, and she was burning with curiosity to figure out what that powerful blood magic skill was. She pressed her lips together, still a little uncomfortable about summoning trolls, but she had a responsibility to her friends ¨C she couldn¡¯t afford to leave such a potentially powerful advantage unexplored. She opened her Grimoire and began to summon it.


    ¡°You learned the shaman?¡± Malika asked, examining the tall, wiry troll with undisguised curiosity.


    It was a redundant question, given the very real shaman standing before them, but Ali nodded anyway, studying her new minion. She looked really powerful, even just standing there in the shabby, crude leather armor her Grimoire had picked with her now-familiar intricate crimson runes contrasting starkly against her greenish skin.


    ¡°Well, that gear won¡¯t do,¡± Malika said, her tone suddenly brusquely practical. ¡°Here, use this.¡± She dumped out several vests from her storage ¨C dark leather, decorated with abstract red stains.


    Blood-Stained Leather Vest ¨C level 69


    Armor: 579


    Evasion: 579


    +44 Wisdom


    +35 Dexterity


    +17 Perception


    2% of your Physical damage is returned as Health over 30 seconds.


    Requirements: Dexterity 138, Wisdom 138


    Body ¨C Leather


    ¡°Wow, those are amazing,¡± Ali said, examining the thick leather vest.


    ¡°Uncommon grade,¡± Malika said. ¡°Too bad it¡¯s wisdom and dexterity ¨C not a very popular combination.¡±


    ¡°Would work for you.¡±


    ¡°If I could wear body armor,¡± Malika agreed. ¡°Too much wisdom for Calen, too much dexterity for Mato, but the shamans all had one ¨C you should learn it.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡± It was another solid uncommon-grade addition for her Grimoire. Whoever this Zor¡¯kan was, he was certainly prolific ¨C so much so that the dungeon was still using originals instead of copies. While the vests looked hideously stained with what was evidently real blood, even without leatherworking expertise, Ali could see how finely wrought the enchantments were, and how integral the ¡®decorative¡¯ coloring was to the proper functioning of the piece. Truly the inspired work of a master crafter.


    Ali paged back through her Grimoire and created a new vest, and then a fresh set of the Swift Bone-Studded Jambeau while Malika produced a shaman bone mask and a garishly painted bone buckler for her to use.


    ¡°Do you have any more of these?¡± Ali held up the Ancestral Spirit Beads she was wearing on her wrist. Malika produced another two of them, one from her own wrist and the other from storage. Ali carefully deconstructed the one she was wearing, along with the two Malika had given her, and shortly the expected notification chime sounded.


    She worked quickly, creating several bead bracelets, handing one to Malika before twisting hers back into place on her own wrist.


    ¡°Put these on,¡± Ali said, indicating the pile of gear.


    ¡°As you ask, Seeker,¡± the troll answered with a respectful tone and began equipping herself. She was tall ¨C taller than both Calen and Mato and taller even than Gara ¨C and as she donned her armor, Ali could see the runes that adorned her skin lighting up with the deep red of blood-affinity mana. It was a strange phenomenon, she could see the magic within the runes, but she could not see the mana that had produced it.


    ¡°Is this your Ancestral Spirit Runes skill?¡± Ali asked, touching one of the strange glowing runic tattoos on her leg.


    ¡°It is as you say, Seeker,¡± she answered, dipping her head.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Gara said, and Ali glanced up to find her awake and staring at her new Blood Shaman with a strange expression on her face, keeping a fair distance as if afraid to approach. ¡°I smell the bloodline of Aman Rak, but she is no troll I have ever met. Why does she show deference to you? It is unseemly, you are not a Troll.¡±


    ¡°I learned to make her after the battle against Kir¡¯mogan. It¡¯s part of my class,¡± Ali said, worried about Gara¡¯s reaction at seeing her troll minions.


    ¡°You are¡­ a summoner?¡± she asked, turning to stare incredulously at Ali.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s part of my class,¡± she answered, not wanting to go into too much detail with someone she had only just met. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to cause any offense.¡±


    ¡°Offense?¡± Gara seemed puzzled by the word.


    ¡°By summoning your race as my minions,¡± Ali clarified, wondering if her command of the troll language was still not quite right.


    ¡°I would summon trolls too, if I was a summoner. Trolls are the strongest,¡± Gara said, coming over to sit on the ground nearby, seemingly comfortable now that she understood what was going on.


    Ali almost laughed out loud, but caught herself and bowed briefly to Gara in a gesture she had discovered was part of their language.  she thought.


    While the rest of the camp roused, Ali slipped her awareness into her troll shaman and was immediately assaulted by the powerful stench of blood. It was just like her Abyssal Stalkers¡¯ perception, although in a much higher-level minion. She could smell the blood-affinity mana pulsing through the domain all around them, but the skill was so much more sensitive than that. She could easily distinguish Gara¡¯s blood from Malika¡¯s from where they sat nearby. She could smell Mato and Calen where they moved about camp, and she could even smell the stale blood from all the way over at the Temple of Bone ¨C the aftermath of their fight. If she focused, she could even tell precisely where to hit Gara or Malika to strike the biggest arteries.


    It was easily one of the most bizarre perception skills she had experienced, and she spent a little while locating each of her minions using scent just to familiarize herself with the higher-level nuances. Her imps and wargs had a sulfurous odor to their blood, presumably due to their affinity or their realm of origin. The Armored Drakes had a lot of blood, and the dragons¡¯ blood had a rather unique scent to it.  She suddenly realized she couldn¡¯t sense her Forest Guardian at all. The hulking elemental was clearly visible, but to her shaman¡¯s unusual perception skill, it might as well have not existed.


    she realized. Her Forest Guardians were plant elementals and therefore had a completely different biology.  she thought, considering the implications further. Everything she had learned about the limitations of her Abyssal Stalkers probably applied to the Blood Shaman also.


    ¡°Summon your totems so I can see them,¡± Ali asked, to which the troll simply nodded and summoned three small wooden totems, that seemed to have been permanently stained with blood. Gara looked on with interest as she explored her shaman¡¯s abilities.


    ¡°Those are very nice,¡± Malika said. ¡°I just got 294 more armor and 352 more magical resistance.¡±


    Before taking a look at the shaman¡¯s status, Ali quickly verified that she was getting the same bonus to armor and resistance.


    Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 219: Blood Shaman (Part 2)

    AliandraAli shared the Blood Shaman''s status with her friends. Seeing the strangely forlorn expression on Gara¡¯s face, she decided to share the information with her too. Having just lost her home and her entire people after being betrayed and tortured, Ali couldn¡¯t bear to leave her out any more than necessary. She must already feel isolated because she didn¡¯t speak common. She was happy to see Gara¡¯s interest perk up when she shared the status.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a ridiculous amount of health,¡± Malika exclaimed. ¡°That¡¯s more than Mato, by a lot.¡±


    ¡°More than double,¡± Mato said, walking over to join them.


    ¡°But that¡¯s her mana pool too,¡± Ali said, pointing out the fact that the Blood Magic aptitude forced the shaman to use her own health to power her spells. She knew only too well how often she blew most of her mana during a fight, and she wondered how free she would be with it if it was also her health. The shaman could probably quite literally kill herself by casting too many spells.


    ¡°Well, that explains why I couldn¡¯t drain their mana,¡± Malika said. ¡°They don¡¯t have any.¡±


    ¡°On the other hand, regeneration is a percentage of maximum health,¡± Calen said. ¡°That¡¯s still quite incredible with the troll regeneration.¡±


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s see how her skills work,¡± Ali said, opening the detailed descriptions and sharing with her friends, as Mato began stoking the cookfire and pulling out pots for making breakfast. To her surprise, Gara got up to watch curiously as Mato began to cook, and in true Mato-fashion he kept up a relaxed monologue, quietly explaining what he was doing to her, not caring in the slightest that she didn¡¯t understand a word. He even handed her a knife, a cutting board, and a bunch of carrots, which she accepted without complaint.


    Lacerate ¨C level 41


    Requires: Blood Manipulation


    You are proficient with simple slashing weapons (dagger, sword, axe)


    Stamina: Execute a slashing attack that does weapon damage +650% .


    Stamina: Your next Lacerate has +106.2 % increased critical strike chance. Recharge: 30 seconds.


    Health: Infuse your weapon with blood to do additional blood magic damage on hit. Your weapon will soak up the blood of your enemies, further enhancing the enchantment. Channeled.


    Blood, Physical, Melee, Channeled, Dexterity


    Blood Shield ¨C level 32


    Requires: Blood Manipulation


    You are proficient with a shield.


    Stamina: Block. Blocked attacks cannot cause critical damage.


    Health: Enchant your shield with blood magic, improving the robustness of your shield and the amount blocked. Channeled.


    Blood, Melee, Defense, Dexterity, Wisdom


    ¡°Can you show me your Blood Shield skill?¡± Ali asked the shaman.


    The shaman immediately sliced a gash across the back of her forearm with her axe, and thin ribbons of blood floated from the wound, seeking the shield. In seconds, the shield was drenched with blood and dripping, and Ali could see that the shaman¡¯s magic was maintaining the blood flowing to power the magic. Ali¡¯s stomach lurched a little at the gruesome display, but her mind found the display of the unusual magic to be quite complex and fascinating.


    ¡°The attack and block skills both have a continuous self-bleed?¡± Malika asked.


    Ali nodded, ¡°Looks like it.¡± Both skills required Blood Manipulation, presumably to keep the bleeds running and have the control to place the blood where it was needed for the magic to function. Ali could see her health ticking down slowly, countered somewhat by her powerful troll regeneration.


    The blood dripping from the bottom of the shield pooled into a thin streamer that flew over to Gara and circled above her hand.


    ¡°I have these skills too,¡± Gara said and then released the swirling blood to splash on the ground. ¡°But they took my sword and shield. How will I reclaim the sacred land of my ancestors?¡±


    Ali¡¯s heart ached for her, knowing the pain that must be lodged there. Instead of pointing out the absurdity of a person with a level twelve class defeating a dungeon with bosses over level eighty, she simply opened her Grimoire and summoned her a level-appropriate Eimuuran steel axe, and a bone shield. And then, realizing that Gara was effectively standing beside Mato in her underwear, she summoned a nice piece of leather armor for her to wear, and the same wooden bracelet of mana regeneration she had worn for so long.


    ¡°It¡¯s not much, but I hope it helps,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°This is a good axe,¡± Gara said, inclining her head in a gesture far more profound for having come from a Troll.


    Ali moved on to the next skill ¨C one she was extremely curious to learn about.


    Blood Siphon ¨C level 44


    Requires: Blood Manipulation


    Health: Your target is drained of health. Blood Siphon will chain through 3 targets. If your target is an ally, Blood Siphon heals instead. Range: 23.2 meters. Recharge: 10 seconds.


    Blood, Ranged, Healing, Wisdom


    ¡°This seems very versatile,¡± Ali said, sharing it with her friends. A direct damage drain attack that chained to two additional targets, which could also double as a chained heal for allies. Its only limitation was a rather short range.  she thought.


    ¡°I need to test something,¡± she said, bringing her Forest Guardians over. ¡°Use your Blood Siphon on that,¡± she told the shaman pointing at the enormous creature of wood and bark.


    ¡°I cannot, Seeker,¡± she said. The troll looked quite devastated that she was unable to comply with Ali¡¯s request.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°It has no blood,¡± Gara answered for her troll. ¡°I cannot smell it.¡±


    Ali thought. Clearly blood magic was powerful, but it had some rather severe limits.


    ¡°Undead don¡¯t have blood either,¡± Calen observed, once Ali translated. He already had his notebook out and seemed quite absorbed in writing his notes. ¡°Can you ask her about them?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I cannot use blood magic on the zombies and skeletons. It is why the undead ambush was so devastating for us,¡± Gara confirmed. ¡°Half of the defenders of Aman Rak have blood magic. Had¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°I do not need pity,¡± Gara declared, but she turned a little too quickly to her vegetable chopping.


    Ali let her be for now, turning to the next skill.


    Blood Manipulation ¨C level 33


    You can manipulate nearby blood.


    You gain +33% to critical damage. Critical damage is applied as a bleed. Your bleeds last 30% longer.


    Blood, Bloodline, Mastery, Wisdom


    ¡°It seems the shaman is heavily invested in bleeds,¡± Malika said. ¡°It makes sense, every critical hit applies a bleed, and it can use the blood with its manipulation skill. It seems consistent with what I experienced. Can you show the totem skills? One of the totems kept absorbing blood.¡±


    Summon Totem ¨C level 42


    Health: Create up to 3  magical totems from your known totems. If two totems apply the same kind of bonus, only the highest effect applies. Range: 10 meters. Duration: 5 minutes.


    Known Totems:


    Free Action: Once a second pulse granting a chance to dispel movement impairing effects.


    Armor: +294  Armor.


    Evasion: +294  Evasion.


    Resistance of Blood: A blood-enhanced resistance totem. +352  Resistance.


    Blood Restoration: Once a second pulse healing allies in range. Requires a source of blood and Blood Manipulation.


    Blood, Totem, Area, Wisdom


    ¡°That¡¯s the one,¡± Malika said. ¡°Blood Restoration, it has to be.¡±


    ¡°It is sucking up all the blood in the area,¡± Ali said, pointing to the thicker totem jutting out of the ground nearby. Sure enough, as the shaman¡¯s shield dripped, the totem drew the blood toward itself. It was even drawing tiny trickles of blood from a patch of blood moss at the base of one of the trees. Every few moments Ali felt the pulse of the totem trying to heal her, but subtly different than Malika or her Acolyte¡¯s magic. This felt more like a rush in her blood, like a brief surge of adrenaline.


    ¡°This shaman is going to change our strategy a lot,¡± Calen said. ¡°It looks like that totem can do area healing like your Forest Guardians, although I¡¯d wager it¡¯s better because they¡¯re a lot higher level.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right,¡± Ali admitted. The Forest Guardians had been disappointing in the last few battles. Not exactly that surprising, given the relative power of the monsters they were facing. A level eighty-one boss wasn¡¯t going to be much bothered by a level forty-five or fifty elemental.  she thought. The totem skill seemed particularly versatile because she could use any three of them at the same time, but on the other hand, she was admittedly partial to her Forest Guardians. Such a shame she could not level up her minions!


    ¡°Do you have this totem too?¡± Ali asked, speaking in troll for Gara. She had more or less confirmed that Gara had the identical class, only at a much lower level. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°No,¡± Gara said. ¡°Most shamans get that one at level sixty. And I can only summon one totem, not three like her.¡±


    Ali nodded and opened the next skill.


    Vampiric Hex ¨C level 41


    Health: Whenever you successfully attack or block with a blood-enchanted weapon or shield, you can curse your target. Duration: 30 seconds. Recharge: 30 seconds.


    Blood, Melee, Curse, Intelligence


    ¡°Interesting, they can only curse with a melee attack or block, and only if the weapon is enchanted with blood,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°The curse is strong, though,¡± Malika said. ¡°It increases vulnerability to bleeds, heals anyone that attacks the cursed target, and the shaman can refresh it by hitting it with any blood magic. That siphon skill worked.¡±


    ¡°If you put that curse on a boss, it could heal the entire group,¡± Calen said. ¡°We definitely have to try it out. Especially with all of Ali¡¯s minions.¡±


    Ali skipped over Scent of Blood, checking only to verify that it was identical to the skill her Abyssal Stalkers had, and instead shared Bloodlust.


    Bloodlust ¨C level 22


    Health: Your blood, and that of your allies, calls for battle. +28.6 [skill * 1.3 (bloodline)] % strength and melee haste for yourself, and all chosen allies. Due to the extreme strain on the target¡¯s life and mana, Bloodlust and similar magic cannot be used on the same target more than once every fifteen minutes. Duration: 35.5  seconds. Recharge: 15 minutes, Range: 33.2 meters.


    Blood, Bloodline, Buff, Area, Wisdom


    ¡°No wonder we struggled with this,¡± Malika said.


    Even though the shaman¡¯s most dangerous skill was also its lowest-leveled one, it was still a monstrously powerful bloodline skill. Nearly thirty percent more strength and melee haste for an entire group was ridiculous. After having looked through all the skills and finally understanding what they had been seeing when they faced the shamans, Ali was excited to try her out in battle.


    ¡°This is the pride of our shamans, the pride of our bloodline,¡± Gara said. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to reach level forty.¡± And she truly seemed to light up at the thought.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get there soon,¡± Ali said, trying to be encouraging, but not knowing exactly how to help the lonely, grieving Troll.


    ¡°I guess the blood magic restriction also explains why the Bloodlust never worked on any of the zombies or skeletons,¡± Calen said, returning the conversation to the skills of the Blood Shaman.


    Ali swallowed uncomfortably. It hadn¡¯t even occurred to her to think what the Kir¡¯mogan fight might have been like with hasted and empowered zombies, instead of just the live trolls.


    Ali wondered. The troll had exceptionally high values for both attributes and if it turned out wisdom had the higher base value, she would finally be able to improve her own attributes using Empowered Summoner.


    ¡°Can you disable Ancient Spirit Runes for a moment?¡± she asked, not wanting to do the trivial arithmetic, but also curious to see if she might learn something about the elusive runic spell by watching it activate and deactivate.


    To her surprise, the troll reacted with shock, and even Gara let out a horrified strangled gasp.


    ¡°Please, Seeker, not that,¡± she said. It was the first time any of her minions had not instantly carried out her requests.


    ¡°What happened?¡± she turned to Gara, not understanding anything other than she had just tripped over something important.


    ¡°Every troll has that skill. It is our personal connection to the ancestral spirits. There is no troll alive who would willingly abandon that connection,¡± Gara explained. ¡°Even if she is just a summoned troll, please don¡¯t make her do this.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Ali turned to the conflicted shaman who still wore a tortured expression on her face. ¡°I won¡¯t ask you to turn it off again.¡± The shaman¡¯s expression instantly changed to one of gratitude and relief. She puzzled over it in her mind for a moment, but the only thing she could think of was that the connection to the skill must be a racial thing, a part of their bloodline and probably built into each troll from birth.


    Ali glanced over the values on the shaman¡¯s status sheet and did the calculations in her head. By her reckoning, the shaman had 187 base wisdom and only 152 base dexterity.


    she realized.


    Suddenly excited, Ali swapped her Empowered Summoner target from her Acolyte to her new Blood Shaman. Her mind broadened, once a pool, now suddenly a deep and expansive lake. Her wisdom leapt by one hundred and two points, and her mana pool grew over three thousand in the space of a heartbeat. She sucked in her breath, gasping as the sensation took her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°Wisdom creature,¡± she answered. ¡°It¡¯s a lot.¡±


    Initially, she had been uncomfortable about learning the troll imprint, but as she became more familiar with her new minions, and after talking with Gara, she had begun to appreciate them more. Certainly, the Blood Shaman seemed versatile and powerful, and Ali was eager to try her out in combat, but the wisdom boost from just having her troll nearby made her excited just thinking about it.


    ¡°That means you can summon more bosses?¡± Calen asked, getting it immediately.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Ali said, grinning from ear to ear.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 220: Witchdoctor (Part 1)

    AliandraAli pulled out her rune notes, intending to take a little study time while Mato whipped up something for breakfast before they broke camp and headed deeper into the jungle in search of answers for what had befallen Aman Rak. But right as she started to get stuck in, comparing the transcription of Kir¡¯mogan¡¯s tattoos to a few of the more intractable runes deeply entwined in Nevyn Eld¡¯s disturbing array, her chime interrupted.


    Ali looked up sharply at the unexpected notification and immediately switched her attention to her distant domain back beneath Myrin¡¯s Keep. She skipped across the senses of her minions like a pond-skater darting across the water: Giant Bat, Kobold Warrior, Vampire Hornet, Icicle Bat, Tunnel Weaver, Forest Guardian, until she finally found a Glitter Dragonet gliding through the vast space among the canopy of Lirasian Oaks of her Forest Cavern that could see some figures far below. She immersed herself deeper into its awareness and swooped downward to get a closer look, leaving tiny trails of sparkling gold in the wake of her little dragon wings. Flying under her own power ¨C even just borrowing the experience briefly ¨C made her blood sing. Her tiny wings quivered in sympathetic excitement.


    She caught the instant the Beast Tamer¡¯s eyes locked onto her, bow readied, but she recognized Willow immediately; the girl who had won her Timber Wolf companion from her dungeon. As the bow lowered, Ali glided down towards the now-recognizable adventurer group, glancing from one to the other curiously. They were all here ¨C a full raid group comprised of both Teagan and Aiden¡¯s teams. They all seemed to be waiting for Basil to finish whatever he was doing in her flower garden.


    Ali came to a stop, finding a perch on a rocky ridge beside him, and cocked her head to study his work, while another thread of her mind drew several other minions with diverse perception skills closer for a better look. She had loved the little garden of wildflowers he had planted for her, and she had even tried to recreate it as best she could after the burning of her forest, but this was the first time Basil had returned to it. He wielded a little silver trowel in one hand and a few small bulbs in the other while his delicate magic cradled and nurtured the ones he had already buried in the soil.


    Before her tiny draconic eyes, his fascinating magic swirled and tiny leaves sprouted, springing from the carefully prepared ground. A stem and bud reached up to sample the world for the first time and tiny delicate petals of yellow-white opened to release a small pulse of mana into the surrounding area.


    Ali made a short gliding hop and landed on his shoulder. Basil let out a startled squeak but did not drop the bulbs. Ali crooned softly and nuzzled his cheek with her little golden dragon head, burping up tiny motes of light magic that bounced off his cheek, before taking off again and leaving him to his work.


    ***


    Ali got to her feet once everyone was done with breakfast and double-checked her minions before they headed out down the unexplored path leading further up the mountain, and deeper into the jungles of Aman Rak.


    Birds sang in the trees, greeting the day. Combined with the lush greenery and the bright light filtering through the gaps in the canopy, it created the illusion of an idyllic nature walk, and Ali had to remind herself that she was in a deadly dungeon, and she couldn¡¯t relax her vigilance.


    ¡°What are we going to do with her?¡± Malika asked, glancing toward Gara who stood beside Mato, carrying her shiny new axe and shield at the ready. ¡°We can¡¯t take her with us, this dungeon is way too high-level for her to be fighting.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t leave her behind,¡± Mato said. ¡°She¡¯s all alone, and the dungeon has almost certainly respawned everything back the way we came in.¡±


    ¡°Let me ask her.¡± Switching to the challenging language of the Trolls, Ali asked, ¡°We¡¯re going to continue further in, but it¡¯s very dangerous. What do you want to do?¡± S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I will reclaim Aman Rak,¡± Gara declared. ¡°I am a Troll. Trolls do not flee from battle because it¡¯s hard.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re level twelve,¡± Ali said, struggling to find the words to temper the harsh reality in her language. ¡°Kir¡¯mogan was level eighty-one. I can inscribe a teleport circle, but I can only send you to a human town. At least you will be safe and not die needlessly.¡±


    Gara blanched, swallowing uncomfortably, clearly not having understood the enormous power difference, but she remained resolute. ¡°I cannot leave without saving Val¡¯korr. They took him too.¡±


    Ali weighed up the risks of dying to a stray high-level spell or an uncontrolled dungeon monster, against Gara¡¯s resolve and her obvious need to do something to regain control of her life, and decided it was not her choice to make. Gara seemed to understand the implications of her position well enough.


    ¡°Will you stay back if we are fighting monsters you¡¯re not yet strong enough to face?¡± She chose her words carefully, trying hard not to imply Gara was weak. Such a thing would be hard for a troll to stomach, even if it was blatantly evident.


    ¡°I¡­ yes. But I want to do something¡­ I need¡­¡± she trailed off helplessly, hanging her head.


    ¡°Can you tell us what we should expect along the road?¡± Ali asked, gesturing in the direction of the heavy drakes. Gara did not have to be high-level to give them effective intelligence.


    ¡°This is the path to Kir¡¯vella¡¯s cave,¡± she said, looking somewhat relieved at the prospect of contributing meaningfully to their goal of progressing through the dungeon, even though it wasn¡¯t direct combat. ¡°Kir¡¯vella is the strongest of the Aman Rak Witchdoctors and the first champion. Not even Kir¡¯mogan dared challenge her. She can banish people to the Spirit Realm and summon spirit beasts to haunt them.¡±


    ¡°Tell me more about this Spirit Realm,¡± Ali asked. They had already explored an Abyssal Realm, but this sounded like something else entirely.


    ¡°The Seeker teaches that the Spirit Realm is all around us, but most of us cannot see or connect to it except in dreams or death. Most trolls in Aman Rak only connect to the Spirit Realm with our Ancestral Spirit Runes, but Witchdoctors can visit and travel through it, see it, and touch it, unlike normal people. If you or I were to go there, our weapons and magic would not be able to affect anything, but we would remain vulnerable to attacks. It is an extremely dangerous place. Dangerous spirit beasts hunt in the Spirit Realm, and only the Witchdoctors have the knowledge and wisdom to survive.¡±


    ¡°That sounds¡­ terrifying,¡± Ali admitted. ¡°And magic doesn¡¯t work there?¡±


    ¡°Witch doctors gather Ghost Mushrooms from the Spirit Realm for use in their concoctions and brews. If you find a few, I can show you how to use them to make your magic affect both realms briefly. Only with this will you be able to defeat Kir¡¯vella.¡±


    ¡°So, we should hunt witch doctors and steal these mushrooms before we take on Kir¡¯vella?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gara said. ¡°But it will be difficult to defeat even one witch doctor.¡± She said it with a strange combination of tension and pride in her voice. ¡°On the way to Kir¡¯vella¡¯s cave, we must pass the shrine where Val¡¯korr was taken. I would like to go there and search for him.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said, quickly summarizing for everyone else.


    ¡°A new kind of Troll with crazy spirit-world magic that can only be defeated by eating special mushrooms?¡± Mato asked, summing it up in his unique fashion.


    ¡°Uh, I guess that¡¯s one way to say it,¡± Ali answered.


    ¡°Mmm, tasty work.¡± He rubbed his stomach.


    Malika snorted, ¡°I¡¯ll have none of your ¡®funny mushrooms,¡¯ Mr. Beastkin!¡±


    ***


    Ali thought, eagerness filling her mind as Calen raced down the partially overgrown road towards them, a band of angry trolls hot in pursuit, throwing their bone axes at his swift and nimble form ¨C a form that seemed to shimmer and warp erratically under the influence of his defensive shroud, and somehow was never quite where the flying axes were.


    ¡°That¡¯s a really good skill,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°You can say that again,¡± Malika agreed. ¡°Wish I had something like it.¡±


    ¡°Stepping out of the way of attacks before people even think of them isn¡¯t enough for you?¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    Ali drew her forces into a loose semi-circle with her Forest Guardian and imps along the outer edges, and her Abyssal Stalkers taking full advantage of the concealment of the trees and brush. Flanking Mato, in the center of the path, she marshaled her two Armored Drakes, ready to tank whatever Mato didn¡¯t grab. Next to them, she had her two Hellfire Wargs, making six heads that could breathe fire. A little behind them, a pair of wiry Troll Bone Warriors guarded her newest minion: the Blood Shaman.


    Ali darted between her minions, distributing mana potions to her Acolytes and minor agility elixirs to the troll warriors. She offered a mana potion to the Blood Shaman, getting a quizzical head tilt before she realized what she had done. She had faced their terrifyingly powerful blood magic from the perspective of a foe several times now and had thoroughly reviewed her abilities and skills, but none of it gave her any intuitive feel for how her shaman would affect their group strategy, nor how powerful she would be as one of their allies. However, mana potions were worthless for them; she quickly switched it for the biggest health potion she could summon and earned a grin from the troll.


    Calen had explained that the shaman filled a hybrid melee-healer role, something that she had little direct experience with. Her closest match was the very low-level Storm Shamans serving as melee casters, or perhaps the Forest Guardian which served as a part-time healer and a tank with battlefield control using its plant magic. The Blood Shaman seemed to have a much more proactive skillset.


    ¡°Shaman first,¡± Calen said, sprinting through the armored front line.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Malika answered.


    Ali extended her senses, taking several simultaneous minion points of view, the familiar Healer¡¯s Sight of her Acolytes standing far behind the melee line with Gara, the sight of one of her Armored Drakes, and the still bizarre scent-based blood perception of her new shaman. The incoming trolls were mostly the familiar Bone Warriors, but they had a Blood Shaman amongst them. .


    Ali sent her instructions to her shaman, but her minion was already dropping her totems and slicing a gash in her forearm to begin feeding her own blood into her potent spells. Her axe and shield began to drip crimson blood which filled Ali¡¯s nostrils with a nearly overpowering metallic stench, and then the Blood Restoration totem began hungrily soaking up the excess before it even touched the ground.


    Ali couldn¡¯t help seeing that Gara did the same, dropping a single totem and similarly anointing her shield with a self-bleed.


    ¡°Remember to stay back,¡± Ali cautioned. The incoming dungeon-spawned trolls would flatten her without even trying. Gara just hissed her displeasure, but she dutifully hunkered down behind the barrier Ali had summoned to protect her Acolytes.


    The trolls met Mato and her two Armored Drakes out in front, generating an immense crash of bone armor against scales and hide. Birds screeched in fright, bursting upward from the trees in a frantic cloud as the overgrown road cutting through the jungle was suddenly filled with Mato¡¯s roaring, sharp and powerful draconic talons screeching against bone armor, the chorus of Demonic Howls from Calen¡¯s bow and Ali¡¯s wargs, granting additional power to their forces, and the sizzling roar of hellfire and dragon¡¯s breath.


    Gleaming or bloodied axes slashed, ripping flesh and spraying blood, and Ali¡¯s nose was assaulted with a riot of overwhelming scents. Every injury and wound told a story picked up by Scent of Blood with the precision of a bloodhound.


    . She had tried familiarizing herself with the skill of her Abyssal Stalkers, but in the mines, they had been facing many bloodless elementals. Here everything had blood. She could tell the size of each creature, their health and injuries, and even identify individuals, all from scent ¨C it was a perception that conveyed as rich a view of the world as her own vision. And, mid-battle, it was a riotous chaos, not unlike trying to focus on a single conversation in a loud bar filled with drunken dwarves.


    Ali simply let it wash over her. she thought, focusing her attention on her shaman¡¯s actions instead.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 220: Witchdoctor (Part 2)

    - Aman Rak Witchdoctor


    Aliandra


    Malika picked out the enemy shaman from the fray as their primary target, and Ali¡¯s trolls sprang into action, the warriors only marginally faster. Her shaman opened with a Lacerate critical strike, using its thirty-second recharge skill. Even overwhelmed by the sense herself, Ali witnessed the attack being delivered with precision and agility, guided by the Scent of Blood. As the blood-drenched axe struck, it sliced open a deep wound that gushed with blood ¨C blood that began coiling and twisting through the air toward the nearby totem. At the instant the blood in her axe mingled with the enemy shaman¡¯s wound, Ali felt her shaman trigger her Vampiric Hex, and through her Healer¡¯s Sight, she could immediately tell all their attackers began receiving pulses of healing magic from every successful strike. Healing that was powerfully supplemented by the nearby Blood Restoration totem.


    Ali glanced at her line of Acolytes standing by, but none of them had cast anything more than a few precautionary restoration buffs.


    ¡°Go!¡± Calen yelled, and a surge of light magic filled the battle, pulsing from the motes floating overhead.


    Ali yelled, structuring her mental and vocal command in the language of the trolls for added precision and clarity.


    Out in the thick of battle, her shaman responded, instantly triggering the potent signature spell. Troll blood surged, exploding outward from her body as her health dipped dramatically, blood spent to power the spell. Ribbons and streamers of blood lashed out across the battlefield, forming the circling bloody runes, and coloring everyone¡¯s eyes with tears of blood.


    ¡°Blood and Bone! For Aman Rak!¡± Gara screamed. A thin tendril of blood shot out from her hand, bending around the barrier and touching the much higher-level shaman in the middle of the melee, recovering just a little of her sudden loss of health. Moments later, the Kobolds reacted with holy spells.


    Ali felt the surge of power coursing through her body, the rush of new strength and lightness in her limbs. She forcibly ignored the powerful desire to rush over and hit something with her fists.  she noted, wiping the bloody amber tears from her cheeks in what must have made an extremely grim picture. Bloodlust did nothing for a pure magic user like her, nor her Acolytes. The only creature excluded from her shaman¡¯s power was her Forest Guardian fighting on the far flank of the battlefield.


    ¡°Burn it down!¡± Calen yelled; his voice far rougher than usual.


    Across the battlefield, her minions, Malika, and Mato blurred with bloody haste and power. The enemy shaman¡¯s health spiraled in an unprecedented freefall, visible to Ali with both her Healers¡¯ Sight and Scent of Blood.


    ¡°Focus, everybody,¡± Malika said, her voice calm and steady. But even her punches seemed far faster and more powerful.


    Ali kept her attention trained on the enemy shaman searching for the signs of a magic she couldn¡¯t see forming. A few seconds later, it released its own Bloodlust in response, just as she had predicted. The blood magic exploded out of the shaman, surging toward all the enemy Bone Warriors, causing them to roar and yell battle cries and challenges.


    ¡°Use your recharge skills,¡± Malika called out. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But Ali¡¯s friends and minions were already trained on the enemy shaman, and their empowered assault burned its health down relentlessly, killing it in seconds ¨C before it could even use its powerful healing spell. She noted the clear vulnerability for future strategy: Bloodlust cost a substantial amount of health, leaving the shaman momentarily vulnerable ¨C lower on health and briefly unable to heal.


    ¡°Good call, Malika,¡± Ali said. Her view of the battlefield showed the dramatic impact of the enemy Bloodlust on their overall health, but her shaman responded with Blood Siphon, targeting Mato. Thick ropy streamers of blood burst forth from her hand ¨C far thicker than Gara¡¯s ¨C and slammed into Mato¡¯s straining body as he aggressively defended against four hasted Bone Warriors. The streamers cascaded through him, hopping across to one Armored Drake and then the next in an instant. All three of them recovered dramatically, so much health restored that Ali was shocked. Less than a second later, the shaman did it again, this time the second and third jumps bursting through the Hellfire Wargs.


    ¡°This warrior,¡± Malika announced, picking the next target.


    , Ali thought, shifting her minions to the new focus. It was as clear a demonstration as she could imagine of just how obsolete her Kobold Acolytes were in a battle against monsters more than three times their level.  For some reason, this thought made her sad.


    The rest of the battle proceeded predictably now that the enemy shaman had been killed. The Bone Warriors were strong, no doubt, but without their powerful healer, it was simply a matter of time. Malika called the targets one at a time, and they shifted efficiently through them. Before their Bloodlust ran out, Ali and her friends had taken out more than a third of their enemies, her shaman keeping their forces healthy by herself, only needing to supplement her Vampiric Hex and Restoration Totem with an occasional Blood Siphon to top off the tanks.


    As the battle wound to a close, Ali had made up her mind. After deconstructing all the fallen trolls, she unsummoned her Forest Guardian, and all but one of her Kobold Acolytes. she thought, deciding that Healer¡¯s Sight was critical enough to keep ¨C at least until she was confident with Scent of Blood. It didn¡¯t feel good to part with her father¡¯s Elemental Guardian and the trusty Kobold Acolytes that had served her so well for so long, but they were simply too low level to matter much against these dungeon-spawned trolls. She paged through her Grimoire and summoned a second female troll shaman, giving her the equipment from the enemy shaman they had just killed.


    ¡°That good, huh?¡± Calen asked, responding to the obvious readjustment of her forces.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ali answered. The difference in capability was so large, that to not adjust and leverage her shamans would be irresponsible. She was beginning to understand why most of the dungeons they had encountered simply didn¡¯t bother with lower-level summons. There had been a few fire spiders in the Emberforge Mines, and the swarm of Stinging Jellies in Naia¡¯s ooze dungeon but, other than that, all the dungeons except for her had skipped the lowest-level creatures entirely. She had enough mana to support maybe one or two more creatures, but she decided to hold off and observe for now.  she thought.


    ¡°Thanks, Ali,¡± Malika said.


    Calen


    Calen slipped through the trees without making a sound. His Explorer skill warned him that the area he was moving through was somehow different than earlier, even though the dense overgrowth and mossy trees looked the same ¨C but his tracking revealed strange details about whatever had moved through this space, things he couldn¡¯t readily explain.


    Gara had told Ali about the witch doctors, and the presence of a special kind of mushroom they needed to continue through the dungeon. He didn¡¯t know how to find mushrooms, but his skills were ideally suited to tracking down the trolls in this part of the jungle.


    The distinctive three-toed tracks he was following inexplicably vanished again. It was as if his prey had simply taken the last step and then disappeared. The last time this happened, it had taken him about ten minutes of searching before he discovered where the tracks had miraculously reappeared.


    Calen¡¯s mind supplied theories and explanations as he began searching.


    His focus was so trained on the trackless ground, with his skills enhancing his visual perception, that he almost missed the strange flickering in the air by a nearby tree. He whipped his head around in time to see a lean, blue-skinned troll shimmer through from¡­ elsewhere. The troll squatted down, balanced on the knuckles of one hand pressed against the ground. He wore a garishly painted bone mask that completely obscured his face but still allowed his tusks, adorned with dangling beads and leather braids, to jut out forward and to the sides. His lean torso was clad in armor of leather and bone, and in his left hand, he grasped a long segment of a humanoid femur, delicately etched and painted. The troll gestured with the bone and spoke a single word, following that with a cackle of laughter and a little hopping dance.


    A wave of dizziness hit Calen as the world beneath his feet lurched. The cackling, brightly painted, capering troll began to grow rapidly larger. His Howling Hellfire Bow grew larger, and heavier in his hand until he was forced to drop it. The trees grew larger until even the bushes and ferns towered above him, while his body felt like it was twisting in all kinds of unnatural ways.


    He yelled in alarm, but the only thing that came out was a croaking noise. ¡°Ribbit!¡±


    You are a frog.


    Strength is reduced to 5.


    Damage has a chance to dispel Frog Hex.


    Curse ¨C Duration: 2 minutes.


    His obnoxious troll adversary let out gales of uproarious laughter, going so far as to hold the sides of his belly and slap his thigh.


    Throughout the troll¡¯s outburst of mirth, Calen flopped around. He was tiny and weak ¨C far too small to even lift his bow. All his other equipment had gone wherever equipment went when shapeshifted. He couldn¡¯t access his storage enchantment because his ring was gone. And he was green. He croaked again, but he couldn¡¯t make a loud enough noise to attract the others, nor would they even hear him above the sounds of the other frogs and jungle animals.


    He had no choice ¨C he ran. But his tiny frog body refused to cooperate, waddling and flopping about.  The troll pointed a broad finger at him and let out another peal of laughter. Calen had never been a frog in his life before.  He flopped around again, but his legs were too long and bent in weird ways.


    he told himself. Careful not to flop over again, he concentrated.  He tensed his muscles and sprang forward into the air, executing a phenomenal leap, many times his own height and length, and landed a few feet further from the troll.


    Panic began setting in, and Calen did the only thing he could think of. He identified the troll using Explorer.


    The witch doctor had finally stopped laughing, and conjured an earthenware jar from somewhere, making a scooping motion with it through the air. In the middle of the arc, the jar ¨C and his hand ¨C became ethereally transparent for a moment before returning to normal. The troll peered into his jar, shaking it a bit before he cackled again and tossed it hard at Calen.


    Calen leapt again, barely avoiding being crushed as the jar exploded into fragments on the ground, spilling its contents everywhere ¨C a horde of blueish, transparent spiders and several buzzing insects. To his horror, his throat and mouth convulsed at the sight and, before he could stop it, his tongue shot out and caught a fly.


    Gagging and choking on his unwanted, nasty meal he turned tail and ran ¨C or rather, hopped as fast as he could ¨C as a horde of spiders almost as big as he was converged upon him.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 221: Spirit Realm (Part 1)

    - Conversation in an unnamed Dal¡¯mohran cafe between Val¡¯korr [Seeker of the First Age] and Thaldorien Stormshaper [The Inscrutable], Elven King of Dal¡¯mohra.


    Aliandra


    It surprised Ali that Gara had held back for the entire fight, not risking herself against the shaman and the warriors, only occasionally offering her own blood as supplemental healing. But perhaps she had been focused too much on the trolls¡¯ reputation as arrogant and superior. She had personally attended the lectures of visiting Troll speakers at the university in Dal¡¯mohra and knew how smart some of them could be. At least Gara could tell just how outclassed she was on the battlefield and had acted intelligently.


    ¡°Come on, Ali,¡± Malika said. ¡°You¡¯re slow.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Ali said, deconstructing another tree and the beautiful orchids that sprouted along its branches. They had gone off-road, venturing deep into the jungle in search of the special mushrooms Gara had mentioned, but upon seeing the orchids, Ali had immediately decided to add them to her repertoire. Her father¡¯s grove had been full of beautiful flowers just like them and recreating it had instantly become her goal.


    Before he had left to scout, Calen had given them a general direction to follow and, while Mato seemed to have no trouble moving through the dense overgrown jungle, Ali and her entire entourage were slowing them down immensely. On her own, she could have zipped past above the brush, but she was dragging two enormous Armored Drakes and all the rest of her minions through a jungle. Eventually, she had to resort to deconstructing some of the trees and bush that blocked their way, but waiting for her magic to clear a path took forever. On the plus side, she had already inscribed several new tree species, vines, and several pretty orchids into her Grimoire that she might be able to put to good use in her jungle when they got back home.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Mato¡¯s voice brought her to a halt right as she was about to step through the space created by an evaporated tree. ¡°This is Calen¡¯s bow!¡± His voice rang with concern as he turned back to face them holding the enormous bow Calen favored.


    ¡°Where could he have gone?¡± Ali asked. No way would Calen ever willingly drop his prized weapon and just walk off.


    ¡°The half-elf is that way,¡± Gara said. ¡°I can smell him.¡±


    Ali turned in surprise. She had asked a rhetorical question, in Common, but Gara must have intuited the problem from no more than the sight of Calen¡¯s bow.


    ¡°Gara says he¡¯s over in that direction. Let¡¯s go,¡± Ali said, slipping her awareness into the senses of her Blood Shaman so she could keep track of the scent directly, even though the shaman was probably much better at it than she was.


    It was a desperate ten minutes of crashing through the forest, chasing the scent of Calen¡¯s blood before they burst out into a clearing where Ali was confronted with the bizarre sight of a cackling, painted troll breathing sparks of light that floated off into the air, as he poked a carved and decorated leg-bone at a frantically hopping little green frog that identified as a level sixty-eight half-elf.


    ¡°Calen!¡± she shouted, recognizing him both by the shaman¡¯s Scent of Blood skill and by her own Identify. The grizzled troll whipped his head around and waved the grim bone in his hand, and Ali was hit by a wave of dizziness that made her stumble. Suddenly, everything swelled out of proportion.


    ¡°Ribbit!¡± she shouted. Confused, she tried again, but the only thing that came out was more croaking.


    ¡°Ali!¡± Malika shouted, an edge of panic lacing her voice.


    You are a frog.


    Strength is reduced to 5.


    Damage has a chance to dispel Frog Hex.


    Curse ¨C Duration: 2 minutes.


    Ali realized, her mind catching up to the notification. The witch doctor conjured an earthenware jar and scooped something out of the air with it, before tossing it over towards her. On instinct, she summoned her barrier, causing a sphere of golden magic to surround her body protecting her against the enormous jar that shattered all around her. It was that moment that flipped her perspective. It wasn¡¯t an enormous jar ¨C it was a regular jar. It was her that was a tiny frog. She had created a frog-sized barrier to protect herself without thinking.


    ¡°Get him, Mato!¡± Malika yelled.


    Ali thought. She fired several barrier shards at the spiders that sprang from the wreckage of the earthenware jar, explicitly having to recreate some of them to make them the proper size, rather than miniscule to match her current form.


    Mato and Malika charged the Troll, but a flare of mana shimmered through the air and the troll suddenly vanished. Ali¡¯s frog eyes widened in surprise. It wasn¡¯t a teleport spell; it was something else. She could still see his mana, but it was diffused as if his form was spread out in some indistinct location, as if she was observing it through frosted glass.


    Without anything to attack, Mato and Malika milled about in confusion, while Ali¡¯s minions ¨C the ones that were not currently hopping and croaking ¨C spread out in the clearing.


    ¡°Spirit Walk,¡± Gara declared cryptically, ducking down behind a tree.


    But Ali couldn¡¯t translate for the others. With nothing better to do, she turned to Sage of Learning and began to analyze the structure of the mana formation sustaining the Frog Hex.  she thought, knowing they had not seen the last of that eccentric troll and his tricks. She was about halfway through tracing all the magical structures in the curse when an intense flash of mana from across the path caught her attention.


    ¡°Behind the tree!¡± Gara shouted, but only Ali could understand her.


    ¡°Ribbit!¡± Ali shouted, trying to warn her friends, but she had forgotten she was still a frog. The troll witch doctor appeared on the edge of the clearing and five wavering beams of coruscant blue light shot forth from his hand, striking Malika, Mato, and three of her non-frog minions simultaneously, flickering and pulsing as they drew energy of some kind from each of them. The witch doctor seemed to swell with power as the spell continued. Mato, of course, charged him immediately with Malika sprinting close behind him, but the witch doctor shimmered and vanished again.


    Finally, Ali finished her analysis, and cast her Dismantle, immediately dispelling the curse on herself ¨C a vastly easier endeavor than the necromancy she had dismantled last night. Her body twisted and warped as the world shrunk to more normal proportions. She patted herself down, checking everything, but she was thankfully back to normal.


    ¡°What was that beam?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Mana and health drain,¡± Malika answered, still scanning the surroundings for the troll. ¡°You ok?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Ali glanced about, seeing four other frogs: her minions and Calen, and suddenly realized she hadn¡¯t made the correct choice. But, freed from the hex, Calen would have been able to shoot the troll with his bow wherever it appeared. Now she had twenty-five seconds left on her recharge before she could use Dismantle again.


    The witch doctor appeared again on the far side of the clearing from where he had disappeared. He cast his Frog Hex on Mato this time, and Ali fired several barrier shards towards him in an attempt to fill in for Calen. The witch doctor unleashed his drain beams a second time but canceled them abruptly the instant Mato transformed directly from Frog Form into Bear Form. Three incendiary hellfire fireballs detonated in the undergrowth, passing right through the ripple of the fleeing witch doctor.


    ¡°This guy is super annoying!¡± Mato declared as he switched back to his normal form.


    ¡°How did you dispel the curse?¡± Ali asked. She still had some time left on her recharge, but Mato had simply broken it directly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shapeshift,¡± he said. ¡°I just changed forms, and it went away.¡±


    Ali thought, but it didn¡¯t help anyone other than the Beastkin. As soon as her recharge expired, she dispelled Calen¡¯s curse and he had barely finished transforming back when the witch doctor reappeared and cursed him again.


    ¡°Stop that!¡± Ali yelled, voicing her frustration.


    The troll cackled and turned. ¡°Begone,¡± he said, pointing his leg bone at her.


    You are trapped in the Spirit Realm.


    Curse ¨C Duration: 2 minutes.


    The world around Ali wavered, all the color leaching from the jungle until it was a shockingly familiar monochrome gray and somewhat ethereally transparent. She stared at the clearing, her friends still visible to her, fighting the witch doctor, but their insubstantial gray appearance and the uncanny silence created a powerful sense of being somehow apart from the world she viewed. Suddenly, the entire scene flickered, and everyone vanished, leaving an empty clearing. The echo lasted only a second before it flickered again, reverting to the present.


    Ali stared, dumbfounded. This was the same strange world she came to whenever she used Arcane Recall. The same place her mother had brought her when she had saved her from the Blind Lich. The same place she had spent three thousand years in stasis. But this time, she could move.


    She watched the gray and washed-out form of the witch doctor casting his draining beams at her minions and friends, but even those had lost their brilliant blue and were muted to gray in this bizarre, surreal world. She took a hesitant step forward, and her body warped and shifted as if it were not altogether coherent, held together perhaps by her memories, rather than physical consistency. Ali swallowed uncomfortably, and parts of her seemed to fray. Reflexively she clamped at herself with the full force of her will, yet the fact that it seemed to work was the most disconcerting thing of all. Whenever she used her own spell, her body was kept frozen, held immobile for the entire duration it transported her here. It had never required holding herself together with her mind.


    At the far edge of the clearing, something gleamed with an eye-catching flash of actual color, and so she tried another step in that direction. It was not difficult to move, but the sensation of coming apart did not ease up. Clinging to her image of herself, she took another step, and then another, getting used to the space, and soon she stood beside the large ghostly tree. She reached her hand out to steady herself, but shockingly, it passed right through the bark, sinking deep into the trunk before finding any resistance. She snatched her hand back and gazed at it, but her hand ¨C and the tree ¨C seemed unblemished from the disconcerting contact. Behind the tree she found a whole host of tiny mushrooms nestled in a larger patch of Soulshade Blossoms, glowing an intense blue color ¨C the only color in this strange place.


    Ali was intrigued, and of course, immediately deconstructed it. However, much to her surprise, her deconstruction magic, usually bright gold and green, came out gray and muted and passed right through the mushrooms without any effect.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 221: Spirit Realm (Part 2)

    AliandraAli''s attention was snagged by a sudden flicker of bluish movement, crawling down the tree next to her and she almost screamed, vividly recalling the terrifying monster that had tried to attack her once while using Arcane Recall.


    Ali steadied herself in relief upon discovering it was only a level five monster. What was remarkable was that it was bluish, transparent, and glowing ¨C a stark contrast to the gray of the tree it was crawling on.


    Out in the normal world, she spied the bizarre sight of Gara chasing a tiny, hopping frog while swinging her blood-drenched axe in wild arcs, but before Ali could get a closer look, the spider crawling along the tree leapt out at her. In a flash, she summoned a protective barrier, but the spider sailed right through her grayish magic and bit her on the shoulder. It was a tiny amount of damage, but Ali¡¯s defensive magic had never failed her before. Well, besides the light elementals ¨C but never like this, gray and completely inert. The spider bit her again, crawling down her arm, but when she tried to flick it off, her hand passed right through it. A second spider appeared, and then a third, and Ali backed away as they approached. More and more spiders appeared, streaming in from all around the gray reflections of the jungle trees.


    Ali ran. She tried, but she couldn¡¯t get on her barrier in this place, so all she could do was run.


    She tried to scream as the incorporeal spiders swarmed up her body, but nobody was there to hear her. As soon as the thought occurred to her, she used Minion Teleport, switching locations with her freshly frog-hexed shaman. Her body switched locations to the other side of the clearing, but she remained in the Spirit Realm, while her shaman, somehow miraculously freeing herself of the frog hex, appeared where she had originally stood among the spiders, but still gray and insubstantial.


    It certainly hadn¡¯t done what she had expected.


    But she had evaded the crawling spiders for a moment. She didn¡¯t have any other ideas, so she used the time she had gained to analyze the magic of the Spirit Banishment curse. As soon as the Ghostly Spiders caught up with her, she teleported again. She was messing with her shaman, but she didn¡¯t think it would cause too many issues, and she simply couldn¡¯t help anyone from here. She pursued her analysis with a single-minded focus.


    Ali continued in this way, evading the spiders and studying for several rounds, when suddenly there was a powerful ripple of mana and the witch doctor appeared in the center of the clearing. His body glowed with blue and white mana, standing out like a beacon in the gray of the surroundings. His body paint, and the decorations and embellishments on his gear, shone with brilliant colors, leaving haloes and shimmering trails as he moved. Ali couldn¡¯t help noticing that the edges of his body did not blur like hers.


    ¡°Hah, now you¡¯re mine,¡± he said, with a wide, ghastly grin. He thrust forward a weathered hand, and an incandescent blue beam hit her. Ali¡¯s mana and health drained into his spell. She summoned her barrier in vain, but his magic ignored it, his beams passing right through as if it were not even there.


    She ran, but the beam followed her, ignoring obstacles, passing through trees, and tracking her through her teleports to drain her constantly. She tried retrieving a health potion from her ring, but it summoned gray and insubstantial, falling through her hand to shatter on the ground. In frustration, she simply clenched her teeth and endured the magic and the cackling taunts coming from the Troll, focusing once again on the Spirit Banishment curse, until finally she understood.


    ¡°Goodbye,¡± she said in the troll language, waving at him with a tight smile, and dispelled her curse. What surprised her most was that it actually worked. She didn¡¯t feel much of anything except the drain vanishing, but the clearing suddenly snapped back to full color, and she found herself standing in the real world once again, minus the witch doctor.


    ¡°Ali! You¡¯re back!¡± Malika exclaimed.


    ¡°He cursed me into the Spirit Realm,¡± Ali explained. ¡°That¡¯s where he keeps going.¡± She had so many questions about the realm, how it was related to her magic, and how the witch doctor was able to use his magic there while she couldn¡¯t. But none of them would have any better answers.


    Ali turned to where Gara was still chasing her tiny, frog-hexed Armored Drake. ¡°Stop attacking my monsters,¡± she said, annoyed with the troll¡¯s inexplicably bizarre behavior in the middle of a frustrating fight. It wasn¡¯t like she could do any damage to the drake, but she had told her to stand back, and now she was actively hindering their forces at substantial risk to herself. ¡°What if you get drained?¡±


    ¡°The frog hex, it breaks with damage,¡± Gara said. ¡°But your drake is very hard to hit, and your friends don¡¯t understand proper speech.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ali said. Gara¡¯s response had unraveled her entire frustration and annoyance. Of course the curse broke on damage, it was right there in the description, and she had read right over it. Her own shamans, running their self-bleeds, had almost instantly broken the curse and she hadn¡¯t put two-and-two together. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Damage breaks the frog hex,¡± she said, switching to Common to translate for her friends. Then she swapped back to Trollish and instructed her shamans to inflict bleeds on her drakes while the witch doctor was absent in the Spirit Realm.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s how they¡¯re breaking it,¡± Malika said, sudden realization brightening her face as she stared at the shamans.


    Ali began recovering her mana using Inspiration, stopping only when her Arcane Insight recharge expired. Immediately, she dispelled the Frog Hex on Calen, returning him to normal. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, seeming immensely relieved and grateful as he checked his limbs and body. He accepted his bow from Mato, flew over to the edge of the clearing, and disappeared, vanishing in the shadows of the trees.


    ¡°This has to be the weirdest fight we¡¯ve ever had,¡±Ali said, regenerating more mana while she waited for the troll witch doctor to reappear. She had spent most of the fight waiting around and using Arcane Insight ¨C aside from the few minutes running away from Ghostly Spiders with Minion Teleport in the spirit realm. And now she had her minions fighting each other to stack up bleeds.


    ¡°Most annoying, you mean?¡± Malika grumbled.


    The witch doctor suddenly reappeared nearby, and Ali found herself once again transforming into a frog. Mato vanished in a shimmer immediately afterward, presumably banished to the Spirit Realm. When Malika suddenly turned into a frog also, Ali dispelled her friend¡¯s curse immediately. While she didn¡¯t personally enjoy hopping around and croaking, the Frog Hex was merely an inconvenience to her ¨C in fact, she only lost one point of strength in the transformation. she realized with a frown. The fact that it was an Aman Rak frog did not make it any less embarrassing, but for a physical class like Malika, it would be a significant liability.


    ¡°¡± she told her shamans, expanding the list of targets that could handle the extra damage.


    Five blue beams blasted out from the witch doctor¡¯s hands, snaking through the trees, but his spell was interrupted by a flash of light and black flame as an arrow to the chest blasted him off his feet, knocking him into a tree. Calen¡¯s arrows followed in a rapid-fire stream of light and black flame as his bow howled from the opposite side of the clearing.


    The witch doctor scrambled to his feet and ran as three hellfire fireballs detonated in the hastily vacated spot. A flicker of unusual magic rippled through him, and a murky red potion appeared in his hands briefly before he downed it. His dark hair suddenly changed to a brilliant pink color, and his health began to rise quickly. In his frantic escape, the witch doctor had run right next to Ali. He stopped, not noticing her flopping about at his feet, and cast his five-way beam drain again.


    Ali cast Minion Teleport, switching places with one of her Armored Drakes right as the bleed dispelled its frog hex, dropping it close enough to the witch doctor to knock him down.


    The witch doctor screeched in surprise as the drake unleashed its dragon-fire breath attack and a powerful talon cleave from point-blank range. There was a shimmer and a flash as the drake was turned back into a frog. The drake immediately reverted to normal, breaking the frog hex, but their enemy had already fled ¨C both Malika and the witch doctor vanishing into the Spirit Realm in a gleaming rush of soul magic.


    This time, however, all was not quiet. Ali could see the wavering, indistinct flashes of Malika¡¯s powerful soul magic, even though she was in the Spirit Realm. A few moments later, the witch doctor reappeared, looking panicked and much worse for wear. The instant he reappeared, an Eimuuran steel arrow from Calen¡¯s bow pierced his chest, blasting him backward, sending his rune-etched troll femur staff soaring end-over-end through the air until it pegged itself into the soft soil beside a tall tree.


    Ali¡¯s chime sounded.


    Ali dispelled her curse and looked around. Both Mato and Malika were nowhere to be found, still presumably stuck in the Spirit Realm.


    ¡°You ok?¡± she asked, catching Calen¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Yup,¡± he nodded, looking around. ¡°I hope the others¡­¡±


    ¡°The banishment curse expires in two minutes,¡± Ali reassured him. But she needn¡¯t have worried, because after a few moments of waiting, Mato appeared from a within shimmering ripple. Then, a minute later, Malika rejoined them in the normal world.


    ¡°I stand by my earlier comment, this was an annoying fight,¡± Mato declared.


    ¡°Ugh, yes,¡± Malika agreed.


    ¡°I was very worried he was going to be able to pick us off one at a time in the Spirit Realm, none of my magic worked in there,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°I could hit him just fine,¡± Malika answered, eyeing her with a puzzled glance.


    With her comment, the end of the battle finally made sense. Ali had seen Malika¡¯s magic flickering; the troll must have retreated to the Spirit Realm when she had teleported her drake on top of him. As soon as he appeared there, Malika attacked him with her soul magic and martial arts, and he must have panicked and tried to return. Then Calen had finished him off with a devastating Ambush.


    Ali realized. He had seemed particularly at home and confident in that strange washed-out realm, and it had to be that Malika¡¯s particular affinity was able to naturally function there. Even the ghostly spiders, Soulshade Blossoms, and the Ghost Mushrooms of the Spirit Realm had similar soul-affinity mana.


    ¡°I think soul magic is special in the Spirit Realm,¡± Ali mused.


    ¡°Yup, my magic didn¡¯t work either,¡± Mato said. ¡°Only stamina abilities.¡±


    While Ali had been focused on the fight, the implications of what she had seen had of necessity been put on hold, but now that she was no longer busy, her mind reeled from the profound realization. Her magic used the Spirit Realm; that¡¯s what that place really was. Immediately, she was filled with a thousand new questions, most importantly: how or why did it work that way? Her magic actually did function there ¨C some of it, anyway ¨C it just manifested in the real world instead of the Spirit Realm. But what about Arcane Recall? What would happen if she used it there?


    ¡°I got Ambush on him every time he left and returned,¡± Calen said as he walked up. ¡°Well, every time I wasn¡¯t a frog,¡± he said with a wry grimace.


    ¡°I¡¯m just frustrated,¡± Ali said, putting her questions about the Spirit Realm down for a moment. Likely she would need to consult with her mother¡¯s book for any insight or understanding. ¡°I found a patch of the Ghost Mushrooms, but I couldn¡¯t deconstruct them ¨C my magic simply didn¡¯t work. I have no idea how we can get them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll check Mr. Slippery here and see if he has any on him,¡± Malika said, eyeing the corpse of the witch doctor.


    ¡°I got a bunch,¡± Mato said, reaching out with broad cupped hands which suddenly filled with a pile of the strange blue mushrooms Ali had found when she had been banished to the Spirit Realm. They glowed still, perhaps slightly less brightly, but still ethereally transparent.


    ¡°How did you get them?¡± Ali looked at them incredulously. Deconstruction had just failed.


    ¡°My Herb Gathering skill isn¡¯t magic,¡± Mato said. ¡°It seemed to work just fine, as long as I didn¡¯t get attacked by those annoying spiders.¡±


    Excited, Ali deconstructed several mushrooms until her Grimoire updated.


    Ali quickly created a patch of the ghostly blue mushrooms, watching in fascination as several of them simply faded away till they were gone.


    ¡°Most of them will fade to the Spirit Realm over time,¡± Gara said, watching the mushrooms, but despite her matter-of-fact comment, her face radiated curiosity as she examined the mushrooms and glanced several times at Ali¡¯s Grimoire.


    ¡°How do we use them?¡± Ali asked, already considering several locations in her own dungeon where she would introduce her new mushroom variant.


    ¡°I have a recipe. I can teach the bear to cook them if you help me to translate the words,¡± Gara said, pointing at Mato.


    ¡°Ooh, you really do eat them?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Gara said, grinning. ¡°They¡¯re best lightly salted.¡±


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 222: Mushroom Snacks

    Aliandra ¡°This is a good spot to stop for a bit,¡± Calen said, gesturing around at the small clearing where they had battled with the witch doctor. There was even a nice fallen tree trunk on one side that looked comfortable, so Ali took a seat to relax a bit. Maybe she could tell her brain to stop hopping as well?


    ¡°Let me get a fire going,¡± Mato said, producing some dry kindling and branches from his storage and beginning his cooking rituals with Gara hovering close by.


    ¡°I still need to do a bit of scouting,¡± Calen announced, a touch of worry creasing his brow.


    ¡°Can it wait till after dinner?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Sure, but why?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°If you wait, I¡¯ll make some minions to go with you,¡± Ali said. ¡°Just in case.¡± Glitter Dragons were cheap eyes and, while the tiny golden dragons might not be inconspicuous, nothing in this dungeon would consider them a credible challenge. On the other hand, a pair of stealthed Abyssal Stalkers would provide real support, easily able to follow him by scent and unleash devastating Ambush attacks.


    ¡°Thanks, Ali,¡± Calen said, flashing her a grateful smile. It seemed he hadn¡¯t quite shaken off the witch doctor¡¯s taunting or the frog hex yet.


    Ali immediately got busy summoning her minions while Calen warily scanned the perimeter of their camp, but as the flames began to rise from Mato¡¯s cookfire, she finally began to relax.


    ¡°Ali? Do you want this?¡± Malika asked.


    Ali glanced over to see Malika offering the upper part of a humanoid femur, complete with the hip socket. Halfway down the bone, the bottom end was jagged and splintered and now covered with dirt and dark stains that she didn¡¯t want to ask about.


    ¡°That¡¯s horrible,¡± Ali said, wrinkling her nose at the witch doctor¡¯s ¡®weapon¡¯. She didn¡¯t even want to know if it had any good attributes.


    ¡°It¡¯s carved with some runes, and it looks like the warpaint is magical,¡± Malika said, looking at the gruesome item. ¡°At least, it was glowing before.¡±


    ¡°Let me see,¡± Ali said, reaching out her hand.  she thought.  She grabbed the bone gingerly, having to use both hands, and examined it.


    It had no intrinsic enchantments or attributes, and it didn¡¯t look like it would be a decent weapon. she thought. She began to analyze the runework carved and painted onto its surface. With just a few minutes of study, she was easily able to determine it was in the same rune-magic script as the tattoos on Kir¡¯mogan¡¯s arms, and the blood or bone runes of the Ancestral Spirit Runes skills both her trolls had.


    she realized, recognizing a pattern where the now-dead magic would have required a steady mana reservation to keep active. But it was certainly not easy to decipher without a full comprehension of the written form of their language. Carefully, she compared the similar portion to her memory of her various runic circles, spending mana to enhance her study with Sage of Learning.


    It certainly wasn¡¯t full magical proficiency, but her study proved that the Trolls¡¯ written language was also their runic magic, and perhaps she could ask Gara to translate a few runes later.


    ¡°Ali, I¡¯m ready,¡± Mato said.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll translate,¡± she answered, pausing to look indecisively at the femur bone before reluctantly storing it in her ring for later study. She got up and walked over to the cookfire, and then, deciding it was an excellent opportunity, she activated her Teaching Sage ability so that Gara might pick up a little of the Common language while she translated, and the others might also learn a little of the speech of the Trolls.


    Seeing that Malika and Calen were absorbed in their own projects, she clapped her hands sharply. ¡°Class! Pay attention, please!¡±


    Mato


    Mato had never considered using his own mana as a seasoning, but that was what Gara, through Ali¡¯s translation, told him she was doing. He couldn¡¯t sense her mana at all, but he remembered Ali¡¯s Blood Shamans used health to power their magic, rather than mana. She assured him his mana should work, too.


    He looked up at the expression of pure joy on the taller troll¡¯s face as she deftly wielded the pan over the cookfire, combining mundane ingredients with sizzling slices of ghost mushrooms, happily describing the process to him, and he knew he had found a kindred spirit.


    He loved cooking, and it was abundantly obvious that Gara did, too.


    After a few minutes, Gara handed him the pan and gestured excitedly to the remaining mushrooms. He¡¯d had to harvest them rather quickly after Ali had grown them, and he had still missed quite a few as they faded away into that strange Spirit Realm. But they seemed to have enough for their purposes here.


    He took the knife and quickly sliced the mushrooms up, copying Gara¡¯s choice of how finely to chop them. Then he dumped them in the pan with a little heated oil and set to work, combining the ingredients and spices, and adjusting his mana in accordance with the translated instructions. He got several corrections along the way, mostly related to how he was adding his mana too fast, but ultimately it was a simple recipe, and he got the hang of it quickly.


    Finally, he flipped the pan and laid his work out on a paper towel to soak up any excess oil.


    Fried Ghost Mushroom ¨C level 60


    Consume: Your mana is temporarily attuned to the spirit realm.


    Food ¨C Duration: 2 hours.


    He picked up one of the crispy fried mushroom slices and examined it, listening to the happy, excited tone of Gara¡¯s unintelligible commentary. He nodded to the Troll and inhaled deeply. he thought, examining the small mushroom snack. Surprisingly, the cooking process had not changed the look much; it was still glowing with a vague blueish color and still mostly translucent. He popped it in his mouth and chewed, a rich savory flavor exploding through his tastebuds.


    he thought. He agreed with Gara, a little extra salt may not be necessary for the recipe to work, but it sure enhanced the flavor. As he swallowed, he was hit by a moment of dizziness and disorientation, and then everything in the clearing developed haloes of light that left lingering trails as he turned his head from side to side. The Ghost Mushrooms on the cutting board were glowing intensely now, and he could even see the missing mushrooms in the patch Ali had planted, seeming ethereal ¨C simply outlines of mushrooms that shone out in his distorted vision.


    Gara picked up one of his creations and ate it, gesturing approval by smacking her lips.


    ¡°It¡¯s weird,¡± Mato tried to explain to his curious friends. ¡°It¡¯s like I can see partially into the spirit realm, but I¡¯m still here. You should just try it.¡±


    After a few minutes of everyone trying the mushrooms and commenting on the auras, flavor, and texture. Mato turned back to the pile of uncooked mushrooms on the cutting board and began to cook.


    He looked up to find Gara staring at him curiously, and then she said something with a touch of shyness that sounded rather out of place coming from a Troll.


    ¡°She wants to know if you¡¯ll teach her your recipe ¨C the one with the vitality buff,¡± Ali translated.


    To his surprise, his notification chime suddenly sounded.


    He glanced at Ali. ¡°Did you¡­ I just learned the Troll language?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I turned on my Teaching Sage,¡± Ali answered. ¡°I thought it would make things easier.¡±


    ¡°It sure does, um¡­¡± Mato turned to Gara and tried out his rudimentary proficiency, ¡°Of course, it would be my pleasure.¡± At least that¡¯s what he thought he said. But the surprise and delight on Gara¡¯s face was all the confirmation he needed.


    Aliandra


    Ali¡¯s awareness flitted across the library, hopping from one Glitter Dragonet to the other, watching the comings and goings of people. Ryn seemed to be enjoying her role as head librarian for the growing throngs of adventurers who were beginning to use the library. On the table, right where she had left him, Clarence lay, closed and quiet. Idly she wondered if she could use her Martial Insight to read him with one of her minions, but she was interrupted by Calen¡¯s voice drawing her sharply back into the Temple of Aman Rak, and the surrounding thick and muggy jungle.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head out,¡± Calen said. He turned to Gara and in broken Trollish, he asked, ¡°Is it this right way?¡± Pointing to a narrow and twisting trail that wound tightly around the giant trunks and spreading roots of the trees.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gara answered in heavily accented Common.


    Ali thought. She had expected Gara and Mato to pick up at least some of the languages she was translating, but it seemed Calen had taken advantage of the opportunity to begin learning too, and with his exceptionally high intelligence, he had made his first breakthrough already.


    They picked their way through the dense vegetation, following what seemed to be a game trail just large enough for the trolls to slip by. Ali floated on her barrier but getting her two Armored Drakes to fit through the tight winding corners proved to be quite an undertaking. She had to halt their progress several times to deconstruct trees around the tighter bends just to allow them passage.


    She was just beginning to believe it would be better to simply unsummon them when Calen suddenly signaled a halt. Up ahead, the trail connected to an idyllic sunlit clearing with several small huts of the same stone-and-bone design from the Temple of Bone. Strewn across the clearing was the rubble that was all that remained of the Shrine of Aman Rak ¨C clearly recognizable by the familiar pitch-black stone and the outlines of magical runes carved into the sides of some of the boulders ¨C now lifeless and dark, their magic long gone, snuffed out by the tremendous act of destruction which had shattered it. With her potent Scent of Blood and the acute vision of her drakes, she could easily tell why Calen had stopped them still concealed among the trees, and why he was indicating silence.


    Sitting around on the boulders by the huts she counted four Bone Warrior trolls, a Blood Shaman, and a Witchdoctor. They seemed to be discussing the remains of a dead troll, the witch doctor gesturing expressively with a tusked skull.


    ¡°That is Jotan,¡± Gara hissed through clenched teeth, and somehow Ali knew she was referring to the skull the witch doctor was irreverently using to punctuate his argument. ¡°And those would have earned their classes with Val¡¯korr at the shrine. But instead, Kir¡¯vella and Kir¡¯mogan slaughtered them.¡± Strewn about among the large black boulders were the bodies and skeletons of several trolls.


    Ali¡¯s mind conjured the scene in vivid detail. She knew from personal experience the unique mix of excitement and trepidation as the candidates gathered around the shrine, facing one of the most momentous decisions of their lives; a celebration of growth, a ritual of finally leaving their youth behind and becoming a fully functioning part of their community. Dreams that had been brutally shattered by violence, betrayal, and murder.


    Gara readied her shield and axe, obviously holding herself back from charging out there by herself.


    ¡°That witch doctor is going to cause chaos,¡± Malika whispered.


    Somehow, among the chaos of all the banishment and frog curses, they would need to defeat the shaman¡¯s bloodlust and the warriors. And amid that chaos, a stable tanking arrangement would be next to impossible.


    ¡°We have the mushrooms now,¡± Mato said, pulling them out and sharing a pile with each of them. ¡°So, the Spirit Realm shouldn¡¯t be as bad.¡±


    ¡°Well, he can¡¯t frog you because you can just change back to a bear,¡± Ali said, ¡°but what happens to the enemies you¡¯re tanking when he banishes you to the Spirit Realm?¡±


    ¡°I think whoever is in the Spirit Realm should fight him there,¡± Calen said with the thoughtful expression he wore when he was thinking about strategy. ¡°Gara, do we need to eat the mushrooms before we start?¡±


    ¡°It is not necessary; the mushrooms work even when you¡¯re already in the Spirit Realm.¡±


    ¡°Ok, then whenever he shows up, everyone, hit him as hard as possible to try and force him to switch realms. I should be able to chain Ambush on him. Our second priority is the shaman.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still going to be crazy,¡± Malika pointed out. ¡°He can curse four or five people at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Ali, you can free one person every thirty seconds, right?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°More or less,¡± Ali nodded. Her Arcane Insight¡¯s Dismantle ability was certainly powerful, but it wasn¡¯t sufficient to nullify the sheer amount of cursing the witch doctors were capable of.


    ¡°You¡¯re just going to have to make a call each time ¨C if we need a tank, free one of your drakes or Malika if we need damage, Malika or me, as needed,¡± he said. By the grimace on his face, it was clear he wasn¡¯t too excited about the ambiguous strategy for this fight.


    ¡°I can put bleeds on whoever has enough health; the Frog Hex has a chance to dispel on receiving any damage,¡± Ali said. ¡°Probably the drakes, and maybe Malika again.¡±


    ¡°Good idea,¡± Calen said, nodding his approval.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get it done,¡± Mato said. ¡°These trolls aren¡¯t going to fight themselves.¡±


    ¡°You start the fight this time, Mato. I want to set up a nice little Ambush welcome for the witch doctor,¡± Calen said, and immediately vanished into the dense jungle, his magic concealing him almost perfectly.


    Ali commanded her drakes and trolls to follow Mato¡¯s charge, while she hung back near the edge of the clearing, watching with approval as Gara hunkered down behind a large tree, out of the line of fire. Trollish yells and shouts filled the air as Mato careened into their camp at full tilt, crashing into the surprised and scrambling Bone Warriors. In rapid succession, Mato turned into a small green frog, followed by Malika, and then her two drakes.


    Ali ignored the curse on Mato, choosing to dispel it from Malika instead.


    she commanded. As her shaman lashed out with a bloody axe, she saw a dark shadow swoop down over the clearing, and a sudden beam of red blood magic lashed out, arcing between her minions and Mato, already reverted to his Bear Form.


    She glanced up to find an extremely agile, black-skinned bat with prominent red markings all along its body, swooping and diving across the battlefield, shooting beams of its blood magic at everything in sight.


    The witch doctor glared at Ali, waving a hand angrily in her direction, presumably annoyed that she had dispelled his curse. With an uncomfortable lurch, her body was yanked into the Spirit Realm, and, as she faded across, she was treated to the bizarre sight of one of her frogs breathing dragon¡¯s fire at two charging Bone Warriors.


    Despite the seriousness of the battle, Ali chuckled at the incongruous image. While the drake wouldn¡¯t be able to hit anything with a paltry five strength and its body reduced to the size of a small fist, its fire breath was still potent, and Ali had proved the curse did not limit spells. Although, as with her magic, the flame seemed to be scaled in proportion to the drake¡¯s frog-sized body.


    Everything faded to gray, and she found herself once again in the monochromatic world of the Spirit Realm. Already the Ghostly Spiders were converging on her, seen by the shock of blue in the otherwise entirely bleak and gray world. She retrieved one of Mato¡¯s tasty Ghost Mushroom snacks from her ring. It appeared in her gray hand, glowing an intense vibrant blue, and this time did not fall to the ground in the real world. Quickly she popped it into her mouth and bit into the crispy, salty snack, immediately feeling the strange effects take hold. But in this world, instead of distortion, everything became clearer and somehow sharper. She took a step backward, surprised to find her body substantial and real, with color flooding her skin. Before the spiders reached her, she created a bubble of barrier magic around her body. The shimmering golden magic gleamed brightly in the dark world, no longer gray.


    Ali fashioned several needle-sharp slivers of barrier magic and fired them at the spiders, slicing through the low-level spirit creatures with ease. She slipped her awareness into the senses of her shaman, simply because the spiders were not much of a challenge, and she found that, even from here, she was easily able to use her shaman to survey the unfolding battle.


    Mato had two of the Bone Warriors and the shaman locked down on him, but the two other troll warriors were running wild, trying to attack everything in sight. She had two drake-frogs breathing tiny fire every now and then, and the Malika-frog was leaping about in the air, flickers of soul magic flashing constantly, but she was struggling to have a meaningful effect.


    she instructed. Her shaman turned to slash the flying Malika-frog, and she immediately reverted to her normal form, but as she did, beams of blood magic lanced down into her shaman, draining her health.


    You have been infected by Blood Contagion


    +3 Blood damage per second, to you and the surrounding area. Targets hit by Blood Contagion have a chance to be infected. Range: 10 feet.


    Disease ¨C Count: 1.


    Her eyes widened in surprise at the horrific disease afflicting her shaman, clearly propagated by the Vampiric Nightwing¡¯s blood magic siphon, but there was no way for her to warn Calen.


    ¡°¡± she sent, trying at least to mitigate the damage among her minions. She¡¯d forgotten that Calen had learned the Troll language, and she quickly instructed her shaman to spread the word.


    Suddenly, an enormous flash slammed into the witch doctor¡¯s chest, knocking him to the ground as Calen unleashed his Ambush attack from the cover of the forest. The witch doctor immediately shimmered away, and Ali refocused on herself in the Spirit Realm, finding him appear in a flash of mana right in front of her. He thrust forward a hand and cast his drain beam but her barrier blocked it, much to his consternation ¨C if his expression was anything to go by. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Ali said in the Troll language, waving from inside her golden glowing bubble, and slammed all her barrier shards into his side. She had not had to fight alone since the early days when she had been trying to figure out how to use Arcane Bolt, and already she missed her minions, but here, she was far from helpless. The troll screeched in frustration and pain as her barrier shards sliced at him while the golden bubble around her rendered her impervious to his drain. He scampered around trying to avoid the slicing barriers, conjuring and tossing a strange concoction at her, but it detonated harmlessly against her powerful barrier. Ali hounded him relentlessly, chasing him with her shards until he gave up and escaped back to the normal world.


    ¡°Catch, Calen,¡± she said, even though he wouldn¡¯t be able to hear her from here.


    She still had almost a minute left on her Spirit Banishment, so she switched to observing the battle from the other side while deconstructing several dead Ghostly Spiders.


    There was another flash of light and hellfire as Calen¡¯s Ambush struck the Witchdoctor at the same time one of the Hellfire Imps managed to land a fireball. The witch doctor shimmered back into the Spirit Realm, trying to dodge the flame, and Ali was ready for him, her barrier shards slamming into his body the instant he appeared.


    she decided. Abusing the witch doctor¡¯s own banishment curse to pin him down from both sides was unfairly effective. The outside world seemed much more chaotic though. Her two shamans were healing furiously through the enemy Bloodlust, and the Blood Contagion which had spread like wildfire through the melee, but none of her minions had been killed yet. The witch doctor shifted back, and Ali found herself rippling too as she returned to the normal world.


    she thought. She turned at an angry sound and found herself suddenly staring at the blood-filled eyes of a Bloodlusted warrior slamming her hastily created barrier with both his bone blades. Mato was no longer here, and she realized the witch doctor had traded her for him in the Spirit Realm, and all the trolls he had been tanking were now running around free.


    she thought, quickly dispelling Malika¡¯s Frog Hex. She reinforced her barrier and formed new barrier shards while Malika punched the Bone Warrior trying to get at her through the barrier and dragged him away. With a directed thought, Ali ran her infected Blood Shaman past a frogged drake, and the area damage from Blood Contagion broke the curse, releasing the enormous dragon. It immediately slashed at the loose trolls and the battlefield stabilized.


    she commanded.


    Her nearest shaman complied immediately ¨C the powerful blood magic surging out to adorn the heads of all their forces with blood runes and grim bloody tears. Even the remaining frog-drake hopped around in fury with tiny blood runes of power.


    she thought, smearing the blood leaking across her face again.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 223: Ghoulish Contagion (Part 1)

    Mato


    The air about Mato shimmered suddenly, and everything shifted to gray as he was banished to the Spirit Realm.


    he thought, using his shapeshifted guild ring to summon one of the fried ghost mushrooms he had prepared, crushing the tiny sliver with his powerful jaws.


    A pleasant sense of solidity flooded his bones and muscles as color returned to his body.


    An incandescence from behind him rippled across his Sanctuary aura and Mato wheeled about in time to see the witch doctor stepping across the veil into the Spirit Realm. He ignored the problems of the real world, trusting his friends would figure it out, and charged, slamming into the witch doctor with a roar and a swipe of his claws.


    The witch doctor immediately backed away from him, and Mato felt the trigger of his Swipe Battlemaster. His instant attack flattened the witch doctor, knocking him to the ground with a thump and a crack, as thick roots sprang from the gray dirt to grasp at his body.


    The witch doctor responded by conjuring a potion and downing it, immediately freeing himself from the roots, and then lashed out with arcing beams of blue that began to rapidly leech Mato¡¯s health and mana.


    Mato retaliated with his new knockback Swipe, trying to interrupt the channeled drain that was consuming his health and mana. He lined up his momentum and struck with all his force, slamming the witch doctor into the air with the full power of the augmented blow. In the instant he was airborne, his Battlemaster triggered again. He didn¡¯t think, he simply reacted, smashing downward with a point-blank, powered strike using both paws.


    His claws trailed small eddies of swirling black, ripping through the witch doctor¡¯s flesh and bone, slamming him into the ground. He bounced once and lay still.


    It was only then that Mato realized his chime had sounded again.


    He suppressed the urge to blow the smoke off his claws. Childish, right?


    He glanced about. His battle with the witch doctor had been sudden and brutal, and he hadn¡¯t even noticed the dead spiders, caught in the fury of the fight. His curse still had a while to go, and he had nothing to do and no way back until it inevitably expired. He switched to his Beastkin Form and stored the corpse of the witch doctor, and then on a whim he gathered most of the dead spiders just in case Ali wanted them and set off in search of more mushrooms.  he decided, sprouting vines and roots around him to prevent the remaining spiders from interfering.


    He was halfway across the clearing when he realized what had happened in the fight. He had used his Swipe Knockback skill for the first time ¨C a skill he had not been all that excited about ¨C just to try and interrupt the witch doctor¡¯s channeled drain. The knockback had forcefully driven the witch doctor away from him ¨C which had, surprisingly, triggered his Swipe Battlemaster. The implications finally sunk in. He had been considering his battlemaster-triggered retaliation to be a situational, but extremely powerful, strike, useful for flying creatures. But his new Swipe advancement had given him the ability to force it to trigger every thirty seconds. In the battle against the witch doctor, he had managed to pull off two monstrous hits back-to-back, and the enormous resulting damage had been enough to end the fight.


    It didn¡¯t hurt that Azryet¡¯s patronage bonus had triggered, again at a rather opportune moment.


    When his curse finally wore off, the world around him once again regained its color. The others were finishing off the last remnants of the troll forces, and a few moments later they were gathered in the clearing surveying the debris and wreckage from the battle. Mato retrieved the corpses from his storage enchantment and dumped them on the ground beside Ali.


    ¡°Got you a present,¡± he said, getting a smile of thanks from the tiny Fae.


    ¡°You finished him off pretty quick,¡± Calen said, obvious curiosity on his face.


    ¡°Well, you sent him to me with an Ambush¡­¡± Mato said. ¡°And I discovered my knockback skill triggers my Battlemaster retaliation.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s nice!¡± Calen¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement, just as he¡¯d known they would. Calen loved this kind of detail, and Mato had to admit, he was quite excited about the combination too. Apparently, he hadn¡¯t entirely outgrown the desire to dish out large amounts of damage. Oh yes, and there had been a leveling notification too, hadn¡¯t there?


    ¡°What are we going to do about this Blood Contagion?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°I got it,¡± Mato said, and as the others gathered, he planted himself in the middle of the clearing, shapeshifting into his Tree Form, so they could all heal.


    Aliandra


    ¡°The ghost mushroom chips really worked,¡± Ali said, walking over to the center as everyone gathered up by the small huts. A quick inspection showed that they were empty, stripped clean by the dungeon, or its denizens.


    ¡°I told you it would be good,¡± Gara boasted, clambering out of her hiding spot in the brush and coming forward to join them as soon as the awful Blood Contagion faded.


    Ali quickly deconstructed the trolls, gathering up the gear for Malika to sell. She paused and studied the dead bat. ¡°What are these things?¡± she asked. It had been grappled to the ground by Calen¡¯s chain of light, and then trampled and burned by her drakes. For a bat, it was surprisingly big ¨C significantly larger than she was, and the red-and-black design reminded her of her Vampire Hornets.


    ¡°Kir¡¯vella¡¯s pets. She breeds them. They have been part of Aman Rak for as long as she¡¯s been ¡± Gara said, not bothering to translate the complex Trollish title.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Ali said, studying the unreasonably powerful blood-affinity bat. Nevertheless, she would need a few more bats before she could add them to her Grimoire, so she deconstructed this one and put it out of her mind for now.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see the Seeker,¡± Gara said, searching the older bodies that remained from whatever disaster had befallen this clearing. ¡°Where is Val¡¯korr?¡±


    ¡°I see tracks leading that way, someone was dragged off,¡± Calen said, pointing to where the path exited the clearing on the far side.


    ¡°That leads toward Kir¡¯vella¡¯s cave,¡± Gara said, much of the hope visibly draining from her body at the news. With a sigh, she turned back to Ali. ¡°May I ask you to dispose of them? I have seen your magic; could it save their spirits from suffering the indignity of being raised as zombies and skeletons?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ali said, and set to the task of deconstructing the scattered corpses strewn about among the boulders; several even lying crushed under the debris that was all that remained of a shrine. Much to her dismay, her Grimoire reacted by adding an unclassed Troll variant to her imprint, but she said nothing, knowing it would distress Gara even more.


    ¡°Lyeneru told me that this was the most important shrine on the continent. The only one capable of guiding class evolutions,¡± Calen said, looking sadly at the pieces.


    ¡°It is true,¡± Gara said, pride filling her voice momentarily until her eyes settled back on the rubble. ¡°Aman Rak was known for this shrine, and Val¡¯korr was its custodian for as long as anyone can remember. People came from every kingdom when they reached their evolution, and we would hold a recharging ceremony. Every classed troll would gather and Val¡¯korr would drain their mana to fill the shrine and then offer the evolution. I remember the zone notifications; I would record their classes.¡±


    ¡°Everyone who evolved used your shrine?¡± Ali asked, deconstructing a massive chunk of the black rock to reach one more corpse crushed beneath it.


    ¡°Only those who the elders deemed worthy,¡± Gara said.


    ¡°Lyeneru said she used this shrine, and she was approved because she saved a troll,¡± Calen said. ¡°Supposedly, it took a week for the Aman Rak trolls to recharge the shrine sufficiently for her use.¡±


    Gara nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Ali began, but she failed to find any words. She hadn¡¯t considered quite how valuable shrines must be if their services were so rare. Worse, how expensive would it be for a normal person to recharge the shrine? Hers had over two million mana already. Without the domain and the shrine¡¯s mana siphon, she couldn¡¯t imagine how hard it must be to fill something like that. But Gara seemed to indicate that this Val¡¯korr could drain mana and reuse it ¨C which meant he could distribute the cost across the entire troll population if necessary.


    ¡°This Val¡¯korr, the Seeker, is he a witch doctor too?¡± Ali asked, deconstructing another boulder. The witch doctors had the blue beam drain which hit five people simultaneously. It drained mana and life ¨C so it could conceivably be the same skill.


    ¡°The strongest witch doctor,¡± Gara confirmed.


    ¡°I see. Do you mind if I deconstruct the rest of this stone?¡± Ali asked, pointing at the rubble on the ground. She had no idea what shrines were made from, and her Identify was telling her it was a ¡®shrine fragment¡¯ but expanding her stone imprint might be worth something.


    ¡°Do what you will; it is destroyed, as is Aman Rak,¡± Gara answered.


    Ali wished there was some way to cheer her up, but they were literally walking through the dungeon that had consumed her people and her home. The shattered shrine was merely another corpse of Aman Rak.


    Ali was halfway through the rubble when the notification sounded and her Grimoire inscribed the new variant, taking a remarkable number of pages to do so. Something about this adamant onyx seemed powerful. With the somber mood descending on the clearing, Ali kept to herself and set to the task of deconstructing all the remaining stone fragments. It wasn¡¯t long before Sage of Learning began consuming progressively more and more mana, until near the end, she had to rely on Inspiration because she wasn¡¯t regaining enough from deconstruction to keep her mana pool filled. Then, as the final fragment evaporated, her chime sounded once more.


    Ali thought, staring at the golden text. Five skill levels, across some of her trickiest skills to grow. But, as she studied her mind¡¯s parchment pages, more text began to appear.


    ¡°Oh. Oh, wow,¡± Ali exclaimed, as the golden text scrolled across her vision.


    ¡°What?¡± Malika asked.


    ¡°I just got a shrine advancement for deconstructing all this.¡± Still somewhat reeling, she shared the options with her friends. It seemed that the Shrine of Aman Rak must have been vastly more advanced than her own.


    ¡°Those are incredible!¡± Calen exclaimed. ¡°Undoing a class advancement would let people who were forced into classes make a new choice. You can give people with no mana affinities one of blood or bone. And there¡¯s an option for class evolution, too!¡± He seemed rather excited. But there was just one catch.


    ¡°I can only choose one,¡± Ali said.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Calen said, suddenly crestfallen.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think of it like that,¡± Malika said. ¡°You get to choose one of them, and they¡¯re all amazing.¡±


    ¡°A guaranteed affinity is strong,¡± Calen said, ¡°but not as strong as the other two appear to be ¨C in my opinion.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to pick evolution,¡± Ali said after a long pause.  She had considered it, but the choice seemed obvious to her. ¡°Revert would help a lot of people who have bad natural classes. While evolution would help fewer people, but they are also much more powerful. In the fight against Nevyn Eld, we will need strong people to survive.¡±


    She paused, deep in thought. Lyeneru had said that the evolution option was unique; she hadn¡¯t even mentioned the other one, so it must be available somewhere else, or less unique.


    It was too bad she couldn¡¯t pick all of them and help all those people with broken or unwanted classes, but Malika was right ¨C they were all good ¨C and she had the option of saving the unique class evolution function that only Aman Rak had been able to provide before its demise.


    ¡°And, we¡¯re likely to need the evolution one ourselves at some point,¡± Mato added.


    Ali nodded and made her selection. She couldn¡¯t immediately check her shrine abilities from here, but her Grimoire manifested, and her mana began to drain into it rapidly. With a quick thought, she transferred her awareness into her Forest Guardian boss near the shrine. The ground quaked beneath her huge wooden feet as the stone shrine glowed brightly and grew taller and wider.


    She swallowed hard, unexpectedly ambushed by melancholy.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 223: Ghoulish Contagion (Part 2)

    Calen Calen stalked down the jungle path, taking full advantage of the shadowy light created by the dense canopy of vines and branches overhead to help maintain his stealth. He kept his tread light and quiet, having no desire to repeat his experience of being caught alone by a witch doctor and turned into a frog. Ridiculously embarrassing. In the branches overhead, he caught a flicker of gold and smiled, knowing Ali had his back. He couldn¡¯t even sense the Stalkers.


    He raised his eyes, catching a shadow flying above the canopy. he thought, quickly identifying the bat. He lowered his eyes as he rounded a bend and ran straight into a silent pack of monsters.


    The heavy-set rotting flesh of what had once been a troll spun around and slashed him across the ribs with sharp, blackened claws.


    You are paralyzed.


    Curse ¨C Duration: 10 seconds.


    The monster turned to him and opened its gaping maw, showing rotted teeth and blackened tusks. It let out a hideous, mournful groan, releasing a cloud of miasma from deep within its body, a sound which was echoed by several other shambling forms emerging from concealment among the bushes and trees.


    +3 Bone damage per second.


    -10% to Movement speed.


    Vulnerability to critical strikes increased by 10%.


    Disease ¨C Count: 1.


    Calen struggled in vain against the paralysis, desperate to flee from the hideous monster. It swung its claws again, but this time missed, seeming to aim a little too much to one side. He thanked his lucky stars ¨C and his mentor ¨C for the Mirage Armor skill as he struggled more and more desperately.


    The billowing miasma the ghoul was breathing infected him a second time, and deep within his body, he felt a horrific twisting pain as his bones began to stretch and grow chaotically. The ghoul lunged forward, the unnaturally large mouth opening horrifyingly wide.


    Something shimmered behind the Ghoul and a sleek nightmarish spider materialized, lashing out with sharp blade-like legs that ripped rotten flesh from the undead¡¯s back. The mouth snapped shut a fraction of an inch in front of his paralyzed eyes, and he was inundated by the overwhelming stench of the billowing gray clouds emanating from the ruined remains of its face.


    Calen railed futilely against the paralysis, watching the timer slowly ticking down, knowing precisely how lucky he had been. His only defense was the illusion of his Mirage Armor, and Ali¡¯s thoughtfulness ¨C everything else required him to be able to move. He winced inwardly as skin ruptured and spikes of malignant bone growth pierced outward, twisting his limbs into unnatural shapes. The ghoul drew back an arm and swung, but right before it connected, his paralysis dropped.


    In that instant, he stumbled backward with as much speed as he could muster, his legs not working quite right. Something snapped in his right leg, a sharp stab of pain causing him to collapse as the ghoul¡¯s claws swept by less than an inch above his head. The Abyssal Stalker hissed, shooting webbing that tangled the Bone Ghoul¡¯s limbs, slowing it down just a hair.


    He poured his magic into Azrael¡¯s Wings and took off, fleeing back down the path as fast as his twisted body could take him, his heart racing at the sound of thudding footsteps, groaning, and the sounds of Ali¡¯s minions tangling with the rest of the pack.


    Malika


    Malika walked along the path behind Mato, listening as Gara described the various troll bloodlines to her in broken common. It seemed that the Ahn Khen trolls had a set of bloodlines that manifested along various affinities ¨C most commonly, the blood and bone magic she seemed so proud of.


    She was just about to ask about the witch doctors, trolls who seemed to possess neither bone nor blood affinity, when she suddenly heard a rustling in the bushes, followed by a desperate shout that sounded like Calen¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Incoming! Ghouls!¡± he shouted, and burst into the clearing, flying hard on his distinctive wings of light. But there was something very wrong with him. His body seemed lumpy and twisted, and Malika knew he could fly far faster than that.


    Instantly on guard, she was already primed when something broke from the jungle beside her and swung a heavy clawed arm in her direction while a billowing cloud of gray miasma belched forth from its rotting mouth. Malika dodged easily, but the strike tore across Gara¡¯s chest. The poor troll girl bounced off a tree, landing on the ground frozen in a rictus of pain as bone spikes erupted from her arms, back, and chest.


    Malika didn¡¯t have even a moment to be horrified before her notification chime sounded.


    +3 Bone damage per second.


    -10% to Movement speed.


    Vulnerability to critical strikes increased by 10%.


    Disease ¨C Count: 1.


    Pain seared through her body, disrupting her balance and the flow of her energy, and in that instant, she knew there was no way Gara could survive something so deadly.


    Reaching down, she scooped up the stricken low-level troll, pulsed Healing Mantra, and sprinted away, carrying her to relative safety behind Ali¡¯s barrier, struggling to make Divine Step go faster with the steep movement penalty.


    ¡°Disease,¡± she said as she landed beside Ali. ¡°And¡­ paralysis?¡± She hadn¡¯t seen anything like it before, but all of Gara¡¯s stamina seemed to be wound up tight and frozen in place. The little Kobold Acolyte immediately began healing her, but Malika knew it wouldn¡¯t be enough ¨C she was already healing her, but the troll was taking substantially more damage simply due to her lower level, and she had vastly less health with which to endure it.


    Malika flipped her awareness into her storage rings, hunting for something she had bought for emergencies, but hadn¡¯t used since the Twin Wight battle had concluded.


    She retrieved the Elixir of Vitality Rejuvenation and forced the exorbitantly expensive concoction down Gara¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Can you look after her?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I got it,¡± Ali answered, a barrier forming around the troll, still lying prone on the ground.


    Malika turned and charged back into battle where Mato was already tangling with five ghouls.


    ¡°Bone Ghouls. The red one is a Blood Ghoul. All close to level sixty,¡± Calen announced, identifying their foes for her.


    The ghouls seemed unreasonably strong, their rotting arms and black, stained claws causing shuddering impacts on whatever they hit. They were recognizable as former trolls by the tusks, now blackened, protruding from their mouths, but the rotting flesh and the miasma they were emitting left no doubt that these were horrific undead raised from the bodies of proud Aman Rak warriors.


    Mato¡¯s stamina was frozen, and he seemed locked in place by the ghouls tearing into him, but as she watched, he suddenly broke free, roaring to attract the rotting undead to him. His body twisted with a sickeningly loud crunching sound, and he launched himself into battle.


    Toxic clouds of gray miasma billowed from the mouths of the Bone Ghouls, but the Blood Ghoul in the middle was breathing something altogether worse ¨C a red-tinged cloud that infected everything around it with bleeding sores that reminded Malika of the Blood Contagion the Vampiric Nightwing bat had brought. A contagion that propagated via proximity damage.


    Already, most of Ali¡¯s minions were sprouting grotesque bone protrusions and leaking blood everywhere. ¡°Watch out for that red cloud!¡±


    Malika waded back into the fight, healing everything she could reach, but the two shamans seemed to be doing an amazing job with the sheer amount of blood flowing on the battlefield. She unleashed her kicks and punches, focusing on the Blood Ghoul, dodging a bite and a claw swipe, but she was unable to avoid a strike from a different ghoul from behind her. The claws tore through her shirt, drawing blood from a painful set of parallel gashes.


    ¡°Go,¡± Calen said.


    He sounded like he was in tremendous pain, choking on his words, but the Motes of Light flared powerfully in response to the magic of his Righteous Fury skill.


    ¡°Bloodlust!¡± Ali commanded ¨C a distinctly recognizable troll word that required no translation.


    As the rush of bloodlust surged through her body, Malika went all out, ignoring the crunching and snapping of bone from the malignant growth within her body, channeling her healing as she pushed her body beyond the limit of pain.


    Even the half second of paralysis she had been forced to endure had allowed several ghoulish strikes to land, ripping through her body, and snapping her weakened bones. But the powerful blood magic of Ali¡¯s shamans and her own Healing Mantra kept her alive while she was vulnerable, and then she struck again, sprinting off the air as fast as she could, hampered by the unnaturally sprouting bone within her muscles.


    The sudden enormous burst of damage from the combination of Bloodlust and Calen¡¯s Righteous Fury enhanced Motes of Light burst the Blood Ghoul like a ripe melon.


    ¡°This one next,¡± Malika said, automatically taking the role of focusing the team on one enemy.


    By the time the last ghoul finally dropped, she had four counts of the Bone Contagion, and five counts of the Blood Contagion running simultaneously. She didn¡¯t have Mato¡¯s ridiculous vitality to combat the disease, so she moved apart from the others to try and mitigate the area damage.


    ¡°Let me tree up,¡± Mato said, beginning his shift to the form that allowed him to cure diseases and corruption with the same Vitality Rejuvenation magic that was used to make the elixir she had fed to Gara.


    Limping over to Ali as Mato¡¯s aura began to wash over her, she found Gara still lying on the ground, but thankfully alive and now looking around. ¡°You survived.¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I did. Thank you.¡±


    Malika regarded the openly crestfallen young Troll. In her best Trollish, she said, ¡°Even the ant bites. You will grow. Grow strong. Then¡­¡± Her lips curved into a wicked grin, and she smacked her right fist against her palm. ¡°Agreed?¡±


    Gara¡¯s lips curved away from her tusks. ¡°This ant will bite!¡±


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 224: Kir’vella (Part 1)

    AliandraThey slogged on through the dense, muggy jungle for the better part of the rest of the day, and, by the time the trail opened out into a broad clearing nestled up against the rocky cliffs of the mountainside, Ali was thoroughly sick of all the incessant buzzing insects and their insatiable hunger for Fae blood.


    ¡°I never want to see another contagion,¡± Ali grumbled. The trek had not been particularly far, but they had been forced to battle their way through ghouls, trolls of every kind, and dozens of roaming Vampiric Nightwing bats.


    ¡°I have a feeling we¡¯re not done yet,¡± Mato warned. ¡°Something up ahead smells nasty.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Calen added.


    Their party slowed and finally came to a halt as the jungle gave way to a broad cleared area nestled up against a rocky cliff, fenced off with a perimeter of Grim Totems and piles of loose bones.


    Ali studied the clearing as they all hunkered down behind the trees, using the senses of her drakes to see more clearly. Something out in that clearing was most certainly foul, almost bad enough for her to disable the Scent of Blood skill. ¡°Wow, that  rank.¡±


    Mato wrinkled his nose.


    The path they had been following vanished as it led into the broad clearing but, over at the far side it resumed, exiting back into the jungle to wind higher up the mountainside. Heaped up near the exit was a vast pile of bones and fresh troll corpses, fresh enough that the stench could not be due to rot.


    A shadowed cave opening split the rugged cliff face, an ominous slash of brooding darkness, and in front of it, a garishly masked troll stirred a huge bubbling and frothing cauldron set over a modest crackling fire. Tied to her feathered loincloth, Ali made out a long, unsheathed bone dagger, stained with fresh blood. The strange troll shook a horrific painted troll skull attached to a short stick and adorned with bright feathers that matched her clothing. The soft of the beans inside her gruesome maraca carried clearly across the distance. She wore her back and midriff bare, covered only by a stunning array of intricate runic tattoos that glowed with dense soul-affinity mana.


    ¡°That¡¯s a raid boss,¡± Ali whispered, Identifying her immediately. She was most definitely a raid boss if the domain mana flowing through her was anything to go by.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Calen said. ¡°Nasty, too.¡±


    Five beams of arcing blue energy suddenly erupted from the witch doctor¡¯s hand, flickering and dancing across the weakly struggling or unconscious trolls tied suspended to the Grim Totems around the fire or staked to nearby trees. The faint sounds of singing reached Ali¡¯s ears, a song that sounded like a children¡¯s counting rhyme, timed with the stirring of the pot, the shaking of the rattle, and the pulsing of the drain magic.


    Set a little off to the side, so as not to interfere with the troll¡¯s gruesome cooking ritual, Ali spied a familiar stained bone altar, complete with the telltale glow of death magic emanating from deep within it and the surrounding field of light blue Soulshade Blossoms. As she watched, it pulsed once and a troll corpse slowly clambered out of the pile of bodies, its skin rapidly desiccating, pulling taut over the protruding bones as it blackened with rot and decay. The skin of its face tightened into a rictus of blackened teeth and tusks, accelerated into advanced undeath by the power of the altar.


    ¡°Ghoul,¡±Ali whispered, recognizing the undead monster instantly.


    ¡°So, this is where they¡¯re coming from,¡± Calen murmured. It was just like the Temple of Bone, only the undead being produced from the corpses of the trolls here were far more terrifying and deadly.


    ¡°Go,¡± the painted troll said, making an impatient shooing gesture toward the forest with a spatula that dripped something nasty and black. Some foul concoction that had to be related to blood by the stench her shamans were subjected to. The Ghoul groaned once and stomped its way out of the flower patch, leaving a wave of black footprints as the undead Spectral Wraithroses raised themselves from the crushed remains of the Soulshade Blossoms.


    ¡°The crazy bat-lady,¡± Gara whispered.


    Ali glanced at Gara, but her expression was anything but joking, and her body was even trembling a little.


    ¡°I was always afraid of her,¡± Gara continued, her unashamed admission delivered in a clear and unwavering whisper. ¡°She was always too creepy. She is different than Val¡¯korr ¨C a of Aman Rak, she ranked above even Kir¡¯mogan. She is a master herbalist, alchemist, and bat summoner. She can haunt people. I do not know if the haunting is true or just something she said to scare people, but I definitely saw her summoning bats. I will wait back here.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ali said. She couldn¡¯t help the unease she felt at the very obvious nervous fear Gara was emoting, even though it didn¡¯t creep into her voice. But at least if Gara stayed back, she should be safe.


    ¡°So, potions and bats, and maybe some other whacky stuff?¡± Mato asked. ¡°This already sounds like a stupid fight.¡±


    ¡°Give me a few minutes,¡± Ali said. Mato¡¯s comment was spot on, knowing that she was facing a Witchdoctor with its annoying escape skills and Vampiric Nightwing bats with their blood contagion, she decided she should not bring more melee than was strictly necessary. The only problem was she didn¡¯t have many decent choices for ranged damage ¨C certainly not at the level she would need to make a difference against a level eighty-seven raid boss.


    Quickly, she unsummoned her two wargs and replaced them with imps. While not the easiest minion to control, she was guessing the fireballs would be less of a problem aimed at flying bats. That left her with the two Abyssal Stalkers and two Armored Drakes for her pure melee minions ¨C her trolls could all fill multiple roles, which made them quite versatile if the fight proved to be anything like she expected. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°You got everything?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°I just wish I had a good flying monster. Going after hordes of bats is going to be a real pain,¡± Ali said. Her best fliers were the Poison Wyvern and the giant sound-affinity bats, neither of which were particularly high level compared to what they faced. She had learned the Vampiric Nightwings on the way over, but Blood Contagion was indiscriminate, and would certainly prove more problematic for them than the Witchdoctor.


    It was a crazy idea, and a monster she had never tried out in combat so far, but for once, she had the mana to spare. ¡°This is going to be a bit of a whacky idea, I don¡¯t know if it will work,¡± she said, but she flipped through her Grimoire to the demon entry and summoned fifteen Vampire Hornets. Of course, with their swarm aptitude, that meant she actually had one hundred and five of them.


    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting idea,¡± Calen said, eyeing her cloud of heavy, demonic insects speculatively. The low buzzing drone coming from the swarm gave Ali the heebie-jeebies.


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to set them on any bats and forget about them,¡± Ali said. She was grateful for his approval because she was going to feel very stupid if sending a horde of untested level twenty-eight monsters against the boss backfired in her face. But their swarm formation skill meant they would more than double their attributes, and they had shared healing whenever they bit or stung something with blood. And they had taken out her Hobgoblin boss pretty effectively when they had been fleeing from the rift break.


    Calen


    Calen studied the witch doctor dancing by the bubbling cauldron carefully, noting the strange gear, the dagger, and the familiar drain magic. The prisoners looked to be in very bad shape, and they would need to hurry if they were to stand any chance of rescuing any of them.


    ¡°How about Mato tanks her over by the cauldron?¡± he said. ¡°I will concentrate on any flying bats if they¡¯re a problem, and we can try using the same strategy we used on the other witch doctors ¨C whoever is in the Spirit Realm hit her until she comes back. Ali can de-frog whoever we need most.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Malika said. ¡°I¡¯ll just punch stuff then?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll have to adjust on the fly ¨C she is a raid-level threat. Be prepared for anything.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said, gathering her minions into a loose formation.


    Calen shifted into the shadows, blurring his form and disappearing with the aid of his powerful illusion magic. He tried his best to ignore the gruesome brewing ritual that was being shown to him in exquisite detail by his Eyes of the Archon; Kir¡¯vella was prancing around and singing, and every few minutes she would drain her captives. It was clear to him that she was using their life energy to augment her craft somehow, as she carefully waited for them to regenerate between uses of her blue beams. Whatever she was doing with the pot seemed to have rather unexpected side effects as every now and then something bizarre would happen: her shock of wild hair abruptly changed to blue, she leapt around, squawking in surprise with sparks falling from her mouth, and once, several frogs appeared from nowhere, hopping around for a while before she caught them and tossed them into the boiling cauldron.


    Calen put his concerns away, Mato was starting. The only good thing about fighting witch doctors was that, even during the fight, he could easily recover his stealth whenever they transferred to the Spirit Realm. But, although Ambush against a normal witch doctor took a large chunk of their health, against a raid boss¡¯s massive health pool, he wasn¡¯t so sure it would be as effective.


    With a shattering roar, Mato charged.


    ¡°Ooh, visitors! Excellent!¡± the witch doctor cackled, pausing her brewing to rub her hands in glee.


    Ali¡¯s grasp of strategy had certainly grown by leaps and bounds ¨C Calen saw she had easily recognized that armor didn¡¯t particularly matter against a Witchdoctor ¨C and so, she had mixed her imps in with her front-line melee forces. The witch doctor¡¯s first curse target turned a Hellfire Imp into a frog, which didn¡¯t particularly impede its ability to cast fireballs. But then, it did something he hadn¡¯t expected. The imp immediately transformed into fire and reappeared, having shed the frog form.


    The second Frog Hex hit Mato, which he promptly broke, and then followed by a drake and a shaman, and then Kir¡¯vella tossed a jar into the oncoming group which exploded with what seemed to be ghostly snakes.


    Calen drew his bow and sighted his shot, biding his time, waiting patiently for the perfect moment. Right as the blue drain magic appeared, he loosed the arrow from his bow, holding his fully formed magic enhancement in his mind as his powerful vision tracked the path and the arrow sped across the clearing. At the last possible moment, he released the magic he was holding in check, and a giant flash of light filled the clearing, slamming into the witch doctor¡¯s body with all the power of his Ambush attack. The drain beams vanished to the sound of Kir¡¯vella¡¯s angry screech, but she didn¡¯t retreat to the Spirit Realm in response to his attack.


    Kir¡¯vella stamped her foot and raised the painted and decorated troll skull in her hand, shouting something unintelligible that sounded like the troll language but was beyond his rudimentary grasp. A vast rushing, rustling sound echoed from the dark hole in the cliff behind her, and suddenly the sky darkened as bats poured out from the cave.


    ¡°Mass Summoning,¡± Ali shouted from somewhere behind him.


    ¡­


    He couldn¡¯t get a good count because the bats kept coming in a swarm that darkened the sky. Ribbons of red blood magic flickered from the bats, striking indiscriminately at anyone on the ground. One of the ribbons flickered out, touching his shoulder and instantly, he felt his health being drained.


    You have been infected by Blood Contagion


    +3 Blood damage per second, to you and the surrounding area. Targets hit by Blood Contagion have a chance to be infected. Range: 10 feet.


    Disease ¨C Count: 1.


    Calen drew his bow, activating the hellfire enhancement, all thoughts of stealth now gone. His bow howled as he fired continuous volleys of arrows into the storm of bats in the sky. His arrows exploded with light and flame, followed shortly after by the hellfire fireballs from Ali¡¯s imps, and it began to rain blood and bats as his explosive arrows ripped through their numbers. As the cloud began to thin, Calen saw a bigger bat above, glowing a soft blue color.


    he thought, firing a Grappling Shot arrow into the much larger bat, and dragging it to the ground.


    Kir¡¯vella¡¯s body shimmered, and she vanished to the Spirit Realm, taking Ali with her. But with his attention fixed on the bats, he failed to notice Kir¡¯vella¡¯s parting gift to him. A vial filled with a foul concoction from the cauldron shattered at his feet and erupted in a cloud of purple vapor.


    You are insane.


    Curse ¨C Duration: 45 seconds.


    Calen turned, ignited his mana with Righteous Fury, sighted on Mato, and released his arrows. He knew Mato was his best friend, of course, but somehow, shooting him right there seemed like the funniest idea he had ever heard of.


    Aliandra


    The familiar banishment curse settled onto Ali, and the color drained from the world as it forcibly yanked her into the Spirit Realm. Immediately, she retrieved one of Mato¡¯s fried ghost mushrooms and popped it into her mouth, wondering just how he and Gara had conspired to make something so simple taste so good.


    She quickly split her awareness, continuing to observe and direct her minions left in the real world. The Spirit Realm flickered, showing her a different echo, but she ignored it, relying on the senses of her minions to inform her. she thought, directing her imps to shoot skyward, and checking that both her Bone Warriors had switched to throwing their exploding axes.


    The Vampire Hornets were unreal, tearing through bats at a furious rate. They flew in a compact swarm that shifted and bowed around the agile bats, but they were enveloped in a permanent haze of blood as the unrelenting stings and bites ripped into the bats, distributing healing among them. With their powerful swarm bonus to their attributes, each hornet had over a thousand health, and they were tanking hellfire fireballs without flinching, healing each other back to full in seconds.


    If they had to do the fight over, she would.


    She didn¡¯t bother with putting bleeds on her drakes this time; with that many Vampiric Nightwing bats, the Blood Contagion was going to be a far greater problem than the Frog Hex. Her attention was suddenly dragged back to the Spirit Realm by a flash of magic and the brightly colored Kir¡¯vella appearing before her. Immediately, she summoned a protective barrier to block the drain attack and retaliated with several sharp barrier shards.


    ¡°You have some fight in you, little one,¡± Kir¡¯vella said with a ghastly smirk, her voice sounding raspy and hoarse. Whether that was caused by the Spirit Realm, or her normal sound, Ali wasn¡¯t quite certain, but the cackling laughter that followed had a disturbing ethereal echo to it and sounded more than a little unhinged. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you deal with this, then¡­¡±


    Kir¡¯vella raised a hand, and a bright radiant light appeared within her fist, created from the soul magic within her. She opened her hand, and the construct slowly floated to the ground where it remained, flickering and glowing.


    It reminded Ali a lot of Calen¡¯s motes, but this one settled on the ground instead.


    ¡°Time to go! You brought me such fun toys to play with.¡± With those ominous words, Kir¡¯vella vanished back into the normal world.


    A menacing growl from the side thrummed through Ali¡¯s body and she snapped around to find a blue, glowing, translucent canine form slinking out from behind the gray trees and brush, its eyes fixed upon her as it approached.


    The monster vanished, suddenly appearing behind her and biting at her barrier, but her magic held, and she wasn¡¯t particularly worried, simply feeding a little more mana to the barrier while she turned to study the beacon Kir¡¯vella had left behind. A little later, the beacon pulsed, and another glowing form emerged from the forest. This time, a scorpion.


    she realized, tracing the delicate threads of mana and flow within the unusual spell.


    Mid-thought, Ali was yanked back to the normal realm as her banishment curse expired early again.  Her musings were immediately interrupted in favor of more important things. Her Blood Shamans were healing constantly, and her one remaining Kobold Acolyte lay dead on the ground. Everyone seemed to be bleeding. Bats were pouring from the cave and when she looked around, she found Calen hopping up and down, croaking in frustration.


    Ali immediately dispelled his curse, wondering how he was able to emote frustration as a frog.


    Still under the influence of the fried ghost mushroom, her mana sight extended partway into the spirit realm, showing her the wolf and the scorpion as insubstantial blue outlines prowling nearby. She summoned her barrier, just in case, but they both turned their gaze on her and then simply walked through her barrier. She yelped as the ghostly fangs and pincers drew very real blood.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 224: Kir’vella (Part 2)

    MalikaMalika thought, staring at the continuous stream of bats pouring from the cave, darkening the skies with their black-and-red wings. While she could get up there and hit them using Divine Step, she had no area damage capabilities and knew she would be ineffective against so many monsters, getting herself more in the way than anything.


    But it was the Blood Contagion that was worrying her most; she was already infected, and she knew it would grow every time she had to converge on Kir¡¯vella to attack. Not good for a melee fighter, and now with more bats it was likely to get worse.


    Suddenly, Kir¡¯vella vanished, leaving her with nothing to do, but she suddenly noticed a strange vial arcing through the air toward Calen. She shouted a warning, but it was too late, and the vial exploded into a puff of purple smoke.


    Then, inexplicably, Calen burned his Righteous Fury and shot Mato with an explosive arrow. The manic cackle of his laughter rang out across the clearing, in stark contrast to his normal personality. And Malika could feel none of the power he usually shared with his skill.


    S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She took off, sprinting across the grass and dodging a hail of his arrows as she charged him down. As soon as she reached him, she lashed out with her fist, but he dodged.


    Malika thought, lashing out with an accelerating flurry of punches trying to hit Calen through his incredible dexterity and Mirage Armor, but he kept dodging. she thought, mimicking Rezan¡¯s chiding tone, and closed her eyes, trusting her Soul Sight to hit him where his energy was. She punched, and her fist struck him solidly in the chest, not quite where her eyes had insisted he stood.


    In that moment she released her Healing Mantra, repairing the damage caused by her punch, and bestowing Touch of Clarity on him.


    Instantly, Calen¡¯s eyes cleared, and he stared at her in shock, an expression that rapidly changed to horror as his eyes tracked across the battlefield to his best friend.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s tough. Dodge those vials next time,¡± Malika growled, and sprinted off to rejoin the battle. While she had been occupied with Calen, the bone altar had summoned another ghoul. But Calen had burned his most powerful skill, and now they wouldn¡¯t have access to it for fifteen minutes.


    ***


    Malika dodged the beams as much as she could, but this was her sixth stack of Blood Contagion and her body was continuously dying from the disease, kept fighting fit only by the regular stream of healing from the shamans and her own magic. And it was not just her, all their forces, especially the all the melee fighters, were riddled with it. You just had to look at the blood pouring from the ugly sores.


    She glanced over to find Ali shimmering back into the normal world, but then she saw something weird flickering behind her.


    she thought. A ghostly blue outline of a wolf was stalking around the battlefield trying to bite Ali.  she realized, seeing the blood as the creature passed effortlessly through the golden barrier. Malika blurred into action, sprinting across the battlefield to Ali¡¯s side. She lashed out with a powerful kick, thrown off balance when her foot passed clean through the ghostly wolf, and then the monster vanished.


    A similarly ghostly scorpion appeared in its place, its stinger lashing out and stabbing right through Ali¡¯s barrier to hit her in the back. She collapsed from the force of the blow and Malika had to heal her before punching the scorpion. But again, her fist simply passed right through the creature as if it wasn¡¯t there.


    The wolf reappeared, and this time with a friend. The new arrival was slightly bigger, and instead of attacking Ali, it lunged at her. Malika blocked the attack, but the ghostly fangs passed through her arms, biting her in the shoulder.


    She healed herself and then healed Ali.  she thought. Her eyes caught the flash of something flying and she lashed out to block the incoming vial Kir¡¯vella had tossed, but it shattered against her arm, dousing them both in purple poison.


    In a flash, she lashed out and struck Ali on the shoulder, pulsing healing magic into her body faster than she could summon a barrier to block. Ali¡¯s eyes registered shock and surprise, but then she simply said, ¡°Thank you,¡± clearly realizing what had just happened.


    It was right as she was about to attempt another futile kick against a ghostly wolf that she was suddenly yanked into the Spirit Realm by the banishment curse.


    Her kick connected. Well, her foot passed right through the creature, but her soul magic connected, causing the wolf to recoil in pain.  Immediately, she retrieved a glowing fried ghost mushroom and chewed it with gusto. While her soul magic seemed to work just fine in this realm, the mushrooms Mato had cooked would allow her physical strikes to hit also.


    Her form regained substance as she swallowed the mushroom, and her kicks and punches began to hammer into the ghostly beasts that were gathering around her. She smiled as she finally found something she could actually do, and with Abiding Perseverance providing a cumulative discount to her stamina costs the entire fight, she could truly let loose. Hopefully this would keep them off Ali for a bit.


    Mato


    Mato charged the Spirit Nightwing as Calen¡¯s magic reeled the giant glowing blue bat to the ground. He Swiped the creature with his Bestial Combat¡¯s armor penetration activated, his claws ripping through the bat¡¯s tough hide as if it were made of paper. Brutal Restoration ticked as he struck, easing the pressure on his health.


    He was struggling in this fight. The boss refused to be pinned down, skipping out to the Spirit Realm whenever he closed to melee range. They were on the fourth wave of bats, and he was taking sixty damage a second from the Blood Contagion already ¨C and that was even after healing several instances of the disease with his vitality. It started slow, but every time the bats appeared, he would stack up more and more ¨C and now that it was so high, the melee was feeding each other¡¯s corruption at an accelerating rate.


    The Spirit Nightwing blasted him with a sonic scream, causing him to black out momentarily. When his conscious awareness recovered, the bat was draining his mana with tendrils and ribbons of magic, similar to the Vampiric Nightwing bats, but blue. Even with his new Battle Trance advancement, he was still almost out of mana because of the powerful drains. He smashed his paws into the creature, spending health on his Bestial Combat, and doling out yet another portion of his precious mana to add another strike of Brutal Restoration. Ali¡¯s drake, warrior, and shaman charged in attacking the downed bat, dropping its health rapidly now that he had ripped its armored hide.


    As much as he loved tanking, this couldn¡¯t continue. He was going to die from the Blood Contagion. Or he was going to run out of mana, and then die. Or Ali¡¯s shamans were going to run out of mana ¨C or health ¨C and then he would die.


    The bat collapsed to the ground, and everyone spread out to minimize further infection.


    Mato looked over at the cackling Kir¡¯vella as her form wavered and vanished.


    He sent a message to Ali via the nearby drakes and then stretched his claws into the dirt, his body deforming and twisting as his spell took hold. The claws elongated, transforming into roots that penetrated deep into the soil, while his body stretched upward, growing branches that reached into the sky. The world around him faded from his vision but his Sanctuary aura exploded outward, infusing the entire battlefield with his domain. He could feel the trees of the jungle, the worms in the earth, and the birds in the sky ¨C what few of them were still hanging around. He could taste the blood leaking into the soil and feel the disturbing wrongness of the powerful corruption emanating from the bone altar.


    As his mana surged and his aura took hold, he began dissolving the Blood Contagion everywhere within his domain, transferring a portion of the damage from everyone to himself. A sense of rightness reasserted itself, imposed by his Sanctuary as the diseases began to dissipate and his mana transferred his regeneration to all his allies. In the peaceful calm of his tree, he knew this was the right choice, the most powerful action he could take in the fight was to simply be a tree and reassert the balance of the natural order.


    He felt another Spirit Nightwing pulled to the ground by Calen¡¯s magic, and the characteristic shimmer as Kir¡¯vella reappeared. He reacted with Rampant Growth, roots and vines exploding from the ground throughout his Sanctuary, tangling and twining around the bat and Kir¡¯vella, pinning them in place for the remainder of the melee to strike them freely. Kir¡¯vella simply shifted through the Spirit Realm to free herself, but the downed bat stood no chance.


    Aliandra


    Ali hovered above the ground, trying desperately to avoid the ghostly monsters of the spirit realm. There were about twenty of them now, and they could leap remarkably high, but if she flew any higher the bats would swarm her.


    She had been pulled into the Spirit Realm twice in a row, and without her minions, she had struggled to kill any of the beasts attracted to Kir¡¯vella¡¯s spirit beacon. Kir¡¯vella¡¯s magic was extraordinary, simply sitting there in the Spirit Realm, attracting all manner of spirit beasts: wolves, saber-toothed cats, scorpions, snakes, spiders, it seemed anything worked for the spell that was haunting them. And now the entire horde stalked the battlefield, biting and clawing at everything, phasing in and out of the realm at random, and making the shamans¡¯ jobs incredibly difficult.


    On the other hand, Mato¡¯s tree was simply magnificent. Her mana pool was almost full, and all of the dreadful Blood Contagion had been dissolved away. His singular action had stabilized the fight, allowing them to last much longer.


    Kir¡¯vella paused to summon another wave of bats while tossing jars full of random creatures, snakes, scorpions, and biting insects ¨C but all of those were mere annoyances as Mato¡¯s roots and vines simply crushed them. Whenever she conjured the purple vials of insanity, Malika would catapult herself after them, occasionally even catching them before they landed, but otherwise healing whoever it hit, freeing them from the curse of insanity. Behind her, Calen vanished in a scintillation of light.


    she thought, staring at the enormous ominous cloud of bats forming in the air ¨C bats that they would now struggle to kill without Calen¡¯s powerful explosive arrows.


    Ali instructed, alighting on the ground to free up more of her barrier magic, and then immediately followed the same orders she had just given her imps and bone warriors, sending what little damage she could muster with her shards into the cloud as contagion and drains rained down on their beleaguered forces.


    The fireball detonations were continuous and deafening, but the bats kept coming. And while her vampire hornets had been amazing at the start of the fight, they were all gone now, victims of the continuous aerial barrage of exploding hellfire and bone.


    she thought. Although she had to be grateful; at least with Mato¡¯s aura, they weren¡¯t running out of mana keeping up the continuous aerial barrage of fire. And she was sure Malika was doing something too, she would regularly heal Mato and the regeneration aura would intensify. She just hoped it was because Malika wanted to buff the regeneration, and not because Mato needed it given the cloud of screeching bats circling his branches, delivering their continuous sonic attacks on him. But she had to believe he was ok; without her Acolyte, she couldn¡¯t see his health. And in this form, he had sap, not blood, so she couldn¡¯t even use Scent of Blood to gauge it, or the Blood Shamans to heal him.


    She focused on her minions, adjusting their targets, when she saw a curious thing. The ghostly spirit beasts were simply falling over and fading away one by one.


    Suddenly, Kir¡¯vella reappeared with a screech. ¡°Vile wretches! I will rend your souls and feast on your bones!¡± And with a vast ripple through the domain mana, her Troll Form warped into the shape of a giant bat with blue and red jagged patterns painted all over her hide and took to the air on massive, heavy leathery wings. As she soared across the battlefield, continuous beams of red and blue drain magic arced out to strike minions, prisoners, or her friends indiscriminately. The domain mana continued pouring into her as her ever-growing cloud of bats began to circle above like a dark, malevolent maelstrom.


    One of the prisoners collapsed against their restraints, completely drained of life, and then another.


    Ali continued to fire the barrage of fireballs into the sky, but the bat-form of Kir¡¯vella was way too nimble, deftly dodging almost every single attack. The axes her Bone Warriors threw had more success, but the sheer volume of drain magic that Kir¡¯vella was tossing about kept her firmly at maximum health, even while charred Vampiric Nightwing corpses fell from the sky like rain.


    Ali¡¯s barrier shards were unable to do enough damage, but her dismantle recharge was up, so she dispelled the last Frog Hex on Malika, not that she would be much help against the agile bat. With Mato¡¯s aura curing the disease, she had had to revert once again to using bleeds and her dismantle to counter the Frog Hex whenever Kir¡¯vella used it.


    Just as she was beginning to despair, Calen reappeared from the Spirit Realm and raised his bow. The thin, delicate-looking chain of light magic that trailed his arrow grasped Kir¡¯vella firmly and dragged her form to the ground, where Mato¡¯s roots and vines instantly tangled her body, pinning her to the ground.


    Calen¡¯s form ignited with brilliant light, and Ali reacted instantly.


    Malika, the Armored Drakes, Bone Warriors, Abyssal Stalkers, and Blood Shamans all accelerated as the powerful magic took hold. Ali sliced with her barrier shards, keeping an eye on her dismantle recharge, but it seemed that Kir¡¯vella was unable or unwilling to use her curses in this form, sticking to a powerful, stunning sonic attack that caused the air to shimmer in front of her, and the continuous drain beams.


    The air beside her glittered golden, and a flying book appeared with a popping noise, a small rubber ball held between its covers.


    ¡°Clarence?¡±


    The book flew down and dropped the ball on the ground, making it roll along the grass to bump up against Ali¡¯s foot, and then he backed away and riffled his pages expectantly.


    ¡°What¡­. No, Clarence¡­ I can¡¯t play ball with you. I¡¯m busy!¡± Ali turned away, feeling a pang of guilt about ignoring the book, but, honestly, what was he thinking?


    With the amount of healing and regeneration Kir¡¯vella was using, Ali went all out, instructing her Hellfire Imps to get into the center and fire their fireballs point-blank, using every enhancement they could to get more damage. She was hitting her own minions, and Malika too, but she simply relied on her Blood Shamans¡¯ totems, their vampiric hex, and Blood Siphon to keep everyone who wasn¡¯t immune to fire alive. There was a sense of urgency to her attacks; she was not certain they could out-damage Kir¡¯vella¡¯s incredible regeneration in this form once the potent combination of Bloodlust and Righteous Fury dropped.


    It was going to be close; she could tell. She was not nearly as precise with Scent of Blood as she had been with Healer¡¯s Sight, but Kir¡¯vella was definitely getting low. Unfortunately, their remaining Bloodlust duration was almost up.


    Something moved by her feet, and she glanced down to find Clarence dumping a severed Blood Ghoul arm beside her and then backing up expectantly again.


    ¡°Seriously? Not now, Clarence!¡±


    Suddenly, a fireball exploded, and both dragon-fire breaths synchronized, ripping through the remaining roots Mato was using to pin Kir¡¯vella to the ground, and she catapulted herself into the air.


    Ali desperately summoned her largest barrier right above the flying bat, catching her before she was able to get too far, at precisely the same time as Malika¡¯s athletic form blurred through the air, chasing down Kir¡¯vella¡¯s retreating Bat Form, while new vines and brambles exploded from the ground, reaching upward.


    Three fireballs lofted into the barrier, detonating around Kir¡¯vella, amplified by the dome of Ali¡¯s barrier magic above her, while Calen¡¯s powerful stream of arrows slammed into the midst of the fiery explosion. With a final, despairing screech, the bat transformed back to a troll and crashed to the ground with a hard thump, returned to the embrace of Mato¡¯s thorns and roots.


    Ali breathed a sigh of relief and sank to the ground, watching as some of her minions ran around cleaning up the pests Kir¡¯vella had summoned with her jars. It may be overkill, but it was satisfying to watch dragon fire obliterating the annoying scorpions and spiders.


    An eager bobbing and riffling dragged her attention back to Clarence who was still waiting for her to play.


    ¡°We really need to work on your sense of timing,¡± she chided.


    He flipped his cover open impatiently and then shut it with a firm click.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she said, reaching out to grab the ball. There was no way she was going to touch that nasty, severed ghoul arm.


    Ali cast about, but there were no Blood Ghoul corpses running low on arms in sight. She drew her arm back and lobbed the ball across the clearing, and, despite the circumstances, she couldn¡¯t help but smile as Clarence tore off after it with exuberant enthusiasm.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 225: The Temple of Contagion (Part 1)

    AliandraAli stood just beyond the outer limits of the pulsing death magic aura, studying the Bone Altar in what she was referring to as the Temple of Contagion in her head. With the hard-won death of Kir¡¯vella, the ceaseless hurricane of bats had stopped, allowing the late afternoon sun to shine through into the clearing. The gentle, nurturing touch of Mato¡¯s aura welling up from his oak leaves and branches had banished all the horrible diseases. She still chose to hover, though; the ground was a literal bloodbath, churned into knee-deep ¨C for her ¨C mud by the feet of ghouls and her own heavier minions, and strewn with the charred and torn corpses of countless bats.


    ¡°Ali, this one¡¯s alive,¡± Malika called out from over by the grim totems and the still-bubbling cauldron that continued belching foul-smelling purple smoke among the hapless prisoners. ¡°He thinks I¡¯m trying to kill him; can you help me?¡±


    Ali darted over to join Malika who was crouched before a struggling, bound troll. He growled and tried to bite her hand. His back was bent painfully over the bone of the grim totem by his bindings, and his many wounds seemed to have been cauterized by fire ¨C presumably to prevent his regeneration from working, just like how they had found Gara.


    ¡°He¡¯s in bad shape,¡± Malika said, worry welling in her eyes.


    ¡°How can they be so cruel to one of their own?¡± Ali asked, but there was no possible answer that might make any sense at all.


    Turning to the struggling, feral troll, Ali said, ¡°She wants to help you,¡± trying to keep her voice as soothing and calm as possible. She couldn¡¯t even imagine the horrors he must have endured at the hands of Kir¡¯vella and her twisted ritual. ¡°Will you let her touch you? She needs touch to heal you.¡±


    The Troll just glared at her, eyes filled with distrust and fear and glazed with pain.


    ¡°Tarek, please?¡± Gara called out, panting a little from her sprint across the sea of bat corpses. At the sight of her, the troll, Tarek, relented, visibly sagging against his bonds, and Malika¡¯s hand reached for his mangled right arm, delivering healing with a bright flash of magic.


    He gasped briefly, but then the rapid closing of his wounds must have reassured him that he hadn¡¯t been betrayed as his expression wavered between shock and relief.


    ¡°Gara, get him down from there,¡± Ali said, as Malika rushed to the next prisoner, searching for survivors. Out of the ten bound trolls, only four were still alive, quickly freed by Gara and healed by Malika before they approached the last Troll.


    This one had been granted special treatment. He hung from a tree, impaled through his torso with several reddish steel spikes, just like Gara had been. He stared down at them with a medley of complex emotions twisting his face.


    But Ali didn¡¯t let her curiosity slow her down, quickly flying over. ¡°I¡¯ll get the stakes,¡± she said as Malika joined her, all the while, trying to ignore the daunting amount of fresh blood soaking the trunk and the ground below him.


    But he ignored her, leveling a glare at Gara instead. ¡°Gara, why do you not bring Kir¡¯mogan and the warriors from the Temple of Bone? Instead, you subordinate yourself to these lesser races, what has become of your pride? You are of Aman Rak, one of us!¡± Despite his bindings, he stretched himself taller, his eyes flashing with anger.


    She immediately dropped into a low bow at the sound of his rebuke, but she spoke with a clear voice. ¡°Zor¡¯kan,¡± she said, pausing just a moment to visibly collect herself. ¡°Kir¡¯mogan has betrayed Aman Rak. He and Kir¡¯vella captured Val¡¯korr and destroyed the shrine. It is these lesser races that rescued me from his torture.¡± She raised her head and looked up at him with tears brimming in her eyes, but her voice remained clear. ¡°I am weak. I screamed when he stabbed me with the fire; I could not help it. I do not deserve to be of Aman Rak; our pride is laid waste, crushed under the heels of our betrayers.¡±


    To Ai¡¯s surprise, the harsh lines of Zor¡¯kan¡¯s face softened and his eyes filled with compassion. ¡°I screamed, too,¡± he admitted softly. ¡°We all did.¡±


    Gara stared at him in disbelief for a long moment, and Ali reached out to deconstruct the steel stakes binding him to the bloody tree.


    Despite his pride, the Troll collapsed forward with a terrible groan, unable to support himself. Malika caught him, her hands surging with healing magic before she let him attempt to stand on his own.


    ¡°I had hoped¡­¡± Zor¡¯kan began, ¡°But if they took Val¡¯korr, it is all over.¡± He turned to look at Ali and Malika and then bowed low to the ground. ¡°I owe you a blood debt of gratitude for rescuing us.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Zor¡¯kan,¡± Ali said, bowing her head. Then, she left the trolls to get reacquainted and turned to Malika, gritting her teeth to prepare for what they both knew they had to do. The Bone Altar was larger than the one before, and the magic seemed more potent ¨C no doubt the reason it was capable of raising ghouls instead of just mere zombies and skeletons. She popped a protective barrier into place and they both stepped into the aura of death.


    Ali screamed when she dropped her barrier to cast her deconstruction. It was not a matter of pride or willpower; the pain of having her life essence drained by the powerful death magic was overwhelming. It was all she could do to maintain enough focus to cast her spell. But, ten endless seconds later, the large altar of bone exploded into a cloud of mana that slowly dissolved away into the ambient energy of the surroundings and the pain ceased instantly.


    Ali sank to the ground, this time not even noticing the bloody mud puddle she landed in.


    When she looked up, she found Zor¡¯kan watching her intently, standing alone in the sea of bat corpses. The others had all moved off to near the path exiting the Temple of Contagion and seemed busy setting up a campsite in the fading light of the sun setting behind the mountains.


    Ali clambered wearily to her feet, and as she and Malika approached, the tall Troll prostrated himself on the ground before them.


    ¡°You have my blood debt,¡± he said. ¡°I do not have combat skills. I offer my life, my blood, and my bone. I implore you, please slay these betrayers who have trampled the honor of Aman Rak. Drive them screaming and broken from these sacred lands.¡±


    Ali gaped at the sight of this noble Troll pressing his face into the mud at her feet. His body was trembling with what must be suppressed rage. Nothing in her experience had prepared her for this. Trolls only recognized the power and authority of the strong, and they never recognized strength from those who were not also Trolls. Nowhere in her understanding of their language, nor in her admittedly inadequate knowledge of their race, was there a place for a Troll bowing to a human and a Fae, offering his life for a boon.


    She collected herself quickly, considering her response carefully so as not to offend. ¡°I cannot accept your life debt,¡± she answered. His head snapped up in shock suffused with instant anger, but before he could say anything she continued, infusing as much compassion into her voice as was allowed by the haughty language of the Trolls. ¡°It is not the way of my people to trade life as debt. But I  help you. What has been wrought here is evil. If it is within my power, I will see it made right. That I will promise you and I will swear it on the memory of my own mother and father.¡±


    The outrage on Zor¡¯kan¡¯s face faded as she finished, turning eventually to gratitude as she spoke her promise. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°If you will not have my life, I will accompany you and see justice done for Aman Rak, even if I am unable to aid you in combat. What is your name, Faerie?¡±


    ¡°I am Aliandra,¡± she said, introducing herself as she began to lead the way to the camp at the far side of the clearing. ¡°Will you be able to help us understand what we will face?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he nodded. ¡°I am Zor¡¯kan, master crafter and leatherworker for Aman Rak. I have one more favor to ask ¨C Gara said you wanted to send her somewhere safe. Could you send all the unclassed trolls with her, those who survived?¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± Ali answered. ¡°I can send them all to Myrin¡¯s Keep. There is an Adventurers Guild there that will house them, but Gara refused. She said she needed to fight.¡±


    ¡°She is Aman Rak. It is our way,¡± Zor¡¯kan answered, pride straightening his weary spine. ¡°But I will convince her.¡±


    Mato


    Mato whistled softly as he finished up his after-cooking chores. Adding those new mushrooms he had foraged earlier this morning had been a resounding success, and not just because they were chock-filled with dungeon mana. He was definitely going to have to talk Ali into adding them to her repertoire. They had a delightfully earthy, nutty flavor that added richness and some savory tones to his stew. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mato¡¯s mind felt unusually calm after the lengthy battle.  He had never really been able to grasp the fundamental patience it took to learn meditation, no matter how many times she had explained it, but he had spent most of the battle as a tree ¨C and that form always had such a profound effect on his mind, an effect which persisted a while afterward.


    Before changing forms, the battle had proceeded at a frenetic and chaotic pace, but he recalled it as if it were a memory of a story he had read. A tale of overwhelming blood contagion seeping through his body and progressively becoming increasingly virulent and dangerous as the bats spread the infection among their group. His decision to switch to the Tree Form provided by his Arboreal Sanctuary skill had been born of frustration and desperation ¨C frustration with how slippery Kir¡¯vella was and how difficult she was to pin down and tank properly, and desperation at inexorably falling behind on healing against the stacking diseases that were tearing their melee group apart as they constantly reinfected each other by mere proximity.


    He recalled the conversation vividly. Back then he was still deciding if he liked taking the tank role. Something she had mentioned in passing had stuck with him ¨C while dividing the team roles into tanking, damage, and healing was usually a smart and efficient choice, she had cautioned to not get too attached to it. Especially in the face of intelligent foes ¨C or ones with exceptionally high wisdom. Kir¡¯vella had ignored his Taunts with impunity, and not even his damage had been able to distract her from her purpose.


    As soon as he had transformed and his vision faded, he had been able to sense the wrongness of the death mana from the altar animating the ghouls. He could feel the pulsing ugliness of the contagions and it had been easy to direct the mana of his Sanctuary aura to dissolve them. From then it had been a simple matter to share his regeneration, redirect damage to himself, and sprout roots and vines to assist with the fight ¨C impeding Kir¡¯vella whenever she appeared, and pinning any of the larger Spirit Nightwing bats Calen grounded, or the regularly summoned ghouls. It was a vastly different battle from when he used his Bear Form, but he was certain his decision to switch had turned the tide for their group.


    He looked up from his cookfire and the stew pot simmering there ¨C he would keep it warm while Ali and Malika worked. He smiled happily, enjoying the sight of the exhausted trolls wolfing down the dinner he had made.  he thought, but still, it was satisfying to see how much they were enjoying a simple meal. A few moments later, and some whispered words exchanged, one of the trolls got to her feet and approached him, her manner still somewhat hesitant and uncertain.


    ¡°More?¡± Mato asked, testing out his admittedly weak proficiency with the troll language and gesturing to the pot. She nodded, and he couldn¡¯t help smiling at the way her eyes lit up ¨C he served up a healthy second portion for her.


    he chuckled quietly to himself at his own joke. With only a few moments of thought, he spent ten points each on vitality, strength, and endurance. And then, considering his skills, spent another ten each on wisdom and perception. he eyed his very low dexterity and intelligence.


    Next, he pulled up his skill growth.


    He grinned widely at the four levels of growth he¡¯d just earned for Arboreal Sanctuary. His other skills had also grown nicely, and he was excited to see Rampant Growth coming along, especially given how recently he had chosen it.


    Those ghost mushroom chips Gara had taught him to make had been essential to surviving the spirit realm.


    ***


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 226: The Temple of Contagion (Part 2)

    AliandraAli and Malika entered the small camp Calen and Mato had constructed with the wiry leatherworker in tow to find the rescued Trolls sitting around quietly, most seeming shell-shocked. In true Mato fashion, he had whipped up something that smelled heavenly for them to eat and was already handing out seconds.


    ¡°Gara,¡± Zor¡¯kan said, making the young troll¡¯s head snap around sharply. ¡°You will go to this Myrin¡¯s Keep.¡±


    ¡°But I can fight!¡± she insisted. ¡°We must save Val¡¯korr!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zor¡¯kan said. ¡°I can see the strength in your heart. But I need you to do something far more important. They are unclassed,¡± he said, gesturing to the four rescued prisoners. ¡°I would have you go with them and make sure they are safe. We are all that remains of Aman Rak. You are Aman Rak¡¯s strongest fighter, now. You are the last of our combat classes. Our duty to survive takes precedence over your desire for revenge.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Gara gulped and then bowed her head. ¡°I understand. I will protect them until they are strong enough to stand on their own.¡± Her words had the sound of a much-repeated ritual, accepting responsibility.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ali said. Retrieving a piece of paper and a pen, she quickly wrote a note addressed to the Guildmaster and impressed her mana signature onto it. Then, she inscribed a teleportation circle to the Myrin¡¯s Keep locus. ¡°This circle will take you to Myrin¡¯s Keep,¡± she said, handing Gara the note. ¡°Give this to the Guildmaster at the Adventurers Guild and she will be able to help find a place for you to stay.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Gara said, eyeing it sadly, but nonetheless accepting it.


    ¡°You won¡¯t go with them?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I would be able to return,¡± Ali said, gesturing to the glowing runic circle before she recalled that he couldn¡¯t see mana like she did. Wisps of her golden mana drifted up from her construct as the domain of the high-level dungeon began dissolving it. ¡°I don¡¯t think a return locus would last long enough.¡±


    ¡°The dungeon is eroding it,¡± Mato said. ¡°Like it eats anything you leave behind.¡±


    ¡°Aah,¡± Calen said, nodding. ¡°Well, then take this.¡± With a flourish, he produced a map and handed it to Gara. ¡°You¡¯ll arrive in the academy, here. The Adventurers Guild is here. Be on your guard, Myrin¡¯s Keep isn¡¯t the friendliest town.¡±


    ¡°I will keep them safe,¡± Gara said, pressing her lips firmly together and nodding. And then she and the four rescued trolls bowed to Zor¡¯kan and stepped onto the runic circle, vanishing one by one.


    Ali stared at the fraying circle for a moment, wishing fervently that she could be back home, relaxing in the sensation of her domain mana dissolving her withdrawal ¨C but if she did that, she would have no easy way to return. With a thought, she dispelled the runic circle, sent her wishes for good luck to the departed Trolls, and mentally replayed her list of tasks. There were tons of corpses to deconstruct and runes to study, and if Arcane Insight was to be believed, then there was another barrier up ahead she would need to dismantle. But for now, she sat, content to eat while Clarence tried to entice her to throw the ball.


    Malika


    Malika retrieved her plate from Ali¡¯s Cleanse circle and handed it and the spotless utensils back to Mato. ¡°Thanks for dinner. How did you get that delicious hint of spiciness?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been experimenting,¡± Mato said, grinning broadly and scratching the back of his neck. ¡°This jungle is a goldmine for interesting herbs and foraged mushrooms. If you liked it, I¡¯ll make sure Ali learns the tastier ones.¡±


    ¡°Sweet.¡± Mato loved to act nonchalant about his cooking, usually passing it off as no big deal. But Malika was onto him ¨C she had seen the stamina energy as his big heart beat a little faster when she complimented him on it. ¡°Chaotic fight today, right?¡±


    ¡°For sure,¡± Mato said. ¡°Calen packs more of a punch with that bow than I expected.¡±


    ¡°Hey, that wasn¡¯t on purpose,¡± Calen called out.


    Malika chuckled, but she was relieved that the crazy bat lady was dead ¨C any fights with a troll witch doctor were always so complex, and this one had put everything till now to shame. Then there were the prisoners ¨C she was grateful they had been able to rescue several trolls, but the tortured bodies of the unfortunate majority still hung draped across the grim totems, bearing gruesome testament to the depravity of the queen of the Temple of Contagion. she thought, eyeing the path leading further into the disturbing dungeon.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go check on the loot,¡± Malika said. Ali was off deconstructing bats already, and would probably be at that for ages, so she walked over to examine the body of Kir¡¯vella, kneeling beside her in the dirt where she had fallen. Fortunately, the mad Troll¡¯s death had caused her body to shift back to her humanoid form, otherwise the gear she wore would probably not have been recoverable. She reached down and took the long bone knife from her hand, almost dropping it as the sticky black goop sent shivers of disgust through her.


    Malika thought, wiping the handle and then the blade on a spare cloth before discarding it. Almost certainly it stank of death, but so much around here did that she couldn¡¯t be sure.


    Sacrificial Bone Knife ¨C level 80


    Damage: Slashing, Physical


    +50 Intelligence


    +40 Dexterity


    +48% spell power to Soul skills


    +15% mana gained from drain attacks


    Requirements: Intelligence 280


    Quality: Uncommon


    Value: 49 gold


    Main Hand ¨C Dagger


    Malika studied Kir¡¯vella¡¯s weapon carefully for a while. It was a highly specialized dagger with a narrow, slightly curved blade longer than her forearm, and she was certain none of them could make particularly good use of it. Either way, she stashed it in her ring; if nothing else, she could always sell it for a little more gold and have something more useful crafted.


    Malika grimaced as her eyes found the next item. Lying on the ground beside Kir¡¯vella¡¯s left hand was an abominable artifact. Some poor Troll had died to create this thing, and Malika felt dirty just touching it. Yellow zigzag patterns had been painted across a dirty tusked skull, and it had been impaled on a stick to which a variety of brilliant feathers had been tied in ceremonial patterns and designs.


    Grim Skull Fetish ¨C level 81


    +51 Wisdom


    +39 Vitality


    +10% to Resistance


    Soul Drain inflicts -15% Curse and Disease vulnerability on hit


    Requirements: Wisdom 284


    Quality: Uncommon


    Value: 37 gold


    Off Hand ¨C Fetish


    It made a wet squelch as she gingerly pulled it out of the mud.  Even with fifty-one wisdom and an additional ten percent to resistance, Malika was absolutely certain Ali wouldn¡¯t touch this thing unless someone¡¯s life depended on it. It wasn¡¯t even well made. She stored it too.


    The only other item she could find was a broad gold band that had been wedged onto Kir¡¯vella¡¯s right tusk. Carefully she slipped it off, appraising it.


    Troll Tusk Ring of Storage ¨C level 64


    +42 Perception


    Mana: Store or retrieve an item. Capacity: 983 / 1500 lbs.


    Requirements: Troll


    Quality: Magical


    Value: 12 gold


    Tusk ¨C Bone


    Malika glanced over, seeing the troll leatherworker still sitting quietly in the camp talking with Calen.


    But before she did that, she opened it with her mind, exploring the contents carefully. To her disgust, half of what had been stored in there were dead troll pieces and bones. She dumped all that out on the ground and then transferred all the usable potions and herbs that remained to her storage. She almost dumped the extra potions of insanity but decided at the last moment she would let Morwynne or Weldin decide if they were worth anything.


    To her surprise, she discovered two half-full bottles of ink, a calligraphy brush, and a pen. She stored them for practicing her calligraphy later.


    she thought, studying one of the nasty purple potions. It had taken a lot of work to run down every flying vial, but the alternative would have been to allow her friends to run rampant, killing each other in the middle of an already challenging fight. It was a little tricky, considering she had to actually heal some damage for the effect of her Touch of Clarity to apply, but she had worked around that by punching anyone who went insane and then healing whatever damage she had personally inflicted. It hadn¡¯t been a problem for Mato or any of the melee fighters, but Ali hadn¡¯t taken any extraneous damage in the fight, and if she hadn¡¯t been quick enough, she would have had to go through her tough magical barrier to cure her. Calen with his Righteous Fury had been bad enough, but she couldn¡¯t imagine Ali and all her minions turning on them in the middle of the fight.


    Her attention turned inward, eager to see what the fight had brought for her skills and class.


    She frowned momentarily in thought. she decided, spending ten points immediately. More resistance to mind-altering effects would not go amiss, and Clarity scaled phenomenally well with the attribute. Not to mention, she could share it with a little work. Then she boosted the rest of her skill trait attributes for the direct scaling and experience benefits. Eleven to endurance and perception, and twelve to dexterity. Then she split the remainder: four to vitality, and two to strength ¨C hopefully enough to keep the power of her punches growing.


    To be fair, it had been a crazy fight; long and full of surprises. Her biggest gains were made to Clarity and Healing Mantra ¨C no surprises there. Even she could tell that disrupting the insanity had been her greatest contribution. She made her way back to camp, picking her way carefully through the corpses of the dead bats and the occasional ghoul, satisfied with the impressive reward for a hard fight. She could already feel the improvements from her passive skills making her more agile, her mind quicker and clearer, and her body more powerful.


    ¡°Here,¡± Malika said, handing the tusk ring to Calen. ¡°Can you ask him if he wants this? It looks like they stripped him of all his gear.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said, taking the ring and turning to Zor¡¯kan.


    She hadn¡¯t paid as much attention to the lessons as Mato had, and she didn¡¯t have the intelligence attribute to pick it up by eavesdropping on Mato¡¯s cooking lesson like Calen had.


    Ryn


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ryn said, bowing to the resplendent Elven mage as his magic took hold, and in a blink of an eye, and a lurch of her stomach that lasted substantially longer, Ryn was thrust from the gilded halls in Ciradyl to a dark subterranean chamber that smelled of earth and fire.


    She stumbled for a moment, catching her balance, and glanced around at what looked like a large cavern hewn directly from the rock. There were still scrape marks that appeared to her untrained eyes to have come from mining equipment, but the floor had most certainly been reformed by a powerful earth mage.


    ¡°Welcome ta Thorel Moldur. State yer business.¡± The gruff, gravelly voice echoed within the smoky chamber. A masterpiece of ruddy, glowing earth and fire runes traced out an elaborate teleportation locus, while black wrought iron sconces lit the room with torches of flickering fire.


    ¡°Um, hi,¡± Ryn said, partially raising her hand to wave before she dropped it in a flush of embarrassment. Before her stood a Dwarf, dressed in gleaming embossed steel plate armor, tan leather trousers, and heavy iron-toed boots. A sigil of a pickaxe had been emblazoned upon his chest. His thick hairy hand rested meaningfully upon the hilt of his sword, and he leveled a stare at her that could only be described as officially polite but guarded.


    ¡°Farin?¡± another voice called out from near the exit, and Ryn¡¯s eyes flickered around to take in several other Dwarven figures dressed in various kinds of armor, standing at the ready.


    ¡°This one¡¯s living,¡± the guard in front of her announced, causing a ripple of releasing held breath and shuffling through the others.


    ¡°I¡¯m Ryn. A librarian,¡± Ryn said, puzzled at their strange reactions. ¡°I came from Ciradyl. They said¡­ Um. I¡­ I¡¯d like to see the library? If that¡¯s ok?¡±


    ¡°The library?¡± Farin asked, his bushy eyebrows climbing up his forehead. ¡°Ya come from Ciradyl to Thorel Moldur ta visit the library? What do ya seek that canna be found in the Elf city?¡±


    ¡°Advanced warding enchantments,¡± Ryn said. She had scoured the bookshelves in Ciradyl¡¯s library, hunting for anything that matched Ali¡¯s description of what she had witnessed infesting Nathaniel Sunstrider ¨C even going as far as to read through much of the restricted section ¨C and had come up empty-handed. On the plus side, her Arcane Archive skill had leveled several times, and she now had a very clear, seventeen-point priority list for how best to plunder ¨C err, work her way through ¨C Ciradyl¡¯s most valuable books whenever Ali got back to copying. ¡°I¡¯m also looking for good references for metallurgy and blacksmithing enchantments,¡± she added. Thorel Moldur was renowned for their smithing expertise and knowledge, and it wouldn¡¯t hurt to get a few references for Thuli while she was here. Ali would most certainly approve.


    ¡°Ye¡¯ve come ta the right place then, lassie,¡± Farin said, his entire countenance brightening and his beard quivering in delight. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll show ya the way.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get lost, Farin,¡± one of the other guards teased to much raucous guffawing from the peanut gallery.


    ¡°Oi, shut it!¡± he declared, making a rude gesture with his hand. ¡°Come on then, lassie.¡±


    Ryn followed him out of the underground chamber and into a broad rock-walled tunnel set with the same sconces lighting the way. The ground had been worked into a smooth pathway, as good as a road in a major city.


    ¡°I¡¯m Farin Shieldbreaker,¡± her companion said. ¡°Warrior, once a member of the third company, now retired. In my dotage, a locus guard and occasional travel guide.¡± He chuckled at his own joke.


    ¡°Good to meet you, Mr. Shieldbreaker.¡±


    ¡°Farin is fine, lassie.¡±


    Her guide proved to be rather talkative, and Ryn was treated to a whirlwind tour of the giant underground Dwarven city. They passed through marketplaces and caught a ride on an earth-golem-drawn carriage ¨C one of many that thronged the busier passageways that wound their way through the bowels of the earth. Ryn was lost in an instant.


    After about half an hour ¨C and past the umpteenth ultra-important foundry or forge, right when Ryn¡¯s eyes were beginning to glaze over, her guide stopped the cart before a massive pair of gilded stone doors.


    ¡°Right. Here we are!¡± he declared, and hopped down, offering his hand to help her out.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, stepping onto the ground. But as soon as she did, there was a loud rumbling and a shuddering crash that rocked the entire city, knocking her stumbling. Ryn yelped, clutching at her sturdy companion¡¯s hand for stability. ¡°What was¡­ that?¡±


    ¡°Undead,¡± Farin said, his eyes hardening. ¡°They¡¯ve been attacking the upper levels with more frequency lately. There were even rumors of a¡­ Death Knight.¡±


    ¡°Undead?¡± Ryn asked, a shiver passing through her body.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing ta worry yer head about,¡± Farin said firmly. ¡°The platinums will take care of that wee problem.¡±


    But as the stocky dwarf pushed the doors open and invited her to enter the giant library, she could tell by the tension in the set of his shoulders and the tight line of his lips, that he was far more worried than he let on. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 227: The Leatherworker (Part 1)

    - Bragni Doomhammer [The Hammer of Justice], Dwarven King of Dal¡¯mohra.


    Calen


    Calen found himself sitting quietly beside Zor¡¯kan. All the other trolls had left for Myrin¡¯s Keep. Ali and Malika were scouring the battlefield for resources and upgrades, and Mato was being uncharacteristically quiet as he cleaned up after dinner.


    That name had been burned into his mind ever since Lyeneru had revealed her most powerful item. Normally he would have been comfortable letting the silence draw out, not interested in conversation, but there was a powerful curiosity burning within him. He had to know.


    ¡°Zor¡¯kan, do you remember Lyeneru Silverleaf?¡± he asked, still struggling to express himself fluently in the strange language of the trolls ¨C a language substantially more dependent on emotive physical gestures than Common.


    ¡°Aah, mmm, pretty, young Night Elf girl?¡± he asked, scratching a thick pointed ear. ¡°Big bow of fire and lightning?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Calen said. he wondered, almost spluttering at how he referred to the premier and most powerful pathfinder in Ciradyl ¨C perhaps the entire continent. ¡°She is my mentor,¡± he managed, getting right to the crux of his curiosity. ¡°She showed me a bracer with mana leech that you made for her. Well, it had your mana signature on it.¡±


    ¡°Aah, yes. Is she still using that old piece of junk?¡±


    Calen choked. He wasn¡¯t quite sure which was more shocking ¨C that he referred to the legendary Lyeneru Silverleaf as a ¡®pretty, young girl¡¯ or that his assessment of the best piece of archer gear he had ever seen as a ¡®piece of junk.¡¯


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s still using it,¡± he finally managed. ¡°I was wondering¡­ what might it take to get something similar made? I know you don¡¯t normally craft items for other races¡­¡±


    ¡°You archers are all the same,¡± he said, squinting at Calen closely. ¡°Addicted to mana. I must ask you a question first.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Calen asked, not sure if he had just caused some obscure offense to the leatherworker Lyeneru held in the highest regard. But he was certainly spot-on regarding the mana problem.


    ¡°If I make this item, will it make you stronger? Will you use it to defeat the abomination that infests Aman Rak?¡± Zor¡¯kan had a cold hard look in his eyes that would have been terrifying on a warrior.


    ¡°Yes, it will make me stronger,¡± Calen answered truthfully. Mana was such a problem, that he could almost not gauge how much of a benefit a mana leech item would even be. All he knew was that it would certainly blow away his expectations, and he had high expectations to begin with. ¡°And yes, I will get to the bottom of what happened here, and I will wipe out this dungeon with my friends.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I will make you whatever you want,¡± Zor¡¯kan answered. ¡°There is no better use for my skills than the liberation of our sacred lands. I need leather, boy. I have none of my equipment. I specifically need some of those Spirit Nightwing hides for this enchantment before that Fae destroys them all, some Soulshade Blossoms, and get me a good knife.¡±


    Calen immediately unloaded every single Armored Drake and Demonic Warg hide he hadn¡¯t been able to sell, and Zor¡¯kan¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight of the rapidly growing stack of leather.


    ¡°Let me try to find a knife,¡± Calen said. He only had his skinning knife, but perhaps Zor¡¯kan wouldn¡¯t mind. Ali or Mato would be able to help him with the flowers ¨C swaths of them still bloomed where the altar had once stood.


    ¡°How about this?¡± Malika asked, coming up from behind him, holding out a long bone blade. For some reason she was gripping it gingerly between her thumb and forefinger, looking for all the world like she didn¡¯t want to soil her hands.


    ¡°Hah!¡± Zor¡¯kan exclaimed. ¡°Perfect, I will use Kir¡¯vella¡¯s blade to undo her partners in crime.¡± He took the knife from Malika and plopped himself onto the ground beside Calen¡¯s pile of hides. He flipped his hand over, and a sharp bone splinter burst through his skin, growing from his wrist. When it was the length of his finger, he snapped it off and bored a hole through the end with the knife, and then the splinter warped in his hand as his magic compressed it into a highly polished, thick triangular needle. A few moments later, he repeated the process, creating an awl.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ impressive,¡± Malika said, squinting at his creations.


    ¡°Not nearly as good as my old, enchanted tools,¡± the Troll grumbled. ¡°But it will have to do. Our need is great.¡± With Kir¡¯vella¡¯s blade, he sliced extremely thin strips from the first demonic hide, twisting them into a rudimentary thread and then he began to work in earnest. He grabbed a second hide, trimmed it to size, threaded his bone needle, and began to stitch it to the first one.


    His heavily calloused hands flickered with uncanny speed and dexterity as he settled into his working rhythm, clearly leveraging several leatherworking skills simultaneously. The needle pierced the thick hide with speed and ease as he continued adding the broad hides to his creation, seemingly not caring if it was dragon hide or demon. Calen couldn¡¯t see how it was done, but as each additional hide was added to the piece, it seemed to warp and twist, shrinking down so that whatever he was making never seemed to grow. The space around the leather and his hands began to warp, blurring the trees and moss seen through it. After he had added perhaps ten or twelve full-sized hides, he twisted his creation inside out and all the distortion snapped and disappeared, leaving him with a small bag, approximately the size of his head. Calen could see the surface of it was a patchwork of tiny versions of each of the hides he had sewn together.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Calen asked, giving voice to his curiosity. Whatever it was, its creation had involved some seriously impressive leatherworking trickery.


    Zor¡¯kan shared the stats for him to see.


    Leatherworker¡¯s Troll Pouch ¨C level 72


    Requirements: Leatherworker class, Troll.


    Leatherworker¡¯s Troll Pouch will cure any raw hide stored within it. Duration: 3 hours.


    Mana: Store or retrieve an item. Capacity: 0 / 7350 lbs.


    Bag ¨C Leather


    ¡°That¡¯s incredible!¡± Calen exclaimed seeing the enormous storage capacity of the bag he had just created.


    ¡°How did you think we Trolls live in the jungle without all those fancy buildings and houses your kind are so fond of?¡± Zor¡¯kan grumbled genially. ¡°Leatherworking requires a lot of tools and bulky supplies. Much of it would rot if I just left it out in the jungle.¡± He quickly stored all the remaining hides, his bone needle, and the knife Malika had given him. It seemed that the bag functioned quite differently than a regular storage enchanted ring ¨C the Troll had to stick his hand into the small bag to retrieve or store items, sometimes reaching his whole arm up to the shoulder to arrange something within the unseen space.


    ¡°Ok, boy,¡± Zor¡¯kan said. ¡°I know you have the Skinning skill. There are a lot of bats. Let¡¯s get to work.¡±


    ***


    Calen was sweating by the time they were done. Every single hide had been inspected and added to Zor¡¯kan¡¯s Troll Pouch, and Ali had deconstructed the huge pile of what remained once they were done.


    He plopped himself down on a small log beside the fire and watched in fascination as Zor¡¯kan began to extrude strips of bone from his own body, snapping each of them off at about a foot in length.


    What he did next defied easy explanation. Even with his clumsy-looking broad three-fingered hands, Zor¡¯kan¡¯s movements were so quick and dexterous it was hard to follow the darting needle, blending the now-cured Spirit Nightwing leather and the strips of bone, embossing patterns with his mana directly into the leather. Somehow the bone and leather seemed to flow under the guidance of his nimble fingers, malleable, and flexible in a way that would certainly be inexplicable without his access to both leatherworking and his bone-affinity mana. At least, that¡¯s what Calen assumed it was, and Ali¡¯s fascinated stare confirmed something mana-related was happening. The blur of the unerringly accurate needle suddenly ceased, and Zor¡¯kan held up his work to the dying light of the sun, squinting his eyes as he inspected it.


    He grunted in satisfaction and handed it to Calen. ¡°How¡¯s this?¡± sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Aah, I can¡¯t identify it,¡± Calen said.


    ¡°I got you,¡± Malika answered, and then coughed right as she shared the details and his chime sounded.


    Vampiric Bracer of the Bat ¨C level 73


    +46 Dexterity


    +27 Perception


    2% of your damage is returned as Mana over 30 seconds.


    1% of your damage is returned as Health over 30 seconds.


    Requirements: Dexterity 146, Intelligence 146


    Quality: Uncommon.


    Value: 67 gold.


    Hands ¨C Leather / Bone


    ¡°The leech enchantments would be better with my tools, but it should do for now,¡± Zor¡¯kan said.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Calen whispered, staring at the details. He could scarcely believe what he held in his hands. Sure, Lyeneru¡¯s version had more leech, but this had an additional perception attribute enchantment, and it was an even higher-level bracer than hers.


    ¡°When you meet your mentor again, tell her I will make her an upgrade,¡± Zor¡¯kan added.


    Calen bowed his thanks to the master leatherworker.


    Calen studied the bracer, first thinking that Zor¡¯kan had made it too high-level for him, and then suddenly remembered he had just defeated a raid boss. He took off his Flamecaller Bracers, strapped the new ones to his arms, and immediately invested ten more points into strength to cover the loss from unequipping his old bracer. His bow required a lot of strength, and the amount gradually crept up as it leveled.


    ¡°Looks good on you,¡± Mato said.


    Calen admired the beautiful craftsmanship displayed on his forearms, swirling designs of bone on blue giving him an elegant style that seemed out of character for most of the Aman Rak gear they had found so far.


    Having already invested in the strength he needed for his bow; he had forty points left to distribute. He immediately spent two each on vitality, endurance, and wisdom. Twelve went into dexterity, and then he split the remainder, spending eleven each on intelligence and perception.


    He studied the growth closely. Not only the skills, but his bow had also just reached level sixty-six, which gave him a substantial base damage increase. It also increased the strength requirement by one, but fortunately, he had spent enough to give him a small buffer already.


    He glanced over at Zor¡¯kan. The Troll was already lost in his work.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 228: The Leatherworker (Part 2)

    Aliandra¡°Don¡¯t get dirty, Clarence,¡± Ali said absently as she summoned a barrier beneath the corpse of Kir¡¯vella and levitated her into the air. The ground was still stained and muddy, but it was now clear of broken and crisped bodies, and if she avoided the biggest puddles, it looked safe to walk across and rejoin the camp. Kir¡¯vella, the witch doctor, was the only remaining corpse except for the couple of Ghouls she had reserved for Seth to study, and there was something she was dying to know. Clarence zipped along beside her, making loops in the air ¨C she had the ball, after all, what else was he going to do? ¡°No. I told you I¡¯m not going to throw it in all this mud.¡±


    ¡°Zor¡¯kan, do you know what these markings are?¡± Ali asked, lowering the corpse to the ground and indicating the intricate tattoos that covered much of the Troll¡¯s leathery skin. Before her death, these markings had been flush with soul-affinity mana, glowing brightly to her senses, but now they were merely white decorations inscribed onto the dark blue of her skin.


    She had been studying the cryptic runes for half an hour, cross-referencing everything with Clarence but, so far, she had made absolutely no headway ¨C other than a faithful copy of the entire work in her notebook to the best of her ability.


    ¡°Soul Ink,¡± Zor¡¯kan answered. ¡°The witch doctors make ink imbued with their mana from the blood of Trolls or powerful monsters, or from the extracts and essences of magical plants, and then they inscribe the runes.¡±


    ¡°But what does it do?¡± Ali was still remarkably frustrated by just how close she felt to understanding, and yet how far out of reach it still seemed.


    ¡°They craft items out of mana and ink,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Items?¡± She studied the dense and complex structure and suddenly received a new perspective. She flipped open her Grimoire and went straight to the armor imprint and compared. Aside from the incomprehensible runic language itself, the similarity was remarkable. ¡°This is a body armor made from ink and mana?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zor¡¯kan answered.


    ¡°How do I learn this language, and how to make the inks?¡± Ali was instantly absorbed in the idea. If she could use Runic Script to create items, she could unlock perhaps an infinite array of custom gear.


    ¡°I know leatherworking,¡± Zor¡¯kan said, wrinkling his nose and looking away. ¡°This is the domain of the witch doctors.¡±


    Ali chose to ignore his sudden sulk. ¡°All I need is a witch doctor to explain it to me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but they are either dead or servants of the dungeon.¡±


    Ali thought, looking down at Kir¡¯vella. She reached out a hand and deconstructed the body, triggering her Grimoire to manifest with an explosion of mana and runic magic.


    Kir¡¯vella¡¯s body evaporated into rising clouds of mana, and Ali felt the knowledge coalesce in her mind, an all too familiar sense by now.


    Without delay, she summoned her newest Troll at maximum level.


    Ali scanned through the new Troll¡¯s skills while it glanced about the camp with quick, cunning eyes. She postponed a detailed analysis while she searched until she found what she had guessed must be part of the class makeup.


    Runic Soul Ink ¨C level 28


    You are proficient with runic magic.


    Languages: Troll.


    Requirements: Imbued ink or paint.


    Mana: Paint a temporary soul blessing on an ally. Grants +5  to any one attribute. Requires access to prepared ink or paint. Duration: 6 hours.


    Mana, Experience: Create a runic tattoo by inscribing the magical enchantments into the body and soul of your target. The runic tattoo takes a gear slot and requires the bearer to reserve mana, life, or stamina to maintain it, proportional to the number and level of the enchantments granted.


    Soul, Ink, Knowledge, Buff, Intelligence


    Her breath caught as she examined the strange skill, realizing now why so many of the Trolls had been painted or bore runic markings on their bodies. Even the gear had garish designs covered with colorful paint.


    ¡°Oh, you got the witch doctor!¡± Calen exclaimed, clapping his hands in delight. ¡°Frogs! I predict many frogs!¡±


    ¡°Good skills?¡± Malika asked. ¡°Find what you were looking for?¡±


    ¡°This is a little like my Runic Script skill,¡± Ali said, sharing the skill with her friends. The first option was a temporary buff that looked a lot like the Well-fed buff Mato could create with his cooking ¨C the main difference being the required paint and the fact that the witch doctor could choose which attribute to buff. And if all the painted gear was anything to go by, the buff would work whether it was applied to skin or to anything worn.


    But it was the second ability that finally caused the pieces to settle in Ali¡¯s mind ¨C that had to be the skill for creating the complex runic tattoos Kir¡¯mogan and Kir¡¯vella had etched onto their bodies.


    It was just as Zor¡¯kan had said ¨C a strange blend between a runic magic skill and item creation. The Kir¡¯vella had inscribed a runic tattoo replacement for body armor, and Kir¡¯mogan¡¯s one seemed to replace a bracer or gauntlet.


    ¡°It costs experience?¡± Calen asked.


    ¡°Looks like it,¡± Ali said, studying the strange cost designation.


    ¡°Yours? Or the witch doctor¡¯s?¡± Calen asked. ¡°How does that work with minions? Does her level drop?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I have no idea.¡± This was most certainly something she would need to experiment with. Carefully. She had just deconstructed Kir¡¯vella and so the actual tattoo reference was destroyed, but she pulled out her notebook and called her witch doctor over to sit by her.


    ¡°What is this rune?¡± she asked, pointing at the page.


    ¡°A soul magic rune, Seeker,¡± the Troll said, and then named it ¨C a word Ali hadn¡¯t heard before.


    ¡°Write it for me,¡± she said, handing the notebook and pen to the witch doctor.


    ¡°Yes, Seeker. I require a dagger.¡±


    ¡°A dagger?¡± What did a dagger have to do with writing runic magic? But Ali didn¡¯t question her, pulling out her Grimoire and channeling enough mana to create a high-quality Eimuuran steel dagger and handing it to the waiting Troll.


    ¡°Thank you, Seeker,¡± the witch doctor said, and then dumped the ink out of the pen¡¯s reservoir and abruptly stabbed herself through the center of her left palm with the gleaming dark steel blade.


    ¡°What? Why did you do that?¡± Ali exclaimed, jolting backward to avoid getting splashed.


    ¡°This ink will not carry mana,¡± the troll stated flatly as if it were a self-evident truth. Carefully, she curled her injured hand into a fist and squeezed drops of her own blood into the ink reservoir.


    ¡°And your blood can?¡± Ali asked.


    ¡°Yes, Seeker. Without proper ink, the blood of powerful monsters may be substituted instead.¡±


    The implied arrogance did not escape Ali¡¯s notice, but she was immediately distracted as the witch doctor began inscribing the rune onto the page in her notebook, small flickers of soul-affinity mana flowing through the pen as she wrote, a method of mana imbuing bearing an uncanny similarity to what Ali did when she imbued her rune magic into electrum.


    Her mana began draining into Sage of Learning.


    ***


    Their little camp was dark and quiet by the time Ali was done. Her troll witch doctor had re-inscribed every rune she had recorded ¨C bone, blood, and soul, and in the process, she had updated Ali¡¯s recording of Kir¡¯mogan and Kir¡¯vella¡¯s personal enhancements, fixing many small errors she had made in the transcription of the formerly unintelligible runes.


    Runic Script ¨C level 36


    You are proficient with runic magic.


    Languages: Ancient Dal¡¯mohran, Elvish, Dwarven, Troll.


    Mana: Inscribe a runic circle with your mana. Reserve: by level.


    Domain: Runic magic written within your domain may be supported by domain mana and will not decay.


    Arcane, Domain, Knowledge, Intelligence


    Ali took a deep breath and stretched the muscles of her neck, rewarded for her efforts with a few satisfying pops and clicks. Her understanding of the Troll language had dramatically improved from studying their runic writing. And now she could tell what Kir¡¯vella and Kir¡¯mogan had been using. She identified the runes on the page of her notebook.


    Kir¡¯vella¡¯s Soul Vestments ¨C level 87


    Evasion: 730


    Resistance: 730


    +53 Wisdom


    +41 Intelligence


    +20 Dexterity


    +4 to skill level of Soul skills. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Requirements: Wisdom 174, Dexterity 174


    Level Growth Reserve: 384  mana.


    Body ¨C Runic Tattoo


    It was a remarkable piece of magic; it held four enchantments, putting it solidly in the uncommon grade. The attribute increases were formations that Ali had studied a thousand times ¨C encoded over and over again in her Grimoire. However, the canny witch doctor had fashioned an enchantment that had Ali¡¯s eyes widening and her Sage of Learning growling with hunger ¨C a bonus to all soul magic skills. The Runic Tattoo provided evasion and armor, just like a regular piece of body armor, although Ali could see how that had had to be explicitly crafted. And it seemed that the soul vestments required a constant reservation of mana just to maintain its structure.


    ¡°That thing levels up like my bow,¡± Calen gasped when Ali shared it.


    ¡°Without a cap,¡± Malika added.


    Ali paged back to the corrected inscription of Kir¡¯mogan¡¯s tattoos.


    Kir¡¯mogan¡¯s Bindings ¨C level 81


    +51 Strength


    +39 Dexterity


    +19 Endurance


    +2 to skill level of Bone skills.


    Requirements: Strength 284


    Level Growth Reserve: 243  mana.


    Hands ¨C Runic Tattoo


    Kir¡¯mogan¡¯s bindings took the place of gauntlets or bracers on his body, crafted with half the enchantment runes split symmetrically across each arm. The complexity of the runic magic was extreme, but not quite as involved as Kir¡¯vella¡¯s, and took a correspondingly smaller amount of mana to reserve.


    Ali checked the mana signature carefully. While she had not been able to record the full fidelity of the signature itself, she clearly recalled the soul magic that had been present on Kir¡¯mogan¡¯s bracer, and it was identical to the one on Kir¡¯vella¡¯s. It was a subtle detail, but she had personally tried to have Calen supply the reservation to power one of her own runic circles written with light magic runes but had failed spectacularly in her endeavor. But Kir¡¯mogan¡¯s bindings were written in bone magic troll runes, supported by his bone-affinity mana, but inscribed by Kir¡¯vella ¨C a witch doctor with an affinity for soul magic.


    she thought. Malika hadn¡¯t practiced her Calligraphy in a while, but if anyone knew where to get ink made in Myrin¡¯s Keep, it would be her.


    ¡°Hey, Ali,¡± Calen said. He was sitting upright with his notebook on his lap, gazing at her intently.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The runes are all good and such, but¡­ is there anything in the status sheet that might help us fight the witch doctors better?¡± he asked. ¡°You know¡­ I¡¯m not too partial to spending a whole battle as a frog.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Ali said, quickly popping into the awareness of her newest troll and sharing the entire status sheet with everyone. ¡°Here you go.¡± She had skipped over it in her excitement to unravel the rune mystery, so she studied the skills now with far greater detail.


    Mana: Drain mana and health from up to 5  targets. You gain temporary maximum health and mana equal to the drain if you are full. Duration: 10 seconds. Recharge: 20 seconds.


    Soul, Bloodline, Ranged, Channeled, Intelligence


    Mana: Shift to the spirit realm. In this realm, you are immune to attacks from the normal realm. You regenerate 15% of your maximum mana over 45 seconds. Channeled.


    Soul, Movement, Wisdom


    Your curses ignore up to 20% of your target¡¯s magical resistance.


    Mana: Remove a curse.


    Mana: Curse your foe with one of your known curses. You can have up to 5  curses active at one time. Recharge: 10 seconds.


    Known Curses: Spirit Banishment, Frog Hex (humanoids, beasts, demons).


    Soul, Curse, Ranged, Intelligence


    You are proficient at throwing.


    Mana: Conjure an earthenware spirit jar that can be used to collect denizens from the spirit realm or hold a concoction of any kind. Recharge: 30 seconds.


    Soul, Ranged, Wisdom


    You are proficient in herbalism, having a broad knowledge of local herbs and plants, and how to use them to create explosive cocktails, poisons, and potions. The potency or effectiveness of Herbalism skills is increased by +40% .


    Mana: Brew a potion that you know, given access to proper ingredients, equipment, and time. Requires focus and concentration.


    Mana: Instantly concoct a simple potion, given access to prepared ingredients. Recharge: 45 seconds.


    Soul, Herbalism, Wisdom


    Mana: Invoke the blessing of the ancestral spirits with your own personal runic tattoo, inscribed with your mana. Your Dexterity, Intelligence, and Wisdom are increased by +131.6%  Reserve: 20%


    Soul, Bloodline, Knowledge, Buff, Intelligence


    You are proficient with runic magic.


    Mana: Paint a temporary soul blessing on an ally. Grants +5  to any one attribute. Requires access to prepared ink or paint. Duration: 6 hours.


    Mana, Experience: Create a runic tattoo by inscribing the magical enchantments into the body and soul of your target. The runic tattoo takes a gear slot and requires the bearer to reserve mana, life, or stamina to maintain it, proportional to the number and level of the enchantments granted.


    Soul, Ink, Knowledge, Buff, Intelligence


    You are a being that inhabits both the mundane and the spirit realms. Your magic can target either realm equally. Your resistance to magic gains +37%


    Soul, Defense, Mastery, Wisdom


    Your knowledge of the spirits and the spirit world allows you to call on them for aid. Soul magic gains +26%  spell power in the spirit realm.


    Mana: Attract spirit creatures to the area to haunt your enemies from the spirit realm. Range: 50 meters, Recharge: 1 minute.


    Mana: Consult with the spirit realm for information, using an appropriate ritual, ceremony, effigy, or doll. Information can be related to tracking, knowledge, scrying, or divinations, depending on the spirit consulted. Recharge: 1 day ¨C 1 week.


    Soul, Divination, Knowledge, Wisdom


    Mana or Health: Greatly increase the power and efficacy of an ally or something you create for a short period of time by infusing it with a donation of health or mana. Moderate chance of unpredictable side effects.


    Soul, Chaos, Buff, Intelligence


    Ali thought.


    ¡°That¡¯s crazy,¡± Malika said, echoing Ali¡¯s instant impression of the witch doctor. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like a good combat class. It has no defenses at all.¡±


    ¡°How did they cause us so much grief then?¡± Mato asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s more like a utility and buff mage,¡± Calen said, biting the end of his pen in thought.


    ¡°Hex is very strong, though,¡± Ali said, suddenly noticing the decursing advancement. ¡°She can remove Frog Hex directly.¡± Not to mention all the crazy curses they had to contend with in the Emberforge Mines.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a relief,¡± Calen said, sighing with exaggerated theatrics.


    ¡°It is very mobile, and the Spirit Realm is a powerful control tool,¡± Malika observed.


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Ali mused. ¡°Without the mushrooms, it could just pick off the team one at a time in the Spirit Realm.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Ali,¡± Calen said. ¡°Look at Spirit Magic ¨C it gets a massive percentage boost to magical resistance, but it has no innate defenses. You might want to make some resistance armor to take advantage of that.¡±


    ¡°Aah, good idea,¡± she said. ¡°Also, that Spirit Drain and Ritual Infusion combination looks powerful, but it¡¯s going to need a lot of testing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m game for figuring it out,¡± Calen said, perking up instantly.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a big surprise from Mr. Hoppity-hop,¡± Mato said, chuckling.


    ¡°Oi!¡±


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg

 Chapter 229: Rivals (Part 1)

    Aliandra¡°Come, Clarence,¡± Ali said, walking a little way out of their camp to confront the barrier that barred their way higher up the mountain. ¡°I want your help deciphering this.¡±


    The Eldritch Tome riffled his pages in excitement and took off, chasing her, swooping around her head as she approached the extensive magical construct. With one particularly exuberant dive, Clarence collided with the barrier, bouncing off it. Immediately he grew golden teeth and snapped at the offending construct.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± she said, calming the offended book down. ¡°We¡¯re going to dismantle the barrier after I get a chance to study it.¡±


    Clarence took one last nip at the Lich¡¯s magic and then his barrier teeth faded.


    Ali constructed a disk to sit on and levitated herself to approximately the middle of the barrier, several meters off the ground. Clarence circled slowly and then approached, hovering in front of her, and sprang open to a chapter on soul magic.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ali said and turned on her Sage of Learning. The vast expanse of the necromantic array before her glittered darkly, very much like the one at the Temple of Bone ¨C at least on a superficial examination, but she had subsequently learned the rune magic of the Trolls and now everything lay revealed to her scrutiny.


    ***


    Ali gritted her teeth in frustration. She had been at this for several hours and the jungle was now dark and filled with the nocturnal calls of hunters and prey that never came out during the daylight hours. Fortunately, nothing wanted to risk provoking her minions, or her friends camped nearby.


    ¡°Stupid barrier,¡± she muttered, venting her frustration into the night.


    Clarence bobbed and riffled through the pages, returning to the chapter on soul magic, brandishing the gleaming, complex sequence of runes depicted on the first page like a weapon aimed at Nevyn Eld¡¯s masterpiece.


    ¡°Why do you keep showing me that page?¡± she grumbled. Not that he could answer her. There were occasional soul magic runes embedded in the structure, but not many, and it couldn¡¯t have anything to do with what was actually missing. She had checked. Exhaustively. With her new understanding of Troll runes, she could now parse the key structures and connections written in their language, but invariably Ali found a mysterious gap in the center of each cluster as if something was supposed to be there but wasn¡¯t. She couldn¡¯t even guess what it might have been, just that the connections led nowhere, and the formation didn¡¯t make sense.


    She sighed and dutifully studied the text that Clarence wanted her to read for the umpteenth time, but no new insights came to her.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just not smart enough,¡± Ali said, sighing again and closing Clarence. Defeated and frustrated, she slowly flew back to the camp. She was exhausted after such a long day, and she wanted to sleep.


    ¡°Can¡¯t dismantle this one?¡± Calen asked, his voice coming from the shadows before he slowly revealed himself.


    ¡°Oh, I know enough to destroy it. But I still have no idea what it¡¯s for. It¡¯s annoying and frustrating, and I hate it.¡±


    ¡°Well, you can¡¯t always get everything,¡± he answered. ¡°And you did get a lot out of this fight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± she agreed, albeit a little begrudgingly. She had two new kinds of bat with drains and a nasty contagion. Lovely. She had learned the imprint for the troll witch doctor; the result of that knowledge was standing by on guard. She had also deciphered the remarkable inscribed gear of the troll runic soul ink skill ¨C something she most definitely wanted to try out for herself when she had the time. Even though she hadn¡¯t taken time to study her class notifications yet, she knew she had leveled up ¨C but she was sure nothing there would aid her with deciphering the formation.


    ¡°Hey Calen, what do you think happened to all those monsters you killed in the Spirit Realm?¡± she asked, suddenly remembering there were wolves, scorpions, tigers, and a whole host of other things that had attacked them.


    ¡°Here,¡± he said, dumping four Ghostly Stalkers on the ground. ¡°I knew you¡¯d be interested in them, so I collected the wolves.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± she said, and quickly deconstructed the spirit wolves, adding the imprint to her Grimoire.


    ¡°Do you think the other monster corpses are still there?¡± she asked, noticing the open chapter in her Grimoire.


    ¡°Probably,¡± he said. ¡°You could go check, can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°How?¡± she asked, and then saw him glancing over to her witch doctor. ¡°Oh! She can go there with Spirit Walk.¡±


    ¡°You could also have her curse you over, right?¡± he asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ brilliant,¡± she answered, considering the implications. ¡°I never thought of that. I¡¯m going to go check.¡± And with that, she flew to the center of the battleground, bringing her witch doctor along with her.


    ¡°Just be careful,¡± Calen called after her.


    ¡°Banish me,¡± she commanded, nodding to Calen to let him know she had heard his warning. ¡°And then follow me into the Spirit Realm.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, Seeker,¡± her Troll said, and immediately, the black of night shifted to the diffuse gray of the Spirit Realm. To her delight, a large number of spirit monster corpses lay spread out across the ground, dead where Calen¡¯s arrows had killed them. In the center, all that remained of Kir¡¯vella¡¯s beacon was a conspicuous empty circle among the corpses.


    The Spirit Realm flickered, shifting its aspect, but the glowing corpses remained. Happy to have success at least in something, she quickly ate one of the ghost mushrooms and set about deconstructing everything.


    ¡°Keep me here for now,¡± she told her witch doctor, taking her time to be thorough. Soon enough, her Grimoire reacted.


    She had a Spirit Beast version of a spider, wolf, scorpion, and tiger, and her Grimoire had rearranged the variants to add her Ghostly Spider and Ghost Stalker variants to the Spirit Beast imprint in addition to their spider and wolf imprints.


    she thought, happy to expand her Grimoire with interesting monsters. It was with thoughts of how she might add them to the underground residential ruins back home that she slowly turned and made her way back to camp to wait out the curse and drop back to the real world. she thought ¨C she had two ways to do that now.


    But as she reached their camp, all thoughts of her sleeping bag and a good night¡¯s rest vanished. A giant wall of pulsating magic shone out from among the trees, a towering edifice of magic construction. And streaming out from it in all directions were long undulating tendrils of blue-white soul magic, trailing away out of sight. All along the wall, for ten meters on either side, a glowing carpet of Soulshade Blossoms bloomed.


    She knew it must be the barrier she had studied, but there was so much more to it here.


    Then her eyes caught the brilliant golden halo around the Eldritch Tome as it slowly rose into the air at her approach. It flipped open, and she couldn¡¯t help but notice it was the very same chapter.


    But the complex construct of magic inscribed there popped out of the pages, hovering above the book ¨C an astounding three-dimensional construct of glittering magic, slowly twisting and turning as the components followed an intricate dance. She had studied this page extensively, but this projection had vastly more detail ¨C aspects and dimensions revealed to her eyes that constantly shifted with a living, restless energy.


    ¡°Clarence¡­ what¡­ what  that?¡±


    He just shuffled smugly under the impossible display.


    she studied the magical construct carefully. It flickered, just like the rest of the Spirit Realm, updating ever so slightly. Then again. As she watched, the entire construct began evolving in real-time in front of her eyes, showing her the full richness of multi-dimensional magic.


    And suddenly, she understood.


    In absolute awe, she carefully retrieved her notebook, turned to the expansive barrier wall, and began copying down everything she saw; the complete magic of Nevyn Eld¡¯s infernal array, now including the vast hidden internal structure made from soul magic. She had to refer to Clarence many times, but as she progressed steadily, her understanding deepened.


    Luminous soul magic tendrils connected the spell array to others of its kind. The ones leading back down the mountain appeared severed, presumably the result of her destroying the Temple of Bone¡¯s magic. And several tendrils lay limp on the ground leading to where the Bone Altar had been. From her current perspective, she could see the construct was but one of several nested shells guarding the inner reaches of the dungeon.


    This isn¡¯t just for raising undead,¡± she breathed, sharing her realization with Clarence. The sacrifice of life energy to power the altars was being harvested by the array, in addition to the enormous power of the domain magic pulsing through the entire construct.


    Finally, she returned to the real world, satisfied that she had the entire structure encoded.


    ¡°Thanks, Clarence, you¡¯re the best,¡± she told the Eldritch Tome, and scratched him along his spine, making him flip his pages in delight. Then she marshaled her magic and unraveled the entire barrier structure, causing it to collapse with a vast sigh and a billowing cloud of mana rising up into the night sky.


    ¡°Learned something?¡± Calen asked from where he stood watch.


    ¡°A lot,¡± Ali nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll fill you in in the morning.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Sleep well.¡±


    ¡°I still need to spend my attribute points,¡± she chuckled, crawling into her sleeping bag.


    She had been expecting to earn a little less because her class was at a higher level than her friends¡¯, but she wasn¡¯t far ahead, and apparently this time the level thresholds had conspired to allow her five levels of class growth.


    Attributes advancement was, of course, very welcome. She dropped twenty points each into wisdom and intelligence, and the remaining ten into perception.


    Ali thought, but before she could dig in, she drifted off into the dreamless sleep of the completely spent.


    Gara


    Gara¡¯s stomach lurched, and she stumbled embarrassingly upon arrival into an unfamiliar room. The black, polished marble was smooth and cold beneath her feet, and she found herself standing in the center of a large circle of magical runes.


    At the far end of the room, a bored human wearing a brown robe slowly looked up from a messy pile of papers littering the desk. ¡°Welcome to the Novaspark Academy of Magic in Myrin¡¯s¡­¡± he began, and then suddenly gasped as he caught sight of her.


    The magical runes flared around her, and Tarek stepped through, followed by each of the others, one at a time. She ignored the man at the desk and moved quickly to steady her charges.


    ¡°Uh¡­ welcome to Myrin¡¯s Keep,¡± the man spluttered, glancing down at the device on his desk. ¡°Your mana charge was fully covered by the source. You must have used some high-level teleportation to achieve that. Please don¡¯t cause any trouble in town.¡±


    Gara took a few moments to work out his rushed speech, deciding that she wouldn¡¯t have to fight him after all.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, pulling out the map that the Half-Elf, Calen, had drawn for her. ¡°Adventurers Guild?¡± she asked, forming the unfamiliar words carefully.


    ¡°This hall will take you to the main street. The safest path is to follow the main street across the bridge and then through the market, and you¡¯ll find the guild on the other side of town,¡± the official told her, turning his attention back to his papers.


    Gara¡¯s eyes settled briefly on the leaping pulse at his neck. She was not used to terrifying anyone. Were her kind regarded as high up in the hierarchy, here? She wished now that she had asked Aliandra for more of an explanation of Human cultures.


    ¡°Come,¡± she said, and led her four charges through the hallway, trying not to stare in awe at the massive construction of stone and marble.


    She would not admit to getting lost, but it took longer than she had expected to finally reach the guild. At least the map had saved her from the indignity of admitting she didn¡¯t know where she was to a mere human.


    ¡°This is it,¡± Gara said, eyeing the heavy-looking doors. She took a step forward but immediately paused as the delicate aroma of spices and charred meat reached her nostrils. Her head snapped to the side to find an aged human woman wielding a spatula like a rapier while bent over a skillet filled with sizzling chunks of meat. The cook glanced up with a curious smile.


    ¡°Travelers, would you like a free sample?¡± she called out, her voice raspy and thin.


    ¡°What does the human want?¡± Tarek asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s offering free food,¡± Gara said. Her instinct was not to trust the human, but her nose told her that this one knew what she was doing with that skillet.


    ¡°Can we?¡± S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    But she chose not to say anything on that front. ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll go,¡± Gara answered instead. As the only member of their group who could converse with the humans, all the interactions fell to her.


    ¡°Here you go dearie,¡± the woman said, handing her a handful of skewers. ¡°It¡¯s the last of my drake meat, so enjoy.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Gara said, wondering how someone so frail had been able to kill a drake. she concluded, but her identification just caused more questions.


    The woman looked frail ¨C weak even for a human. But as Gara tasted the skewer, she knew she would have to be back. Her cooking was even better than the Bear¡¯s.


    She nodded to the woman and distributed the skewers before pushing the door to the guild open and stepping inside.


    ¡°Welcome to the Adventurers Guild, how may I help you?¡±


    The voice was light and pleasant, and she turned to find an elf looking her way.


    Gara decided, looking around the room carefully but finding no one else. She stepped forward and offered the letter that Aliandra had written for her. The elf accepted it and adjusted a strange device on her face while reading it.


    But as she did, the door slammed open again.


    ¡°Monsters!¡±


    The shout had barely reached her ears when Gara leapt in front of her charges, shield raised and her axe ready.


    ----------


    /DungeonOfKnowledge


    https://www.NovelFire.com/series/1135403/dungeon-of-knowledge


    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/80744/dungeon-of-knowledge-raid-combat-litrpg